Amravati (Maharashtra)
The Abode of Ambabai
General Information
District: Amravati, State: Maharashtra, India
Area: 12235 Sq. Km.
Languages Spoken: Marathi, Hindi, Varhadi
Long Distance Code: +91-721
Importance:
Best Time to Visit: October to February
Description
Amaravati means abode of immortals and legends trace it back to the time of Lord Krishna. The history of Amaravati is less known than those of the neighbouring towns of Achalpur and Paratwada. Amaravati has produced many saints in the recent genre. It has also produced freedom fighters like Sukhdev who was hanged along with Bhagat Singh. The main product is cotton and also Jowar and lentils and sesame.Location
About 673 km from Mumbai, Amaravati is situated mainly in the Tapi basin with only some of its parts on the eastern border lying in the valley of Wardha.
The temple situated in the heart of the city is very old. The temple has the idols of Amba and Ambika, all form of Goddess Parvati. The legend goes that the it was here Lord Krishna abducted Rukmini and later married her. Earlier there used to be a cave near the temple, from where the two eloped.
A small lake built on the Kali nadi in 1888 to provide water to the citizens of Amaravati. But now it is used as a picnic spot only.
One of the biggest sports training centre in India, the HVPM was established in the early 20th century with the motto of training the youth to fight imperialism of British. Today it covers a vast area of Amaravati. Training for almost all indoor and outdoor games is given here. It boasts of a Olympic size swimming pool and naturopathy treatments. Yoga and Ayurveda are other strong points. A doctorate in sports is available here and students from all around the world come here.
The only hill resort in the Vidarbha region, Chikhaldara is the corruption of the name Keechakadara. Legend says that this is the place where Bhim killed villainous Keechak and threw him into the valley. Therefore it was named Keechakdara. \r\nChikhaldara is splendours in isolation. Situated at an altitude of 1,118 m it has the added distinction of being the only coffee-growing area in Maharashtra. Chikhaldara is full of deep valleys, and these valleys are full of velvet mist and majestic trees. All this makes it a very popular summer retreat. With abundance of natural scenery, exciting wildlife, breathtaking waterfalls and a placid lake, the beauty of Chikhaldara is overwhelming. The climate is always breezy and walking on the clouds often becomes a reality.\r\n
These small twin cities are at half an hour drive from Amaravati. Achalpur, alias Ilichpur is mentioned in many ancient manuscripts as this was a throbbing business centre and flourishing trade and culture during the medieval period. This small town, now a village was once the capital of the Bahamani kings and later the rule of Itmadshahi made this Achalpur a throbbing cultural, educational and business centre. The Bavani, a drama theatre, though stands in ruins gives an insight into the rich culture of this place.\r\nThe credit of first rural textile mill goes to the Paratwada mills which still is operational. It was started by the British, who ran the administration of these places for the Nizam of Hyderabad.Gadge Baba Maharashtra's beloved folk hero of recent times who preached give food to the hungry, shelter to the needy, clothes to the naked and protection to animals and trees. Sant Gajanan Maharaj, believed to be incarnation of Lord Ganesh resided in Shegaon and now this place has a huge temple dedicated to the great saint. Sant Tukdoji Maharaj and Sant Gulabrao Maharaj who was blind, also worked here for the peoples well being.
