Chandigarh

 Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern India, serving as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Situated near the foothills of the Shivalik range of Himalayas, it borders Haryana to the east and Punjab in the remaining directions. Chandigarh constitutes the bulk of the Chandigarh Capital Region or Greater Chandigarh, which also includes the adjacent satellite cities of Panchkula in Haryana and Mohali in Punjab. It is located 260 km 162 miles northwest of New Delhi and 229 km 143 miles southeast of Amritsar and 104 km 64 miles southwest of Shimla.

Chandigarh is one of the earliest planned cities in post independence India and is internationally known for its architecture and urban design. The master plan of the city was prepared by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, which built upon earlier plans created by the Polish architect Maciej Nowicki and the American planner Albert Mayer. Narinder Singh Lamba, in the capacity of Chief Town Planner, brought this vision to life. Most of the government buildings and housing in the city were designed by a team headed by Le Corbusier, Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry. Chandigarh's Capitol Complex—as part of a global ensemble of Corbusier's buildings—was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO at the 40th session of the World Heritage Conference in July 2016.

Chandigarh has grown greatly since its initial construction, and has also driven the development of Mohali and Panchkula; the tri-city metropolitan area has a combined population of over 1,611,770. The city has one of the highest per capita incomes in the country. The union territory has one of the highest Human Development Index among Indian states and territories. In 2015, a survey by LG Electronics ranked it as the happiest city in India on the happiness index. In 2015, an article published by BBC named Chandigarh one of the few master-planned cities in the world to have succeeded in terms of combining monumental architecture, cultural growth, and modernisation.

Etymology

The name Chandigarh is a compound of Chandi and Garh. Chandi refers to the Hindu goddess Chandi and Garh means fortress. The name is derived from Chandi Mandir, an ancient temple devoted to Chandi near the city in Panchkula District.

The motif or sobriquet of The City of Beauty was derived from the City Beautiful movement, which was a popular philosophy in North American urban planning during the 1890s and 1900s. Architect Albert Mayer, the initial planner of Chandigarh, lamented the American rejection of City Beautiful concepts and declared, "We want to create a beautiful city...The phrase was used as a logo in official publications in the 1970s and is now how the city describes itself.

Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)

 Jammu and Kashmir abbr. J&K is a region administered by India as a union territory and consists of the southern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and between India and China since 1959.

The Line of Control separates Jammu and Kashmir from the Pakistani-administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in the west and north respectively. It lies to the north of the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and to the west of Ladakh which is administered by India as a union territory. Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir has persisted in protest over autonomy and rights. In 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act was passed, re-constituting the former state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories: Ladakh in the east and the residuary Jammu and Kashmir in the west.

Srinagar and Jammu jointly serve as the capital of the region, which is divided into two divisions and 20 districts. The area holds substantial mineral deposits, including sapphire, borax, and graphite. Agriculture and services drive the economy, with major contributors being horticulture, handicrafts, and tourism. Apple cultivation is one of the largest industries, employing 3.5 million people and producing 10% of the gross state domestic product. Despite these activities, over 10% of the population are under the national poverty line.

Terminology

Jammu and Kashmir is named after the two regions it encompasses – the Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley. As per Government of India, Kashmir region encompasses the region under Indian control and the territory under Pakistan control known as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir POK. While Pakistan considers the Indian controlled territory as a part of Indian-occupied Kashmir IOK or Indian-held Kashmir IHK, neutral sources use Indian-administered Kashmir/Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Indian-controlled Kashmir/Pakistan-controlled Kashmir to demarcate the areas.

History

For the 1954–2019 history, see Jammu and Kashmir state.

For the pre-1954 history, see Kashmir § History.

The state of Jammu and Kashmir was accorded special status by Article 370 of the Constitution of India. In contrast to other states of India, Jammu and Kashmir had its own constitution, flag, and administrative autonomy. Indian citizens from other states were not allowed to purchase land or property in Jammu and Kashmir under Article 35A of the Constitution of India.

Jammu and Kashmir had three distinct areas: Hindu-majority Jammu region, Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley, and Buddhist-dominated Ladakh.Unrest and violence persisted in the Kashmiri Valley and, following a disputed state election in 1987, an insurgency persisted in protest over autonomy and rights.

