city, north-central Maharashtra, western India, on the Murna river. An important road and rail junction in the Tapti river valley, it is a commercial centre trading chiefly in cotton. There are also textile and vegetable oil industries. In the past it was incorporated in turn into several local Muslim kingdoms. Akola is an important educational centre, with several colleges affiliated with the University of Amaravati. Also located there is the Punjabrao Agricultural University. The chief crops grown in the surrounding area are cotton, jowar, and peanuts (groundnuts). The region's industries are agriculture-based, the important ones being cotton-ginning and pressing, oil processing, and bidi (cigarette) manufacture. There is a thermal power station at Paras. Population (2001) 400,520.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
AJMER
city, also spelt Ajmere , or Ajmir , central Rajasthan. The city is on the lower slopes of Taragarh hill, on the summit of which stands a fortress. It was probably founded about 1100 and was the capital of the former state. Architectural monuments include an ancient Jain temple (converted c. 1200 into a mosque); the white marble tomb complex of the Muslim saint, Muin-ud-Din Chishti (d. 1236); and the palace of Akbar (Mughal emperor who reigned from 1556 to 1605), now a museum. The city was a Muslim military base used in operations against the Rajputs (the warrior people who ruled the historical region of Rajputana). To the north lies Ana Sagar, a lake created in the eleventh century, on the shores of which stand marble pavilions built by Shah Jahan (Mughal emperor from 1628 to 1658). Situated on major road and rail routes, Ajmer is a trade centre for salt, mica, cloth fabrics, and agricultural products. Industries include railway workshops and oilseed mills; cotton and woollen fabrics as well as hosiery, soap, shoes, saddlery, and pharmaceuticals are produced there. Ajmer is known for its handicrafts and cloth weaving and dyeing.
Ajmer lies in a hilly region that forms part of the Aravalli range and its outliers and is drained by headstreams of the Luni river flowing southwestward and by tributaries of the Banas river flowing eastward. Agriculture is the principal occupation, and corn (maize), wheat, millet, gram (chickpea), barley, -cotton, oilseeds, chillies, and onions are the chief crops. The region also has cotton, textile, and hosiery mills and cotton-ginning and pressing factories. Mica, feldspar, and building-stone deposits are worked there.
Ajmer was founded by Ajayadeva, an eleventh-century Rajput ruler and annexed by the Delhi Slave dynasty in 1193. Upon payment of tribute it was returned to its Rajput rulers, but subsequently taken by Akbar I in 1556. In 1770 it was annexed by the Marathas, after which the area was a continual Rajput-Maratha battleground until it was ceded to the British in 1818. In 1878 the region of Ajmer was constituted as a chief commissioner's province known as Ajmer-Merwara and was divided into two separate tracts. The larger of these comprised Ajmer and Merwara subdivisions; the smaller, to the southeast, comprised Kekri subdivision. It became a part of Rajasthan in 1956. Population (2001) 485,575.
AJANTA CAVES
Buddhist rock-cut cave temples and monasteries, near Ajanta village, Aurangabad district, north-central Maharashtra, western India, celebrated for their wall paintings. The temples are hollowed out of granite cliffs on the inner side of a 20 m ravine in the Wagurna river valley, 105 km northeast of Aurangabad. These are remarkable and world-famous man-made cave temples and monasteries.
The group of some 30 caves was accidentally discovered and excavated between the first century BC and the seventh century AD. There are two types of caves, the chaityas (sanctuaries) and viharas (monasteries). Although the sculpture, particularly the rich ornamentation of the chaitya pillars, is noteworthy, it is the murals that are of chief interest in Ajanta. These superb frescoes and sculptures depict scenes from the Buddha's life and illustrate the popular Jataka stories about the Buddha's previous lives. There are other images, as well, of various Buddhist deities.
AHMEDABAD DISTRICT
district, also spelt Ahmadabad , Gujarat, western India, located in the plain area. The density of population was 551 persons per sq km in 2001. The mean annual rainfall is 650-750 mm. The main crops grown are wheat, millets, rice, cotton, and groundnuts, and the main industries in the district are in textile, machinery, and engineering. Population (2001) 5,816,519.
