Atpadi

Atpadi is an administrative town of the

The town can also lay claim to a literary connection, with four prominent Marathi authors originating from Atpadi.

History

The history of Atpadi before the 15th/16th century is not documented. Some editions of the

Atpadi is located at Latitude: 17° 25' 0 N, Longitude: 74° 57' 0 E with a population of approximately 25000. The only language used in the town is Marathi. The northern area of Atpadi has government administration office, a Government Hospital, Courthouse, Police station, Electricity Board office, colleges and newly formed colonies. Major developments of the new Atpadi area is on the north side of town while the south side of town is old and more populated. the southern part serves as a commercial center and as the downtown area of Atpadi. It has the MSRTC bus stand, and the old government hospital. The old Atpadi town has a market place for the weekly bazaar (vegetable, fruit, cattle market), a designated road for shops known as Peth. The residential areas in old town is dominated by families from the caste/with the surname Galli.

• Different galis are named as Wani Galli, Brahman Galli, Navhi Galli, Kosthi Galli, Kasar Galli, Deshmukh Galli, Kumbhar Galli, Parit Galli. Other newly formed residential colonies are Choundeshwari colony, Vidya Nagar, Sathe Nagar, Phule Nagar, Vithal Sampat nagar.

Surrounding area and villages

Atpadi is surrounded by small farming hamlets from all directions of town known as 'Waadi'. These places hold houses of farmers further grouped into communities. They lack commercial markets or higher education schools. The surrounding areas depend on the Atpadi town for trading agricultural produce and for education. Their proximity to the town area, the expansion of the town with a growing population, infrastructural needs and well connected roads are making surrounding areas become part of the town.

• Bhingewadi: Bhingewadi is a small Grampanchat Village located 3 kilometers to the north-west of the Atpadi Town. Bhingewadi is populated mostly by farmers whose surname is Bhinge, thus the name Bhingewadi. Bhingewadi is a small village of 2000 people with much farmland. Wheat, Jowar, Bajara, and pomegranate are the main produce from the farmlands. It is adjacent to Swatantrapur.
• Bombewadi: Located on the East Side of Atpadi City
• Awalai: Situated in between Dinghachi village and Atpadi slightly near to village Nimbawade.
• Deshmukhwaadi: Situated to the east of Atpadi
• Yamaji Patalachi Wadi: Located on the Atpadi-Sangola road
• Mapate Mala: Located on the Atpad-Nimbawade road to the north-west
• Sonarsiddhnagar: Located on the Atpadi-Kouthuli road. It has the industrial colony of Manganga Sugar Factory.
• Kouthuli: Located near Manganga river and Manganga Sugar Factory.
• Swatantrapur: Located between Atpadi lake and Bhingewadi. It is a free custodian colony built in 1939. The Hindi cinema, 'Do ankhe baraah haath' is based in Swatantrapur.
• Location of Atpadi with respect to surrounding area and other major towns.
• Nimbavade: located between Atpadi and Zare
• Anusewadi: located between Atpadi and Nimbavade. The way goes from Atpadi Police Station to Nimbavade through crossing the small village Anusewadi. The large shepherd community in this village tend flocks of sheep and goats.

Season

Summer, monsoon rain and winter are the main three seasons year-round. The region falls under the rain-shadow area resulting in less rain.

Water resources

The only source for drinking water in Atpadi is a lake which is located 3 km away from town. The Shuk Odha (stream) and Manganga River are near to Atpadi. Generally both of them are active only during the monsoon season. Various water canals were projected into the Atpadi Taluka under Khrishna Khore Vikas Mahamandal's scheme named Tembhu.

Forest area

Atpadi has a forest office near

1. Atpadi (Arts, Science and Commerce),
2. Kala Vidnyan Mahavidyalaya affiliated to Shivaji University, Kolhapur.
3. Abasaheb Khebudkar Junior college of science, Atpadi

• Schools :

1. Shree Bhavani High School, Atpadi
2. S.V.D.D. Girl's High School, Atpadi
3. Rajaram Bapu Highschool, Atpadi. All high schools are affiliated to the SSC/HSC board, Kolhapur.

Professional courses:

1. Industrial Training Institute, Atpadi (ITI college); Various D.Ed. Colleges and Agriculture Diploma College, Bhingewadi.
2. Sriram society's Engineering and Diploma college
3. D.Ed and B.Ed college

A.k.jr college of science, atpadi

Medical Service

Government Primary Hospital is major medical facility in Atpadi, supported by various private clinics, hospitals and laboratories.

Art and culture

Literature

Atpadi has produced four presidents of

• MaanDarshan: A magazine published from Atpadi.
• Vyatha Pinjryatil Pakhranchya: Kavi Shriram Anuse who is the Mandeshi poet.
• Punha Ek Navi Disha: Author Nitinraje Anuse whose full name is Nitin Machhindra Anuse.

Folk dance, songs and sports

Folk dance and songs, known as 'Gaji' and 'Dhangari Owi' respectively, are hallmarks of the Maandesh culture. Rural sports like soil wrestling and Kabaddi are held annually at various annual fairs. Modern sports like cricket and volleyball are other popular sports. Namdev Wadare, a Shivchhatrapati State award-winning wrestler started a wrestling institute in Atpadi where the western style of wrestling is taught.

