Panchgani
Encyclopedia
Pānchgani is a town and municipal council
in Sātārā district
in Mahārāshtra
, India
.
as a summer resort, and a superintendent named John Chesson was placed in charge of the hill station
in the 1860s. He is credited with planting many plant species from the western world in Panchgani, including silver oak and poinsettia
, which have flourished since then in Panchgani.
Correction to the above. Mahabaleshwar was the summer resort of choice for the British, but it was uninhabitable during the monsoons.
Panchgani was developed as a retirement place for the British because it remained pleasant throughout the year. John Chesson was deputed to find a suitable place. He surveyed the hills in this region in the company of one Mr Rustomji Dubash, (Grandfather of Kashmira, Afriz, Xerxes and Rustom Dubash), and finally decided on this nameless area in the vicinity of the five villages:Dhandeghar, Godavli, Amral, Khingar, and Taighat. The place was aptly named Panchgani, and Chesson was made Superintendent.
To develop the infrastructure, Chesson encouraged various professionals - tailors, dhobis, butchers,vegetable vendors, building contractors etc. to also settle in Panchgani. The area below the bazaar was allotted to them, and is known as the gaothan.
Chesson is buried in the graveyard of St. Peter's Church. In 1971 or '72, his death centenary was observed in a big way when for the first time, the town folk and the schools participated together in a ceremony to remember the founder of Panchgani.
flows nearby which made the lake of Dhom dam
on the Krishna 9 K.M. from Wai
.
BOUNDARIES:-
Panchgani is situated about 285 km, 100 km 18 km,45 km & 10 respectively, from Mumbai
, Pune
Mahābāleshwar
Satara
& Wai
. The east of the Pachgani is Wai, Bavdhan & Nagewadi dam, at west there is Gureghar,at south is Khingar & Rajpuri,& on north is Dhom Dam.
The temperature in Panchgani is around 12C during the winter, and sometimes reaches 34C during the summer; however the humidity level is very low. The Monsoon
rains hit here hardest and the rainy season spans between June and February, allowing the region three months of relatively dry and sunny spring.
The five hills surrounding Panchgani are topped by a volcanic plateau, which is the second highest in Asia
after the Tibet
an plateau. These plateaus, alternatively known as "table land", are a part of the Deccan Plateau
and they were raised by pressure between the earth plates. The area has high seismic activity, with an epicenter
near Koynānagar where the Koynanagar Dam
and a hydroelectric power plant have been built.
in India
, Panchgani then had a population of 13,280. Males constituted 57% of the population, and females, 43%. Literacy in Panchgani was 82%, (which is higher than the national average of 65%), male and female literacy
being 87% and 75%, respectively. As of 2001, 9% of the population was under 6 years of age.
Table Land: This flat large expanse of laterite
rock is the second longest mountain plateau in Asia. Some spacious caves including the “Devil's Kitchen” are visible from here.
Parsi Point: This scenic point is situated on the way to Mahabaleshwar, and overlooks the Krishna valley and the blue shiny waters of the Dhom Dam.
Devil's Kitchen: Situated at the south of the table land, the Devil's Kitchen has a mythology
associated with it: It is believed that the Pāndavas of the Mahābhārat epic
had stayed here for a while. Pāndavgad Caves (near Wāi
) are also said to be built by them then.
Mapro Garden
: Situated on the curvaceous roads between Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar, it is easily accessible by buses originating both from Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar. A haven for tourists hungry for strawberry delicacies as well as factory fresh items like jams, syrups squashes and confectionery items by Mapro Foods Pvt Ltd.
Panchgani's famous 'table land' has been the location for many Indian Movies, recently the location for the acclaimed movie "Taare Zameen Par".(Agent Vinod which will come very soon)
One Dr. Rustomji Bomanji Billimoria set up a tuberculosis
sanatorium
in Panchgani in the 1940s. (The Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan
Award in 1961.) Panchgani has grown in popularity as a convalescence
center.
In recent times, Panchgani has been facing ecological problems because of poorly controlled commercial activities, excessive traffic, and temperature inversion (because of humidity
) from the new dams which have been built in the vicinity for water storage.
