Karad

History

It was originally known as "Karhatak", meaning "Elephant Market". Karad is also a city of historical importance. According to Mahabharata, Sahadeva one of the Pandavas lived in the city also known to be pious as Lord Rama stepped his feet on this land. Located to the south west of Karad is Karad Caves.

The first capital of the Shilaharas was probably at Karad during the reign of Jatiga-II as known from their copper plate grant of Miraj and Vikramankadevacharita of Bilhana. Hence sometimes they are referred as 'Shilaharas of Karad'. The capital was later shifted to Kolhapur. Among the Silaharas of Kolhapur who ruled over Satara and Belganv districts from 1000 to 1215 A. D., Gonka deserves mention here, as he is described as the Lord of Karhad (Karad), Mairifvja (Miraj) and Konkan.

Also a Major event in history is witnessed by the Krishna River Banks, His Highness Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj once washed his weapon which is known as Waghnakhya and Bichhwa in the River Krishna's waters

Features

Major landmarks in the city include Kolhapur Naka, MSRTC Bus Stand, Krishna Naka, Karve Naka, Chawadi Chowk, Krishna Ghat, Mandai, Bheda Hospital Chowk, Town Hall, Shivaji Stadium, Krishna Canol Chowk, Vidyanagar.

Geography

Karad is located at 17.28°N 74.2°E / 17.28; 74.2. It has an average elevation of 566 metres (1856 feet). Karad is located near Agashiva 17.237506°N 74.15205°E / 17.237506; 74.15205. It has been referred in great epic Mahabharata. It has the shape of an "Aum" (Devanagari) when viewed aerially.

Tourism

Some Famous Tourist Points Near Karad are:

Cityscape

The city boasts many important government offices and other institutions of significance. With the vision of great leader Yashwantrao Chavan the city was one of the few in India to have a well- planned underground drainage system well before in the 1960s. By end-2010, Malkapur, Karad, on the outskirts of the city of Karad, is delivering water 24x7 to all its residents as a result of concrete steps taken by the Malkapur Nagar Panchayat (MNP) with support from the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP), a state government entity. This is the first of its kind by a public body in India. Major offices and institutions in Karad are as follows:

Demographics

As of 2011 India census, Karad town and surrounding villages had total population of 74,355. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Karad has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 72%. In Karad, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. People from different cultures live here but vast majority belong to Hinduism and Speak Marathi language.

National Highways

The National Highway 4 goes by Karad city. National Highway 4 (NH 4) is a major National Highway in Western and Southern India. NH 4 links three of the 10 most populous Indian cities - Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, NH 4 also connects Karad to Pune and Kolhapur, Pune is the largest metropolis near Karad and Kolhapur is an important trade centre and educational hub for IIT training and a tourist destination.

Airport

An Airstrip was constructed in the 1955 by the Public Works Department to facilitate the Koyna dam project. It is currently being used for General aviation and pilot training.The airport is spread on 65 acres and the acquisition of more than 100 acres has been proposed. Runway 10/28 is 1280 meters long and 30 meters wide with a 60 meter by 60 meter apron. No navigational aids nor night landing facilities are available on the airstrip. The State run Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) plans to extend the 1,250 meters airstrip by another 1,500 m and widen it by 150 m. Besides this nearest airports are Pune Airport, and Kolhapur Airport(under construction) which will start functioning in 2018-19

Railways

Karad has railway station and is onroute from Mumbai to Miraj, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Bangalore (some trains). You can reach Karad from Mumbai or Pune easily by road or rail (Mahalaxmi Express, Koyna Express,"Goa Express", Sahyadri Express or Chalukya Express).

Recently, Railway minister Suresh Prabhu has allocated funds for a plan to build a new 112 km railway line between Karad and Chiplun.

All super-fast trains like the Karnataka Sampark Kranti, Deekshaboomi Express, Rani Chenama Express, Haripriya Express and Miraj Hubli Express stop at Miraj Junction. You can take private cars or MSRTC buses from Miraj to Karad. Travel time from Miraj to Karad is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.

