 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Sindhudurg district" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(June 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Sindhudurg district | |
|---|---|
_(5363549355).jpg)  .jpg)   Clockwise from top-left:Sindhudurg Fort, sunset atSawantwadi, Tirlot Bridge,Amboli Ghat, Chivla Beach | |
.svg) Location in Maharashtra | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Maharashtra |
| Division | Konkan |
| Headquarters | Oros |
| Talukas | 1.Dodamarg, 2.Sawantwadi, 3.Vengurla, 4.Kudal, 5.Malvan, 6.Kankavli, 7.Devgad, 8.Vaibhavwadi |
| Government | |
| • Body | Sindhudurg Zilla Parishad |
| • Guardian Minister | Nitesh Narayan Rane (Cabinet Minister MH) |
| • President Z. P. Sindhudurg | NA |
| • District Collector | Ms. K. Manjulekshmi (IAS) |
| • CEO Z. P. Sindhudurg | NA |
| • MPs | Narayan Rane (Ratnagiri–Sindhudurg) |
| Area | |
• Total | 5,207 km2 (2,010 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 849,651 |
| • Density | 163.2/km2 (422.6/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 12.59% |
| Demographics | |
| • Literacy | 85.56% |
| • Sex ratio | 1,036 |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
| Major highways | NH-66 |
| Average annual precipitation | 3,287 mm |
| Website | sindhudurg |
Sindhudurg district (Marathi pronunciation:[sin̪d̪ʱud̪uɾɡə]) is an administrativedistrict of theKonkan division in India, which was carved out of the erstwhileRatnagiri district. The district headquarters are located atOros. The district occupies an area of approximately 5,207 km2 and has a population of 849,651, of which 12.59% were urban (as of 2011).[1] As of 2011, it is the least populous district of Maharashtra (out of36).[2]
| Guardian Minister | |
|---|---|
| पालकमंत्री | |
 Emblem of India | |
| Style | The Honourable |
| Appointer | Chief Minister of Maharashtra |
| Term length | 5 years / No time limit |
| Website | http://http: |
Sindhudurg district was established on 1 May 1981.
The word 'Konkan' is of Indian origin and considerable antiquity, though the origin of the name has never been definitively explained. The seven kingdoms of the Konkan of mythology are mentioned in the History of Kashmir and are said to have included nearly the whole west coast of India. ThePandavas are said to have passed through this region in the 13th year of their exile and to have settled in this area for some time. The Raja of this region, Veerat Ray, accompanied them in thewar at Kurukshetra with theKauravas.[3]
In the middle of the sixth century, kings of theMaurya andNala dynasties appear to have ruled in the Konkan. The district ofRatnagiri was under theSilahars, and the capital of their kingdom was probably Goa. Later it may have been relocated to a more central place in the vicinity of Ratnagiri or Kharepatan.Chandrapur was one of the most ancient towns in Konkan, probably founded byChandraditya, son of theChalukya kingPulakeshin II.[3]
The 16th century saw the advent and rise of Portuguese power on the west coast of India and Sindhudurg was not immune. The sultan lost his hold on the district in 1675 with the rise ofChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and the district became part of theMaratha Empire. Marathas continued to rule the district till 1817, when the conflict between the British and thePeshwas concluded and the whole of Konkan was transferred to the British.[3]
In 1819 South Konkan was formed as separate district with its headquarters first atBankot and later at Ratnagiri. Three northern subdivisions were transferred toThane district in 1830 and the district was reduced to a sub-collectorate level under Thane district. In 1832, it was again made a full-fledged district and named Ratnagiri district. In the year 1945, a newMahal (tahsil) called Kankavli Mahal (tahsil) was formed. The former Indian state ofSawantwadi was merged with the district and the taluka boundaries reorganized in the year 1949. In the same year the new taluka of Sawantwadi was created and two new mahals, Kudal and Lanja, were formed. With thereorganization of states in 1956, the district was included inBombay State and since 1960, it is a part of Maharashtra. The name of the district has been adopted from the sea fort of Sindhudurg. This was built by Shivaji Maharaj nearMalwan and its name literally means 'Sea Fort'. Its construction started on 25 November 1664 and was completed in three years, designed such that it could not be seen easily by enemies coming from theArabian Sea.[3]
Sindhudurg district is the southern part of theKonkan coast which is historically known for its long coast line and safe harbours. Sindhudurg district was earlier a part of Ratnagiri district. For administrative convenience and industrial and agricultural development, Ratnagiri district was divided into Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg with effect from 1 May 1981. Sindhudurg district now comprises the eight tahsils of Sawantwadi, Kudal, Vengurla, Malvan, Devgad, Kankavli, Vaibhavwadi and Dodamarg.
