Nāgpur About this sound pronunciation (help·info) (Marathi: नागपूर ; Hindi: नागपुर) is a city in the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India. With a population of 2,390,179, Nagpur UA is the 13th largest urban conglomeration in India,[3] In addition to being the seat of annual winter session of Maharashtra state assembly "Vidhan Sabha", Nagpur is also a major commercial and politic
al center of the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, and is also famous throughout the country as "Orange City" for being a major trade center of oranges that are cultivated in the region.[4] In addition, the city also derives political importance from being the headquarters for the Hindu nationalist organisation RSS and an important location for the Dalit Buddhist movement. Nagpur lies precisely at the center of the country with the Zero Mile Marker indicating the geographical center of India.[5] The city was founded by the Gonds but later became part of the Maratha Empire under the Bhonsles. After the first reorganization of states, the city lost its capital status but according to the informal "Nagpur Pact" between political leaders it was made the second capital of Maharashtra. Etymology
The Nag River, a tributary of the Kanhan River, flows in a serpentine path and is therefore named "Nag", the Marathi word for Cobra. According to Dr. B. Ambedkar people of Nagpur belong to nag dynasty who were followers of the Buddha. And hence, the river and city is named as Nagpur. While others says that the river flows through the old city of Nagpur and hence the city is named after this river. "Pur" is common suffix given to cities, villages and towns across India, and is often simply translated "city".[6] The seal of Nagpur Municipal Corporation depicts a cobra in the water of a river. History
Main article: History of Nagpur
Map of Nagpur district with major towns and rivers. Human existence around present day Nagpur city can be traced back 3000 years to 8th century BC. Mehir burial sites at Drugdhamna (near Mhada colony) indicate megalithic culture existed around Nagpur and is still followed in present times.[7] The first reference to the name Nagpur is found in a 10th century copper-plate inscription discovered at Devali in the neighbouring Wardha district. The inscription is a record of grant of a village situated in the visaya (district) of Nagpura-Nandivardhana during time of Rastrakuta king Krsna III in the Saka year 862 (940 CE).[8] Towards the end of third century King Vindhyasakti is known to have ruled the Nagpur region. In the 4th century Vakataka Dynasty ruled over the Nagpur region and surrounding areas and had good relations with the Gupta Empire. The Vakataka king Prithvisena I moved his capital to Nagardhan (ancient name Nandivardhana), located at 28 kilometers (17 mi) from Nagpur.[9] After the Vakatakas, the region came under the rule of the Hindu kingdoms of the Badami Chalukyas, the Rashtrakutas, and finally the Yadavas. In AD 1296 Allauddin Khilji invaded the Yadava Kingdom after capturing Deogiri, after which the Tughlaq Dynasty came to power in 1317. In the 17th century, the Mughal Empire conquered the region; however, regional administration was carried out by the Gond kingdom of Deogarh-Nagpur in the Chhindwara district of the modern-day state of Madhya Pradesh. Recent history ascribes the founding of Nagpur to Bakht Buland, a prince of the kingdom of Deogarh-Nagpur. The next Raja of Deogarh was Chand Sultan, who resided principally in the country below the hills, fixing his capital at Nagpur which he made a walled town. On Chand Sultan's death in 1739, Wali Shah, an illegitimate son of Bakht Buland, usurped the throne and Chand Sultan's widow invoked the aid of the Maratha leader Raghuji Bhonsle of Berar in the interest of her sons Akbar Shah and Burhan Shah. The usurper was put to death and the rightful heirs placed on the throne. After 1743, a series of Maratha rulers came to power, starting with Raghoji Bhonsle, who conquered the territories of Deogarh, Chanda and Chhattisgarh by 1751. In 1803 Raghoji II joined the Peshwas against the British in the Second Anglo-Maratha War, but the British prevailed. After Raghoji II's death in 1816, his son Parsaji was deposed and murdered by Mudhoji II. Despite the fact that he had entered into a treaty with the British in the same year, Mudhoji joined the Peshwa in the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1817 against the British, but suffered a defeat at Sitabuldi in present-day Nagpur city. The fierce battle was a turning point as it laid the foundations of the downfall of the Bhonsles and paved the way for the British acquisition of Nagpur city.