Latur


Latur is a city located in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra state of India country. Before 1982 Latur was a part of the Osmanabad district. The city is a tourist hub surrounded by many historical monuments like Kharosa Caves. The most spoken language in Latur is Marathi. The city's quality of education attracts students from all over Maharashtra. It is a drought prone area with acute water shortage in its city and rural areas. The economy is agriculture intensive, but in recent years is also dependent on Educational sector and its allied activities. Industrial development is minimal in the district. Latur is 43 kilometers from the epicenter in killari of the devastating 1993 Latur earthquake.
WWW latur.nic.in

History

Latur has an ancient history, which probably dates to the Rashtrakuta period. It was home to a branch of the Rashtrakutas which ruled the Deccan from 753 to 973 AD. The first Rashtrakuta king, Dantidurga, was from Lattaluru, the ancient name for Latur. Ratnapur is also mentioned as an historic name for Latur.
The King Amoghavarsha of the Rashtrakutas developed the Latur city. The Rashtrakutas who succeeded the Chalukyas of Badami in 753 AD called themselves the residents of Lattaluru.
It was, over the centuries, variously ruled by the Satavahanas, the Sakas, the Chalukyas, the Rashtrakutas of Malkhed, the Yadavas of Deogiri, the Delhi Sultans, the Bahamani rulers of South India, Adilshahi, and the Mughals.
In Latur's Papvinashak Temple a 12th-century inscription of King Someshvara III was found. According to that inscription, 500 scholars were living in Lattlaur at that time and that Latur was the city of King Someshwar.
In the 19th century, Latur became part of the Princely state of Hyderabad. In 1905 it was merged with surrounding areas and renamed Latur tehsil, becoming part of Osmanabad district. Before 1948, Latur was a part of Hyderabad State under Nizam. The chief of the Razakar's, Qasim Rizwi, was from Latur.
After Indian independence and the Indian annexation of Hyderabad, Osmanabad became part of Bombay Province. In 1960, with the creation of Maharashtra, Latur became part of one of its districts. On 16 August 1982, a separate Latur district was carved out of Osmanabad district.

Geography and climate

Latur is situated 636 metres above mean sea level, on the Balaghat plateau, near the Maharashtra–Karnataka state boundary. It receives its drinking water from the nearby Manjira River, which suffered from environmental degradation and silting in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. As a result of this and lack of implementation of a water management strategy, during the drought of the 2010s the city ran out of water.
Temperature: Temperatures in Latur range from, with the most comfortable time to visit in the winter, which is October to February. The highest temperature ever recorded was. The lowest recorded temperature was. In the cold season the district is sometimes affected by cold waves in association with the eastward passage of western disturbances across north India, when the minimum temperature may drop down to about.
Rainfall: Most of the rainfall occurs in the monsoon season from June to September. Rainfall varies from per month. Average annual rainfall is.
Recently, Latur has been bearing the brunt of climate change. Extreme weather episodes, including torrential rainfall and even hailstorms in summers, have been showing up in Latur for over a decade now.
Latur has been ranked 29th best “National Clean Air City” under in India.

Latur earthquake of 1993

On 30 September 1993, at 3:53 a.m. local time, Latur was almost completely destroyed by a devastating intraplate earthquake that affected the southern Marathwada region of Maharashtra state in central-western part of India—including Latur, Beed, Osmanabad, and adjoining districts about south-east of Mumbai—and resulted in a huge loss of life. The earthquake measured only 6.3 on the Richter magnitude scale, but its focus was relatively shallow, at around deep. Consequently, the resultant shock waves, being unattenuated, caused more damage. The quake caused around 10,000 deaths and 30,000 were injured, mainly due to the poor construction of stone houses and huts which collapsed on people who were fast asleep. After the earthquake, seismic zones were reclassified, and building codes and standards revised, all over India.

Demographics

Latur's population, as of the 2011 census, is 382,940. it has a sex ratio of 937 females per 1000 males and a literacy rate of 84.22%. 12.49% of the population is under six years of age. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 17.62% and 1.45% of the population respectively.
At the time of the 2011 census, 71.92% of the population spoke Marathi, 12.88% Hindi, 11.32% Urdu and 1.75% Marwari as their first language.

