Located on the south-eastern part of Maharashtra the district of Latur lies on the 18.7° latitude and 73.25° longitude. The district is located on Maharashtra Karnataka boundary. On the eastern side of the Latur is Bidar district of Karnataka, whereas Nanded is on the northeast, Parbhani on the northern side, Beed on the Northwest and Osmanabad on the western and southern side respectively.
The history of district goes back to 753 A.D., it is assumed to be the native place of Rashtrakutas when the city was developed by Amoghvarsha who was the king of Rashtrakutas dynasty by defeating Chalukyas of Badami. Since then for long centuries it was ruled by the Satavahanas, the Sakas, the Chalukyas, the Yadavas of Deogiri, the Delhi Sultans, the Bahamani rulers of South India, Adil Shahi, and the Mughals. Later in the 19th century it became part of the independent princely state of Hyderabad. Earlier known as Naldurg tehsil, in 1905 it was merged with surrounding areas and renamed Latur tehsil, and became part of Osmanabad district. After independence and the merger of Hyderabad with the Indian Union, Osmanabad became part of Bombay Province. In 1960, with the creation of Maharashtra, it became one of its districts. On August 15, 1982, Latur was separated from Osmanabad to form a separate Latur district.
Major rivers in the district are: Manjara : The river originates from Gaukhadi Village of Beed district. This is the major river of the district and flows from the northern boundaries of the Osmanabad district cutting across the Latur district goes to Karnataka State
Terna : This is the main tributary of Manjara which flows on the southern boundary of the Ausa taluka .
Manyad : This river takes its origin at Dharmapuri in Beed district and flows through the Ahmadpur taluka into Nanded district
Lendi : The river has its origin in Udgir taluka and flowing through the Ahmadpur taluka joins the Tiru river in Nanded district .
Gharni : The river has its origin near Wadval and flows through Chakur taluka.
Tawarja : Tawarja originates near Murud in Latur taluka and joins the Manjara river at Shivani on the Latur-Ausa boundary
The statistical data about Latur is given below:
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Geographical location:
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Between 17°52' North to 18°50' North and 76°18' East to 79°12' East in the Deccan plateau
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Area:
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7,157 sq km
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Adjoining districts:
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East: Nanded; south-west: Osmanabad; north-west: Beed; north: Parbhani; south-east: Andhra Pradesh
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Major urban centres:
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Ahmadpur, Ausa, Latur, Nilanga, Udgir
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Major crops:
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Cereals, oilseeds, pulses, grapes
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Major rivers:
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Manjra, Terna, Rena, Manar, Tawarja, Tiru, Gharni
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Total no. of Sub Divisions:
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3
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Total no. of Tahsils:
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10
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Total no. of Villages:
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945 (Census 2001)
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Total no. of Gram Pachayat:
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786
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Total no. of Panchayat Samiti:
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10
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Population:
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2,080,285
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Density of population (persons/sq km):
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291
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Men:
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1,075,257
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Women:
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1,005,028
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Total rural population:
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1,590,024
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Total urban population:
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490,261
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% of Scheduled castes:
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19.43 %
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% of Scheduled tribes:
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2.31 %
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Sex-ratio (females/1000 males):
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935
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Literacy Total
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71.54 %
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Literacy (Men)
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82.90%
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Literacy (Women)
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59.40%
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Tourist Destinations:
Udgir:
Udgir is one of the most
important towns of Latur district. Udgir has a great historical significance.
It has witnessed the war between the Marathas and the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1761.
The Marathas led by Sadashivrao Bhau defeated the Nizam and the treaty of Udgir
was signed. The fort of Udgir stands in all its glory speaking volumes about
the Indian history and Indian culture. The fort is bounded by a 40 feet deep
trench as the fort is built at the ground level. In the fort are several
palaces Durbar halls and most importantly the Samadhi of Udaygir Maharaj which
is 60 feet under the normal ground level.
Hattibet-Devarjan: This is a beautiful
place near Udgir. On a small hill is the Samadhi of Gangaram Maharaj. The place
is also famous for cave carvings. The place has given birth to several freedom
fighters who gave up their lives in the Hyderabad
freedom struggle.
Kharosa: It is a small village 45 kilometres from
Latur city. The place is well known for its caves. The beautiful sculptures of Narsinha, Shiv Parvati,
Kartikeya, Ravan are the example of the cultural heritage of this land. According
to the historians these caves were built in the 6th century during the Gupta
period.
Connectivity:
Air:
Nearest airport is at Aurangabad
(290 kms), which is connected to Mumbai. Another airport close by is Pune.
Rail: Connected by rail (broad and narrow gauge lines), with a station
at Latur Road
(broad gauge). Pune is 337 kms and Mumbai is 497 kms from Latur.
Road: State highways and roads from the district headquarters at Latur
link all 10 tehsils (sub districts) and major towns. There are bus services from Latur to nearby
towns/cities of the state and neighboring states.
For
more information about Latur, explore here