Kopargaon
| Kopargaon Rawanda | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
  Kopargaon | |
| Coordinates: [//tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Kopargaon¶ms=19.88_N_74.48_E_type:city(59996)_region: 19°53′N 74°29′E / 19.88°N 74.48°E]Coordinates: [//tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Kopargaon¶ms=19.88_N_74.48_E_type:city(59996)_region: 19°53′N 74°29′E / 19.88°N 74.48°E] | |
| Country |
 India |
| State | Maharashtra |
| District | Ahmadnagar |
| Elevation | 493 m (1,617 ft) |
| Population (2001) | |
| • Total | 59,996 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | {{{demographics1_info1}}} |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
Kopargaon is a town and municipality located in the Ahmednagar district of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Kopargaon is located about 14 km from the holy town of Shirdi.
Geography
Kopargaon is situated at 19°53′N 74°29′E / 19.88°N 74.48°E. It has an average elevation of 493 meters (1617 feet) and lies on the banks of the Godavari River.
Demographics
As of the 2011 India census,[1] Kopargaon had a population of 250,000. Kopargaon town has a population of 63,000. Males constitute 51% of the population while females constitute 49%. Kopargaon has an average literacy rate of 69%, which is higher than the national average of 59.5%. The male literacy rate is 76%, and the female literacy rate is 62%. In Kopargaon, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Kopargaon is regarded as a holy place by many saints like Janardhan Maharaj and Jungli Maharaj as it is located on the banks of the river Godavari. It is located 40 km from Manmad railway junction. The famous temple of Sai Baba at Shirdi is 14 km from the town. There are two more famous temples of Sai Baba in Kopargaon itself, one of which is known as Saidham. The second famous temple is Shani Shingnapur, which is only 86 km from Kopargaon. There are regular share autos and private taxis that are available at the railway station in Kopargaon.
Politics
Kopargaon is part of the Vidhan Sabha constituency in Maharashtra. For the 2009 state assembly elections, there were about 214,865 voters. Ashok Shankarrao Kale emerged victorious against Bipin Shankarao Kolhe in the recently held Vidhan Sabha Elections (2009). It has the courts of CJJD, CJSD, & ADJ. During the recent Graduate Constituency Election, Kopargaon City & Taluka gave an historic lead to the Indian National Congress (INC) candidate Dr. Sudhir Tambe. Previously, during graduate constituency elections the percentage of votes cast from Kopargaon City was 20 to 25%; but, during this election, a record 52% of votes were cast.
Economy
There are three sugar factories around Kopargaon. In addition to this there is an industrial estate having 52 small scale industries and dairies.
The economy of the Tehsil is driven mainly by agriculture with sugarcane being the major cash crop of the region. The sugar industries in Kopargaon are Sanjivani Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana, the Kopargaon Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana and the Takali Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana. Abundance of water due to efficient irrigation systems has encouraged the farmers to grow sugarcane. Kopargaon has been at the forefront of developments in agriculture with most modern technologies being made available to the farmers for the advantage of cultivation. However, due to increased competition, a shortage of water resources in the area, and mainly because of politics, the agriculture-based economy has been on a steep downward trend. Different towns around Kopargaon like Yeola, Sangamner, Sinnar and Vaijapur have flourished due to the political stability in their regions. A few decades ago sunflowers were also one of the major crops of the region; however, again due to a shortage of water resources, this crop has disappeared from the region. The other cash crops in this region are wheat and soybean.
The major banks that are located in the town are Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Bank of Baroda, State Bank of India, Central Bank of India, HDFC, AXIS and ICICI. There is also a local co-operative bank known as Kopargaon People's Co-operative Bank & Nagar Urban Co-op Bank Ltd.
Educational institutions
The Sanjivani College of Engineering is one of the most important education centres of the town. One of the oldest and most famous colleges under the University of Pune it is graded 'A' by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) and operates under ISO 9001 standards. Other older and well known colleges under the University of Pune include K.B. Rohmare Junior College, K.J.Somiya College, graded 'A' by the UGC last year 2011, and S.S.G.M Science, Gautam Arts and Sanjivani Commerce College, Kopargaon. As far as basic education is concerned, S.G.Vidyalaya and K.B.P. Vidyalaya, both of which are Marathi Medium Schools, are reputed for primary education. Kopargaon also has a girls-only school – Dr. C.M. Mehta Kanya Vidya Mandir – and several English schools, in ranked order:
1. Seva Niketan Convent School;
2. Sant Janardhan Swami (Moungiri) Maharaj, Maharshi Vidya Mandir (CBSE Affiliated School);
3. Sanjivani English Medium School;
4. Sharda English Medium School;
5. Saibaba International School Kolpewadi;
6. Saibaba Nursing[anm] School Kolpewadi;
7. Shree Swami Samarth Nursing[gnm] Kolpewadi(founder Dr. Prakash Kolpe).
Madrasa Miftahul Uloom. The only Urdu high school in the town was started in 1983 by Maulana Muner Ahmed and his various team-mates.
Public Library
There are 26 public libraries in Kopargaon Taluka as of March 2012.
Transport
Train services have also begun operation from different parts of the country for Shirdi via Kopargaon. The trains have air-conditioned compartments and various classes to suit every budget.
References
- ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
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