The Bharatiya Janata Party BJP came to power in the 2014 Indian general election and five years later included in their 2019 election manifesto the revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India, to bring Jammu and Kashmir to equal status with other states.

Mysore

 Mysore /maɪsɔːr/  my-SOR, officially Mysuru (Kannada: maɪsuːɾu , is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the Kingdom of Mysore for almost six centuries 1399 to 1947. Known for its heritage structures, palaces such as the famous Mysore Palace, and its culture, Mysore has been called the City of Palaces, the Heritage City, and the Cultural capital of Karnataka. It is the second-most populous in the state and one of the cleanest cities in India according to the Swachh Survekshan.

Mysore is situated at the foothills of the Chamundi Hills. At an altitude of 770 m 2,530 ft above mean sea level, the city of Mysore is geographically located at 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is about 140 km 87.0 mi southwest of the state's capital, Bangalore, and spreads across an area of 156 km2 60 sq mi city and neighbouring census towns

Most of the city's development during modern times could be attributed to the maharajas of Mysore and the Wadiyar dynasty, who were patrons of art and culture. Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, when they were briefly in power in succession, also contributed significantly to the economic growth of the city and the kingdom by planting mulberry trees and silk in the region, and fighting four wars against the British. In present days, the Mysore City Corporation is responsible for the civic administration of the city.

During the Dasara festivals, Mysore receives hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world. The city is also the namesake to various art forms and culture, such as Mysore Dasara and Mysore painting; foods such as the sweet delicacy Mysore pak; breakfasts like Mysore Dosa and Mysore Masala Dosa; brands such as Mysore Sandal Soap and Mysore Paints; and styles and cosmetics such as Mysore peta, a traditional silk turban, and the Mysore silk saris. Mysore is also known for betel leaves and its own special variety of jasmine flower fondly referred to as "Mysore mallige". Tourism is a lifeline industry for the city alongside the traditional industries. Mysore's intracity public transportation includes bus and intercity public transportation includes rail, bus, and air.

Etymology

The name Mysore is an anglicised form of Mahiṣūru, which means the abode of Mahiṣa in the vernacular Kannada. The common noun Mahiṣa, in Sanskrit, means buffalo; in this context, however, Mahiṣa refers to Mahishasura, a mythical daemon who could assume the form of either a human or a buffalo, and who, according to Hindu mythology, ruled the ancient parts of Mysore Kingdom, known in Sanskrit as Mahiṣaka, centred at Mahiṣapura. He was killed by the goddess Chamundeshwari, whose temple is situated atop the Chamundi Hill, after whom it is named. Mahishapura later became Mahisūru a name which, even now, the royal family uses, and finally came to be rendered as Mysore by the British and Maisūru Mysuru in the vernacular Kannada language.

Bengaluru

 Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore its official name until 1 November 2014, is the capital and largest city of the southern Indian state of Karnataka. As per the 2011 census, the city had a population of 8.4 million, making it the third most populous city in India and the most populous in South India. The Bengaluru metropolitan area had a population of around 8.5 million, making it the fifth most populous urban agglomeration in the country. It is located near the center of the Deccan Plateau, at a height of 900 m 3,000 ft above sea level. The city is known as India's Garden City, due to its parks and greenery.

Archaeological artifacts indicate that the human settlement in the region happened as early as 4000 BCE. The first mention of the name Bengalooru is from an old Kannada stone inscription from 890 CE found at the Nageshwara Temple. From 350 CE, it was ruled by the Western Ganga dynasty, and in the early eleventh century, the city became part of the Chola empire. In the late Middle Ages, the region was part of the Hoysala Kingdom and then the Vijayanagara Empire. In 1537 CE, Kempe Gowda I, a feudal ruler under the Vijayanagara Empire, established a mud fort which is considered the foundation of the modern city of Bengaluru and its oldest areas, or petes, which still exist. After the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire, Kempe Gowda declared independence, and the city was expanded by his successors. In 1638 CE, an Adil Shahi army defeated Kempe Gowda III, and the city became a jagir feudal estate of Shahaji Bhonsle. The Mughals later captured Bengaluru and sold it to Maharaja Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar of the Kingdom of Mysore. After the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II in 1759 CE, Hyder Ali seized control of the kingdom of Mysore and with it, the administration of Bengaluru, which passed subsequently to his son, Tipu Sultan.

