Gadhinglaj

Gadhinglaj ([ɡəɖəɦiŋɡləd͡z]) is a city in India in the Kolhapur district in the southwest corner of the state of Maharashtra, India. It is located on the banks of the river Hiranyakeshi. It is the Taluka (Tehsil) headquarters of Gadhinglaj Taluka and a subdivision headquarters of the Gadhinglaj Subdivision of the Kolhapur District. It is governed by a municipal council. The rapidly growing city is the third largest in the Kolhapur District, with population of more than 50,000. Places to visit like Samagad fort, temples and beautiful weather. Gadhinglaj is situated on the banks of the Hiranyakeshi river, which originates in the Amboli Ghats mountains. It is located at the border between Maharashtra and Karnataka. Maharashtra State Highway 134 passes through the city. Gadinglaj is the headquarters of South Kolhapur and a sub-district of the Kolhapur District. It is the largest city in South Kolhapur and has enough area and population to be deemed a district. The city is at an average elevation of . Although the exact date of Gadhinglaj's founding is unknown, ancient texts date the city back to at least 1500 AD. Gadhinglaj was originally a small village near the banks of the Hiranyakeshi River. It was not until 1887, when the Gadhinglaj Municipal Council was formed, that it grew into a town. At that time the official name of the city was Hinglaj. During the 1960s and 1970s, the town expanded into a city and its local government grew correspondingly from a C-class municipal council to B-class municipal council. During the 1970s, Appasaheb Nalawade founded the Gadhinglaj Sugar Factory, which contributed to the city's industrial and agricultural growth. Since 2000, the city has seen a population and economic boom, with its population nearly tripling. It has become one of fastest growing cities in Maharashtra and India. During this time Gadhinglaj also saw a boom in its trade, business, financial, and real estate sectors. As of the 2001 Indian census, Gadhinglaj had a population of 27,185.