Ichalkaranji - The Manchester of Maharashtra

A Town Ichalkaranji is located in Kolhapur district in Western Maharashtra, India, on the bank Panchaganga River. The town is situated on the eastern region of Sahyadri Mountains.

The name ‘Ichalkaranji’ is a compilation of three different words i.e. Ichy, Uchi and Karanji - these were the three small villages which existed during the 18th century.

Ichalkaranji is known as the Manchester of Maharashtra. Ichalkaranji is a Princely state situated on the banks of Panchganga River (Marathi: पंचगंगानदी).

For the last two centuries it was ruled by the Ghorpade dynasty. Shrimant Narayanrao Babasaheb Ghorpade wasthe chief of state. He was liable for developing the Ichalkaranji village into an Imperative Industrial town. He is amongst the one who contributed liberal donations to educational Institutions throughout the country. He was the main founder of inspiration for the progress of both the decentralized textile industry as well as the co-operative movement.

Other than textiles, the economy is now booming with diversified industries like auto components manufacturers, educational institutes, foundry, food industry, green houses, sugar factory, etc.

Ichalkaranji has been awarded the ‘Best Town’ under Gadgebaba Cleanliness Mission.

Ichalkaranji is well connected by road and railway to the near-by cities of Kolhapur (23 km), Sangli (30 km), Belgaum (110 km), and Pune (240 km). The Pune-Bangalore national highway is at a distance of 20 km. The nearest airport is of Kolhapur at 22 km.

Ichalkaranji is also well-known for cultural activities. The classical vocal singing was pioneered in Ichalkaranji by Pandit BalkrishnaBua and the tradition continues till today. There are academies like Pandit BalkrishnaBua Sangeet Sadhana Mandal, Ghorpade Natyagruha, Samarth Kala Mahavidyalay which is spreading the Indian art forms in the young generation.

Textiles are the backbone of the economy in Ichalkaranji. Ichalkaranji city is supposed a place amongst the cities having highest per capita income in the country. It is the fastest growing industrial area in western Maharashtra.

Earlier, Ichalkaranji was famous for cotton cloths, dhotis and saris. With the changing market situation, it produces not only cotton but also suiting, shirting, denim cloth, canvas, cambric, etc. as it has made a remarkable development in terms of technology.

Ichalkaranji boasts of approximately 2-2.5 lakhs of Power looms and 50k Semi-auto looms. There are 7 yarn Spinning mills in and around Ichalkaranji. It also has 4 textile parks coming-up in its environs. Ichalkaranji surely has obtained a place in the textile map of the World. Because of all these ventures, Ichalkaranji is proudly known as the ‘Manchester City’ of Maharashtra.

For more info, plz visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichalkaranji

A small estate lying 47 kilometres east of Kolhapur. Estate holders were......

श्रीमंत नारो महादेव जोशी, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1698/1720, he was adopted by श्रीमंत संताजी घोरपडे, and was granted the inam of Ichalkaranji. He died 1720

श्रीमंत व्यंकटराव नारायणराव घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1720/1745, born 1701, married श्रीमंत अनुबाई साहिबा, daughter of the first Maratha Peshwa, Balaji Vishwanath of Poona. He died 1745.

श्रीमंत नारायणराव व्यंकटराव घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1745/1770, died 1770.

श्रीमंत व्यंकटराव नारायणराव II घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1770/1795

श्रीमंत नारायणराव बाबासाहेब घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1795/1827

श्रीमंत व्यंकटराव नारायणराव III घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1827/1838

श्रीमंत केशवराव व्यंकटराव तात्यासाहेब घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1838/1852

श्रीमंत नारायणराव गोविंदराव बाबासाहेब घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1852/1864, led the industrial revolution in Ichalkaranji, which was considered to be the "Manchester of Western India". Ichalkaranji became an industrial super state with an income almost half as much as that of Kolhapur despite being just 10th its size.

श्रीमंत गोविंदराव आबासाहेब घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1864/1876, born 1853, adopted the son of लक्ष्मण जोशी (descendant of नारो महादेव जोशी, early 17thcentury) in 1876, who assumed the name of श्रीमंत नारायणराव गोविंदराव बाबासाहेब घोरपडे. He died 1876.

