Satara
Satara is a city and the headquarters of Satara district in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. Located in the foothills of the Sahyadri (Western Ghats), the city lies near the confluence of the Krishna and Venna rivers and is historically associated with the later Maratha state. Its name is commonly explained as a reference to the seven (saat) hills and forts surrounding the area.
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Maharashtra |
| Division | Pune Division |
| District | Satara |
| Region | Desh / Western Maharashtra |
| Languages | Marathi (official) |
| Civic body | Satara Municipal Council |
Geography
Satara is set on a plateau at the base of the Sahyadri range, with the hill fort of Ajinkyatara overlooking the city. The Krishna river flows past the city, joined nearby by the Venna. The hill station of Mahabaleshwar and the temple town of Wai lie to the west and north-west respectively, while Karad lies to the south along the Pune–Bengaluru corridor. The surrounding terrain is hilly with a number of historic forts, including Ajinkyatara, Sajjangad, Pandavgad, Kamalgad, Vairatgad, Chandan, and Vandan, which are often counted among the "seven forts" associated with the city's name.
History
The region around Satara has been part of successive polities including the Satavahanas, Chalukyas, Yadavas of Devagiri, Bahmani Sultanate, and the Adil Shahi sultanate of Bijapur. Ajinkyatara fort, the citadel above the present city, dates in its current form largely to the medieval period and was a strategic stronghold under the Marathas.
Maratha capital
After the death of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's son Sambhaji in 1689 and the prolonged Mughal–Maratha wars, Satara emerged as the seat of the Maratha state in the early eighteenth century. Chhatrapati Shahu I, grandson of Shivaji, established Satara as his capital after his release from Mughal custody in 1707. During his reign the effective administration of the empire passed increasingly to the Peshwas based at Pune, but Satara remained the formal capital of the Chhatrapati.
Princely state and British period
Following the Third Anglo-Maratha War, the British East India Company in 1818 reconstituted Satara as a princely state under Pratap Singh, a descendant of Shahu. Pratap Singh was deposed by the British in 1839 and replaced by his brother Shahaji. On the latter's death without a recognised heir, the state was annexed by the East India Company in 1848 under the doctrine of lapse, and Satara was incorporated into the Bombay Presidency.
Prati Sarkar
During the Quit India movement, Satara district became a centre of an armed parallel administration known as the Prati Sarkar, led by Nana Patil from 1943 onwards. The movement ran courts, collected revenue and resisted colonial authority across parts of Satara and Sangli until Indian independence in 1947.
Administration
Satara is the administrative headquarters of Satara district and of Satara taluka. Civic services within the city are managed by the Satara Municipal Council. The city houses the District Collectorate, the District and Sessions Court, and the headquarters of the Satara Zilla Parishad. Politically, Satara lies within the Satara Lok Sabha constituency and the Satara Vidhan Sabha constituency.
Economy
The local economy combines agriculture, agro-processing, light manufacturing and services. The surrounding district is known for sugarcane cultivation and an extensive network of cooperative sugar factories, as well as dairying, horticulture (notably strawberries grown around Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani), and turmeric production in adjoining areas. The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) operates industrial estates in and around the city, and Satara is a regional centre for trade, education and government employment.
Transport
Satara lies on National Highway 48 (the Mumbai–Pune–Bengaluru corridor), which bypasses the city as an expressway-grade route. State highways connect Satara to Mahabaleshwar, Wai, Phaltan, Pandharpur and the Konkan coast via the Sahyadri passes. Satara railway station is on the Pune–Miraj line of Central Railway. The nearest major airport is Pune International Airport.
Culture and landmarks
- Ajinkyatara – hill fort overlooking the city, historically the citadel of the Maratha capital.
- Sajjangad – fort near Satara associated with the saint-poet Samarth Ramdas, whose samadhi is located there.
- Jalmandir / Adalat Wada and Rang Mahal – structures associated with the former Chhatrapati's court.
- Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Museum – housing artefacts from the Maratha and princely periods.
- Kaas Plateau – a UNESCO-recognised component of the Western Ghats World Heritage site, noted for seasonal wildflower blooms, situated to the west of the city.
- Thoseghar and Vajrai waterfalls in the surrounding ghats.
Marathi is the principal language, and the city observes the major festivals of Maharashtra, including Ganesh Chaturthi, Gudi Padwa, Shivaji Jayanti, and the Ramdas Navami observances at Sajjangad.
Education
Satara has a long-standing tradition of education in western Maharashtra. Institutions in the city include the Rayat Shikshan Sanstha, founded by Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil in 1919 in the Satara region, which grew into one of India's largest educational societies. The city also hosts the Chhatrapati Shivaji College, Yashavantrao Chavan Institute of Science, government and private engineering and medical colleges, and a sub-campus of Shivaji University, Kolhapur. The Sainik School, Satara, established in 1961, is among the oldest Sainik Schools in India.
Notable people associated with Satara
- Chhatrapati Shahu I – Maratha emperor who made Satara his capital.
- Pratap Singh Bhonsle – ruler of the princely state of Satara.
- Samarth Ramdas – seventeenth-century saint-poet, whose principal seat was at Sajjangad near Satara.
- Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil – social reformer and founder of the Rayat Shikshan Sanstha.
- Nana Patil – freedom fighter and leader of the Prati Sarkar.
- Yashwantrao Chavan – first Chief Minister of Maharashtra and later Union minister, from the Satara region.