Sawantvadi
Encyclopedia
Sawantwadi/(Malwani/Konkani
: वाडी) (sometimes also written as Sawantvadi or Savantvadi) is a taluka (a unit of administration) in the Sindhudurg district
in the India
n state
of Maharashtra
. Sawantwadi has a municipal council
, which is a local civic body. Sawantwadi was formerly the capital city of the 'Royal Kingdom of Sawantwadi'.
Sawantwadi is well known for its wooden toys (including life-like wooden models of fruits and vegetables) thanks to an active woodcraft industry. It is also becoming a major tourist attraction.
of India
. At once (till 18th Century) the Kingdom of Sawantwadi included major portion of today's North Goa
district (Pedne, Bicholim
, Sattari
) and present day's Kudal
and Vengurla
from Sindhudurg
district. Pedne, Bicholim
, Sattari
were later taken over by Portuguese as a part of New Conquest(somewhere between 1765-1788) and merged with then Old Conquest to form present day's Goa
.
The bulk of the people, the Maratha
s, Bhandari
s, and Mahar
s were formerly famous, both by land and sea, for their fierce cruelty. Even since the establishment of order under the British, Savantvadi has more than once been the scene of revolt and disturbance. But now for nearly thirty-five years peace has been unbroken and the old pirate and freebooting classes have settled as quiet husbandmen. The only remaining signs of special enterprise and vigour were, till a few years ago, their readiness to cross the sea to Mauritius in search of work, and the fondness that still remains for military and police service.
of Maharashtra
. It has an average elevation of 22 metres (72.2 ft) above mean sea level. It is the administrative headquarters of the Sindhudurg district. Sawantvadi is situated on the west coast of India, and is bounded by Arabian Sea
to its west and the Western Ghats
to its east. Sawantwadi town, as a municipal entity, spans an area of 132.45 km² (51.14 sq mi). It experiences moderate to gusty winds during day time and gentle winds at night. The topography
of the city ranges from plain to undulating, with several hills, valleys and flat areas within the city. The geology
of the city is characterized by hard laterite
in hilly tracts and sandy soil along the seashore. The Geological Survey of India
has identified Sawantwadi as a moderately earthquake-prone urban centre and categorized the city in the Seismic III Zone.
The city is often used as a staging point for traffic along the Konkan Coast
. Sawantwadi has a tropical
climate; summer and winter months experience similar temperate conditions, with average temperatures ranging from 27 °C (81 °F) to 34 °C (93 °F). Humidity
is approximately 78% on average, and peaks during May, June and July. The maximum average humidity is 93% in July and average minimum humidity is 56% in January. Under the Köppen climate classification
, Sawantvadi belongs to the Tropical/megathermal zone and is under the direct influence of the Arabian Sea branch of the South-West monsoon. It receives about 90% of its total annual rainfall within a period of about six months from May to October, while remaining extremely dry from December to March. The annual precipitation in Sawantvadi is 4242.5 millimetres (167 in).
The most pleasant months in Sawantvadi are from December to February, during which time the humidity and heat are at their lowest. During this period, temperatures during the day stay below 30 °C (86 °F) and drop to about 19 °C (66 °F) at night. This season is soon followed by a hot summer, from March to May, when temperatures rise as high as 38 °C (100 °F). The summer gives way to the monsoon
season, when the city experiences more precipitation than most urban centres in India, due to the Western Ghats. Rainfall up to 4000 millimetres (157 in) could be recorded during the period from June to September. The rains subside in September, with the occasional rainfall in October.
, Sawantwadi had a population of 22,871. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Sawantwadi has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 79%. In Sawantwadi, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
According to the 1851 census, the total population was 150,065 souls (males 76,956, females 73,109) or 166.73 to the square mile. Of the whole number 144,112 or 96 per cent were Hindus, and 3986 or 2.5 per cent Musalmans, that is at the rate of thirty-seven Hindus to one Musalman. There were, besides, 1959 native Christians and eight Jews.
The 1872 census showed a population of 190,814 souls or 212.02 to the square mile, an increase in twenty-one years of 40,749 souls or 27.15 per cent. Of the 1872 population 182,688[This number includes about 450 strangers who happened to be within the state limits during the census night.] or 95.64 per cent were Hindus, 4152 or 2.18 per cent Musalmans, 3954 or 2.08 per cent native Christians, and twenty ' Others'. Of the whole number 48.9 per cent were returned as males and 51.1 per cent as females.