Agriculture and cattle

• Agriculture: Jowar, maize, wheat, cotton, sugarcane, bajari and pomegranate are the main agricultural produce in Atpadi. Pomegranate plantations are quite new and modern irrigation techniques, like drip irrigation, have helped local farmers to grow pomegranate fields. Being an export product to Middle-East and Arab nations, pomegranate has given higher yields to farmers than traditional crop-based farming. The low monsoon rainfall is advantageous to farmers as the pomegranate is a desert tree.
• Khillari bull
  (Atpadi Mahal)- The breed is well adapted to the tropical and drought prone conditions present in this part of the world and are favoured by the local farming community due to their ability to handle the hardships of farming pretty well.
• Buffalo, sheep and goat are also raised.
• Sheti Pariwar Kalyan Sanstha, Atpadi in Maharashtra faces drought and lacks irrigation facilities, making goat and sheep farming popular for economic sustainability. Traditional goat farming methods were time-consuming, leading to youth migration. In 1975, Shri. Narayanrao Deshpande founded 'Sheti Pariwar Kalyan Sanstha' for agricultural development and experimented with stall-fed goat farming, successfully developing the Osmanabadi breed. They also grew specific fodder trees for goats on dry and waste land, now taught through training programs. 'Sheti Pariwar' is now known for training in stall-fed goat rearing, breed development, and new agricultural methodologies.

Temples and festivals

The Atpadi town as well as the Atpadi Taluka has various temples. Uttareshwar is a patron god of the Atpadi town and a 15‑day fair is held in Atpadi for Uttareshwar. The pulling of a wooden chariot by men is one of the rituals of the fair.

List of temples in Atpadi

1. Nath Baba (Bhingewadi Road)
2. Jotiba (Bhingewadi Road)
3. Sai Mandir (Bhingewadi Road)
4. AAI Saheb mandir ( wife of Saint Gondavalekar maharaj)- (Brahmin Galli)
5. Vitthal
   Mandir (Near ST Stand)
6. Kalleshwar (Center)
7. Vitthal Mandir (Near the Post Office)
8. Ram mandir (Brahman Galli)
9. Datta mandir (Brahman Galli)
10. Ramnath Buwa mandir (Peth)
11. Uttareshwar (bajar Patangan, Patron god of Atpadi.
12. Kala Maruti (bajar Patangan)
13. Khandoba (bajar Patangan)
14. Yellama (bajar Patangan)
15. Math (Wani Galli)
16. Laandaa Maruti (Prakashwadi)
17. Tambada Maruti (Deshmukh Galli)
18. Vetal (Prakashwadi)
19. Parmeshwar Mandir (Shukra Odha)
20. Sonarsiddha Mandir (Sonarsiddhwadi)
21. Narsoba Mandir located at various places in town. (Five in all)
22. Ganesh
    Mandir (Ambabai Odha)
23. Ambabai mandir (Ambabai Odha)
24. Tulajapurche Thanake (Karkhana Road)
25. Choundeshwari Mandir

26. Mayakka Mandir (Sathe chowk)

List of other temples from Atpadi taluka

Festivals

Diwali, the main festival of Hindus, other festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi and the Muslim festival, Muharram, are celebrated publicly. Apart from religious festivals, a town fair devoted to the patron god of Atpadi, Uttareshwar, is held after Diwali for 3 days.

• Uttareshwar jatra – Atpadi. Major fair of the area starting from Kartik Pornima and lasting the next 15 days.
• Gnyaneshwer Parayan Sohala-Tadavale 2 May per year
• Akhand Harinam Saptha (Jotiba Mandir) – Madgule. Held every April
• Paravarcha Melava (G. D. Madgulkar Janma divas 1 October) - Shetphale.
• Ashtami Yatra – Shetphale. Chaitra Vadya Ashtami
• Khandoba Jatra – Madgule
• Yallama devi yatra, Jotiba yatra - GOMEWADI
• Marimi Aai Yatra – Tadawale
• Marimata Jatra – Avalai
• Paush yatra – Kharsundi. This festival is famous for its khillari cattle trade in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra.
• Chaitra yatra – Kharsundi (Saasan/Shaasan Kaathi)
• Jakai yatra – Nelkaranji
• Masoba Jatra – Banpuri. This festival starts from Shalivahan Shak, the Hindu new year (Gudhipadava), and lasts for 5 days.
• Hanuman Jatra Festival – Pimpri Budruk
• Hanuman Sidhanath jatra at Shuknagar. (Hivtad)
• Hari nam saptaha Balewadi
• Mahalakshmi Temple Bombewadi

Other villages in Atpadi Taluka

• Complete List of grampanchat villages in Atpadi taluka can be found here.

Distance from major cities

• Sangli - 90 km
• Kolhapur - 135 km
• Pune - 240 km
• Hyderabad - 450 km
• Solapur - 120 km
• Pandharpur - 60 km
• Karad - 100 km
• Satara - 120 km
• Mumbai-400 km
• Nagpur-777 km

References

External links

• Sriram society's Engineering and Diploma college
• Atpadi Education Society
• Maharashtra Pomegranate Growers research Association