Chandrapur Chanda | |
|---|---|
City | |
 | |
| Nickname: Black Gold City | |
 Chandrapur in Maharashtra | |
| Coordinates:19°57′00″N79°17′49″E / 19.950°N 79.297°E /19.950; 79.297 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Maharashtra |
| District | Chandrapur |
| Founded by | Khandkya Ballal Shah |
| Named after | Mahakali Temple |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mahanagar Palika |
| • Body | Chandrapur Municipal Corporation |
| • Mayor | Rakhi Kacharlawar |
| • Municipal Commissioner | Vipin Paliwal,IAS |
| • Chairman, Standing Committee | Ramu Tiwary |
| Area | |
• Total | 76 km2 (29 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 188 m (617 ft) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 518,000 Chandrapur Urban Area |
| • Rank | Vidarbha: 4th |
| • Density | 4,200/km2 (11,000/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Chandrapurkar |
| Language | |
| • Official | Marathi |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 442401,442402,442403,442404 |
| Telephone code | (+91), 7172 |
| Vehicle registration | MH-34 |
| Website | Official website |
Chandrapur (earlier known asChanda, the official name until 1964) is acity and amunicipal corporation inChandrapur district, Maharashtra state, India. It is the district headquarters ofChandrapur district. Chandrapur is a fort city founded by Khandkya Ballal Shah, aGond king of the 13th century.[1] The city sits at the confluence of theErai River and Zarpat river. The area around the city is rich in coal seams.[citation needed]. Hence, Chandrapur is also known as the "Black Gold City".[2]
The local people relate the name "Chandrapur" to the wordsChandra (the moon) andpur (a settlement) after a legend. Scholars see the name as a derivative of "Indupur" (city of the moon) which stood near the Jharpat in theTreta Yuga.
The founding legend of Chandrapur, is rooted in the legend ofChanda Kingdom's king Khandkya Ballal Sah (1437-62 CE) ofSirpur, who was afflicted with tumors. Guided by his wife, he relocated to theWardha River's north bank, establishing Ballarpur. During a hunt, he discovered a spring on theZarpat River's dry bed, its waters miraculously healing his ailment. Upon further investigation, the spring revealed cow footprints in rock, deemed a holy site, "Tirtha of Acalesvar", theAchaleshwar Temple group in Chandrapur was erected there after the deity appeared to the king in a dream. Later, witnessing a hare chase his dog, the king, following his wife's advice, founded a fortified city, Chandrapur, avoiding the spot where the hare was killed, deemed unlucky. This narrative combines myth and local lore to explain the city's establishment and the significance of its sacred spring.
There are many Stone Age sites in Chandrapur District. Suresh Chopane, a renowned researcher, found many stone-age tools in the district, which has been displayed in his Rock Museum. Archeological finds, such as signs of pottery making, suggest inhabitation of the Chandrapur area inNeolithic times.[3] TheGond people are part of theAdivasi (indigenous people) of India. In ancient times, the Gond diaspora spread throughout central India.[4]
From ancient times, Chandrapur has fallen under the control of many different rulers. Between 322 BCE and 187 BCE, much of India, including Maharashtra, was part of theMaurya Empire.[5] From 187 BCE to 78 BCE, Chandrapur was part of theShunga Empire which controlled much of central and eastern India.[6] TheSatavahana Empire controlled Chandrapur from the 1st century BCE to the 2nd century CE.[7] TheVakataka dynasty ruled from the area from the mid 3rd century CE to 550 CE.[8] TheKalachuri dynasty ruled in the area in the 6th and 7th centuries CE.[9] TheRashtrakuta dynasty followed, controlling the Chandrapur region between the 7th and 10th centuries. TheChalukya dynasty ruled in the region to the 12th century CE.[10] TheSeuna (Yadava) dynasty of Devagiri ruled a kingdom, including the Chandrapur area, in approximately 850 CE and continued until 1334 CE.[11]
After the passage of many kings, who were largely subservient to other rulers, the Gond king ofKingdom of Chanda, Khandkya Ballal (1470 – 1495) came to the throne. He founded Chandrapur.[4]
Chandrapur was taken over byBhonsles of Nagpur in 1751 during theMaratha empire period.[12] The last ruler of the Maratha dynasty,Raghuji Bhonsle III died in 1853 without issue. In 1853, Chandrapur was annexed toBritish India.[13]
During the British colonial period, the area of Chandrapur was called "Chanda". By 1871,Anglican andScottish Episcopal missionaries had arrived in the city.[13]
In 1874, threetehsils were created: Viz Mul, Warora and Bramhpuri. The upper Godavai district ofMadras was abolished and four tehsils were added to Chandrapur to form one tehsil withSironcha, approximately 150 km to the south, as its centre of governance. In 1895, the headquarters was transferred to Chandrapur. In 1905, a new tehsil with headquarters atGadchiroli was created through the transfer ofzamindari estates from Bramhpuri and Chandrapur tehsil. In 1907, a small area of land was transferred from Chandrapur to the newer districts and another area of about 1560 km2, comprising three divisions of the lower Sironcha tehsil (Cherla, Albak and Nugir) were transferred to Madras State. Between 1911 and 1955, no major changes occurred in the boundaries of the district or its tehsils.
