JALGAON

Bahadarpur Fort is located on the banks of the river Bori, between Parola and Amalner in Jalgaon district. According to the Jalgaon District Gazetteer (1962), the fort was built in 1596 by the region’s “then ruler” named Bahadur Khan Suri, and is noted for its tall towers, approximately 40 feet high, along with bastions and ramparts that remain as the prominent features of the structure. Given its position along a waterway, many scholars and fort enthusiasts believe the fort may have played a strategic or trade-related role.

In 1751, it is noted that the fort became the site of a significant battle between the forces of Nanasaheb Peshwa and the Gaikwads. Later, in 1818, the fort came under British control following their military campaigns in the area. Despite its historical value, very little is widely known about the fort, and many fort enthusiasts and researchers have raised concerns about its gradual deterioration and the lack of conservation efforts.

Chandikadevi Mandir, also known as Patnadevi Mandir, is located approximately 18 km southwest of Chalisgaon. The mandir is situated on the banks of the river Dogri, which originates from Dhaval Tirtha at the foothills of the Sahyadri mountains, and lies within the Gautala Autramghat Sanctuary.

Remarkably, the mandir is regarded as one of the oldest religious structures in the district. According to local accounts, it was constructed around 1128 CE, on Ashadha Amavasya (the new moon day in the Hindu month of Ashadha, which typically falls in June or July) on the day of a solar eclipse. Some traditions also associate the mandir with the Patna Devi Mandir in Bihar, one of the 51 Shaktipeeths.

The mandir is managed by the Patna Niwasini Chandikadevi Pratishthan Trust, which organises Mahaprasad distribution every Poornima. The site is maintained by the Puratan Department of India, with visitor facilities provided by the Forest Department, including a Dharamshala for tirth yatris and events.

Changdev Mandir is a historic site located near Muktainagar at the confluence of the Tapi and Purna rivers. The mandir is traditionally regarded as the place where Changdev Maharaj, a 12th-century yogi, engaged in intense spiritual discipline, and it has been designated a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Constructed in the Hemadpanthi architectural style, the mandir is notable for its scale and craftsmanship. As described in the district Gazetteer (1962), it is “105 feet round and 120 feet high... built of huge black marble blocks fitted one on the other without mortar or other cement.” The outer walls display detailed carvings of devi, devtas, and heroes, while Balbodh inscriptions near the entrance remain faintly visible, though now worn with time.

Changdev Mandir is associated with several legends that are part of its history and cultural significance. One such legend links the construction of the mandir to a period when the world is said to have experienced a six-month-long night.

Another account, recorded in the Ain-i-Akbari and cited in the district Gazetteer (1962), tells of a blind devotee of Mahadev who, after misplacing his murti at the mandir, created a new one from sand. The devotee is said to have worshipped the sand murti with the same devotion as the original. It is said that, recognising his deep devotion, the devtas blessed the sand figure, causing it to turn into stone. This murti is still believed to remain at the mandir.

Another popular legend is associated with a spring near the mandir, which many devotees regard as a manifestation of the Ganges river. According to the legend, there was a devout man who regularly journeyed to the Ganges for ritual bathing and would return the same day. One night, the Ganges is said to have appeared to him in a dream, telling him, “Cease from all this labour, for I will spring up here in your cell.” The following morning, it is believed that the spring appeared at the site and continues to flow to this day.

Gandhi Tirtha, also known as the Gandhi Research Foundation (GRF), is located in Jain Hills, Mohadi of Jalgaon district. It, very distinctively, serves as an international centre for the study, research, and dissemination of the philosophy and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi.

The foundation’s objectives include the preservation and promotion of principles associated with Gandhi, such as truth, non-violence, peaceful coexistence, and conservation. It undertakes various initiatives to document and share Gandhi’s life and ideals through educational, cultural, and community-based programs.

Notably, the GRF offers academic courses, including a Post-Graduate Diploma in Gandhian Social Work, which emphasises practical field training. As part of the program, students engage in village-based development projects, where they assess local conditions, plan interventions, and implement community-oriented initiatives.

The foundation conducts a nationwide examination assessing Gandhi’s impact on India and the wider world. It also publishes a quarterly magazine titled Khoj Gandhiji Ki, featuring articles by Indian and international contributors. GRF operates its own publishing division, which produces literature in Hindi and Marathi on Gandhi and related topics.

The Kala Maharshi Keki Moos Art Gallery is located in Chalisgaon and is dedicated to Keki Moos, an Indian artist and photographer. The gallery occupies Moos’s former residence, originally named Ashirwad and later Rembrandt Retreat, in reference to his interest in the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn.

Moos was an avant-garde artist in many ways, particularly renowned for his pioneering work in tabletop photography, a method of still-life photography that involves the careful arrangement of objects on a surface for the camera, often shot in a lay-flat or standing composition. Over five decades, Moos created more than 1,000 pieces in this style, capturing the delicate interplay of light and shadow in everyday objects. His work was widely acclaimed, earning him numerous national and international accolades.