Panchgani was originally settled by retired Britishers, but since it was pleasant throughout the year, others also settled there. a number of attempts to start schools were made in the 19th century. In the 1890s The Kimmins School was started for European boys and girls. In 1902, the boys section separated to become The European Boys High School, now known as St. Peter's High School, And Kimmins became an exclusively girls school. Also in the 1890s, one or two years after Kimmins was started, the Roman Catholic Order of nuns known as Daughters of The Cross started The St. Joseph's Convent Girls High School. All three boarding schools were modelled on the English Public Schools of that time, and were affiliated to Cambridge University. The Board exams would be held in December, the question papers being sent from England by sea. The answer papers sent back by sea to England, and the results declared some time in June.
Shortly afterward, other communities started their own schools. These prepared students for the Matriculation examination of the Bombay Presidency. The Parsi School, the first of these schools, later became the Billimoria School. The Muslim School became the Union High School, and is now known as Anjuman School. Both these schools were modelled on the English Public Schools. In between was started the Hindu High School, now known as the Sanjeevan Vidhyalaya. This was modelled on Rabindranath Tagore's Santiniketan. A retired teacher from the Parsi High School, Mr. S. M. Batha started his own Batha School, which is still running well. In the 1950s the newly settled Bahai community started their own little Bahai School, which was renamed the New Era School. It remained insignificant among the other schools till about thirty years, when it began expanding. Now, New Era School is probably the biggest school in Panchgani.
The high standards maintained by these schools encouraged others to set up schools as commercial ventures. As a result the number of schools in Panchgani is almost forty. Some are very good. Some not so good. but all appear to be thriving.
The fresh air and invigorating climate of Panchgani made it a good place for convalescence, especially for those suffering from tuberculosis. Thus Panchgani became famous as a health resort. A well known TB specialist from Bombay, Dr. Rustom Billimoria set up the Bel Air Sanatorium, also known as Dalkieth as a centre for the treatment of Tuberculosis, with the help of his son, Dr. Bomy Billimoria, an eminent surgeon. Till the advent of antibiotics, Dalkieth was the premier place for the treatment of tuberculosis in the whole of the Bombay Presidency.
Till the 1980s, Panchgani was almost entirely an educational centre and a health resort, with only the overflow of tourists from Mahabaleshwar coming. Now the whole picture has changed, and Panchgani is booming for better or for worse. Along with the prosperity for its people has come ecological degradation.
s established since the late 19th century. They attract students from the nearby cities of Mumbai and Pune, and also from abroad. There are now more than thirty boarding schools in Panchgani:
1. Anjuman-E-Islam (Phone: 240315)
2. Anjuman-E-Islam (S.S.C) (Phone: 240249)
3. Arham Jain Vidyalaya (Phone: 240492)
4. Bharatiya Vidyapeeth God's Valley International School (Phone: 240582, 240583)
5. Billimoria High School (Phone: 240314, 240910)
6. Cambridge High School (Phone: 240519)
7. Codesh High School (Phone: 240668)
8. Dawn Academy (Phone: 240390, 240412)
9. Fidai Academy
10. Godevli Education Society (Phone: 240224)
11. Happy Hours High School (Phone: 240386/240086)
12. Hill Range High School (Phone: 240532)
13. Kimmins High School (Phone: 240324)
14. Mahatma Phule Vidya Mandir (Phone: 240377)
15. Mahatma Phule Vidya Junior College (Phone: 240677)
16. Marathwada Gurukul Hostel (Phone: 240010)
17. New Era High School (Phone: 243221, 243200)
18. Oaks High School (Phone: 240395)
19. Panchgani International School (Phone: 240973, 240551, 241449)
20. Pinewoods International High School (Phone: 240900, 240901, 240902, 240290, 240570, 240590, 240903, 240904, 240905)
21. SM Batha High School (Phone: 240205)
22. Sanjeewan Vidyalaya (Phone: 240287, 240307)
23. Scholars Foundation High School (Phone: 240399)
24. Shalom International High School (Phone: 240201)
25. Silverdale High School (Phone: 240638, 241850)
26. Sweet Memories High School and Junior College (Phone: 2403996, 240496, 240596)
27. St. Joseph's Convent (Phone: 240323)
28. St. Peter's School (Phone: 241584, 240313)
29. St. Paul's Hostel (Phone: 240454)
30. St. Xavier's High School (Phone: 240955)
31. Tender Care (Phone: 240095, 240096)
32. Vidya Niketan High School (Phone: 240591)
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 Sātārā district
Satara district
Satara District is a district of Maharashtra state in western India with an area of 10,480 km² and a population of 2,808,994 of which 14.17% were urban . Satara is the capital of the district and other major towns include Wai, Karad, Koregaon, Koyananagar, Rahimatpur, Phaltan, Mahabaleshwar...
in Mahārāshtra
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...
