Ahmednagar
Ahmednagar (Marathi: अहमदनगर, Urdu: احمد نگر) is a city of Ahmednagar District in the state of Maharashtra, India, on the west bank of the Sina river, about 120 km northeast of Pune and 120 km from Aurangabad. Ahmednagar is the largest district in the Maharashtra state. Sugar, milk and bank co-operatives thrive here. Ahmednagar is home to 19 sugar factories and is also the birthplace of the cooperative movement. Due to scarce rainfall, Ahmednagar often suffers from drought. Though citizens learn multilingual (e.g. English, Hindi, Marathi, Urdu) education in schools, Marathi is the primary language for daily-life communication. Hindi is also widely understood and spoken, though of the Dakhani (or Hyderabadi Urdu) dialect, with a lot of grammar and loan words from Marathi. Ahmednagar has recently published a plan of developing the city by year 2031.[1]
Demographics
As of 2001 India census,[2] Ahmednagar had a population of 307,455. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Ahmednagar has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national urban average of 79.9%.[3] 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
History
The town was founded in 1494 by Ahmad Nizam Shah on the site of a more ancient city, Bhingar. With the breakup of the Bahmani Sultanate, Ahmad established a new sultanate in Ahmednagar, also known as Nizam Shahi dynasty سلطان احمد نگر
It was one of the Deccan sultanates, which lasted until its conquest by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1636. Aurangzeb, the last great Mughal emperor, who spent the latter years of his reign, 1681–1707, in the Deccan, died at Khuldabad near Aurangabad in 1707, and a small monument marks the site.
In 1759 the Peshwa of the Marathas obtained possession of the place from Nizam of Hyderabad and in 1790 it was ceded by the Peshwa to the Maratha chief Daulat Rao Sindhia. Ahmednagar was invaded by a British force under General Wellesley and captured. It was afterwards restored to the Marathas, but again came into the possession of the British in 1817, according to the terms of the Treaty of Poona.
Numerous Mughal-era buildings dot the environs. Ahmednagar Fort, once considered the second most unimpregnable fort in India, was used by the British to house Jawaharlal Nehru (the first prime minister of India) and other Indian Nationalists before Indian independence. A few rooms there have been converted to a museum. During his confinement by the British at Ahmednagar Fort, Nehru wrote the famous book The Discovery of India.
Ahmednagar is home to the Indian Armoured Corps Centre & School (ACC&S), the Mechanised Infantry Regimental Centre (MIRC), the Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE) and the Controllerate of Quality Assurance Vehicles (CQAV). Training and recruitment for the Indian Army Armoured Corps takes place at the ACC&S. Formerly, the city was the Indian base of the British Army's Royal Tank Corps / Indian Armoured Corps, amongst other units. Currently the town houses the second-largest display of military tanks in the world.[4] The exhibit is open to the public.
Religion
The majority of the population in Ahmednagar is Hindu, with minorities of Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Zoroastrians.
Islam arrived in Ahmednagar during the Tughlaq dynasty. There are many Muslim Monuments like Salabad Khan's Dome(popularly but wrongly known as Chand Bibi Mahal), Faria Baug, Ground Fort and many Dargahs.
Christianity arrived in the 18th century when the British took over the area. The first Protestant Christian mission in the district was opened in 1831.[5] From the Maratha empire onwards Christianity has been Ahmednagar's third-largest religion. Ahmednagar's Christians are Marathi Christians and majority of them are Protestant.
Notable residents
- Anna Hazare, Right to Information Act (RTI) Activist
- Chand Bibi, an Indian Muslim woman warrior
- Spike Milligan, Irish comedian
- Anna Leonowens, educator, feminist, author of The English Governess at the Siamese Court (1870)
- Michael J. S. Dewar, a theoretical chemist[6]
- Shahu Modak (1918–1993), a Marathi/Hindi movie actor
- Anand Rishiji Maharaj, religious guide
- Saint Dnyaneshwar, wrote Dnyaneshwari
- Sai Baba of Shirdi (died 1918), saint
- Meher Baba (1894–1969), religious figure
- Jawaharlal Nehru, wrote the book The Discovery of India
- B. R. Ambedkar wrote the book Pakistan or Partition of India
- Abul Kalam Azad coprisoner of Pandit Nehru
- Vishnu Ramkrishna Karkare, a Hindu Mahasabha activist
- Sadashiv Amrapurkarliving at village amarapur,pathardi.
- Zaheer Khan famous Indian cricketer
- first co-operative sugar factory established in loni,prvaranagar.
- the clean temple of lord dattatraya at devgad.
Places of interest
- Chand Bibi Palace - The place has Salabat Khan Tomb, it is a three-storey structure made of solid stone. It is 13 km from Ahmednagar city. Situated on the top of a hill, it has a view of the city lights at night. It is visible from almost anywhere in Ahmednagar City.
