Nagpur

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Nagpur

Nāgpur ('Marathi:' 'नागपुर') Largest city in Central India and the third largest city in the Indian state of Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune. With a population of 2.1 million (2001 Census), Nagpur is also the nation's 13^th largest urban conglomeration (2001 Census) and the foremost city in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region. The city is also the Winter Capital of the state and the headquarters of Nagpur District and Nagpur Division administration. On a global scale, , Nagpur is also estimated to be the 114^th largest city in the world and the planet's 143^rd largest urban area in terms of population in 2006. Nagpur lies practically at the centre of India with what is generally, but incorrectly, presumed to be the country's geographical centre (Zero Mile) being situated here. Nagpur is popularly known as the "Orange City" throughout the country as it is the centre of trade of high-quality oranges grown in the region. Recently, Nagpur celebrated 300 years of its establishment.

Geography and Climate

Nagpur city has an area of approximately 220 km² and is situated at 21° 06' N latitude and 79° 03' E longitude and a mean altitude of 310 meters above sea level. The climate is dry or mildly humid for most of the year except for the rainy season as the city is located far away from any major water body in the centre of the Indian peninsula. Nagpur receives an annual rainfall of 1,205 mm (47.44 in), mostly between the months of June and September. Summer lasts from March to June, with temperatures peaking in the month of May. Summers in Nagpur are extremely hot, with temperatures regularly crossing 40°C (104°F). Winter lasts from November to January, during which it is not unusual for temperatures to drop below 10°C (60°F). The highest recorded temperature in the city was 48.6 °C (119.5 °F) on 1954-05-26, while the lowest was 4 °C.

Major Localities

History

Nagpur was founded by Bakht Buland, a prince of the Gond kingdom of Deogarh in the Chhindwara district. In 1743, the Maratha leader Raghoji Bhonsle of Vidarbha established himself at Nagpur, and had conquered the territories of Deogarh, Chanda and Chhattisgarh by 1751. After Raghoji's death in 1755, Janoji, his son and successor, was forced to acknowledge the effective supremacy of the Maratha Peshwa of Puneand in 1769. Regardless, the Nagpur state continued to grow. Janoji's successor Mudhoji (d. 1788) came to power in 1785and bought Mandla and the upper Narmada valley from the Peshwa between 1796 and 1798, followed by the acquisition of Hoshangabad,the larger part of Saugor and Damoh by Raghoji II (d. 1816). Under this king, Nagpur covered what is now the East of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, and parts of Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.

In 1803 Raghoji II joined the Peshwas against the British in the Second Anglo-Maratha War. The British prevailed, and Raghoji had to cede Cuttack, Sambalpur, and part of Berar. After Raghoji II's death in 1816, his son Parsaji was deposed and murdered by Mudhoji. In spite of a treaty signed the same year with the British, Mudhoji joined the Peshwas in the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1817, but was forced to cede the rest of Berar to the Nizam of Hyderabad, along with parts of Saugor and Damoh, Mandla, Betul, Seoni and the Narmada valley to the British after suffering a defeat at Sitabuldi in modern-day Nagpur. Mudhoji was deposed after a temporary restoration to the throne, after which grandchild of Raghoji II Raghoji III was placed 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. 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 central government. The Central Provinces were then ruled by a British governor with Nagpur as its capital. Berar was added in 1903.

TATA, one of the most respected industrial houses in India, started the country's first textile mill at Nagpur , then formally known as Central India Spinning and Weaving Company Ltd. The company was popularly known as "Empress Mills" as it was inaugurated on 1st January 1877, the day queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India.

Nagpur was a scene of significant political activity during India's freedom struggle. The city hosted two annual sessions of the Indian National Congress and the Non Co-Operation Movement was launched in the Nagpur session of 1920. 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. Nagpur is the only Indian city to have lost the status of a state capital during the reorganizaton of states. If the demand for a separate state of Vidharbha is granted in future, the city is set to regain its former status as state capital.

Notable Institutions in Nagpur

The entire political community of Maharashtra descends on the city for the two week duration of the winter session of the Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly, which is held in the month of December. In addition, a bench of the Bombay High Court is located in the city.

