Karad

Karad
कराड
Yashwant Nagari
City

Krishna Koyna Pritisangam
Karad

Location in Maharashtra, India

Coordinates: 17°17′06″N 74°11′02″E / 17.285°N 74.184°E / 17.285; 74.184Coordinates: 17°17′06″N 74°11′02″E / 17.285°N 74.184°E / 17.285; 74.184
Country  India
State Maharashtra
District Satara
Named for Yashwantrao Chavan
Government
 • Body Municipal Council
Elevation 566 m (1,857 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 85,550
Demonym(s) Karadkar
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 415110
Telephone code +91-2164
Vehicle registration MH- 50
Website www.karad.in

Karad is a city in Satara district in the southern part of Indian state of Maharashtra. It lies at the confluence of Koyna River and the Krishna River. The two rivers originate at Mahabaleshwar, which is around 100 km from Karad. They diverge at their origin, and travel for about the same distance to meet again in Karad. The rivers meet exactly headon, thus forming letter "T". Their confluence is called Preeti Sangam, meaning Confluence of Love. Karad is well known for sugar production and is known as the sugar bowl of Maharashtra owing to the presence of many sugar factories in and around Karad. It is considered as an important educational hub in Western Maharashtra due to the presence of many prestigious educational institutes.

Karad has an adjoining small town named Malkapur, Karad which has its own municipal council and a population of 31,671. Karad city was awarded a prize under "Sant Gadagebaba Gramswachatta Abhiyan" started by Indian Government.

History

It was originally known as "Karhatak", meaning "elephant market". Karad is also a city of historical importance. According to Mahabharata, Sahadeva one of the Pandavas lived in the city also known to be pious as Lord Rama stepped his feet on this land. Located to the south west of Karad is Karad Caves.[1]

The first capital of the Shilaharas was probably at Karad during the reign of Jatiga-II as known from their copper plate grant of Miraj and Vikramankadevacharita of Bilhana. Hence sometimes they are referred as 'Shilaharas of Karad'. The capital was later shifted to Kolhapur. Among the Silaharas of Kolhapur who ruled over Satara and Belganv districts from 1000 to 1215 A. D., Gonka deserves mention here, as he is described as the Lord of Karhad (Karad), Mairifvja (Miraj) and Konkan.[2]

Features

Geography

Karad is located at 17°17′N 74°12′E / 17.28°N 74.2°E / 17.28; 74.2.[3] It has an average elevation of 566 metres (1856 feet). Karad is located near Agashiva 17°14′15″N 74°09′07″E / 17.237506°N 74.15205°E / 17.237506; 74.15205. It has been referred in great epic Mahabharata. It has the shape of an "Aum" (Devanagari?) when viewed aerially.

Politics

Karad has two constituencies due to its large population: Karad North, Karad South.

Karad has given two chief ministers to Maharashtra till now. Maharashtra's first chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan came from Karad. The ancestors of Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant, who became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, are from Ound village in Karad. This village still boasts of a school in Pant's name. Shriniwas Dadasaheb Patil was a member of the 13th and 14th Lok Sabha of India. He represented the Karad constituency of Maharashtra and is a member of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Currently he is the Governor of Sikkim.

Premalabai Chavan was a member of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The Founder-President of the All India Women's Cricket Association, she was involved in various other activities that contributed to the welfare of women in Indian society. Premalakaki Chavan is notable for holding the record for the most number of representations (four) in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, by a female M.P. from Maharashtra. She hails from Karad.

Dajisaheb Chavan was a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha for 16 years. A member of the Indian National Congress, he was the former Union Deputy Minister for Defence and Law. He hails from Karad. His son Prithviraj Chavan was Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 2011 to 2014.

Every year the chief minister of Maharashtra and various political leaders visit the samadhi of Yashwantrao Chavan in Karad on the occasion of his death anniversary.

Climate

Karad belongs to the subtropical category of climate characterized by medium to heavy rainfall and moderate temperature. Three main seasons in the region are:

Average maximum temperature is 36 c and Minimum temperature is 11 c. May is the hottest and December is coldest month of the year.The rainfall varies widely in different parts of the tehsil. Climate of Karad is temperate. The maximum rainfall is in June to Aug from south-west monsoon. The average rainfall is 540.40 mm in Karad.

The dryness is marked in the plains than in the hills. During the south- west monsoons seasons the sky is heavily clouded to over cast. Winds are generally light to moderate receiving during the south-west monsoon season, when they are stronger particularly on hills. Fogs occur occasionally in the valleys in the cold season.

