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Kolhapur
—  city  —
Kolhapur Location of Kolhapur in Maharashtra and India
Coordinates	16°42′00″N 74°14′00″E / 16.7000°N 74.2333°E / 16.7000; 74.2333Coordinates: 16°42′00″N 74°14′00″E / 16.7000°N 74.2333°E / 16.7000; 74.2333
Country	India
State	Maharashtra
District(s)	कोल्हापूर/Kolhapur
Mayor	Kadambari Kawale[1]
Population	5,61,841 (2011[update])
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 569 metres (1,867 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 416001 • Telephone • +0231 • Vehicle • MH-09

Kolhapur {Marathi: कोल्हापूर}  pronunciation (help·info) is a city situated in the southwest corner of Maharashtra, India. Kolhapur serves as the headquarters of the Kolhapur district. Kolhapur is situated on the banks of the river Panchganga and is the location of the Temple of Mahalakshmi, a Hindu goddess.

History[link]

The Hindu Goddess Mahalakshmi

According to Hindu mythology, Kolhapura was settled by Kolhasura, a demon who was later killed by Mahalakshmi to relieve the local populace. However, honouring the demon's dying wish, the city was named after him. Kolhapur finds mentions in Devi Gita, the final and most important chapter of the Srimad Devi Bhagawatam, as one the important places of Shakti "Kollamma" worship, "Devi spoke:..."O King of Mountains! Still I am now telling something out of My affection to My Bhaktas. Hear. There is a great place of pilgrimage named Kollapura in the southern country. Here the Devi Laksmi always dwells...."^[2]

It is said that famous Kannadiga Rashtrakuta king Amoghavarsha Nrupathunga I (800–878 CE) deeply cared for his subjects and once when a calamity threatened to harm them, he offered his finger as a sacrifice to the goddess Mahalakshmi of Kollhapura.^{[citation needed]}

During 940-1212 CE, it was the capital of the Shilahara dynasty of Kolhapur^[3]. An inscription at Teradal mentions that king Gonka was healed from snakebite by a Jain monk and Gonka built a temple of Lord Neminath. Many Jain temples in this region build in the next few centuries are called Gonka-Jinalya after him. During the reign of Bhoja I, a dynamic Acharya Maghanandi helped establish an institute at Rupanarayana-Basadi. Several kings and nobles of the dynasty were disciples of Maghanandi. Maghanandi is often called Siddhanta-chakravarti i.e. the great master of the scriptures, Gandaraditya I was his disciple. He is sometimes called "Kolapuriya" or walyaa to distinguish him from many other Acharyas with the name Maghanandi.

Kolhapur was the site of intense confrontation between the Western Chalukyas and the Chola kings Rajadhiraja Chola and his younger brother Rajendra Chola II.^[4] Following the Battle of Koppam in 1052, Rajendra Chola II marched on to Kolhapur and erected a jayastambha or victory pillar in the city.^[4]

The Kopeshwar (Shiva) Temple, located in Kolhapur district, was built by Shilahara King Gandaraditya, Vijayaditya and Bhoj-II between 1109 and 1178 AD.^{[citation needed]} It is nearly capital in time of Queen Tararani who is daughter in law of Chh. Shivaji Maharaj. Kolhapur, historically had a major influence and connections with the prevalent kingdoms of Greece/Rome, the availability of bust of Poseidon, the Greek god of sea at one of the excavated site of Kolhapur shows the relations of trade and co-operation shared with both kingdoms^{[citation needed]}

Kolhapur as a princely state[link]

Geography and climate[link]

The Panchganga River at Kolhapur

Kolhapur city is located in south-westen Maharashtra. It has an elevation of 569 metres (1867 ft) which is higher than that of Pune. By road, Kolhapur is 228 km south of Pune, 615 km north-west of Bangalore and 530 km west of Hyderabad.^[5] The nearest cities and towns within Maharashtra are Ichalkaranji (20 km), Kagal (17 km), Sangli (50 km), and Miraj (45 km).

