Ichalkaranji, located in Western Maharashtra and included in
Hatkanangale tehsil of Kolhapur district of Maharashtra for the last hundred
years has been growing fast and has become one of the leading centers of
textile industry. This city has historical importance also. This city is known
as the Little Manchester of Maharashtra. One Naro Mahadev was the founder of
the Ghorpade family. He made Ichalkaranji the seat of his capital in 1708 AD
Previously this was a small hamlet situated on the left bank of the river
Panchaganga.
Ichalkaranji, remained the capital of the Ghorpade
(Joshi's) from 1708 AD. to 1949 A.D. Anubai, the daughter of Balaji Vishvanath
and the sister of the Peshwa Bajirao I, got married to Vyankatrao, the ruler of
Ichalkaranji in about 1719 A.D and Ichalkaranji became the centre of political
activities.The ruler of the Ichalkaranji built the palace and other public
buildings at Ichalkaranji.
There were 11 rulers who ruled the Ichalkaranji jaghir, Some of
them were farsighted and enlightened. One such ruler was Narayanrao Babasaheb
Ghorpade(1892-1943) who made Ichalkaranji a textile city. In 1893, His Highness
Shrimant Narayanrao Ghorpade laid the foundation for the municipal council of
Ichalkaranji. Many textile powerlooms and allied industries came into
existence in Ichalkaranji. A number of cloth merchants, especially the Marwadi
community from north India flocked to the city and invested their capital in
textile Industries. Side by side some entrepreneurs started co-operative
textile industries and spinning mills, like Deccan Spinning Mills,
Inchalkaranji co-operative Spinning Mills, Kolhapur Zilla Sut Girani,
Nava-Maharashtra spinning Mills etc. There was a need of labour workers for
textile and spinning mills. Geographically Ichalkaranji is located near
Karnataka side. Some local workers are also involved in this work.
Due to the textile industries Ichalkaranji is known
as the little Manchester of Maharashtra. In 1949 Ichalkaranji Jaghir was merged
into Bombay presidency. But after independence this city has fast been
developing. It is also an educational centre. Class struggle has been always going
on between the rich and the poor.
Ichalkaranji has an important place in the urban
development of western Maharashtra. It is called the Manchester of Maharashtra.
It is an impotant industrial city where the development of textile and the powerloom
industry has brought about an over-all prosperity. It is also the main place in
the boundary of South Maharashtra and Karnataka State.
It's district place Kolhapur is probably one of the
oldest religious and trade centres in Western India. It has ever remained the
great centre of learning and culture. Now Ichalkaranji is a great commercial,
religious, educational and political centre.
The
origin of the name of Ichalkaranji
It is supposed that Ichalkaranji has been founded
in the first century A.D. At first there were seven hamlets. But some old
people say that there were three villages : 1) Inchi, 2) Unchi, 3)Karanji. Later
on these villages mixed into one single village named as 'Ichalkaranji'.
The
second theory about the origin is that there was a part of a forest and there
were trees of karanji on a large scale and the name of the village derived from
Inch. From this the name Ichalkaranji might have come into existence.
Location
of the city
Geographically, Ichalkaranji is on latitude 16-40 North and longitude 74-25 East.
It is located about 26 kms to the south west of Sangli city . Three roads
branching from Kolhapur Sangli road enter into the town, one from the west and
the other two from the north and south. Ichalkaranji is joined by road to
Nipani and Chikodi towns of Karnataka state.
Railway
route
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