Malur

Malur is located at 13.00°N 77.94°E / 13.00; 77.94.[1] It has an average elevation of 910 metres (2,990 ft).

Malur is 46 kilometres (29 mi) from Bengaluru city center (Kempegowda Bus Station) and 26 km from Kolar City. It is located on the Bengaluru – Chennai trunk railway line. All the passenger trains and a few Express trains stop at Malur.

As of 2001 India census,[2] Malur had a population of 27,791. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Malur has an average literacy rate of 67%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 73%, and female literacy is 61%. In Malur, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

The major language spoken in Malur is Kannada. People also speak and understand Tamil and Telugu as the taluk is bordered by Hosur (Tamilnadu) and is also close to the Andhra Pradesh state border.

The economy of Malur is primarily dependent on business and it is famous for clay tile-and-brick industry and some small-scale industries. It is also famous for large number of Eucalyptus plantations. Malur is famous for vegetables. Vegetables grown here are daily sent to Chennai market and Bangalore markets. Malur is also very famous for floriculture. Flowers, capsicum and other vegetable grown with high technology are exported to bigger cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai. Another main economy of Malur is tiles and brick factories, their products being exported to Chennai and Bangalore. We can see big factories like Honda Motor Cycle Limited, Mahindra Aerospace, Scania, Medinova and some other factories. This creates a vast number of employments, thus making Malur's economy prosperous. Malur is also famous for poultry farms. We can see large number of parent breeding and commercial broiler farms.

Malur was also called Malligepura in earlier days because the farmers here grow large number of jasmine flowers.

A famous temple is situated in Chikkatirupati, imitated by Thirupati temple.

There is a village called Shivarapattana, where one can find national award-winning rock sculpture makers. Most of the village population depend on rock sculpture profession. Hullimangala Village is best known for growing CAPSICUM and ROSE by new technology. Kodihalli is another village in Malur taluk famous for varieties in roses, and most of roses from here is exported to other states of the country.

Malur is also famous for karaga, sidi and "Mariamma goddess"/ Maarikamba.

The season of karaga is usually termed as "jaathre" and is a kind of grand festival in the town. The karaga in Malur happens exactly a week after bangalore karaga. This will be usually in the month of April or May.

Ganesha festival is celebrated grandly here, with an idol of lord ganesha kept over for more than a month with poojas and grand programmes every day. They have closed a well called "Kuppa shetty Bhavi" (made as a ground for the local kids). However, the only Ganesha temple of Malur, which is in Kuppa Shetty Bhavi street, was demolished a few years back has been reopened.

Rajarajeshwari Temple is situated just a kilometer from Malur Railway Station; it is one of the famous temples in Malur.

• Masti Venkatesha Iyengar , writer