1. BULDHANA
Major Attractions
[ Lonar | Lonar Crater | Sindkhed Raja | Vishnu temple | Gomukh Temple | Flora and fauna |
Khamgaon | Sant Gajanan Maharaj | Worlds Biggest Hanuman Murti ]
Lonar
Lonar is a taluka of the district of Buldhana of the
division of Amravati of the region of Vidarbha in the
Indian state of Maharashtra. Lonar is located near
Mehkar. Situated on the outskirts of Lonar town in
Buldhana District, the Lonar Crater was first discovered
in 1823 by British officer, J.E. Alexander. It is also
written about in ancient scripts like the Skanda Puran, the
Padma Puran and the Aaina-i-Akbari. Lonar is
distinguished by the fact that it is the world's third largest
crater. It has its origin nearly 50,000 years ago, when a 2
million-ton meteorite impacted the earth to create a
depression 1.83 kilometers in diameter and 150 meters deep.Since that disastrous event, Lonar
has evolved into a pleasant expanse of sky blue water among a relaxing emerald forest that
stretches around it as far as the eye can see. Today, it attracts casual tourists as well as members
of the scientific community from across the world, including research agencies like the
Smithsonian Institution of Washington DC, the US Geological Survey, the Geological Society of
India, and Sagar University, Jabalpur, and Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, which
have conducted extensive studies about the site. But, the scientific angle aside, this destination
also has much to offer wildlife enthusiasts as it is generously endowed in both flora and fauna.
The crater is home to hundreds of peafowl, chinkara and gazelles, which browse amongst the
shrubs and bushes ringing the lake. Other residents include egrets, moor hens, herons, coots,
white-necked storks, lapwings, grey wagtails, grebes, black droungos, green bee-eaters,
tailorbirds, magpies and robins - as well as numerous species of migratory birds that often visit
the place. Lonar impresses with the richness of its natural heritage. And, like the meteorite that
put it on the map, leaves a lasting impression. It is an important place in Buldhana district and is
famous for Lonar crater and Lonar Lake.
Lonar crater
Lonar is situated around 550 km from Mumbai, around
160 km from Aurangabad and around 140 km via
Buldhana with about 4 1/2 hours drive southeast of the
famous Ajanta Caves.The nearest railway station is
Malkapur, on the Mumbai - Bhusawal -Nagpur route of
Central Railways of Indian Rail around 100 km from
Lonar.Lonar crater in the Buldhana district of
Maharashtra state, India is the largest crater in basaltic
rock. It is partially filled by a salt-water lake.It is 6,000 ft
(1.83 km) in diameter and 170 metres in depth, and its age is estimated to be 52,000 ± 6,000
years. (Pleistocene)
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Lonar crater is situated around 550 km from Mumbai, 160 km from Aurangabad and 140 km
from Buldhana at 19.975° N 76.51° E. It is about 4 1/2 hours drive southeast of the famous
Ajanta Caves. The nearest railway station is Jalna on Manmad-Nanded Section of SC Railway.
Although once thought to be of volcanic origin, Lonar Crater is now recognized as an impact
crater created by the hypervelocity impact of either a comet or meteorite. The impact origin of
this crater is clearly demonstrated by the presence of plagioclase that has been either converted
into maskelynite or contains planar deformation features (PDFs). Only shock metamorphism
caused by a hypervelocity impact could either have transformed plagioclase into maskelynite or
created PDFs in it. The impact origin of Lonar Crater is further substantiated by the presence of
shatter cones; impact deformation of basalt layers comprising its rim; shocked breccia inside the
crater; and a nonvolcanic ejecta blanket surrounding the crater.It has history that dates back more
than 50000 years, carved out when a meteor struck it. Lonar Lake, near Lonar village in the
Buldhana District, is not just he source of Excitement for the visitors but also for the scientist
community.Lonar is the third natural salt-water lake in the world, with a diameter of 1800 meter.
