Buldhana

This article is about the district. For its eponymous headquarters, see Buldhana.

19.51°N 75.57°E / 19.51; 75.57-21.17°N 76.59°E / 21.17; 76.59

Buldhana district बुलढाणा जिल्हा
Location of Buldhana district in Maharashtra
State	Maharashtra, India
Administrative division	Amravati Division
Headquarters	Buldhana
Area	9,640 km2 (3,720 sq mi)
Population	2,232,480 (2001)
Population density	960 /km2 (2,500 /sq mi)
Urban population	21.2
Literacy	76.14%
Sex ratio	946
Tehsils	Buldhana, Chikhli, Deulgaon Raja, Khamgaon, Shegaon, Malkapur, Motala, Nandura, Mehkar, Lonar, Sindkhed Raja, Jalgaon Jamod, Sangrampur
Lok Sabha Constituencies	Buldhana (MH-5), Raver (MH-4)( shared with Jalgaon district )
Assembly Seats	Malkapur, Buldhana, Chikhli, Sindkhed Raja, Mehkar, Khamgaon, Jalgaon Jamod
Major highways	NH-6
Average annual precipitation	946 mm
Official website

Demographics

Buldhana district (Marathi: बुलढाणा जिल्हा) is the district headquarters and a Municipal Council in the Buldhana District of Amravati division in the Indian State of Maharashtra. It is situated at the westernmost border of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra and is 500 km from the state capital, Mumbai.

It is bounded by Madhya Pradesh on the north, Akola, Washim, and Amravati districts on the east, Jalna district on the south, and Jalgaon and Aurangabad districts on the west.

It is also known as the "Vidharbhacha Praveshdwar".

The city has an amazing location amidst the Mountains and it is also a Hill Station.

Geography

Buldana is located at 19.98°N 76.51°E / 19.98; 76.51. It has an average elevation of 639 metres (2096 feet).

It is the headquarters of Buldhana district.

The state highway joining two cities Malkapur and Buldhana via Motala. The road ends in a ghat near Buldhana.

The district boundary latitudes are 19.51° to 21.17° N and longitudes are 75.57° to 76.59° E.

History

Buldhana, along with the rest of Berar Province, was part of the kingdom of Vidarbha mentioned in the Mahabharata, a Sanskrit epic poem. Berar formed part of the Maurya Empire during the reign of Ashoka (272–231 BCE). Berar came under the rule of the Satavahana dynasty (2nd century BCE–2nd century CE), the Vakataka dynasty (3rd to 6th centuries), the Chalukya dynasty (6th to 8th centuries), the Rashtrakuta Dynasty (8th to 10th centuries), the Chalukyas again (10th to 12th centuries), and finally the Yadava dynasty of Devagiri (late 12th to early 14th centuries). A period of Muslim rule began when Alauddin Khilji, Sultan of Delhi, conquered the region in the early 14th century. The region was part of the Bahmani Sultanate, which broke away from the Delhi Sultanate in the mid-14th century. The Bahmani Sultanate broke up into smaller sultanates at the end of the 15th century, and in 1572 Berar became part of the Nizam Shahi sultanate, based at Ahmednagar. The Nizam Shahis ceded Berar to the Mughal Empire in 1595. As Mughal rule started to unravel at the start of the 18th century, Asaf Jah I, Nizam of Hyderabad, seized the southern provinces of the empire (including Berar) in 1724, forming an independent state. In 1853, the district, together with the rest of Berar, came under the administration of the British East India Company. Berar was divided into East and West Berar with Buldhana district being included in West Berar. In 1903, Berar was leased by the Nizam of Hyderabad to the British Government of India.

