| Nagpur | |
| State - District(s) | Maharashtra - Nagpur |
| Coordinates | |
| Area - Elevation | 218 km² - 310 m |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Population (2006 est.) - Density | 2,420,000<ref name="Estimated Population of Nagpur urban area in 2006, Nagpur 114th largest city in world in 2006/"> "The world's largest cities". City Mayors. Retrieved on 2006-06-26.</ref> - 12,300/km² |
| Codes - Postal - Telephone - Vehicle | - 4400xx - +91-712 - MH-31,MH-40 |
Nāgpur pronunciation ('Marathi:' 'नागपुर') Third largest city in the western Indian state of Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune. With a population of 2.1 million (2001 Census), Nagpur was the 13th largest urban conglomeration in India in 2001 and the foremost city in Maharashtra's eastern Vidarbha region. In addition, Nagpur is also the state's Winter Capital<ref name="Nagpur as Maha's Winter Capital, headquarters of RSS/"> "Analysis: India terror attack aimed at sowing anarchy". World Peace Herald. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref> and the headquarters of Nagpur District and Nagpur Division administrations. <ref name="Largest urban areas in India"> "Some 108 million people live in India's largest cities". City Mayors. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref> On a global scale, Nagpur is estimated to be the 114th largest city <ref name="Estimated Population of Nagpur urban area in 2006, Nagpur 114th largest city in world in 2006/"> "The world's largest cities". City Mayors. Retrieved on 2006-06-26.</ref> and the 143rd largest urban area in the world in 2006 in terms of population.<ref name="Nagpur planet's 143rd largest urban area in 2006"> "The world’s largest cities and urban areas in 2006". City Mayors. Retrieved on 2006-06-26.</ref> Nagpur is also important geographically as it lies practically at the centre of India with the country's geographical centre (Zero Mile) being situated here.<ref name="Zero Mile in Nagpur"> Nagpur. Maharashtra Government. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref> Moreover, Nagpur is well-known throughout India as a trade centre for high-quality oranges grown in the surrounding region and hence the city is also known as Santra Nagari (Hindi and Marathi for 'Orange City').<ref name="Nagpur also popularly known as Orange City"> "Stamps from the Orange City". The Hindu. Retrieved on 2006-06-19.</ref> Recently, the city celebrated 300 years of its establishment. <ref name="Nagpur celebrated 300 years of its establishment recently"> Tourism Section. National Informatics Centre, Nagpur. Retrieved on 2006-06-19.</ref>
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Nagpur has an area of approximately 220 km²<ref name="Area of Nagpur city, Annual Rainfall in Nagpur and duration/"> Geographical Information (on Nagpur city). National Informatics Centre, Nagpur. Retrieved on 2006-06-30.</ref> and is situated at 21° 06' N latitude and 79° 03' E longitude and a mean altitude of 310 meters above sea level.<ref name="Latitude, Longitude, and Mean altitude of Nagpur city, Temperature Range in Nagpur city/"> Climatic Parameters of Nagpur. India Meteorological Department Regional Meteorological Centre, Nagpur. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.</ref> Being located far away from any major water body at the centre of the Indian peninsula, the Nagpur's climate is dry or mildly humid for most of the year except for the rainy season. Nagpur city receives an annual rainfall of 1,205 mm (47.44 in) mostly between the months of June and September.<ref name="Area of Nagpur city, Annual Rainfall in Nagpur and duration/"> Geographical Information (on Nagpur city). National Informatics Centre, Nagpur. Retrieved on 2006-06-30.</ref> The highest recorded rainfall was 304 mm on July 14, 1994.<ref name="Highest rainfall recorded"> "Flooding, power cuts after Nagpur rains". www.dnaindia.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-18.</ref> Summer lasts from March to June, with temperatures peaking in the month of May. Summers in Nagpur are extremely hot, with daytime temperatures regularly crosses 40°C (114°F). Winter lasts from November to January, during which it is not unusual for temperatures to drop below 10°C (60°F).<ref name="Latitude, Longitude, and Mean altitude of Nagpur city, Temperature Range in Nagpur city/"> Climatic Parameters of Nagpur. India Meteorological Department Regional Meteorological Centre, Nagpur. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.</ref> The highest recorded temperature in the city was 48.6 °C (119.5 °F) on 1954-05-26, while the lowest was 4°C.