Kolhapur's climate is a blend of coastal and inland climate of Maharashtra. The temperature has a relatively narrow range between 10°C to 35°C. Summer in Kolhapur is comparatively cooler, but much more humid, compared to neighbouring inland cities. Maximum temperatures rarely exceed 38°C and typically range between 33 to 35°C. Lows during this season are around 24°C to 26°C. The city receives abundant rainfall from June to September due to its proximity to the Western Ghats. The heavy rains often lead to severe flooding in these months. Temperatures are low in the rainy season and range between 19°C to 30°C. Kolhapur experiences winter from November to February. The winter temperatures are a bit higher compared to other cities in Maharashtra such as Pune and Nasik. Lows range from 9°C to 16°C while highs are in the range of 26°C to 32°C due to its high elevation and being adjacent to the Western Ghats. Humidity is low in this season making weather much more pleasant. In 2005 & 2006 there was excessive rainfall in Kolhapur resulting in floods.

Culture[link]

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Majority of the city dwellers are Marathas along with smaller communities of Brahmins, Buddhists,Gujaratis Marwadis, Marathi Jains, Kannadigas mainly Lingayats and Sindhis with minority population of Muslims.^{[citation needed]} Although Marathi is the main language spoken here due to migration from neighboring Karnataka state considerable kannada speaking people reside. So, this mix culture highlights Kolhapur as a cosmopolitan city.

Kolhapuri Pheta[link]

Pheta (Feta) i.e. Turban is a specialty in Kolhapur. Wearing a turban is high respect.It is a customary honor to guest who comes from other place is welcomed by the offering him to wear the traditional turban. Actually the turban is a long cloth off 3.5 to 6 meters. It is the specific Saffron color is most choice for Kolhapuri turbans. Except this many other varieties are also. Some of lined varieties of the turban are called as Lahiri Feta. In previous period it was customary. Forefathers from many families where using turban in their costume. And it was a part of the Male costume. Wearing turban is an art. Turban is plane cloth had majored by width 1 metre x 4 metres in length. It is folded in six or seven folds in width after which an end of one-fourth meter is given as tail which is known as Shemala. This part of tail blows on air while riding on vehicle especially to Wheeler. The style of the heroes is recorded in many Marathi Cinema. The turban is wrapped on Head with a special style. Last tend of turban is portion of Michael. It decorates leading personality so it is the custom that many family ceremonials are insisted fit us. Muscular bodied wrestlers wearing a special and Festival clothes are decorative road streams is a heritage of City. Except this during festivals as like Dasara, Diwali & Padwa, use of the turban is a common trend.

Kolhapuri Saaz (Jewellery)[link]

The Kolhapuri Saaz is famous ornament worn by Kolhapuri Women since long. This artistically made jewellery due to its specific design and pattern looks tremendously beautiful which adds to the glory to the person wearing it. The saaz being so famous there are many Marathi Movie Songs about it. The jewelers at Gujri Market design and make these ornament.

Kolhapuri Chappal[link]

Kolhapuri chappals are world famous. Known as “Pie-taan” () in local language specially made from leather which is processed in local areas, cobbler community traditionally prepares these chappals.There are three major varieties of Kolhapuri chappals. First type is made in Kolhapur. Other types are Kapashi and Dongari. These chappals are stout, sturdy, day long usable. These are very popular in rural areas.The chappal is completely made from processed leather. Buffalo leather is used for chappals. Some other qualities of Kolhapuri chappals are also available: but these are fashionable varieties. Upper part of shoe is made by attractive processed leather. But lower part i.e sole is made from rubber sheets. This type of chappal is given to customers as Kolhapuri chappals is not actual Kolhapuri chappal. In surrounded area of Kolhapur many cobblers make chappals. This trade is worldwide and receives a big fund.

Kolhapur Film industry[link]

Another field that Kolhapur prides itself of is films. In certain circles, Kolhapur was and is still considered as capital of the Marathi film industry as it has originated at this place. Legendary personalities like Bhalaji Pendharkar, Baburao Painter and V. Shantaram started their careers from Kolhapur. It has been credited^{[by whom?]} as the place where Raja Harishchandra, the first feature film ever produced in India, was conceptualized. Kolhapur still plays host to many film festivals and provides location for shooting. Popular locations for filming include the Rankala Lake, Banks of River Panchganga, Panhala Fort, local farms, Mahalakshmi temple.

Industrial Development[link]

Industrial development in Kolhapur was initiated by an industrial estate known as Udyamnagar which is still running with small scale industries and workshops.Kolhapur has three main industrial corporations (MIDC)namely Shiroli, Gokul Shirgaon and five star MIDC at Kagal. Kolhapur is one of the most important places for foundry businesses. Most of the foundries are in sand casting. Mechanical industries in Kolhapur are major suppliers to the OEM customers like Tata, Bajaj, Mahindra and Mahindra, General Motors, etc.

