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PLACES
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TAKARI
Takari (pop. 2,119) is a village in Valva taluka lying south of the Satara-Tasganv road 14.48 km (nine miles) north of Islam-pur, 16.09 km (ten miles) north-east of Peth and 25.74 km (16 miles) south-east of Karhad. It is remarkable for a curious cave known as Kamalbhairi, after the temple of the same name, situated on the south face of a range which runs nearly southeast about 0.85 km (half a mile) north of the road. A very steep scrambling ascent of about a quarter of a mile, especially the last 15.24 metres (50 feet) with a few steps made here and there, leads to a platform of rock 18.28 metres (20 yards) east of which is the cave. The white-washed temple of Kamalbhairi which blocks up the south-east end of the cave looks conspi-cuoti- from a long distance. The cave, most of it being a natural excavation, about 12.19 metres (40 feet) long by 9.14 metres (30 feet) deep, contains an oblong pond (11'x 10' — 3.35 x 3.04 metres) of good water with steps leading down at its east end. West of the cave is a small artificial looking chamber, evidently used as a temple of Mahadev with a ling. About 3.04 metres (ten feet) further on is yet another pond but is considerably smaller. The temple is a fine structure measuring about 7.62x3.04 metres (25' x 10'). It consists of a small hall and a shrine or gabhara, the hall or mandap having 1.82 metres (six feet) high pillars in three courses,. rectangular, cylindrical and octagonal, supporting a stone roof. The shrine is a square
chamber with a stone roof on which is raised a conical superstructure of brick and mortar with a kalas or pinnacle on the top. The temple in said to have been built by one Ramrav Bhagvant of Candar near Cikodi in Belgany in about 1730. A fair in honour of Kamalbhairi is held on the dark fourteenth of Magha (or February-March) and lasts for three days. The image of Kamalbhairi is carried in palkhi or litter procession all through the fair night. Takari has three primary schools, a high school teaching up to 9th standard, a branch post office and an inspection bungalow, Sugarcane is grown here in abundance. Being a railway station, Takari has grown into a fairly big trade centre and has a market yard. Raw sugar, turmeric and betel-leaves are the chief articles of export,
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