श्रीमंत नारायणराव गोविंदराव बाबासाहेब घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1876/1943, born 1870 in Karkamb, Sholapur District, educated at Rajaram College, Kolhapur and Elphinstone and Law Colleges, Bombay, installed 1892, Member of the Bombay Legislative Council for 12 years; married in 1885, श्रीमंत राणी गंगाबाई ( माईसाहेब ), daughter of मोहनीराज परांजपे of Ahmednagar. They had no issue so he adopted his nephew व्यंकटराव in 1919. He died 21st October 1943.

-- श्री लक्ष्मण विष्णू जोशी M.A. [After adoption he was known as युवराज व्यंकटराव नारायणराव घोरपडे], nephew and adopted son, Professor of History at Kayastha Pathshala College in Allahabad 1915/1917, adopted by his uncle in 1919, Private Secretary to the Chief of Ichalkaranji, married May 1914, श्रीमती सौभाग्यवती अनुबाई वाहिनीसाहेब घोरपडे ( विमलताई कानिटकर ), born 19th October 1900 at Alibaug, daughter of श्री गोविंदराव वासुदेव कानिटकर, District Court Judge at Alibaug, and his wife, श्रीमती काशीताई, she was educated at Yeola Primary School, Girl's High School at Hujoorpaga, Pune and matriculated from the Theosophical School in Banares, Member of the Theosophical Society in Kolhapur, President of the Shree Krishna Theosophical Lodge in Kolhapur; and had issue, one son and two daughters. He died 1924.

श्री केशवराव व्यंकटराव घोरपडे, born 1920, died 1929.

श्रीमती शैलाजीबाई घोरपडे, married श्रीमंत त्रिंबकराओ भवानराव अप्पासाहेब Pant Pratinidhi, Chief of Vishalgadh, and had issue.

श्रीमती निर्मलादेवी ताईसाहेब सोहोनी ( घोरपडे ), married श्री श्रीधर वासुदेव सोहोनी, M.A., I.C.S., and had issue, two sons.

Dr. व्यंकटराव सोहोनी, educated at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, with a degree in electronics engineering (1963) and at IIT, Mumbai in 1972 with a Ph.D. in information systems; worked with IBM World Trade Corporation Mumbai 1963/1970 and later with Sandoz India 1971/1985; President and C.E.O. of Wander 1985/1988; President, C.E.O. and Vice Chairman with Biosys, U.S.A. 1988/1995; Managing Director of Hindustan Ciba Geigy / Novartis, Mumbai, India 1996/1999; President and Managing Director of Pharmacia India, Gurgaon 1999/2003; Vice President of the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (O.P.P.I.); Managing Director of Rallis India 2003/-; married Neera Kuckreja Sohoni,and has issue.

श्रीनिवासराव सोहोनी, Joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1970; Served in various key assignments in the Central and the State Governments including the Union Cabinet Secretariat, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Industry in the Government of India, and as Secretary to the President of India, and Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha, Parliament of India. He was also Vice President of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Visvesaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur; and Senior Adviser, Cabinet Secretariat, in the Office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Patron of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune.

श्रीमंत विनायक घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1943/1944, appointed by the Maharaja of Kolhapur, he claimed to be a descendant of नारो महादेव, and held the gaddi for a few months.

INTERREGNUM 1944/1946, after श्रीमंत नारायणराव बाबासाहेब घोरपडे passed away in October 1943, there was a lot of confusion about the succession. A member of the Kolhapur court was appointed for a short while, but appeals made by श्रीमंत राणी गंगाबाई माईसाहेब, the widow of श्रीमंत नारायणराव बाबासाहेब to the Government (all the way to the Privy Council in London), finally resulted in her getting permission to adopt the successor. Even after that, there was some confusion because she wanted to adopt the son of श्रीमती निर्मलादेवी ताईसाहेब सोहोनी (daughter of व्यंकटराव नारायणराव घोरपडे, see above). This was resisted by श्रीमती अनुबाई वाहिनीसाहेब घोरपडे, the widow of व्यंकटराव घोरपडे. Eventually, this dispute was resolved and श्रीमंत राणी गंगाबाई माईसाहेब adopted गोविंदराव आबासाहेब घोरपडे in 1946.