The district boundary has been changed many times. In 1480, as part of Berar taraf (province) of Bahamani Sultanate, Chikhli and Mehkar were part of Mahur division and Malkapur, Jalgaon, and Khamgaon were part of Gawil. During Akbar's time (1542–1605), it was part of the Sarkars (administrative unit) of Narnala, Baitalwadi, and Mehkar. In 1634 the area became known as Payanghat Subah (Lowlands Province) while Chikli and Mehkar were part of Balaghat Subah (Highlands Province), but by 1636 Berar became part of a large province called Deccan. Around that time, Malkapur, Jalgaon, Badner Bholji Pimpalgaon Raja, Jepur and Rajur were important parganas (administrative units of the Delhi Sultanate.[8] In 1853 the district came into existence as North Berar district with Buldhana as its headquarters. It along with South Berar district with Hingoli as its headquarters constituted Berar Province.[9] North Berar district included the present Amravati district, the northern half of Akola, and Buldhana. After the Indian Rebellion of 1857 Hingoli, along with the neighbouring countryside, was restored to the Nizam. Berar province was reconstituted into East Berar district with headquarters at Amaravati, and West Berar district with headquarters at Akola.[10] After 1857 Mehkar, Chikhli, and Malkapur were part of West Berar district. In 1864 these three talukas were made independent as South-West Berar district, which was renamed Mehkar district in 1865. In 1867 Buldhana district came into existence, combining North Berar and Mehkar districts. After the amalgamation of Berar with the Central Provinces in 1903, Buldhana district became the district of Central Provinces and Berar. In August 1905 Khamgaon and Jalgaon tehsils from Akola district of Central Provinces and Berar were combined into Buldhana district.[9] In 1950 it became part of Madhya Pradesh with Nagpur as its capital. In 1956, along with other Marathi-speaking regions of Vidarbha, it became part of Bombay State and part of Maharashtra State in 1960.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Buldana had a population of 162,979. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%.

Buldana has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 82% and female literacy of 72%. 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Transportation

The only means to connect with this city is through roadways. Public transport as well as private through roads is possible.

However , the city has a good connectivity by road.

Roads

The city has a good connectivity to all other important cities of Maharashtra like Nagpur, Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Akola, Amravati etc. and also Indore. Many State Highways pass through the city.

A Project has been made by Govt of Maharashtra to lay a Four-Lane road Between Chikhli - Buldhana - Malkapur . But it has been Postponed due to some problems in the Construction of the road through The Rajur Ghat.

Railways

As it is situated in mountainous area, railway connection has always been difficult and hence not pursued.

The nearest railhead is at Malkapur (50 km). The nearest rail junctions are Akola (105 km) and Aurangabad (140 km).

Airways

Buldhana has no airport of its own.

However,a very long time demand has been done to establish a domestic airport in Buldhana as it has many important pilgrimage and historical centres such as Shegaon, Lonar and Sindkhed Raja. The nearest airport is at Aurangabad (140 km).

Places to visit

Although Buldhana is a district place, development of other taluka places like Malkapur and Chikhli has shunted its growth and development, economically as well as culturally.

The population of the city is also less as compared with the populations of these other towns. Hence very few attraction places can be found here. They are:

• Sunset Point, on ghats of Buldhana - Malkapur highway
• A zoo called Ranicha Baag (Queen's Garden)
• Sangam Lake
• Gavdevi Temple
• Shri Balaji Mandir (Temple) at Rajur Ghat on Malkapur Road.
• Sailani Baba Dargah (18 km)

Industries

The city has Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation. However,there are not sufficient industries here as expected. There are some small scale industries in the MIDC.

Historic and pilgrimage centres

A salt-lake (Lonar crater lake) formed due to an impact is one of the main tourist attractions of this region. The crater is believed to be formed by the sheer impact of a meteorite weighing 2 million tones, 60 meters wide, travelling at a speed of 90,000 kilometres per hour. This collision is said to have happened some 52,000 years ago creating a dent in the earth, and is 1830 meters in diameter and 150 meters deep. The crater gets its name from the place where it impacted, Lonar. This crater is the worlds oldest meteorite crater and the only meteorite crater in basaltic rock.

Shegaon, a religious place made famous by the saint Gajanan Maharaj is also in Buldhana district.

Sindkhed Raja,the birth place of Maa Jijau, mother of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is also located in Buldhana district.

Banks

There are many national bamks as well as co-operative societies in the city.

• State Bank of India (Main Branch)
• State Bank of India (Sunderkhed Branch)
• Axis Bank
• HDFC Bank
• Buldhana Urban (Head Branch)
• Ambika Urban Bank
• Indian Overseas Bank
• Central Bank Of India
• Bank of India

Schools and Colleges

There are many schools and colleges in the city and its nearby area.

• St.Joseph's English High School
• Aided High School
• Sharda Convent
• Shri Shivaji High School
• Bharat Vidyalaya
• Prabhodan Vidyalaya
• Shri Shivaji College of Arts , Science and College
• Bharat Vidyalaya College.
• Aided Junoir College
• Jijamata Mahavidyalaya

There are also some Grauation Colleges in the City.

• Pankaj Laddhad Institute of Technology
• Shri Rambhau Lingade College of Polytechnic

Politics

Mr Vijayraj Shinde of Shiv Sena is the MLA from Buldhana Vidhansabha Constituency.

Mr Prataprao Jadhav is The Member of Parliament From the Buldhana Lok Sabha Constituency.