The 1872 returns, arranged according to religion, show that of the Hindus 142 or 0.07 per cent were Madhvachari Vaishnavs, 13,345 or 7.30. per cent Shaivs, 199 or 0.10 per cent Shravaks, and 169,002 or 92.50 per cent worshippers of gods and spirits without belonging to any particular sect. Except one Shia, all the Musalmans were Sunnis. The three Parsis were Shahanshais. Of the Christians, 3945 were Catholics and nine Protestants, including six Episcopalians two Presbyterians, and one native Christian. Under the head 'Others' seventeen persons remained unclassified.
The total number of infirm persons was returned at 408 (males 265, females 143) or twenty-one per ten thousand of the whole population. Of these fifty-one (males thirty, females twenty-one), or two per ten thousand, were insane; twenty-nine (males' twenty, females nine), or one per ten thousand, idiots; 139 (males eighty-eight, females fifty-one), or seven per ten thousand, deaf and dumb; 120 (males seventy-three, females forty-seven), or six per ten thousand, blind; and sixty-nine (males fifty-four, females fifteen), or three per ten thousand, lepers.
as Sawantvadi falls in the Malvan region
.
and culture. It is especially known for its wooden crafts. Apart from that various traditional arts still thrive in the city.
Lacquer
ware - Sawantvadi is well-known for its extremely popular lacquer-ware. Earlier a languishing trade, this art form was brought in the public eye, and more importantly to foreign tourists, by Princess
Satwasheela Devi. Using traditional local talent more people have been trained and the palace has proved instrumental in the production of lovely lacquer-ware furniture, chess sets, board games, candlesticks, fruit and vegetables and little dolls — all beautifully made and coloured. However, the quality of the articles render the items extremely expensive.
, being the state language is also understood and implemented . Urdu
and English
are also used in social communication. Kirat is a local newspaper pusblished in town.
Sindhudurg district
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...
: वाडी) (sometimes also written as Sawantvadi or Savantvadi) is a taluka (a unit of administration) in the Sindhudurg district
Sindhudurg district
Sindhudurg is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in India, which was carved out of the erstwhile Ratnagiri District. The district headquarters are located at Oros . The district occupies an area of 5207 km² and has a population of 868,825 of which 9.47% were urban...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. Sawantwadi has a municipal council
Municipal council
A municipal council is the local government of a municipality. Specifically the term can refer to the institutions of various countries that can be translated by this term...
, which is a local civic body. Sawantwadi was formerly the capital city of the 'Royal Kingdom of Sawantwadi'.
Sawantwadi is well known for its wooden toys (including life-like wooden models of fruits and vegetables) thanks to an active woodcraft industry. It is also becoming a major tourist attraction.
History
Sawantwadi was the former capital of the erstwhile Kingdom Of Sawantwadi during the pre-independence era. It was ruled by the Bhonsale clan. In 1947, it was merged with the Independent RepublicRepublic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. At once (till 18th Century) the Kingdom of Sawantwadi included major portion of today's North Goa
North Goa
North Goa is one of the two districts that make up the state of Goa, India. The district has an area of 1736 km², and is bounded by Sindhudurg and Kolhapur districts of Maharashtra state to the north and east respectively, by South Goa District to the south, and by the Arabian Sea to the...
district (Pedne, Bicholim
Bicholim
Bicholim is a city and a municipal council in North Goa district in the state of Goa, India. It is a town in the territory of Goa, and the headquarters of the concelho of the same name; the Concelho of Bicholim, located in the north-east quarter is one of the seven that make up the Novas...
, Sattari
Sattari
Sattari is a taluka on North East side of Goa known for its greenary and dense forest. Its headquarters is Valpoi . It is the 'Fenny capital' of Goa. The Western Ghats form the eastern part of the Sattari Taluka. The Mhadei River is considered to be the lifeline of Sattari. It has a...
