Nagpur (नागपूर or Nagpore) is a city and winter capital of the state of
Maharashtra, a fast growing metropolis and third largest city in Maharashtra after
Mumbai and
Pune. With a population of 2,405,421 (2011) Nagpur Metropolitan Area is the 13th largest urban conglomeration in
India. It has also recently been ranked as the cleanest city and the second greenest city of India. In addition to being the seat of annual winter session of Maharashtra state assembly "Vidhan Sabha", Nagpur is also a major commercial and political center of the
Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, and is also famous throughout the country as "Orange City" for being a major trade center of oranges that are cultivated in the region.
In addition, the city also derives political importance from being the headquarters for the Hindu nationalist organisation RSS and an important location for the Dalit Buddhist movement. The city was founded by the Gonds but later became part of the Maratha Empire under the Bhonsles. The British East India Company took over Nagpur in the 19th century and made it the capital of the Central Provinces and Berar. After the first reorganisation of states, the city lost its capital status but according to the informal "Nagpur Pact" between political leaders it was made the second capital of Maharashtra.
Nagpur is also declared, "Tiger Capital of India" as it connects many Tiger Reserves in India to the
World. It is among the important cities for IT sector in Maharashtra after Pune. Nagpur lies precisely at the center of the country with the Zero Mile Marker indicating the geographical center of India. Nagpur city is dotted with natural and man-made lakes with
Ambazari Lake being the largest. Other natural lakes include
Gorewada Lake and Telangkhedi lake.
Sonegaon Lake and Gandhisagar lake are man-made lakes created by the city's historical rulers. Nagpur is known for its greenery, and was judged as the cleanest and second greenest in India after Chandigarh. Recently, Government of India selected Nagpur as a Model City for National Clean Air Mission by allocating 25 crores for the plan. This project will be handled by Nagpur's own NEERI.
Climate:
As it is located at centre of Indian peninsula far from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, Nagpur has a tropical wet and dry climate with dry conditions prevailing for most of the year. It receives an annual rainfall of 1,205 mm (47.44 in) from monsoon rains during June to September. The highest recorded daily rainfall was 304 mm on 14 July 1994. Summers are extremely hot lasting from March to June, with maximum temperatures occurring in May. Winter lasts from November to January, during which temperatures can drop below 10°C (50°F). The highest recorded temperature in the city was 48.6°C on 29 May 2012, while the lowest was 3.9°C.
Military:
Nagpur is an important city for the Indian armed forces. The city is the headquarters of Maintenance Command of Indian Air Force. The Indian Army's ordnance factory and staff college are located in the western part of the city. Nagpur's suburb
Kamthi has cantonment of Regimental center of Indian Army's Brigade made up of National Cadet Corps' Officers' Training School, Institute of Military Law and other establishments. Nagpur's National Civil Defense College provides civil defence and disaster management training to pupils from all over India and abroad. Indian Air Force's giant IL-76 transport planes nicknamed "Gajraj" are also based in Nagpur.
Entertainment & Leisure:
Nagpur boasts of vast forests and Tiger sanctuaries within a radius of few hundred kilometers from the city. In fact, Nagpur has been declared as Tiger capital of the country. Some famous National Parks surrounding Nagpur are:
Some Other Important Entertainment Avenues Are:
- Giggles - Eternity Mall
- Fun City- Empress City Mall
- Highland Park- Water cum amusement park at Amravati Road
- Fun & Food- Water cum amusement park at Amravati Road
- Traffic Park- Dharampeth
- Chokar Dhani- A rajasthani theme park at Amravati Road with various amusement shows (opens in evening)
- Krazy Castle- Water cum amusement park in a city near ambhazari lake
- Futala Lake- Small water lake with various food & snacks shops alongside.
- Ground Zero Adventure paintball arena- At Kamptee road[68]
- Vibrations- 3D Movie and Gaming Zone with an attached veg restaurant at IT Park
- Seminary Hills- Toy Train, Deer sanctuary and garden with playground.
- Khindsi Lake at Ramtek- Boating facility alongside a huge garden
- Sakkardara Lake-Small Lake with Garden
- Bollywood Centre Point-Near Sakkardara Lake
- Ambazari Garden-A beautiful Garden Located beside Ambazari Lake
Cuisine:
Nagpur has a lot to boast when it comes to Cuisine and Food options belonging to the city. The Vidharbha region has its own distinctive cuisine known as the Varhadi cuisine or Saoji Cuisine. Saoji or Savji cuisine was popularized by the Savji Community. This traditional cuisine is famous for its spicy taste. The special spices used in the gravy include black pepper, dry coriander, bay leaves, grey cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and ample use of poppy seeds (Khus-Khus). Non-vegetarian food especially chicken and mutton are commonly eaten in Saoji Joints at Nagpur. Nagpur has great places & restaurants to eat. All areas of the city are blessed with some special eating joints.
