Shrivardhan
- For the fort in Satara see Shrivardhan fort
| Shrivardhan श्रीवर्धन Shriwardhan | |
|---|---|
| City | |
|
Kondivali beach near Shrivardhan | |
  Shrivardhan Location in Maharashtra, India | |
| Coordinates: 18°02′00″N 73°01′00″E / 18.0333°N 73.0167°ECoordinates: 18°02′00″N 73°01′00″E / 18.0333°N 73.0167°E | |
| Country |
 India |
| State | Maharashtra |
| District | Raigad |
| Population (2001) | |
| • Total | 83,027[1] |
| Demonym(s) | Shrivardhankar |
| Language | |
| • Official | Marathi |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Vehicle registration | MH 06 |
Shrivardhan/Shriwardhan is a taluka, and city and a municipal council in Raigad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It has developed into a seaside resort, along with the nearby town of Harihareshwar, which also has a Shiva temple. Shrivardhan town itself does have many beaches (it is a peninsula) but there are other beautiful beach destinations nearby such as Diveagar Beach and Kondivali Beach. People from across Maharashtra come to Shrivardhan and the nearby beaches all round the year.
Shriwardhan (taluka) is an ancient place of historical importance and is mentioned as being visited by Arjuna Pandav in his pilgrimage. It is well known place for traders in the past. In sixteenth and seventeenth centuries under Ahmadnagar and afterwards under Bijapur shriwardhan was a port of consequence. It appears in the accounts of leading European travellers as Ziffardan. In 1538 Dom Joao de Castro described it as with little water in the pier at low tide but inside large and roomy.[2] It is notable as the birthplace of Balaji Visvanath (attached monument in Shriwardhan), the first Pesva (1713–1720) who was the Desmukh of the town. In 1713 Shriwardhan was one of the sixteen fortified places in the Konkan ceded by Balaji Visvanath Pesva to Kanhoji Angre of Kolaba. Balaji was the first Peshwa of Maratha Empire appointed by Chattrapati Shahu, grandson of Chhatrapati Shivaji
History
Shrivardhan is one of the oldest towns in Maharashtra. It is a town of Peshwas. The Bhat Deshmukhs of Shrivardhan - later popularly known as Peshwas - witnessed the rise and fall of Marathas after Shivaji's period. Though the capital of Peshwas was Pune, the actual Peshwa (prime-ministership under a symbolic king) started here in 1713. Balaji Vishwanath (the First Peshwa) took the control of Peshwai which was continued till 1818. The Peshwas administered the Maratha kingdom for more than 100 years. The third Peshwa Balaji Bajirao built a huge house here in 1750, which has been recently renovated. The statue of Balaji Vishwanath was also built here in 1988.
The temple in the town - Shri Laxminarayan Temple - is the main temple of Peshwas. The idol in the temple is quite old and said to be of Hoysala architecture style. The other temples in the town are of Kusumdevi, Somjai, Bhairavnath and Jivaneshwar.
Geographic location
Shrivardhan is located in Raigad District of State of Maharashtra. Coordinates 18°02′00″N 73°01′00″E / 18.0333°N 73.0167°E / 18.0333; 73.0167
Demographics
As of 2001 India census,[3] Shrivardhan had a population of 15,187. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Shrivardhan has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 68%. In Shrivardhan, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Education
There are 130 primary schools in Shrivardhan Taluka and there are 3 schools in Shrivardhan City. There is routine school Health Check up organized by National Rural Health Mission doctors to assess the health status of school going children. Schools in Shrivardhan Taluka are covered under the Mid Day Meal program, which assures good quality protein-rich food to the school going children.
Languages
Alongside Marathi there are around 4 languages and/or dialects spoken in the town. In addition to Marathi, few other languages are commonly spoken: Marathi is the preferred language of 40% of the town’s residents, Hindi 5%, Kokani 20% and Urdu 20% English 5%.
Places of Interest near Shrivardhan
The distance between Shrivardhan and Harihareshwar is 18 km only and they both can be considered as twin cities. Good accommodation is available at Harihareshwar.
Diveagar is a quieter place than both Shrivardhan or Harihareshwar. It is a place which has come to notice just recently and slowly becoming a tourist attraction.
Accommodation
- You will find many hotels / resorts in Shrivardhan, Harihareswar or Dive Agar.
- A beatuful destination for weekend as well as picnics with groups. Fish dishes is special demand.
Transport
Rickshaws and Six Seaters are available for travel between Srivardhan and Harihareshwar. And also Maharashtra state transport buses are available.
Shrivardhan by bus
Shrivardhan is well connected to all neighboring cities by Government owned buses. Buses connect Mumbai (185 km), Pune (163 km), Harihareshwar (20 km) and Panvel (125 km).
Shrivardhan by train
Nearest railhead is Mangaon, which is 45 km away from Shrivardhan and this railway station in Konkan rail is well connected to Pune and Mumbai.
Occupation
Most of the people are engaged in fishing and agriculture. Shriwardhan is mostly covered with mango and coconut trees.
References
- ↑ http://www.elections.in/maharashtra/assembly-constituencies/shrivardhan.html
- ↑ Dom Joao de Castro, Primeiro Roteiro da Costa da India, 47.
- ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01.