) and present day's Kudal
Kudal
Kudal is a census town in Sindhudurg district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.-Geography:Kudal is located at . It has an average elevation of 20 metres .-Demographics:...
and Vengurla
Vengurla
Under the Köppen climate classification, Vengurla features a tropical monsoon climate. The highest temperature in summer reaches 42°C while in winter, temperature drops up to 10°C. The annual precipitation is .-Demographics:...
from Sindhudurg
Sindhudurg
Sindhudurg is a fortress which occupies an islet in the Arabian Sea, just off the coast of Maharashtra in western India. The fortress lies on the shore of Malvan town of Sindhudurg District in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, south of Mumbai.-History:Sindhudurg was built by the great Maratha...
district. Pedne, Bicholim
Bicholim
Bicholim is a city and a municipal council in North Goa district in the state of Goa, India. It is a town in the territory of Goa, and the headquarters of the concelho of the same name; the Concelho of Bicholim, located in the north-east quarter is one of the seven that make up the Novas...
, Sattari
Sattari
Sattari is a taluka on North East side of Goa known for its greenary and dense forest. Its headquarters is Valpoi . It is the 'Fenny capital' of Goa. The Western Ghats form the eastern part of the Sattari Taluka. The Mhadei River is considered to be the lifeline of Sattari. It has a...
were later taken over by Portuguese as a part of New Conquest(somewhere between 1765-1788) and merged with then Old Conquest to form present day's Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
.
The bulk of the people, the Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
s, Bhandari
Bhandari
For other uses, see Bhandari .Bhandari caste is among the sea-faring warrior castes of ancient and medieval India. They migrated southward from Rajputana in early 1100 and subsequently spread over different parts of India...
s, and Mahar
Mahar
Mahar is an important social group within the Indian state of Maharashtra and surrounding states. A grouping of related endogamous castes, the Mahar are the largest scheduled caste group in Maharashtra, in which they comprise ten percent of the population .On...
s were formerly famous, both by land and sea, for their fierce cruelty. Even since the establishment of order under the British, Savantvadi has more than once been the scene of revolt and disturbance. But now for nearly thirty-five years peace has been unbroken and the old pirate and freebooting classes have settled as quiet husbandmen. The only remaining signs of special enterprise and vigour were, till a few years ago, their readiness to cross the sea to Mauritius in search of work, and the fondness that still remains for military and police service.
Geography and climate
Sawantwadi is located at 16°N 73°E in the Sindhudurg districtSindhudurg district
Sindhudurg is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in India, which was carved out of the erstwhile Ratnagiri District. The district headquarters are located at Oros . The district occupies an area of 5207 km² and has a population of 868,825 of which 9.47% were urban...
of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. It has an average elevation of 22 metres (72.2 ft) above mean sea level. It is the administrative headquarters of the Sindhudurg district. Sawantvadi is situated on the west coast of India, and is bounded by Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
to its west and the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
to its east. Sawantwadi town, as a municipal entity, spans an area of 132.45 km² (51.14 sq mi). It experiences moderate to gusty winds during day time and gentle winds at night. The topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
of the city ranges from plain to undulating, with several hills, valleys and flat areas within the city. The geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
of the city is characterized by hard laterite
Laterite
Laterites are soil types rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are rusty-red because of iron oxides. They develop by intensive and long-lasting weathering of the underlying parent rock...
in hilly tracts and sandy soil along the seashore. The Geological Survey of India
Geological Survey of India
Geological Survey of India , established in 1851 is a government organization in India which is an attached office to the Ministry of Mines of Union Government of India for conducting geological surveys and studies. It is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and the second oldest...
has identified Sawantwadi as a moderately earthquake-prone urban centre and categorized the city in the Seismic III Zone.
The city is often used as a staging point for traffic along the Konkan Coast
Konkan
The Konkan also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad to Mangalore...
. Sawantwadi has a tropical
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
climate; summer and winter months experience similar temperate conditions, with average temperatures ranging from 27 °C (81 °F) to 34 °C (93 °F). Humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
is approximately 78% on average, and peaks during May, June and July. The maximum average humidity is 93% in July and average minimum humidity is 56% in January. Under the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
, Sawantvadi belongs to the Tropical/megathermal zone and is under the direct influence of the Arabian Sea branch of the South-West monsoon. It receives about 90% of its total annual rainfall within a period of about six months from May to October, while remaining extremely dry from December to March. The annual precipitation in Sawantvadi is 4242.5 millimetres (167 in).
