Dhule Knowledge Guide

History

Until the beginning of the 19th century, Dhule was an insignificant village, subordinate to Laling, the capital of the Laling or Fatehabad Subdivision. Under the rule of the Nizam, Laling was incorporated with the District of Daulatabad. The town passed successively through the hands of the Arab kings, the Mughals, and the Nizam, and into the power of the Peshwas about 1795. In 1803, it was completely deserted by its inhabitants on account of the ravages of Holkar and the terrible famine of that year. In the following year, Balaji Balwant, a dependant of the Vinchurkar, to whom the parganas of Laling and Songir had been granted by the Peshwa, repeopled the town, and received from the Vinchurkar, in return for his services, a grant of inam land and other privileges. He was subsequently entrusted with the entire management of the territory of Songir and Laling, and fixed his headquarters at Dhule, where he continued to exercise authority till the occupation of the country by the British in 1818. Dhule was immediately chosen as the headquarters of the newly formed District of Khandesh by Captain John Briggs. In January 1819, he obtained sanction for building public offices for the transaction of revenue and judicial business. Artificers were brought from distant places, and the buildings were erected at a total cost of £2700. Every encouragement was offered to traders and others to settle in the new town. Building sites were granted rent-free in perpetuity, and advances were made both to the old inhabitants and strangers to enable them to erect substantial houses. At this time, Captain Briggs described Dhule as a small town, surrounded by garden cultivation, and shut in between an irrigation channel and the river. The town was located on the southern bank of the Panzara River with an area of about one square mile. In 1819, the population numbered only 2509 persons, living in 401 houses. In 1863, there were 10,000 inhabitants; while by 1872 the number had further increased to 12,489, with 2620 houses. From the date of its occupation by the British, the progress of Dhule had been steady. Towards the end of the 19th century the town had already become a significant trading center due to the trade in cotton and linseed. Coarse cotton, woolen cloths and turbans were manufactured for local use around this time. In 1872, Dhule was visited by a severe flood, which did much damage to houses and property.Dhule was a cantonment town, and in year 1881 had two hospitals, telegraph and post offices. In 1873-74 there were four Government schools, with 551 pupils. Historically, the town has been divided into New and Old Dhule. In the latter, the houses were irregularly built, the majority being of a very humble description.

Transportation

Air

Dhule Airport is located in the Gondur area of Dhule city. It has a runway 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) long. Nearby airports with scheduled services are at Shirdi (160 km), Aurangabad (148 km), Pune (340 km), and Mumbai (350 km). Dhule airport has provided facility of Aircraft Training and Pilot training.

Rail

Dhule Terminus (Station Code: DHI) is connected to Chalisgaon Junction Railway Station under Central Railways. The Chalisgaon Dhule Passenger runs between the two stations four times a day.

Road

Dhule is one of the few cities in the Maharashtra State which is located on the junction of three National Highways, these being NH-3, NH-6 and NH-211. Through the Asian Highway project, portions of NH3 and NH6 passing through Dhule have been converted into numbered Asian Highways AH47 & AH46 respectively. Due to the heavy use of Central Bus Stand and traffic congestion within the city, one more bus stand has been built in Deopur, which became fully operational from 23 March 2015. From this stand, about 120 route buses are running on a daily basis. Central Bus Stand is connected to Deopur Bus Stand by four 25 seater mini-buses by Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC). These buses run from Central Bus Stand to Nagav and from Deopur Bus Stand to Laling. Recognizing ongoing expansion of the city limits and the increased population, Shri Annasaheb Misal (IAS), The Collector & District Magistrate of Dhule and Shri Rajendra Deore (Dhule Depot Controller) of MSRTC started city-bus services in July 2016. This service is available on four different routes - Laling to Nagav, Fagne to Morane, Walwadi to Vadjai, and CBS to Chakkar Bardi.

Local Transport

MSRTC started city-bus services in July 2016. This service is available on four different routes - Laling to Nagav, Fagne to Morane, Walwadi to Vadjai, and CBS to Chakkar Bardi. Private taxi services Ola recently started their operations in the city.