Welcome to Sangli

Sangli,The Turmeric City Of Maharashtra

Introduction

Sangli is a city which is situated in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is district headquarters of Sangli District. It is known as the Turmeric City of Maharashtra due to its production and trade of the spice. Sangli is situated on the banks of river Krishna and houses many sugar factories. Sangli district is situated in between the Warna and Krishna rivers. The valley of the River Krishna and its tributaries offer many irrigation and agricultural advantages which drives the economy of the district and the city. Other small rivers, such as the Warana and the Panchganga, flow into the River Krishna. Sangli also has one of the largest commodity markets in India. The Tasgaon grapes of Sangli are famous all over the world. Apart from this Sangli also has the region's largest wholesale fruit market. The other products exported from this city are sugar & jaggery. Apart fom this, Sangli is also a major education and healthcare centre. Sangli has developed itself as a is now a modern city with broader roads, major railway junction, cyber-cafes, hotels with multi-cuisine, very good education, healthcare, telecommunication and entertainment facilities.

History

Sangli was one of the 11-gun salute princely states of British India, under the Kolhapur-Dekkan Residency in the Bombay Presidency, and later the Deccan States Agency. It was one of the southern Mahratta Jagirs. Its territory was widely scattered among other native states and British districts. Sangli was part of Maratha Empire, however, there are no direct references mentioning Sangli before 1801. During the time of Shivaji, Sangli, Miraj and surrounding areas were captured from the Mughal Empire. Until 1801, Sangli was included in Miraj Jahagir. The First Chintamanrao Appasaheb Patwardhan established a different principality with Sangli as the capital city. The Principality of Sangli covered an area of 1112 square miles (2942 square kilometers), and had a population of 226,128 in 1901, while the population of the town itself was 16,829 in that year. Sangli joined the Dominion of India on March 8, 1948 and is currently a part of the state of Maharashtra.

Tourism

Sangli is a famous tourist destination in Maharashtra. The city is an interesting place to explore and a large number of visitors come to this city each year. One of the famous Sangli attractions is Ganesh Temple. This temple is a famous place and holds great religious importance among locals. People from all over Sangli and nearby places gather here to offer their prayers. Other places worth visiting in the city include- Meersaheb Dargah, Sagareshwar wildlife sanctuary, Vinaya Mandir, Dandoba Hills etc.

Places to visit

Ganesh Temple

Ganesh temple is one of the most famous temple in Maharashtra. It is situated on the eastern bank of River Krishna. It was constructed by Thorle Chintamanrao Patwardhan in 1843, in the honour of the guardian deity of Sangli. The main feature of this temple is its architecture as it has been made out of black stones obtained from the hills of Jyotiba and its doors have been carved out of different coloured natural wood.

Bridges of Sangli

The city of Sangli is also home to several bridges that are associated with the Krishna River. The three most popular ones include the Krishna Bridge, Irwin Bridge and Ankali Bridge. The Krishna Bridge is one of the oldest bridges and is said to have been built during the British era.

Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary

The Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the most popular attractions of Sangli which is situated at a distance of 47 km from the city. It is mainly a man-made conservation sanctuary and built under a planned afforestation programme involving the local population of the three tehsils of Sangli District.

Dandoba Hills Forest Preserve

Dandoba Hills Forest Preserve is a major tourist attraction in Sangli. This forest preserve is rich in flora and fauna and also has a few historically significant ancient temples in its hills. The hills of this preserve are a popular location for trekking and long hikes. There is also an annual mini-marathon race held at Dandoba Hill Station, which is quite a popular event.

Chandoli Forests

Chandoli Forests is also a most visited place in Sangli. It is located about 65 kms from Sangli has animals like monkeys, deer, wild goat, rabbits, tigers, peacocks, snakes.