The most pleasant months in Sawantvadi are from December to February, during which time the humidity and heat are at their lowest. During this period, temperatures during the day stay below 30 °C (86 °F) and drop to about 19 °C (66 °F) at night. This season is soon followed by a hot summer, from March to May, when temperatures rise as high as 38 °C (100 °F). The summer gives way to the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
season, when the city experiences more precipitation than most urban centres in India, due to the Western Ghats. Rainfall up to 4000 millimetres (157 in) could be recorded during the period from June to September. The rains subside in September, with the occasional rainfall in October.
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Sawantwadi had a population of 22,871. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Sawantwadi has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 79%. In Sawantwadi, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
According to the 1851 census, the total population was 150,065 souls (males 76,956, females 73,109) or 166.73 to the square mile. Of the whole number 144,112 or 96 per cent were Hindus, and 3986 or 2.5 per cent Musalmans, that is at the rate of thirty-seven Hindus to one Musalman. There were, besides, 1959 native Christians and eight Jews.
The 1872 census showed a population of 190,814 souls or 212.02 to the square mile, an increase in twenty-one years of 40,749 souls or 27.15 per cent. Of the 1872 population 182,688[This number includes about 450 strangers who happened to be within the state limits during the census night.] or 95.64 per cent were Hindus, 4152 or 2.18 per cent Musalmans, 3954 or 2.08 per cent native Christians, and twenty ' Others'. Of the whole number 48.9 per cent were returned as males and 51.1 per cent as females.
The 1872 returns, arranged according to religion, show that of the Hindus 142 or 0.07 per cent were Madhvachari Vaishnavs, 13,345 or 7.30. per cent Shaivs, 199 or 0.10 per cent Shravaks, and 169,002 or 92.50 per cent worshippers of gods and spirits without belonging to any particular sect. Except one Shia, all the Musalmans were Sunnis. The three Parsis were Shahanshais. Of the Christians, 3945 were Catholics and nine Protestants, including six Episcopalians two Presbyterians, and one native Christian. Under the head 'Others' seventeen persons remained unclassified.
The total number of infirm persons was returned at 408 (males 265, females 143) or twenty-one per ten thousand of the whole population. Of these fifty-one (males thirty, females twenty-one), or two per ten thousand, were insane; twenty-nine (males' twenty, females nine), or one per ten thousand, idiots; 139 (males eighty-eight, females fifty-one), or seven per ten thousand, deaf and dumb; 120 (males seventy-three, females forty-seven), or six per ten thousand, blind; and sixty-nine (males fifty-four, females fifteen), or three per ten thousand, lepers.
People
Most of the people of Sawantvadi are Malvani peopleMalvani people
Malvani people or Malvanis are an ethnic group from the Malvan region speaking the Malvani language. Malvani people are mostly of the Konkani or Marathi ethnicities. It may also refer to the residents of Malvan.-External links:**...
as Sawantvadi falls in the Malvan region
Malvan region
Malvan region refers to the Sindhudurg district and Ratnagiri districts in Maharashtra, on the western coast of India. Earlier it was a part of the Ratnagiri district which was bifurcated into the Sindhudurg district on the 1st May, 1981, for administrative convenience and industrial and...
.
