Karad is a city in Satara district of

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

. It is located 302 km (180.19 miles) from

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

, 74 km from

Sangli Sangli (ISO 15919, ISO: ''Sāṁgalī''; ) is a metropolitan town and the headquarters of Sangli District in Maharashtra, in south-western India. It has earned the nickname "Turmeric City of India" for being the hub of the Asia's largest produ ...

and 162 km from

Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...

. It lies at the confluence of

Koyna River The Koyna River (Marathi language, Marathi pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, oːj(ə)naː is a tributary of the Krishna River which originates in Mahableshwar, Satara district, western Maharashtra, India. It rises near Mahableshwar, Mahabale ...

and the

Krishna River The Krishna River in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau is the third-longest in India, after the Ganga, Ganga and Godavari. It is also the fourth-largest in terms of water inflows and river basin area in India, after the Ganga, Indus and Godav ...

known as the " Pritisangam". The two rivers originate at

Mahabaleshwar Mahabaleshwar () is a small town and a municipal council in Satara district, Maharashtra, India. It is a place of pilgrimage for Hindus because the Krishna River has its origin here. The British colonial rulers developed the town as a hill sta ...

, which is around 100 km from Karad. Karad is well known for

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

production and is known as the sugar bowl of Maharashtra owing to the presence of many sugar factories in and around Karad. It is considered an important educational hub in

Western Maharashtra Desh is a region adjacent to the Western Ghats between the Godavari River and Krishna River, a part of Deccan Plateau, in the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The region is hilly and slopes towards the east, and is drained by the upper r ...

due to the presence of many prestigious educational institutes. Karad is resting place of the first chief minister of Maharashtra

Yashwantrao Chavan Yashwantrao Balwantrao Chavan (Marathi pronunciation: əʃʋənt̪ɾaːʋ t͡səʋʱaːɳ 12 March 1913 – 25 November 1984) was an Indian freedom fighter and politician who served as 8th Minister of Finance from 1970 to 1971 and 1971 to 19 ...

situated at the confluence of the Krishna and Koyana rivers. It is ranked as the cleanest town in

Swachh Survekshan ''Swachh Survekshan'' ( lit. Sanskrit "Swachh" for Cleanliness and "Survekshan" for Survey - (सर्व (sarv, “all”) + ईक्षण (īkṣaṇ, “viewing”) is an annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in villages, ci ...

2020 in the category of population with less than 1 lakh.There is demand for formation of karad district along with neighbouring walva,shirala,patan,palus and Kadegaon talukas. Karad has an adjoining small town named

Malkapur, Karad Malkapur is a town located in karad taluka of Satara district in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It lies beside the city of Karad and along the NH4 highway. It had one of the highest revenue-generating (through taxes) Gr ...

which has its own municipal council and a population of 86,671. Karad was awarded a prize under "Sant Gadagebaba Gramswachhata Abhiyan" started by

Indian Government The Government of India (ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of 36 states and union territor ...

History

It was originally known as "Karhatak", meaning "Elephant Market". Karad is also a city of historical importance. According to

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

Sahadeva Sahadeva () was the youngest of the five Pandava brothers in the ancient Indian epic, the '' Mahabharata''. He and his twin brother Nakula were the sons of Madri, one of the wives of the Pandava patriarch Pandu, and Ashvini Kumaras, the ...

one of the

Pandavas The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, aɳɖɐʋᵊ IAST: Pāṇḍava) is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who are central figures of the Hindu epic ''Mahabhara ...

lived in the city also known to be pious as

Lord Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda'' ...

stepped his feet on this land. Located to the south west of Karad is

Karad Caves The Karad Caves form a group of 66 Buddhist caves located about 5 kilometers south west of Karad, near the village Jakhinwadi overlooking the Koyna River. They are composed of: * Agashiv Caves * Bhairav Caves * Dongrai Caves ) The caves are l ...

, also known as Aghashiv Caves. The first capital of the Shilaharas was probably at Karad during the reign of

Jatiga II Jatiga II (1000 CE - 1020 CE) was the first ruling king of the Shilahara dynasty. His reign can be placed between 1000 and 1020 CE as his grandson King Marasimha is known to be ruling in 1058 CE The records of King Marasimha mention him as Tagr ...

as known from their copper plate grant of

Miraj Miraj (Pronunciation: iɾəd͡z ) is a city that is part of the Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad metropolitan region in Sangli district, Maharashtra. Founded in the early 10th century, Miraj was an important jagir of the Bijapur Sultanate. Chhatrapa ...

and Vikramankadevacharita of Bilhana. Hence sometimes they are referred as 'Shilaharas of Karad'. The capital was later shifted to

Kolhapur Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Kolhapur is one of the most significant cities in South Maharashtra and has been a hub of historical, religious, and cultural a ...