It comes after Bosmatvi Lake in Ghana, which has a diameter of 10000 meter and New Cubec in
Canada with a Dai of 3500 meter.According to scientists, about 50000 year back a massive
meteor entered into the Earth's gravitational forces range. 60 meter long and weighing 20 lac ton
it was racing at a speed of 25 kms per second towards the planet.When it struck the earth the
energy released was equivalent to that released by six-megaton atom bombs. The impact was so
severe that rocks from all sides came o the surface and reached the height of 20 meters.
The impact was so severe that it left a massive crater 170-meter deep and with 1800 meter in
diameter. Today it is natural salt-water lake.The lake was first brought to notice in 1823 by
British officer C J E Alexander. In 1896, American
geologist G K Gilbert conducted studies to prove that
Lonar was created due to meteor strike.An extensive
study conducted on the spot under the leadership of Prof.
K Fredrikson by officials of Geological Survey of India,
United States Geological survey and other institutions,
proved using Cosmic Ray-dating that the lake was
created by a meteor hit 50000 years ago.The official dug
up the heart of the lake and conducted experiments on the
material gathered from there, before making their
announcement public. The scientists also found some mineral found mostly in meteor hit areas.
Traces of Sodium Carbonate and magnetic properties were also observed in the soil there.Apart
form its scientific importance, Lonar also occupies a place of prominence in our ancient scripts.
It finds mention in "Aaina-E-Akbari" During the days of Emperor Akbar, a salt factory was
located here. According to Sanskrit Literature, Lonar was called "Viraj Kshetra" in ancient times.
It finds mention in "Viraj Mahatmya" a chapter in "Skanda Puran and Padma Puran" Sanskrit
works.According to Lonar Mahatmya in ancient times, Kashyap Rishi had many sons. One of
whom was believed to be staying in the vicinity of Lonar Lake. When Lavanasur terrorized the
people and rulers of the region, the son of Rishi Kashyap had prayed to Lord Vishnu to kill
Lavanasur.
In the 13th Century, a temple of Lord Vishnu as constructed there during the Chalukya Raj. The
temple still exists and is 150mt long and 450 mt. wide. IT is a fine example of the quality of
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architecture practiced and perfected during that era. Near the Lonar Lake is the Paphareshwar
pilgrimage. The engravings on the temple located there are in Sanskrit and sadly they have still
not been deciphered.To add to its natural beauty the Lake has enough faunas in its surroundings
making it a serene and scenic spot.The Lonar crater and lake form not only a spectacular sight
but over the centuries they have evolved an ecosystem that is not replicated anywhere else in the
state. The surface diameter of the crater is 1.80 kms while the crater itself is nearly 132 meters
deep. The waters are unique, shifting combination of azure and turquoise and parrot green when
seen from the viewpoint. Going down into the crater from the surface is
an energetic business as there is no handrails or elevators. There is a local
belief that the crater itself is the body of the genius loci, the goddess
Lonar Devi and she does not take kindly to construction on her sides. All
previous attempts at making a sturdier staircase have been washed away
in the rains, and given the intensity of local feeling about it, the
authorities have been content with the traditional carved rock path. This
is quite steep and is much more difficult to go down than climb up, but
the danger is more in overactive imaginations than in anything else.
Once down, almost the first sight that greets you is a ruined temple set
into a dense forest. This was supposed to be a Rama temple but only the basic structure in stone
is left now. There are many temples set round the edge of the lake, all of them constructed in the
12th-13th century in stone but the condition of all of them is not encouraging. What is amazing is
the fact that people transported the stone down that steep face and then began to carve and build
exactly as they were doing upon the surface at the time. It is an astonishing testament to the
energy that would flame forth whenever the cause was a spiritual one. The Vishnu temple and
Devi temple are in better condition than the rest but unless you are very determined you will find
a full circuit around the lake a tiring business. It can easily take up to three hours, and the
temples are scattered all around the rim. It is best to make an early descent, as climbing back up
under the midday sun is not the best option. Fortunately, the Maharashtra Tourism Development
Corporation has built a tourist complex where all facilities are available. The sensible option is to
drive down from Aurangabad the previous evening and make the descent bright and early the
next day. That would give you adequate time to see all the temples, observe the detailed carving
and architectural styles, as well as fully soak in the forest atmosphere of the crater.
