Kumta

Kumta,India ಕುಮಟ
Town
Kumta Sunset at Beach
Kumta,India Location in Karnataka, India
Coordinates: 14°25′N 74°24′E / 14.42°N 74.4°E / 14.42; 74.4Coordinates: 14°25′N 74°24′E / 14.42°N 74.4°E / 14.42; 74.4
Country	India
State	Karnataka
Region	Canara
District	North Kanara
Named for	Beauty
Government
• Type	Indian National Congress
• Mayor	Smt. Sharadha Mohan Shetty
• Assistant Commissioner	G. Anuradha KAS
Area
• Total	15.34 km² (5.92 sq mi)
Area rank	9th
Elevation	2 m (7 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	145,826
• Rank	2nd
• Density	1,957.2/km² (5,069/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Kannada
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	581 343
Telephone code	+91-(0)8386
Vehicle registration	KA-47
Lok Sabha Constituency	Canara Lok Sabha Constituency
Climate	Mansoon (Köppen)
Website	www.kumatatown.gov.in

Kumta is a town and a taluk in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India. Kumta is about 142 km south of Margao and 58 km north of Bhatkal. It is situated 72.7 km from Karwar, the district headquarters. It is one of the important stations along the Konkan Railway line running between Mumbai and Mangalore.

History

Kumta was a part of the North Kanara district of the Bombay Presidency. The city came under the rule of Maratha Empire in the 1800s, who ceded it to the British at the conclusion of the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818. The British established Kumta city as a part of the Bombay Presidency. During the American Civil War the cotton from the southern states that fed mills in England stopped supplying and the mills started importing a variety of cotton known as 'Kumta Hatti’ this resulted in development of Kumta port.

The renowned Bengali poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who visited Kumta in 1882, dedicated an entire chapter of his memoirs to this city. The 22-year-old Rabindranath Tagore stayed with his brother, Satyendranath Tagore, who was the district judge in North Kanara.

Geography

The city of Kumta is located on the Arabian sea coast in the district of North Kanara in the state of Karnataka. Kumta is adjacent to the vast western ghats 14°25′N 74°24′E / 14.42°N 74.4°E / 14.42; 74.4. It has an average elevation of 3 metres (9 feet).

Just to the north of city, the major Aghanashini river joins the Arabian Sea on her way rendering stunning scenery. The town of Gokarna near Kumta is famous for beaches. A nearby Rock Climbing spot called Yana is also beautiful with its massive black rock formations and nature trails.

Mirjan Fort, originally built in the 15th century

Gokarna is just 30 km. Yana is just 20 km from Kumta. Places around Kumta include:

Gokarna Beaches,
Kadle Beach
Dhareshwar Beach
Tuin Beach
Kumta Beach
Baada Temple and Beach
Mirjan Fort

Demographics

Religion in Kumta
			Percent
Hinduism			80.9%
Islam			16.56%
Christianity			2.38%
Jainism			0.11%
Others†			0.01%
Distribution of religions

As of 2011 India census Kumta had a population of 121,327. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Kumta has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82% and female literacy is 73%. In Kumta, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. Kannada is the main language spoken in this City and Konkani is also widely spoken.

The town of Kumta features diverse population including Brahmins, craftsmen, fishermen, Christians, and Muslims. Beaches, lakes (Vishnuteerth), and mountains provide a lot of recreational opportunities to the locals. The city of Kumta features diverse population including Namadhari Naiks, Halakki Vokkaligas, Havyaka Brahmins, Daivadnya Brahmins, Gouda Saraswat Brahmins, Saraswat Brahmins,Gudigars, Siddis, Fishermen, Muslims (Nawayath) and minority of Christians (Catholics).

Climate

This part of Karnataka has very hot Summer with temperature rising of maximum of 35-36 degree Celsius and the Rainfall here is seasonal, but heavy and is above 6000 mm. in a year. The impact of winter is less in this part of Coastal Karnataka. Since the city is located on the coast, it has an extreme climate, with temperatures in the range of 36⁰C to 28⁰C during summer and 26⁰C to 20⁰C during winter. The rainy season witnesses heavy rains by the South-West Monsoon.

The Monsoon period is from June to September with rainfall averaging more than 4000mm every year and heavy winds.

Climate data for Kumta
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	32.8 (91)	33 (91)	33.5 (92.3)	34 (93)	33.3 (91.9)	29.7 (85.5)	28.2 (82.8)	28.4 (83.1)	29.5 (85.1)	30.9 (87.6)	32.3 (90.1)	32.8 (91)	31.53 (88.7)
Average low °C (°F)	20.8 (69.4)	21.8 (71.2)	23.6 (74.5)	25 (77)	25.1 (77.2)	24.4 (75.9)	24.9 (76.8)	24 (75)	24.1 (75.4)	24.1 (75.4)	24.4 (75.9)	24.2 (75.6)	23.87 (74.94)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	1.1 (0.043)	0.2 (0.008)	2.9 (0.114)	24.4 (0.961)	183.2 (7.213)	1,027.2 (40.441)	1,200.4 (47.26)	787.3 (30.996)	292.1 (11.5)	190.8 (7.512)	70.9 (2.791)	16.4 (0.646)	3,796.9 (149.485)

Transportation

Road

North West Karnataka Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) is the state transport agency in the city. Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) buses serve the town.

National Highway 17 passes through Kumta. It connects Kumta with Mumbai, Panvel, Ratnagiri, Margao, Karwar, Bhatkal, Kundapur, Udupi, Mangalore and Edapally.

Rail

Kumta [KT] is well connected through Konkan railways, which has frequent trains plying from Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Mangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Margao, Karwar towards Mangalore (Mangalore Central [MAQ] and Mangalore Junction [MAJN]), Kumbakonam and also vice versa. The journey between Margao & Kumta takes not more than 2 hours. The Railway Station is very near to city situated about a kilometer away from National Highway.

Cuisine

The traditional food dishes of Kumta Muslims adopt the cuisine from surrounding regions, including Kerala. Seafood has been the mainstay of the Nawayathi diet for centuries. Meat and rice are staple foods. Favoured meats are beef, poultry, goat, and lamb. A popular beverage is tea, to which cardamom or mint can be added to give a distinct flavour.