. Among the Shilaharas of Kolhapur who ruled over Satara and

Belagavi Belgaum (Kannada ISO 15919, ISO: ''Bēḷagāma'', ), officially known as Belagavi (also Belgaon), is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka located near its northern western border in the Western Ghats. It is the administrative headquarters ...

districts from 1000 to 1215 A. D.,

Gonka Gonka was the 5th ruler of Kolhapur branch of the Silahara dynasty. During the reign of Gonka (1020 CE - 1050 CE), the Chalukyas conquered Kolhapur, under their king Jayasinha (before 1024 CE). The Shilaharas had to submit to the Chalukyas in ...

deserves mention here, as he is described as the Lord of Karhad (Karad), Mairifvja (Miraj) and

Konkan The Konkan is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, bound by the river Daman Ganga at Damaon in the north, to Anjediva Island next to Karwar town in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau to the eas ...

Geography

Karad is located at . It has an average elevation of 566 metres (1857 feet). Karad is located near Agashiva caves .

Nearest Cities

* Satara: 51 km *

: 162 km *

: 74 km *

: 302 km *

: 64 km

Tourism

Tourist places in and around Karad are: (Distance in Km) * Preeti Sangam (Krishna-Koyna Confluence) – 2 km * Krishnamai Temple – 2 km * Pritisangam Udyan – 2 km * Late Yashwantrao Chavan's Samadhi – 2 km * Historical Monument 'Manore' (2 Minars) – 2 km * Naktya Ravlyachi Vihir (Ancient Well) – 2 km * Masjid Built by Sultan Ali Adilshah (1557- 1580) – 2 km * Sadashivgad – 5 km * Khodashi Dam – 5 km * Agashiv Caves – 5 km * Vasantgad – 15 km * Talbeed (Ram Mandir) – 15 km * Sar-Senapati

Hambirrao Mohite Hansaji Mohite (1630–1687), popularly known as Hambir Rao Mohite, was a prominent Maratha general who held the esteemed position of the 5th Senapati of the Maratha Army during the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He was recognized for ...

Samadhi – 15 km * Chauranginath Temple, Sonsal – 20 km * Ramling Bet, Bahe – 30 km * Shri

Khandoba Khandoba (IAST: Khaṇḍobā), also known as Martanda Bhairava and Malhari, is a Hindu deity worshiped generally as a manifestation of Shiva mainly in the Deccan Plateau of India, especially in the state of Maharashtra and North Karnataka. He ...

Devsthan, Pal – 30 km * Ram Mandir Chaphal – 30 km * Yamai Mandir, Aundh – 35 km * Uttarmand Dam – 35 km * Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary

Palus Palus may refer to: * Palus, Maharashtra, a place in India * 24194 Paľuš, a main belt asteroid, named for Pavel Paľuš (born 1936), Slovak astronomer * Palus tribe, or Palouse people * ''Palus'', a grade of gladiator See also * Palu (disam ...

– 30 km *

Valmiki Valmiki (; , ) was a legendary poet who is celebrated as the traditional author of the epic ''Ramayana'', based on the attribution in the text itself. He is revered as ''Ādi Kavi'', the first poet, author of ''Ramayana'', the first epic poe ...

Temple – 45 km *

Chandoli National Park Chandoli National Park is a national park established in Sangli district in May 2004. Earlier it was a Wildlife Sanctuary declared in 1985. Chandoli Park is notable as the southern portion of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, with Koyna Wildlife S ...

Shirala – 49 km * Chandoli Dam Shirala – 50 km *

Koyna Dam The Koyna Dam is one of the largest dams in Maharashtra, India. It is a rubble-concrete dam constructed on Koyna River which rises in Mahabaleshwar, a hillstation in Sahyadri ranges. It is located in Koyna Nagar, Satara district, in the West ...

– 60 km * Nawja Waterfall – 65 km

Cityscape

The city has many important government offices and other institutions of significance. With the vision of great leader P. D. Patil the city was one of the few in India to have a well- planned underground drainage system well before in the 1960s. By end-2010,

, on the outskirts of the city of Karad, is delivering water 24x7 to all its residents as a result of concrete steps taken by the Malkapur Nagar Panchayat (MNP) with support from the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP), a state government entity. This is the first of its kind by a public body in India. Major offices and institutions in Karad are as follows: * Karad Court, Karad *

Diwani Diwani is a calligraphic variety of Arabic script, a cursive style developed during the reign of the early Ottoman Turks (16th century - early 17th century). It reached its height of popularity under Süleyman I the Magnificent (1520–1566 ...

