PLACES

WARDHA

Wardha town is the headquarters of the district of the same name. It derives its importance from Mahatma Gandhi's long association with it and from the railway junction on the Bombay-Nagpur route; the Delhi- Madras line takes off from here. The population of Wardha has increased nearly five fold since the turn of this century and in 1961 stood at 49,113 persons. The town is only a century old having been founded in 1866 as an administrative headquarters over the old settlement of Palakvadi. The small hamlet of Palakvadi, literally meaning a vegetable garden, formerly existed on the same site and the houses were levelled to make room for the new town. It was carefully laid out with wide and regular streets to permit future expansion. Both the town and the district are named after the Wardha river and until recently the old name of Palakvadi was used by the local population to designate the town. The local story as to the manner in which the town came to be selected is that the officers entrusted with the duty proceeded along the railway east wards from the former headquarters of Kavtha and stopped at the first place where they saw a tree. There is nothing distinguishing or attractive about the site of the town. The town has expanded eastwards across the district jail quarters where are also the administrative offices, while industrial sections have grown westward along the railway sidings.

Until Gandhiji's selection of Wardha in 1934 to carry on his mission, it was an insignificant place and it was only then that it began to grow steadily in importance. Gandhiji took up his residence at Sevagram and from that time Wardha began to witness political gathering attended by eminent national leaders. It was here that the Quit India proposal was prepared and adopted. Gandhiji's stay attracted, people of the stature of, to mention a few, Dr. J. C. Kumarappa, Acharya Aryanayakam, Krishnadas Jaju, Vinoba Bhave and others. Vinoba Bhave took up his residence at Pavnar, a few miles away from Wardha, devoted himself to Sarvodaya and later launched the Bhoodan movement. He has worked and is indefatigably working, even in this old age of his, for the uplift of the poor and the downtrodden. His ashram at Pavnar known a Paramdhama was constructed by Jamnalal Bajaj.

Municipality.

Wardha was created a municipality in 1874. A total of 33 councillors constitute the municipal committee. A president elected by the councillors from among themselves presides over its meetings. The municipal jurisdiction extends over an area of three square miles. In 1967-68 the income of the municipality from all sources excluding extraordinary and debt heads amounted to Rs. 14,66,756.06 and expenditure Rs. 14,66,212.58. Income and expenditure on account of extra-ordinary and debt heads stood at Rs. 31,37,265.79 and Rs. 32,18,514.52 respectively.

Medical Aid, Drainage and Water Supply.—Wardha has a well-equipped government maintained civil hospital affording the best of medical treatment. It is known as King Edward hospital and has a capacity of 121 beds. Besides, over 200 out-patients are treated daily. Recently a 40 bedded unit was added for leprosy patients. The maternity ward consists of only 15 beds and needs expansion. As the incidence of diphtheria and polio is more among the children in the age group of six months to five years, a scheme called the Abhinava Yojana has been started under which the children are sought to be immunised against these attacks by inoculating and vaccinating them. Wardha has also a veterinary dispensary.

The town has only open surface drains, which for the major part are stone-lined. Need is, however, felt for underground drainage as the town is rapidly expanding. The water supply of the town is obtained from the Dham river about five miles east of Wardha. A dam has been thrown across the river at Pavnar creating a level sheet of water for about six furlongs. The water is piped through pipe lines running a length of five miles first into two settling tanks situated on the highest ground. From these tanks the surface water is decanted and led on to two filtering beds through which it flows into an underground clear water reservoir. From this reservoir it is again pumped into an elevated service reservoir which sufficiently commands the town to allow of a supply being given by gravitation. It was inaugurated in 1898 at a total cost of Rs. 2.25 lakhs. The water-works which was constructed to supply seven gallons of water per head for a prospective population of 15,000 has outlived its capacity and the town faces short supply. An expansion programme to supplement it by an additional two and a half lakhs of gallons was taken up. It was commissioned by the end of 1969.

Education.—Excepting Nagpur and Amravati, Wardha has perhaps the best educational facilities throughout the Vidarbha region. Primary education is compulsory and is managed by the town municipality. There are about 36 municipal conducted primary schools and a high school exclusively for girls. In addition, the town has eight private high schools and two government, of which one is technical. For higher education Wardha has the Yashwant Arts College, Govindram Commerce College and Jankibai Bajaj College of Science. In the case of arts and commerce, night classes are also conducted. There are a primary teachers training college and a basic training college.

During the period 1936-40, a span of nearly five years, many social welfare and educational institutions imparting training in various arts and crafts, and vocations were established at Wardha and the surrounding region under Mahatma Gandhi's inspiration and guidance. Of these the following are noteworthy.

Institutions.

