Language spoken Marathi | State Maharashtra District Sindhudurg | |
Sawantwadi ) is a taluka (a unit of administration) in the Sindhudurg district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Sawantwadi has a municipal council, which is a local civic body. Sawantwadi was formerly the capital of the Kingdom of Sawantwadi, ruled by the Bhonsle royal clan of the Marathas.
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Map of Sawantvadi
Until 1850, Sawantwadi was known as Sunderwadi. The name Sawantwadi came into the practice because of the surname of the states ruling family of Khem-sawants. The palace was earlier located on Narendra hill. Khemsawant III constructed the existing palace in late 18th century (1755–1803), and Moti-Talao (Talao-lake) was built in front in 1874.
Sawantwadi is known for its wooden toys and models thanks to an active woodcraft industry. It is also becoming a major tourist attraction.
History
Sawantwadi was the former capital of the Kingdom of Sawantwadi during the pre-independence era. It was ruled by the Bhonsale royal clan of the Maratha. In 1947, it merged into the Dominion of India. Border issues at that time with nearby areas of Belgaum and Karwar were prevalent. There were initial plans of making it a union territory as it was a Konkani speaking area, However it was merged with the old Ratnagiri district. (The district was later divided into two districts called Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg). Until the 18th century, the Kingdom of Sawantwadi included a major portion of todays North Goa district (Pedne, Bicholim, and Sattari), as well as modern Kudal and Vengurla from todays Sindhudurg district. Pedne, Bicholim, Sattari were later taken over by the Portuguese as a part of their New Conquest (between 1765 and 1788) and merged with their Old Conquest to form Goa.
Geography and climate
Sawantwadi is located at 16°N 73.75°E? / 16; 73.75 in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. It has an average elevation of 22 metres (72 ft) above mean sea level. It is the administrative headquarters of the Sindhudurg district. Sawantvadi is situated on the west coast of India, and is bounded by the Arabian Sea to its west and the Western Ghats to its east. As a municipal entity, it spans an area of 132.45 km2 (51.14 sq mi), and experiences moderate to gusty winds during the day and gentle winds at night. The topography of the city ranges from plain to undulating, with several hills, valleys and flat areas within the city. The geology of the city is characterised by hard laterite in hilly tracts and sandy soil along the seashore. The Geological Survey of India has identified Sawantwadi as a moderately earthquake-prone urban centre and categorised the city in the Seismic III Zone.
The city is often used as a staging point for traffic along the Konkan Coast. Sawantwadi has a tropical climate; summer and winter months experience similar temperate conditions, with average temperatures ranging from 27 °C (81 °F) to 34 °C (93 °F). Humidity is approximately 78% on average, and peaks during May, June and July. The maximum average humidity is 93% in July and average minimum humidity is 56% in January. Under the Koppen climate classification, Sawantvadi belongs to the Tropical/megathermal zone and is under the direct influence of the Arabian Sea branch of the South-West monsoon. It receives about 90% of its total annual rainfall within a period of about six months from May to October, while remaining extremely dry from December to March. The annual precipitation in Sawantvadi is 4,242.5 millimetres (167 in).
The most pleasant months in Sawantvadi are from December to February, during which time the humidity and heat are at their lowest. During this period, temperatures during the day stay below 30 °C (86 °F) and drop to about 19 °C (66 °F) at night. This season is soon followed by a hot summer, from March to May, when temperatures rise as high as 38 °C (100 °F). The summer gives way to the monsoon season, when the city experiences more precipitation than most urban centres in India, due to the Western Ghats. Rainfall up to 4,000 millimetres (157 in) could be recorded during the period from June to September. The rains subside in September, with the occasional rainfall in October.
Culture
Most of the people of Sawantvadi are Malvanis, as Sawantwadi falls in the Malvan region.
Cuisine
Typical households of Sawantvadi follow the norms of Malvani cuisine. On special occasions they eat vadas, fried cakes of rice and udid flour; puran-polis, wheat cakes staffed with gram flour and sugar; and rarely, ladus, sugared and buttered wheat balls. Brahmans, Lingayats, and Gujarat Vanis, whether Vaishnavs or Shravaks, are an exception to this, as except the Gaud Brahmans or Shenvis who eat fish, they touch no animal food. The food of a middle-class household is rice, nachni bread, curry, and vegetables, for every day, with vadas on special occasions. The everyday food of a poor household is nachni bread, and occasionally rice and curry with vadas. Besides dried fish, which is usually bought in October, stores of rice, pulse, salt, and red pepper, enough to last from four to six months, are laid in during March and April.
Typical households of Sawantvadi follow the norms of Malvani cuisine. On special occasions they eat vadas, fried cakes of rice and udid flour; puran-polis, wheat cakes staffed with gram flour and sugar; and rarely, ladus, sugared and buttered wheat balls. Brahmans, Lingayats, and Gujarat Vanis, whether Vaishnavs or Shravaks, are an exception to this, as except the Gaud Brahmans or Shenvis who eat fish, they touch no animal food. The food of a middle-class household is rice, nachni bread, curry, and vegetables, for every day, with vadas on special occasions. The everyday food of a poor household is nachni bread, and occasionally rice and curry with vadas. Besides dried fish, which is usually bought in October, stores of rice, pulse, salt, and red pepper, enough to last from four to six months, are laid in during March and April.