For, the crater is host to many species of aquatic birds like flamingos, moorhen, coots, and
dabchick and so on. Peacocks are to be seen making spectacular glides from tree to tree. Unlike
the rest of the country they do not even need to forage upon the ground; so plentiful is the insect
and small prey population in the vegetation. The trees grow to be rather tall and they form a
canopy that filters out most of the heat. It does tend to get a bit muggy with the unusual levels of
humidity. You can even see dung beetles the size of your palm busily rolling their balls, right in
your path. There is no danger of snakes but geckos abound. One feature that has a potential to be
a nuisance is the monkey population. They are immensely territorial and throw fruits and twigs at
your heads if you have ventured near the trees they stake out. If this is close to running water, as
the crater has many little streams with cold water, they become agitated and one monkey actually
peed upon me. This was a pretty remarkable achievement as it was up a tree branch at least 50-
60 feet off the ground. It is also not a good idea to openly display food, as they will learn soon
enough that tourists are easy prey.
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But, the crater is not the only spot worth seeing in Lonar.
A piece of the meteorite had broken off and smashed into
the ground about a kilometer away, forming the Ambar
Lake. It is a pleasant enough spot but entry is regulated
by odd timings so just a look will suffice. Oddly enough
the water in this lake is nothing like the main crater.
Close by to the Ambar Lake is a nondescript little temple
dedicated to Hanuman, the Hindu god of strength and
intelligence. What is interesting is that the image of the
god is an actual piece of the crater and for long its magnetic properties had fascinated the people
who built a temple to house it. The god is supposed to be recumbent, resting after his mighty
labors, well known in Indian myth. The meteorite chunk is brightly painted in the orange color
that is preferred in this part of the world. The temple itself is a quiet, quaint little spot but it has
to be reached through a bedlam of a market place. Once you break through, the landscape is the
most flat and open space you will encounter for a while and the temple is set in the middle of this
nowhere. The temple is open all day and there is no fuss about taking photographs. It is also
mostly deserted all day, which makes it an unlikely area of silence in India. There is a well
adjacent to the temple, but the cool water is of dicey quality, so do not let thirst overcome
discretion.
Where to Stay:
MTDC Holiday Resort comprises self-contained rooms and dormitory with a restaurant.
Getting there:
Nearest airport is Aurangabad, 122 kms.
Nearest railhead is Malkapur on the Mumbai-Bhusawal line.
Mumbai-Aurangabad-Jalan-Lonar, 600 kms. Lonar-Buldhana, 95 kms. Lonar-Mehakar
Taluka, 23kms. Lonar-Aurangabad, 145 kms.
From Nagpur, it is 388 kms by Nagpur - Washim - Lonar route. From Aurangabad, it is
170 kms by Aurangabad - Jalna - Sindkhed Raja - Sultanpur - Lonar Crater.
Sindkhed Raja - Birth Place of Rajmata Jijabai
Sindkhed Raja, a small Taluka place in Buldana district, situated 105 kms away from district
headquarters Buldhana on the State Highway No. 183, is known world wide as the birth place of
Rajmata Jijabai, the mother of the great Maratha Warrior and king, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
There are a number of monuments in this small township, which owe their existence to Rajmata
Jijabai and her father Lakhuji Jadhav. These monuments like Kalkat, Rang Mahal, Tomb of
Lakhuji Jadhav, Palace of Lakhuji Jadhav, ancient temple of Neelkantheshwar and Rameshwar
have great heritage and architectural value.
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Getting there:
By Air: Nearest Airport is Aurangabad, 90 kms
By Rail: Nearest Railhead is Jalna on South Central Railway.