Sindhudurg district is the southernmost district of Maharashtra.[4] It has deposits of Iron, Bauxite and Manganese.[4] Sindhudurg is bordered on the north byRatnagiri district, on the south east byBelagavi district ofKarnataka state and south by the state ofGoa, on the west by theArabian Sea, and to the east across the crest of theWestern Ghats or Sahyadris isKolhapur district. Sindhudurg is part of theKonkan (coastal) region, a narrowcoastal plain in western Maharashtra which lies between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.
Sindhudurg has a semi-tropical climate and remains warm and humid most of the year. It has three clear seasons: rainy (June–October), Winter (November–mid February) and Summer (mid February–May). Temperatures rise to a maximum of 32 °C and monsoon winds bring heavy rains (average rainfall 3240.10 mm).[citation needed]
The people of Sindhudurg district mostly speak "Malvani" a distinct dialect of Konkani and Marathi; almost all are fluent inMarathi as well.
The eight talukas of this district areDevgad,Kankavli,Malvan,Kudal,Sawantwadi,Vengurla andDodamarg andVaibhavwadi.
There are three Vidhan Sabha constituencies in this district. These areKankavli, Sawantwadi and Kudal. All of these are part of the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha constituency.[5]
Sindhudurg's major crops areRice,Coconut,Kokum,Mango andCashew, of which the last three are the major annual crops.
The irrigated area in Sindhudurg is 23.48%, through wells and small canals. 33,910 hectares of the district's agricultural land are irrigated, while 104,390 hectares are not. 74% of the total land holding in the district is held by small and marginal farmers. The district has 38,643 hectares of forest cover.
In Sindhudurg, two colleges currently offer the MBBS program: 1.Government Medical College, Sindhudurg– Located in Oros, this college was established in 2021.
2.SSPM Medical College & Lifetime Hospital, Sindhudurg – Founded in 2017 in village Ranbambuli, Taluka Kudal, and offers 150 MBBS seats annually, approved byNMC.[6]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 543,058 | — |
| 1911 | 553,550 | +0.19% |
| 1921 | 531,211 | −0.41% |
| 1931 | 598,968 | +1.21% |
| 1941 | 637,574 | +0.63% |
| 1951 | 676,335 | +0.59% |
| 1961 | 724,817 | +0.69% |
| 1971 | 757,917 | +0.45% |
| 1981 | 780,891 | +0.30% |
| 1991 | 832,152 | +0.64% |
| 2001 | 868,825 | +0.43% |
| 2011 | 849,651 | −0.22% |
| source:[8] | ||
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hinduism | 91.85% | |||
| Islam | 3.09% | |||
| Buddhism | 2.91% | |||
| Christianity | 1.82% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.33% | |||
According to the2011 census Sindhudurg district has apopulation of 849,651,[2] roughly equal to the nation ofQatar[10] or the US state ofSouth Dakota.[11] This gives it a population ranking of 474th in India (out of a total of640).[2] The district has a population density of 163 inhabitants per square kilometre (420/sq mi).[2] Itspopulation growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was -2.21%. Sindhudurg has a sex ratio of 1037 females for every 1000 males, which is second highest in Maharashtra,[2] and aliteracy rate of 85.56%. 12.59% of the population live in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 6.54% and 0.82% of the population respectively.[2]
At the time of the2011 Census of India, 91.22% of the population spokeMarathi, 2.29%Malwani, 1.65%Konkani,[a] 1.54%Urdu, 1.33%Hindi and 0.93%Kannada as their first language.[12]
| Population | Literacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 8,49,651 | 85.56% |
| Male | 4,17,890 | 91.58% |
| Female | 4,50.935 | 79.81% |