Nagpur is an important city for the scientific community as the city is home to the headquarters of a number of national level scientific and governmental establishments like the National Environmental Engineering and Research Institute (NEERI), Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR), National Research Centre for Citrus, National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Aluminium Research and Development Centre, the Indian Bureau of Mines, India's Intellectual Property Training Institute, the National Academy of Direct Taxes, the Chief Controller of Explosives of the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation, and the South Central Zone Cultural Centre in addition to a regional office of the Indian Meteorological Department.

Nagpur is also an important city for India's armed forces as the headquarters of Maintenance Command of the Indian Air Force and an Ordinance factory and Staff College for the Indian Armed Forces are located in the city. The Nagpur suburb named Kamptee is home a neatly laid out cantonement area of the Regimental Centre of Indian Army's Brigade that is made up of the National Cadet Corps' Officers' Training School, Institute of Military Law, and other establishments of Indian Army. Furthermore, Nagpur's National Civil Defence College provides civil defence and disaster management training to pupils from all over India and abroad. The city is also the home for Indian Air Force's giant IL-76 transport planes nicknamed "Gajraj."

Due to Nagpur's geographical position, all distances within India are measured from Zero Mile, which is located in the Civil Lines locality in the city.

Places of Interest

Deekshabhoomi is famous throughout India as the site where Dr. B. R. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism to promote his efforts to overcome discrimination against lower-caste and untouchable Hindus, and is also the largest hollow stupa in the world. Dalits and Buddhists from all over the country converge to Deekshabhoomi every year on Dussera.

Situated near Kasturchand Park, the Sitabuldi fort was the site of a fierce battle between the British and the Bhonsle Empire in 1817. The battle was a turning point as it laid the foundations of the downfall of the Bhonsle Empire and eventually the British acquisition of Nagpur city.

Almost every part of the city has at least one major temple. The Sri Poddareshwar Ram Mandir in Ram Nagar is probably the most popular religious spot in the city. The Catholic Seminary at Seminary Hills is one of the finest in the state. A Buddhist Dragon Palace Temple located on the outskirts of the city has become popular tourist spot in recent times due to its exquisite architecture and serene environment.

The city also contains a few lakes that are popular with locals - Ambazari, Telangkhedi (which underwent major renovation recently), Gandhisagar, Gorewada, and Sonegaon. With its scenic gardens and recreation facilities, the Ambazari Lake has historically been one of the most popular spots in Nagpur, a status that it retains to this day. Another popular spot is the Maharajbag Zoo, originally a garden developed by the Bhonsle rulers. The Zoo contains several rare species of birds and animals. Pench forest reserve, which is the setting for Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book", is 45 miles to the north of Nagpur.

The Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground (VCA) in Nagpur is one of the nine test venues in the country.

Nagpur boasts many restaurants specializing in Indian as well as international cuisine. Liberty and Smruti are the two most popular movie theatres, screening all major Bollywood releases. The city presently lacks a multi-screen theatre (multiplex).

Nagpur has two three-star hotels: Hotel Tuli International and Hotel Pride. The other major hotel is Hotel Centre Point.

Culture

The city's culture is cosmopolitan with people of all faiths living in it. Places of worship of various religions are present throughout the city. Every year on Ram Navami (which ususally falls in late March or early April), the city plays host to spectacular shobha yatra in which a massive procession of floats depicting various events from the Ramayana is organized by the Sri Poddareshwar Ram Mandir. The procession snakes through several important streets of the city from late afternoon to well past midnight and is witnessed by hundreds of thousands of people from the city as well as other parts of India. 10-day long celebrations are held on Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga puja festivals in almost every locality in the city. Like the rest of India, Nagpur celebrates other major Hindu festivals like Diwali, Holi and Dussera with fervour and enthusiasm. Processions are also held on important festivals of other religions such as Eid e Milad, Gurunanak Jayanti, Mahavir Jayanti and Moharram.

Nagpur plays host to a variety of cultural events throughout the year. A week long Kalidas festival organized by Maharashtra government and the South Central Zone Cultural Centre acts as a venue for a series of music and dance performances by such artistes of national repute as Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. The South Central Cultural Zone actively sponsors various cultural programmes in Nagpur city, such as the Orange City Craft Mela and Folk Dance Festival, which is noted for its numerous folk-dances. Nagpurians are also fond of Indian classical music and dance as is evident from the regular performances held by famous artists like Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Besides, there are regular stagings of Marathi plays that have a large following.