The first reference to the name Nagpur is found in a 10th century copper-plate inscription discovered at Devali in the neighbouring Wardha district. The inscription is a record of grant of a village situated in the visaya (district) of Nagpura-Nandivardhana during time of Rastrakuta king Krsna III in the Saka year 862 (940 CE). <ref name="Copper-inscription info"> History of Nagpur District: Ancient Period. Maharashtra State Government Directorate of Government Printing, Stationery and Publications. Retrieved on 2006-07-28.</ref><ref>Nandivardhana, which was well-known as an ancient capital of the Vakatakas, is now represented by the village Nandardhan, about three miles from the temple town of Ramtek.</ref> However, tradition ascribes the founding of Nagpur to Bakht Buland, a prince of the Gond kingdom of Deogarh in the Chhindwara district. In 1743, the Maratha leader Raghoji Bhonsle of Vidarbha established himself at Nagpur, after conquering the territories of Deogarh, Chanda and Chhattisgarh by 1751. After Raghoji's death in 1755, his son and successor Janoji was forced to acknowledge the effective supremacy of the Maratha Peshwa of Pune in 1769. Regardless, the Nagpur state continued to grow. Janoji's successor Mudhoji (d. 1788) came to power in 1785 and bought Mandla and the upper Narmada valley from the Peshwa between 1796 and 1798, after which Raghoji II (d. 1816) acquired Hoshangabad, the larger part of Saugor and Damoh. Under Raghoji II, Nagpur covered what is now the East of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, and parts of Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.
In 1803 Raghoji II joined the Peshwas against the British in the Second Anglo-Maratha War. The British prevailed, and Raghoji was forced to cede Cuttack, Sambalpur, and part of Berar. After Raghoji II's death in 1816, his son Parsaji was deposed and murdered by Mudhoji. Despite the fact that he had entered into a treaty with the British in the same year, Mudhoji joined the Peshwas in the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1817 against the British, but was forced to cede the rest of Berar to the Nizam of Hyderabad, and parts of Saugor and Damoh, Mandla, Betul, Seoni and the Narmada valley to the British after suffering a defeat at Sitabuldi in modern-day Nagpur city. Mudhoji was deposed after a temporary restoration to the throne, after which the British placed the grandchild of Raghoji II Raghoji III on the throne. During the rule of Raghoji III (which lasted till 1840), the region was administered by a British resident. In 1853, the British took control of Nagpur after Raghoji III died without leaving an heir. From 1853 to 1861, the Nagpur Province (which consisted of the present Nagpur region, Chhindwara, and Chhatisgarh) became part of the Central Provinces and Berar and came under the administration of a commissioner under the British central government, with Nagpur as its capital. Berar was added in 1903.
TATA, one of the most respected industrial houses in India, started the country's first textile mill at Nagpur<ref name="First textile mill in Nagpur by Tatas"> "Are Indians Really Dumb?". Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref>, formally known as Central India Spinning and Weaving Company Ltd. The company was popularly known as "Empress Mills" as it was inaugurated on 1st January 1877, the day queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India.
Nagpur was a scene of significant political activity during India's freedom struggle. The city hosted two annual sessions of the Indian National Congress and the Non Co-Operation Movement was launched in the Nagpur session of 1920. After Indian Independence in 1947, Central Provinces and Berar became a province of India, and in 1950 became the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, again with Nagpur as its capital. However when the Indian states were reorganized along linguistic lines in 1956, the Nagpur region and Berar were transferred to Bombay state, which in 1960 was split between the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Nagpur is the only Indian city to have lost the status of a state capital during the reorganizaton of states. If the demand for a separate state of Vidarbha is granted in future, the city is set to regain its former status as state capital.
