Gadchiroli

In ancient times the region was ruled by the Rashtrakutas, the Chalukyas, the Yadavas of Deogiri and later the Gonds of Gadchiroli. In the 13th century Khandkya Ballal Shah founded Chandrapur and made it his capital. Chandrapur subsequently came under Maratha rule. In 1853 Berar, of which Chandrapur (then called Chanda) was part, was ceded to the British East India Company. In 1854 Chandrapur became an independent district of Berar.

In 1905 the British created the tehsil of Gadchiroli by transfer of a zamindari estate from Chandrapur and Bramhapuri. It was part of the Central Provinces until 1956 when, with the reorganisation of the states, Chandrapur was transferred to Bombay state. In 1960, when Maharashtra was created, Chandrapur became a district of the new state. On 26 August 1982 Chandrapur was divided, with Gadchiroli tehsil becoming an independent district.

Naxalism is highly prevalent in Gadchiroli, with the guerrilla fighters taking to the hills and dense forests, and it has been designated as part of the Red Corridor. Settlements are being explored by many social workers.

Gadchiroli is located at 20.10°N 80.0°E / 20.10; 80.0.[2] It has an average elevation of 217 metres (715 feet). Gadchiroli District is one of the largest in Maharashtra by land area. The town and surrounding area is considered to be beautiful during the monsoon season (July to September), and is surrounded by a teak wood forest.

Located near centre of Indian peninsula, far from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, Gadchiroli has a tropical wet-and-dry climate with dry conditions prevailing for most of the year. It receives an annual rainfall of about 1,000 mm (39 in), almost entirely from monsoon rains between June and September. Summers are extremely hot lasting from March to June, with maximum temperatures occurring in May.

According to the 2001 India census,[3] Gadchiroli had a population of 42,464. Males constituted 51% of the population and females 49%. Gadchiroli had an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. Male literacy was 80%, and female literacy was 67%. 13% of the population was under 6 years of age.

The main languages spoken are Marathi, Hindi, Gondi, Madiya, Bengali and Telugu. The literacy rate is improving with an increase in educational facilities.

The people of Gadchiroli celebrate many indigenous festivals. Adivasi peoples celebrate festivals like Mohram, Pola, etc. The Bengali community here celebrate festivals like Durga Pooja, Basanti Pooja, Kali pooja, etc.

Gadchiroli is connected by roads to Chandrapur, Nagpur, Bhandara and Gondia. There are no rail connections to Gadchiroli, with the nearest line passing through Vadsa (Desaiganj).Vadsa is the only railway station in Gadchiroli District. The condition of roadways in the area is being improved to provide improved security against the recent Naxilite insurgency.

All the degree colleges in Gadchiroli are now affiliated with the recently established Gondwana University, Gadchiroli.[4] The government of Maharashtra established Gondwana university by splitting RTM Nagpur University, purported to be a major revolution in education for the tribal youth in the district.

Namdeorao Poreddiwar College of Engineering and Technology is a technical college located at Mouza Bodli, Gadchiroli.[5]

The MP of Gadchiroli-Chimur constituency is Ashok Nete. The MLA from different constituencies within are:

• Aheri – Dharmarao Baba Atram
• Gadchiroli – Deorao Madguji Holi
• Armori – Krushna Damaji Gajbe

Some notable places in the town include:

• Semana-Hanuman Temple – About 4 km (2.5 mi) from center of town (Gandhi Chowk)
• Hemalkasa – Situated in Bhamragarh Block (east side of district), 186 km (116 mi) from Gadchiroli.
• Allapalli – Known as Teak City of District, where all forest administration offices and the main marketline, educational and other resources.
• Markhanda – A temple dedicated to Lord Shiva on the banks of Wainganaga. There is a big fair on Mahashivratri
• BILT (Ashti) – A unit of Ballarpur Paper Mills in Ashti.
• Gadchiroli lake – located at the centre of the city.
• Vairagad Fort – Built by the Gond kings as their residence and fortress, near Armori town.
• Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary – About 80 km (50 mi) from district centre.
• Five Carved Stones – This sacred place is situated at Pachpande, about a kilometer north of Vairagad. It is believed that the Pandava brothers stayed here during their exile.
• Bhandareshwar – An ancient temple to Lord Shiva situated to the west of Vairagad village, high on a mound at the confluence of the Khobragadi and Vainlochna rivers. This shrine is a good example of architecture and the carved walls are believed to be from the Hemadpanth period.
• Adishakti Temple – Situated at Vairagad, this temple enshrines an idol of Adishakti Devi, found during a 1986 excavation. The idol has four hands and is an example of the carvings undertaken by the sculptors of the erstwhile era.

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