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Wardha is a
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
and a municipal council in Wardha district in the Indian 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 ...
. It is the administrative headquarters of Wardha district. Wardha gets its name from the Wardha River which flows at the north, west and south boundaries of the district. Founded in 1866, the town is now an important centre for the cotton trade. It was an important part of the Gandhian era. It has various parks and playgrounds.


History

Wardha was included in the empire of the Mauryas, Shungas, Satavahanas and Vakatakas. Pravarapura, modern Pavnar, was once the capital of the Vakataka dynasty. Vakatakas were contemporaries of the Imperial Guptas.
Prabhavatigupta Prabhavatigupta (died ), was a Gupta princess and Vakataka queen who was the consort of Maharaja Rudrasena II. Following the death of her husband, she effectively ruled the Vakataka kingdom as regent from about 390 to 410. Early life Prabhava ...
, the daughter of
Chandragupta II Chandragupta II (r.c. 376-415), also known by his title Vikramaditya, as well as Chandragupta Vikramaditya, was the third ruler of the Gupta Empire in India, and was one of the most powerful emperors of the Gupta dynasty. Chandragupta continue ...
(Vikramaditya), was married to the Vakataka ruler Rudrasena. The period of the Vakatakas was from the 2nd to the 5th century CE. The empire stretched from the Arabian Sea in the west to the Bay of Bengal in the east, and from the Narmada River in the north to the Krishna-Godavari delta in the south. Later on, Wardha was ruled by the Chalukyas,
Rashtrakuta 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 their ...
s,
Yadavas The Yadava (literally, descended from Yadu) were an ancient Indian people who believed to be descended from Yadu, a legendary king of Chandravamsha lineage. The community was formed of various clans, being the Abhira, Andhaka, Vrishni, and Satv ...
, the
Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526).
, the Bahamani Sultanate, the Muslim ruler of Berar, Gonds and Marathas. Raja
Bakht Buland Shah Bakht Buland Shah was a ruler of the Rajgond dynasty. He added to his kingdom, the territories of Chanda and Mandla, and portions of Nagpur, Balaghat, Seoni, Bhandara and the adjoining Rajput kingdom of Kherla/Khedla. The present districts of ...
of Gond Dynasty, Raghuji of Bhonsale were the prominent rulers in the Medieval period. During the 1850s Wardha district, (then a part of Nagpur district) fell into the hands of the British who included Wardha in the Central Province. In 1862, it was separated for convenient administrative purposes, and Kawatha near
Pulgaon Pulgaon () is a municipal council in Wardha district in the India state of Maharashtra. The nearest city is Wardha, away via the Mumbai–Nagpur Expressway. Located near Pulgaon is the Central Ammunition Depot, a military area and the second ...
became the district headquarters. In 1866, the district headquarters was moved to Palakwadi village. The huts in the village were destroyed and a new city was constructed by English town-planner Sir Bachelor and Sir Reginald Craddock. This new city was named Wardha after the river Wardha which flows through the district. Wardha has an adjacent city, Sevagram, and both were major centers for the Indian Independence Movement, especially as the location for an annual meeting of the Indian National Congress in 1934, and Mahatma Gandhi's Ashram. Wardha was one of the pre-planned cities of British India. The town-planners were Sir Reginald Craddock and Sir Bachelor. In Craddock's memory, his name was given to the district's biggest school and an important road was named after Sir Bachelor in the British period. The Craddock School was renamed Mahatma Gandhi School. The District Hospital was named King George Hospital, but was renamed later on. The stone in which the old name was carved was at the main gate for more than a century. It was hidden by a new name board reading District Hospital. There are many buildings from the British period in the city, including the Z.P. old building, the Central Jail, the Church at Bajajwadi, and the Christian cemetery. The owners of Powale group and Dhandre group come from Wardha.


Geography and climate

Wardha is located at . It has an average elevation of .


Demographics

Wardha city is governed by a municipal council (category-A). According to the 2011 census, there are about 105,543 citizens within the municipal boundaries. Urbanisation has helped develop neighboring villages including
Sindi Sindi may refer to: *Sindi people, an ancient people of the Taman Peninsula, nowadays Russia *Sindi, Estonia, a town in Pärnu County, Estonia *Sindi, Maharashtra, a town and municipal council in Wardha District, Maharashtra, India Persons with th ...
, Sawangi,
Borgaon Borgaon is a village in the Tasgaon taluka of Sangli district in Maharashtra state, India. Demographics Covering and comprising 350 households at the time of the 2011 census of India The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census ...
, Pipri, Mhasala, Nalwadi and Chitoda. As of the 2011 Indian census, Wardha district had a population of 1,296,157 Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Wardha has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 76%. In Wardha, 11% of the population is under six years of age. Wardha is the largest city in the Wardha distric.