Nagpur is an important city for the scientific community as it is home to the headquarters of a number of national level scientific and governmental establishments like the National Environmental Engineering and Research Institute (NEERI), Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR), National Research Centre for Citrus, National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Aluminium Research and Development Centre, the Indian Bureau of Mines, India's Intellectual Property Training Institute, the National Academy of Direct Taxes, the Chief Controller of Explosives of the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation, and the South Central Zone Cultural Centre in addition to a regional office of the Indian Meteorological Department.
Nagpur is also an important city for the Indian armed forces as the the headquarters of Maintenance Command of the Indian Air Force and an Ordinance factory and Staff College for the Indian Armed Forces are located in the city. In addition, the Nagpur suburb named Kamptee is home a neatly laid out cantonment of the Regimental Centre of Indian Army's Brigade that is made up of the National Cadet Corps' Officers' Training School, Institute of Military Law, and other establishments of Indian Army. Furthermore, Nagpur's National Civil Defence College provides civil defence and disaster management training to pupils from all over India and abroad. The city is also the home for Indian Air Force's giant IL-76 transport planes nicknamed "Gajraj."<ref name="I-76 in Nagpur"> "Orange booms: Big dreams come true in small town". Daily News and Analysis India. Retrieved on 2006-08-17.</ref>
Due to Nagpur's geographical position, all distances within India are measured from Zero Mile located in the Civil Lines locality in the city.<ref name="Zero miles in Civil Lines near Petrol Pump"> Petrol Pumps in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Web123india.com Yellow Pages. Retrieved on 2006-06-26.</ref>
Deekshabhoomi is famous throughout India as the site where Dr. B. R. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism to promote his efforts to overcome discrimination against lower-caste and untouchable Hindus, and is also the largest hollow stupa in the world. <ref name="Deekshabhoomi largest hollow stupa"> "Celebrating a unique city". The Tribune. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref> Dalits and Buddhists from all over the country converge to Deekshabhoomi every year on Ashoka Dashmi.
The Sitabuldi fort situated near Kasturchand Park was the site of a fierce battle between the British and the Bhonsle Empire in 1817. The battle was a turning point as it laid the foundations of the downfall of the Bhonsles and paved the way for the British acquisition of Nagpur city.<ref name="Sitabuldi's importance, fought in 1817, major players involved, etc."> "The Battle of Sitabuldi". Nagpurcity.net. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref>
Almost every part of the city has at least one major Hindu temple. The Sri Poddareshwar Ram Mandir in Ram Nagar is arguably the most popular religious spot in the city.The ancient Shri Mahalaxmi Devi temple 17km from the city is the town of Koradi draws devotees to its doors throughout the year, especially during annual Navratri festival.<ref name="Maharashtra Tourism mention about Koradi"> Maharashtra Tourism mention about Koradi. Maharashtra Tourism. Retrieved on 2006-08-10. </ref> Prominent places of worship for other religions are also situated in the city. The Catholic Seminary located at Seminary Hills is one of the finest in the state. A Buddhist Dragon Palace Temple located on the outskirts of the city has become popular tourist spot in recent times due to its exquisite architecture and serene environment.
The city also contains a number of lakes that are popular recreation spots- Ambazari, Telangkhedi (which underwent major renovation recently), Gandhisagar, Gorewada, and Sonegaon to name a few. With its scenic gardens and recreation facilities, the Ambazari Lake has historically been one of the most popular spots in Nagpur, a status that it retains to this day. Another popular spot is the Maharajbag Zoo, originally a garden developed by the Bhonsle rulers.<ref name="Information on Maharajbag Zoo"> Maharaj Baug and Zoo. India9.com. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref> The Zoo contains several rare species of birds and animals. Pench forest reserve, which is the setting for Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, is 45 miles to the north of Nagpur.
The Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground (VCA) in Nagpur is one of the nine test venues in the country. A new stadium of VCA is coming up on Wardha road which boasts a seating capacity of 80,000 people.<ref name="VCA ground in Nagpur"> Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground in Nagpur. Cricinfo.com. Retrieved on 2006-06-21.</ref><ref name="History of Cricket matches on VCA"> One day Internationals, Vidarbha Cricket Ground. National Rugby League of Australia. Retrieved on 2006-06-22.</ref>
Nagpur boasts many restaurants specializing in Indian as well as international cuisine. Liberty and Smruti are the two most popular movie theatres, screening all major Bollywood releases. The city is now enjoying its first multi-screen theatre (multiplex) at Wardhaman Nagar. Three other multiplex theatres are coming up in the city.
For its size and population, Nagpur has only two five-star hotels Hotel Tuli International, and Hotel Pride. Other prominent delux hotels are Hotel Centre Point and Airport Centre Point, and Hotel Chidambara. A number of budget hotels are located along Central Avenue, a main street passing through business areas.
Marathi and Hindi are the two most widely-spoken languages in Nagpur. In 2001, the urban population was 2,129,500, and there were around 410,000 households in the city. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for around 25% of the population. The sex ratio was 936 females per 1000 males. Around 99.4% of the population was engaged in non-agricultural activities, attesting to the overwhelmingly urban character of Nagpur city.<ref name="City demographics,Literacy rate in Nagpur urban area/"> Area Profile: Nagpur (urban). National Informatics Centre, Nagpur. Retrieved on 2006-06-28.</ref>
Like most major Indian cities, Nagpur has a cosmopolitan culture due to the presence of people from all over India. Nagpur is known for its tolerance toward people from all over India, in contrast to cities like Mumbai where anti-migrant sentiments led to the rise of regionalist parties like the Shiv Sena.<ref name="Peaceful Nagpur,hospitality/"> "Celebrating a unique city". The Tribune. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref> A notable fact about Nagpur is that it has remained peacful even as other Indian cities like Kolkota and Mumbai went through violent episodes of communal conflicts for one reason or another.<ref name="Peaceful Nagpur,hospitality/"> "Celebrating a unique city". The Tribune. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref>
Although the middle class continues to comprise the major chunk of Nagpur's population, in recent times there has been an unprecendented rise in the number of millionares residing in the city. In 2006, the number of millionare households in Nagpur grew at a faster pace than other major cities like Pune, Delhi, or Chennai. <ref name="Nagpur fastest growing crorepati city in 2006"> "Nagpur home to India's most millionaires". The Times of India. Retrieved on 2006-11-18.</ref> Although historically the city has not reaped the benefits of India's economic boom in comparison to cities like Hyderabad and Bangalore, Nagpur remains one of the most livable cities in the country due to its citizen- friendly statistics. Recently, the city was judged as the cleanest and second greenest in India after Bangalore.<ref name="Nagpur cleanest and second greenest in India"> Nagpur. Maharashtra Airport Development Company Ltd.. Retrieved on 2006-06-26.</ref> Nagpur's crime has remained at a constant level. In general, the housing supply is moderately priced in comparison to megacities like Mumbai and Delhi, although the price of land has skyrocketed in posh localities like Ramdaspeth and Civil Lines. <ref name="Nagpur container depot fastest growing in India, Nagpur ATR busiest in India, Trains going through Nagpur, National Highways through Nagpur, Nagpur SEZ stats, Land prices in Ramdaspeth etc./"> "Nagpur stakes claim to lead boomtown pack". The Indian Express. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref> The city enjoys good quality and abundant water supply thanks to a successful crackdown on water theft by the local municipal corporation (NMC).<ref name="Water supply in Nagpur"> "Mixed results for municipal water reforms". India Together. Retrieved on 2006-06-22.</ref> However, various parts of the city have been affected by power cuts ranging from two and half to four hours in recent times due to the acute shortage of electricity in the state of Maharashtra.<ref name="Duration of power cuts in Nagpur city, electricity shortage in Maha"> "Power cuts: Maharashtra CM, energy minister get taste of public ire". The Deccan Herald. Retrieved on 2006-06-22.</ref>
Several important religious events are observed in the city throughout the year. Every year on Ram Navami (which ususally falls in late March or early April), Nagpur plays host to spectacular shobha yatra in which a massive procession of floats depicting various events from the Ramayana is organized by the Sri Poddareshwar Ram Mandir.<ref name="Ram Mandir shobhayatra"> About Shobha Yatra. Sri Poddareshwar Ram Mandir Website. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref> The procession snakes through several important streets of the city from late afternoon to well past midnight and is witnessed by hundreds of thousands of people from the city as well as other parts of India. Like the rest of India, Nagpurians celebrates major Hindu festivals like Diwali, Holi and Dussera with fervour and enthusiasm. Celebrations lasting for several days are held on Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja festivals in virtually every small locality in the city. Processions are also held on important festivals of other religions such as Eid e Milad, Guru Nanak Jayanti, Mahavir Jayanti and Moharram.