The city was captured by the British East India Company during the Anglo-Mysore Wars, and became part of the Princely State of Mysore. The administrative control of the city was returned to Krishnaraja Wadiyar III, then Maharaja of Mysore, and the old city developed under the dominions of the Mysore kingdom. In 1809 CE, the British shifted their military garrison to the city and established the cantonment, outside the old city. In the late 19th century CE, the city was essentially composed of two distinct urban settlements, the old pete and the new cantonment. Following India's independence in 1947, Bengaluru became the capital of Mysore State, and remained the capital when the state was enlarged and unified in 1956 and subsequently renamed as Karnataka in 1973. The two urban settlements which had developed as independent entities, merged under a single urban administration in 1949.

Bengaluru is one of the fastest-growing metropolises in India. As of 2023, the metropolitan area had an estimated GDP of $359.9 billion, and is one of the most productive metro areas of India. The city is a major center for information technology IT, and is consistently ranked amongst the world's fastest growing technology hubs. It is widely regarded as the Silicon Valley of India, as the largest hub and exporter of IT services in the country. Manufacturing is a major contributor to the economy and the city is also home to several state-owned manufacturing companies. Bengaluru also hosts several institutes of national importance in higher education.

Etymology

The earliest known reference to the name Bengalūru was on a ninth-century hero stone or vīra gallu found in Begur. The Old Kannada inscription belonging to the Western Ganga dynasty mentions the place in a battle in 890 CE . However, Kempe Gowda I used the name of a village near Kodigehalli, to name the city as Bengaluru during its foundation in 1537 CE. Bangalore is an anglicised version of the city's Kannada name. The city was also referred to as Kalyānapura or Kalyānapuri Auspicious City and Dēvarāyapattana during the later Vijayanagara period in 16th century CE.

An apocryphal story states that the twelfth-century Hoysala king Veera Ballala II, while on a hunting expedition, lost his way in the forest. Tired and hungry, he came across a poor old woman who served him boiled beans. The grateful king named the place Benda-Kaal-uru literally, town of boiled beans, which eventually evolved into Bengalūru. Suryanath Kamath has hypothesised that the name was derived from benga, the Kannada term for Pterocarpus marsupium also known as the Indian Kino Tree, a species of dry and moist deciduous trees that grows abundantly in the region. Other theories include that the city was called as Venkaturu because of the Venkataramana temples built by Kempe Gowda, and Benacha kalluru because of the abundance of quartz stones benacha kal in Kannada in the region.

On 11 December 2005, the Government of Karnataka accepted a proposal by U. R. Ananthamurthy to officially rename the city from Bangalore to Bengaluru. On 27 September 2006, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike passed a resolution to implement the name change, and the government of Karnataka officially implemented the name change from 1 November 2014 after the Union government approved the request

Hampi

 Hampi or Hampe Kannada: hɐmpe, also referred to as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the town of Hampi in Vijayanagara district, east-central Karnataka, India. Hampi predates the Vijayanagara Empire; it is mentioned in the Ramayana and the Puranas of Hinduism as Pampa Devi Tirtha Kshetra. Hampi continues as a religious centre, with the Virupaksha Temple, an active Adi Shankara-linked monastery and various monuments belonging to the old city.

Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565 as Vijayanagara, when it was abandoned. It was a fortified city. Chronicles left by Persian and European travellers, particularly the Portuguese, say that Hampi was a prosperous, wealthy and grand city near the Tungabhadra River, with numerous temples, farms and trading markets. Hampi-Vijayanagara is estimated to be the world's second-largest city by 1500, after Beijing, and probably India's richest at that time, attracting traders from Persia and Portugal. The Vijayanagara Empire was defeated by a coalition of Muslim sultanates; its capital was conquered, pillaged and destroyed by Muslim armies in 1565, after which Hampi remained in ruins.

Situated in Karnataka, close to the contemporary town of Hampi with the city of Hosapete 13 kilometres 8.1 miles away, Hampi's ruins are spread over 4,100 hectares 16 sq mi and it has been described by UNESCO as an austere, grandiose site of more than 1,600 surviving remains of the last great Hindu kingdom in South India that includes forts, riverside features, royal and sacred complexes, temples, shrines, pillared halls, mandapas, memorial structures, water structures and others.

Etymology

The name was derived from the old name of the Tungabhadra River which was Pampa, so the name Hampi is the English version of the Kannada name Hampe.