AHMEDABAD
Ahmedabad was founded in AD 1411 by a Muslim ruler, Sultan Ahmad Shah. Later, in 1572 the city was captured by Mughal emperor Akbar. It was surrounded by a wall and 12 gates, having both a temple and a mosque at the centre. Communities lived here in neighbourhoods, called Pols, by caste, religion, occupation, and language.Ahmedabad was a temporary capital of Gujarat until 1970, when the administration was moved to Gandhinagar, a newly planned capital. Ahmedabad was known as the "Manchester of India", due to its famous cotton textile industry, which was started in the middle of the nineteenth century. Its economic pull had attracted a large number of migrant workers. However, since 1980, almost all textile mills have been closed down because of growing competition from synthetic fibres. During the last decade (1990-99), chemical, pharmaceutical, and engineering industries have grown here in place of cotton textile industry. In 2001, the city was rocked by a massive earthquake that killed thousands of people.
The city has many outstanding centres of learning like the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and the National Institute of Design (NID), which make it an important academic hub of western India. Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati ashram is also situated here.
A combination of Hindu, Muslim, and Jain architecture can be seen in the city. An attractive feature of Ahmedabad is Lake Kankaria. It also has the outstanding Calico Museum of Textiles, the Shreyas Folk Museum of Utensils, a tribal museum, and a municipal museum designed by Le Corbusier. Ahmedabad is well connected by broad- and metre-gauge railway, domestic and international airports, and private and public bus system. The city is a major junction on the Western Railway, with lines running to Mumbai, Delhi, and the Kathiawar Peninsula. The chief crops grown in the surrounding area are cotton, millet, wheat, and pulses. Population (2001) 4,215,497.
AHAMADNAGAR DISTRICT
district, also spelt Ahmadnagar , in Maharashtra, situated partly in the upper Godavari river basin and partly in the Bhima basin, the interfluve in between forms the Ahmadnagar plateau. The physical setup of the district shows three types of land-forms: the western hilly region comprising the Akole tehsil and Sangamner tehsil; the central plateau region including the Parner and Ahmednagar tehsils and parts of Sangamner, Shrigonde, and Karjat tehsils; and the region of northern and southern plains including northern Kopargaon, Rahata, Shrirampur, Rahuri, Newasa, Shevgaon, and Pathardi tehsils. This is the region of the Godavari and the Pravara river basins. The Godavari and the Bhima, a tributary of the Krishna river, drain the district. Ahamadnagar district, covering an area of 170,035 sq km (5.66 per cent), is the largest district in Maharashtra. The name "Ahamadnagar" has come from the name of the founder of the town, Ahmed Shah Nizam Shah.
Modern Ahamadnagar is a progressive district with a large number of sugar factories; the first cooperative sugar factory in Asia was established at Pravaranagar. Ralegan-Siddhi and Hivare Bazar villages are role models of water conservation efforts. Agriculture is the mainstay of the district. Rainfall, however, is unreliable, and food scarcity is a perennial concern. Millet, wheat, and cotton are the district's chief dry crops. Sugar cane is the most important irrigated crop. Sugar factories at Pravaranagar and other places are flourishing, and they command a wide market. Other industries include cotton ginning and pressing and Ayurvedic herbal medicine. Important tourist sites include the Bhandardara Dam and the religious centres of Nevase (Dnyaneshwar), Shirdi (Sai Baba), and Shani-Shinganapur. Ahamadnagar has many places of historical importance including the Ahamadnagar fort where many national leaders of the Indian freedom struggle, including Nehru, were detained. Nehru wrote his famous book, Discovery of India there. Population (2001) 4,040,642.
AHAMADNAGAR
city, also spelt Ahmadnagar , administrative headquarters of Ahamadnagar district, Maharashtra, on the Sina river. Known as Bhinar in early Yadava times, it was conquered by Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah, founder of the Ahmadnagar dynasty, in 1490 and subsequently overtaken by the Mughals, the Marathas, and the British. Ahmad Nizam Shah's fort, in which Jawaharlal Nehru and other senior political leaders were imprisoned in the 1940s, is one of the chief historical sites. The Mughal palace and gardens are well known examples of architectural splendour. Connected by road and rail to Mumbai, Pune, and Sholapur, the city is a commercial and industrial centre. Major industries include cotton and leather processing, engineering, and electronic products. It is also an important military station and has colleges affiliated to the University of Pune. Population (2001) 347,549.