[10] Mudhoji was deposed after a temporary restoration to the throne, after which the British placed Raghoji III the grandchild of Raghoji II, on the throne. During the rule of Raghoji III (which lasted till 1840), the region was administered by a British resident. In 1853, the British took control of Nagpur after Raghoji III died without leaving an heir. Central Provinces and Berar, 1903. Princely states are shown in yellow. From 1853 to 1861, the Nagpur Province (which consisted of the present Nagpur region, Chhindwara, and Chhatisgarh) became part of the Central Provinces and Berar and came under the administration of a commissioner under the British central government, with Nagpur as its capital. Berar was added in 1903. Tata group started the country's first textile mill at Nagpur,[11] formally known as Central India Spinning and Weaving Company Ltd. The company was popularly known as "Empress Mills" as it was inaugurated on 1 January 1877, the day queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India. The Non-cooperation movement was launched in the Nagpur session of 1920. The city witnessed a Hindu–Muslim riot in 1923 which had profound impact on K. Hedgewar,[12] who in 1925 founded the RSS, a Hindu nationalist organization in Nagpur with an idea of creating a Hindu nation. After the 1927 Nagpur riots RSS gained further popularity in Nagpur and the organization grew nationwide. After Indian Independence in 1947, Central Provinces and Berar became a province of India, and in 1950 became the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, again with Nagpur as its capital. However when the Indian states were reorganized along linguistic lines in 1956, the Nagpur region and Berar were transferred to Bombay state, which in 1960 was split between the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. At a formal public ceremony on October 14, 1956 in Nagpur B. Ambedkar along with his supporters converted to Buddhism starting Dalit Buddhist movement which is still active. In 1994, the city witnessed its most violent day in modern times in form of Gowari stampede deaths. Nagpur completed 300 years of establishment in the year 2002. A big celebration was organized to mark the event
Education
Nagpur is a major education centre in Central India. College of Agriculture, Nagpur is the oldest college in the country founded in 1906 by the then British Government. The college is held at the historic and heritage Victoria Building (built in 1856 for stay of Queen of England Her Highness Victoria at Nagpur) at Maharajbagh, Nagpur.
[40] Founded in 1923, Nagpur University[41] is one of the oldest in the country.[42] The city has both municipal schools (run by the NMC) as well as private schools (run by trusts or individuals), which in some cases receive financial aid from the government. The city's school system follows a 10+2+3/4 plan, students have the option to enroll in Junior college after 10 years of schooling and later degree courses for three or four years depending on the field. The school system has a geographical jurisdiction over the five districts of Nagpur division in addition to giving affiliation to hundreds of colleges. Institute of Management Technology, Nagpur, one of the reputed B-schools of India is located on a sprawling campus on way to Katol. Nagpur has one veterinary college Veterinary College,[43] and three Medical colleges namely Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and Lata Mangeshkar Medical College (LMC). and 1 Dental college. In addition, Nagpur has several engineering colleges which provide education in various specialty courses. Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) is one of the reputed technical institutes in the country. Nagpur is also home to India's only National Fire Service College that provides a graduation course in Fire Engineering. Nagpur has an I.G.N.O.U. regional centre located at Amravati Road where a large pool of students from all over the Vidarbha region pursue education from certificate courses to Masters degree programs.Cite error: Closing missing for tag; see the help page Nagpur plays host to cultural events throughout the year. Cultural and literary societies in Nagpur include Vidarbha Sahitya Sangh (for development of Marathi), Vidarbha Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samiti (promotion and spreading Hindi) and Vidarbha Hindi Sahitya Sammelan (for promoting Hindi). Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, the conference on Marathi Literature were held twice in Nagpur city. The South Central Cultural Centre also sponsors cultural events in Nagpur city, such as the Orange City Craft Mela and Folk Dance Festival, Vidarbhawhich is noted for its numerous folk-dances.[44] Newspapers are published from Nagpur in Marathi, English and Hindi. In addition, the Government of Maharashtra organizes a week long Kalidas Festival, a series of music and dance performances, by national level artists.[45]
Futala Lake at sunset
The Hitavada is one of the oldest English daily newspaper published in central India. The Nagpur Central Museum (estb. 1863) maintains collections are mainly for Vidarbha region.[46] The Raman Science Centre promotes scientific knowledge and has a 133 seat planetarium.[47] The present day Maharajbagh zoo was originally a garden developed by the Bhonsle rulers.[48] The state government has approved a new safari park of international standards besides Gorewada Lake. Three brothers Ghulam Ali (Kotwal), Mohammad Saaduddin (Subedar) and Mohammad Saladuddin (Minister and Kotwal) from Jhajjar are remembered as great scholars of Urdu and Persian during the reign of Maharaja Senasaheb Subha Chhatrapati Raghuji Bapusaheb Bhonsle III. They founded 'Jhajjar Bagh' at Hansapuri (Now Mominpura). In this location, they built their residence 'Aina-e Mahal', a well and a Masjid (now Masjid Ahle Hadith). 'Jhajjar Bagh' also known as 'Subedar ka Bada' was located where nowadays Mohammad Ali Road at Mominpura, Jamia Masjid, Mohammad Ali Sarai and Furqania Madrasa are located.[49]