Nagpur has a vibrant media scene with its own TV as well as radio station. In fact, All India Radio's Nagpur station is among the earliest set up in India. Major newspapers in Marathi, Hindi, and English languages circulate within the city. Lokmat, Sakal, Tarun Bharat, and Loksatta are major Marathi language newspapers published in Nagpur, while Dainik Bhaskar and Nav Bharat and leading Hindi ones. Moreover, the locally published The Hitavada is the leading English language newspaper in Central India.

Although the middle class continues to comprise the major chunk of Nagpur's population, in recent times the city has attracted the affluent and was the fastest growing crorepati city in India in 2004. Although historically the city has not reaped the benefits of India's economic boom relative to cities like Hyderabad and Bangalore, Nagpur remains one of the most livable cities in the country due to its citizen- friendly statistics. The city's crime has remained at a constant level. In general, the housing supply is good and moderately priced in comparison to megacities like Mumbai and Delhi, although the price of land has skyrocketed in posh localities like Ramdaspeth and Civil Lines. Nagpur enjoys good quality and abundant water supply thanks to a successful crackdown on water theft by the local municipal corporation (NMC). However, different parts of the city have been affected by power cuts ranging from two and half to four hours in recent times due to the acute shortage of electricity in the state of Maharashtra. One notable fact about Nagpur is that the city has remained peacful even as cities like Kolkota and Mumbai experienced violent episodes of communal conflicts for one reason or another. Recently, the city was judged as the cleanest and second greenest in India.

Economy

Nagpur has been the centre of commerce in the Vidarbha region since early days and currently the city is a large trading centre for a number of commodities. Nonetheless, Nagpur's economic importance has gradually declined relative to Mumbai and Pune after the merging of Vidarbha into the Maharashtra because of a prolonged period of neglect by the Maharashtra government. During this period the state and central government offices were the main source of employment in the city. However, Nagpur is witnessing an economic boom in recent times and attracted Rs. 5,000 crore in investment in 2004.

Currently a significant number of industries are located within the vicinity of Nagpur city. Nagpur's Butibori industrial area is the largest in all of Asia in terms of area. The estate's largest unit is Indo Rama Synthetics, which manufactures synthetic polyester yarn. Other notable units in Butibori include the power transmission company KEC, Hyundai Unitech, ACC Nihon Castings Ltd. The estate also houses a number of other textile units, a washing machine plant belonging to the Videocon group, besides several medium-sized units that manufacture a variety of products. In addition, the first food park in the state of Maharashtra is situated in the estate. Though Butibori could not quite live up to its original promise, industrial activity is picking up due to the saturation in the Mumbai-Thane-Pune belt.

About 900 small and medium industrial units make up an Hingna industrial estate located on the western fringes of the city. The major ones among them are tractor manufacturing plant of Mahindra and Mahindra, casting units of NECO Ltd (the country's largest casting group), units of International Combustions,Bajaj Auto group,Candico ( the largest confectionary manufacturing plant in India ), Ajanta toothbrushes, Sanvijay Group (largest steel rolling group of companies for long products in Central India) and Vicco Laboratories. In addition, Nagpur is also home to well-known ice-cream maker Dinshaws, and the nationally famous sweetmakers Haldiram's.

Nagpur is also the next most favoured IT destination in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune due to factors favorable to the IT industry like the location in the centre of India, good infrastructure, and the availability of a large pool of skilled labor from local and regional educational institutions. In the near future, Nagpur will also have a Rs. 10,000 crore Special Economic Zone (SEZ) attached that has already attracted some of India's top-notch Information Technology companies like Satyam Computer Services and L&T Infocity.

Education

Nagpur is a major education centre in Central India. Founded in 1923, Nagpur University (recently renamed Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University) has geographical jurisdiction over the five districts of Nagpur division and gives affiliation to hundreds of colleges. The city is also home to three medical colleges - the Government Medical College, Indira Gandhi Government Medical College, and privately run NKP Salve Institute of Medical Sciences. . Furthremore, the city has several reputed engineering colleges like the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) (which is now a deemed university) and the Laxminarayan Institute of Technology (LIT). The world-class 25-acre campus of Institute of Management Technology (IMT) is also situated in Nagpur. A National Fire Service College that runs the country's only graduation course in Fire Engineering is also situated in the city. Nagpur is also home to several reputed public as well as private colleges like Hislop College and Shivaji Science College. These educational institutions attract students from all over the country and contribute to the city's varied student community. A very small number of foreign students are also present in the city.

