Osmanabad

Osmanabad उस्मानाबाद Usmanabad
city
Osmanabad Location in Maharashtra, India
Coordinates: 18°10′46″N 76°02′23″E / 18.17944°N 76.03972°E / 18.17944; 76.03972Coordinates: 18°10′46″N 76°02′23″E / 18.17944°N 76.03972°E / 18.17944; 76.03972
Country	India
State	Maharashtra
District	Osmanabad
Tehsil	Osmanabad
Elevation	653 m (2,142 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	112,085
Languages
• Official	Marathi
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	413501
Telephone code	912472
Vehicle registration	MH25
Website	www.osmanabad.nic.in

Osmanabad  pronunciation  (transliterated in Marathi as Usmanabad) is a city and a municipal council in Osmanabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

History

The city was named after the last ruler of Hyderabad State, Osman Ali Khan.^[2] Tulja Bhavani Mandir in Tuljapur town of Osmanabad district is the one of the shakti peethas in Maharashtra. Other name of Osmanabad is Dharashiv which is due to Dharasur Mardini Goddess Temple present in Osmanabad

Geography

The city of Osmanabad has an elevation of 653 metres (2,142 ft). Osmanabad city is located in the west central part of Osmanabad Tahsil, but relatively central for the district as a whole. Tuljapur, Bhoom, Paranda, Washi, and Kalamb are the nearby towns. Solapur, located southwest of Osmanabad in Solapur district, is the nearest sizable city.Osmanabad is on Balaghat Pathar.

Demographics

In the 2011 Indian census, the city of Osmanabad had 106,644 inhabitants, with 41,982 males (52.1%) and 38,643 females (47.9%), for a gender ratio of 920 females per thousand males.^[3] In 2001, Osmanabad had an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%, male literacy was 80%, and female literacy was 67%. In 2001 in Osmanabad, 14% of the population was under 6 years of age.^[4]

Education

Osmanabad has one Government BAMS College, one Government Polytechnic College, one Private Pharmacy College and a Private Engineering College. Another engineering college in Osmanabad District is in Tuljapur. Osmanabad has Government Agriculture college (under Marathwada Agriculture University, Parbhani) near Ter.

Osmanabad also has a sub-centre of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad, which includes Department of Management Science, Department of Education, Department of Chemistry, etx.In Osmanabad Shripatrao Bhosale Highschool is well known school for students across Osmanabad district.

Monuments and attractions

Osmanabad is known for Dharashiv Caves, which were built during the 5th-7th century. It was initially thought that the Buddhist caves were one of the earliest structures, created between the fifth and eighth centuries, dargah (Sufi shrine built over the grave of a revered religious figure) of Hazrat Khwaja Shamsoddin Gazi (RA). The interior decoration of the dargah, consisting of many colourful glass pieces, is the main attraction of the dargah nowadays. Osmanabad city has Hatladevi mandir which is big attraction of peoples in Osmanabad city. Osmanabad's goat is popular over the maharashtra.

Tuljapur

Tuljabhavani Mandir Mahadwar (Main entrance gate)

Tulja Bhavani Temple in Tuljapur, a temple for Goddess Tulja Bhavani, is situated on Solapur - Aurangabad Highway, 18 kms from Osmanabad.

Tuljapur is situated on Solapur - Aurangabad Highway, 18 kms from Osmanabad. Tulja Bhavani Temple is situated on one of the deep slopes on the ranges of the hill, in the midst of a small side valley of a stream flowing down the plateau to the west of the town. The temple is enclosed with a fortress and faces the East and consists of special attributes of Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum). The chief shrine is cross-planned construction, the southern one opening in the courtyard, the eastern one leading to the outer Mandapam and the western to the Garbhagriha. On the northern side is a room known as the Shejaghar or bedroom of the goddess.

Tuljapur is home place for Goddess Tulja Bhavani. As one enters the temple complex through the Mahadwar, on the way there is the Kallol tirth to the left and after a descent of nearly 30 steps the Gomukh tirth on the right with a small shrine dedicated to Vitthal Rakhumai nearby. Both these tirths receive perennial water flow from gomukhs. To the left near the main entrance gate leading into the courtyard is a shrine dedicated to Siddhi Vinayak. The imposing gateway is ornamented with flower and creeper patterns carved in relief. To the right of the gate is a shrine dedicated to Dattatraya and to the left residential houses of the temple priests. Occupying a central position in the courtyard, the temple mandap has two side entrances right opposite each other flanked by small columns. Supported on quite a few rows of pillars the mandap hall is 7.62 x 4.57 metres (25' x 15') beyond which is the middle part wherein is installed a marble statue of a lion in a standing posture. Herein to the right there is a small chamber housing the silver palang or bedstead of the goddess. Inside the Garbhagriha is a silver, four-arched canopy holding the delicately carved stone image of the goddess Bhavani.

The entrances leading from the mandap to the middle part of the chamber containing the palang (bed) and that of the Garbhagriha are all plated with silver bearing beautiful carvings and are fine pieces of sculptural ingenuity. The Garbhagriha is crowned with a beautiful tapering sikhar having figure-filled niches. Figures set-in in the niches are mostly those of sages and deities and are very shapely. Its four corners are fixed with temple replicas also set-in with deity figures each temple replica in turn being flanked by two lion statues. The space in between is filled with elephant statues. In the front and right opposite the main entrance gate there is the homakund also crowned with a similar sikhar. Installed here and there at convenient places there are quite a few small Deepmalas or lamp-pillars. On either side of the temple, cloisters have been provided in some of which are installed idols of different deities.

Transport

Air

Osmanabad Airport (IATA: OMN) lies approximately 13 km from the city centre. There are no scheduled commercial air services to this airport. It takes about 15-20 mins to reach airport by car from the bus stand. Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation has leased the airport to Reliance Airport Developers Ltd for 95 years.^[5] Reliance paid Rs. 63 crore for the deal, which includes other four airports of Maharashtra.^[6] The nearest operational airport is Pune International Airport, Shri chhatrapati sambhaji raje international Airport.

Rail

Osmanabad railway station (station code UMD) is an important railway station situated on Latur - Miraj railway route of central railway. Before 2004, a narrow gauge track connecting Latur to Kurduvadi passed through Osmanabad district. The station nearest to the city at Yedshi was 18 km away from Osmanabad City. During conversion from narrow gauge to Broad Gauge, the track alignment was changed and directed towards Osmanabad city. In the first stage, the broad gauge track between Latur-Osmanabad was completed and became functional in 2007. The first train to arrive at Osmanabad railway station was the Mumbai-Osmanabad Express that ran via Aurangabad and Manmad. The Osmanabad-Kurudvadi section was completed and made functional in 2008. Latur-Osmanabad-Mumbai Express was started via Kurduvadi, Pune in 2008.

Osmanabad has connections to Pune, Mumbai, Kolhapur, Miraj-Sangli, Pandharpur, Nagpur, Parbhani, Latur, Nanded, Parali Vaijnath, Hyderabad, and Nizamabad.

Road

National Highway 9 and National Highway 211 pass through the district. National highway 211 connects Osmanbad to other major cities of Maharashtra.

See also

• Marathwada

References

External links

• Osmanabad Online