Hospet (officially Hosapete) is the largest and fastest-growing industrial city and district headquarters of the Vijayanagara district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Hospet is known as "the steel city of Karnataka". It is located on the bank of the Tungabhadra River and is 13 km (8.1 mi) from Hampi (Vijayanagar). Hampi was once the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hospet is the connecting link between North and South Karnataka. It is 333 km (207 mi) from the state capital Bengaluru.

History

Hospet was built in 1520 AD by Krishna Deva Raya, one of the prominent rulers of Vijayanagara Empire. He built the city in honour of his mother Naagalaambika. The city was originally named Naagalapura; however, people referred to the city as Hosa Pete, which means "New City". The area between Hampi and Hospet is still called Naagalapura. This was the main entrance to the city of Vijayanagara for travellers coming from the west coast.

The current MLA for this area is Anand Singh. The government approved a request to rename the city in October 2014, and Hospet was renamed "Hosapete" on 1 November 2014.

The city currently holds the nation's tallest flagpole. During the Independence day on 15 August 2022, Hospet hoisted the tallest national flag on a 405 ft (123 m) pole.

About

Hospet is well connected to several important cities in India. Ballari is located approximately 60 km (37 mi) away. Hosapete Junction railway station lies on Hubballi-Guntakal railway line. The nearest airport from the city is Jindal Vijaynagar Airport approximately 30 km (19 mi) away from Hospet which serves flights to and from Bengaluru and Hyderabad every day. Bengaluru is 330 km (210 mi) away. In addition, the city has a well-developed market area. Hospet is a well-known tourist destination, mainly due to its proximity to Hampi and Tungabhadra Dam.

The Municipal Ground is good for evening walks, the sports club, occasional exhibitions and is also surrounded by snacks counters.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, the total population of Hospet was 206,167, of which 102,668 are male and 103,499 are female. The town has an average literacy rate of 79.30%, with male literacy at 85.95% and female literacy at 72.74%. In Hospet, 13.46% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Languages

38.5% of people speak Kannada, 26.32% speak Telugu, 25.04% speak Urdu, and 10.14% speak some other language.