A number of private engineering colleges are situated in Nagpur. Among them are Shri Ramdeobaba Kamla Nehru College of Engineering, Yashwantrao Chavan College of Engineering, G. H. Raisoni College of Engineering, Priyadarshini College of Engineering, Karamveer Dadasaheb Kannamwar College of Engineering, and Anjuman College of Engineering.

Nagpur also has a number of fine schools that offer education through Marathi, Hindi, and English media. In recent times there has been a spurt of privately-funded schools affiliated with CBSE (Central Board for Secondary Education).

Nagpur city had a literacy rate of 89.3% in 2001, which is quite high by Indian standards.

Transport

Being situated at the centre of the country, Nagpur is a very important roadways and railway junction and a transit for almost all the trains that span the country lengthwise and breadthwise, especially trains connecting India's four major metropolitan cities (Mumbai, Delhi,Chennai, and Kolkota) located in the four corners of the country. Nagpur railway station and Ajni railway station are the two major railway stations in Nagpur city.

Nagpur is a major junction for roadways as India's two major national highways (Kanyakumari-Varanasi (no 7) and Hawrah-Dhule (no 6)) pass through the city. Nagpur has good roads and has undertaken major upgradation and renewal works under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The Inland Container Depot at Nagpur run by Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) is fastest growing inland port in the country.

Due to the city's central location, Nagpur's Air Traffic Control (ATR) is the busiest in India , with more than 300 international flights flying over the city every day in 2004. Domestic airlines such as Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, and Air Deccan connect Nagpur with Mumbai (5 flights daily), Delhi (2 flights daily), Hyderabad (1 flight daily and 1, 4 times a week), and Kolkata (1 flight thrice a week and another twice a week). In October 2005, Nagpur's Sonegaon Airport was declared an international airport and was renamed Dr. Ambedkar International Airport. Initial flights between Nagpur and Sharjah were launched by Air Arabia with the intention of tapping the strong demand for international travel within Central India. In April 2006 Indian Airlines connected Nagpur and Bangkok with a non-stop twice weekly service. Qatar Airways has announced that it will start a thrice-weekly service from Nagpur to Doha in the summer of 2006.

India's first ever Multi-modal International Cargo Hub (MIHAN) was completed near Nagpur airport in 2006, and is expected to contribute significantly to the development of the city as well as the economically backward Vidarbha region.

Nagpur in 1911

In the early phase of its development, the city was lead by the then mayor, Sushrut Kulkarni, who is famous for being the leading activist during India's freedom struggle. The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica offers a picture of Nagpur in the early part of the 20th century:

The city is 1125 ft. above the sea; Pop. (1901) 127,734. The town is well laid out, with several parks and artificial lakes, and has numerous Hindu temples. The prettily wooded suburb of Sitabaldi contains the chief government buildings, the houses of Europeans, the railway station and the cantonments, with fort and arsenal. In the centre stands Sitabaldi Hill, crowned with the fort. Beyond the station lies the broad sheet of water known as the Jama Talao, and farther east is the city, completely hidden in a mass of foliage. Handsome tanks and gardens, constructed by the Maratha princes, lie outside the city. The palace, built of black basalt and profusely ornamented with wood carving, was burnt down in 1864, and only the great gateway remains. The garrison consists of detachments of European and Indian infantry from Kampti (Kamptee). Nagpur is the headquarters of two corps of rifle volunteers. It is the junction of two important railway systems, the Great Indian Peninsula to Bombay and the Bengal-Nagpur to Calcutta. The large weaving population maintain their reputation for producing fine fabrics. There are steam cotton mills and machinery for ginning and pressing cotton. The gaol contains an important printing establishment. Education is provided by two aided colleges, the Hislop and the Morris, called after a missionary and a former chief commissioner; four high schools; a law school; an agricultural school, with a class for the scientific training of teachers; a normal school; a zenana mission for the management of girls schools; an Anglican and two Catholic schools for Europeans. There are several libraries and reading rooms.

Web References

References in Print

Nagpur sizzles at 47.6 deg C, TNN, Times of India (Bombay), pg 1, 2005-05-23

External links

Cities and towns in Maharashtra

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