In 1956, with the reorganization of Indian states, Chandrapur district was transferred fromMadhya Pradesh toBombay state. In 1959, part ofAdilabad district ofHyderabad state, was transferred to Chandrapur district. In May 1960, Chandrapur district became part of theMaharashtra state. In 1964, the city was renamed to Chandrapur. Following the 1981 Census of India, Chandrapur district was divided into Chandrapur district andGadchiroli district.
Chandrapur is located in central India in the eastern part of Maharashtra state at 19.57°N latitude and 79.18°E longitude.[14] Chandrapur is situated at 189.90 meters above themean sea level. The area of the city is about 162.41 km2. The north–south length of the city is about 15.90 km, while the east–west length is about 10.90 km. The city slopes from the north to the south.
Chandrapur lies at the confluence of the Erai and Zarpat rivers. The Erai river has a history of flooding. Flood marks are seen on the walls of the city. In the north of the city, a dam is constructed on the river Erai, having the capacity of 207 million cubic meters. The Gaontideo Nala originates from the uplands of theChandrapur Super Thermal Power Station. The Macchhi Nala originates from uplands of Central Forest Rangers College.
Chandrapur lies on terrain rich in coal. Chandrapur is called a "geological museum" as there is a large variety of rocks as well as commercially valuable minerals and fossils.[15] Samples of such rocks are collected at the Suresh Chopane Rock Museum.[16]
Chandrapur has a hot and dry climate. December is the coldest month, with a minimum average temperature of 9 °C and a maximum average temperature of 23.2 °C. May is the hottest month with a mean maximum temperature of 43 °C and a mean minimum temperature of 28.2 °C. On 2 June 2007, there was the highest recorded temperature of 49 °C.[In January 1899 & 2021], there was the lowest recorded temperature of 2.8 °C.
Themonsoon season comes between June and September. Chandrapur's average annual rainfall is 1249.4 mm. The average number of rainy days is 59.2.[17]
| Climate data for Chandrapur (1991–2020, extremes 1901–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 35.8 (96.4) | 40.0 (104.0) | 44.4 (111.9) | 46.4 (115.5) | 48.6 (119.5) | 49.0 (120.2) | 40.6 (105.1) | 37.2 (99.0) | 38.4 (101.1) | 40.1 (104.2) | 36.1 (97.0) | 38.7 (101.7) | 49.0 (120.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.4 (86.7) | 33.6 (92.5) | 37.9 (100.2) | 41.3 (106.3) | 43.1 (109.6) | 38.0 (100.4) | 31.9 (89.4) | 30.6 (87.1) | 32.2 (90.0) | 32.7 (90.9) | 31.0 (87.8) | 30.1 (86.2) | 34.5 (94.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 14.6 (58.3) | 17.2 (63.0) | 21.5 (70.7) | 25.6 (78.1) | 28.5 (83.3) | 27.0 (80.6) | 24.9 (76.8) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.4 (75.9) | 22.2 (72.0) | 17.7 (63.9) | 13.7 (56.7) | 21.8 (71.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 2.8 (37.0) | 3.9 (39.0) | 7.2 (45.0) | 11.7 (53.1) | 18.9 (66.0) | 20.0 (68.0) | 17.8 (64.0) | 18.3 (64.9) | 18.3 (64.9) | 10.9 (51.6) | 6.2 (43.2) | 3.5 (38.3) | 2.8 (37.0) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 10.8 (0.43) | 8.3 (0.33) | 19.4 (0.76) | 17.5 (0.69) | 19.9 (0.78) | 219.9 (8.66) | 373.8 (14.72) | 325.0 (12.80) | 181.7 (7.15) | 65.5 (2.58) | 10.5 (0.41) | 3.5 (0.14) | 1,255.8 (49.44) |
| Average rainy days | 0.7 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 9.2 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 8.9 | 3.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 59.0 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 17:30IST) | 45 | 36 | 28 | 25 | 23 | 48 | 72 | 77 | 69 | 61 | 57 | 50 | 49 |
| Source:India Meteorological Department[18][19][20] | |||||||||||||
Chandrapur has been ranked 20th best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 2 3-10L Population cities) in India according to 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 Results'[21]
Per the 2011 census of India, Chandrapur's population was 518,000.
Marathi is spoken by majority of the people in Chandrapur. The nativeGondi is spoken by most of theGonds in Chandrapur. People can also speakHindi and English.
Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, the conference onMarathi literature, has been held twice in Chandrapur, in 1979 (ChairVaman Krushna Chorghade) and in 2012 (Chair Vasant Aabaji Dahake).[22]
In 2016, the inaugural All India Gondi Religious Convention was convened by the Central Provinces and Berar Gondwana Samaj Sewa Samiti in Warora, 30 km north west of Chandrapur. The chair was Raja Virshah Krushnashah Atram, a descendant of Khandkya Ballal Sah and current titular Gond king of Chandrapur.