Administration and politics

Local administration

Latur has an earlier Municipal Council, which was established in 1952. Latur Municipal Corporation is the local civil body. It is divided into five zones. The Municipal Corporation area is about. It was elevated to the status of Municipal Corporation by the State Government in 2011.
The Urban Development Dept., Govt. of Maharashtra expressed its desire vide letter dated 30/10/2006 to notify fringe area of Latur and appoint CIDCO as its Special Planning Authority. CIDCO has submitted its proposal to notify the fringe area measuring approx. 26541.00 ha. inclusive of urbanisable zone of about 16696 ha. Govt. has appointed CIDCO as Special Planning Authority. The notified area covers 40 villages on the fringe of Latur Municipal Corporation. It is envisaged in the project not to acquire 100% land but to adopt minimum land acquisition model for development of infrastructure and growth corridors.
The city is divided in 70 electoral wards called as Prabhag and each ward is represented by a Corporator elected by the people from each ward. LMC is responsible for providing basic amenities such as drinking water, drainage facility, road, street lights, healthcare facilities and primary schools. LMC collects its revenue from the urban taxes which are imposed on citizens. The administration is headed by the Commissioner of Municipal Corporation; an I.A.S. Officer, assisted by the other officers of different departments.

State and central administration

Latur contributes one seat to the Lok Sabha. The seat is currently held by Dr. Shivaji Kalge, MP, of the INC. It also holds one seat for the Assembly - Latur Indian National Congress. In latest constituency arrangements made by Election Commission of India, Latur will contribute one Loksabha seat, and two state assembly seats, i.e. Latur City and Latur Rural.

Prominent politicians from Latur

The city is the birthplace of Shivraj Patil, who served as home minister of India,
Amidst national political controversy is the death, on 1 December 2014, of judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya of the Central Bureau of Investigation, who was addressing the case involving Amit Shah, the national leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party and who was cremated at his native village of Gategaon.
Vikrant Vikram Gojamgunde is the mayor of Latur. He became mayor in 2019. He is the youngest mayor in the state of Maharashtra.

Education and research

Latur has developed into an educational hub for secondary, higher secondary, and university education. The district is known in Maharashtra for its "Latur Pattern" of study, which involves intensive coaching given in the city. Students of junior colleges in Latur have a good record in taking competitive engineering and medical entrance exams.

Basic and higher education

Public schools are run by the LMC, and are affiliated with the MSBSHSE. Private schools are run by educational trusts or individuals. They are usually affiliated with either the state board or national education boards, such as the ICSE or CBSE boards.

University education

Due to more than 140 colleges, the city is known as an educational hub in Marathwada. Many of the students studying in the colleges and the university are from nearby districts. Most colleges in Latur are affiliated with the Nanded University. There is a sub-center of SRTMUN at Latur.
The Sandipani Technical Campus - Faculty of Engineering, Latur, founded in 2011 by Shri. Vinodji Agrawal, is one of the leading engineering colleges in Marathwada. Along with Engineering Courses like Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, most demanding Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Engineering was also included recently in the college. Polytechnic courses of Civil, Computer and Mechanical are also available for the students of this region in this reputed college campus.
The M. S. Bidve Engineering College, Latur, founded in 1983, is one of the oldest engineering colleges in Marathwada. The Maharashtra Institute of Medical Science & Research Latur was founded in 1988 by Vishwanath Karad.
The Border Security Force Training Centre, Chakur and the Disaster Management Training Institute were established in Latur in 2005 and 2008, respectively.
Dayanand Law College was established by the Dayanand Education Society. Established medical schools such as the Government Medical College, Manjara Ayurvedic College are present in the city.
Channabasweshwar Pharmacy College is a degree college that provides diploma, degree, and master courses in the pharmacy field. Other pharmacy colleges are Dayanand College of Pharmacy and Vilasrao Deshmukh College of Pharmacy.
Vilasrao Deshmukh Foundation's College is a degree college that provides diploma, degree, and courses in the engineering and pharmacy field. Other pharmacy colleges are Dayanand College of Pharmacy and Vilasrao Deshmukh College of Pharmacy.
Rajarshi Shahu College, Latur, is a reputed college for undergraduate as well as post graduate education. It provides education in Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Commerce.

