I come from a city situated in the interiors of Maharashtra. Nanded, which is on the borders of Maharashtra and Karnataka, was a small town when I left it in 1997. For the last 10 years, I am living in Pune and my practical contact with the city remained took place only casually. On a recent visit to the city, I saw many changes taking place there. I just tried to chronicle some of them here. I take proud in the fact that Nanded was a cosmopolitan city and many linguistic as well as religious communities have lived here for centuries.
View Larger MapThe Goadavari river flows through the Nanded city. Three of the most prominent Gurudwaras are located on the banks of the river and most importantly, the river divides the city by two. The banks of the river, especially the one where Gurudwaras stand have been beautified on account of Guru-Ta-Gaddi ceremony which took place in October 2008. Even though the water of the river is mixed with many a chemicals and waste water coming from a population of about five lakhs (0.5 million), the water is relatively clean. I could spot many a common birds in the riverbed.
This is the famous clock tower standing in Old Mondha area of Nanded. It is supposed to be 100 years old and has been transformed many times during this time. The tower has statues of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on one side and Ravindranath Tagore on another. Once upon a time, it was famous for its height. But now many a new buildings appear taller than this structure.
The Nagina Ghat Gurudwara standing on the bank of Godavari. This was the place where, according to folklore, Guru Gobind Singhji showed an arrogant trader how valueless his offering, that of a diamond was. The gurudwara alongwith others two glows in the evening like a jewel in dark. The beauty of its reflection in Godavari's water is simply unmatchable.
Nanded railway station. The station is more than 100 years old. But the face of the building has changed so many times. The present building is comparatively big. The building is cleaner than many stations in the Marathwada region, wherein Nanded falls. The relaxing appearance of the building has now become a thing of past and now professionalism is sighted everywhere.
0 comments:
Post a Comment