Location

Hampi Vijayanagara in early 16th century. The sacred centre featured major Hindu temples and attached markets; the urban core included the royal centre; suburban satellites were spread from what is now Gangawati to Hosapete.

Hampi is situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the eastern part of central Karnataka near the state border with Andhra Pradesh. It is 140 kilometres 87 mi southeast of the Badami and Aihole archaeological sites.

The synonym Hampi—traditionally known as Pampa-kshetra, Kishkindha-kshetra or Bhaskara-kshetra—is derived from Pampa, another name of the goddess Parvati in Hindu theology. According to mythology, the maiden Parvati who is a reincarnation of Shiva's previous wife, Sati resolves to marry the loner ascetic Shiva. Her parents learn of her desire and discourage her, but she pursues her desire. Shiva is lost in yogic meditation, oblivious to the world; Parvati appeals to the gods for help to awaken him and gain his attention. Indra sends Kamadeva — the Hindu god of desire, erotic love, attraction, and affection—to awake Shiva from meditation. Kama reaches Shiva and shoots an arrow of desire. Shiva opens his third eye in his forehead and burns Kama to ashes.

Mahabaleshwar

 Mahabaleshwar pronunciation is a small town and a municipal council in Satara district, Maharashtra, India. It is a place of pilgrimage for Hindus because the Krishna River has its origin here. The British colonial rulers developed the town as a hill station, and it served as the summer capital of the Bombay Presidency during the British Raj.

Geography

Mahabaleshwar is located on the mountainous Sahyadri range of the Western Ghats that run North to south along the western coast of India. The coordinates of the town are 17.9250°N 73.6575°E. Mahabaleshwar is a vast plateau measuring 150 km2 58 sq mi, bound by valleys on all sides. It reaches a height of 1,439 m 4,721 ft at its highest peak above sea level, known as Wilson/Sunrise Point. The town is about 122 km 76 mi southwest of Pune and 285 km 177 mi from Mumbai.

Mahabaleshwar comprises three villages: Malcolm Peth, Old "Kshetra" Mahabaleshwar, and part of the Shindola village. The Mahabaleshwar region is the source of the Krishna River that flows east across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh towards the Bay of Bengal. Three tributaries of Krishna, namely Koyna, Venna Veni and Gayatri, also have their source in Mahabaleshwar region. A fourth river, the Savitri, also has its source in the region, but flows Westward via Mahad to the Arabian Sea.

The area's climate is suitable for cultivation of strawberries; Mahabaleshwar strawberry contributes to about 85 percent of the total strawberry production in the country. It also received the geographical indication GI tag in 2010.

Lonavala

 Lonavala-Khandala is a hill station and a Municipal Council in the Pune district, Maharashtra, India. It is about 64 km 40 miles west of Pune and 96 km 60 miles to the east of Mumbai. It is known for its production of the hard candy chikki and is also a major stop on the railway line connecting Mumbai and Pune. From the Pune suburbs, local trains are available from Pune Junction. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the Mumbai-Pune national highway both pass through Lonavala.

Lonavala is also home to INS Shivaji formerly HMIS Shivaji, the Indian Navy's premier technical training institute. On 16 February 1945, the Establishment was commissioned as HMIS Shivaji and since then, the premier Technical Training Establishment of the Indian Navy trains officers.

History

Present day Lonavala was a part of the Seuna Yadava dynasty. Later, the Mughals realised the strategic importance of the region and kept the region for an extended time. The forts in the region and the Mavala warriors played an important role in the history of the Maratha Empire and that of the Peshwas. In 1871, the Lonavala and Khandala hill stations were established by Lord Elphinstone, who was the Governor of Bombay Presidency at the time.

Politics

The President of Lonavala Municipal Council is Smt. Surekha Nandkumar Jadhav and the Vice president is Shri. Sanjay Mohan Ghone.

Demographics

As of 2011 India census, Lonavala had a population of 57,698. Males constituted 53.47% of the population and females 46.53%. The sex ratio in Lonavala is 870, lower than the state average of 929. Lonavala has a literacy rate of 89.33%, which is higher than the state average of 82.34%. The Male literacy rate is 93.4%, and the female literacy rate is 84.57%. 10.37% of the total population in Lonavala is of children under 6 years of age.