.
History
Scenic Panchgani was discovered by the British during the British RajBritish Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
as a summer resort, and a superintendent named John Chesson was placed in charge of the hill station
Hill station
A hill station is a town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The term was used mostly in colonial Asia , but also in Africa , for towns founded by European colonial rulers as refuges from the summer heat, up where temperatures are cooler...
in the 1860s. He is credited with planting many plant species from the western world in Panchgani, including silver oak and poinsettia
Poinsettia
Euphorbia pulcherrima, commonly known as Zack Wood or noche buena, is a species of flowering plant indigenous to Mexico and Central America. The name "poinsettia" is after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who introduced the plant into the US in 1825...
, which have flourished since then in Panchgani.
Correction to the above. Mahabaleshwar was the summer resort of choice for the British, but it was uninhabitable during the monsoons.
Panchgani was developed as a retirement place for the British because it remained pleasant throughout the year. John Chesson was deputed to find a suitable place. He surveyed the hills in this region in the company of one Mr Rustomji Dubash, (Grandfather of Kashmira, Afriz, Xerxes and Rustom Dubash), and finally decided on this nameless area in the vicinity of the five villages:Dhandeghar, Godavli, Amral, Khingar, and Taighat. The place was aptly named Panchgani, and Chesson was made Superintendent.
To develop the infrastructure, Chesson encouraged various professionals - tailors, dhobis, butchers,vegetable vendors, building contractors etc. to also settle in Panchgani. The area below the bazaar was allotted to them, and is known as the gaothan.
Chesson is buried in the graveyard of St. Peter's Church. In 1971 or '72, his death centenary was observed in a big way when for the first time, the town folk and the schools participated together in a ceremony to remember the founder of Panchgani.
Geography and climate
Panchgani is nestled at middle of five hills in the Sahyādri mountain ranges,also there are five villages around the Pachgani are Dandeghar,Khingar,Godwali, Amral & Taighat .The Krishnā RiverKrishna River
The Krishna River , is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India, about . It is also referred to as Krishnaveni in its original nomenclature...
flows nearby which made the lake of Dhom dam
Dhom Dam
Dhom Dam, is an earthfill and gravity dam on Krishna river near Wai in state of Maharashtra in India.-Specifications:The height of the dam above lowest foundation is while the length is . The volume content is and gross storage capacity is .-Purpose:...
on the Krishna 9 K.M. from Wai
Wai
Wai or WAI may refer to:*Wai, Maharashtra, a town in India*Wai, an alternative name for the Nuristani people, speakers of the Waigali language*NO WAI, a phrase that is part of the O RLY? Internet meme.*Wai, a form of Thai greeting...
.
BOUNDARIES:-
Panchgani is situated about 285 km, 100 km 18 km,45 km & 10 respectively, from Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
Mahābāleshwar
Mahabaleshwar
Mahabaleshwar is a city and a municipal council in Satara district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is a hill station located in the Western Ghats range. With one of the few evergreen forests of the world, it served as the summer capital of Bombay province during the British Raj.-Geography...
Satara
Satara
Satara is a city located in the Satara District of Maharashtra state of India. The town is 2320 ft. above sea-level, near the confluence of the Krishna and its tributary river Venna. The city was the capital of the Maratha empire in the 17th century, hence one of the the historical cities of...
& Wai
Wai
Wai or WAI may refer to:*Wai, Maharashtra, a town in India*Wai, an alternative name for the Nuristani people, speakers of the Waigali language*NO WAI, a phrase that is part of the O RLY? Internet meme.*Wai, a form of Thai greeting...
. The east of the Pachgani is Wai, Bavdhan & Nagewadi dam, at west there is Gureghar,at south is Khingar & Rajpuri,& on north is Dhom Dam.
