Chikhaldara is a city and 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...

 in Amravati district

Amravati district

Amravati district is a district of Maharashtra state in central India. Amravati is the administrative headquarters of the district.The district is situated between 20°32' and 21°46' north latitudes and 76°37' and 78°27' east longitudes. The district occupies an area of 12,235 km²...

  in the state 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...

, 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...

.

Chikhaldara is a plateau

Plateau

In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...

 and is one of the cool air locations of Maharashtra. It is located in cotton growing area also a Historical valued place where, Lord Krishna carried away Rukminee. It is the only coffee

Coffee

Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...

 growing area of Maharashtra.

Chikhaldara is named after the king Kichak , who was killed by Bheema

Pandava

In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...

, one of the Pandava brothers in the Mahabharata

Mahabharata

The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....

. He is said to have been killed by Bheema and thrown in the deep valleys called dari in Marathi language

Marathi 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...

 ( language of the State 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...

 ) hence the name Kichakdara which was later on spelled as Chikhaldara.

Brief history

Chikaldara was discovered by Captain Robinson of the Hyderabad Regiment in 1823. The Englishmen found it particularly attractive because the lush green hue of the place reminded them of England. When the leaves fell in September/October, they were reminded of autumn in England. There was even a proposal to make it the seat of the Government of India.

Demographics

India census

Census

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...

, Chikhaldara had a population of 4718. Males constitute 58% of the population and females 42%. Chikhaldara has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 86% and female literacy of 72%. 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Local features of importance

1. Melghat Tiger Reserve, which includes the Gugamal National Park
   Gugamal National Park
   Gugamal National Park has an area of 1673.93 square kilometers. Built in 1974, this park is located in Chikhaldara and Dharni Tehsils of Amravati District, Maharashtra, India...
   
   
2. Gawilgad fort
3. Bhim-kund: This is the place where Bhima washed his hands off the blood of Keechaka.
4. Forest garden
5. Wildlife museum

Chikhaldara Tourist Points

• Bhimkund (Kitchakdari)
• Vairat Devi
• Sunset Point
• Bir Dam
• Panchbol Point
• Kalapani Dam
• Mahadev Mandir
• Semadhoh Tiger Project
• Hariken Point
• Mozari Point
• Prospects Point
• Devi Point
• Monkey Point
• Goraghat
• Shakkar Lake
• Malviya and Sunrise Point
• Government Garden
• Museums
• Waterfall
• Dharkhura
• Bakadari
• Muktagiri
  Muktagiri
  Muktagiri is a Jain Pilgrimage centre, located on border of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra in India. It comes under Bhainsdehi tehsil of Betul district or Baitul district in Madhya Pradesh, India. It is 14 km away from Paratwada, Dist. Amravati, Maharashtra. Muktagiri is 7 km away from Kharpi...
  
  

External links

• http://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/mtdc/Sanctuaries.aspx?strpage=Sanctuaries_chikhaldara.html
• Chikhaldara