Deekshabhoomi is a major center of the Dalit Buddhist movement
Deekshabhoomi, the largest hollow stupa or the largest dome shape monument and an important place of dalit buddhist movement, is located in Nagpur.[50] Every year on the day of Vijayadashmi i.e. Dasehara, followers of Ambedkar visit deekshabhoomi. The 14th April, which is birth date of Dr. B. Ambedkar is celebrated. The most famous Temple in Nagpur is Tekdi Ganesh Mandir, and is said to be one of the Swayambhu (means Self-Manifested) temple in city. Sri Poddareshwar Ram Mandir and Shri Mahalaxmi Devi temple of Koradi are important Hindu temples.[51] Religious events are observed in the city throughout the year. Ram Navami is celebrated in Nagpur with shobha yatra with a procession of floats depicting events from the Ramayana.[52] Processions are also held on important festivals of other religions such as Eid E Milad, Guru Nanak Jayanti, Mahavir Jayanti, Durga puja, Ganesh Puja and Moharram. Like the rest of India, Nagpurkars celebrate major Hindu festivals like Diwali, Holi and Dussera with enthusiasm. Celebrations lasting for several days are held on Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja festivals in virtually every small locality in the city. The city also contains a sizable Muslim population, and famous places of worship for Muslims include the Jama Masjid-Mominpura and Bohri Jamatkhana-Itwari. SHRI MUKUNDRAO PANNASE POLYTECHNIC, MONDHA, NAGPUR
VCA Stadium at Jamtha, Nagpur
The Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground (VCA) in Nagpur is one of the nine test venues in the country. A new stadium of VCA called Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium has been built on Wardha road with a seating capacity of 45,000 people at cost of Indian Rupee symbol.svg75 crore (US$16.65 million).[53][54][55] INOX Wardhaman Nagar (area:45,000 square feet) is the first multiplex in city. Now days, city has 3 more multiplexes including Inox Jaswant Tuli Mall, Cinemax Sitabuldi & Sangam Adlabs Sakkardara.
[edit] Cuisine
The Vidharbha region has its own distinctive cuisine known as the Varhadi cuisine or Saoji Cuisine. Saoji food, or Saoji Varhadi, is the traditional food and is famous for its spicy taste. The special spices used in the gravy include black pepper, dry coriander, bay leaves, grey cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and ample use of poppy seeds (Khus-Khus) and powdered coconut. Non-vegetarian food especially chicken and mutton are commonly eaten in Nagpur, but vegetarian food can also be prepared especially using boiled Potato, Paneer or Soya chunks. Saoji food, although very spicy, is not harmful to the body and does not lead to any digestive problems, as the process of cooking has been modified to overcome any health problems.[56]
[edit] Transport
Main article: Transport in Nagpur
[edit] Rail
Due to its central location in India, the Nagpur Railway Station is an important railway junction and a transit terminal for trains that connect the country lengthwise and breadthwise, especially trains connecting India's major metropolises, Mumbai to Howrah-Kolkata, Delhi and Jammu to Chennai, JABALPUR,VARANASI Hydrabad, Bangalore and Kanyakumari in the South, as well as western cities such as Pune and Ahemedabad.[57] The city is the Divisional Head Quarters for the Central Railway and South East Central Railway Zone of Indian Railways. In 2010 Jan aahar opened its outlet in Nagpur Railway station. Jan aahar has only a few of its outlets in India. Jan aadhar offers light and healthy food at very affordable prices.
[edit] Road
Public transport bus in Nagpur
Further information: Nagpur-Aurangabad-Mumbai express highway
Nagpur is a major junction for roadways as India's two major national highways, Kanyakumari-Varanasi (NH 7) and Hajira-Kolkata (NH-6), passing through the city.[57] One more highway number 69 connect Nagpur to Obaidullaganj near Bhopal. Nagpur is at the junction of two Asian Highways namely AH43 Agra to Matara, Sri Lanka and AH46 connecting Kharagpur, India to Dhule, India. Auto rickshaws operate in most parts of Nagpur and are the main form of hired transport within the city. The new national highway is being built between Nagpur and Mumbai, an alternative to the existing NH 6, and will be a boost to the under developed regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada in Maharashtra state. Nagpur's Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport has the busiest Air traffic control room in India.
[edit] Air transport
Main article: Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport
Further information: Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur
Nagpur's Air Traffic Control (ATC) is the busiest in India,[57] with more than 300 international flights flying over the city every day in 2004.[58] In October 2005, Nagpur's Sonegaon Airport was declared an international airport and was renamed Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport.[59]
Nagpur is currently witnessing an economic boom as the "Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN)" is under development. MIHAN will be used for handling heavy cargo coming from south east Asia and the Middle East. The project will include Indian Rupee symbol.svg10,000 crore (US$2.22 billion) Special Economic Zone (SEZ)[60] for Information Technology (IT) companies.