Religion

The population of Wardha city constitutes Hindus and Buddhists with a small percentage of Muslims, Christians, Jains and Sikhs. The main spoken language 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 * * ...
and other languages include: Hindi, Marwari,
Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub- ...
, Sindhi and
Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...
. There are many temples, viharas, gurdwaras, Jain temples, mosques and churches of which Laxminarayan Temple (Bachchhraj Road), Lingi
Mandir A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hind ...
(Mahadeo Mandir) near Dr. Raosaheb Gade Bhavan, Vitthal Mandir (Hawaldwarpura), Ganesh Mandir (Main Road), Gajanan Maharaj Mandir, Sai mandir (M.G. Road), Digambar and Shwetambar Jain temples (Mahadeopura), Shanti Stupa (Gopuri), Gurudwara (Samtanagar) are important. There is a church named St. Thomas Church in Wardha which was built by the British in 1874, and it was a part of the Church of England in India earlier, and later after the Indian Church Act of 1927 was passed it became part of the Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon. It is the Anglican church where Sir Bachelor and Sir Reginald Craddock used to worship. It was a civil church, transferred to the Church of North India in 1970. CNI Church in Wardha was the main Presbyterian church before the formation of the Church of North India in 1970. CNI later established Christ Church in Sewagram.


Culture

In 1969, Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, the conference on Marathi Literature, was held in Wardha city. It was presided over by the president of the Conference
Purushottam Shivram Rege Purushottam Shivaram Rege (Devanagari: पुरुषोत्तम शिवराम रेगे) (02 - August - 1910 to 17 - February - 1978 ) was a Marathi writer from Maharashtra, India. He, commonly known by his initials Pu Shi Rege, ...
.


Transport

Wardha city is well-connected by roads to the other cities of Maharashtra. National Highway No.361 (Nagpur-Wardha-Yavatmal-Nanded-Latur-Tuljapur) passes through the city. Nagpur-Aurangabad-Mumbai Express Highway also passes through it. Former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' dream project Samruddhi Mahamarg or Nagpur-Mumbai Communication Super Expressway will also pass from the outskirts of the city. Wardha city is well-connected to most of the parts of India by railways.
Wardha railway station Wardha Junction railway station is a railway station serving Wardha city in the Wardha district, Maharashtra, India. The station is under the Nagpur railway division of the Central Railway zone of Indian Railways. Wardha Junction is an im ...
is an important
rail junction A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge. This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes (assuming they are of the same gauge), provided by ''points'' ( ...
on the Howrah-Nagpur-Mumbai line. The town is also connected to the southern part of the country through Sevagram railway station. Traffic on the Mumbai-Kolkata route is mainly dealt with at Wardha Station, and traffic on the Delhi-Chennai route is dealt with at Sewagram Station (formerly Wardha East station). A new
Wardha–Nanded line Wardha–Yavatmal–Nanded line is an under-construction railway project based in Maharashtra, India. The railway line would facilitate the transport between Wardha to Nanded via Yavatmal. The Ministry of Railways, Government of India has given ...
via Yavatmal,
Pusad Pusad is a city in the Yavatmal district located in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra state of India. It is named after the Pus river. Its ancient name was 'Pushpawanti'. Pusad is second largest city of yavatmal district. For last 20 years Pusad ...
, and Deoli is being constructed. Both the Delhi-Chennai and the Mumbai-Kolkata railway routes are already carrying heavy traffic and both routes are actually one between Sewagram and Nagpur stations. A new third and fourth line is under construction between Sewagram and Nagpur stations to cater to the heavy traffic. The
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport is an international airport serving the city of Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. The airport is located at Sonegaon, 8 km (5 mi) southwest of Nagpur. The airport covers an area of 1,355 acres ...
at Nagpur is the nearest airport with scheduled air services.


Economy

Cotton farming and soybean cultivation in Kharif is quite common. The government has provided canals to irrigate during Rabi season when
bengal gram The chickpea or chick pea (''Cicer arietinum'') is an annual legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its different types are variously known as gram" or Bengal gram, garbanzo or garbanzo bean, or Egyptian pea. Chickpea seeds are high ...
(chickpea) becomes a popular choice to sow. Many institutions are encouraging farmers to go natural or organic, but the lack of support systems either with the availability of techniques or the marketability of this produce is preventing the spread of this movement. Wardha is becoming the second industrial hub of the
Vidarbha Vidarbha (Pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, id̪əɾbʱə is a geographical region in the east of the Indian state of Maharashtra and a Proposed states and union territories of India#Maharashtra, proposed state of central India, comprising th ...
are

This is due to its geographical location and good rail and road connectivity. In the last few decades, many companies and industrial plants were established there. Some of the major industrial plants include steel and powerplant factories. Wardha IT park of C. Dass group is under construction at the IT park in the city. It is the second in the Vidarbha region after Nagpur. It is located at MIDC area on the Wardha-Sevagram road.