Nagpur also plays host to a variety of cultural events throughout the year. A week long Kalidas Festival organized by Maharashtra government and the South Central Zone Cultural Centre acts as a venue for a series of music and dance performances by such artistes of national repute as Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.<ref name="Kalidas festival in Nagpur"> The Kalidas Festival. Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref> The South Central Cultural Centre also actively sponsors various other cultural events in Nagpur city, such as the Orange City Craft Mela and Folk Dance Festival, which is noted for its numerous folk-dances. <ref name="Cultural activities of the South Central Cultural Zone"> Major Programs during the year. The South Central Cultural Zone. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref> Nagpurians are also fond of Indian classical music and dance as is evident from the regular solo performances held Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and other famous artists.<ref name="Bhimsen Joshi in Nagpur frequently"> "Nagpur Culturally Coming Of Age". Nagpurcity.net. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref> In addition, there are regular stagings of Marathi plays that have a large following.
Nagpur has a vibrant media scene with its own TV as well as radio station. In fact, All India Radio's Nagpur station is among the earliest set up in India, and currently Nagpur is the only non metro city in India that has two Doordarshan channels on air. Major newspapers in Marathi, Hindi, and English languages are published in the city. Lokmat, Sakal, Tarun Bharat, and Loksatta are major Marathi language newspapers published in Nagpur, while Dainik Bhaskar, Nav Bharat and Lokmat samachar are the leading Hindi ones. The locally published newspaper The Hitavada is the leading English language daily in Central India, while local editions of nationally known English language newspapers such as the Indian Express and The Times of India are also published in Nagpur city.<ref name="Hitvada leading in Central India"> The Hitavada frontpage. The Hitavada. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref>
Nagpur has been the centre of commerce in the Vidarbha region since early days and currently is a large trading centre for a number of commodities and services. However, Nagpur's economic importance has gradually declined relative to Mumbai and Pune after the merging of Vidarbha into the Maharashtra as a result of a prolonged period of neglect by the state government. During this period, the state and central government offices were a major source of employment in the city. However, Nagpur is witnessing an economic boom in recent years and attracted Rs. 5,000 crore in investment in 2004.<ref name="Investment in Nagpur in 2004"> "Bangalore top investment destination". Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.</ref>
Currently a significant number of industries are located within the vicinity of Nagpur city. The Butibori industrial area is the largest in all of Asia in terms of area.<ref name="Butibori largest industrial area in Asia"> "Industrial fuel petrol from plastic waste: A success story". The Daily Excelsior. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref> The estate's largest unit is Indo Rama Synthetics, which manufactures synthetic polyester yarn. Other notable units in Butibori include the power transmission company KEC, Hyundai Unitech, ACC Nihon Castings Ltd.<ref name="Major industrial units in Butibori"> MIDC page on Butibori Industrial Area. Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref> The estate also houses a number of other textile units, a washing machine plant belonging to the Videocon group, besides several medium-sized units that manufacture a variety of products. In addition, the first food park in the state of Maharashtra is located in the estate.<ref name="Food park in Butibori, first in Maha"> Maharashtra's First Food-Park in Butibori Nagpur. Advantagenagpur.com (hosted by the Maharashtra Government and co-sponsors). Retrieved on 2006-07-04.</ref> Though Butibori could not quite live up to its original promise, industrial activity is picking up due to the saturation in the Mumbai-Thane-Pune belt.
