PLACES

TALODA

Taloda, the headquarters of the taluka of the same name with 14.641 inhabitants in 1961, is a municipal town lying nearly 99.72 kin. (,62 miles) north-west of Dhulia. Being situated not far away from the Tapi river, the greater part of its soil is fertile. Its nearness to the forest clad Satpuda ranges has made it one of the important timber marts of Dhulia district. Teak of very fine quality can be had in this market. There is also a considerable trade in rosha grass oil. The town is inhabited by adivasis. The existing means of transport and communications virtually isolate Taloda from the outside world during monsoons. However, the completion of the conversion work of Burhanpur-Raver-Shirpin-Shahada-Taloda-Sagabara State highway and the Taloda-Nandurbar Sakri-Satana State highway into pucca roads would soon break this isolation and give a fillip to the development and overall progress, of the town. A part of the work on the first one of these highways has already been completed.

Municipality.

Constitution : The municipality here was established in 1867. It has an area of 22.80 km² (8.8 sq. miles) under its jurisdiction. Aided by the necessary staff the administrative affairs of the municipality are managed by a committee of 20 councillors with the president at its head.

Finance : In 1963-64 total municipal income excluding that due to extra-ordinary and debt heads but including such major items as taxes, income derived from municipal property and powers apart from taxation, grants and contributions etc.. was Rs. 1,68,686. Expenditure during the same year on major heads such as administration and collection charges, public safety, health and instruction as also grants, but excluding that on extraordinary and debt heads was Rs. 1,78,900.

Municipal Works : So far the municipality has not undertaken any major works. There are no municipal roads constructed in the town except a small stretch of one kilometre. It is now proposed to construct two sheds for the daily vegetable market. Each shed will, have 12 platforms of 6.09 X 3.04 metres (20 ft. X 10 ft.) A fifteen room school building is under construction and is estimated to cost Rs. 1,00,586.

Health and Sanitation : The town has one municipal conducted civil dispensary and a veterinary dispensary conducted by the Zilla Parishad. Besides there are a few private dispensaries. With the exception of a few masonry lined drains, the town has mostly kutcha drains. In recent years no epidemic out-break has been recorded. Wells, both private and public meet the water needs of the populace.

Education : Primary education in the town is managed by the Zilla Parishad. It is compulsory. The municipal contribution in 1963 towards this end amounted to Rs. 16,103. In all there are five primary schools, three Marathi and two Urdu. A high school is conducted by the Peoples' Education Society. There is a municipal managed library receiving an annual grant of Rs. 1,000 from the curator of libraries, Poona.

Cremation and Burial Places: Cremation and burial places are maintained and used by the communities concerned. Generally the Hindus cremate the dead on the banks of the Tapi which is only 3.21 km. (2 miles) away.

Only one fire fighter is maintained by the municipality.

Besides the various institutions mentioned above, Taloda has mamlatdar's office, civil and revenue courts, a sub-post and telegraph office, a rest house, a seed and seedlings centre and a branch of the district central co-operative bank, Dhulia.

The town claims historical importance as it. is one of the places in Dhulia district where the Rashtrakuta copper-plates were found the others being Dhulia, Torkhede, Kharde. Javkhede, Pimpri, etc-!t was also here as the story goes that Malharrao Holkar, the great Maratha commander was shaded from the sun by a cobra while he was asleep in the open one afternoon.

Objects.

Of the objects of interest within the town, the temple of Siddheshvar and a gadhi known as Bargal Gadhi merit a mention. Situated in Brahman galli, the Siddheshvar shrine is entered through a beautifully ornamented arched door. While the outer shrine with mosaic floor is 6.09 X 6.09 metres (20 ft. X 20 ft.) the inner is 3.65 X 3.65 metres (12 ft. X 12 ft.). A stone image of nandi installed on a pedestal occupies central position in the outer shrine. The inner shrine contains a ling of Siddheshvar. The Bargal ' gadhi built in brick and mortar is in a ruined state. It is believed that it has tunnels underground going in different directions.

Taloda also has a domed temple of Chandramauleshvar and numerous other temples among which may be mentioned those of Ram, Mahadev, Mahalakshmi, Muralidhar, Hanuman, Shani, and kalikamata. The last of these is situated on the Kordi bank and on Akshayatritiya day a large fair is held in honour of that goddess.

Among the chief remains in the country around Taloda could be mentioned a temple built in honour of Ganapati by one Babubbai Shroff in 1962 at Budhaval 8 km. (5 miles) west. It is a small shrine containing a 0.761 metre (2½ft.) high idol of Ganapati with its trunk turned to the right.

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