Sindhudurg is connected to the state capital Mumbai by road through the erstwhile National Highway 17 (NH-17), now renumbered as NH-66.[13] This highway also connects the district to neighbouring Goa andKarnataka. There are regularMSRTC and private luxury buses connecting to adjoining cities likeKolhapur (110 km away from Kankavli),Belgaum (90 km from Sawantwadi City), Panaji – Goa (55 km away Sawantwadi & Vengurle). Towns and major villages are well connected to Mumbai as a large percentage of emigrants from the district are based in the Mumbai area. The district is also well connected byKonkan Railway to Mumbai, Thane, Goa and other parts of the country likeMangalore,KarwarErnakulam,Thiruvananthapuram,Coimbatore,Tirunelveli, Hapa, Veraval, New Delhi, Jodhpur and Porbundar. The main railway stations on this route areKudal,Kankavli andSawantwadi. Many trains halt at these stations. The nearest major airports areMopa &Dabolim in Goa which is around 80 km from cities like Sawantwadi, Kudal and Vengurle.Sindhudurg Airport at Chipi-Parule, nearMalvan was inaugurated in 2019.Currently Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India provides daily flight services to and from Mumbai & Fly91 provides alternate day flights to Bangalore & Hyderabad.[14]
Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri Kokum was awarded theGeographical Indication (GI) status tag from theGeographical Indications Registry, under theUnion Government of India, on 31 March 2016.[15]
Sindhudurg Ratnagiri Mahakokum Sanstha fromMalvan, proposed the GI registration of Sindhudurg & Ratnagiri Kokum. After filing the application in March 2014, the Kokum was granted the GI tag in 2016 by the Geographical Indication Registry inChennai, making the name "Sindhudurg & Ratnagiri Kokum" exclusive to the Kokum grown in the region. It thus became the first Kokum variety from India and the 13th type of goods from Maharashtra to earn the GI tag.[16][17]
The prestigious GI tag, awarded by the GI registry, certifies that a product possesses distinct qualities, adheres to traditional production methods, and has earned a reputation rooted in its geographical origin.
The cuisine of the district is popularly known asMalvani cuisine. Coconut, rice, and fish feature prominently in Malvani cuisine. Seafood, particularlyBangada,Paplet, prawns, andTisrya, is very popular.Kombdi Vade, also calledVade Sagoti, a chicken savory, is the most popular dish. Others includeUkadya Tandulachi Pej (उकड्या तांदळाची पेज – a semi-fluid boiled brown-red riceCongee preparation) andSolkadhi (सोल कढी – A preparation made of sol (kokum) सोल and coconut milk). Dry fish is also a local delicacy – varieties includeSungata andGolma which are both dried prawn preparations.
Malvani cuisine differs from cuisines in the rest of Maharashtra, with dishes prepared using locally available spices and generally with little oil. Some popular Malvani dishes include
Mango is a major influence on the socioeconomic life of Sindhudurg.Alphonso Mango (हापुस आंबा ) varieties fromDevgad are particularly popular. Other varieties of mango: Mankur (मानकुर), Goa Mankur, Keshar, Pāyari (पायरी), Karel (करेल – used for preparing Mango Pickle), and Rayval are also popular for their distinct taste. Jackfruit is also one of the most popular fruits of Sindhudurg.
Malvani cuisine also has many vegetarian dishes, including Garyache Sandan, Karmal pickle, Bimble, Amba Halad, Karadichi Bhakri, Kanyacha Sanja, Appe, Ghavan, Dalimichi Usual, and Kaju Usual, Raiwal Ambyacha Rayta, Yelapp.
| Name | Term of office |
|---|---|
| Deepak Kesarkar | 5 December 2014 – 8 November 2019 |
| Uday Samant | 9 January 2020 – 27 June 2022 |
| Anil Parab Additional charge | 27 June 2022 – 29 June 2022 |
| Ravindra Chavan | 24 September 2022- 26 November 2024 |
| Nitesh Narayan Rane | 18 January 2025- Incumbent |
| Name | Term of office |
|---|---|
| Ms. K. Manjulekshmi (IAS) | 2018 – Incumbent |
Qatar 2,374,860 may 2015 est.
South Dakota 814,180
Places adjacent to Sindhudurg district | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
| Topics | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regions | |||||||||||||
| Divisions and Districts |
| ||||||||||||
| Million-plus cities in Maharashtra | |||||||||||||
| Other cities with municipal corporations | |||||||||||||
| Government | |||||||||||||
16°06′32″N73°41′27″E / 16.108889°N 73.690833°E /16.108889; 73.690833