Cuisine
The food of a rich household is for every day, rice, pulse, vegetables, pepper, [All classes are fond of red pepper and spices.] clarified butter, oil, salt, and dried fish, and once or twice a month, mutton or fowls and eggs. On special occasions they eat fried cakes of rice and udid flour, vadas ; wheaten cakes staffed with gram flour and sugar, puran-polis; and though rarely, sugared and buttered wheat balls, ladus. Brahmans, Lingayats, and Gujarat Vanis, whether Vaishnavs or Shravaks, are an exception to this, as except the Gaud Brahmans or Shenvis who eat fish, they touch no animal food. The food of a middle-class household is rice, nachni bread, curry, and vegetables, for every day, with vadas on special occasions. The every day food of a poor household is nachni bread, and occasionally rice and curry with vadas. Those who drink liquor and milk, and have not a supply of their own, buy their liquor daily from a Bhandari or liquor-seller, and their milk from the milkman generally a Gavli. Except dried fish, which is usually bought in October, stores of rice, pulse, salt, and red pepper, enough to last from four to six months, are laid in during March and April. The well-to-do pay in ready money, and the poorer re-pay at harvest with twenty-five or thirty per cent interest. The supply of animal food is bought when wanted.Attire
Attire varies to some extent according to caste and creed. Except that the state servants wear a bright, [The favourite colours are red, pink, white, purple and black, and sometimes green or yellow.] tightly wound three-cornered turban of the Sindeshai or Sindia pattera, both among high and low caste Hindus the ordinary head-dress is the handkerchief. rumal, wound loosely once or twice round the head. The ordinary dress of upper class Hindus is, for the men in-doors, a waistcloth and under-jacket with or without a coat, and head scarf, rumal; out-doors a waistcloth, a waistcoat, a coat, a head scarf or turban, and a cotton shouldercloth, and Deccani shoes and sandals, vahanas. On great occasions he wears, in addition to his ordinary out-of-door clothes, a specially rich turban, and round his shoulders a woollen shawl. Upper class Hindu women wear in-doors a robe and bodice. Their ordinary out-door dress is the same, only of rich materials, and on great occasions they add a woollen shawl drawn over the head. Boys, except when very young, have a waistcloth, a coat, and a cap or turban, and girls under four have a shirt angda, a cap topi, a petticoat parkar, a bodice choli, and sometimes a robe sadi. After four years old they dress like, grown women. Among middle class Hindus, such as husbandmen and craftsmen, the man wears in-doors a loincloth, a waistcloth, and sometimes a waistcoat; out-of-doors he wears a waistcloth, a waistcoat or sleeveless smock, kanchola, with or without a head scarf, rumal, and in cold or wet weather, a blanket, kamli. On great occasions, instead of his smock, he wears a coat, angarkha, and a turban instead of the head scarf. Middle class women wear in-doors a robe, sadi, out-doors a robe with or without a bodice, and on special occasions a richer or fresher robe and bodice. Boys and girls are, for a year or two, allowed to go naked. Then for two or three years the boy has a loincloth and the girl a bodice or robe, and after five or six, they have, at least for festive occasions a suit much the same as grown men and women. Among the poorest classes, field and town labourers, men generally wear in-doors a loincloth and blanket, out-doors a waistcloth, and blanket or head scarf, and on festive occasions a waistcloth, jacket, and fresh head scarf. The women, except that fewer of them wear the bodice and that their robes are of coarser and plainer cloth and in worse repair, dress like middle-class women. The children of the poor are later in getting clothes, and less often have complete suits. Otherwise their dress does not differ from that of middle class children.Ornaments
Of ornaments, among men the rich wear gold earrings, bhikbalis, finger rings, angthis, and a necklace, kanthi; and middle class men wear gold earrings, mudis, a silver necklace, gop, and a wristlet, kada. Among women the rich wear, for the head, muds, rakhdis, kegads, phuls, shevtiche phuls, and chandrakors; for the neck, thushis, galsaris, putlis, saris, and tikas ; for the ears, bugdis, karabs, kudis, kaps, and ghums; for the nose, naths and motis; for the upper arm, vankis and bajubands; for the wrist, bangdis and patlis; and for the ankles, todas. A middle class woman wears almost all the ornaments worn by the rich. And a poor woman wears only the galsari and the moti, and round silver or lead and lac bangles and rings. A boy's ornaments in a rich family are gold or silver wristlets, kadas and todas, and silver anklets, valas or jhanjris ; and in middle class and poor families, mudis, gops, and kadas. A girl's ornaments in a rich family are, for the head; muds, rakhdis, chandrakors, kegads, venis, and kalepattis; for the ears, bugdis, karales, and kaps; for the neck, galsaris, thushis, saris, putalyacha hars, and javachi mals; and for the ankles, todas, valas, and jhanjris: in middle class families they are muds on the head, karalis in the ears, naths in the nose, and tikas and galsaris on the neck ; and in a poor family, bugdis for the ears, galsaris for the neck, and round silver or lead and lac bangles for the wrists.Arts and handicrafts
Sawantvadi City is famous for its artsARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
and culture. It is especially known for its wooden crafts. Apart from that various traditional arts still thrive in the city.