• Few of the large industries are
  • Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd
  • Manugraph India Ltd
  • Menon Group of Companies
  • Raymond Textiles
  • Kolhapur steel ltd
  • Mather and Platt pumps
  • Sanjay Ghodawat group of Industries
  • R. M. Mohite Group of Industries
  • Vardhaman textiles
  • Ghatge Patil Industries
  • Undercarriage and Tractor Parts Pvt.ltd.
  • Carrera Holdings
  • Gokul Milk Co-operative
  • Warana Co-operative Group

Transportation[link]

Railway[link]

Kolhapur railway station known as Chattrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus is connected to major Indian cities like Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Solapur, Nagpur, Tirupati, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Dhanbad through express trains. There are daily passenger shuttle services between Kolhapur and Miraj.

Road[link]

Kolhapur is connected to Mumbai to the north and Bangalore to the south by National Highway 4 which is further extended to Chennai. The city is one of the primary destinations on this highway. Kolhapur has three state transport bus stands namely Central Bus Stand (CBS), Rankala Bus Stand & Sambhajinagar Bus Stand. Kolhapur Municipal Transport buses cover almost all routes inside the city. The National highway connectivity also ensures a large number of private bus service offerings.

Air[link]

Kolhapur has an domestic airport at Ujalaiwadi, 9 km from city. There were regular services to Mumbai by Kingfisher Airlines. But due to financial crises within Kingfisher there are no scheduled flights presently.

Education[link]

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Shivaji University established in 1962, is located in Kolhapur. The jurisdiction of the University is spread over three districts of Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara districts with strength of about 2,00,000^{[citation needed]} students studying in 225^{[citation needed]} affiliated colleges and recognised institutes. The University imparts education in 10 major faculties of Arts, Social Science, Science, Commerce, Education, Fine Arts, Law, Medicine, Ayurvedic Medicine, Engineering and Technology.

There are many institutes in Kolhapur which provide Ayurvedic, homeopathic and pharmacy courses. Famous primary and higher-secondary schools in Kolhapur are Vidyapeeth High School, Chhatrapati Shahu Vidyalaya, St. Xavier High School, New English Medium School, Holy Cross Convent School,Private high school,Kolhapur public school(BUDS),Shantiniketan etc. There are many residential schools being established in the city.Some ICSE-IGCSE curriculum schools like Podar international,VIBGYOR have also started operating in the city.

Sports[link]

Kolhapur is famous for Wrestling. Khasbaug wrestling stadium is one of the largest stadiums in India for wrestling with seating capacity of about 20,000 people. Kolhapur has also contributed in Olympic level games such as shooting, and swimming. Tejaswini Sawant, who won the Gold Medal for 50m rifle prone shooting at the 2010 ISSF World Shooting Championships held in Munich, is from Kolhapur. She is the first woman shooter representing India who has won gold medal in this event.^{[citation needed]} Virdhawal Khade, from Kolhapur, who has won medals in national as well as international events of swimming. Kolhapur's new rising sport is karting with a dedicated karting track by Mohite's Academy and training facility has seen many young boys and girls take part in National level Karting events.^{[citation needed]}

Suhas Khamkar is a professional bodybuilder who drew inspiration from Arnold Schwarzenegger and embarked on a journey of becoming a world champion in the sport of bodybuilding.^{[citation needed]} the kolhapur people's like football and there 4 stedium's in kolhapur shivaji stedium,shahu stedium,polo ground 1 and 2.

Football is very famous in Kolhapur. Kolhapur League matches are held at Shahu Stadium Kolhapur. League games between famous clubs like P.T.M, Kahandoba leaves Stadium jam packed. Recently FIFA has approved Shahu Stadium for getting turf. ONGC Leage games are also held at Shahu Stadium.