AGRA FORT
Fortress of red sandstone established by Mughal emperor Akbar; once sheltered the Mughal capital; located 200 km from Delhi, on the banks of the Yamuna river in the historical city of Agra in Uttar Pradesh. A contemporary of Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, the fort reflects the architectural grandeur of the Mughal reign in India.
Commissioned by Akbar in 1565, the fort worked both as a military base and a royal residence. Constructed over 15 years, it reflects the emperor's strategic shrewdness. Its crescent-shaped structure covers a radius of 3 km and is enclosed within a double barricaded, 70-ft high wall. The wall has two entrances: Amar Singh Gate, the only access to the fort now, and Delhi Gate, the original entrance with intricate marble inlay. Many structures within the fort were added later by subsequent Mughal emperors, including Shah Jahan and Jahangir. The maze of buildings inside - reminiscent of Persian and Timurid stylistic features - forms a city within a city.
Among the major attractions in Agra Fort is the Jahangiri Mahal (Jahangir's Palace), built by Akbar as a private palace for his son Jahangir. It is the largest residence in the complex. Moti Masjid, constructed by Shah Jahan, is a tranquil and perfectly proportioned mosque made entirely in white marble. The Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience) was used for receiving distinguished visitors like kings and dignitaries. The famous Peacock Throne was once kept there before Aurangzeb took it to Delhi. Near the Diwan-i-Khas stands Musammam Burj, a tall octagonal tower, residence to Shah Jahan's empress Mumtaj Mahal. In the Diwan-i-Aam (Hall of Public Audiences), the emperor would listen to public petitions and meet state officials. The elegant marble walls of the Khas Mahal were once adorned with flowers depicted by precious gems. Located to its northeast is the splendid Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors), its walls and ceilings inlaid with multitudinous small mirrors. The dazzling chamber was used as a boudoir by the queens.
The fort also served as a prison to Shah Jahan, when his son Aurangzeb incarcerated him, until his death. The peripheral wall, built by Aurangzeb in 1659, reinforces its penal demeanour. An emblem of Mughal might and artistry, the Agra Fort was designated as a World Heritage Site by the United Nation's Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization in 1983.
AGARTALA
city, capital of Tripura, near the Bangladesh border. Situated on the Haroa river, it is the commercial hub of the state. The gleaming white Ujjayanta Palace set amid sprawling gardens dominates its skyline. Built in Indo-Saracenic style, it now houses the Legislative Assembly of Tripura. A number of lakes, monuments, temples, and colleges affiliated with the University of Calcutta are located here. Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya (1923-47), the last king of Tripura, built the airport in the 1930s. Agartala has numerous gardens, tanks, palaces, and official buildings. Population (2001) 189,998.
ADONI
city, western Andhra Pradesh. It lies 225 km southwest of Hyderabad, on the Chennai-Mumbai railway route. Once a strong-hold of the rulers of Vijayanagar, Adoni was later controlled by Muslims until 1792, when a war between the British East India Company and Tipu Sultan resulted in its cession to the Nizam of Hyderabad. Home to a magnificent Jami Masjid, built in 1680, Adoni is now a manufacturing hub for cotton cloth and carpets. Population (2001) 162,458.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
ADILABAD
city, formerly Edlabad , northern Andhra Pradesh. It is an agricultural trade centre 260 km north of Hyderabad. Nearby, at Mahur (Maharashtra), is a fort dating from the Bahmani and Imad Shahi dynasties (fourteenth-sixteenth century). Population (2001) 129,403.
ABU
town, also called Mount Abu , south-western Rajasthan. It is situated on the slopes of Mount Abu, in the Aravalli range. The town is a noted hill resort, and the Jain temples at nearby Dilwara, built of white marble, are famous. Tejpal Temple, built about AD 1200, is known for the richness of its carving, especially on the under-side of its dome. Abu was the headquarters of the British Rajputana States Agency and has a police training college. Population (2001) Town 22,152.
ADAM'S PEAK
mountain in southwestern Sri Lanka, 2,243m high and 18 km northeast of Ratnapura. Its conical summit terminates in an oblong platform about 22 by 7 m, on which there is a large hollow resembling the print of a human foot. The depression is venerated alike by -Buddhists, Muslims, and Hindus, who respectively regard it as the footprint of the Buddha, Adam, and Shiva. Many pilgrims of all faiths visit the peak every year. Heavy chains on the mountain's southwestern face, said to have been placed there by Alexander the Great, mark the route to the summit.