|
|
Jalna is bounded in north by the districts of
Jalgaon and Buldhana,
in east by the district of Parbhani, in south by the district of Bid, and
in west by the district of
Aurangabad .
The administrative headquarter of this district is located at Jalna town.
Jalna was a part of two erstwhile districts namely Aurangabad and
Parbhani. It comprises of five Tehshils - Jalna, Bhokardan, Jafferabad,
Partur and Ambad. The northern part of the district lying between the
Satmala hills and the central hill range known as Jalna Hills is an unpaid
plateau and is drained by the Purna River and its tributaries. The
southern part is low land flat area.
The Ajanta range, which enters the district at its northwestern corner,
acts as a watershed between the Tapi valley on the north and Godavari
valley on the south. The Jalna hill range acts as a watershed between the
two fertile valleys of the Girja in the north and the Dudna in the south.
The famous Ajanta
and Ellora caves situated at a
distance of 100-kms and 30-kms from
Aurangabad
respectively are equally important tourist centres for this district as
well. Other places of tourist interest are
Aurangabad Caves,
Bibi Ka Maqbara (Mausoleum of
Dibras Banu Begam), Pan Chakki (water mill) and Daulatabad (the
capital of Muhammad Tughluq).
Ajanta and Ellora
The state of Maharashtra is home to the charming Ajanta and Ellora group
of caves. The city of Aurangabad shot to fame as the world's most famous
caves; Ajanta and Ellora are situated about 108-kms northeast of
Aurangabad. These caves lie deep within the Sahyadri hills, cut into the
curved mountainside, above the Waghora River. They constitute one of the
most beautiful expressions of the art of the Indian Middle Ages, and are
designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Aurangabad Caves
Aurangabad caves are located outside the city of Aurangabad just few
kilometers away from another famous monument Bibi Ka Maqbara. These were
excavated between the 2nd and 6th century AD. They are carved out of the
hillside and are a fine piece of architecture, housing the most stunningly
intricate carvings.
Pan Chakki
Dargah of Baba Shah Muzaffar is located on the left bank of the River
Kham, near Begampura Bridge, with a mosque, a modest tomb and ornamental
gardens. It has an unusual watermill known as the Pan Chakki, built by
Malik Ambar in 1695. The water, channeled from a spring on a distant hill
was used to power the flourmill and grind grain for the pilgrims.
Bibi Ka Maqbara
Bibi
Ka Maqbara, situated 5-km from the Aurangabad city was built in 1678 by
Aurangazeb's son Prince Azam Shah, in memory of his mother Begum Rabia
Durani. It is considered as a fine piece of Mughal architecture in the
Deccan region and is also known as The Taj of south India.
Air: Aurangabad is the nearest airport from
Jalana.
Rail: Jalna is connected with Manmad railway junction via
Aurangabad and also with Hyderabad on the metregauge line of Central
railway.
Road: Regular bus service is available from Jalna to all the
important neighbouring towns including Mumbai, Nashik, Manmad, Hyderabad,
Shirdi etc.
There are not many options of accommodation one can find in Jalana except for few budget hotels.
Most of the Hindu festivals such as Ganapati Puja, Shivaratri, Holi, Dusshera, Diwali are celebrated by the people of the district. The Muslims population too observes their own festivals like Id-ul-Zuha, Id-ul-Fitar etc. "Panchamukhi Mahadeo" and Durga Mata fair at Jalan are important fair originated in different parts of the district.
Population: 1,364000 (District, 1991 census)
Climate: Tropical
Clothing: Cotton Clothes
STD code: 02482
Ellora: 30-km (via Aurangabad)
Ajanta: 100-km (via Aurangabad)