Cuisine[link]

The city also lends its name to many common products such as Kolhapuri Lavangi Mirchi, Kolhapuri Gul and Kolhapuri Masala. Most preparations in Kolhapuri cuisine include usage of "Kolhapuri Masala". The most famous part of the Kolhapuri cuisine are red meat preparations called Tambada Rassa (Red Curry), Pandhara Rassa (White Curry), and Sukaa Mutton (Dry Meat)and Kolhapuri Misal. Jaggery is produced here in large scale due to large production of Sugarcane.^{[citation needed]}

Kolhapuri Misal

Kolhapuri Misal is one of the famous dishes of Kolhapur. Hot and Spicy are the words which describe the dish to certain extent.This is a delicious dish. It is not a snack but a medium diet. Anybody who wish to have a variety of food, will definitely like this dish. For preparation of the dish confectionery items are preferentially used. Chivada, Shev, Papadi are the indigents of dish. A thin curry covers for all confectionary items. For making it tasty ginger, garlic, mint is also used. The dish is accompanied by a slice of bread. Some chopped onion along with lime makes it even more mouth-watering. Tasting it with the bread and enjoying the "Kat" (curry) is a craze in Kolhapur. In every hotel this dish is available but a few places in town are renowned.

Tambra/Pandra Rassa

Every Culture has a special food and cuisine attached to it. In case of Kolhapur its the Non-Veg that makes a mark as a special cuisine. Kolhapur has a some good traditional dishes prepared from "Mutton" (goat meat) which are very tasty and delightful.

" Pandhra Rassa " the white curry is a liked starter at Kolhapur. A Soup like dish of water used to boil the "Mutton" along with spices such as coriander , ginger & garlic etc. This is a very tasty pre-food item. Apart from taste it has certain medicinal use as well. This "Rassa" is recommended for cough and throat related ailments. This is a part of a well-know duo curries. the other one is termed as "Tambra Rassa"

"Tambra Rassa" the second starter of the duo. This is a curry prepared using red chilly powder to make it appear "Tambra" redish. Made in almost same ways as Pandra Rassa this type of curry is more famous within the rural area of Kolhapur. After these starters comes the special roasted mutton.

"Roasted Mutton" is a special variety of non-veg dish prepared extensively at Kolhapur. The special recipe of this mutton makes it a unique disk attributed to Kolhapur. Different varieties of this dishes are prepared with different spices. One such famous type is "Ghaati" Mutton. These various dishes along with "Bhakari" or "Chapaati" constitute the Kolhapuri Taat.

Places of interest[link]

Mahalakshmi Temple, Kolhapur.

The New Palace, Kolhapur

• Places for Entertainment
  • Gandharva Resort and amusement park, Top Sambhapur
  • Dream world water park at Ramanmala
  • Kent Club at Sadale Madale Village
  • Sidhagiri Wax Museum(Gram-Jeevan Museum)at Kaneri

• Temples
  • Mahalakshmi Temple
  • Khidrapur (Kopeshwar Shiva Temple)
  • Jotiba
  • Narsinhwadi
  • Kashi Vishveshwar Temple
  • Bahubali
  • Katyani Devi
  • Tembalai alias Tryamboli
  • Radha Krishna Temple
  • Kaneri Math
  • Shankaracharya Cloister (Math)
  • Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir

• Lakes
  • Rankala lake
  • Kalamba lake
  • Panchganga

Town Hall Museum, Kolhapur.

• Historical places
  • Panhala
  • Vishalgad,pavankhind
  • samaangad
  • Bhudargad
  • paargad
  • Dajipur Bison Sanctuary
  • New Palace,Raman Mala, Kolhapur
  • Bhavani Mandap
  • Shalini Palace, Kolhapur
  • Chandrakant Mandare museum
  • Town Hall museum
  • Motibag Talim
  • Shivaji University
  • Khasbaug Talim
  • Giroli Tourist Park
  • Barkhi
  • Ramtirth , Ajara
  • Radhanagari Dam
  • Gokak Falls

Rankala lake panorama

See also[link]

Maharashtra portal

• Kolhapur Municipal Corporation

References[link]

1. ^ http://www.kolhapurcorporation.gov.in/Mayor.html
2. ^ Devi Gita; Chapter XXXVIII: The Vow and the Sacred Places of the Devi The Devi Gita (Song of the Goddess), Excerpt from the Srimad Devi Bhagawatam, translated by Swami Vijnanananda (Hari Prasanna Chatterji), 1921."O King of Mountains! Still I am now telling something out of My affection to My Bhaktas. Hear. There is a great place of pilgrimage named Kolhapura in the southern country. Here the Devi Laksmi always dwells. The second place is Matripura in the Sahyadri mountain; here the Devi Renuka dwells." Verses: 3-10.
3. ^ Temples and legends of Maharashtra, Volume 97 of Bhavan's book university, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1962
4. ^ ^{a b} K. A. Nilakanta Sastri (2000) [1935]. The CōĻas. Madras: University of Madras. pp. 256–257. 
5. ^ Google Maps

