PLACES

KHAMGAON

Khamgaon (HQ., 20° 43' N., 76° 38' E., RS., p. 53,692): This is the headquarter of the tahsil of the same name. The town is connected by railway to Jalamb on the Bombay-Nagpur route of the Central Railway. It is also a headquarters of a sub-division.

The cotton trade at Khamgaon dates from about the year 1820, when a few merchants opened shops and began to trade in ghee, raw thread and a little cotton. The place is said to owe its start in commercial life to the good management of one Jetal Khan, a revenue collector, who invited and encouraged traders. But the settlement of capitalists here is ascribed to a characteristic accident. The great camps of Pendharis were followed by many merchants and brokers who made big gains by buying up the booty. In 1818 Colonel Doveton broke up a large horde of Pendharis at a village close to Khamgaon. They were forced to disband and scatter, so the honest prize agents of this camp settled at Khamgaon and their descendants became virtuous dealers of cotton in particular and other merchandise in general. In 1870. the town was said to be the largest cotton mart in India. However, it is no longer the case though the town still has a considerable trade in cotton. There are 22 ginning and pressing factories in the town. The weekly market is held on Thursdays and is very largely attended during the busy season. It is also a cattle market. A regulated market is also established in the town.

The general appearance of the town is picturesque. It is surrounded by low irregular hills, while in the hollow, in and about the town, trees are plentiful. Besides the courts of the Assistant and the Additional Sessions Judge and those of the Civil Judge (Senior Division) and Civil Judge (Junior Division), there are the offices of the Sub-Divisional Officer, Tahsildar and Panchayat Samiti. There is also a post and telegraph office. There are two hospitals in the town, one managed by the Government and the other managed by a private institution aided by the Government. The educational facilities are provided, by a number of primary schools and by seven high schools, viz., the Government Multipurpose High School, the Municipal High School, the New Era High School, the National High School, the Kela High School, the Anjuman Madhya Pradesh High School and the Government Girls' School. The G. S. College also provides facilities for higher education. There arc two police stations. The municipal office was situated in a club building many years ago. It has now been shifted to its new premises.

The town proper is split in two by a large nallah which runs from east to west. To cross it, there is a large bridge on the Chikhli Road as also a large causeway in the heart of the town which has grown on all sides. There was a large fort, a gadhi, which is no more in existence. Near the place where the gadhi was located, is a large vesa or gateway which clearly belonged to the fortifications of the former village. There are a temple of Maruti which is possibly of some antiquity, a handsome temple of Balaji, two fine Jain temples, a few lesser temples and four small mosques. The Mukteshvara Ashrama is conducted by the Bharatiya Samartha Dharma Rashtra Dharma Pracharak Mission which has a few branches in Bombay and some other places in the State.

Municipality.— The municipality was established at Khamgaon in 1887. It is now governed under the Maharashtra Municipalities Act, 1965. It covers an area of 13.36 square kilometres. The municipal council is composed of 30 members of whom 28 are elected and two co-opted. From amongst the elected members one seat is reserved for the scheduled castes and two for women.

The municipal administration is conducted by various committees such as the Standing Committee, the Public Health Committee, the Water Works and Drainage Committee, the Education Committee, the Public Works Committee and the Planning and Development Committee. The President of the municipality is the Chairman of the Standing Committee while for other committees the chairmen are elected from amongst the councillors.

During 1968-69, the total income [Durinp 1973-74 the total income and expenditure amounted to Rs. 47,01,000 and Rs. 45,43,000.] of the municipality including extraordinary and debt-heads amounted to Rs. 32,18,687.00 and consisted of municipal rates and taxes, Rs. 16,40,265.00; revenue derived from municipal property and powers apart from taxation, Rs. 1,2',158.00: grants and contributions, Rs. 5,72,250.00 and income from miscellaneous items, Rs. 4,65,063.00. Extraordinary and debt-heads accounted for Rs. 4,19,951-00.

During the same period the total expenditure of the municipality including extraordinary heads came to Rs. 30,46,269.00. It was composed of general administration and collection charges, Rs. 9,42,531-00; public safety, Rs. 71,690.00; public health and convenience, Rs. 9,76,415; public instruction, Rs. 4,94,540-00; grants and contributions, Rs. 550.00 and expenditure on miscellaneous items, Rs. 73,469. The expenditure on extraordinary heads was Rs. 4,87.074-00.

Primary education has been made compulsory in the town one high school. During 1968-69, the municipality spent since 1931. The municipality conducts 16 primary schools and Rs. 3,99,769 on primary education and Rs. 74,771 on higher education. Besides the municipal high school, there are many other schools conducted by private institutions.

In addition to the main hospital at Khamgaon, there is one Government jubilee Memorial Hospital for women, one child welfare centre, one leprosy centre and one Ayurvedic dispensary. The veterinary dispensary is conducted by the municipality. The town is occasionally subject to the epidemics of cholera and small-pox and the municipal authorities take prompt measures to contain the incidence whenever these diseases break out in an epidemic form.

At present water is supplied to the town from the storage tank known as the Jamuna storage tank constructed for the purpose by the municipality. The municipality has also constructed water works at Sutala at the cost of Rs. 10 lakhs. The municipality has also prepared a scheme estimated to cost about Rs. 20 lakhs to augment the supply of water. For carrying of nightsoil, the municipality has constructed R.C.C. drainage. The municipality maintains two mutton markets and two vegetable markets. The municipality has under its jurisdiction roads 27 miles and 7 furlongs in length of which 4 miles 4 furlongs are asphalted, 13 miles 2 furlongs are metalled and 9 miles and 3 furlongs are unmetalled. The municipality maintains four gardens viz., the Jayastambha garden, the Nataraja garden, the Jamuna Tank garden and the Reservoir garden.

There are two crematoriums and eight burial grounds in the town. These are maintained by the respective communities.

The temple of Balaji is located in the Sarafa part of the town just by the side of the Jain mandir. It has a spacious sabhamandapa with three arched facades. It is a double-storeyed

Structure, the upper storey being used by the pujari as his residence. The shrine measures only 10'x10' and the entrance door is plated with silver with finely executed patterns. The side walls of the shrine are studded with coloured marble tiles also hearing flower patterns. Above the entrance door are painted two beautiful images of Lord Krishna. On the lintel is an image of Gana-pati also plated with silver. The studded tiles, besides bearing flower patterns, have images of peacocks and gods and goddesses like Lakshmi and Vishnu. Above the studded half to the right, in the wall is an illustraticn of Sheshashayi Bhagavan with Narada, Hanuman and Garuda in attendance. On the left is an illustration of dancing gopis. Tn front in a canopy is housed an image of Hanuman. The temple has been entirely rebuilt in recent years. On the door of the temple are the images of Datta-treya, Krishna, Mahadeva and other deities. Every year the festival of Dasara is celebrated at the temple.

TOP