The temperature in Panchgani is around 12C during the winter, and sometimes reaches 34C during the summer; however the humidity level is very low. The Monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
rains hit here hardest and the rainy season spans between June and February, allowing the region three months of relatively dry and sunny spring.
The five hills surrounding Panchgani are topped by a volcanic plateau, which is the second highest in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
after the Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an plateau. These plateaus, alternatively known as "table land", are a part of the Deccan Plateau
Deccan Plateau
The Deccan Plateau is a large plateau in India, making up the majority of the southern part of the country. It rises a hundred meters high in the north, rising further to more than a kilometers high in the south, forming a raised triangle nested within the familiar downward-pointing triangle of...
and they were raised by pressure between the earth plates. The area has high seismic activity, with an epicenter
Epicenter
The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or underground explosion originates...
near Koynānagar where the Koynanagar Dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
and a hydroelectric power plant have been built.
Demographics
According to 2001 censusDemographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
in 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...
, Panchgani then had a population of 13,280. Males constituted 57% of the population, and females, 43%. Literacy in Panchgani was 82%, (which is higher than the national average of 65%), male and female literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
being 87% and 75%, respectively. As of 2001, 9% of the population was under 6 years of age.
Tourist attractions
Sydney Point: This point is situated on a hillock facing the Krishna Valley. One can see from here the glittering waters of the Dhom Dam, and Pāndavgad and Mandhārdeo. Sydney point is about 2 Km from Panchgani Bus stand.Table Land: This flat large expanse of laterite
Laterite
Laterites are soil types rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are rusty-red because of iron oxides. They develop by intensive and long-lasting weathering of the underlying parent rock...
rock is the second longest mountain plateau in Asia. Some spacious caves including the “Devil's Kitchen” are visible from here.
Parsi Point: This scenic point is situated on the way to Mahabaleshwar, and overlooks the Krishna valley and the blue shiny waters of the Dhom Dam.
Devil's Kitchen: Situated at the south of the table land, the Devil's Kitchen has a mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
associated with it: It is believed that the Pāndavas of the Mahābhārat epic
Indian epic poetry
Indian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent, traditionally called Kavya . The Ramayana and Mahabharata, originally composed in Sanskrit and translated thereafter into many other Indian languages, are some of the oldest surviving epic poems on earth and form part of...
had stayed here for a while. Pāndavgad Caves (near Wāi
Wai, Maharashtra
Wāi is a town in Sātārā District in Mahārāshtra, India.Wai has the epithetic name Dakshin Kāshi...
) are also said to be built by them then.
Mapro Garden
Mapro Garden
Mapro Gardens is a garden park in Panchgani, Maharashtra, India. It is host to the annual Strawberry Festival. Mahabaleshwar contributes to 85% of the total Strawberry produce in India and about 80% is consumed fresh. The Strawberry Festival encourages the strawberry cultivation in the belt...
: Situated on the curvaceous roads between Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar, it is easily accessible by buses originating both from Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar. A haven for tourists hungry for strawberry delicacies as well as factory fresh items like jams, syrups squashes and confectionery items by Mapro Foods Pvt Ltd.
General information
Panchgani attracts many tourists throughout the year. A well-known Ganesh Temple is located close by in Wai.Panchgani's famous 'table land' has been the location for many Indian Movies, recently the location for the acclaimed movie "Taare Zameen Par".(Agent Vinod which will come very soon)
One Dr. Rustomji Bomanji Billimoria set up a tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
in Panchgani in the 1940s. (The Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
Award in 1961.) Panchgani has grown in popularity as a convalescence
Convalescence
Convalescence is the gradual recovery and of health and strength after illness. It refers to the later stage of an infectious disease or illness when the patient recovers and returns to normal, but may continue to be a source of infection even if feeling better...
center.
In recent times, Panchgani has been facing ecological problems because of poorly controlled commercial activities, excessive traffic, and temperature inversion (because of humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
) from the new dams which have been built in the vicinity for water storage.