• Population Census 2011 India
• Kolhapur bazar in 1894
• "Kolhapur State". The Imperial Gazetteer of India, Vol. 15. Oxford at Clarendon Press. 1909. pp. 380–87. http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V15_386.gif. 
• http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/midc-to-acquire-1000-acres-for-kagal-park/268529/
• www.kolhapurworld.com

External links[link]

• Kolhapur Municipal Corporation

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kolhapur

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Raj Shrikant Thackeray (Marathi: राज श्रीकांत ठाकरे) (born 14 June 1968) is the founder and president of the right-wing^{[citation needed]} Marathi ethnocentric regional political party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena ("Maharashtra Reformation Army") in the state of Maharashtra, India. His official name is Swararaj which means the king of musical notes.^[1] He is the nephew of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, and a cousin of the current Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray.^[2]

Early life[link]

Raj was born on 14 June 1968 in a Marathi Kayastha (CKP) family to Shrikant Thackeray (younger brother of Bal Thackeray) and Kunda Thackeray (younger sister of Bal Thackeray's wife Meena Thackeray). Raj’s father Shrikant Thackeray was a musician, cartoonist and was also well versed in Urdu. He studied in Balmohan Vidyamandir, Mumbai and graduated from the Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art, Mumbai. As a child he is said to have learnt the tabla, the guitar and the violin. He also loved drawing which later turned into a passion for drawing cartoons.

Political career[link]

Raj started his political career with his Uncle Bal Thackeray. Bal Thackeray has been a huge influence on Raj’s life. Raj has been said to have modeled himself after him. In 1997, he started the Shiv Udyog Sena a youth wing for the Shiv Sena. With this he tried to strengthen his youth leader image. "He raised funds for the employment agency with, among other sources, concerts by Michael Jackson and Lata Mangeshkar — and thus, simultaneously, propagated the new brand of the Sena's popular culture and its implications for a nascent generational change within the organization". But his association with the Sena ended in 2006. In January 2006 he resigned from the Sena alleging that it was being "run by petty clerks" because of which it had "fallen from its former glory". There has been quite a lot of speculation over the real reason why he left the party. The popular rumor being that he was being "sidelined" by Bal Thackeray’s son Uddhav. In the same year Raj announced his intention to start his own political party. Although separated from his mentor, Raj has always maintained that he does not want to have hostilities with his uncle who "was, is and always will be (his) mentor".

Political Views[link]

Marathi Identity[link]

Raj Thackeray and his party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, state that Maharashtra State, Marathi language and Marathi Manoos are subverted by the influence of non-Marathi politicians within and outside the State, and that these politicians should be opposed in order to attain prosperity for Maharashtra and Marathi people.^[3]

Opposition to Immigrants[link]

Since the creation of his party, Raj Thackeray has opposed immigration into Maharashtra from North India. According to Raj Thackeray, he is against immigrants specifically from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and not from North India or elsewhere, in general. According to him, bad governance, corruption, high crime rates and criminal, politicians in these two states for decades, has degraded the socio-economic conditions there, causing exodus of people from these states to other states, like Maharashtra. This causes unemployment and increased crime rates in Maharashtra and other states which receive these immigrants. Also, due to rising number of immigrants, the politician from these two states have gained power in Maharashtra. He, however has made it clear that he is not against Hindi.^[4]

Violence in Agitations[link]

Raj Thackery and his party MNS have been criticized^{[citation needed]} for use of violence during their agitations, especially directed towards immigrants from UP and Bihar. He is facing several charges for instigating violence in various courts.^{[citation needed]} On use of violence, Thackeray says that violence is a part of all agitations in Indian politics, and there are several cases of much more violence carried out by other parties and organisations. According to him, the incidents of violence involving members of his party have been unduly highlighted by North Indian politicians and journalists.^[4]

Supporter of Narendra Modi's Governance[link]

Thackeray is an admirer of Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi for his governance, and the development of Gujarat during his tenure. In August 2011, Raj Thackeray visited Gujarat on a 9-day trip as 'state guest' to study the development in Gujarat. He also advised politicians in Maharashtra, irrespective of party, to take lessons from Modi and Gujarat.^[5] He has also expressed support for Modi for the post Prime Minister of India for the 2014 Lok Sabha (general) election.^[5]

Agitations[link]

Marathi signboards for shops[link]