The Hingna industrial estate located on the western fringes of the city is made up of around 900 small and medium industrial units. The major ones among them are tractor manufacturing plant of Mahindra and Mahindra, casting units of NECO Ltd. (the country's largest casting group),<ref name="Neco in nagpur and largest Indian group..."> Corporate Overview of Neco. Neco Group of Industries. Retrieved on 2006-06-26.</ref> units of International Combustions, Bajaj Auto group, Candico (the largest confectionary manufacturing plant in India <ref name="Candico plant largest confectionary plant in India"> Candico plant in Nagpur. Candico Ltd.. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.</ref>), Ajanta toothbrushes, Sanvijay Group (largest steel rolling group of companies for long products in Central India)<ref name="Sanvijay largest...Central India"> Sanvijay Group website homepage. Sanvijay Group Ltd.. Retrieved on 2006-06-28.</ref> and Vicco Laboratories, which specializes in ayurvedic products.<ref name="Vicco factory in Hingna Road"> Information about Vicco Laboratories. Maharashtra Industries Directory. Retrieved on 2006-06-28.</ref> Moreover, Nagpur is also home to well-known ice-cream maker Dinshaws and the nationally famous sweetmaker Haldiram's.<ref name="Prominent companies of Nagpur"> Welcome to Orange City. National Informatics Centre, Nagpur. Retrieved on 2006-06-26.</ref>
Nagpur is also the next most favoured Information Technology (IT) destination in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune due to factors favorable to the IT industry like the city's location, good infrastructure (the spick and span four laned roads of Nagpur give it a leverage compared to Pune and even Banglore), and the availability of a large and relatively cheap pool of skilled labor from local and regional educational institutions.<ref name="Factors leading to IT boom in Nagpur"> "Nagpur: Emerging destination for India IT Inc". The Indian Express. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref> In the near future, Nagpur will also have a Rs. 10,000 crore Special Economic Zone (SEZ)<ref name="Nagpur container depot fastest growing in India, Nagpur ATR busiest in India, Trains going through Nagpur, National Highways through Nagpur, Nagpur SEZ stats, Land prices in Ramdaspeth etc./"> "Nagpur stakes claim to lead boomtown pack". The Indian Express. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref> attached that has already attracted some of India's top-notch Information Technology companies like Satyam Computer Services and L&T Infocity.<ref name="Major IT companies in Nagpur"> IT majors heading for Nagpur SEZ. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref>
Nagpur is a major education centre in Central India and attracts students from all over the country<ref name="Nag major education center"> "For some, small is beautiful". Bussinessworld Magazine. Retrieved on 2006-08-12.</ref>. Founded in 1923, Nagpur University (recently renamed Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University)<ref name="History of Nagpur University"> History of Nagpur university. Nagpur University. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref> is one of the oldest in the country<ref name="one of the oldest"> Nagpur University. Rajiv Gandhi College of Engineering, Research, and Technology website. Retrieved on 2006-08-12.</ref>, and has geographical jurisdiction over the five districts of Nagpur division in addition to giving affiliation to hundreds of colleges. The city is also home to three medical colleges - the Government Medical College, Indira Gandhi Government Medical College, and privately run NKP Salve Institute of Medical Sciences.<ref name="Medical colleges in Nagpur"> "Nagpur admn to send 17 medical teams to flood-hit areas". Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2006-06-28.</ref> Additionally, Nagpur has several reputed engineering colleges like the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) (which is now a deemed university) and the Laxminarayan Institute of Technology (LIT), as well as several reputed public as well as private colleges like Hislop College and Shivaji Science College. And last but not least, a National Fire Service College that runs the country's only graduation course in Fire Engineering<ref name="Fire College in Nagpur"> Introduction: National Fire Service College, Nagpur. National Fire Service College, Nagpur. Retrieved on 2006-06-28.</ref> and a world-class 25-acre campus of the Indian Institute of Management Technology (IMT) are some of the more elite institutions situated in Nagpur.<ref name="IMT in Nagpur"> About IMT. Indian Institute of Management Technology. Retrieved on 2006-06-28.</ref>
