PLACES

RISOD OR RISVAD

Risod, a big village in Washim tahsil with a population of 11597 souls according to the Census of 1971 is situated 26 miles to the south-west of Washim, the tahsil headquarters in 19° 55' north latitude and 75° 45' east longitude. A weekly market is held at Risod on every Thursday. The cotton and agricultural produce market committee was established in this village of fairly big size as early as 1899. the commodities regulated being cotton, groundnut, and all food grains. The village has been electrified and has a branch of the Akola District Central Cooperative Bank Ltd. Medical facilities are provided by the primary health centre conducted by the Zilla Parishad. Besides the primary schools. the Bharat High School, the Bharat Madhyarnik Kanya Shala and the Shri Shivaji High School cater to the need of higher education. A post and telegraph office is also located at Risod. The village has a protected water supply besides wells. The Government rest house with one suite provides lodging facilities for government officials on duty and also for the public at large. The village being on the boundary of the Marathvada and Berar regions is an important centre of entrepot trade especially in food grains. Much of the merchandise is brought from Aiarathvada region for sale. The place was once well-known for the production of dyeing agents then in use extensively.

Risod was the headquarters of a pargana and has always remained a place of some size. It is now the second largest place in the tahsil, next only to Washim town, the tahsil headquarters. According to the reports of the local people, there were water tanks of fairly big size in the village. They were dismantled by the local people around October 1724 to avoid free service to the army as the army camps generally used to be at places where facilities for the supply of water were available. Qaji khan sacked the place soon after Risod was among the parganas given to Lakhuji Jadhav. During the disturbances of 1857, Rohillas and Pendharis committed a dacoits at Risod. The contingent troops attacked the dacoits and a battle was fought near the village of Chinchave. With the stiff resistance offered by the dacoits Captain Mackinnon was killed and the marauders escaped under the cover of darkness.

The large tank referred to have been destroyed earlier, known as Pingalakshi Devi Talay after the temple of Pingalakshi Devi on its bank, was repaired during famines and is now used mostly for fish culture besides irrigating garden land.

Risod was the place of residence of a famous saint of the Vidarbha Region named Appa Svami. The samadhi of Appa Svami constructed long ago has a spacious court-yard measuring 100' x 100' and it faces the east The old temple of Siddheshvara also faces east and has a spacious courtyard It contains the pindi of Maharieva. The temple of goddess Pingalakshi is on the bank of the tank known after the goddess and faces the east. The idol of the goddess is just 3' in height.

The fair in honour of saint Amarnath is held at Riscd on Magha Vadya 14 About 10.000 people assemble at the tune of the fair.

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