Akhil Bharat Gram Udhyog Sangh.—It was established with the object of encouraging village and cottage industries as also to develop the cultural and physical attainments of the villagers. It is located in the Maganvadi area of the town and educates its students in the process of manufacturing soap, paper, earthen vessels and operation of tel ghanis or oil presses. Since its establishment it has trained hundreds of youths who are practising these trades and professions and earning their livelihood independently. Gandhiji was for long its president. A monthly magazine captioned ' Gramodyog Patrika ' is brought out by this Sangh.

Magan Sangrahalaya.—lt is a memorial to Maganlal Gandhi near Maganvadi which was inaugurated in December 1938 by Mahatma Gandhi. It has been turned into a sort of a display house where cottage and village industries' products and equipment required for their manufacture are displayed. The process of manufacture is also explained.

Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samiti.—About two furlongs from Wardha station is the Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samiti working under the supervision and guidance of Bharatiya Hindi Sahitya Sammelan. Since the past several years the Samiti has been working for the propagation of Hindi in the regions where it is not widely learnt. Prarambhik, Pravesh, Parichaya, Kovid and Rashtrabhasha are the examinations held and diplomas and degrees conferred.

Mahilashram.—The principal object of this institute is to instill self-confidence and national pride in women through vocational training and education. The course is of five year's duration during which reading and writing, spinning and weaving, tailoring, drawing and painting, music and such other vocations are taught. Training is also given in home sciences and social welfare. It is situated along Wardha-Sevagram road and has a Vasatigriha for the girl students.

Bal Mandir. —To enable the village children between the ages of two and a half and seven years to develop their faculties the Bal Mandir was inaugurated at the hands of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1949.

Hindustani Prachar Sabha.—The Sabha works for national integration through the propagation of Hindustani which it seeks to make the common medium of intercourse to bring the diverse linguistic people of India into direct contact with each other. It was founded in May 1962 at the instance of Gandhiji.

Wardha has a research institute and three libraries to which public can have access. Of these one is a government maintained, the second a private one and the third of the Hindi Mandir.

Objects.

Of the other objects of interest in Wardha town the Lakshmi Narayan temple built by Bachraj Bajaj in 1905 is worth a visit. In July 1928 it was thrown open to the Harijans by Jamnalal Bajaj. About a mile from the station is the Bajajvadi where eminent leaders of the independence struggle usually resided during the Congress conferences and other meetings. Here are also the offices of the Harijan, Kasturba Smarak Trust, Sarvodaya, Bhansali Kutir and Jaju Kutir. The Bhansali Kutir is so named because Yogiraj Bhansali launched here a fast unto death for 63 days in protest against the molestation of women which sparked off the Ashti-Chimur episode and which sent its echoes throughout the length and breadth of India. Bajaj Guest House has historical importance in that All India Congress Committee meetings used to be held here. The Quit India resolution was prepared and adopted in August 1942 at this place.

Trade.

Wardha owes its rapid rise as a centre of commercial importance to the good railway and road transport. Apart from post and telegraph, it also enjoys telephone facilities. It is an important cotton mart having quite a few ginning and pressing factories. It has a considerable trade in grain and general produce besides cotton. Regulated markets for cotton and grain are functioning under the Agriculture Produce Market Committee. There is also an oil mill and a promising handloom industry. Wardha is also known for its bamboo work. Of the industries, a heavy plates and vessels project and a steel re-rolling mill are of major importance. An industrial estate has also been set up. The town is thus slowly but steadily marching towards industrial progress. Goras Bhandar run by Goseva Sangh provides pure milk to the town. There is vast scope for the expansion of the dairy industry.

Being the headquarters of a district Wardha has not only the offices of the collector and Zilla Parishad, but a host of other government offices including those of the buildings and communications, agriculture, assistant registrar of co-operative societies, police, civil and criminal courts, soil conservation, forest department and others, and many more. There is also the Home Guards organization.

In the country side around Wardha at Nalvadi is a Grama-Seva Mandal. It is about two miles from the town and undertakes leather tanning, gul, manufacturing, khadi cloth weaving, agriculture and gardening. It also maintains a Goshala. Here Vinoba has started a charkha manufacturing factory. A monthly magazine entitled ' sevak' containing among other subjects Vinoba's thoughts is published from here.

Dattapur Kushthadham is another institution which works ceaselessly for the eradication of leprosy. It was established in 1936 and now treats about 100 patients. The recovered patients are trained in agriculture and gardening, nursing, spinning and weaving and such other vocations. It is about two miles from Wardha. Prior to this, leprosy patients Institutions. generally treated by the missioneries who converted most of the patients to their religion. Gandhiji by setting up his institute effectively put a brake on the activities of the missioneries.

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