-Foujdari Court, Karad *

Doordarshan Doordarshan (), abbreviated as DD, is India's State-owned enterprise, state-owned public broadcasting, public television broadcaster. Established by the Government of India on 15 September 1959, it is owned by the Ministry of Information and B ...

Kendra, Karad * Fire- Brigade, Karad * Division Office, Karad *

Tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a Zila (country subdivision), district including the designated populated place that ser ...

Office, Karad * Khashaba Chounk *

Panchayat Samiti Panchayat samiti or block panchayat is a rural local government ( panchayat) body at the intermediate tehsil (taluka/mandal) or block level in India. It works for the villages of the tehsil that together are called a development block. It has b ...

, Karad * Government

Rest House ''Rest House'' is a 1969 Indian Malayalam film, directed by J. Sasikumar and produced by Ganesh Pictures K. P. Kottarakkara. The film stars Prem Nazir, Sheela, Sreelatha Namboothiri and Raghavan in the lead roles. The film had musical score by ...

, Karad * City Police Station, Karad *

Taluka A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administrative ...

Police Station, Karad * Head Post Office, Karad * Railway Station, Karad * Airport, Karad *

MSRTC The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation abbreviated as (MSRTC, or simply ST), is the state-run bus service of Maharashtra, India, which serves routes to towns and cities within Maharashtra as well as to its adjoining states. It also of ...

Depot, Karad * Cottage Hospital, Karad * RTO Office, Karad * Taswade

MIDC 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 ...

, Karad *

Nagarpalika In India, a municipal council, also known as municipality, nagar palika, nagar parishad, nagar parisad or nagar sabha, is a self-governing Urban Local Body that administers a smaller urban areas than Municipal corporation (India), municipal corpo ...

, Karad * Town Hall, Karad

Demographics

India

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

, Karad town and surrounding villages had total population of 74,355. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Karad has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 72%. In Karad, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. Vast majority of people belong to Hinduism and Speak Marathi language.

Transportation

National Highways

The National Highway 48 (formerly National Highway 4) goes through the Karad city. National Highway 48 (NH 48) is a major National Highway in Western and Southern India. NH 48 links four of the 10 most populous Indian cities -

Bengaluru Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

and

. NH 48 also connects Karad to

Uran Islampur Uran-Islampur (Islampur for short) is a city and a Municipal Council in Sangli district in the Indian state of Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan ...

is the largest metropolis near Karad and

is an important trade centre and Karad is educational hub for IIT training and a tourist destination.

Airport

Airstrip An aerodrome, airfield, or airstrip is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for public or private use. Aerodromes in ...

was constructed in the 1955 by the

Public Works Department This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

to facilitate the

Koyna dam The Koyna Dam is one of the largest dams in Maharashtra, India. It is a rubble-concrete dam constructed on Koyna River which rises in Mahabaleshwar, a hillstation in Sahyadri ranges. It is located in Koyna Nagar, Satara district, in the West ...

project. It is currently being used for

General aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...

and pilot training. The airport is spread on 65 acres and the acquisition of more than 100 acres has been proposed. Runway 10/28 is 1280 meters long and 30 meters wide with a 60 meter by 60 meter apron. No navigational aids nor night landing facilities are available on the airstrip. The State run

Maharashtra Airport Development Company Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited abbreviated as (MADC), is a Special Purpose Company constituted in 2002 by the Government of Maharashtra (GoM) to plan, construct, operate and maintain airports in the State. The government has en ...

(MADC) plans to extend the 1,250 meters airstrip by another 1,500 m and widen it by 150 m. Besides this the nearest airports are

Pune Airport Pune Airport is an international airport and an Indian Air Force base serving the city of Pune, Maharashtra, India. It is located at Lohagaon, approximately northeast of the historic centre of Pune. The airport is a civil enclave operated ...

and

Kolhapur Airport Kolhapur Airport , officially named as Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj Airport, is a domestic airport serving the cities of Kolhapur and Ichalkaranji in the state of Maharashtra, India. It is situated at Ujlaiwadi, southeast from the city. It is ...

Railways

* Karad – 4 km from city Karad has

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

situated near ogalewadi about 04 km distance on the Karad Vita road from Karad Bus stand. Karad is onroute from Mumbai to Miraj, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Bangalore (some trains). You can reach Karad from Mumbai or Pune easily by road or rail ('' Mahalaxmi Express'', '' Koyna Express''," Goa Express", ''

Sahyadri Express Named after the famous Sahyadri mountain range that forms part of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra, 11023 / 11024 Sahyadri Express was one of 3 daily dedicated express trains managed by Indian Railways, that ply between Mumbai CSMT, Mumbai and ...

