Aurad

Aurad is a town and municipal council in the Bidar district of the Kalyana-Karnataka region in Indian state of Karnataka. It passes through the National Highway 161A. It is 42 kilometres (26 mi) from the district headquarters Bidar.

Geography
Aurad is located at 18.25°N, 77.43°W. It has an average elevation of 542 m. Aurad is 840 km from Bengaluru and 42 km from District Headquarters Bidar. The area of Aurad taluka is 1,227.20 km2 having 6 circles, 149 villages and 177 thandas. It is located 542-610 m above sea level. Aurad is the largest of the five talukas in Bidar District.

River
Manjra is the tributary of Godavari, which enters into Aurad at Horandi and flows as taluka boundary through Sonal, Kalgapur, Hulsur, Khed, Halalli, Nidoda, Nittur, Babli, Bachepalli. Ladha, Koutha(B), Khanapur and at the end it leaves Aurad at Kandgul village.

Climate
The climate is generally dry and healthy. The average rainfall of the taluka is 840 mm. Average number of rainy days are about 51 days. Though the climate is dry throughout the year, temperatures can become as high as 40-43°C during the summer. Temperatures in the town during winter can get as low as 10-15°C.

Demographics
As of 2011 Indian Census, Aurad town panchayat had a total population of 19,849, of which 10,058 were males and 9,791 were females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 2,769. The total number of literates in Aurad was 12,226, which constituted 61.6% of the population with male literacy of 68.7% and female literacy of 54.3%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Aurad was 71.6%, of which male literacy rate was 79.8% and female literacy rate was 63.2%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 6,066 and 1,207 respectively. Aurad had 3810 households in 2011.

Aurad suburb had a population of 4,108, of which 2,056 were males and 2,052 were females, with 494 under the age of seven.

Places of interest

 * Sri Amareshwar Temple in the center of the town and is estimated to be from the 10th century. The Amareshwar Jaatra is held here every year during Maha Shivratri. Thousands of devotees visit to seek the blessings of the Lord and get sanctified.

Notable people

 * Bhagwanth Khuba — government minister, member of Parliament
 * Narsingrao Suryawanshi — former member of Parliament
 * Vaijnath Patil, member of the Indian National Congress
 * Prabhu Chauhan — government minister, member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly