Latur(लातूर) is a city in Indian
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Maharashtra, and is one of the largest cities of the
Marathwada
Marathwada () is a proposed state and geographical region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It was formed during the Nizam's rule and was part of the then Hyderabad State. The region coincides with the Aurangabad division of Maharashtra. I ...
region. It is the administrative headquarters of
Latur district and
Latur Taluka
Latur Taluka is an administrative subdivision (taluka) of Latur District in Maharashtra, India.
Latur Taluka is in the western part of Latur District, with Renapur Taluka to the north, Chakur Taluka and Shirur Anantpal Taluka to the east, ...
. The city is a tourist hub surrounded by many historical monuments, including
Udgir Fort
Udgir Fort in the Udgir city in Latur district, Maharashtra of India is a fort built in pre-Bahamani age, dating from the twelfth century CE. It is famous for the historic Battle of Udgir of 1760, in which the Marathas, led by Sadashivrao Bha ...
and
Kharosa Caves
Kharosa is a village situated at about 45 km from Latur City in Latur district, Maharashtra, India. It is renowned for its caves, built around the 6th century. Other attractions include the beautiful sculptures of Narasimha, Shiv Parvat ...
. The people in Latur are called Laturkar. The most spoken language in Latur is
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
*
* ...
. The city's quality of education attracts students from all over Maharashtra. It is a drought prone area with acute
water shortage
Water scarcity (closely related to water stress or water crisis) is the lack of fresh water resources to meet the standard water demand. There are two types of water scarcity: physical or economic water scarcity. Physical water scarcity is wher ...
in its city and rural areas. The economy is agriculture intensive and amounts in highest farmer suicide rates in India. Industrial development is minimal in the district. Latur is 43 kilometers from the
epicenter
The epicenter, epicentre () or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates.
Surface damage
Before the instrumental pe ...
of the devastating
1993 Latur earthquake
The 1993 Latur earthquake struck India at 3:56 am local time ( UTC+05:30) on 30 September. The main area affected is the districts of Latur and Osmanabad, including the Ausa block of Latur and Omerga of Osmanabad in Maharashtra, Western India. ...
.
History
Latur has an ancient history, which probably dates to the
Rashtrakuta period. It was home to a branch of Rashtrakutas which ruled the
Deccan
The large Deccan Plateau in southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bounded by the ...
from 753 to 973 AD. The first
Rashtrakuta king,
Dantidurga
Dantidurga (reigned 735–756 CE), also known as Dantivarman II was the founder of the Rashtrakuta Empire of Manyakheta. Reu (1933), p54 His capital was based in Gulbarga region of Karnataka. His successor was his uncle Krishna I who extended h ...
, was from Lattaluru, the ancient name for Latur. Ratnapur is also mentioned as an historic name for Latur.
The King
Amoghavarsha of
Rashtrakutas
Rashtrakuta ( IAST: ') (r. 753-982 CE) was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the sixth and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing the ...
developed the Latur city. The Rashtrakutas who succeeded the
Chalukyas
The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynas ...
of
Badami
Badami, formerly known as Vatapi, is a town and headquarters of a taluk by the same name, in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It was the regal capital of the Badami Chalukyas from CE 540 to 757. It is famous for its rock cut monuments ...
in 753 AD called themselves the residents of Lattaluru.
It was, over the centuries, variously ruled by the
Satavahanas
The Satavahanas (''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty based in the Deccan region. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavahana rule began in the lat ...
, the
Sakas
The Saka (Old Persian: ; Kharoṣṭhī: ; Ancient Egyptian: , ; , old , mod. , ), Shaka (Sanskrit ( Brāhmī): , , ; Sanskrit (Devanāgarī): , ), or Sacae (Ancient Greek: ; Latin: ) were a group of nomadic Iranian peoples who histor ...
, the
Chalukyas
The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynas ...
, the Yadavas of
Deogiri
Daulatabad Fort, also known as Devagiri Fort or Deogiri Fort, is a historic fortified citadel located in Daulatabad village near Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. It was the capital of the Yadava dynasty (9th century–14th century CE), for a br ...
, the
Delhi Sultans, the
Bahamani
The Bahmani Sultanate, or Deccan, was a Persianate Sunni Muslim Indian Kingdom located in the Deccan region. It was the first independent Muslim kingdom of the Deccan, rulers of South India,
Adilshahi
The Adil Shahi or Adilshahi, was a Shia,Salma Ahmed Farooqui, ''A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century'', (Dorling Kindersley Pvt Ltd., 2011), 174. and later Sunni Muslim,Muhammad Qasim Firishta's T ...
, and the
Mughals
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
.
In Latur's Papvinashak Temple a 12th-century inscription of King
Someshvara III
Someshvara III (; ) was a Western Chalukya king (also known as the Kalyani Chalukyas), the son and successor of Vikramaditya VI. He ascended the throne of the Western Chalukya Kingdom in 1126 CE, or 1127 CE.
Someshvara III, the third king in t ...
was found. According to that inscription, 500 scholars were living in Lattlaur (Latur) at that time and that Latur was the city of King Someshwar.
In the 19th century, Latur became part of the
Princely state of
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...
. In 1905 it was merged with surrounding areas and renamed Latur tehsil, becoming part of
Osmanabad district. Before 1948, Latur was a part of
Hyderabad State under
Nizam
The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...
. The chief of the
Razakar's,
Qasim Rizwi, was from Latur.
After
Indian independence and the
Indian annexation of Hyderabad,
Osmanabad
Osmanabad (; pronounced as ''Usmānābād''),is a city and a municipal council in Osmanabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Osmanabad derives its name from the last ruler of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. Osmanabad city is the adm ...
became part of
Bombay Province
The Bombay Presidency or Bombay Province, also called Bombay and Sind (1843–1936), was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India, with its capital in the city that came up over the seven islands of Bombay. The first mainl ...
. In 1960, with the creation of Maharashtra, Latur became part of one of its districts. On August 16, 1982, a separate
Latur district was carved out of
Osmanabad
Osmanabad (; pronounced as ''Usmānābād''),is a city and a municipal council in Osmanabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Osmanabad derives its name from the last ruler of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. Osmanabad city is the adm ...
district.
Geography and climate
Latur is situated 636 metres above mean sea level, on the
Balaghat plateau, near the Maharashtra–
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
state boundary. It receives its drinking water from the nearby
Manjira River
The Manjara, also spelled Manjara or Manjeera, is a tributary of the river Godavari. It passes through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana. It originates in the Balaghat range of hills near Ahmednagar district at an altitude of ...
, which suffered from environmental degradation and silting in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. As a result of this and lack of implementation of a water management strategy, during the drought of the 2010s the city ran out of water.
Temperature: Temperatures in Latur range from , with the most comfortable time to visit in the winter, which is October to February. The highest temperature ever recorded was . The lowest recorded temperature was . In the cold season the district is sometimes affected by cold waves in association with the eastward passage of western disturbances across north India, when the minimum temperature may drop down to about .
Rainfall: Most of the rainfall occurs in the monsoon season from June to September. Rainfall varies from per month. Average annual rainfall is .
Recently, Latur has been bearing the brunt of climate change. Extreme weather episodes, including torrential rainfall and even hailstorms in summers, have been showing up in Latur for over a decade now.
Latur earthquake of 1993
On 30 September 1993, at 3:53 a.m. local time, Latur was almost completely destroyed by a devastating
intraplate earthquake
The term intraplate earthquake refers to a variety of earthquake that occurs ''within the interior'' of a tectonic plate; this stands in contrast to an interplate earthquake, which occurs ''at the boundary'' of a tectonic plate. Intraplate eart ...
that affected the southern
Marathwada
Marathwada () is a proposed state and geographical region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It was formed during the Nizam's rule and was part of the then Hyderabad State. The region coincides with the Aurangabad division of Maharashtra. I ...
region of Maharashtra state in central-western part of India—including Latur, Beed, Osmanabad, and adjoining districts about south-east of
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
—and resulted in a huge loss of life. The earthquake measured only 6.3 on the
Richter magnitude scale
The Richter scale —also called the Richter magnitude scale, Richter's magnitude scale, and the Gutenberg–Richter scale—is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Francis Richter and presented in his landmark 1935 ...
, but its
focus
Focus, or its plural form foci may refer to:
Arts
* Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in South Australia Film
*''Focus'', a 1962 TV film starring James Whitmore
* ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film based ...
was relatively shallow, at around deep. Consequently, the resultant shock waves, being unattenuated, caused more damage. The quake caused around 10,000 deaths
and 30,000 were injured, mainly due to the poor construction of stone houses and huts which collapsed on people who were fast asleep. After the earthquake, seismic zones were reclassified, and building codes and standards revised, all over India.
Demographics
Latur's population, as of the 2011 census, is 396,955.
Most residents of the city speak
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
*
* ...
(62% per district census, urban areas), with
(18%) and
Hindi
Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...
(9%) also being widely spoken.
Administration and politics
Local administration
Latur has an earlier Municipal Council, which was established in 1952.
Latur Municipal Corporation
The Latur City Municipal Corporation (LCMC) also known as the Municipal Corporation of Latur City (LCMC) was established on 25 October 2011. The Maharashtra Government dissolved the council and approved forming a municipal corporation. Municip ...
(LMC) is the local civil body. It is divided into five zones. The Municipal Corporation area is about . It was elevated to the status of Municipal Corporation by the State Government in 2011.
The Urban Development Dept.,
Govt. of Maharashtra expressed its desire vide letter dated 30/10/2006 to notify fringe area of Latur and appoint
CIDCO
The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) is an Indian city planning agency and richest government authority in India which is formed and controlled by the Government of Maharashtra. CIDCO was formed on 17 March 197 ...
as its Special Planning Authority.
CIDCO
The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) is an Indian city planning agency and richest government authority in India which is formed and controlled by the Government of Maharashtra. CIDCO was formed on 17 March 197 ...
has submitted its proposal to notify the fringe area measuring approx. 26541.00 ha. inclusive of urbanisable zone of about 16696 ha. Govt. has appointed
CIDCO
The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) is an Indian city planning agency and richest government authority in India which is formed and controlled by the Government of Maharashtra. CIDCO was formed on 17 March 197 ...
as Special Planning Authority. The notified area covers 40 villages on the fringe of
Latur Municipal Corporation
The Latur City Municipal Corporation (LCMC) also known as the Municipal Corporation of Latur City (LCMC) was established on 25 October 2011. The Maharashtra Government dissolved the council and approved forming a municipal corporation. Municip ...
. It is envisaged in the project not to acquire 100% land but to adopt minimum land acquisition model for development of infrastructure and growth corridors.
The city is divided in 70 electoral wards called as ''Prabhag'' and each ward is represented by a Corporator (called as ''Nagarsevak'') elected by the people from each ward. LMC is responsible for providing basic amenities such as drinking water, drainage facility, road, street lights, healthcare facilities and primary schools. LMC collects its revenue from the urban taxes which are imposed on citizens. The administration is headed by the Commissioner of Municipal Corporation; an I.A.S. Officer, assisted by the other officers of different departments.
State and central administration
Latur contributes one seat to the
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-p ...
. The seat is currently held by Sudhakar Shringare,
MP, of the BJP. It also holds one seat for the Assembly - Latur
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...
. In latest constituency arrangements made by
Election Commission of India, Latur will contribute one
Loksabha
The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past-th ...
seat, and two state assembly seats, i.e.
Latur City
Latur(लातूर) is a city in Indian state of Maharashtra, and is one of the largest cities of the Marathwada region. It is the administrative headquarters of Latur district and Latur Taluka. The city is a tourist hub surrounded by many ...
and
Latur Rural.
Prominent politicians from Latur
Latur is called the "city of politicians".
Keshavrao Sonawane was the first minister from Latur region who was in the cabinet of Maharashtra Chief Minister
Yashwantrao Chavan
Yashwantrao Balwantrao Chavan (Marathi pronunciation: əʃʋənt̪ɾaːʋ t͡səʋʱaːɳ 12 March 1913 – 25 November 1984) was an Indian politician. He served as the last Chief Minister of Bombay State and the first of Maharashtra after ...
and later in the cabinet of
Vasantrao Naik
Vasantrao Phulsing Naik (1 July 1913 – 18 August 1979) was an Indian politician who served as Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1963 until 1975. To this date, he remains as the longest-serving Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Also, he had a c ...
, as cooperatives minister, 1962–1967.
The city is the birthplace of other politicians, such as
Shivraj Patil
Shivraj Vishwanath Patil (born 12 October 1935) is an Indian politician who was the Minister of Home Affairs of India, from 2004 to 2008 and 10th Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996. He was Governor of the state of Punjab and Administra ...
and
Diliprao Deshmukh.
Vilasrao Deshmukh
Vilasrao Dagadojirao Deshmukh (26 May 1945 – 14 August 2012) was an Indian politician who served as the 14th Chief Minister of Maharashtra, first term from 18 October 1999 to 16 January 2003 and second term, from 1 November 2004 to 5 D ...
was born in Babhalgaon village, Latur. He served twice as Chief Minister of Maharashtra state, and twice as Union cabinet minister.
Amidst national political controversy is the death, on 1 December 2014, of judge
Brijgopal Harkishan Loya of the
Central Bureau of Investigation, who was addressing the case involving
Amit Shah, the national leader of the
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Mod ...
(BJP) and who was cremated at his native village of Gategaon.
Vikrant Vikram Gojamgunde is the mayor of Latur. He became mayor in 2019. He is the youngest mayor in the state of Maharashtra.
Education and research
Latur has developed into an educational hub for secondary, higher secondary, and university education. The district is known in Maharashtra for its "
Latur Pattern" of study, which involves intensive coaching given in the city. Students of junior colleges in Latur have a good record in taking competitive engineering and medical entrance exams.
Basic and higher education
Public schools (known locally as ''municipality schools'') are run by the
LMC, and are affiliated with the
MSBSHSE. Private schools are run by educational trusts or individuals. They are usually affiliated with either the
state board
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* '' State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our ...
or national education boards, such as the
ICSE or
CBSE boards.
University education
Due to more than 140 colleges, the city is known as an educational hub in Marathwada. Many of the students studying in the colleges and the University are from nearby districts. Most colleges in Latur are affiliated with the
Nanded University. There is a sub-center of SRTMUN at Latur.
The
M. S. Bidve Engineering College, Latur
Latur(लातूर) is a city in Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra, and is one of the largest cities of the Marathwada region. It is the administrative headquarters of Latur district and Latur Taluka. The city ...
, founded in 1983, is one of the oldest engineering colleges in Marathwada. The
Maharashtra Institute of Medical Science & Research Latur was founded in 1988 by
Vishwanath Karad Vishwanath (also spelt Viswanath, Vishvanath, Viswanatha) is an Indian surname and given name. It is of Hindu origin and derives from ''višvanatha'', meaning "lord of the universe" (from ''višva'', "universe" + ''natha'', "lord," an epithet of the ...
.
The
Border Security Force
The Border Security Force (BSF) is India's border guarding organisation on its border with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) of India, and was raised in the wake of the 1965 war on 1 December 1 ...
Training Centre,
Chakur
Chakur is a town in Latur subdivision of Latur district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is also the headquarters for Chakur Taluka. The Town located on Maharashtra State Highway 3 (Kolhapur-Nanded-Nagpur National Highway NH 361). Fo ...
and the Disaster Management Training Institute were established in Latur in 2005 and 2008, respectively.
Dayanand Law College was established by the Dayanand Education Society. Established medical schools such as the
Government Medical College, Manjara Ayurvedic College are present in the city.
Channabasweshwar Pharmacy College is a degree college that provides diploma, degree, and master courses in the pharmacy field. Other pharmacy colleges are Dayanand College of Pharmacy and Vilasrao Deshmukh College of Pharmacy.
Vilasrao Deshmukh Foundation's (VDF) College is a degree college that provides diploma, degree, courses in the engineering and pharmacy field. Other pharmacy colleges are Dayanand College of Pharmacy and Vilasrao Deshmukh College of Pharmacy.
Rajarshi Shahu College, Latur
Rajarshi Shahu College, Latur (R.S.M.L.) is a higher secondary education institution in the Latur, Maharashtra, India. The college was a pioneer in the development of the " Latur Pattern", which has been adopted and implemented by many other ...
, is a reputed college for undergraduate as well as post graduate education. It provides education in Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Commerce.
Professional education
Latur is home to a branch of the
Western India Regional Council
Western India Regional Council, abbreviated as WIRC of ICAI is one of the five Regional Councils of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and the largest among them. It is located in Mumbai and serves a membership of more than 85000 ...
of the
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, along with an exam centre, Information Technology training lab, reading room, and a library for Chartered Accountants as well as for students.
Medical education is provided by the
Vilasrao Deshmukh Government Medical College and Institute, a public institute of medicine under the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. Maharashtra Academy for Education and Research (
MAERS Pune) runs a private medical college known as Maharashtra Institute of Medical Sciences and Research
MIMSR and Yeshwantrao Chavan Rural Hospital, Latur.
