Satara (city)

The first Muslim invasion of the Deccan took place in 1296. In 1636 the Nizam Shahi dynasty came to an end. In 1663 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj conquered Parali and Satara fort. After the death of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shahu Shivaji, heir apparent to the Maratha Empire, captured by Mughals when he was only seven years old, remained their prisoner till the death of his father in 1700. The Dowager Maharani Tarabai proclaimed his younger half-brother, and her son, Shahu Sambhaji as Chhatrapati Maharaj under her regency. Mughals released Shahu under certain preconditions in 1707, so that Marathas would face an internal war for the throne. Shahu returned to the Maratha Empire and claimed his inheritance. Aurangzeb's son Muhammad Azam Shah conquered Satara fort Ajinkyatara after a 6-month siege, later won by Parshuram Pratinidhi in 1706. In 1708 Chattrapati Shahu, the son of Sambhaji, was crowned at the Satara fort. The direct descendants of Raja Shivaji continue to live in Satara. Udayanraje Bhonsle is the 13th descendant of Shivaji Maharaj.[2]

View of Satara at sunset from Chaarbhinti

Satara is located at 17.68°N 73.98°E / 17.68; 73.98.[3] It lies in the Satara District.[4] Satara city is surrounded by seven mountains. Satara lies on the slope of Ajinkyatara fort.[5] It lies on the western side of the Deccan Plateau. Pune and Solapur are the main cities close to Satara.[6] The city is surrounded by the tehsils of Koregaon on the West, Karad and Patan on the South, Jawali on the East and Wai on the North.[7]

National Highway 48 (formerly National Highway 4) passes through Satara, between Karad and Khandala.[8] Kaas Plateau, a valley of flowers, is situated 25 kms away from Satara .[9]

The Satara District experiences earthquakes of minor magnitudes. the epicenter of these earthquakes are scattered in Phaltan district.[10]

Satara is famous for Kaas Plateau, Thoseghar, and a lot of natural sites present in the vicinity of the city. Kass Plateau has been awarded as a UNESCO's World Heritage Site (WHS). In the monsoon months, the Kaas Pathar, as it is locally known, transforms into a wildflower wonderland. More particularly so in September when vivid shades of pink balsams, yellow smithias, and blue utricularias carpet the vast grasslands. It’s a must-visit for serious botanists, amateur photographers to witness the spectrum of Western Ghats monsoon montane grasslands flora, some of which are rare and endangered. [11]

As of 2011 India census,[15] Satara had a population of 120,079; 61,129 are males while 59,066 are females, thus males constituted 52% of the population and females 48%.[16] Satara has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 74%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 76%. In Satara, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. Marathi is the native and most widely spoken language.

Maharashtra state's sex ratio is 883 girls per 1000 boys, and Satara fares worse still at 881, in spite of the high level of literacy.[17]

The population of Satara has crossed the municipal limits and actual urban agglomerate population 326,765. The city is surrounded with census towns viz. Pratikash B. Karanje, Khed, Godoli and Vilaspur. These census towns are considered as suburban of Satara city.

The nod for Satara city limit expansion was given by Mr. Devendra Phadanvis then chief minister of Maharashtra on 16 September 2019. The matter was pending for 40 years. The borders of city will be extended upto NH4 towards east, upto Anjikyatara towards south, all region south to Venna river. Shahupuri, Sambhajinagar, Vilaspur and Dare Budruk grampanchayats will become a part of Satara city.

Satara city falls under Satara Lok Sabha constituency, represented by MP Shriniwas Patil from the Nationalist Congress Party.[18] The city also elects an MLA from the Satara Vidhan Sabha constituency, represented by BJP's Shivendrasinh Abhayasinh Bhosale.[19] [20]

Sugarcane is the single biggest crop of Satara along with turmeric and ginger. The Satara district has around 302 banks. The per capita of Satara district is nearly 1.2 times the state average.[34] The British had, during the pre-Independence period started a variety of industries in Satara for Menthol and soap manufacturing in 1905. Bigger industries for copper were started in 1922. After independence, the whole district was stagnant in industrial growth. From 1950-60, industrial growth restarted and the manufacture of jaggery was started in the Satara Tehsil area. There is tanning industry in Satara city. It existed during the British rule, and after independence, the Maharashtra government established a modern tanning center in 1957.[35]