In addition to the large number of colleges, Nagpur also has a number of fine schools that offer education through Marathi, Hindi, and English media. In recent times there has been a spurt of privately funded schools affiliated with CBSE (Central Board for Secondary Education).<ref name="Private schools booming"> "Realty blooms in the city of oranges". Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-16.</ref>
Nagpur city had a literacy rate of 89.3% in 2001, the highest among all Indian cities.<ref name="Nagpur has highest literacy rate in India"> Good Morning, Nagpur. The Times of India. Retrieved on 2006-11-18.</ref> However, like the rest of India, female literacy lagged behind that of males.<ref name="City demographics,Literacy rate in Nagpur urban area/"> Area Profile: Nagpur (urban). National Informatics Centre, Nagpur. Retrieved on 2006-06-28.</ref>
Due to its central location, Nagpur is a very important railway junction and a transit for almost all the trains that connect the country lengthwise and breadthwise, especially trains connecting India's four major metropolises (Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkota) located in the four corners of the country.<ref name="Nagpur container depot fastest growing in India, Nagpur ATR busiest in India, trains going through Nagpur, National Highways through Nagpur, Nagpur SEZ stats, Land prices in Ramdaspeth etc./"> "Nagpur stakes claim to lead boomtown pack". The Indian Express. Retrieved on 2006-06-22.</ref> The main railway station in Nagpur city is the Nagpur Railway Station, while the much smaller Ajni, Itwari, Kalamna, Kamptee, and Khapri are the other railway stations in the city's vicinity.
Nagpur is also a major junction for roadways as India's two major national highways (Kanyakumari-Varanasi (no. 7) and Howra-Dhule (no. 6)) pass through the city.<ref name="Nagpur container depot fastest growing in India, Nagpur ATR busiest in India, Trains going through Nagpur, National Highways through Nagpur, Nagpur SEZ stats, Land prices in Ramdaspeth etc./"> "Nagpur stakes claim to lead boomtown pack". The Indian Express. Retrieved on 2006-06-22.</ref> Moreover, Nagpur city has come in the national spotlight recenty for its good roads, which were developed as part of the upgradation and renewal works under Integrated Road Development Project (IRDP), spearheaded by the erstwhile Commissioner of the Corporation Dr. T Chandrashekhar. In another notable development, the Inland Container Depot at Nagpur run by Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) has been the fastest growing inland port in the country in recent years.<ref name="Nagpur container depot fastest growing in India, Nagpur ATR busiest in India, Trains going through Nagpur, National Highways through Nagpur, Nagpur SEZ stats, Land prices in Ramdaspeth etc./"> "Nagpur stakes claim to lead boomtown pack". The Indian Express. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref>
Nagpur's Air Traffic Control (ATR) is the busiest in India<ref name="Nagpur container depot fastest growing in India, Nagpur ATR busiest in India, Trains going through Nagpur, National Highways through Nagpur, Nagpur SEZ stats, Land prices in Ramdaspeth etc./"> "Nagpur stakes claim to lead boomtown pack". The Indian Express. Retrieved on 2006-06-22.</ref>, with more than 300 international flights flying over the city every day in 2004.<ref name="300+ int. flights over Nag. every day"> "Nagpur: South Asia’s emergent hub". The India Brand Equity Foundation. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.</ref> Domestic airlines such as Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Indigo, [goAir] and Air Deccan connect Nagpur with major cities like Mumbai (5 flights daily), Delhi (2 flights daily), Hyderabad (1 flight daily and 1, 4 times a week), and Kolkata (1 flight thrice a week and another twice a week). In October 2005, Nagpur's erstwhile Sonegaon Airport was declared an international airport and was renamed Dr. Ambedkar International Airport.<ref name="Nagpur airport renamed and made international"> "Nagpur Airport being renamed". The Hindu. Retrieved on 2006-06-28.</ref> Initial flights between Nagpur and Sharjah were launched by Air Arabia with the intention of tapping the strong demand for international travel within Central India.<ref name="Air Arabia's schemes"> "Nagpur set to become international airport — Air Arabia to start operations from Oct 16". The Hindu. Retrieved on 2006-06-28.</ref> In April 2006 Indian Airlines connected Nagpur and Bangkok with a non-stop twice weekly service. Likewise, Qatar Airways has announced that it will start a thrice-weekly service from Nagpur to Doha shortly.