Education

The
Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences The Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (MGIMS) is India’s first rural medical college, nestled in the karmabhoomi of Mahatma Gandhi, in Sevagram. It is managed by the Kasturba Health Society. The college was earlier affiliated to t ...
is the major medical college in the city. Bapurao Deshmukh College of Engineering founded by the trust in the name of freedom fighter Shri Bapurao Deshmukh is the oldest engineering college in the city. The Ramkrishna Bajaj College Of Agriculture is an agriculture college in the city. The Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya is an international lingual college in the city. There are many other private as well as government institutions in Wardha. In short, some of the notable institutions in Wardha are given below. * Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya * Acharya Shrimannarayan Polytechnic * Bhavan's Lloyds Vidya Niketan * Kasturba Vidya Mandir * Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences * Govindram Seksaria College of Commerce * Bajaj institute of technology * Agragami High School * Jankidevi Bajaj College of Science *
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Wardha There are more than 650 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya schools in India. These JNVs are governed by eight different regions. These Regional Offices are at Bhopal, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Patna, Pune and Shillong which have jurisdicti ...


Important Places


Gitai Mandir

This temple is in Gopuri near Vishwa Shanti Stupa. It is a unique temple in India as it has no deity or roof. It has only walls made of granite slabs on which 18 chapters of ''Gitai'' (''Shrimad-bhagwad-gita'' in Marathi) are inscribed. The walls enclose a beautiful little park. The temple was inaugurated by
Acharya Vinoba Bhave Vinayak Narahari, also known as Vinoba Bhave (; 11 September 1895 – 15 November 1982), was an Indian advocate of nonviolence and human rights. Often called ''Acharya'' (Sanskrit teacher), he is best known for the Bhoodan Movement. He is co ...
in 1980. Besides it are two exhibitions about the lives of Acharya Vinoba Bhave and Jamnalal Bajaj.


Vishwa Shanti Stupa

Vishwa Shanti Stupa Vishwa Shanti Stupa ( en, 1= World Peace Stupa) is a large white Peace Pagoda in Rajgir, Nalanda District, Bihar, near Gitai Mandir. Statues of the Buddha are mounted on the stupa in four directions. It also has a small Japanese Buddhist temple ...
was a dream of Nichidatsu Fujii or Fujii guruji as he was called by Gandhi. It is beside Gitai Mandir. It is a large white stupa. Statues of Buddha are mounted on stupa in four directions. It also has a small Japanese Buddhist temple with a large park. There is a temple near the stupa where prayers are said for universal peace. It is one of many
Peace Pagoda A Peace Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa; a monument to inspire peace, designed to provide a focus for people of all races and creeds, and to help unite them in their search for world peace. Most, though not all, peace pagodas built since World War II ...
s that have been built around the world.


Magan Sangrahalaya

This museum was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1938. It is in Maganwadi near the village's center of Science. The purpose of the museum is to spread awareness about the research and development of rural industries, agriculture, dairy, various types of charkhas, khadi, handicrafts by rural artisans, methods to promote the Swadeshi movement, magandeep khadi bhandar, sele khadi gramodyog khadi cloth and gramodyog products, and gandhi charkha sample, for example.


Sevagram Ashram

Sevagram Ashram was the residence of Mahatma Gandhi from 1936 to 1948. After his 1930 Dandi salt march, he decided not to return to his ashram at Sabarmati. After spending two years in jail, he travelled around India and, at the invitation of the Gandhian industrialist Jamnalal Bajaj, stayed for some time in Wardha City at Jamnalal's bungalow. In 1936, at the age of 67, Gandhiji moved to a village (which he subsequently called Sewagram - (Hindi for village of service) at the outskirts of Wardha and started to live here in a group of huts with his wife Kasturba and other disciples. This slowly grew into an ashram, where Gandhi lived with his followers for the next twelve years, until his death. The premises are very calming. Many personal items used by Gandhi and his contemporaries are preserved here including his spectacles, telephone, notebook, tables, mats, etc...


