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PLACES OF INTEREST
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AMALNER
Amalner—(21°00 N, 75°00' E; 3.75 sq. miles; p. 44,464), the headquarters of Amalner taluka, is situated on the Bori river 21 miles north of Dhulia and about a mile east of the Bombay-Agra National Highway. Amalner is also a railway station on the Surat-Bhusaval line. The town mainly consists of three streets with two or three storeyed houses, many of them with handsome wood carvings, running parallel to the river. Amalner is a
local grain trade centre. The spinning and weaving mill at Amalner is known as the Pratap Spinning, Weaving and Manufacturing mill.
Population.
The population of the town according to 1951 Census was 44,646.
Of this the agricultural classes number 5,666 and the non-agricultural classes 38,980. Of the latter, 18,516 persons derive their principal means of livelihood from production other than cultivation; 7,231 persons from commerce; 830 persons from transport; and 12,403 persons from other services and miscellaneous sources.
Municipality.
The Amalner municipality was established in 1884 and is now
governed by the Bombay Municipal Boroughs Act, 1925. The municipal council is composed of 24 members elected from 5 wards. Two seats each are reserved for women and Scheduled Castes and one for Scheduled Tribes. The municipality has, besides the standing committee, committees for sanitation and drainage public works and lighting.
During the year 1956-57, the income of the municipality excluding extraordinary and debt heads amounted to Rs. 8,95,699 composed of rates and taxes, Rs. 6,51,655, revenue derived from municipal property and powers apart from taxation, Rs. 74,313, grants and contribution, Rs. 1,63,860, and miscellaneous Rs. 5,871. The expenditure for the same year, excluding extraordinary and debt heads totalled Rs. 7,53,850, general administration and collection charges accounting for Rs. 1,27,358, public safety, Rs. 24,942, public health and convenience Rs. 4,13,808, public instruction, Rs. 1,61,900, contributions, Rs. 4,650, and miscellaneous, Rs. 21,292.
Water supply is mainly from private and public well. River water is also used by some inhabitants. Drinking water is supplied to the inhabitants from three municipal wells located in different places by means of pipes and taps. Roads are watered by a municipal fire-fighter-cum-water-sprinkler. There are open stone and China-pipe drains in many parts of the town. Sullage is collected in cesspools and is then removed by municipal workers. The municipality maintains a fire-fighter. Compulsory primary education is managed by the Municipal School Board. During 1956-57, the net expenditure incurred by the municipality on primary education was Rs. 1,61,900. There were in 1956-57, 135 teachers and 6,775 pupils in the primary schools. The municipality gives to the Khandesh Education Society an annual grant of Rs. 3,000, which is distributed as follows: The Pratap Arts and Science College, Rs. 1,500; the Pratap High School, Rs. 500; the Gangaram Sakharam High School, Rs. 500; and the Draupadi Ramchandra Kanyashala, Rs. 500. The municipality does not maintain any library but pays an annual contribution of Rs. 500 to the Victoria Jubilee Library to conduct a free reading room.
The total road mileage is 23½ of which one and a half miles are asphalted, four miles metalled, and the rest unmetalled.
The municipality has constructed separate buildings for vegetable and mutton markets. A weekly market is also held in the town for which otas have been constructed.
The municipality runs an allopathic dispensary, and also an Ayurvedic dispensary. The veterinary dispensary managed by the District Local Board, is situated on the Dhulia Road, the municipality paying an yearly grant of Rs. 1,400. The Pratap Hospital is managed by the Khandesh Medical and Surgical Aid Society.
The municipality maintains a cremation ground for Hindus and burial grounds for Muhammedans. The Bohora community has a private burial ground of their own situated beyond the river Bori on the Bhopda road.
There are temples of Ambarshi, Mahadev (known as Varneshvar), and Pratap Ram Mandir (known as Kharteshvar).
In May, a fair, lasting for about three weeks, is held in the river bed in memory of Sakharam Buva, a Brahman priest, who lived about 175 years ago, and in whose honour a handsome temple has been built in the bed of the stream. About 80,000 people attend the fair, and traders come even from distant places.
When (1818) the British took Khandesh, Amalner fort, one of the chief forts in Khandesh, nominally held for the Peshva by Madhavarav Raja Bahadur, was really in the hands of his Arab soldiers. On leaving the fort in obedience to orders, he gave the garrison strict injunctions to surrender it to no one, not even the Peshva. This order was strictly obeyed, for after the chief had succeeded in re-establishing himself in the good graces of his master, the garrison refused to admit him. They afterwards acknowledged him and he returned, but when he wished to hand over the place to the British authorities, they would not allow him. After many attempts to purchase their submission had failed, they were declared rebels. A British force marched from Malegaon. Summoned to unconditional surrender the garrison at first refused. But finding all way of escape blocked, after some delay they laid their arms outside of the fort, and advancing into the bed of river were made prisoners.
In 1818 the fort was described as 200 feet square surrounded on three sides by the town, and on the fourth washed by the river Bori. The wall on the river site as well as the corner towers were lined with stones. The inside filled nearly to the foot of the parapet, commanded the town, which was enclosed by an eight feet high wall, whose river face was likewise lined with stones. The three gates and the traverse thrown out to cover them were greatly out of repair. The place was of little importance as it was commanded by a hillock about 250 yards off, on the opposite bank of the river.
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