According to the 2011 India census, total population was 3,20,379.[23]
| Year | Male | Female | Total Population | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001[24] | 151202 | 138248 | 289450 | - |
| 2011[23] | 164085 | 156294 | 320379 | 0.107 |
Chandrapur lies onmajor state highways MH MSH 6, MH MSH 9 andstate highways MH SH 233, MH SH 243 and MH SH 264. Chandrapur is connected to many cities inMaharashtra by theMaharashtra State Road Transport Corporation bus service. Bus services are offered to Pune, Nagpur, Amravati, Yavatmal, Hyderabad, and Raipur. A proposed Chandrapur Pune expressway, via Yavatmal Beed, is in the planning stages.
Chandrapur railway station is managed by theNagpur CR railway division of theCentral Railway. It lies on theNew Delhi–Chennai main line. TheChanda Fort railway station is managed by theNagpur SEC railway division of theSouth East Central Railway. It lies on the Balharshah–Gondia line. Other railway stations within city limits areVivekanand Nagar railway station,Babupeth railway station andChoti Padoli railway station.
Chandrapur Airport, operated by theMaharashtra Airport Development Company, is situated near Morwa on MH SH 264, about 12 km from the city. The airstrip is 950 m in length. Development of the airport is limited by surrounding obstructions, particularly the thermal power plant.[26] Hence, the MADC is building a greenfield airport at Vihirgaon, 40 kilometres from Chandrapur.[27] The nearest airport with scheduled flights is theDr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur.
Chandrapur is a centre forcoal mining. In 2012, there were 27 coal mines around Chandrapur.[28]
Other industries include cement making, paper manufacturing, and ferro alloy manufacturing.
TheChandrapur Super Thermal Power Station, a 3,340 MW power station complex which is owned by theMaharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited, occupies an area of 12,212 hectares (122.12 km2) about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the city. It employs approximately 3,460 people and supplies more than 25 percent of the state's electricity. Amasonry dam on the Erai river, 15 km from the station provides water to the station and to Chandrapur. On 16 January 1977, the station's foundation stone was laid by the Central Energy Minister, K. C. Pant.
TheKarmavir Dadasaheb Kannamwar High School (previously known as the Zilha Parishad Jubilee High School) was established in 1906. The Lokmanya Tilak Vidyalaya was founded byBal Gangadhar Tilak. The Chanda Sikshan Prasarak Mandal is a large educational institution with a number of campuses in Chandrapur.
Chandrapur has agovernment medical college and agovernment engineering college. The city's colleges (apart from the medical college) are affiliated withGondwana University.
On 20 October 2011, Chandrapur municipal council was elevated to a D-grademunicipal corporation.[29]
The Chandrapur Fort (earlier known as Chanda Fort) (today called "old city") is afort located at confluence of Erai and Zarpat rivers. The fort was built by Gond king, Khandkya Ballal Sah. The fort has four gates: Jatpura Gate to the north, Anchaleshwar Gate to the east, Pathanpura Gate to the south and Binba Gate to the west. The fort also has Five small gates, calledkhidkis (windows): Bagad Khidki to the northeast, Hanuman Khidki to the southeast, Vithhal Khidki to the southwest and Chor Khidki to the northwest and Masan Kidki. The fort has strong walls 15–20 feet high.[30]
MahakaliMandir (temple) is an often frequented temple in Chandrapur. The ancient temple was built by Dhundya Ram Sah, of Gond Dynasty around the 16th century. Tuesdays are a particularly significant day to visit. Within the mandir there is a smallGanesh temple and aHanuman temple. At the two temple entrances, there are small shops forpuja (worship) supplies such ascoconut, flowers and cloth. Items for home décor and puja décor are sold near the temple. Near the rear entrance there is aShani temple.
Within the temple are twomurtis (idols). One associated withShiv Ling is a standing idol decorated with red, yellow and orange cloths. The other is in a reclining position below the ground level, and devotees must walk in a tunnel to reach it. Inside the temple, a priest is present to assist visitors with puja and offerings. A trust administers the temple. Dharmashalas provide accommodation for pilgrims. The annualyatra (fair) takes place in April, entertaining the followers of Mahakali and the citizens of Chandrapur.
The Anchaleshwar Mandir celebrates a form of the Lord Siva. It is situated adjoining Anchaleshwar Gate of Chandrapur fort on the banks of the Zarpat river. The officialsamadhi (mausoleum) of the Gond kings is located within the temple complex.
TheTadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve is located approximately 30 km north of Chandrapur near the Erai dam. This park was included in the project tiger since 1973. The total area of the reserve is 625.40 km2. In 2014 the tiger population in Tadoba was 66, that number has gone up to 86. Tadoba is now a home to 86 Tigers despite years of lynching, poaching & other threats.[31] There are many hotels and resorts near Moharli gate, Zari gate and Navegaon gate of the reserve, available for the tourists. The guided tours inside the park are available during early morning and evening time only.[30][32]
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