Satara (city)

For the moth genus, see Satara (moth).

Satara (Marathi:सातारा) is a city located in the Satara District of Maharashtra state of India. The name is derived from the seven (sat) hills (tara) surrounding the town. The town is 2320 ft. above sea-level, near the confluence of the Krishna and its tributary the Venna, 56 mi (112 km) south of Pune.

History

Historical inscriptions as old as 200 B.C reveal that probably the oldest known place in Satara district is Karad (mentioned as Karhakada). It is also believed that the Pandavas stayed in Wai, then known as 'Viratnagari', in the 13th year of exile.

Satara District can be proud of the oldest Rashtrakuta history. The oldest Rashtrakutas are believed to be from ancient Kuntala in the valley of river Krishna. Manank ruled from 350 - 375 C.E. and had built his capital in Manpur (now Maan in Satara district). The Vakatakas of Vidarbha, another Rashtrakuta rulers were in conflict with Manank. Subsequenyly the Rashtrakutas became feudatories to the Chalukyas and came into prominence under Dantidurga around 753 CE.

The empire of Chandragupta II, known as Mahendraditya Kumargupta I, extended as far as Satara district in Deccan when he ruled between 451 AD to 455 AD. The Mauryan empire in the Deccan was followed by the rules of "Satvahans" for about two centuries between 550 A.D. to 750 AD.

The first Muslim invasion of the Deccan took place in 1296.In 1636 the Nijam Shahi dynasty came to an end. In 1663 Shivaji conquered Parali & Satara fort. After the death of Shivaji, Aurangjeb conquered Satara fort later won by Parshuram Pratinidhi in 1706. In 1708 Shahumaharaj was crowned on the Satara fort. The direct descendents of The Great Maratha King Chh, Shivaji Maharaj continue to live in Satara. The current king of Satara, Chh. Udayanraje Bhonsale is the 13th descendent of Shivaji Maharaj.

After their victory in the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818, the British Empire annexed most of the Maratha territory to Bombay Presidency, but restored the titular Raja Pratap Singh, and assigned to him the principality of Satara, an area much larger than the present district. As a result of political intrigues, he was deposed in 1839, and his brother Shahji Raja was placed on the throne. This prince, dying without male heirs in 1848, Satara was annexed by the British government, and added to Bombay Presidency.

During the independence struggle Satara was known for Prati Sarkar (Parallel Government). During Quit India Movement this parallel government replaced British in rural areas for 4.5 years from August 1943 to May 1946. This type of parallel government was also seen in Midnapur, West Bengal and Balia in UP. Krantisingh Nanasaheb Patil was the leader to run this government.

Geography

Satara is located at 17.68°N 73.98°E / 17.68; 73.98. It has an average elevation of 742 metres (2434 feet).

Satara is located in the western part of Maharashtra.The whole of Satara district falls within the Deccan area. It is bounded by Pune district to the north, Solapur district to the east, Sangli district to the south and Ratnagiri district to the west. Raigad district lies to its north-west. Satara District has an area of 10,480 km², and a population of 2,796,906 (2001).

The Sahyadri range, separates the district from Ratnagiri on the western side The black rock Mahadeo range starts about 10 m north of Mahabaleshwar and stretches east and south-east across the whole of the district

The main rivers of Satara district are Koyna and Krishna. The Krishna is one of the three largest sacred rivers of southern India. Approximately 172 km of the river course falls inside the district. The Krishna river begins on the eastern brow of the Mahabaleshwar plateau and the source is about 4500 ft. above sea level. Kudali, Urmodi, Venna and Tarali are small feeder rivers (tributaries) of Krishna. Koyna is the largest tributary of the Krishna in the district. Neera and Manganga rivers are the two representative of the Bhima drainage in the north and north-eastern parts of the district respectively.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Satara had a population of 108,043. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Satara has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 76%. In Satara, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

School and colleges in Satara

• Anant English School
• Shri Bhavani Vidya Mandir
• Annasaheb Kalyani Vidyalaya
• Abasaheb Chirmule School
• Bhimabai Ambedkar Kanya Vidyamandir
• Dr. J. W. Airan Academy ( formerly known as Narmada Education Academy)
• Kanyashala
• New English School
• Maharaja Sayajirao Vidyalaya
• KSD Shanbhag Vidhyalaya
• Nirmala Convent High School
• Mona School
• Navin Marathi Shala
• Deccan Education Society's New English School
• Sainik School, Satara
• Satara English Medium School
• Saint Paul's School
• Sahas International School, Satara

Colleges in Satara

• satara college of engineering and management limb satara.
• gourishankar polytechnic limb satara.
• Lal Bahaddur Shastri College
• Azad College Of Education
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Arts College
• Dhananjay Gadgil Vanijya Mahavidyalay
• Ismailsaheb Mulla Law College
• Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil College of Engineering and Polytechnic, Satara
• Yashawantrao Chavan Institute of Science
• Satara Polytechnic
• Satara College Of Pharmacy, Degoan
• Samarth Educatinal Trusts Sawkar College of Pharmacy (D. Pharmacy)
• Samarth Educational Trusts Arvind Gavali College of Pharmacy (B. Pharmacy)
• Aryangla Vaidyak Mahavidyalaya (B.A.M.S.)
• Sawkar Medical College (B.H.M.S.)

Hydroelectricity

Among other things that Satara is well known for are the 3 dams located here. They are Koyna dam, Kanher dam and Dhom dam. Satara is well known for hydroelectricity.

Further reading

• Paul H. von Tucher: Nationalism: Case and crisis in Missions - German Missions in British India 1939 - 1946. Diss. Erlangen 1980. Author's edition Erlangen/Germany 1980. [1], [2], [3] and [4] in Satara 1940-1946.
• Wilhelm Filchner: Life of a Researcher (chapter XXIII). Wilhelm Filchner was interned from September 1941 until November 1946 in the Parole Camp in Satara. Later on he lived in Poona in the Maharashtra state of India.
• Selections from the Historical Records of the Hereditary Minister of Baroda. Consisting of letters from Bombay, Baroda, Poona and Satara Governments. Collected by B.A. Gupte. Calcutta 1922.
• Malik, S.C. Stone Age Industries of the Bombay & Satara Districts, M. Sayajirao University Baroda 1959.
• Irawati Karve, Jayant Sadashiv Randadive, The Social Dynamics of a Growing Town and Its Surrounding Area. Deccan College ,1965, Poona. ISBN B0000CQW3J
• Valunjkar, T. N. Social Organization, Migration & Change in a Village Community, Deccan College Poona 1966.

External links

• Satara Photo Gallery and Video Gallery
• Welcome to Satara

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)