PLACES

RAHURI

Situated in 19°20' north latitude and 74°35' east longitude with an area of 18.3 square miles, on the north bank of the Mula, about twenty-five miles to the north of Ahmadnagar is the head-quarters of one of the four revenue divisions of the district. The 1971 Census has enumerated its population at 17,961. The Ahmadnagar-Manmad road passes west of the town and a road made in 1879-80 joins it with the railway station about three miles to the east. The town has a vegetable market, a village panchayat office, a post and telegraph office, a telephone exchange and a State Transport bus-stand. Besides, it has five branches of different commercial banks, seven co-operative societies including one for the scheduled caste people and a regulated market yard. The Rahuri Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana [ For details see the Chapter on Industries.] was established at Shivajinagar, Rahuri, in 1954. As a result of these activities Rahuri has become one of the most important industrial places in the rural areas of the State. The weekly market is held on Thursday. It is also a cattle market.

The town has a primary health centre, a family planning centre and a veterinary dispensary. Among the educational institutions mention may be made of four primary schools, a Urdu school, a girls' school, a school run by an American mission, a Montessori school and a Samaj Kalyan Mandir.

The town has twenty temples, four mosques and two churches. Among these the temple of Khandoba is of great religious consequence though it is devoid of any architectural remains. A fair is held annually on Chaitra Vadya 1 (March-April) in honour of the god Khandoba and is attended by about seven thousand people. A conspicuous feature of the fair is one where a devotee is seen dragging single-handed twelve bullock-carts loaded to their maximum capacity with people. Another fair is held in honour of Bosind Buva on Ashadha Vadya 11 (June-July) when about two thousand people assemble.

A part of this large village is known as Jogeshvari Akhada which was a Gavali settlement about 600 years ago. The temple of Jagu Ai from which the name of this hamlet has been derived is in Hemadpanti style. Many devotees visit the shrine regularly.

The village contains the samadhi of one Sakharam Maharaj who used to cure persons with snake-bite through his supernatural powers.

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