In July 2008, Raj issued a public warning that Mumbai shops needed to have Marathi signboards in addition to the existing English signboards. He warned that after one month, MNS workers would start blackening non-Marathi signboards.^{[citation needed]} While there had been a law to this effect passed earlier by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, it had not been enforced.^{[citation needed]}

Raj had also insisted that the Marathi signboards had to be at least as big as the English signboards. A number of big shopowners, notably Viren Shah (Roopam chain) went to court against this move. The high-court provided them relief, passing a judgement that the Marathi signboards did not have to be as big as English signboards.^[6]

In September 2008, MNS workers resorted to blackening signboards, to enforce the demand, after which most shop owners complied. Six MNS workers were arrested but later released on bail. The Congress government was dilatory in filing chargesheets against them, following which the Maharashtra high-court passed strictures against the government. When the government prosecutor submitted in December that the chargesheets had not been filed as investigation was ongoing, the judge remarked sarcastically whether this was a murder case to warrant such long investigations, three months after the arrest of the MNS workers, but Raj was attempting to enforce a rule previously on the books.^[7]

Agitation against Jet Airways layoffs[link]

In October 2008, on the eve of the major Indian festival Diwali, Jet Airways laid off 800 temporary workers and announced layoffs of an additional 1100 workers. The laid-off workers included Marathi as well as North-Indians. These workers met Raj Thackeray and asked him to intervene. Following this, Raj Thackeray declared that most of these workers had paid security deposits to the company, and he would meet Jet management to plead their case. Unless Jet Airways cancelled the layoffs, his party would not allow any Jet Airways plane to take off from any airport in Maharashtra.^[8]

Within 12 hours of Raj Thackeray's declaration, Jet chairman Naresh Goyal reversed the layoffs and reinstated the sacked employees. He claimed that he did it on his own and that there was no political pressure on him. Leftist Unions, Shivsena & Civil Aviation minister Praful Patel later tried to take credit for the decision. On announcement of the layoffs, Praful Patel had claimed that he had no jurisdiction over the layoffs issue.^[9] Sacked Jet employees on the other hand stated that they were warned by Jet management on reinstatement, not to meet Raj Thackeray to thank him.^[10]

Demand for Telecom customer service in Marathi[link]

Telecom companies in Maharashtra had been providing customer service in English & Hindi only. Raj demanded that all telecom companies operating in Maharashtra start providing the service in Marathi also and set a deadline of 27 February 2010, after which his party MNS would launch an agitation. Following this demand, all telecom companies complied, introducing Marathi as an additional option in their customer service.^[11]

Maharashtra-Karnataka Border Issue[link]

In Dec 2011, Raj Thackeray meeting a group from MES (Maharshtra Ekikaran Samiti) advised them that they should revisit their stand of merging Belgaum with Maharashtra in the interest of marathi speaking people of belgaum. In a major departure from the stance previously taken by traditional right wing groups of Maharashtra, Raj Thackeray argued that a practical approach rather than an emotional one was the need of the hour. However, he said that if the supreme court itself gives a decision in favor of Belgaum's merger he would welcome it, although the local situation in Belgaum should not be vitiated for the sake of it. He asked the MES leaders to first identify the real issue as to whether marathis in belgaum are being targeted for espousing the cause of marathi language or because they were supporting the merger of Belgaum with Maharashtra. Lamenting that strikes and bandhs only add to the misery of the Marathi-speaking community in Belgaum, Thackeray said: "If the Karnataka government is ready to respect the Marathi people, their culture and language, then there is nothing wrong in Belgaum being there."^[12] His comments were strongly criticized by his cousin Uddhav Thackeray as a cruel joke on the marathi manoos.^[13]

Controversies[link]

2008 violence against UP & Biharis[link]

At a rally in Shivaji Park, Raj warned that if the dadagiri (intimidating dominance) of these people in Mumbai and Maharashtra continued, he would be compelled to make them leave the metropolis.^[14] Raj was arrested along with a Samajwadi Party leader, Abu Azmi, for their involvement in the fracas. He was released on paying a penalty of 15,000 (US$299.25).