Cityscape

The city boasts many important government offices and other institutions of significance. With the vision of great leader Yashwantrao Chavan the city was one of the few in India to have a well- planned underground drainage system well before in the 1960s. By end-2010, Malkapur, Karad, on the outskirts of the city of Karad, is delivering water 24x7 to all its residents as a result of concrete steps taken by the Malkapur Nagar Panchayat (MNP) with support from the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP), a state government entity. This is the first of its kind by a public body in India. Major offices and institutions in Karad are as follows:

Demographics

As of 2011 India census,[4] Karad town and surrounding villages had total population of 74,355. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Karad has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 72%. In Karad, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. People are well educated and sophisticated having very high per capita income and high living standards.

People from different cultures live here but vast majority belong to Hinduism and Speak Marathi language.

Transportation

Railways

Karad has railway station and is onroute from Mumbai to Miraj, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Bangalore (some trains). You can reach Karad from Mumbai or Pune easily by road or rail (Mahalaxmi Express, Koyna Express, Sahyadri Express or Chalukya Express).

Recently, Railway minister Suresh Prabhu has allocated funds for a plan to build a new 112 km railway line between Karad and Chiplun.

Nearest railway junction

All super-fast trains like the Karnataka Sampark Kranti, Deekshaboomi Express, Rani Chenama Express, Haripriya Express and Miraj Hubli Express stop at Miraj Junction. You can take private cars or MSRTC buses from Miraj to Karad. Travel time from Miraj to Karad is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.

Railway TimeTable 2015

Towards Miraj

No. Train No. Train Name Train TypeDay Departure time
01 11023 Mumbai – Kolhapur Sahyadri Express Daily 02.55 am
02 *w 11097 Pune – Ernakulam Purna Express Sun 03.30 am
03 17411 Mumbai - Kolhapur Mahalaxmi Express Daily 04.10 am
04 ** 11021 Dadar - Tirunelveli Chalukya - Tirunelveli Express Sun, Wed,Thu 04.55 am
05 ** 11035 Dadar – Mysore Sharavati Express Fri 04.55 am
06 ** 11005 Dadar - Puducherry Chalukya - Puducherry Express Mon,Tue, Sat 04.55 am
07 51441 Satara – Kolhapur Pass. Daily 06.40 am
08 ** 16209 Ajmer – Mysore Mysore Express Mon, Sat 08.10 am
09 ** 16505 Gandhidham – Bangluru Bangluru ExpressWed 08.10 am
10 ** 16507 Bhagat Ki Kothi – Bangluru Bangluru ExpressSun,Fri08.10 am
11 ** 16531 Ajmer – Bangluru Garib Nawaz Express Tue 08.10 am
12 11040 Gondia = Gorakhpur –Kolhapur Maharashtra Express Train Splits at Daund >> Gondia = Gorakhpur Daily09.18 am
13 *w 12148 Nizmuddin – Kolhapur Nizmuddin Express Fri01.08 pm
14 *w 12782 Nizmuddin – Mysore Swarnajayani Express Tue01.08 pm
15 51409 Pune – Kolhapur Pass. Daily 03.55 pm
16 11029 Mumbai – Kolhapur Koyna Express Daily 05.25 pm
17 17318 Mumbai( Kurla) – Hubli Hubballi Express Daily 06.15 pm
18 12780 Nizmuddin – VascoGoa Express Daily 08.20 pm
Information by: Basargi Mahesh

Towards Pune

No. Train No. Train Name Train TypeDay Departure time
01 51410 Kolhapur–Pune Pass. Daily 07.55 am
02 11030 Kolhapur–MumbaiKoyna Express Daily 10.45 am
03 *w 12147 Kolhapur–Nizmuddin Nizmuddin Express Tue11.40 am
04 *w 12781 Mysore–Nizmuddin Swarnajayani Express Sat11.40 am
05 ** 16210 Mysore–Ajmer Ajmer - Mysore Express Wed, Fri 02.00 pm
06 ** 16506 Bangluru–Gandhidham Gandhidham - Bangluru Express Sun 02.00 pm
07 ** 16508 Bhagat Ki Kothi – Bangluru Jodhpur ExpressTue, Thu02.00 pm
08 ** 16532 Bangluru –Ajmer Garib Nawaz Express Sat 02.00 pm
0911039 Kolhapur - Gondia = Gorakhpur Maharashtra Express Train Splits at Bhusawal >> Gondia = Gorakhpur Daily05.10 pm
10 51442 Kolhapur–Satara Pass. Daily 08.20 pm.
11 ** 11006 Puducherry - Dadar Chalukya - Puducherry Exp Mon,Wed,Thu 10.10 pm
12 ** 11022 Tirunelveli - Dadar Chalukya - Tirunelveli Express Tue, Fri, Sat 10.10 pm
13 ** 11036 Mysore–Dadar Sharavati Express Sun 10.10 pm
14 17317 Hubli - Mumbai( Kurla) Hubballi Express Daily 10.45 pm
1511012 Mumbai–Kolhapur Mahalaxmi Express Daily 11.05 pm
16 12779 Vasco–NizmuddinGoa Express Daily 11.45 pm
17 *w 11098 Ernakulam–Pune Purna Express Wed 00.15 am
18 11024 Kolhapur–Mumbai Sahyadri Express Daily 01.25 am
Information by: Basargi Mahesh

