Nagpur district General information
Nagpur district is a district of Maharashtra state in central India. The city of Nagpur is the district headquarters. The district is part of Nagpur Division.
The district had a population of 4,067,637 of which 64.26% were urban as of 2001.The current District Collector is Sanjay Mukherjee.
History
1st to 5th CENTURY B. C:- In hills and hillocks of Hidimba Tekadi,40 Kms. From Nagpur near Mansar, pieces of Terracotta from Vakataka, Maruya and Shung periods have been obtained by Archaeologist, which indicates that Nagpur had a much more ancient and cherished history than assumed by the commoners.
10th CENTURY A.D. :- The name Nagpur appear for the first time on record.
1702 A.D. :- Nagpur city founded by Gond King 'Bakht Buland Shah' of Devagad, on the banks of Nag River. That is why the city was named 'Nagpur'. He founded the city by joining 12 small hamlets formerly known as 'Rajapur Baraasa' or 'Barasa',
1706 A.D.:- The eldest son of 'Bakht Buland Shah', Raja Chand sultan ascended on the throne of Devagad in 1706 A.D. and he shifted his capital from Devagad to Nagpur. The contemporary Devagad was a small wooden fortress located 30 kms. away in Chhindwara Distt. The contemporary Devagad state included Nagpur, Bhandra, Seoni, Balaghat, Betul and Hoshangabad districts. Raja Chand Sultan initiated the construction of his fortress at Mahal. He constructed 3 kms. long wall around this fortress and for the first time laid the foundation of a planned layout for Nagpur city. He continuously ruled over and made an all out development of Nagpur for 33 years.
1742 A.D. :- After the death of Raja Chand Sultan at Nagpur, the city again went into obscurity and was gradually dominated by Bhonsle dynasty of Deor. In 1742 A.D. the Bhonsle King 'Raghuji Bhonsle'ascended to the throne of Nagpur in place of Gond king 'Raja Chand Sultan'. Nagpur became the Capital of Raghuji Bhonsle.
1765 A.D. :- Nagpur was burnt substantially in 1765 and again partially in 1811 by the marauding tribe pendharis. However, the development of city of Nagpur continued. Nawabpur, Old Mangalwari, Shukrawari Tank, Hansapuri, Jaripatka, Rajabaksha, Rambagh and Itwari areas where established and developed during Bhonsle period.
1817 A.D. & 1853 A.D. :- In the famous battle of Sitabuldi, the Marathas lost the fortress and the city to Britishers. Britishers became the undisputed rules and monarch of the area. Nagpur was ultimately incorporated into British residency in 1853 A.D.
1857 A.D. :- The effect of first freedom struggle was felt at Nagpur also. This laid down the foundation of many non violent, non co-operation movement.
1861 A.D. :- Nagpur became capital of Central provinces.
1864 A.D. :- The Municipality of Nagpur was established.
1867 A.D. :- Between Nagpur to Mumbai, a new British train route - 'Great Indian Peninsula (G.I.P) 'railway' was laid down which transformed the future of Nagpur for good. The first train steamed out of the city in 1867 A.D.
1891 A.D. :- On 28th December 1891, the seventh all India Congress Session was organized at Lalbagh locality at Nagpur, in which the famous from Chennai P. Anandacharlu presided.
1899 A.D. :- The great plague strikes and takes a heavy toll in Nagpur.
1901 A.D. :- The foundation of Cotton market was laid. The C. P. Club was also founded.
1905 A.D. :- Indora was founded.
1911 A.D.:- Punjabi line was founded. The English daily 'The Hitvada' was founded.
1912 A.D. :- Foundation Stone of Vidhan Sabha was laid.
1920 A.D. :- 35th all India Congress session was held for the second time at Nagpur for which a new colony Congress nagar was laid down near Dhontoli park. In this session over 60 thousand Congress representative attended. The session was presided over by Shri. Jamnalal Bajaj. He openly supported Mahatma Gandhi as the undisputed leader of the union.
1923 A.D. :- Nagpur University was founded To mark the all India 'Jhanda Satyagrah Aandolan' a protest rally was also organized at Nagpur in which Pt. Nehru and Rajrishi Tondon participated.
