Culture in Wardha
Wardha is an Indian city situated in the state of Maharashtra which resides in the central part of the country. The place is both a city and a municipal council, besides being the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district. The city derives its name from the River Wardha which criss-crosses the northern, southern and western boundaries of the area. At present, Wardha is famous for being an important centre of India’s cotton trade while also being a bustling centre of tourism based activities, sourcing tourists from all across the world. In this article, we shall talk about the general aspects of culture in Wardha.
Religions and Languages Spoken in the city
Wardha, in central India, has lived up to its traditional reputation of being a heterogeneous city in terms of religion and culture and composition of population. The religions practiced by those living in this city include Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity; besides, a section of the population inhabiting this city is also composed of Jains and Sikhs. Very much like the variety in religious culture, the linguistic aspects of Wardha are also highly heterogeneous.The languages spoken are mainly Hindi and Marathi; but a sizeable number of the residents are also found to be versatile in north and west Indian languages like Gujarati, Punjabi, Marwari and Sindhi.Centres of Religious Worship
One of the many reasons which have endeared Wardha to a vast number of tourists, from all parts of India as well as the world, is its cultural variety. Thus, besides bearing a heterogeneous tinge in religions and languages, the city of Wardha is also well known for the large number of religious places flourishing within its periphery, which cater to the religious needs and appeals of various residents and tourists alike. A large array of temples, gurudwaras, mosques, viharas, churches and Jain temples are present here and they are all a part and parcel of this city. Some of the most famous centres of worship in this city are –- Lingi Mandir (Mahadeo Mandir)near Dr. Raosaheb Gade Bhavan
- Vitthal mandir (hawaldwarpura),
- Ganesh Mandir (Main Road),
- Gajanan Maharaj Mandir,
- Sai mandir (M.G. Road),
- Digambar and Shwetambar Jain temples (mahadeopura),
- Jama Masjid (Itwara),
- Shanti Stupa (Gopuri),
- Gurudwara (dayalnagar)
- Laxminarayan temple (Bachchhraj road)
British Legacy in the City
Wardha is highly famous for being one of the most important Indian cities during our national struggle for independence in the British era. However, the British were the ones who had been instrumental in creating and maintaining the city for nearly 80 years before the Indian independence came to fruition. The foundation of Wardha in 1866 was based upon the meticulous planning of British planners Sir Crowdock and Sir Bachelor. Other than them, there were a number of other Englishmen who provided valuable inputs to the gradual development and evolution of this city in the 19th and early 20th century.The city administration chose to honour the British for their invaluable contributions by naming some of the most important centres of human activity in this city after the names of the British. So, Sir Bachelor was honoured by naming an important road after him, Sir Crowdock was accorded his due recognition with the name of the biggest school in Wardha; and the district hospital bore the name of famous King George. Even though some of these buildings may have been renamed following the advent of Indian independence in 1947, the invaluable British legacy continues to live on. Some of the other prominent buildings in Wardha which came up during the British rule are - Z.P. old building, Church at Bajajwadi, Central Jail and the Cemetery.