Engineering and technology education is provided by M.S. Bidve College of Engineering,
Puranmal Lahoti Government Polytechnic, and
Government Residential Women's Polytechnic Latur.
Trade and industries
The city is a major sugarcane and edible oils,
soybean
The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses.
Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu a ...
, grapes and mango production centre. A fine blend of mango with locally grown mangoes was developed as Keshar Amba. Oil seeds was the major produce of Latur region. So for benefit of farmers
Keshavrao Sonavane had established Dalda Factory which was Asia's first oil mill set up on cooperative terms.
Till 1990, Latur languished as a city, remaining an industrially backward. In 1960, region of
Marathwada
Marathwada () is a proposed state and geographical region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It was formed during the Nizam's rule and was part of the then Hyderabad State. The region coincides with the Aurangabad division of Maharashtra. I ...
was merged with
Maharashtra. This was the time when the industrial development of the Marathwada region began, propelled through designated backward area benefits. Latur got its first MIDC setup during the tenure of then Co-operative minister
Keshavrao Sonavane. It was only when the MIDC (
Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation
Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) is a project of the government of Maharashtra state in India and is the leading corporation of Maharashtra. It provides businesses with infrastructure such as land (open plot or built-up spa ...
) began acquiring land and setting up industrial estates that it began to grow. Many companies have manufacturing plants in Latur, in agriculture processing, edible oils, biotech, consumer durables, plastic processing, and aluminium processing; but the majority are small- and medium-scale agricultural industries, not industrial ones.
Latur has the largest trading centre for soybean in India. The green city is inside what is called 'Sugar Belt' of Maharashtra. The district has more than eleven sugar factories, which makes it among the highest sugar-producing districts of India. It also has oil seeds, commodities and fruit market.
Latur is also known for high quality grapes and houses many state and privately owned cold storage facilities. A grape wine park spread over 1.42 square kilometres (350 acres) has been established near Ausa, 18 km from Latur city. A brand new Latur Food Park, spread across 1.2 square kilometres (300 acres) is under construction at Additional MIDC Latur. Latur is major transport junction to south India.
Latur sugar belt
The Latur region is known as the "Sugar Belt of India". This region houses over eleven large sugar factories. Most of the sugar factories of the Latur sugar belt work on the
co-operative basis. Latur got its title "Sugar Belt of India" largely due to the efforts of its cooperative political leader
Keshavrao Sonawane, who was instrumental in setting up several co-operative institutions in Latur, Osmanabad, and elsewhere in Maharashtra.
MIDC industrial areas in Latur
* Latur Industrial Area
* Additional Latur Phase I Industrial Area
* Additional Latur Phase II Industrial Area
* Latur Co-Operative Industrial Estate
* Murud taluka Co-Operative Industrial Estate
* Chakur Co-Operative Industrial Estate
* Udaygiri Co-Operative Industrial Estate
* Ausa Industrial Area
* Ahmedpur Industrial Area
* Nilanga Industrial Area
* Udgir Industrial Area
Specialised industrial parks and export zones in Latur
* Latur Food Park
* Latur Infotech Park
* Latur Integrated Textile Park, Latur
* Bombay Rayon Fashions, Latur
* Grape Yards, Ausa
Chamber of Commerce and industry associations
* Latur Chamber of Commerce, Latur
* Latur Manufacturers Association, MIDC
* Engineers and Architects Association, Latur
* Latur Builders Association, Latur
* Computers and Media Dealers Association (CMDA), Latur
* Latur Branch of the Western India Regional Council of the
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India
Transport
Road
Latur is connected by roads with various major cities of Maharashtra and other states. Road connectivity is excellent, and roads connecting to
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
,
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( 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 As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...
,
Nagpur
Nagpur (pronunciation: aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nagpur is projected to ...
,
Nanded,
Satara,
Kolhapur
Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarter of the Kolhapur district. In, around 2 C.E. Kolapur's name was 'Kuntal'.
Kolhapur is ...
,
Sangli
Sangli () is a city and the district headquarters of Sangli District in the state of Maharashtra, in western India. It is known as the Turmeric City of Maharashtra due to its production and trade of the spice. Sangli is situated on the banks ...
, and
Aurangabad
Aurangabad ( is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Aurangabad district and is the largest city in the Marathwada region. Located on a hilly upland terrain in the Deccan Traps, Aurangabad is the ...
are being upgraded to four-lane highways. Latur city has one national highway running through it,
NH 361.
