Nagpur City

Discussion in 'Cities in India' started by traveller, Mar 25, 2014.

  1. traveller

    traveller New Member

    Nagpur is the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra and the second greenest in India. Known as the “Orange Capital” of India, Nagpur is one of the most developed cities of the state. The largest city in central India and the second capital of the state of Maharashtra, Nagpur is situated precisely at the heart of the India with the Zero Mile Marker specifying the geographical center of India. Also known as Tiger land of Maharashtra, it is the seat of the annual winter session of the Maharashtra state assembly, "Vidhan Sabha". It is also an important city for the Information Technology sector in Maharashtra.

    Geography and Climate


    Nagpur is subjugated by the British fort, which was built in 1818 on the twin hills of Sitabuldi in the centre of the city. The surrounding region is a surging plateau rising northward to the Satpura Range, from 889 to 2,142 feet (271 to 653 m). In the west lies thickly forested hills and in the northeast are the hills of Ramtek. The region is nestled by the Kanhan and Pench Rivers in the center, the Wardha in the west, and the Wainganga in the east. Both these rivers later joins as tributaries and merges into the Godavari River. The soil in the west and the north is fertile black and perfect for cotton cultivation.

    The climate of Nagpur is typical seasonal monsoon weather with the temperature of 48[SUP]o[/SUP] C during the month of May and June. The onset of monsoon is usually from July. The season extends up to September with the monsoons peaking during July and August. After monsoons, the average temperature varies between 27[SUP]0[/SUP] C and approx 6-7[SUP]0[/SUP] C right through December and January. The average annual rainfall is 45 inches, with more rain in the east than in the west.

    Demographics


    The Nagpur district consists of Nagpur Municipal Corporation, 10 municipalities, 13 panchayat samitis and 778 gram panchayats. The Nagpur city sprawls over an area of 217.65 sq. km. As per provisional reports of Census India, population of Nagpur in 2011 is 2,405,421; of which male and female are 1,226,610 and 1,178,811, respectively. The average population density of Nagpur is quite low as compared to other comparable cities of India. The total number of literates in the city is 2,018,598 of which 1,060,359 are males while 958,239 are females. Average literacy rate is 93.13% of which male and female literacy was 96.16% and 89.99%, respectively. The sex ratio of Nagpur city is 961 per 1000 males. Child sex ratio of girls is 921 per 1000 boys.

    History of Nagpur

    Nagpur is an ancient city, which existed even during the prehistoric times as the city along with the areas in its vicinity find a mention in the Vedic and Mauryan scriptures. The city got its name from the River Nag or Nag people and the foundation was laid by the Gond King of Deogad "Bakht Buland Shah" in the year 1703. Chand Sultan, successor to Bakht Buland Shah, constructed a three-mile long wall around his City by the Nag River. In 1743, it became the capital of Raghoji Rao Bhonsle’s kingdom.

    During the reign of Bhonsle dynasty, the city witnessed peace with cultural and economic prosperity and during this time the Cottage and handloom industry started developing. The city was annexed in 1817 by the British after defeating Appasaheb Bhosale in the Battle of Sitabuldi. In the year 1915, Sir Patrick Geddes visited the city and the need for a planned city development was raised. In 1936 the Nagpur Improvement Trust (N.I.T.) was established to carry out planned development in the city. The British Government made Nagpur the capital of the new state named Central Province in mid of 19th century and it remained as the capital until 1956, after which it became the second capital of Maharashtra.

    The city of Nagpur has enjoyed the status of being the administrative centre of Central India during the ancient and medieval period. It carries a legacy of cultural and economic prosperity. Its proximity to tribal areas has also ensured the preservation of its natural resources and during the modern era, though Nagpur has lost its politically prime position, natural aspects of geography, climate and location is still the same, making it an economic hub not only of the state but also of the whole country.

    Culture of Nagpur

    Besides being a major economic hub of Maharashtra, Nagpur has a rich and diverse culture. Vidarbha Sahitya Sangh(for development of Marathi), Vidarbha Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samiti (promotion and spreading Hindi) and Vidarbha Hindi Sahitya Sammelan (for promoting Hindi) are the cultural and literary societies in Nagpur. People belonging to the different religious communities celebrate multiple festivals within the territory of Nagpur: as a result, the society and culture of Nagpur is marked with a number of fairs and festivals which are celebrated throughout the year in Nagpur. Apart from the society and culture at Nagpur, the city is known for its folk songs and folk dances. Lavani, Povada songs, Bhaleri, Bharud, Lalita, Tumbadi, Gondhal, Karma Dance, Hadga or Bhondla and Tamasa are some of the folk music and dance of the city.

    Nagpur is known for hosting a series of culturally significant events such as handicrafts exhibitions, tribal dances, and folk-art programs. Kalidas Mahotsav, the Ganesh Utsav and Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Din are some of the popular events held in the city.

    Tourist Destinations in Nagpur

    A vibrantly alive and bustling city, Nagpur is a delight to visit with its lush green gardens and serene lakes. Famous for the quality orange that is produce, the city is often referred to as 'Orange City. A large city, Nagpur has the advantage of excellent location owing its proximity to all major cities in India namely - Kolkata, Chennai, New Delhi and Mumbai. It has also developed as a tourist destination and houses places of tourist interest. Some of these are:


    • Ambazari Lake
    • Seminary Hill
    • Sitabuldi Fort
    • Khernakala
    • Balaji Mandir
    • Sri Poddareshwar Ram Mandir
    • Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground
    • Maharaj Baug & Zoo
    • Ramtek, Nagpur
    • Pench national park
    • Nawegaon Bandh

    Transportation


    Air

    Nagpur airport is located just 7 km from the city centre and owing to the increase in demand of air traffic in India and provide the required world-class infrastructure for the aviation sector, Mihan, Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport was established. Nagpur is well connected by daily direct flights to Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Indore, Ahmedabad, Goa, Jaipur, Kochi, Nanded, Aurangabad, Raipur operated by Air India, Jet Airways, JetLite, IndiGo, GoAir, SpiceJet. Air Arabia operates a 4 times a week to and fro flight between Nagpur and Sharjah.

    Railways

    The city is well connected by railways and a total of 160 trains stop at Nagpur. These include passenger, express, mail, Duronto, rajdhani, garib rath trains. Of these 65 are daily trains and 26 terminates as well as originates from Nagpur. The city is the Divisional Headquarters for the Central Railway and South East Central Railway Zone of Indian Railways. Nagpur is a city with two divisional headquarters, a rare distinction it shares with Lucknow, which has headquarters for two different divisions in Northern Railway zone and North Eastern Railway zone.

    Roadways

    Nagpur is a major junction for roadways as India's two major national highways, Kanyakumari-Varanasi (NH 7) and Hajira-Kolkata (NH-6), passing through the city, which connects the city with all the major cities of India. Maharashtra State road transport Corporation (MSRTC) runs cheaper transport service for intercity, interstate, interstate travel. It has two bus stations in Nagpur: Nagpur Bus Sthanak (CBS-1) at Ganeshpeth and MorBhawan (CBS-2) at Jhansi Rani Square, Sitabuldi. It operates 1600 daily services from CBS-1 to long and short distances within state and to places in other surrounding states. It also operates 750 daily services from CBS-2 to short distances within Vidarbha. Nagpur Mahanagar Parivahan Ltd (NMPL) is the company formed with elected municipal corporators on board that caters to the city public transport. It has contracted Vansh Nimay Infraprojects (VNIL) to run city buses. It has a fleet of 470 Low-floor StarBuses. Auto rickshaws and taxis are common means of transportation within the city.
     


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