Kopargaon
| Kopargaon कोपरगाव | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
  Kopargaon Location in Maharashtra, India | |
| Coordinates: 19°53′N 74°29′E / 19.88°N 74.48°ECoordinates: 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 (2011) | |
| • Total | 250,000 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Marathi |
| 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 kilometres (8.7 mi) 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 (1,617 feet) and lies on the banks of the Godavari River.
Demographics
In the India census of 2011,[1] Kopargaon was recorded to have a population of 250,000. The town of Kopargaon had a population of 63,000. The population is represented as 51% male, 49% female. Thirteen percent of the population is under 6 years of age. Kopargaon has a literacy rate of 69%. Male literacy is 76%, female literacy is 62%. This compares favorably with the India national literacy of 59.5%.
Kopargaon is regarded as a holy place by many as it is located on the banks of the river Godavari. Saints who have considered the place holy include Janardhan Maharaj and Jungli Maharaj. The famous temple of Sai Baba at Shirdi is 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from the town. There are two more famous temples of Sai Baba in Kopargaon itself, one of which is known as Saidham. & another is Sai-Tapobhumi. Also,The famous temple Shani Shingnapur, which is only 86 km (53 mi) from Kopargaon.
It is located 40 km (25 mi) from Manmad railway junction. There are regular share autos and private taxis available at the railway station in Kopargaon.
Politics
Kopargaon is part of the Vidhan Sabha constituency in Maharashtra. In the Oct 2014 state assembly elections, Mrs. Snehlatatai Bipinrao Kolhe emerged victorious against Ashutosh Ashokrao Kale.Kopargaon 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 near Kopargaon. In addition to this, there is an industrial estate having 52 small-scale industries and dairies.
The economy of the Tehsil is largely agricultural. Abundance of water due to efficient irrigation systems encouraged the farmers to grow sugarcane. Sugarcane is the major cash crop of the region. The sugar industries in Kopargaon are Sanjivani (Takali) Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana and the Kopargaon Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana. Kopargaon has actively promoted agriculture with modern technologies made available to e farmers. Due to increased competition, a shortage of water resources in the area, and politics, the agriculture-based economy has been on a steep downward trend. 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.
Towns around Kopargaon, including Yeola, Sangamner, Sinnar and Vaijapur have flourished due to the political stability in their regions. Major banks 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:
- Seva Niketan Convent School;
- Sant Janardhan Swami (Moungiri) Maharaj, Maharshi Vidya Mandir (CBSE Affiliated School);
- Sanjivani English Medium School;
- Sharda English Medium School;
- Saibaba International School Kolpewadaaaai;
- Saibaba Nursing[anm] School Kolpewadi;
- Shree Swami Samarth Nursing[gnm] Kolpewadi(founder Dr. Prakash Kolpe).
- Sanjivani College Of Engineering, Kopargaon
- Sanjivani College of Pharmaceutical & Research, Kopargaon
- Sanjivani Academy School, Kopargaon
- K.B.P. Polytechnic, Kopargaon
There is also an Urdu medium high school, named Maulana Muneer Ahmed Urdu High School, which is run by a local body, Madrasa Miftahul Uloom. The only Urdu high school in the town was started in 1983 by Maulana Muner Ahmed and various team-mates.
Public library
There are 152 public libraries in Kopargaon Taluka as of March 2014.
Transport
In Ahmednager district, Kopargaon railway station probably handles maximum number of passengers due to shirdi. Almost all trains have halt here which doesn't even halt at district place. Kopargaon left Belapur far behind in terms of railo services though the population of kopargaon is slightly lower that belapur(shrirampur). One can get train to any part of country from kopargaon station.
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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