Belgaum (also known as Belagavi, Belgavi and Venugrama or "bamboo village" ) is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka located in its northern part along the Western Ghats. The Government of Karnataka has proposed making Belgaum the second capital of Karnataka.
Belgaum was founded in late 12th century AD by the Ratta dynasty, who shifted from nearby Saundatti. A Ratta official called Bichiraja built a Jain temple dedicated to Neminatha in 1204, which came to be called Kamalabasti. Pillars found inside Belgaum fort have Kannada inscriptions in Nagari scripts, one from 1199 by Ratta King Kartaveerya IV. The city original name was Venugrama, a Sanskrit word which means "village of bamboo". Alternatively, it is referred to as Venupura in early Indian texts, which means "city of bamboo".