Lably
Skip to content

Mahad

City & Sub-district in Maharashtra, India

  • 7 min read
  • 9 chapters

Related on Lably

Through Maratha Empire, Shivaji and India

Lab · Class 6–12Archaeology & DiscoveryLab · Class 6–11How India Is GovernedLab · Class 6–12Ancient Indian Ocean TradeLab · Class 7–11Disaster Management

History

Mahad, a town nestled in the Konkan region (History of Mahad) of Maharashtra, India, holds a significant historical and cultural legacy. With a rich past that dates back to ancient times, Ma-had has witnessed the rise and fall of empires, played a vital role in the Indian independence movement, and now stands as a thriving modern town.

Chavdaar Tale Satyagraha

It is known for the Chavdaar Tale's satyagraha of Bhimrao Ambedkar at Chavdar Tale, which is a large public water tank in Mahad town. Ambedkar with his followers of over 2,500 Dalits marched to the tank. In March, a few upper caste people also participated, who used to admire Bhimrao's ideology. Ambedkar was the first to take his hand and sip water from the tank, followed by the rest. This was a revolutionary step for the time and broke the taboo of caste discrimination. This came to be known as the Mahad Satyagraha. Many disciples of the Buddha and followers of B.R. Ambedkar visit Chavdaar Tale every year on Kranti Din (Day of Revolution).

However, this was not the end of the struggle. There was tremendous backlash from the rest of the community and some even performed a purification ritual to counter the act of revolution. Ambedkar made another statement by burning the Hindu book Manusmriti at the very same spot on 25 December 1927.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Raigad fort

Mahad has a glorious history during the rule of the Maratha king Shivaji. The capital of Hindavi Swarajya and the Samadhi of Chhatrapati Shivaji is at Raigad fort, which is around 24 km (15 mi) from the city. It was part of Birwadi Subha (Tehsil) and was ruled by Birwadi Subhedar's Kadams (Mahamunkars). The village of Umarath Tanaji Malusare & Kinjaloli of Murarbaji are also in the vicinity of Mahad.

Shivtharghal and Daasbodh

The Shivtharghal is the birthplace of Samarth Ramdas, author of the spiritual book Dasbodh.

Mahad Port

Mahad was a flourishing port in the past. The Gul (Jaggery) of Shahupuri Kolhapur and Satara was exported to Gujarat via Mahad. Since the banks of the Savitri river changed during the course of time, only creek water fishing is carried out and Mahad is no longer a port.

Gandharpale Buddhist Caves

According to the mythological story, Gandharpale Caves are the sculptured houses built in one night by the Pandavas. Originally these caves are Buddhist caves build during the reign of Vishnupalita Kambhoja.

2016 Flood in Savitri river

In 2016, a major flood hit Mahad because of the collapse of the British era bridge on Mumbai-Goa highway and caused great losses. The incident resulted in the loss of 42 lives.

Several disasters like floods and landslides have continuously devastated markets and old houses, specifically classic raw houses, causing great loss of life. This is primarily due to lower elevation of the city compared to surrounding areas and being surrounded by rivers on all sides, making the city like a triangular island. Also, Konkan, receives predominantly very heavy rainfall in comparison to rest of Maharashtra.

Sign in to keep reading

8 more chapters are free with a Lably account.

More in Politicians and leaders

Donald TrumpPresident of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)Barack ObamaPresident of the United States from 2009 to 2017JesuitsMale religious congregation of the Catholic ChurchFranklin D. RooseveltPresident of the United States from 1933 to 1945George W. BushPresident of the United States from 2001 to 2009Winston ChurchillBritish statesman and writer (1874–1965)