Born in 1912 into a wealthy Parsi family in Mumbai, Moos moved to Chalisgaon at the age of eight. Despite his father’s wishes for him to manage the family business, Moos pursued his passion for art, studying at Wilson College in Mumbai and later in England, where he earned a diploma in commercial and fine arts. After travelling the world post-graduation, he settled back in Chalisgaon and never left his home again, choosing to create his art in isolation. His works reflect a deep intellectual and spiritual journey, with over 3,000 books in his personal library and a profound interest in music and philosophy.

In Life and Still Life, a book dedicated to his works, Moos is described as an “eccentric person who did not leave his house for years.” Yet, despite his seclusion, he attracted the attention of many prominent figures, including Jawaharlal Nehru, who visited him in Chalisgaon, along with social reformers like Jayaprakash Narayan. These visits underscored the respect Moos commanded for both his art and his intellect.

In his will, Moos instructed that his estate be used to create a museum to showcase his work. Following his death in 1989, the Kala Maharshi Keki Moos Art Gallery was established as per the instructions in his will, which directed that his property be converted into a museum. The gallery is managed by the Keki Moos Art Trust and houses his artwork, as well as his personal library of over 3,000 books. The gallery functions as a cultural space dedicated to the preservation and public display of Moos’s artistic work.

The Khandesh Archives and Museum Centre is located within the Central Library building of Kavayitri Bahinabai Chaudhari North Maharashtra University, in Jalgaon. The centre was officially established on 18 May 2009 by the university, to support the conservation, research, and documentation of the historical and cultural heritage of the Khandesh region. It also focuses on raising awareness about the region’s indigenous communities, whose traditional cultures and practices are considered to be at risk of disappearing due to social and economic changes.

A significant portion of the collection was donated by the Manikraje Shivrao Vishwasrao Pawar Educational and Historical Trust, located in Nagardevla, Tehsil Pachora, Jalgaon District. The donated artefacts have been preserved for over two centuries and represent a broad array of historical and cultural items.

The collection includes ivory objects, everyday utensils, royal attire, intricately carved wooden items, coins, decorative and vanity pieces, toys, and objects made from China clay and glass. The centre also houses manuscripts written in Modi script, along with handwritten letters and correspondence from pivotal figures in Maharashtra’s history, such as Shri Yashwantrao Chavan, who was notably a freedom fighter and the first Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

Mudhai Devi Mandir is located in Waghali village, Chalisgaon taluka. It was constructed in the 12th century during the Yadava dynasty and built in the Hemadpanthi architectural style. The mandir is dedicated to Mudhai Devi and is among the older surviving structures in the region.

The Patnadevi Caves are located near Chandikadevi Mandir in Chalisgaon taluka of Jalgaon district, Maharashtra. Situated within the Gautala Autramghat Sanctuary, the caves house a small shrine dedicated to the Devi and are historically associated with the mathematician and astronomer Bhaskaracharya (12th century CE).

According to the Jalgaon District Gazetteer (1962), the nearby village of Patane (present-day Patna) is one of the oldest settlements in the district. The area is referenced by Bhaskaracharya under the name Jadvid, and in 1206 CE, his grandson Changdev established a matha (college) here to teach Bhaskaracharya’s works.

According to local legends, Bhaskaracharya introduced several mathematical concepts in this region, and the caves are considered part of the historical landscape where he is believed to have lived and worked.

The Sane Guruji Memorial is located in Amalner taluka. It commemorates Sane Guruji, a social reformer and educationist who contributed to the development of school education in Jalgaon district during the Indian independence movement.

Parola Fort is a historic site located in Parola town of Jalgaon district. The fort covers an area of approximately 160×130 meters and was built using stone and mortar. It was originally surrounded by a water-filled moat, which expanded into a larger reservoir on one side. The main entrance featured a drawbridge and guard towers, typical of the defensive architecture of the period.

There are varying accounts regarding the fort’s origins. Some local traditions suggest that the father of Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi was involved in its construction. According to the District Gazetteer (1962), the fort was built in 1727 by Jahgirdar Hari Sadashiv Damodar.

Despite the uncertainty around its origin, the fort holds a fascinating connection to Rani Lakshmi Bai, as it was later managed by one of her relatives. In 1859, following the 1857 uprising, the British seized the fort during their efforts to regain control of the Khandesh region. Large parts of the structure were dismantled, and today, only remnants of the original fort remain.

Shri Vyas Mandir in Yawal Taluka is a significant cultural site dedicated to Maharishi Vyasa, who is traditionally credited with composing the Mahabharata. Yawal is closely associated with him through the local belief that he spent time in the region and wrote parts of the epic here. The mandir, in many ways, honours this connection. 

Unapdev is a hot water spring located in Chopda taluka, at the base of the Satpuda hills. The spring flows throughout the year from a cow-shaped stone structure. Local traditions associate the site with the Ramayana, and the water is believed to have medicinal properties.