AHMEDNAGAR

Ahmednagar was established by Ahmed Nizamshah in 1490 A.D. The city saw the Nizam empire, Moghal, Peshwa & the British rule. This 500 year old city has many historical places built during the various regimes. There are many other places worth seeing, some of them are Vishal Ganpati mandir, Bara Imam Kotla & the list goes on & on. The Iron Bridge on the Sina river near the railway station is more than 100 years old. Nagar also is the home of many miltary establishmrnts,some of them are V.R.D.E, M.I.R.C, A.C.C & S, C.Q.A(V) & others.

Ahmednagar district has many religious places like Shirdi, Newasa, Shanishingnapur, Devgad, Mohatadevi, Sidhhatek, Rameshwar, Kolgaon & many many others. Other historical places in the district are Kharda Fort, Senapati Bapat Memorial in Parner etc. Places like Bandardara, Mula dam are famous picnic spots. Others like Kulsubai, the highest peak in Maharashtra & sanctuaries like Harishchandragad, Rahekure  are places of leisure.

Ralegan Shindi a village, has set an example for other villages due to its excellent  implementaion of water management & other programs, all this is because of Anna Hazare, a great social worker who brought the village to its present state.

Ahmednagar is located in central Maharashtra. It is close to most of the major cities in Maharashtra, Pune at a distance of 120 Km. to its south-west direction, Aurangabad to its north-east approximately at the same distance as Pune & Nasik towards north-west. Mumbai is at a distance of approximately 300 Km.

This strategic location makes Ahmednagar easy to reach, whether by road or by railway. Ahmednagar lies on the central railway route going towards north India. This line extends towards Solapur, from where southern India is reachable.

The weather in Ahmednagar is dry, annual rainfall is between 40-100 mm. Temperatures vary from 20-42 degrees centigrade during summer & 10-35 degrees centigrade during the winter.

HISTORY:

Ahmednagar, situated on the banks on Sina river was established in 1490 A.D by Ahmed Nizamshah Bahiri.

Ahmednagar was the capital of the Nizam empire till 1636 A.D, this period was dominated by Ahmedshah, Sultana Chandbibi & others. The city also had to bear attacks from Bahadurshah, the emperor of Gujarat during this time. The city also saw intellectuals like Salabat Khan, Mukmil Khan Dhakkhani, ministers like Shahaji Bhosale, Gopalrao and saints like Shah Sarif, Miravali during the Nizam empire.

Ahmednagar became a part ot the Moghal empire after the Nizam empire was destroyed by emperor Shahajahan. In 1759 A.D the city came under the rule of the Peshwas, & finally under the British rule in 1803 A.D.

Under the British rule till independence,the city witnessed many events. During the Quit India movement started by Mahatma Gandhi in 1942, national leaders like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Azad & others were imprisoned in the Ahmednagar Fort. The world famous "Discovery Of India" was written by Pandit Nehru when he was imprisoned here, also "Thoughts On Pakistan" by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar & "Gubare Khatib" by Mulana Azad were written when they were in the city.

PLACES TO SEE:

Ahmednagar Fort

Ahmednagar Fort is about 500 years old, it was built by Ahmed Nizamshah in 1490 A.D. A deep trench containing water surrounded the fort, which kept the enemy at bay. The Fort had a suspension Bridge which could be lowered in the trench, as time passed this bridge gave way. During the 1942 Quit India Movement, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad & national leaders were imprisoned in the Ahmednagar Fort. Pandit Nehru wrote the famous "Discovery Of India" when he was in the fort here.

Alamagir

Alamgir as it is know, is the place where emperor Aurangzeb breath his last, situated near Bhingar on the Pathardi road. Aurangzeb died at the age of 91 at the very same place, his body was taken to Khultabad, near Aurangabad & cremated there.This historical place also inhouses a Masjid & Baradari where meetings used to take place.The library near the masjid has rare Kurans, dating back to the time of emperor Aurangzeb. One of the Kuran here was written by the emperor himself.

Bagroja

Bagroja, is the tomb of Ahmed Nizamshah & his wife, located on the banks of the Sina river. This beautiful monument is surrounded by a stone wall. Bagroja is a beautiful peice of art work.

Bhurannagar Temple

This holi place located in Bhurannagar, near Bhingar on the Pathardi road is the temple of Goddess Tuljabhavani. It is said that Goddess Tuljabhavani gave Shivaji Maharaj a sword. This temple sees a huge rush of devotees during the 9 day   Navratra festival . The temple was built in 1913.

Delhi Gate

Ahmednagar city was once surrounded by several gates, only few stood the ravages of time,one of them is the Delhi gate. The gates were built by the Moghals, to protect the city. The gate assumes its name as it faces the northen side.

Farahbag

Farahbag was built in 1576 A.D during the rule of Murtuza Nizamshah. This huge & beautiful monument was a place of leisure & entertainment. Farahbag is close to the Nagar Solapur highway.

Hume Church

The Hume Memorial Church built in 1902, is located in the heart of the city.

Martyr Memorial

The Martyr Memorial is situated near Delhi gate. A statue of Shivaji Maharaj IV is also located near the memorial. Shivaji Maharaj IV was imprisoned in Ahmednagar Fort in 1881, he died due to the atrocities by the British. The last rituals were performed in Ahmednagar.

Talikot Battle Memorial

This memorial is situated near Bagroja, tomb of Ahmed Nizamshah. It is was built by the Ahmed Nizamshah in memory of the elephant, GulamAli who had averted a near defeat in the 1565 A.D war with Vijaynagar empire.The Talikot Battle Memorial has beautiful carvings, intact even after hundreds of years

Tomb of Salabat Khan

This huge monument located on a hilltop near the Pathardi road, it is easily sited from a long distance.Commonly know as 'ChandBibi Ka Mahal', it is actually the tomb of SalabatKhan, sardar during the Nizam empire. Built by the sardar himself in 1580 A.D, the tombs of SalabatKhan & his wife are located in the basement. SalabatKhan died in 1589A.D.

Renukamata Temple

This temple is located in Kedgaon which is near the Pune highway, is known as "Renukamata" temple. During the 9 days of  Navratra festival people from all walks of life come here.