Nagpur is set to be a prominent destination on India's aviation map as the country's first ever Multi-modal International Cargo Hub (MIHAN) was completed on the outskirts of the city in 2006. MIHAN is expected to contribute significantly to the development of the city as well as the economically backward Vidarbha region.<ref name="MIHAN as India's first international cargo hub"> "Nagpur to be India's first cargo hub". The Times of India. Retrieved on 2006-06.</ref><ref name="Vidarbha is backward"> Understanding Underdevelopment in Vidarbha. IWMI-Tata WATER POLICY PROGRAM. Retrieved on 2006-06-22.</ref> Another major impetus to the budding aviation industry in Nagpur is Boeing's decision to set up a $ 185 million maintenance base in the city in 2006.<ref name="Boeing base"> "Boeing to site $185 mln Indian facility in Nagpur". Reuters. Retrieved on 2006-09-09.</ref>
Airlines flying into the airport include
Despite its high population and commercial importance, Nagpur has a poor public transport system. Buses, which are directly operated by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, number 173 for the entire rural and urban area (according to the Hitavada, Sept., 2006). Such a small number of buses results in unreliable services. Six-sitter auto-rikshaws, which were becoming popular as a cheap mode of transport, were banned from plying on city roads by a high court order in 2006, leaving only the expensive 3 sitter auto-rikshaws available as a means of public transport. The proposed integrated bus and monorail project that is to be implemented in the next five to six years could potentially improve the situation.
In the early phase of its development, the city was lead by the then mayor, Sushrut Kulkarni, who is famous for being a leading activist during India's freedom struggle. The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica offers a picture of Nagpur in the early part of the 20th century:
This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
The Nagpur bench of the Reserve Bank of India |
The main office of Nagpur University |
The Dragon Palace Temple near Nagpur |
A Sikh Gurudwara in Ramdaspeth |
The Apna Bazaar Mall in Nagpur |
The proposed plan for the upcoming international airport and cargo hub (MIHAN) near Nagpur |
Entrance to the Ambazari garden in Nagpur |
A used book market in Nagpur |
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| Divisions and Districts of Maharashtra |
|---|
| Amravati Division: Akola | Amravati | Buldhana | Washim | Yavatmal |
| Konkan Division: Mumbai | Mumbai (Suburban) | Raigad | Ratnagiri | Sindhudurg | Thane |
| Aurangabad Division: Aurangabad | Beed | Hingoli | Jalna | Latur | Nanded | Osmanabad | Parbhani |
| Nagpur Division: Bhandara | Chandrapur | Gadchiroli | Gondia | Nagpur | Wardha |
| Nashik Division: Ahmednagar | Dhule | Jalgaon | Nandurbar | Nashik |
| Pune Division: Kolhapur | Pune | Sangli | Satara | Solapur |
| Million plus cities in India |
| Agra • Ahmedabad • Allahabad • Amritsar • Asansol • Bangalore • Bhopal • Chennai • Coimbatore • Delhi • Dhanbad • Faridabad • Hyderabad • Indore • Jabalpur • Jaipur • Jamshedpur • Kanpur • Kochi • Kolkata • Lucknow • Ludhiana • Madurai • Meerut • Mumbai • Nagpur • Nashik • Patna • Pune • Rajkot • Surat • Vadodara • Varanasi • Vijayawada • Visakhapatnam |
fr:Nagpur hi:नागपुर id:Nagpur lt:Nagpuras nl:Nagpur ja:ナーグプル pl:Nagpur pt:Nagpur ro:Nagpur ru:Нагпур sa:नागपुर fi:Nagpur sv:Nagpur
