Kolar - The Golden Land of India

The first capital of the Ganga dynasty, Kolar has a rich history. Until not too long ago, almost all the gold in India came from here. Its mines, located at an astonishing 10.000ft, were the deepest active mines in the world. The year was 1871, Michael Fitzgerald Lavelle, a retired Irish soldier from the British Army, had made Bangalore cantonment his home. Although he hoped to make it big post-retirement, Lavelle spent much of his time reading; and a four-page article from the 1804 Asiatic Journal he came across, set Lavelle on a journey that eventually birthed the world's second deepest goldmine - the Kolar Gold Fields.

Between 1804 and 1860, there were several studies and explorations of the gold mines in the region, but in vain. As some explorations in the ancient mines led to accidents, underground mining was prohibited by law in 1959. But in 1871, excited about a 67-year old report by Lt.Warren, Lavelle  made a 60-mile bullock cart trip to Kolar. During his investigation, he identified several potential locations for mining. Unlike others , he was able to find traces of the gold deposits. Its is believed that Chola Dynasty has mined golds by hands. After more than two years of research, in 1873, he wrote to the Maharaja's government seeking a license to mine. Government authorities, who believed gold explorations were not viable only gave him permission to mine coal, but Lavelle insisted on searching for gold deposits.

One of the earliest shafts in KGF. Courtesy: Archival photos/Srikumar

Mining engineers were invited across the world to dig shafts in Kolar to further the explorations. But things changed, when Lavelle under pressure from the investors, approached John Taylor and sons, a company which brought state of the art mining engineering to India. The arrival of these engineers from Norwich, England started the golden era of KGF. As operations in the KGF surged ahead, the British planned Asia's Second and India's first power plant in Kolar. Officers of the Royal Engineers approached the Mysore Maharaja with a proposal to build a hydroelectric plant (Shivana Samudra) in the Kaveri river, in 1900. Electric Company from New York and Eicher Wyss from Switzerland were given the task of establishing the power plant and 148 km of transmission lines, the longest line in the world. Machinery imported from Britain, America and Germany were transported in carts pulled by elephants and horses.

Soon, the candles and kerosene lamps in KGF were replaced by bulbs, even before Bangalore or Mysore were electrified. While in 2020, several parts of the state experience power cuts, by 1902, KGF had uninterrupted power supply.  As the gold reserves in KGF began to reduce, expatriates began to leave Kolar, however key positions were held by the English until Independence. When the Central Government decided to take over all the mines in 1956, ownership of most of the mines had already been handed over to the state government. The mines that produced 95 percent of India's gold output, were nationalized to keep them from shutting down. However in 2001, despite massive protests, Kolar Gold Fields were shut down.

The abandoned underground tunnels, once pathways of gold, are now flooded with ground water. KGF continues to bear gold in its belly, the cost of retrieving it would be greater then the value of gold itself. People posts began  leaving Kolar for greener pastures. While 2018 movie ‘KGF’, touted as the biggest Kannada movie of the year, has built curiosity about this forgotten mining town, and India’s gold rush, the makers admit the movie isn’t a historical account but a work of fantasy. However, this pales in comparison to the real story of the Kolar Gold Fields.

The town's main attraction is its temples. The presiding deity of  Kolar is the eight-armed goddess Durga, worshiped as Kolaramma. Such is the goddess's power that her idol is not placed in the direct gaze of the devotee but in a corner of the sanctum; visitors are allowed a glimpse of here reflection in a mirror. The pit near the sub-shrine is believed to be the habitat of scorpions. Overlooking this pit is the image of Kapala Bhairavi, the goddess of scorpions. It is said that, every year on the fifth lunar day of the fortnight of  Visakha, a scorpion emerges from the pit and stays near the deity before disappearing.

Someshwara Temple

The Someshwara  Temple situated in the heart of Kolar, this archaeological structure dates back to the early 14th century. A classic example of the Vijayanagara Style of architecture, featuring heavy Prakara Walls, a Kalyana Mantapa or wedding hall, a Mukha Mandapa with massive pillars, a Vasantha Mantapa or Marriage Podium and a shrine for goddess Parvathi, the consort of Shiva.  Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the great sculptors who built this temple have breathed their very lives into each pillar. There is also another temple, Kotilingeshwara temple. Koti means "ten million" and "linga" means the symbol of Shiva. The temple has the biggest Shivalinga in the entire world. But apart from that, the temple aims at hosting ten million Shivalingas, Big and small, in different sizes, these Shivalingas are donated and established by the devotees. People believe there are about hundred lakh shivalingas but the numbers are 90 lakhs and not one crore.

Anthargange is a hill range that is blessed with unique natural beauty. The hills are numerous volcanic rock formations and a series of natural caves from small volcanic rocks. The name Anthargange refers to a perennial spring that is found neat the Kashi Vishweshwara temple on the hilly range. Anthargange is ideal for trek lovers and adventurist.  In case you want to venture out to Kolar, it is about 70kms away from Bangalore on the Chennai -Bangalore National Highway No 4.

" The Desire of Gold is not for Gold. It is for the means of  Freedom and Benefit"

    - Ralph Waldo Emerson