Tourism

Kas plateau, Satara (World Heritage Site)[36]

The famous tourist points near Satara city are:

• Ajinkyatara Fort (अजिंक्यतारा किल्ला)
• Sajjangad Fort (सज्जनगड किल्ला)
• Kaas Plateau – Called "Valley of flowers of Maharashtra" which is also a World Heritage Site
• Baramotichi Vihir Step well, near Limb village which is about 16 km from Satara
• Thoseghar Waterfall
• Yewateshwar
• Bamnoli
• Dhom Dam
• 12 motichi vihir, limb
• Raje Baksavar Peer Saaheb Dargha (Khatgun)
• Chaphal (Shree Ram Mandir, Near Umbraj)[37]

Bamnoli boating view

A view of Narayan Maharaj Math from Shembdi Vaghali-Bamnoli Road

A sunset view from Naryan Maharaj Math, Bamnoli

Satara is well known for Sainik School, Satara - The first among the chains of Sainik Schools established in the country on 23rd June, 1961 under the Ministry of Defence. [42]

• Sai Bhosale
• Ramshastri Prabhune
• Tanaji Malusare
• Rani of Jhansi
• Jyotirao Phule
• B. R. Ambedkar
• Bhaurao Patil
• Krantisinha Nana Patil
• Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav
• Udayanraje Bhosale
• Narendra Dabholkar
• Shivendra Raje Bhosale
• Sayaji Shinde
• Surekha Yadav
• Lalita Babar
• Jagannath Raoji Chitnis

Satara is about 250  km from Mumbai on National Highway 48 (via Mumbai Pune Expressway and PB road) & 110 km away from Pune. Train services from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus railway station, Mumbai to Kolhapur via Satara. Private travels and government state transport buses are available from Borivali, Dadar, Mumbai Central, and Thane to Satara. Satara is around 110  km from Pune (Pune Airport is the nearest airport) by road.

Satara city is well connected with the rest of Maharashtra by road and rail. National Highway 48 a part of the Golden Quadrilateral running between Delhi and Chennai passes through Satara connecting Mumbai and Pune on north side and kolhapur on south side in Maharashtra. A bypass was constructed to avoid traffic congestion in the city. National Highway 965D connects Kedgaon, Supe, Morgaon, Nira, Lonand, Wathar up to Satara. National Highway 548C starts from Satara, Satara-Akluj-Latur Highway connects Satara city to Latur, it passes through Koregaon, Pusegaon, Mhaswad, Akluj, Tembhurni and Murud. It will also be a 4 lane highway, work is going to start soon. State Highway 58 connects Satara with Mahabaleshwar and Solapur.

Satara railway station lies on the Pune-Miraj line of the Central Railways and is administered by the Pune Railway Division. The railway station is located a small distance east of the city and is served by several express trains. Sahyadri Express, Koyna Express, Mahalaxmi Express, Maharashtra Express, Goa Express are daily trains that have stops at Satara. Satara Mahad Bankot is a newly declared national highway connecting Satara to the Konkan region.

• Bhosale
• Maratha
• Maratha Empire
• List of Maratha dynasties and states
• Peshwe
• Holkars

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Satara.

• Paul H. von Tucher: Nationalism: Case and crisis in Mission – German Missions in British India 1939 – 1946 Diss. Erlangen 1980. Author's edition Erlangen/Germany 1980. Read SATARA.
• Wilhelm Filchner: Life of a Researcher (chapter XXIII). Wilhelm Filchner was interned from September 1941 until November 1946 in the Parole Camp in Satara.
• Selections from the Historical Records of the Hereditary Minister of Baroda. Consisting of letters from Bombay, Baroda, Poona and Satara Governments. Collected by B. A. Gupte. Calcutta 1922.
• Malik, S. C. Stone Age Industries of the Bombay & Satara Districts, M. Sayajirao University Baroda 1959.
• Irawati Karve, Jayant Sadashiv Randadive, The Social Dynamics of a Growing Town and Its Surrounding Area. Deccan College, 1965, Poona. ISBN B0000CQW3J
• Valunjkar, T. N. Social Organization, Migration & Change in a Village Community, Deccan College Poona 1966.
• Dr. B.R.Ambedkar writes about his experience while living as a child in Satara in his autobiographical book, Waiting for a Visa