National Highways

The National Highway 4 goes by Karad city. National Highway 4 (NH 4) is a major National Highway in Western and Southern India. NH 4 links four of the 10 most populous Indian cities - Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, and Chennai.

State Highway MH SH 78 with route Guhagar - Chiplun - Koyana - Patan - Karad - Vita - Jath - Bijapur(Karnataka) goes via Karad.

Airport

An Airstrip was constructed in the 1955 by the Public Works Department to facilitate the Koyna dam project. It is currently being used for General aviation and pilot training.The airport is spread on 65 acres and the acquisition of more than 100 acres has been proposed. Runway 10/28 is 1280 meters long and 30 meters wide with a 60 meter by 60 meter apron. No navigational aids nor night landing facilities are available on the airstrip. The State run Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) plans to extend the 1,250 meters airstrip by another 1,500 m and widen it by 150 m.

Economy

Karad has the Taswade MIDC in its vicinity which boasts many industries giving employment to people in the Satara District. Karad is famous for its Jaggery and Cattle markets in entire Maharashtra. Jaggery of very high quality is traded here. There is a big Market yard where various commodities are traded and the geographical location of the city add to its benefit since its known as the gateway to Konkan region from Western Maharashtra. Karad is well known for sugar production and is known as the sugar bowl of Maharashtra owing to the presence of many sugar factories in and around Karad. Major sugar factories are:

Education

High schools
Engineering colleges
Architecture College
Arts, Science, and Commerce colleges
Polytechnic colleges
Other colleges
Computer Software and Hardware Institutes

Culture

Performing arts

They city has a major hall for cultural activities and exhibitions namely Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial - Town Hall. Cultural events of various organizations and gatherings of schools are also held here.

Literature

Karad has a tradition of literature lovers. The prestigious 76th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan was held at banks of Krishna river in Karad in 2003.

Museums and historic areas

In the honor of his contribution to building modern Maharashtra a small visiting museum is created in the residence of Late Shri Yashwantrao Chavan in Karad. An ancient Well named Naktya Rawalchi Vihir is located near Krishna river in Karad which shows the well planned construction techniques followed during the ancient times.

Vijay Divas

“Vijya Diwas’’ is celebrated every year since 1998, as Victory Day, by Trishakti Foundation in the town of Karad. It is usually celebrated in the month of December. Col. Sambhaji Patil (Retd), the Founder President of Trishakti Foundation, is leading from the front, to ensure total success of this event. The main event is the Military tattoo at the Shivaji Stadium, Karad. It is a grand show of military valor, bravery, physical fitness and endurance by Defense Forces and Police. The school children perform tattoos demonstrating their potential, spirit and youthfulness. The stadium is full to its capacity of more than 40,000 spectators.

Yashwantrao Chavan Agricultural Industrial Cattle show

The late Yashwantrao Chavan Agricultural Industrial Cattle Show is mega regional Agricultural event of global standards held at Karad, Maharashtra by Krishi Uttpanna Bajar Samiti Karad since 2001. The event of around 500 exhibitors provides an excellent platform under one roof for showcasing the latest technology in agriculture, poultry and livestock, dairy, agro services and food processing and technology etc.

Tourism

Some famous tourist points near Karad are:

Sports

The Shivaji Cricket Stadium is situated at the heart of Karad city and is a famous sightseeing spot visited by tourists. The cricket stadium has an international standard turf wicket. Apart from cricket, this stadium is used for organizing local events and political rallies. This stadium is renowned for holding two Ranji Trophy matches. It also has an indoor badminton court.

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ Ahir, D. C. (2003). Buddhist sites and shrines in India : history, art, and architecture (1. ed.). Delhi: Sri Satguru Publ. p. 197. ISBN 8170307740.
  2. ↑ [Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. IV, p. 281, Sanskrit Transcript.]
  3. ↑ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc – Karad
  4. ↑ "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.
  5. ↑ "Prominent Personalities" District Satara.Web

External links

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