Ramtek

Ramtek
—  city  —
Ramtek Location of Ramtek in Maharashtra and India
Coordinates	21°24′N 79°20′E
Country	India
State	Maharashtra
District(s)	Nagpur
Population	22,517 (2001)
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 345 metres (1,132 ft)

Ramtek is a city and a municipal council in Nagpur district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

History

Ramtek has got Historic temple of lord Rama. It is believed that Ramtek was the place where Rama, the Hindu god, rested while he was in exile. Legend has it that the aashram of great hindu sage Agastya was situated close to Ramtek. While the sages performed religious rites, the demons used to disrupt their activities and slayed a great number of holy men. Lord Rama was distressed to hear about this, and took a vow to relieve the world from the demons. 'Tek' means vow in local language, hence the word Ramtek comes from 'Vow of Ram'. Thus it is believed locally that whoever takes a vow at Ramtek is blessed by the gods for its fulfillment. The 'padukas' of Lord Ram are believed to have been worshipped here for centuries.

The present temple is believed to have been built by the King of Nagpur Raghuji Bhonsale,after his victory over fort of Deogarh in Chindwara.

This place is also famous for its relation with Great poet Kalidasa. Kalidasa has written Meghdootum in hills of Ramtek. Late Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narsimha Rao contested his election from Ramtek Constituency.

Geography

Ramtek is located at 21.4°N 79.33°E / 21.4; 79.33. It has an average elevation of 345 metres (1131 feet).

Map of Nagpur district with major towns(including Ramtek) and rivers.

Khindasi lake is one of the important tourist attractions at Ramtek.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Ramtek had a population of 22,517. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Ramtek has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 68%. In Ramtek, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.