Acquittal in Kini murder case[link]

In July 1996, Ramesh Kini was found dead in a cinema in Pune. Kini was a tenant in a ramshackle tenement in central Mumbai, whose landlord, Laxmikant Shah, was trying to evict him. Shah also happened to be a close childhood friend of Raj Thackeray. A CBI enquiry was later issued for the case, but the CBI dismissed the case as one of suicide.^[15]

Kohinoor mill controversy[link]

Shiv Sena opposed sale of mill land, but Raj Thackeray bid for and won mill land in prime Mumbai real estate.^[16] On 21 July 2005, Raj and Unmesh Joshi, son of Shiv Sena Leader Manohar Joshi purchased a five acre plot of land, Kohinoor Mill No. 3, located across the road from the Shiv Sena party headquarters in Dadar, Mumbai for 421 crore (US$83.99 million). The NCP leader from Mumbai, Sachin Ahir, objected to the sale of the Kohinoor Mill land, saying that there were forty bids, yet only three were short-listed. He demanded a re-bid as there was a lack of transparency in the move.^[17]

Reaction to Jaya Bachchan's controversial statement[link]

The words of Jaya Bachchan, veteran actor and sitting Rajya Sabha MP of Samajwadi Party (with whom Raj's MNS has crossed swords a number of times), during the Music launch of the Hindi film Drona, were deemed hurtful by Raj Thackeray.

Jaya's words 'Hum UP (Uttar Pradesh) ke log hain, isliye Hindi mein baat karenge, Maharashtra ke log Maaf Kijiye' (We are from UP region, so we will speak in Hindi. People of Maharashtra, please excuse) in response to the film's Director, Goldie Behl, making his introductory speech in English and subsequently encouraging the actress Priyanka Chopra to speak in Hindi.^[18]

Raj commented that Jaya had no business alluding to all the people of Maharashtra in that statement. He threatened to ban all Bachchan films unless Jaya apologised in a public forum for hurting Maharashtrians. MNS workers began to attack theatres screening The Last Lear starring Jaya Bachchan's husband, Amitabh Bachchan. Shivsena MP Sanjay Raut also criticized Jaya's statement saying: "After making all your success & fortune in Mumbai, if you feel like saying that, We are From UP, its very unfortunate." It was only after Amitabh tendered an apology that the screening resumed.^[19]

Following Raj's threat, Mumbai police acted against Raj, issuing a gag order preventing him from speaking to the media.^[20]

Remarks on Chhath Puja and Migrants[link]

Raj reproached North Indian leaders for politicizing Chhath Puja, a festival popular in Bihar, calling it a "drama" and a "show of numerical strength". He stated that the Chhath Puja was a political gimmick by some parties to attract the north Indian vote. He questioned the motives by citing that the puja is performed on the banks of a river, not the sea as it was being performed.^[21] He demanded that they only celebrate Maharashtra day and not UP day in Maharashtra. A petition was filed in the Patna civil court on 8 February against him for his remarks.^[22] His statements drew flak from political leaders across the board, especially those from the North Indian states. The then Indian Railways minister and former chief minister of Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, vowed that he would come to Mumbai and perform Chhath Puja in front of Raj's house, which he failed to perform. He also ridiculed Raj saying, "He [Raj] is a child in politics".^[21] The Navnirman Sena leader accused migrants of swamping Maharashtra, India's most industrialised state, in search of jobs.^[23]

The MNS chief also accused migrants of disrespecting the local culture. On 9 February, expressing his stance on new migrants settling in Mumbai, Raj said, "New immigrants to the city should be denied entry into the city, while those already staying here should show respect to the Marathi 'manoos' and his culture".^[24]

Mumbai-Bombay Controversy: Wake Up Sid[link]

On 2 October 2009, MNS workers disrupted the screening of the film Wake Up Sid on its release in a few Pune and Mumbai theatres, after Raj objected to references in the movie to "Bombay" rather than "Mumbai". The city of Mumbai was referred to as "Bombay" in many scenes^[25] and in some songs (lyrics by Javed Akhtar). The film's producer, Karan Johar, visited Raj's residence to apologise, and agreed to all of Raj's terms, including an apology on each of the 700 frames in the film.^[26]

Personal life[link]

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Raj is married to Sharmila, daughter of famous Marathi theater/films actor, producer-director Mohan Wagh. They have one son named Amit Thackeray and one daughter Urvashi Thackeray.

Like his father and uncle Raj is a painter and cartoonist. He had also expressed his desire to work for Walt Disney Studios. Raj Thackeray said when asked what he would have done had he not joined politics? "In my college days, I wanted to work with Walt Disney Studios. I drew cartoons even before my foray in politics. Film making is also a passion. I would have been doing either of these things."

