Katraj is suburb ofPune in theIndian state ofMaharashtra, and within the jurisdiction ofPune Municipal Corporation. Katraj is famous for its Peshwa-era (18th century) lake that supplied water to the city during that period.[1][2] The village lies at the foot of theKatraj Ghat or mountain pass on the mainNational Highway 4 connecting Pune with places south of the city, such asKolhapur andBangalore. In recent decades area surrounding the lake and the village of Katraj became part the City of Pune. The former rural area is now surrounded by residential complexes. The lakeside hosts theRajiv Gandhi Zoological Park.[3]Bharati Vidyapeeth, a deemed university, has its main campus here. A largeJain temple was built here in late 20th century.
Katraj lake and surrounding Mountain range in 1976
The Jain temple was built in late 20th century and is one of the majorŚvetāmbara Jain pilgrimages inPune. This temple was constructed under direction ofAcharya Daulatsagarsuri. This temple houses copper-plate prints of theŚvetāmbara canon on its walls and is one of the severalAagam mandirs. An image ofPadmavati, who is popular among devotees, was installed inside the temple in 1999.[4] Temple has rich architecture.Temple also has adharamshala with modern facilities along withbhojanalya.[5]
^Joshi, S., 2007. Sustainable Management Plans for Urban Lakes in India. In Proceedings of Taal2007: The 12th World Lake Conference (Vol. 1202, p. 1207).
^Khare, K. C., and M. S. Jadhav. "Water Quality Assessment of Katraj Lake, Pune (Maharashtra, India): A Case Study." Proceedings of Taal2007: The 12th World Lake Conference. Vol. 292. 2008.
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