Intercity
The scheme of nationalisation of passenger transport services was started as early as 1932 by the
State of Hyderabad
Hyderabad State () was a princely state located in the south-central Deccan region of India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and t ...
, which was one of the pioneers in the field of public road transport, first in collaboration with the railways and then as a separate Government Department. After the reorganisation of the Indian states and with an effective date from 1 July 1961, the Marathwada State Transport was amalgamated with the Bombay State Road Transport Corporation into the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation. The "
Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation" (MSRTC) and numerous other private bus operators provide a bus service to all parts of the state.
The "Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation" (MSRTC) and numerous other private bus operators provide a bus service to all parts of the state. Private buses have an established network to connect the city with all the major cities in Maharashtra and other states.
Intracity transport
"Latur Municipal Transport" (LMT) is an intra-city bus service which covers almost all parts of the city and also connects to the more distant industrial suburbs. LMT (Latur Municipal Transport) intra-city buses ply throughout the city including the outskirts and connect different parts of the city and adjoining suburbs together.
Air
Latur is served by
Latur Airport
Latur Airport is a public airport located near Chincholiraowadi, west of the city of Latur, in the Marathwada region of the Maharashtra state in India.
History
Latur Airport was constructed in 1991 by the Public Works Department (PWD) and ...
, which is near Chincholiraowadi, northwest of the city. The Airport facilities include aircraft fuelling, night landing with navigational aids, aircraft parking, CAT VII airport fire fighting and rescue service. A well equipped terminal building has VIP lounges, departure and arrival lounges, transit suites and snooze cabins, visitors' waiting area, and a cafeteria.
Rail
The Latur-Miraj Railway (metre gauge) ran for north-west from Latur city to Miraj on the south-western section of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway and was built between 1929 and 1931. This railway service was closed after the gauge conversion of Miraj-Latur section from metre to broad gauge. The old and centrally located Latur Railway Station on metre gauge was abandoned thereafter.
The station (code: LUR) is located on the Latur-Miraj section of the
Solapur railway division of the
Central Railway zone
Central Railway (abbreviated CR) is one of the 19 zones of Indian Railways. Its headquarters is in Mumbai at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. It has the distinction of operating the first passenger railway line in India, which opened from M ...
. The Manmad-Kacheguda broad-gauge railway line, which emanates from the Vikarabad-Latur-Road-Parli trunk route at Latur Road, is an important artery of traffic in Latur district. It also serves as a link between Aurangabad and Hyderabad.
Latur has rail connectivity with Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Manmad, Aurangabad, Nanded, Parbhani, Parli Vaijnath, Osmanabad, Mudkhed, Adilabad, Basar, Nizamabad, Nashik and Kacheguda.
The Miraj–Latur railway track is being electrified. Work is expected to be completed around 2024.
Latur has been blessed with the new Marathwada Railway Coach Factory being set up at Latur. Located near the Harangul Railway Station, the factory was set up by the Indian Raillways' undertaking Rail Vikas Nigam Limited
RVNL
Rail Vikas Nigam Limited is an Indian public sector undertaking which works as the construction arm of the Ministry of Railways for project implementation and transportation infrastructure development. It was incorporated in 2003 to meet the co ...
in 2018. First coach shell was produced on 25 December 2020, on Good Governance Day.
The factory has been designed with an initial capacity of 250 MEMU/EMU/LHB coaches per annum.
A long railway line has also been provided from factory to new electronically interlocked harangul station, which earlier used to be a halt station only.
Places of interest
Religious sites
*
Siddheshwar & Ratneshwar Temple is situated about from the city. It was built by King Tamradwaj and dedicated to
Lord Siddharameshwar Swamy Siddarama of Solapur,
who is a ''gramdaivat'' ("town deity") of Latur town.
* Ganj Golai is in the centre of latur city. Latur town planner Faiyajuddin designed the "Ganjgolai Chowk". The main building of the Golai is a huge two-storey structure which was constructed around the year 1917. In the middle of the circular structure is a temple of the Goddess Ambabai. There are 19 roads connecting to this ''golai'' ("roundabout") and along these roads are separate markets selling various traditional local wares from gold ornaments to footwear and food items from chili to jaggery.
