It is a coastal town and is about 60 km south of the city of Karwar and 20 km north of Honavar. During the British Raj, it was a part of the North Kanara district of Bombay Presidency. . The town of Kumta is located on the Arabian sea coast in the district of Uttara Kannada in the state of Karnataka. During the American Civil War the cotton from the southern states that fed mills in England stoppe
d supplying and the mills started importing a variety of cotton known as 'Kumta Hatti' this resulted in development of Kumta port. Just to the north of town, the Aghanashini river joins the Arabian Sea on her way rendering stunning scenery. A nearby spot called Yana is also beautiful with its massive black rock formations and nature trails. The town of Gokarn, near Kumta is a place of pilgrimage for Hindus and is known as the Kashi of the South. 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. There are a lot of old temples in Kumta. Sri Kumbheshwar, Salt Ganapati, Shantika Parameshwari and Shankar Narayan temples. Kumta also shelters Saraswat temples which were destroyed during the Portuguese inquisition such as Mahalasa Narayani, Shanteri Kamakshi, Kavur Kamakshi although these temples have their original spot back in Goa. Many of these feature period architectures and period art forms, especially the Kavi Art. Population
• Density
27,598 (2001[update])
• 1,857.2 /km2 (4,810 /sq mi)