1924 A.D. :- The foundation of Ramdaspeth was laid.
1925 A.D. :- The foundation of Lashkari bagh was laid.
1929 A.D. :- The foundation of New colony was laid.
1930 A.D. :- The foundation of Dhantoli was laid.
1934 A.D. :- Gondawana Club was founded and Hindi 'Navbharat' was launched.
1936-1938 A.D. :- The 'Hindustani Lal Sena' was found.
1940 A.D. :- Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's 'Forward Block Party' organized its second all India session at Nagpur.
1942 A.D. :- Nagpur participated in 'Bharat Chodo Aandolan' in which Maganlal Bagdi's Lal sena actively participated. He was imprisoned and the freedom fighter Shankar was hanged.
1947 A.D. :- The country got its freedom from the British yoke and Nagpur also participated in this celebration. All India Radio Station was founded at Nagpur.
1950 A.D. :- Nagpur declared as the capital of Madhya Pradesh.
1951 A.D. :- The Nagpur Municipality was converted to Municipal Corporation. Same year, the foundation of 'Bhartiya Jansangh' was also laid.
1956 A.D. :- On present 'Diksha Bhoomi' Ground, Dr B. R. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism along with lakhs of his followers.
1957 A.D. :- On 17th Oct 1957, The 'Nag Vidharbha Andolan Samiti' was formed.
1958 A.D. :- The third all India session of congress party was organized at Abyankar Nagar in Nagpur.
1960 A.D. :- Nagpur city and district were transfered to Maharashtra State, as a part of state reorganization. Since the first session of the state legislature was organized at Nagpur, the city was assigned the status of the second capital to Maharashtra.
Geography
North Latitude – 210.07; East longitude – 790.07
Height above mean sea level – 312.42 mtrs.
Location - It is practically at geographical center of India, in fact the zero milestone of India is in this city. All major highways NH-7 ( Varanasi - Kanyakumari ) & NH-6 (Mumbai - Sambalpur - Calcutta) amd major railways trunk route (Mumbai, Chennai, Howrah * Delhi) pass through the city. Important Central & State Government offices and institutions are located in Nagpur. Industrial Development is existing along the fringe areas like Kamptee, Hingna, Wadi, Khapri, Butibori and Kalmeshwar.
Nagpur’s Municipal Limits encompass 217.56 Square Kms of land areas.
Nagpur is 837 kms. From Mumbai, 1094 Kms south of Delhi, 1092 kms north of Chennai and 1140 kms west of Calcutta.
The town is dominated by the British fort built in 1818 on the twin hills of Sitabuldi in the centre of the city. It overlooks the civil lines on the west, the city proper on the east and north,and the suburb of Sitabuldi (Burdi) to the south. Northwest of the civil lines is the Gorewara reservoir with a dam 2,350 ft long. There are several fine old reservoirs (tanks) notably Shukrawari (Jumma) Talao, Ambazari and Telankhedi, and many parks in and around the city.
The surrounding region is an undulating plateau rising northward to the Satpura Range, from 889 to 2,142 feet (271 to 653 m) high and is drained by the Kanhan and Pench rivers in the center, the Wardha in the west, and the Wainganga in the east. Both these rivers later merge as tributaries into the Godavari river. The soil is fertile black (cotton) in the west and the north and alluvial in the east. The average annual rainfall is 45 inches, with more rain in the east than in the west. In the west, the hills are forested. In the northeast are the hills of Ramtek.
Climate
Humidity 70% to 20%
Elevation 274.5 mtrs to 652.70 mtrs
Forest Cover is 28% i.e. 2818 sq. kmrs
Nagpur generally has a dry tropical weather
The climate of Nagpur follows a typical seasonal monsoon weather pattern. The peak temperatures are usually reached in May/June and can be as high as 48oC. The onset of monsoon is usually from July and the season extends up to September, with monsoon peaking during July and August. After monsoons, the average temperature varies between 27oC and approx 6 to 7oC right through December and January.
Health
The district has a network of government-run health facilities consisting of the district hospital offering tertiary-level care. The rural hospitals at the secondary level and the primary health centres, sub-centres and dispensaries provide basic healthcare to the rural population. Nearly 22% of the villages had such primary health facilities (1991), covering nearly 47% of the rural population.
Places of interest
Ambazari : LakeSpread over 15.4 sq. kms. on the western outskirts of the city, Ambazari Lake is surrounded by a picturesque garden. Boating facilities and good walking trials provide an interesting outdoor activity. The musical fountain addsa romantic flavor to this beautiful spot. Ambazari Lake and Garden LyingThe Ambazari Lake has a beautiful garden beside it, which is one of the most beautiful spots in Nagpur, developed as a model garden by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation.