Economy

Karad has the Taswade MIDC in its vicinity which boasts many industries giving employment to people in the Satara District. Karad has the presence of Emerson Climate Technologies and Pidilite Industries Ltd. Karad is famous for its Jaggery and Cattle markets in entire Maharashtra. Jaggery of very high quality is traded here. There is a big Market yard where various commodities are traded and the geographical location of the city add to its benefit since it is known as the gateway to Konkan region from Western Maharashtra. Karad is well known for sugar production and is known as the sugar bowl of Maharashtra owing to the presence of many sugar factories in and around Karad.

Education

Performing arts

The city has a major hall for cultural activities and exhibitions: Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial - Town Hall. Cultural events of various organizations and gatherings of schools are also held here. Many theatre artists have been flashed at the National Level from this place.

Literature

Karad has a tradition of literature lovers. The prestigious 76th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan was held at banks of Krishna river in Karad in 2003.

Museums and historic areas

In the honor of his contribution to building modern Maharashtra a small visiting museum is created in the residence of Late Shri Yashwantrao Chavan in Karad. An ancient Well named Naktya Rawalchi Vihir is located near Krishna river in Karad which shows the well planned construction techniques followed during the ancient times.

Vijay Divas

"Vijay Diwas’’ is celebrated every year since 1998, as Victory Day, by Trishakti Foundation in the town of Karad. It is usually celebrated in the month of December. Col. Sambhaji Patil (Retd), the Founder President of Trishakti Foundation, is leading from the front, to ensure total success of this event. The main event is the Military tattoo at the Shivaji Stadium, Karad. It is a grand show of military valor, bravery, physical fitness and endurance by Defense Forces and Police. The school children perform tattoos demonstrating their potential, spirit and youthfulness. The stadium is full to its capacity of more than 40,000 spectators.

Col. Sambhaji Patil (Retd), the Founder President of Trishakti Foundation, is leading from the front, to ensure total success of this event, for the last 14 years. For the people of Karad and its surrounding areas, it is an event of the year. They are deeply engaged in the celebrations and it is a splendid example of co-operation by the civilians and uniformed fraternity of the Indian Military. It is to mention here that India fought a valiant war under the leadership of free India’s most astute and powerful Prime Minister Late Indira Gandhi, against Pakistan, both in the Eastern and the Western sectors. The erstwhile East Pakistan was under domination and exploitation by the West Pakistan. India took the bold initiative to set this right and the Indian Defence Forces assisted the rebellious Mukti Bahini, which finally culminated in total surrender by Pakistan Army. And a new country was born, called Bangladesh, on 16th Dec 1971. The main event of Military tattoo started in the afternoon of 23 Dec 2012 at the Shivaji Stadium, Karad. It was a grand show of military valour, bravery, physical fitness and endurance by Defence Forces and Police. The school children perform tattoos demonstrating their potential, spirit and youthfulness. The stadium was full to its capacity of more than 40,000 spectators. This year the main attraction was cultural troupe from Arunachal Pradesh, which enthralled the spectators with their outstanding performance

Yashwantrao Chavan Agricultural, Industrial and Cattle show

The late Yashwantrao Chavan Agricultural, Industrial and Cattle Show is mega regional Agricultural event of global standards held at Karad, by Krishi Uttpanna Bajar Samiti Karad since 2001. The event of around 500 exhibitors provides an excellent platform under one roof for showcasing the latest technology in agriculture, poultry and livestock, dairy, agro services and food processing and technology etc.

Sports

The Shivaji Cricket Stadium is situated at the heart of Karad city and is a famous sightseeing spot visited by tourists. The cricket stadium has an international standard turf wicket. Apart from cricket, this stadium is used for organizing local events and political rallies. This stadium is renowned for holding two Ranji Trophy matches. It also has an indoor badminton court. Wrestling Olympian medal winner shee.K.D.Jadhav is the idol of sport world is from karad ,goleshwar

Notable people