* Shri Ashtavinayak Mandir is located in Shivaji Nagar, Latur. Constructed in 1989, it is a newly built temple famous for its beauty, as there are gardens on both sides of the temple, as well as some artificial fountains in front. A statue of lord Shiva, standing 8 to 9 feet tall is situated in the garden.
* The Buddha Garden Temple has a large statue of Buddha.
* Shri Virat Hanuman Mandir is situated at the Parivar Housing Society, close to Ausa Street, Latur. The construction of this sanctuary is quite different from different sanctuaries. this sanctuary is additionally surrounded by an excellent garden. This icon is nearly 28 feet high and is coloured scarlet red (shenderi).
* Shri Keshav Balaji Temple is located in the city of
Ausa, in Latur district. The temple is encompassed by slopes. There are four different sanctuaries: dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva, Lord Vitthal, and Goddess Rukmini, as well as to Keshavanand Bapu in similar premises. The sanctuary opens at 6:00 am and closes at 9:00 pm. Distinctive
Sevas are performed for the duration of the day. There is an ordinary
Prasadam
200px, Prasad thaal offered to Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad ">Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad">Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad
Prasada (, Sanskrit: प्रसाद, ), Prasadam or Prasad is a religious offering in Hinduism. Most o ...
, at 10:00 am and 7:00 pm, for guests. Mahaprasadam is held each Friday midway between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm. This temple is part of the ''Dharma va Sanskar Nagari'' ("Religion and Sacrament City") project.
* Surat Shahawali Dargah is situated in Patel Chowk Ram Galli, which is part of Latur city. This darga was built around 1939 in memory of a Muslim holy person, Saif Ullah Shaha Sardari, who achieved
Samadhi
''Samadhi'' (Pali and sa, समाधि), in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools, is a state of meditative consciousness. In Buddhism, it is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Ashtanga Yoga ...
there. A yearly 5-day-long fair is held here in June or July.
Parks
* Nana Nani Park is also known as Vilasrao Deshmukh Park. It is centrally situated, near the municipal office, and is popular with people due to its relaxing atmosphere. People walk here and spend time with family, children, and friends. There is a space for community meetings at the center of the park. An open theater is also available.
Geographical location
Latur city is situated in
Marathwada region in southern part of
Maharashtra. Latur is 498 km from state capital
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
and 484 km from winter capital
Nagpur
Nagpur (pronunciation: aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nagpur is projected to ...
(via
Nanded, Yavatmal, Yawatmal, Wardha).
Notable people
*
Vilasrao Deshmukh
Vilasrao Dagadojirao Deshmukh (26 May 1945 – 14 August 2012) was an Indian politician who served as the 14th Chief Minister of Maharashtra, first term from 18 October 1999 to 16 January 2003 and second term, from 1 November 2004 to 5 D ...
was an Indian politician who served two terms as the Chief Minister of the state of Maharashtra. He also served in the Union cabinet as the Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences.
*Shivraj Vishwanath Patil is an Indian politician who was the Governor of the state of Punjab and Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh from 2010 to 2015. Previously, he was the Speaker of the 10th Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996 and served in Manmohan Singh's cabinet as Union Minister of Home Affairs from 2004 to 2008. He also served in the Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi cabinets as Minister of Defence during the 1980s.
*Riteish Deshmukh is an Indian film actor, producer, and architect. He is known for his work in Hindi and Marathi cinema. He is the son of the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra late Vilasrao Deshmukh and Vaishali Deshmukh.
*Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar is a Member of the 13th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and represents Nilanga. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Nilangekar was inducted into the cabinet of Devendra Fadnavis in 2016 and has the portfolio of Labour Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.
*
*
*
Keshavrao Sonavane was the minister of co-operation in Yashwantrao Chavan's cabinet and later Vasantrao Naik's cabinet during 1962–1967. He was elected as Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly 4 times, twice from Latur City (Vidhan Sabha constituency), Latur City and twice from Ausa (Vidhan Sabha constituency), Ausa.
See also
*
Marathwada
Marathwada () is a proposed state and geographical region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It was formed during the Nizam's rule and was part of the then Hyderabad State. The region coincides with the Aurangabad division of Maharashtra. I ...
* List of Indian princely states
* List of Maratha dynasties and states
* Maratha Empire
References
External links
Latur police departmentLatur Government Site
{{Authority control
Latur,
Cities and towns in Latur district
Latur district
Talukas in Maharashtra
Cities in Maharashtra