Kolar Gold Fields Sericulture Mulberry Heritage Karnataka

Kolar district is famous for the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) — gold mines worked continuously from 1880 to 2001 that were once the world's deepest mines (3.2 km below surface) and India's premier gold source, providing the setting for the 2018 Kannada film KGF that became a pan-India cultural phenomenon. After the gold mines closed, Kolar's economy pivoted to mulberry sericulture and raw silk production — the district's sandy red soils support mulberry cultivation that feeds cocoon production for Bengaluru's silk trading market. Kolar's tomato production in the Chintamani and Mulbagal belt makes it South India's largest tomato surplus district, supplying tomato to Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh wholesale markets.