Khopoli

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Coordinates: 18.78° N 73.33° E

Khopoli
Khopoli
State  - District(s)	Maharashtra  - Raigarh
Coordinates	18.78° N 73.33° E
Area  - Elevation	- 138 m
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Population (2001)  - Density	58,657  -

Khopoli (Marathi: खोपोली) is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra, at the base of the Sahyadri mountains, surrounded on all sides by hills. It has grown rapidly in the last decade due to the proximity to Mumbai, particularly after the extension of the Mumbai Suburban Railway to Khopoli. It is governed by the Khopoli Muncipal Council, which consists of publicly elected representatives. It is the site of the first provately owned hydroelectric power station in India built by Tatas.[1]

Contents 1 Geography 2 Demographics 2.1 Features 2.2 Connectivity 2.3 Distances from major cities/towns 3 Educational institutes 4 Industries 5 Places of interest 6 References

[edit] Geography

Khopoli is located at 18.78° N 73.33° E^[1]. It has an average elevation of 138 metres (452 feet).

[edit] Demographics

As of 2001 India census^GRIndia, Khopoli had a population of 58,657. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Khopoli has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 68%. In Khopoli, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

[edit] Features

Khopoli is prominently an industrial town, with steel companies constituting a large part of its industrial base.

It is also a regular rest and refreshment stop for motorists traveling on the Mumbai-Pune Highway (officially, National Highway 4), one of the busiest roads in the country. However, the opening of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, which bypasses the town, has had a negative impact on local businesses, which were largely dependent on travelers passing through town for most of their revenue.

Khopoli is a convenient base location for some interesting tourist spots nearby, such as Duke’s Nose, Rajmachi Point, Tiger’s Leap, and the Ashtavinayaka temples of Shri Ballaleshwar at Pali (38 kms) and Shri Varad Vinayak at Mahad (7 kms).

[edit] Connectivity

Khopoli railway station is a railhead, meaning that the suburban railway line from Mumbai ends here. For long distance trains, shuttles, and regular suburban trains, the nearest junction is Karjat. The town is also well-connected by road since it lies on National Highway 4.

At Khopoli there is a branching-out of the Mumbai-Pune National highway called Hall-Phata connecting the city to Karjat, Matheran, Murbad, etc.

[edit] Distances from major cities/towns

From	Distance (in km)
Mumbai	89
Pune	74
Lonavala	12
Karjat	10

[edit] Educational institutes

• Janta Vidyalaya Khopoli High School and Junior College
• Nagarpalika Madhyamik Vidyalya Vasrang
• Khopoli Muncipal Corporation Primary school (Distributed across the town & nearby villages)
• K.M.C. College
• Sahyadri High School
• Shishu-mandir English School
• Khopoli Polytechnic Khopoli
• Anand School, Shilphata
• Zenith school
• JCMM School
• Carmel Convent School
• Carmel Convent Junior College for Girls

[edit] Industries

• Zenith (Birla) India Ltd.
• Mahindra Ugine Steel Company Ltd. (MUSCO)
• Wartsila Diesel
• Alta Laboratories
• Innovasynth Technologies Ltd.
• Bhushan Steels Ltd.
• Uttam Galva Steels Limited

[edit] Places of interest

• Zenith waterfall and Ring waterfall
• Sahyadri ranges during monsoon season
• Gagangiri Ashram
• Shree Swami Samarth Math-Bhanvaj Road
• Old Shiv temple and lake

[edit] References

1. ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Khopoli