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PLACES
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BARSHI
Situated in 18°13' north latitude and 75°41' east longitude north-west of Sholapur, the district head-quarters, Barshi is a municipal town and a head-quarters of a taluka bearing the same name. It has, as per the Census of 1971, a total population of 62,374 souls. Being the headquarters of a taluka the offices of the Mamlatdar and the Block Development Officer are located at Barshi. It is also a seat of the Civil Judge (Junior Division) and First Class Judicial Magistrate. There is a separate police station for the town only. It is a railway station on the Latur-Kurduwadi narrow gauge section of the South-Central railway. The railway itself was known as Barshi Light Railway. Wells and a tank form the main sources of water-supply. Scarcity of drinking water is often felt. A weekly market which is also a cattle market is held at Barshi on every Saturday.
Municipality : The municipality was established at Barshi in the year 1865. It covers an area of fourteen square miles. It is now governed under the Maharashtra Municipalities Act, 1965. The municipal council is composed of thirty-three members with three seats being reserved for women and two for the scheduled castes. The municipal council has formed six committees, viz., the standing committee, the public works committee, the education committee, the sanitation, medical and public health committee, the water-supply and drainage committee and the planning and development committee to look after the various aspects of municipal administration. The Chief Officer is the executive head of the municipality and is assisted by the Health Officer, the Municipal Engineer, the Octroi Superintendent, the Internal Auditor and the Chief Accountant and other ministerial staff.
For public convenience the municipality maintains two vegetable markets, one mutton market and one fish market. The open-air theatre-cum-mangal karyalaya has been constructed at a cost of about Rs. 67,000. The municipality conducts one hospital and an ayurvedic dispensary. The veterinary dispensary is managed by the Zilla Parishad. Primary education has been made compulsory in the town and is conducted by the municipal school board. The municipality spends annually about Rs. 4,00,000 on primary education. The underground drainage system has not been introduced in the town as yet. There are open and covered gutters and the arrangements are made by the municipal council for the removal of night-soil. Wells and the Pathari tank form the main sources of water-supply. Pumping sets have been installed on wells within the municipal area. The municipality maintains one fire-fighter and the necessary staff. The total length of roads in the municipal limit is approximately 46 kilometres, of which a length of about sixteen kilometres is asphalted, about twelve metalled and about eighteen unmetalled. The cremation and burial places are maintained by the municipality.
Objects: The only object of interest in the town is the temple of Bhagavant constructed in Hemadpanti style. It is of little architectural consequence. Many devotees of Viththal of Pandharpur visit the shrine on way to Pandharpur. Almost all the devotees of Vithoba of Pandharpur and especially those belonging to the varkari sect visit the shrine on dvadashi whenever they visit Pandharpur on the day of ekadaslii.
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