Lacquer
Lacquer
In a general sense, lacquer is a somewhat imprecise term for a clear or coloured varnish that dries by solvent evaporation and often a curing process as well that produces a hard, durable finish, in any sheen level from ultra matte to high gloss and that can be further polished as required...
ware - Sawantvadi is well-known for its extremely popular lacquer-ware. Earlier a languishing trade, this art form was brought in the public eye, and more importantly to foreign tourists, by Princess
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
Satwasheela Devi. Using traditional local talent more people have been trained and the palace has proved instrumental in the production of lovely lacquer-ware furniture, chess sets, board games, candlesticks, fruit and vegetables and little dolls — all beautifully made and coloured. However, the quality of the articles render the items extremely expensive.
Village structure
According to the 1872 census, there were 221 towns and villages or about one village to every four square miles, containing an average of 840 inhabitants and about 197 houses. Of the 221 villages, 36 had less than 200 inhabitants; 57 from 200 to 500; 64 from 500 to 1000; 41 from 1000 to 2000; 18 from 2000 to 3000; four from 3000 to 5000; and one, Vadi, over 8000.Language
Konkani is spoken as a local language (Malwani Konkani). MarathiMarathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
, being the state language is also understood and implemented . Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
are also used in social communication. Kirat is a local newspaper pusblished in town.
Prominent Personalities
- Late Shri. V. S. Khandekar (Novelist)
- Shri. Mangesh Padgaonkar (Poet)
- Vijay ManjrekarVijay ManjrekarVijay Laxman Manjrekar is a former Indian cricketer who played 55 Tests. A small man, he was a fine cutter and hooker of the ball. He was the father of Sanjay Manjrekar....
(cricketerCricketerA cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
) - Sanjay ManjrekarSanjay ManjrekarSanjay Vijay Manjrekar is a former Indian cricketer. He has a batting average of 37.14 in his 37 Tests between 1987/88 and 1996/97, as opposed to an overall first-class average of 55...
(cricketer) - Shri. Jayanand Mathakar (freedom fighter, Ex-MLA)
- Shri. Deepakbhai Kesarkar (MLA)
- Sagar Bandekar, (Kabbadi Player)
- Late Dr. Vasant Sawant (Marathi poet)
- Shri. Harihar Athalekar (novelist, essayist)
- Late Vidyadhar Bhagvat (novelist)
- Shri. L.M.Bandekar (Playwright)
- Shri. Sitaram Satavalekar (Freedom Fighter,teacher,author)
- Prof.Pravin Bandekar (Poet, Novelist & Editor)
- Prof.Dr.Sharayu Asolkar (Poetess, Critic)
- Prof.Dr.Govind Gangaram Kajrekar (Poet & critic) *Prof.Kedar Mhaskar (classical vocalist)
- Late Shri. Anthony John Fernandes - Kamazdar(Judge)
- Satish Yashawant Patankar(Playwriter,Artist,Actor)
- Bharat Bapu Sawant(In History Of Pune,Unopposed Mayor 1993-1994)
See also
| Sawantwadi Road (SWV) | ||||
| Next 'Small' station towards Mumbai : Zarap |
Konkan Railway Konkan Railway The Konkan Railway is a railway line which runs along the Konkan coast of India. It was constructed and is operated by the Konkan Railway Corporation... : Railway (India) |
Next 'Small' station from Mumbai: Madure |
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| Distance from Mumbai(CST) = 0655 KM | ||||
| Next 'Main' station towards Mumbai: Kudal Kudal Kudal is a census town in Sindhudurg district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.-Geography:Kudal is located at . It has an average elevation of 20 metres .-Demographics:... |
Konkan Railway Konkan Railway The Konkan Railway is a railway line which runs along the Konkan coast of India. It was constructed and is operated by the Konkan Railway Corporation... : Railway (India) |
Next 'Main' station from Mumbai: Madgaon |
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External links
Sindhudurg district
Sindhudurg district
Sindhudurg is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in India, which was carved out of the erstwhile Ratnagiri District. The district headquarters are located at Oros . The district occupies an area of 5207 km² and has a population of 868,825 of which 9.47% were urban...