By Road: Mumbai-Ahmednagar-Jalna-Sindkhed Raja, 515 kms Sindkhed Raja-
Ahmednagar 239 kms Sindkhed Raja -Jalna 30 kms.
Vishnu temple
The small Vishnu temple and most others in the vicinity are constructed in the Hemadpanthi
style i.e. without use of cementing agents. While most temples are now permanent abodes of bats
and mice, only ones that attract pilgrims have some resemblance to their original selves.
Gomukh Temple
Gomukh Temple, along the rim of the crater with a perennial stream is another interesting site.
A fascinating sight is the presence of hundreds of peafowl's which live inside the crater. The
crater has potential as a bird sanctuary and also one can sight langoors, snakes, monitor lizards,
mongoose, fox and deers. To promote tourism in this area, M.T.D.C. has constructed Crater
View Tourist Complex.
Getting There
By Air: Nearest Airport is Aurangabad (M.S.), 122 kms.
By Rail: Nearest Railhead is Malkapur on the Mumbai-Bhusawal line or Jalna 90 km
away.
By Road: Mumbai-Aurangabad-Jalna-Lonar, 600 kms. Lonar-Buldhana, 95 kms. Lonar-
Mehakar, 23 kms Lonar-Aurangabad, 145 kms, Lonar is well connected by regular bus
service from Malkapur, Khamgaon, Aurangabad, Ajanta, Buldhana, Jalgaon & Mumbai.
Flora and fauna
Lonar Crater has very different flora and fauna in the vicinity. The Dnyanganga Sanctuary is
situated in the district. There is good forest area in the sanctuary.
Khamgaon
Khamgaon is an industrial town and a tehsil in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra, India.
Khamgaon tehsil has 132 villages. The area of the tehsil is 998.37 km2. Its location is 19°51' to
21°17' North latitude and 75°57' to 76°49' East Longitude. It is connected by central-railways to
Jalamb Junction with single electric line. It lies on National highways No. 6.
Khamgaon is the most important cotton ginning market in Buldhana district. MIDC Khamgaon
(Khamgaon Industrial Area) is situated 5 km away from the Khamgaon town.
Nearby Tourist Places
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Jagdamba Mandir, Ghatpuri
Lonar Crater, Lonar
Shri.Sant Gajanan Maharaj, Shegaon
Anand Sagar, Shegaon
Worlds Biggest Hanuman Murti, Nandura
Shri.Sant Gajanan Maharaj, Shegaon
Shegaon, a municipal town in Khamgaon Tehsil is famous for the
Samadhi of Shri Gajanan Maharaj - a mystic saint as popular as Saibaba
of Shirdi. Shri Sant Gajanan Maharaj made his divine appearance on 23-
2-1878 and enlightened millions. He attained samadhi on Bhadrapad
Shukla Panchmi 08-09-1910.
The Samadhi Sthan (Temple) is visited by millions of devotees from far
and near. You'll see a large number of pilgrims here, some coming from
various parts of Maharashtra, and across the India. Mythological,
Shegaon can be described as the Pandharpur of Vidarbha.Thousands of
devotees pay their respects at the Samadhi every Thursday, which is
regarded as a special day
See the temple of Shri Ram, also constructed in the premises of the shrine. If you visit Shegaon
on Ram Navami in Chaitra and on Rushi Panchami in Bhadrapada month of the Hindu calendar,
you can also attend the fairs held here on these occasions.
Getting there:
By Railway
The town Shegaon is connected by Central Rly on Mumbai-Howrah mainline Alight at
Bhusawal & change if coming from Delhi, Gwalior, Lucknow, Allahabad, Bhopal, Bangalore
and Goa. Those coming from Madras, or Vijaywada should change at Wardha. Those coming
from Secunderabad, Jiapur, Indore should change at Akola. All Express & Mail trains except
Gitanjali & Navjivan Exp. Stop at Shegaon.
