CHANAKYANAGAR

Census Town

Country: India

State: Maharashtra

Region: Nagpur Division

District: Chanakyanagar

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Established: 1666 A.D.

Founded by: Mahadhipathi Kumara Dhaninje

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Government Type: Municipal Corporation

Government Body: Chanakyanagar Municipal Corporation

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Area: 66 sq. km

Elevation: 257 m  (899 ft)

Population (2011): 149,667

Density: 2,270/sq. km

Demonym(s): Chanakyanagariks

Time zone: UTC+5:30 (IST)

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Vehicle Registration: MH-33

Means of commutation: train, road (Nh-44)

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Executive Magistrate: Pratik Shah

Superintendent of Police: Mohan Bhardwaj

Deputy Superintendent of Police: Balram Dhillon

Judicial Magistrate: Arindam Kalekar

About Chanakyanagar

Chanakyanagar is a quaint town located seventy miles to the South of the Nagpur City in the State of Maharashtra, India. Although located in the Nagpur Division, the town has been the capital of its district since 2002. Recognized as the most influential urban settlement in the district, Chanakyanagar is shrouded by the National Highway-44 on one side, the River Chanak on the other, and the Rivers Wardha and Wena on the other. Owing to its increasing influence in terms of booming businesses and trade, educational institutes, and growing corporate and IT firms, key offices including those of the District Magistrate, the Senior Superintendent of Police, and the District Court, are located here. Thus, Chanakyanagar has been the administrative and political capital of the district. With a population of about 150,000, the town has garnered an informal status of a small-scale city. The town can be divided into three well-connected sectors: the uptown, the midtown, and the downtown.

The uptown sector of the town serves as the primary residential zone with three colonies: the Selbari, the Satmala, and the Malshej. This sector also has two schools, Dweepak Grammar, and Chanak Public School, the Chanak Mandi Supermarket, the Vachyaangan, the Gori Dhaba, and the Amatyapad among other landmarks. The midtown sector comprises sprawling offices and IT firms, the Arthohada Public Library, Bhagwantpura, and its Junction. The midtown sector also houses the Chanak Energy Water and Agricultural Center (CEWAC) that manages the critical infrastructure of the town (the electricity, water, and telecommunications primarily). The downtown sector is the largest part of the town and consists of the Kayada Kopra, the Collectorate Center and Bazar, the Chaarak Agency, the Chanak Institute of Science, Arts & Technology (CISAT), the Lanka Antique Shop, the Swagat Chaurasa, the Cathedral Open Air Auditorium, and the Aranyavardha Railway Station, to name a few.

Between midtown and downtown lies the Chanak Public Park that also houses the Lake Powell. Chetan Avenue is the arterial roadway that connects the midtown to the downtown.

A large cliff-like formation borders the town's northern edge. Atop this cliff is the Maitra Mahal, locally called the Rajewada, the palace of the Mitrayan Dynasty that ruled from its throne. Close to the Mahal lies a tourist attraction called the Cliffy Rocks, a natural geographical preserve.

Farther beyond the town limits lies the forests of Suryaranya, where the River Chanak merges with the River Wena. The Bodhi Dam is built across the River Chanak, closer to its merging point, and a hydroelectric power plant installed there with a peak generation capacity of a 110 MW serves power to nearly two-thirds of the commercial and industrial establishments of the town. The dam is grid-connected and, on a day of maximum load, it generates enough power to serve nearly seventy-five percent of Chanakyanagar. The town receives the remainder of its power from the thermal power plant located in the district of Chandrapur. The Bodhi Dam is owned and operated by the Maharashtra State Power Generation. There are also the spectacular waterfalls, called the Lahaan Dhabdhaba, that border the Suryaranya where Ravi Thakur has his territory established.

Key Landmarks of Chanakyanagar