'', '' Sharavati Express'', '' Dadar–Puducherry Chalukya Express'' or '' Dadar–Tirunelveli Chalukya Express''). Railway Minister

Suresh Prabhu Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu (born 11 July 1953) is an Indian politician. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1996 to 2009, representing Rajapur in the Lok Sabha. He was also a member of the ''Rajya Sabha'', representing Andhra Pradesh ...

has allocated funds for a plan to build a new 112 km railway line between Karad and

Chiplun Chiplun ( Help:IPA/Marathi, ͡ʃipɭuːɳ is a city in Ratnagiri district in the state of Maharashtra, India. It is one of the financial and commercial hubs of Ratnagiri district, and the headquarters of Chiplun taluka. It is about 250 ...

. ;Nearest railway junction *

– 72 km All super-fast trains like the ''Karnataka Sampark Kranti'', ''Deekshaboomi Express'', ''Rani Chenama Express'', ''Haripriya Express'' and ''Miraj Hubli Express'' stop at Miraj Junction. You can take private cars or

buses from Miraj to Karad. Travel time from Miraj to Karad is approxroximately 1 hour 15 minutes. Karadrailway

;; Railway Time Table Karad ;Towards Miraj ;Towards Pune

Culture

Performing arts

The city has a major hall for cultural activities and exhibitions:

Memorial - Town Hall. Cultural events of various organizations and gatherings of schools are also held here. The "Venutai Chavan Hall" is used for classical concerts, conducting national and international seminars on topics like science, space, traditions, culture, spirituality, etc.

Literature

Karad has a tradition of literature lovers. The prestigious 76th

Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan (All India Marathi Literary Conference) is an annual conference for literary discussions by Marathi writers. Marathi is the official language of Maharashtra State. The first Marathi Sahitya Sammelan was ...

was held at banks of Krishna river in Karad in 2003.

Notable people

Gopal Ganesh Agarkar Gopal Ganesh Agarkar (14 July 1856 – 17 June 1895) () was a social reformer, educationist, and thinker from Bombay Presidency, British India. At one time a close associate of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, he co-founded educational institutes ...

(1856–1895), social reformer and newspaper editor born in Tembhu. *

Khashaba Jadhav Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav (15 January 1925 – 14 August 1984) was an Indian freestyle wrestler. He is best known for winning a bronze medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. He was the first athlete from independent India to win an indi ...

(15 January 1926 – 14 August 1984) Born in a very poor farming family at Goleshwar Tal. Karad, the only individual

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

Medal Winner for India until 2000. He won India's first individual Olympic medal by winning the Bronze medal on 23 July 1952, in the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games for wrestling in

bantamweight Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports and weightlifting. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In mixed martial arts, MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class ...

, which is the unbeaten record for India in wrestling until today. In 1993, Maharashtra State awarded him the Shiv Chhattrapati Award posthumously. In 2001, the Central Government also awarded him the

Arjuna Award The Arjuna Award, officially known as Arjuna Awards given for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games, is the second-highest sporting honour of India, the highest being the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The award is named after Arjun ...

posthumously."Prominent Personalities"
District Satara.Web *

(12 March 1913 – 25 November 1984), an eminent

Congress party The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement t ...

politician, hailed from Karad. He was the first

Chief Minister of Maharashtra The chief minister of Maharashtra (IAST: Mahārāṣṭrāce Mukhyamaṃtrī) is the head of the executive branch of the government of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Following elections to the Legislative Assembly, the governor invites ...

and also served as the defence minister, finance minister, home minister, foreign affairs minister, and as the

Deputy Prime Minister of India The deputy prime minister of India (IAST: ''Bhārat Ke Upapradhānamantrī''), although not a Constitutional post, is the second-highest ranking minister of the Union in the executive branch of the Government of India and is a senior member of ...

and became the first and only person from Maharashtra to hold this political post. *

Prithviraj Chavan Prithviraj Chavan (; born 17 March 1946) is an Indian politician who was the List of Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, 17th Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 2010 to 2014. Chavan is a graduate of BITS Pilani and University of California, Berkel ...

: He was the 17th Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Chavan served as the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions. Chavan was also General Secretary of the All-India Congress Committee (AICC), in-charge of many states, including Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Haryana, Gujarat, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh.

References

External links

Satara district website
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Satara district Talukas in Maharashtra