By Road
One can approach by Road/Bus from Khamgaon a distance of 17 Kms connected with National
High Way No.6. Direct Buses of state transport available from major cities of Maharashtra and
from Indore, Ujjain, Dewas and Baroda from Shegaon.
Worlds Biggest Hanuman Murti, Nandura
Lord Hanuman is son of Pawan (Air) and Anjani (the woman of highly spiritual native). Lord
Hanuman is called PAWANSUT (Son of Air) and ANJANIPUTRA (Son of Anjani).
About Murti: Height: 105 ft. Chest: 70 ft. Base: 30 ft. Tail: 70 ft. Arm: 25 ft. (diameter) Gada 30
ft.Sole 34 ft.Nail of sole:15 ft.
Getting there:
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By Air: Nearest Airport is Aurangabad, 197 kms and Nagpur 317 Kms
By Rail: NANDURA is situated on Mumbai - Howara(via NAGPUR)Railway Root,From
Bhusawal Distance 90Kms West.
By Road: One can approach by Road/Bus from Khamgaon a distance of 18 Kms connected with
National High Way No.6. Direct Buses of state transport available from major cities of
Maharashtra
Buldhana District has an area of 9,680 km² and is located in Amravati Division of Maharashtra,
located in central India. It is around 500 km from the state capital, Mumbai.
The world largest hypervelocity meteorite impact crater in basaltic rock, the Lonar crater, is
located in Buldhana district.
The district is bounded on the north by Madhya Pradesh state, to the east by Akola and Washim
districts, to the south by Parbhani and Jalna districts, and to the west by Jalna and Jalgaon
districts.
The district is the western most district of Vidarbha.
Origin of name
It is also spelled as Buldana earlier.
History
It is believed that Buldhana, along with the rest of the erstwhile Berar province, was part of the
legendary kingdom of Vidarbha mentioned in the Mahabharata. Berar also formed part of the
Mauryan Empire during the reign of Asoka (272 to 231 BCE). Berar later came under the rule of
the Satavahana dynasty (2nd century BCE-2nd century CE), the Vakataka dynasty (3rd to 6th
centuries), the Chalukya dynasty (6th to 8th centuries), the Rashtrakuta dynasty (8th to 10th
centuries), the Chalukyas again (10th to 12th centuries), and finally the Yadava dynasty of
Devagiri (late 12th to early 14th centuries. A period of Muslim rule began when Ala ud din
Khilji, Sultan of Delhi, conquered the region in the early 14th century. The region was part of the
Bahmani Sultanate, which broke away from the Delhi Sultanate in the mid-14th century. The
Bahmani Sultanate broke up into smaller sultanates at the end of the 15th century, and in 1572
Berar became part of the Nizam Shahi sultanate, based at Ahmednagar. The Nizam Shahis ceded
Berar to the Mughal Empire in 1595. As Mughal rule started to unravel at the start of the 18th
century, Asaf Jah I, Nizam of Hyderabad siezed the southern provinces of the empire (including
Berar) in 1724, forming an independent state. Mother of Chhatrapati Shivaji, Veer Mata Jijabai
was born at Sindkhedraja, at the Palace of Lakhuji Jadhav.
In 1853, the district together with the rest of Berar came under the administration of the British
East India Company. Berar was divided into East and West Berar with Buldhana district being
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included in West Berar. In 1903, Berar was leased by the Nizam of Hyderabad to the British
Government of India. Buldhana district forms the west part of Amravati division now.
Geography
The world heritage site of Lonar crater is located
in Buldhana district.
The d boundary latitude are: 19.51° to 21.17° N
and longitude are: 75.57° to 76.59° E
The climate is tropical and people mostly use
cotton clothes.