Professional education

Latur is home to a branch of the Western India Regional Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, along with an exam centre, Information Technology training lab, reading room, and a library for Chartered Accountants as well as for students.
Medical education is provided by the Vilasrao Deshmukh Government Medical College and Institute, a public institute of medicine under the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. Maharashtra Academy for Education and Research runs a private medical college known as Maharashtra Institute of Medical Sciences and Research MIMSR and Yeshwantrao Chavan Rural Hospital, Latur.
Engineering and technology education is provided by Sandipani Technical Campus - Faculty of Engineering and Polytechnic, M.S. Bidve College of Engineering, Puranmal Lahoti Government Polytechnic, and Government Residential Women's Polytechnic Latur.

Trade and industries

The city is a major sugarcane and edible oils, soybean, grapes and mango production centre. A fine blend of mango with locally grown mangoes was developed as Keshar Amba. Oil seeds were the major produce of the Latur region. So for benefit of farmers Keshavrao Sonavane had established Dalda Factory which was Asia's first oil mill set up on cooperative terms.
Till 1990, Latur languished as a city, remaining an industrially backward. In 1960, region of Marathwada was merged with Maharashtra. This was the time when the industrial development of the Marathwada region began, propelled through designated backward area benefits. Latur got its first MIDC setup during the tenure of then Co-operative minister Keshavrao Sonavane. It was only when the MIDC began acquiring land and setting up industrial estates that it began to grow. Many companies have manufacturing plants in Latur, in agriculture processing, edible oils, biotech, consumer durables, plastic processing, and aluminium processing; but the majority are small- and medium-scale agricultural industries, not industrial ones.
Latur has the largest trading centre for soybean in India. The green city is inside what is called 'Sugar Belt' of Maharashtra. The district has more than eleven sugar factories, which makes it among the highest sugar-producing districts of India. It also has oil seeds, commodities and fruit market.
Latur is also known for high quality grapes and houses many state and privately owned cold storage facilities. A grape wine park spread over 1.42 square kilometres has been established near Ausa, 18 km from Latur city. A brand new Latur Food Park, spread across 1.2 square kilometres is under construction at Additional MIDC Latur. Latur is major transport junction to south India.

Latur sugar belt

The Latur region is known as the "Sugar Belt of India". This region houses over eleven large sugar factories. Most of the sugar factories of the Latur sugar belt work on the co-operative basis. Latur got its title "Sugar Belt of India" largely due to the efforts of its cooperative political leader Keshavrao Sonawane, who was instrumental in setting up several co-operative institutions in Latur, Osmanabad, and elsewhere in Maharashtra.

MIDC industrial areas in Latur

  • Latur Industrial Area
  • Additional Latur Phase I Industrial Area
  • Additional Latur Phase II Industrial Area
  • Latur Co-Operative Industrial Estate
  • Murud taluka Co-Operative Industrial Estate
  • Chakur Co-Operative Industrial Estate
  • Udaygiri Co-Operative Industrial Estate
  • Ausa Industrial Area
  • Ahmedpur Industrial Area
  • Nilanga Industrial Area
  • Udgir Industrial Area

Specialised industrial parks and export zones in Latur

  • Nana Nani park, Latur
  • Latur Infotech Park
  • Latur Integrated Textile Park, Latur
  • Bombay Rayon Fashions, Latur
  • Grape Yards, Ausa

Chamber of Commerce and industry associations

Transport

Road

Latur is connected by roads with various major cities of Maharashtra and other states. Road connectivity is excellent, and roads connecting to Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nanded, Satara, Kolhapur, Sangli, and Aurangabad are being widened to four-lane highways. Latur city has one national highway running through it, NH 361.

