Ambegaon taluka is a

taluka A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

in Shirur subdivision of

Pune district Pune district (Marathi pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, uɳeː is the most populous district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The district's population was 9,429,408 in the 2011 census, making it the fourth most populous district amongst I ...

of state of

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. One of the twelve most revered Shiva temples or

Jyotirlinga A Jyotirlinga () or Jyotirlingam, is a devotional representation of the Hindu god Shiva. The word is a Sanskrit compound of ('radiance') and ('sign'). The Śiva Mahāpurāṇam (also ''Shiva Purana'') mentions 64 original ''jyotirlinga'' s ...

, the

Bhimashankar Temple Bhimashankar Temple is a Jyotirlinga shrine located 50 km Khed taluka (alias Rajgurunagar), near Pune, in Maharashtra, India. It is located 127 km from Shivajinagar (in Pune) in the Ghat region of the Sahyadri Mountains. Bhīmāsha ...

is in this khed (Rajgurunagar) taluka. But due to Bhimashankar Sanctuary, the road is through Ambegaon taluka

Geography

The Taluka lies at the foothills of eastern side of the Sahyadri Mountain range, and towards the west side of

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...

city. The taluka's administrative limits are from the cities of Bhimashankar in North to Loni in its South and from Peth in East to Kalamb in its West direction. This taluka is geographically divided in two parts due to the patterns of rainfall. The northern region gets far less rainfall than mountainous southern side of the taluka. The rivers Meena, Ghodnadi and Vellnadi flow through the area.

2014 Malin landslide

In 2014, a serious mudslide around the village of Malin killed around 200 people. The landslides were caused by heavy rainfall that began a day prior, with the village receiving of rain on 29 July of that year and the downpour continuing throughout the following day. The environmental factors that resulted in the landslide is believed to have had more than one cause. One major cause was negligence of geological facts of the area before any construction or civil developmental process. Another cause cited for contributing to the landslide was rapid deforestation in the area.

Deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...

removes not only trees, but also root structures that hold together the soil. Through deforestation, the soil of the surrounding land was made soft, and experts argue that deforestation was the primary underlying

anthropogenic Anthropogenic ("human" + "generating") is an adjective that may refer to: * Anthropogeny, the study of the origins of humanity Counterintuitively, anthropogenic may also refer to things that have been generated by humans, as follows: * Human im ...

cause of the landslide. One additional reason was changing agricultural practices villagers had then recently shifted from cultivation of rice and

finger millet ''Eleusine coracana'', or finger millet, also known as ragi in India, kodo in Nepal, is an annual herbaceous plant widely grown as a cereal crop in the arid and semiarid areas in Africa and Asia. It is a tetraploid and self-pollinating species p ...

to wheat, which required leveling of steep areas, which contributed to instability of the hills. Also the construction of the

Dimbhe Dam Dimbhe dam, is a gravity dam on Ghod River near Ambegaon, Pune district in State of Maharashtra in India. Specifications The height of the dam above lowest foundation is while the length is . The volume content is and gross storage capacity is . ...

ten years ago near this area was considered as a contributing factor. The instability of the hillsides was due to the construction activities, which are often done without careful analysis of environmental consequences. Stone

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envi ...

ing, among other types of construction, was specifically blamed for the instability of the hillside.

Flora and fauna

Deciduous Forests cover area around

Bhimashankar Bhimashankar Temple is a Jyotirlinga shrine located 50 km Khed taluka (alias Rajgurunagar), near Pune, in Maharashtra, India. It is located 127 km from Shivajinagar (in Pune) in the Ghat region of the Sahyadri Mountains. Bhīmāshan ...

. The Forests in the area have trees like

Teak Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters (panicl ...

Oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

Mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...

. The forest inhabits animals like Rabbit, Deer, Wolf, Fox, Tiger and Leopards. Birds found in the area include Peacock,

Bulbul The bulbuls are members of a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds, which also includes greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical As ...

, and Parrot.

Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary was created in the Ambegaon and Khed talukas of Pune District, in the Western Indian state of Maharashtra in order mainly to protect the habitat of the Indian Giant Squirrel. It spreads through 3 district of Ma ...

was created in the area in order to protect the habitat of the

Indian Giant Squirrel The Indian giant squirrel or Malabar giant squirrel (''Ratufa indica'') is a large multi-coloured tree squirrel species endemic to forests and woodlands in India. It is a diurnal, arboreal, and mainly herbivorous squirrel. Distribution and hab ...

. Its area is and is a part of the Western Ghats (Sahyadri Ranges). This sanctuary was created in 1984 and includes 9 tribal villages. This area's biodiversity has been retained as it will be preserved as a cluster of

sacred groves Sacred groves or sacred woods are groves of trees and have special religious importance within a particular culture. Sacred groves feature in various cultures throughout the world. They were important features of the mythological landscape and ...

for generations. These sacred groves act as gene pools of this area, from where seeds were dispersed. Inside the Ahupe village's sacred grove in the sanctuary (where a tribe of

Mahadev Koli Mahadev may refer to: *Shiva, a primary Hindu deity ** Parashiva, a form of Shiva ** Parameshwara (god), a form of Shiva * Mahadev, Nepal * Mahadev Peak, a mountain peak in Kashmir Valley *Kailashnath Mahadev Statue in Nepal *Para Brahman, a Hindu ...

resides) in 1984, a climber plant called Khombhal or Xantolis tomentosa was found to be 800–1000 years old.

Demographics

According to the census conducted in 1991, the taluka had a population of 186809. The taluka has 142 villages from which the two towns of

Manchar Manchar is a census town and Nagar panchayat in Ambegaon taluka of Pune district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Nearby villages are Kalamb, Pimpalgoan and Landewadi. It is governed by Manchar Nagar Panchayat which is second Nagar panchayat ...

and

Ghodegaon Ghodegaon is a village in Ambegaon taluka of Pune List of districts of India, District in the state of Maharashtra, India. The village is Administration (government), administrated by a Sarpanch who is an elected representative of village as per ...

have a sizable population.

Economy

Agriculture is the main occupation of this region. Rivers like Ghod and Dhimbe provide water for cultivation. Dhimbe dam allows irrigation for cash crops. The most commonly grown crop is millet and vegetables like Potato are commonly grown too. In northern region, wheat, Jawari (also known as Durra) and Bajari (Pearl millet) are most commonly grown crops whereas in southern region rice is grown. Tomato and fruits like Grapes and Banana are also grown. The cultivated area of the taluka is approximately 87851 hectares. Significant crops are in the table below: Oil pressing (extracting) plants & refineries are also found in the region. Recently a new sugar factory has been constructed named as Bhimashankar sakhar karkhana. The taluka also has a sizeable dairy industry. There are 197 organisations in the area related to milk production.

Transport

National Highway no. 50 linking the cities of Pune and Nasik goes through the taluka. There is also a State Highway linking cities of Shirur to Bhimashankar via Manchar. At present there are no rail links in the taluka.

Education

Primary and secondary education

State Primary Schools in the Taluka are run by the Zila parishad. Private schools along with secondary schools in the taluka are run by charitable trusts. All schools are required to undergo mandatory inspection by the Zila parishad. Mode of instruction is either in

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

or English. The secondary schools are affiliated with either of the boards, the

Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) is a privately held national-level board of school education in India that conducts the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Examination for Class X and the India ...

(CISCE), the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE), the National Institute of Open School (NIOS) or the

Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education () is a statutory and autonomous body established under the "Maharashtra Secondary Boards Act" 1965 (amended in 1977). Most important task of the board, among few others, i ...

. Under the

10+2+3 plan 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit (measurement), unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment ...

, after completing secondary school, students typically enroll for two years in a

junior college A junior college (sometimes referred to colloquially as a juco, JuCo or JC) is a post-secondary educational institution offering vocational training designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations and workers in su ...

, also known as pre-university, or in schools with a higher secondary facility affiliated with the

or any central board. The taluka has 2 High schools, 23 Central Schools, 222 Primary Schools, 5 Ashram-run schools and 74 pre-school nurseries run by the Zila Parishad. Reputed schools in the taluka are Mahatma Gandhi Junior College of Science in the town of Manchar and Janta Vidya Mandir in

Vocational training

The town of Ghodegaon has a post Secondary School Industrial training institutes (ITI) run by the government that offer vocational training in numerous trades such as construction, plumbing, welding, automobile mechanics, etc. Successful candidates receive the National Trade Certificate.

Higher Education

Annasaheb Awate college run by the

Rayat Shikshan Sanstha Rayat Shikshan Sanstha is an educational society based in Satara, Maharashtra, India. It operates 34 colleges in Paschim Maharashtra. History In 1882, Jyotirao Phule made a demand for providing free education for all. The social reforms move ...

in Manchar is the institution that offers Degree and Masters level courses in the Taluka. Also The B.D. Kale college in Ghodegaon also Popular in Ambegaon. The college is affiliated to the Savitribai Phule Pune University. Institutes for Higher Technical Education in Ambegaon, are the Government Polytechnic College in Awasari, the Government College of Engineering & Research in Awasari Kd, and Dattatray Govindrao Walase Patil College for Higher Education run by the Bhimashankar Shikshan Sanstha in Pargaon (Shingave).

Culture

Ganesh Utsav Ganesh Chaturthi (ISO: ), also known as Vinayak Chaturthi (), or Ganeshotsav () is a Hindu festival commemorating the birth of the Hindu god Ganesha. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha's clay idols privately in homes and p ...

Navratri Navaratri is an annual Hindu festival observed in the honour of the goddess Durga. It spans over nine nights (and ten days), first in the month of Chaitra (March/April of the Gregorian calendar), and again in the month of Sharada. It is ob ...

, and many such auspicious festivals are also celebrated here with great enthusiasm. Janta Utsav is one of the unique festivals of this region where functions like yatra,

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

, tamasha and numerous religious programmes are held by various

Mandals A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

. Bullock-cart races are an inseparable part of this taluka which is also very prominent throughout Maharashtra. Lots of tribe reside in Ambegaon they celebrate with their tradition and culture.

Hindu Temples and places of pilgrimage in the region

*Kulswami Khanderaiya Mhalsakant Devasthan Dhamani *

Loni Loni is a somewhat popular female name related to the given names Leonie, Lonna (or Lona) and Lonnie. It may refer to: People * Loni (Pashtun tribe), a branch of the Durrani tribe in Pakistan and Afghanistan ** Arman Loni (1983-2019), Pashtun ...

* Dhamni * Shirdale gav *Bhargarvrao Valti *Narsingh Devalay *Ram Mandir (Ranjani) *Velleshawar Mahadev Devsthan (Kurwandi) *Aaradhya Devat Shree Ram Mandir Pimplegaon (Khadki) *Sant Dnyaneshwar Temple (Chas) *Tapneshwar Mahadev (Manchar) *Gorakshnath Mandir (Avsari Phata) *Bhairavnath Devsthan (Avsari) *Harishchandra Mandir Ghodegaon *Ashtavinayak Ardhpeeth Vadgaon Kashimbeg *Rameshwar Mahadev Pandavkalin Babruvahanhi Mandir Manipur (Manchar) *Mahadev Dongar (Kadewadi, Chas) *Ghodnadi Source, (Ahupe) *Ranjan khalge and film shooting spot (Chas) *Shamadhar Parvat Eklahare *Kamaljadevi Mandir (Kalamb) *Shree Vakeshwar Mandir (Peth) *Sauranginath suvar parvat Bhavandi *Kamaljadevi Shaktipeeth (Bhimashankar) *Bhairavnath Mandir (Landewadi) *Datta Mandir (Shinoli) *Pach Pir (Vadgaon) *Ram Mandir (Ambegaon Gavthan) *Ahilyabai Holkar Fort (Vafgaon) *Telecommunication Center, Narodi (Shiva mandir, Vishnu temple), Holkar Wada and Temple *Jogeshwari Well commissioned by

Ahilyabai Holkar Ahilya Bai Holkar (31 May 1725 – 13 August 1795) was the hereditary noble queen of the Maratha Empire, in early-modern India. She established Maheshwar (in Madhya Pradesh) as the seat of Holkar Dynasty. After the demise of her husband Kha ...

(Khadki) *Thapling (Shri Khanderaya Temple) (Nagapur) *Shree Kulswami Khanderaya Temple (peth, Khandobamal)

Places of Historical Importance and Recreation

*Dhimbhe Dam and Water power project. *Peth Avasari Ghat. Huge walls and entry Gate of Holkars Period.

References

{{Talukas in Pune district Talukas in Maharashtra Talukas in Pune district