Panchgani was originally settled by retired Britishers, but since it was pleasant throughout the year, others also settled there. a number of attempts to start schools were made in the 19th century. In the 1890s The Kimmins School was started for European boys and girls. In 1902, the boys section separated to become The European Boys High School, now known as St. Peter's High School, And Kimmins became an exclusively girls school. Also in the 1890s, one or two years after Kimmins was started, the Roman Catholic Order of nuns known as Daughters of The Cross started The St. Joseph's Convent Girls High School. All three boarding schools were modelled on the English Public Schools of that time, and were affiliated to Cambridge University. The Board exams would be held in December, the question papers being sent from England by sea. The answer papers sent back by sea to England, and the results declared some time in June.
Shortly afterward, other communities started their own schools. These prepared students for the Matriculation examination of the Bombay Presidency. The Parsi School, the first of these schools, later became the Billimoria School. The Muslim School became the Union High School, and is now known as Anjuman School. Both these schools were modelled on the English Public Schools. In between was started the Hindu High School, now known as the Sanjeevan Vidhyalaya. This was modelled on Rabindranath Tagore's Santiniketan. A retired teacher from the Parsi High School, Mr. S. M. Batha started his own Batha School, which is still running well. In the 1950s the newly settled Bahai community started their own little Bahai School, which was renamed the New Era School. It remained insignificant among the other schools till about thirty years, when it began expanding. Now, New Era School is probably the biggest school in Panchgani.
The high standards maintained by these schools encouraged others to set up schools as commercial ventures. As a result the number of schools in Panchgani is almost forty. Some are very good. Some not so good. but all appear to be thriving.
The fresh air and invigorating climate of Panchgani made it a good place for convalescence, especially for those suffering from tuberculosis. Thus Panchgani became famous as a health resort. A well known TB specialist from Bombay, Dr. Rustom Billimoria set up the Bel Air Sanatorium, also known as Dalkieth as a centre for the treatment of Tuberculosis, with the help of his son, Dr. Bomy Billimoria, an eminent surgeon. Till the advent of antibiotics, Dalkieth was the premier place for the treatment of tuberculosis in the whole of the Bombay Presidency.
Till the 1980s, Panchgani was almost entirely an educational centre and a health resort, with only the overflow of tourists from Mahabaleshwar coming. Now the whole picture has changed, and Panchgani is booming for better or for worse. Along with the prosperity for its people has come ecological degradation.
Schools
Panchgani is known for its many boarding schoolBoarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
s established since the late 19th century. They attract students from the nearby cities of Mumbai and Pune, and also from abroad. There are now more than thirty boarding schools in Panchgani:
1. Anjuman-E-Islam (Phone: 240315)
2. Anjuman-E-Islam (S.S.C) (Phone: 240249)
3. Arham Jain Vidyalaya (Phone: 240492)
4. Bharatiya Vidyapeeth God's Valley International School (Phone: 240582, 240583)
5. Billimoria High School (Phone: 240314, 240910)
6. Cambridge High School (Phone: 240519)
7. Codesh High School (Phone: 240668)
8. Dawn Academy (Phone: 240390, 240412)
9. Fidai Academy
10. Godevli Education Society (Phone: 240224)
11. Happy Hours High School (Phone: 240386/240086)
12. Hill Range High School (Phone: 240532)
13. Kimmins High School (Phone: 240324)
14. Mahatma Phule Vidya Mandir (Phone: 240377)
15. Mahatma Phule Vidya Junior College (Phone: 240677)
16. Marathwada Gurukul Hostel (Phone: 240010)
17. New Era High School (Phone: 243221, 243200)
18. Oaks High School (Phone: 240395)
19. Panchgani International School (Phone: 240973, 240551, 241449)
20. Pinewoods International High School (Phone: 240900, 240901, 240902, 240290, 240570, 240590, 240903, 240904, 240905)
21. SM Batha High School (Phone: 240205)
22. Sanjeewan Vidyalaya (Phone: 240287, 240307)
23. Scholars Foundation High School (Phone: 240399)
24. Shalom International High School (Phone: 240201)
25. Silverdale High School (Phone: 240638, 241850)
26. Sweet Memories High School and Junior College (Phone: 2403996, 240496, 240596)
27. St. Joseph's Convent (Phone: 240323)
28. St. Peter's School (Phone: 241584, 240313)
29. St. Paul's Hostel (Phone: 240454)
30. St. Xavier's High School (Phone: 240955)
31. Tender Care (Phone: 240095, 240096)
32. Vidya Niketan High School (Phone: 240591)