External links[link]

• Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Official Website
• Outlook India Back Issues
• Raj Thackerey's response in The Indian Express to Sudheendra Kulkarni's criticism
• New legal strategy to tame Raj

References[link]

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Ajit Anantrao Pawar
MLA
In office 1991 - 1995, 1995 - 1999, 1999 - 2004, 2004 - 2009 2009 - Present
Constituency	Baramati
Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra State  India
In office November 10, 2010 – Present
Preceded by	Chhagan Bhujbal
Personal details
Born	(1959-07-22) 22 July 1959 (age 52) Deolali Pravara, Taluka - Rahuri, District - Ahmednagar
Political party	NCP
Spouse(s)	Mrs. Sunetra Pawar
Children	Parth Pawar (Elder son) Jay Pawar (Younger son)
Residence	Sahyog, Baramati, Pune
Religion	Hindu
Website	http://ajitdadapawar.net/
As of November 12, 2010

Ajit Anantrao Pawar (Marathi: अजित अनंतराव पवार) (born July 22, 1959), popularly known as Dada (Big Brother) is a Maharashtra politician currently serving as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He is the nephew of Sharad Pawar, the Union Cabinet Minister of Agriculture and the chief of Nationalist Congress Party.

Early Life and Family History[link]

Ajit Pawar is the son of Anantrao Pawar who was an elder brother of Sharad Pawar. Anantrao followed a less conventional career of working for V. Shantaram's Rajkamal studio. His paternal grandfather, Govindrao Pawar was employed by the Baramati farmers' Cooperative ( Sahakari Kharedi Vikri Sangh) whilst his grandmother, Shardabai looked after the family farm at Katewadi, ten kilometers from Baramati.

Political life[link]

Ajit Pawar made his foray into politics in 1982 when he was elected to a sugar cooperative body. Ajit Pawar was then elected as a chairman of the Pune District Co-operative Bank (PDC) in 1991, the post he held for 16 years. It merits attention that when he took over, the bank deposits were just Rs 300 crore. When he relinquished office the bank deposits had increased to an astronomical figure of Rs 160000 crores (approximately $32 billion)^{[citation needed]} . During the same time he was elected to Lok Sabha from Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. He later vacated his Lok Sabha seat in favour of Mr. Sharad Pawar who had then become a Defense minister in Mr. P. V. Narasimha Rao's government.

Thereafter, he moved to the state legislature and was elected as a MLA from Baramati Vidhan Sabha constituency in 1991. He went on to become minister of state for Agriculture and Power (June 1991 - November 1992) in Mr. Sudhakarrao Naik's government. Later he became minister of state for Soil Conservation, Power and Planning (November 1992 - February 1993) when Mr. Sharad Pawar returned to the state as chief minister.

When Congress-NCP combine came into power in 1999 Mr. Ajit Pawar was promoted to the rank of a cabinet minister. He became minister for the coveted Irrigation department (October 1999 - December 2003) in Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh's government. He was given additional charge of Rural Development department (December 2003 - October 2004) in Mr. Sushilkumar Shinde's government.

When Congress-NCP combine returned to power in 2004 he retained the Water Resources ministry (name changed from Irrigation department to Water Resources department) (November 2004 - October 2009) in Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh's government and later in Mr. Ashok Chavan's government. He also became the Guardian minister for Pune district in 2004 and has held the post since then. There are allegations that as the minister for water resources he spared no efforts to help in the development of Lavasa,

^[1] a project touted as a "vision of Sharad Pawar". The Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation (MKVDC) leased 141.15 hectares to Lavasa in August 2002, which included part of Warasgaon dam reservoir. The lease between MKDVC and Lavasa was executed at rates far below the market rate.^[2] This transfer was illegal as the mandatory permission from the revenue department was not taken.^{[citation needed]}

Since 2007 corporation elections and subsequent Zilla Parishad elections,he has one umbrella control over cultural city of Maharashtra, Pune and its rural area.He is also regarded as stringent and hard liner administrator. He is credited for efforts taken to resolve traffic congestion in Pune and Pimpri-Cinchwad through vast constructions of flyovers,sub-ways and broad roads which were at times matters of criticism. He has also envisioned the implementation of Metro Rail project for mass transport in Pune. He make the Pimprichinchvad the good model of development in India.In 2011-12 Pimparichinchvadhas recived the frist national award in urban develpment.

See also[link]

• Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra
• Sharad Pawar

References[link]

External links[link]

• Ajit Pawar profile on hypermart .net