Chikodi is a small town, situated 40 km southwest of Shedbal, in Belgaum District of Karnataka. The topography of the town is 683 metres (2240 feet) above mean sea level. It is located around 72 km north of Belgaum. Chikodi is located at latitude of 16.43° North and longitude of 74.6° East. Chikodi has a good network system and is well connected to other neighboring places.
The nearest airport is the Belgaum airport. The Chikodi Road Railway Station is one of the main railway stations that serve Chikodi. Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) maintains the Chikodi Bus Station. Chikodi being well connected to State Highway 12 and State Highway 18 direct buses from here are available to Raybag, Nipani, Hukkeri and Gurlapur. The bus station also provides short distance services.
According to the 2001 census report, Chikodi has a population of 32,820. Males constitute 51% of the population and females comprises of 49% of the population.12% of the population is less than six years of age. The average literacy rate of Chikodi is higher than the national average of 59.5%, which is 73%. While 79% of the male population is literate only 66% of the female population is literate.
The main occupation of the people living here is farming and the place is a rich sugar belt. The taluka has three sugar factories, which provides employment to a lot of people. Land here is fertile with the deposits of the Krishna and the Dudhganga rivers. Siri culture is rapidly developing in the district.
The town is well known for its ancient temples. Chikodi is a famous Jain pilgrim site in Karnataka. Hukkeri and the Parshwanath Temple at Sankeshwar are other places worth visiting in the neighborhood. The Adinath Temple built in Chikodi in 1592 is a very ancient religious shrine. It enshrines the idol of Bhagwan Adinath in the semi-padmasana posture. Chandrakori Ganesh temple, Ghhatagi Basavanna Temple and the Verrabhadra temple in Yadur are the other temples worth visiting.