Balaji Mandir at Seminary : The most popular of Indian deities Shri Balaji is the presiding deityin this temple situated in the serene and picturesque surroundings of, Nagpur’s famed Seminary Hills. This temple also houses the idols of Lord Kartikeya who is believed to be the commanderof the army of Gods.
Maharaj Baug and Zoo : The erstwhile Bhonsle rulers laid a beautiful garden,which is now known as The Maharaj Baug. It is converted into a botanical garden housing a zoo,containing some rare species of birds and animals.
Seminary Hill : Named after the Seminary of St. Charles this hillock is about 6 kms.west of the old city giving a captivating panoramic view of the city.
Sitabuldi Fort : A visit to Nagpur is not complete without a visit to this important landmark of Sitabuldi Fort, nestled on the Twin Mountains. In the year 1857 a British officer, built this fort and since then it has been one of the interesting destinations in Nagpur.
Sri Poddareshwar Ram Mandir : In the year 1923, this beautiful temple was built with marble and sandstone carving work. The three principle characters of the Indian epic-The Ramayana are the presiding deities.
TOTLADOH : The Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru National Park is situated in this area. It is surrounded by Satpuda hills providing a pleasant climate. This National Park is best known for animal viewing, bird watching and trekking. There is also situated a hydroelectric project, a joint venture of Govt. of Maharashtra and Madhya Predesh.
RAMTEK : The story goes that Shri Ram tarried here a while with Laxman and
Sita. Hence, the name. It was here that the prolific Sanskrit poet Kalidas wrote his epic Maghdootam. Besides the Shri Ram Temple and the Kalidas Memorial, there is Ramgiri hill, Ramsagar lake.This place has been immortalised by the visit of Lord Ram, Sita and Laxman, hence the name Ramtek. The place is also famous as the place where the poet Kalidas composed his epic "Meghdoot". The main attractions here are the Ram temple which is more than 600 years old, as well as the Jain temple which has some beautiful carvings and sculpture.Ramtek is about 50 kms. from Nagpur.
NAWEGAON BANDH : Nawegaon, Vidarbha's most popular forest resort, is the ultimate
adventure spot. It is said to have been built by Kolu Patel Kohli in the beginning of the 18th century. There's picturesque lake set in the midst of hill ranges with watch towers that enable you to view wildlife. Make sure you visit the deer park, the Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, the three beautiful gardens and the children's park. Almost 60% of the birds species found in Maharashtra have been recorded in Nawegaon. You may see the leopard, sloth bear, gaur, sambar, chital or the langur.
NAGARDHAN :
Nagardhan is an old town and was formerly of considerable importance as it gave its name to the district. It was founded by a Suryawanshi King, but Mr. Hiralal supposes it to have been established by King named Nandvardhan belonging to the Shail Dynasty. There is a fort said to have been built by the Bhonslas
with brick walls.
DHAPEWADA : Dhapewada is situated on the bank of Chandrabhaga river. The town
possesses a notable temple of Vithoba, overlooking the river. It was built by Umaji Aba, Diwan to Raja Baji Rao Bhonsla. Dhapewada
is being known as Vidarbha's Pandharpur.
KHEKRANALA : Khekranala is a dam site situated in Khapra range forest. This area is palm green and finest natural and fascinating with a bracing climate and healthy environment round the year. The water reservoir is quite and surrounded by thick forest on two side.
ADASA : A small village in the Nagpur District. The village contains fine old temples. In the temple of Ganpati the image consists of a single stone set up so that worshippers may walk around it. On a hill near the village is a temple of Mahadeo with three lingas, which are believed to have come out of the ground by themselves.
Ambakhori: Situated around 60kms. from Nagpur.It is best in winter,
though it tends to be crowded on weekends.It is yet to be developed to its full potential.Waterfalls and a forest are the main attractions.
Pench National Park: Situated around 86kms. from Nagpur, this
National Park is a place good for a day's visit. It is built around the Pench Irrigation project, a joint venture of the Maharashtra and MP Governments.This park is also known as Jawaharlal Nehru Udyan.
Khindsi: Famous mainly for its large and picturesque lake. Boating facilities are also offered. Khindsi is very close to Ramtek, in fact you can combine the two places in a single trip.