The district lies in the Tapti River and Godavari
River basins. Purna River is tributary of Tapti
River while Penganga River and Kadakpurna
River are tributaries of Godavari River.Here are some of the rivers in Buldhana, with
their tributaries
Purna River
Vaan River
Mann River
Utawali River
Nipani River
Mas River
Bordi River
Dynanganga River
Vishwaganga River
Nalganga River
Penganga River
Kadakpurna River
The district of Buldhana comprise of thirteen talukas namely Malkapur, Motala,
Buldhana, Chikhali, Mehkar, Sindkhedraja, Lonar, Deoulgaonraja, Khamgaon, Nandura,
Shegaon, Sangrampur, and Jalgaon-Jamod.Buldhana district is located in the central
portion of the state of Maharashtra. Akola, Jalgaon, Jalna, Parbhani are the adjoining
districts to the east, west & south respectively. Nemad district of the M.P. is to the north
& lies between 19°51' to 21°17' North latitude and 75°57' to 76°49' East
Longitude.Buldhana (Buldana) is a city in the state of Maharashtra, India. It is the
headquarters of Buldhana District. It is located on the top of a mountain in Ajanta ranges,
in central India and is about 900 m above sea level.Buldana (Buldhana) is located in the
state of Maharashtra in India.
Taluka: Buldhana
District: Buldhana
STD Code: 07262 (India country code: 91)
Nearest Railway Station: Malkapur (45 Km.)
Languages: Marathi, Hindi
Major Crop: Cotton
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Places of interest
Lonar, place of Lonar Crater, Lonar Lake and Lonar Sanctuary;
around 90 km to the south.
Ajanta caves, 50 km away from the city.
Sindkhedraja, birth place of Veer Mata Jijabai, mother of
Chhatrapati Shivaji and Palace of Lakhuji Jadhav, around 100 km
Shegaon, also known as Pandharpur of Vidarbha, home to the
Sant Gajanan Maharaj, around 90 km
Mehkar, the famous Balaji Temple.
Deoulgaonraja, the famous Balaji Temple.
Chikali, the Durgah of Sailani Baba
Dnyanganga Sanctuary
Ambabarva Sanctuary
Nandura, for the world's biggest Hanuman idol.
Transport And Travel
The various railway stations with their codes are Malkapur (MKU), Vadoda, Chandur,
Nandura (NN), Jalamb Junction (JM), Khamgaon (KMN), Shegaon (SEG), and Nagzari
and are under Bhusawal-Badnera Section of Bhusawal Division of Central Railway.
National Highway 6 NH6 passes through Khamgaon, Nandura, and Malkapur towns in
the district. The other major road is State Highway passing through Shegaon, Khamgaon,
Chikhali, and Deulgaonraja. Vehicles from Nagpur, Amravati and Akola pass through
Khamgaon-Chikhali-Deulgaonraja while going towards Jalna-Aurangabad and Pune.
There are many Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation's bus stands at all towns
of the districts. The major one is Buldhana, Malkapur, Chikhali, Khamgaon, Shegaon and
Nandura. There are State Transport bus depots at Buldhana, Malkapur, Chikhali, Mehkar,
Khamgaon, Shegaon and Jalgaon-Jamod.
The important roads in the district are ·
National Highway 6 - Balapur Akola - Kolori - Khamgaon - Aamsari - Nandura - Wadner -
Malkapur - Dharangaon - Muktainagar (earlier Edalabad) JalgaonState Highway 176 Chikhali -
Mehkar - Malegaon ( Washim )State Highway 183 Buldhana - Chikhali - SindhkedrajaState
Highway 000 Deoulgaonraja - Chikhali -Amdapur - Khamgaon - Shegaon - Akot ( Akola
)Sindkhedraja - Bibi – Lonar Shegaon - Manasgaon - Warwat - Bawanbir - Wasali -
AmbabarvaBuldhana - Rohana - KhamgaonBuldhana - Motala - Malkapur - Darangaon -
Edalabad JalgaonMotala - Nandura - Jalgaon-Jamod- Sangrampur - Warwat - Telhara ( Akola
)Bawanbir - Sonala - Hiwarkhed ( Akola )Bibi - Mehkar - Janephal - Amdapur Motor buses,
jeeps are the popular mode of transport. The nearest airport for the district is Aurangabad, which
is around 150 km.
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