Jalgaon

Jalgaon () is a city in Maharashtra, India. The city is located in North Maharashtra, and serves as the administrative headquarters of its namesake district, the Jalgaon district. Jalgaon is colloquially known as the “''Banana City of India''" as the region's (Jalgaon district) farmers grow approximately two-thirds of Maharashtra's banana production.

The Girna river flows from the western part of the city. Jalgaon is situated in the Khandesh region of North Maharashtra. In 1906 Khandesh was divided between East Khandesh and West Khandesh, and Jalgaon became the headquarters of East Khandesh district. After the 1956 reorganisation of India's states, East Khandesh became part of Bombay State and later in 1960 it became part of Maharashtra.

Transport

Jalgaon’s airport was built in 1973 by the Public Works Department. The Jalgaon municipal council took over its operations in April 1997 and handed it over to the Maharashtra Airport Development Company in April 2007. The Government of Maharashtra signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Airports Authority of India (AAI) to upgrade the existing airfield in July 2009. Pratibha Patil, then president of India, laid the foundation stone for the development and expansion of the Jalgaon airport in June 2010. Jalgaon offers flights to Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolhapur, Nashik and Nanded operated by Trujet airlines.

The city is served by the Jalgaon Junction railway station. The railway connects the city to major cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Jaipur, Chennai, Agra, and Lucknow.

Education

North Maharashtra University is located 8 km away from the city center. Prominent under/post-graduate colleges in the city are Mooljee Jetha College and Nutan Maratha College.

Jalgaon has two medical colleges, Government Medical College and Dr. Ulhas Patil Medical College and Hospital, Jalgaon.

Climate

Jalgaon has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen ''BSh'') owing to the rain shadow of the Western Ghats. There are three seasons in Jalgaon: the sweltering and arid “hot” season from March to mid-June, the hot and steamy “wet” under the monsoon from mid-June to September, and the hot and dry “cool” season from October to February.

Tourist attractions

Gandhi Teerth is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Jalgaon City. It is a research institution and museum based on the life of Mahatma Gandhi. It was established on 25 March 2012 by the Gandhi Research Foundation.

Guru Purnima festival at Maharishi Krishna Dvaipayana Vedvysa Temple in Yawal is also a popular pilgrimage destination. It is visited by pilgrims from within Jalgaon and neighboring states like Madhya Pradesh. The temple is located at the confluence of the river Hadkhai-Khadkai also known previously as River Harita and Sarita. Vyasa was invited by the sage Lomasha to perform a sacrifice for the Pandavas after their incognito exile. It is one of the main three temples of Vyasa, the others being Vyas Chatti, Badrinath and Vyas Kashi Temple.

Other ancient pilgrim places and tourist destination include,

* Changdeva Temple
* Patnadevi, an old temple built by the Mandlik kings of Yadav completed in year 1128 AD.
* Mudhai Devi Temple, of Hemadpanti architecture built around 1150–1200 AD
* Saint Muktabai Temple, home to Muktabai Dindi, which has been an integral part of the Pandharpur Wari for over 310 years.
* Satpuda Manudevi Temple, Adgaon
* Unapdev Hot Water Fountain was mentioned in the Ramayana epic and has a touch of Lord Rama during his fourteen-year exile from Ayodhya
* Padmalaya - Ganpati Temple (Prabhakshetra), is one of the Saade-teen (three and a half) 'Shree Ganapati Peeth' in India. It has two swayambhu idols consist of corals and one has its trunk curving to the right and other one to the left.

Notable people

* Bhāskara II (c. 1114–1185), aka Bhāskarāchārya, was an Indian mathematician and astronomer
* Bahinabai Chaudhari (1880–1951), a farmer whose poetry, published posthumously, helped popularize the Ahirani dialect.
* Pandurang Sadashiv Sane, aka Sane Guruji, social activist and freedom fighter worked as the teacher in Pratap High School in Amalner town.
* Balkavi (1890–1918), a Marathi poet.
* Keki Moos (1912-1989), a famous artist and painter
* Suresh Jain, 8 times MLA from city and Ex-minister of Govt of Maharashtra.
* Ishwarlal Jain (1946 – present), three times MLA and 6 years Rajya Sabha MP. NCP Party Treasurer.
* Bhavarlal Jain (1937–2016), an entrepreneur who founded Jain Irrigation Systems.
* Haribhau Jawale (1953 – present), 3 term MLA and Member of Parliament from Raver.
* Eknath Khadse (1952–present), a politician of the Nationalist Congress Party.
* Namdeo Dhondo Mahanor (1942–present), a Marathi poet and recipient of the Padma Shri award.
* Ujjwal Nikam, a public prosecutor who has worked on high-profile murder and terrorism cases.
* Gulab Raghunath Patil (1966–present) Senior Leader of Shiv Sena and Minister in Maharashtra.
* Pratibha Patil (1934–present), a former president of India (2007–12) and governor of Rajasthan (2004–07).

See also

* Jain Irrigation Systems
* Jalgaon Municipal Corporation
* Jalgaon Zilla Parishad
* Make in Maharashtra

References

External links

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All articles containing potentially dated statements
Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2001
Talukas in Maharashtra
Cities in Maharashtra