Paramdham Ashram/ "Brahma Vidya Mandir"

This ashram was established by
Acharya Vinoba Bhave Vinayak Narahari, also known as Vinoba Bhave (; 11 September 1895 – 15 November 1982), was an Indian advocate of nonviolence and human rights. Often called ''Acharya'' (Sanskrit teacher), he is best known for the Bhoodan Movement. He is co ...
in 1934 at Pawnar on the bank of the river Dham with a spiritual purpose. He also established Brahma Vidya Mandir ashram within it. He started the
Bhoodan Movement The Bhoodan movement (Land Gift movement), also known as the Bloodless Revolution, was a voluntary land reform movement in India. It was initiated by Gandhian Vinoba Bhave in 1951 at Pochampally village, Pochampally The Bhoodan movement attempted ...
. It was also the starting point of '' Bharat Chhodo Andolan''. Pawnar is an ancient city dating back to Mahabharata. During the
Bhonsle The Bhonsle (or Bhonsale, Bhosale, Bhosle) are a prominent group within the Maratha clan system of kunbi origin. They claimed descent from the Sisodia Rajputs but were likely Kunbi tiller-plainsmen. History Earliest members The earliest a ...
reign Pawnar was the Vidarbha Kingdom's most important military station. During excavation for the construction of the ashram, many sculptures and idols were found which are kept at the ashram which is open to visitors.


Kelzar Ganpati Mandir

The Kelzar Ganpati Mandir is about from Wardha on the Nagpur Road. This temple is on a hill and is surrounded by the scenic beauty of forests and hills near the Bor National Tiger Reserve and Bird Sanctuary. It is a historical place and its history goes back to Vashishtha Purana. The place is also mentioned in '' Mahabharata'' as Ekchakranagari. According to myth, Pandavas lived here during . Bhima killed Bakasura at this place and threw him down this hill. An ancient cave where Bakasura lived is at foot of the hill and his famous well is also nearby. This well has sculptured stones on its inner wall and stairs. Remains of an old fort are also seen here. Finding sculptures during digging for any purpose is common. Sculptures relating to Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism have been found, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is not paying attention to this. Many sculptures have been ruined due to lack of proper care. Some sculptures can be seen in this temple, on a nearby hillock, the gram panchayat office, the Buddha Vihar. Dahegaonaa (Gosavi)dahegaon(gosavi) had political presence of Dhandre Family. is 5 km away from Kelzar where Tuljapur railway station connects to Nagpur and Wardha.


Shree Sant Kejaji Maharaj Mandir

The Shree sant kejaji Maharaj Mandir is about from Wardha on the Nagpur Road. This temple is surrounded by the natural beauty of the Bor river. The Bor National Tiger Reserve and bird sanctuary are 16 km away from the temple. In the twelfth century, the movement of saints started in Maharashtra. From the twelfth century onwards, Saint Dnyaneshwar started the work of spiritual and social reform through Bhakti Marg. It has been said that Tukaram Maharaj had completed his life till the 16th century. Saint has been pleased. The building was in the fruit. Gyanadeva Rachila found. Raised it .. Janardan Eknath Bhagwat raises the flag. Hymn slower Tuka Hallelsey Summon .. The legacy of this devotion has been undertaken by many saints in Maharashtra. This is the supernatural father-son Sant Kijaji and Sant Namdev Maharaj who came to Vidarbha 183 years ago. Ghorad became a Pandari in Vidarbha town. Kejaji was a spiritual person. He always used to worship Lord Vitthal for his devotion. As Kejaji Maharaj gradually became popular, Raje used to come to see Raghuji Bhosale Maharaj. Hand-made artwork is visible in Shiv Mandir temple


Notable people

* Mahatma Gandhi *
Vinoba Bhave Vinayak Narahari, also known as Vinoba Bhave (; 11 September 1895 – 15 November 1982), was an Indian advocate of nonviolence and human rights. Often called ''Acharya'' (Sanskrit teacher), he is best known for the Bhoodan Movement. He is cons ...
* Baba Amte *
Sindhutai Sapkal Sindhutai Sapkal (14 November 1948 – 4 January 2022) was an Indian social worker and social activist known particularly for her work in raising orphaned children in India. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2021 in Social Work category. Earl ...
* Pandurang Sadashiv Khankhoje * Jamnalal Bajaj * Jwala Gutta


See also

*
Make In Maharashtra Make in India is an initiative by the Government of India to create and encourage companies to develop, manufacture and assemble products made in India and incentivize dedicated investments into manufacturing. The policy approach was to creat ...


References


External links


Official Website of Wardha district

Official Website of Kelzar Ganpati Temple
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Wardha district Talukas in Maharashtra Cities in Maharashtra