Rail

The Latur-Miraj Railway ran for north-west from Latur city to Miraj on the south-western section of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway and was built between 1929 and 1931. This railway service was closed after the gauge conversion of Miraj-Latur section from metre to broad gauge. The old and centrally located Latur Railway Station on metre gauge was abandoned thereafter.
The station is located on the Latur-Miraj section of the Solapur railway division of the Central Railway zone. The Manmad-Kacheguda broad-gauge railway line, which emanates from the Vikarabad-Latur-Road-Parli trunk route at Latur Road, is an important artery of traffic in Latur district. It also serves as a link between Aurangabad and Hyderabad.
Latur has rail connectivity with Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Manmad, Aurangabad, Nanded, Parbhani, Parli Vaijnath, Osmanabad, Mudkhed, Adilabad, Basar, Nizamabad, Nashik and Kacheguda.
The Miraj–Latur railway track is being electrified. Work is expected to be completed around 2024.
Latur has been blessed with the new Marathwada Railway Coach Factory being set up at Latur. Located near the Harangul Railway Station, the factory was set up by the Indian Railways' undertaking Rail Vikas Nigam Limited RVNL in 2018. First coach shell was produced on 25 December 2020, on Good Governance Day. The factory has been designed with an initial capacity of 250 MEMU/EMU/LHB coaches per annum.
A long railway line has also been provided from factory to new electronically interlocked harangul station, which earlier used to be a halt station only.

Places of interest

  • Latur is widely recognized as one of Maharashtra's leading educational centers, often referred to as the "Oxford of Maharashtra" due to its strong academic culture and the famous Latur Pattern of exam preparation. The city hosts numerous schools, colleges, and coaching institutes that attract students from across the state.
  • Beyond education, Latur is known for its peaceful and harmonious community life, where people from diverse backgrounds live together with mutual respect and cultural unity.
  • Siddheshwar & Ratneshwar Temple is situated about 2 km from Latur city. It was built by King Tamradwaj and dedicated to Lord Siddharameshwar Swamy Siddarama of Solapur, a town deity of Latur .
  • Ganj Golai is a prominent landmark located in the center of Latur city, Maharashtra, India. It was originally designed by town planner Shri Faiyazuddin and constructed around 1917 during the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad, who funded the project. The structure is a two-storey circular building from which 16 radial roads extend outward, forming the core of Latur’s market area.
At the center of Ganj Golai stands the Ambabai temple, which was included in the original design. The surrounding roads host various markets selling traditional goods, including jewelry, textiles, footwear, and food items.
The building underwent major renovations in the 1980s and further repairs after the 1993 Latur earthquake. Despite these changes, Ganj Golai continues to serve as a cultural and commercial hub of Latur city.
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  • Shri Ashtavinayak Mandir in Shivaji Nagar was constructed in 1988–1989. It's notable for its South Indian-style architecture, landscaped gardens with an artificial fountain, and a ~9 ft tall Shiva statue at the entrance .
  • Buddha Garden Temple is a peaceful park with a large Buddha statue at its center .
  • Shri Virat Hanuman Mandir at Parivar Housing Society features a **25 ft tall scarlet-red Hanuman statue**, surrounded by a garden and an artificial waterfall .
  • Shri Keshav Balaji Temple in Ausa sits on a hill and includes temples to Ganesha, Shiva, Vitthal–Rukmini, and Keshavanand Bapu. It's open from 6 am to 9 pm daily, with prasadam at 10 am & 7 pm and mahaprasadam on Fridays .
  • Surat Shahawali Dargah, located at Patel Chowk, Ram Galli, was built in 1939 in memory of Saint Saif Ullah Shaha Sardari. A **5-day fair** is held annually in June or July .

Parks

  • Nana Nani Park is also known as Vilasrao Deshmukh Park. It is centrally situated, near the municipal office, and is popular with people due to its relaxing atmosphere. People walk here and spend time with family, children, and friends. There is a space for community meetings at the center of the park. An open theater is also available.

Other historical places in Latur district

  • Kharosa Caves are historical caves in Latur, with ancient architecture and rock-cut temples, amidst rugged landscapes, depicting scenes from mythology and showcasing the artistic prowess that thrived centuries ago.
  • Ausa Fort is a historical fort in Latur, which showcases Maratha history and architecture, with towering walls, intricate carvings, and strategic location. It was built during the 15th century by Ahmad Nizam Shah I and was a stronghold for various dynasties that ruled over Maharashtra.

Geographical location

Latur city is situated in Marathwada region in southern part of Maharashtra. Latur is 498 km from state capital Mumbai and 484 km from winter capital Nagpur.

Notable people