- Ahmednagar Fort - The fort was built by Ahmed Nizam Shah. India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru wrote a book The Discovery of India in this fort when he was detained by the British in 1942.
- Renuka/Durga Goddess Temple - This temple is located in Kedgaon (around 3 km from Ahmednagar Railway Station, 5 km from Ahmednagar ST bus-stand) which is near Nagar-Pune highway. Navaratri (nine nights) festival is a celebration of nine nights of battle between the Goddess Durga and demon-king Mahishasura. Eventually Goddess Durga killed Mahishasura on the ninth night and thus the festival signifies the triumph of good over evil.
- Alamagir - Alamgir is situated near Bhingar on Pathardi road. Aurangzeb died at the age of 91 at the very same place, his body was taken to Khultabad, near Aurangabad and buried there. This historical place also houses a Masjid & Baradari where meetings used to take place. The library near the masjid has rare Qurans, dating back to the time of emperor Aurangzeb. One of the Qurans here was written by the emperor himself.
- Vishal Ganpati Mandir - This Ganeshji temple is located in Maliwada area in Ahmednagar City. This temple has a great importance to the people of Ahmednagar.
- Siddhatek Siddhivinayak - Temple of God Ganesh.
- Shirdi - home to the late Sai Baba, revered by Hindus and Muslims alike, about 83 km from Ahmednagar City.
- Meherabad, where the samadhi (tomb) of the spiritual master Meher Baba is a place of pilgrimage, visited by thousands each year, particularly on the anniversary of his death, Amartithi. His later residence was at Meherazad (near Pimpalgaon village), approximately nine miles north of Ahmednagar.
- Ralegaon Siddhi - a village which is a model for environmental conservation. Social activist Anna Hazare is from Ralegoan Siddhi.
- Shingnapur - Shingnapur is known for Shani (planet Saturn) temple and all houses with absolutely no door. This is probably the only village in world where you don't need locks.
- Harishchandragarh - a hilly fort.
- Avhane, Shevgaon - Temple of Ganesh (Nidrista/Sleeping).
- Pimpalner - Samadhi Temple of Shri Sant Nilobaraya, in Parner Taluka, 2 km west of Ralegan Sindhi, Parner Taluka. Also called Prati Pandharpur. Every Ekadashi, thousands of devotees visit this place chanting Abhangas.
- Pedgaon - Baleshwar Temple, Temple of Laxmi Narayan
- Trimbakji Dengale's Wada : Nimgaojali, a small village in Sangamner taluka of Ahmednagar district, came into limelight in the last phase of the Maratha empire. Trimbakji's spacious wada has now lost its former glory. Some of the portions of this two-centuries old structure are in dilapidated condition. The seventh or the eighth generation descendants of Trimbakji are now residing in this Wada.
- Haregaon - Place in Ahmednagar where majority of people is Catholic and the feast of Mother Mary Celebrates every year by the local Church.
- Jamgaon- Place in parner taluka where a historical palace built by Shri. Mahadaji shinde around 375 years back.
- Bhingar- Radha Krishna Temple built by Shri. Narayan Prasad Tiwari with the help of local people in 1942. Post independence, this temple was taken over by Indian Army.
- Shri Datta Devasthan Trust, Vedantnagar- Sadguru Shri Ramakrishna Saraswati Swamiji founded Shri Datta Devasthan Trust in 1974 at Ahmednagar in Maharashtra, with a view to protect and preserve the Vedic Traditions and Vedic culture. The trust runs a gurukul university for vedic education called "Vedant Vidyapeetham".
- Saint Mahipati Maharaj Temple, Taharabad, Rahuri- Saint Mahipati Maharaj in 1700 century has written Histories of nearly 285 Indian saints, which is now the only ref. to study taken by many phillosopers and Justine E Abbott having his book "Stories of Indian Saints" from Sant Mahipati's Bhaktivijay Book.
- Shree Kshetra Korthan Khandoba Devastan very popular temple of Lord Khandoba.
- Buhranagar -In Buhranagar, there is a Goddess Temple(Goddess named AMBABAI). It is near about 5 km from Ahmednagar city. Buhranagar is also called as AMBIKANAGAR. This temple is of great importance to people from Ahmednagar.
- DARGAH DAIRA - This Holy place is near Ahmednagar city (03 km) where the Tomb of Sufi Saint Hazrat Shah Sharif is situated. Hazarat Shah Sharif is well known & mentioned in the history for his miracles. Shahaji, Father of Shivaji Maharaj was born after seeking the blessings from Saint Shah Sharif & in the honor of the Peer Shah Sharif, Maloji named his sons as Shahji and Sharifji.
- Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth,Rahuri : Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth is an agricultural university at Rahuri. It is named after Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, an activist and social reformer of 19th century. The basic mandate assigned to this University are advancement in teaching, research and imparting extension education to the farmers of the State. There are four Agricultural Universities in the State, catering the similar services in their locality. The jurisdiction of Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri extends over Western Maharashtra covering ten districts.
References
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