About Osmanabad:-
Osmanabad district is located in the southern part of the state of Maharashtra. Most of the area of the district is surrounded by Small Mountain called "Balaghat". Bhoom, Washi, Kalamb, Osmanabad & Tuljapur Tahsil lie in the range of this Balaghat Mountain. The district is surrounded by Solapur to the south-east, Ahmednagar to the North-West, Beed to the North, Latur district to the East and Bidar & Gulbarga districts of Karnataka to the South.
Osmanabad along with the other four districts of the Marathwada region was formerly a part of the Nizam’s State. After India got its freedom in 1947 the reorganisation of various princely states was carried out. In 1956 the Marathwada region was included in the then Bombay State into Maharashtra and Gujarat. In 1960, Osmanabad along with the other districts of Marathwada became an integral part of Maharashtra. Today Osmanabad is a full fledged district of Maharashtra playing significant role in various aspects of the state.
Tehsils in Osmanabad district:-
• Osmanabad
• Tuljapur
• Omerga
• Paranda
• Bhoom
• Kalamb
• Vashi
• Lohara
DHARASHIV CAVES:-
________________________________________
The dharashiv caves are situated 8 km away from Osmanabad city in Balaghat Mountains.
There are total 7 caves in the Balaghat Mountain lane.
The first cave is without any statue with small open space .
The second cave consists of a statue with Artistic work on right side of statue.
The art work is of gandharva era.
The fourth cave is with open space without any statue inside.
The statue in the sixth cave is damaged while the seventh cave has no statue
These caves were originally Buddhist, but were later converted into monuments of the Jain religion and fresh caves were also excavated nearby.
There are some more Buddhist caves excavated in the hills, about 8 miles from Dharashiva.
The earlier of them are referred by Burgess to the middle of the 7th century A. D. Cave No. II is modeled on the plan of the Vakataka caves at Ajanta. It has a central hall measuring 80 feet by 80 feet, with 14 cells for the residence of the Bhiksus and garbhagraha with a colossal image of the Buddha in Padmasana.
Another cave (No. III) has a hall of 59’ by 59’, closely resembling Cave No I.
Later some Jain caves (No. V and VI) were excavated on the same hill. They are described in the Prakrt work Karakandacariu as excavated by the king Karakanda, who came to know about the earlier caves from the prince Siva of Terapura (Tagara).
The Karakandacariu is a work of the 11th century A. D. so these later caves were probably excavated in the 9th or 10th century A. D. during the age of Rastrakutas.
Khvaja Samsuddin dargah:-
The other object of interest is the dargah of Khvaja Samsuddin at which a largely attended urus is held in the month of Rajab.
A Persian inscription in the dargah gives the, date of Khvaja's death as 720 Hijri. Said to have been erected during the period of Muhammad-bin-Tughluq, the dargah stands in the midst of an encompassed courtyard having entrances on three of its sides. The main edifice of solid masonry crowned with a huge vaulted dome is 12.19 x 12.19 metres (40' x 40') and contains two tombs one of which is that of Samsuddin.
It has an arch-shaped entrance with similar arches on the other three sides also. The top corners are also adorned with minars. Within the same compound and exactly opposite Samsuddin's dargah is the tomb of his son, Tajuddin, housed under a canopy of twelve columns. Its top is also decorated with minars, but of smaller size. The dargah looks majestic and is an excellent specimen of mediaeval Muhammedan sculpture.
Dhrtarastra Nagesvar Temple:-
The principal mosque and the ruins of an old fort or gadhi lie to the southern extremity of the town. Of the many Hindu shrines that of Dhrtarastra Nagesvar claims antiquity as well as religious importance. Situated on the banks of the Bhogavati, it is said to be the 108th and the last tirth or holy place along the Bhogavati from its source somewhere in the hills at Dharasiv.
Osmanabad district is located in the southern part of the state of Maharashtra. Most of the area of the district is surrounded by Small Mountain called "Balaghat". Bhoom, Washi, Kalamb, Osmanabad & Tuljapur Tahsil lie in the range of this Balaghat Mountain. The district is surrounded by Solapur to the south-east, Ahmednagar to the North-West, Beed to the North, Latur district to the East and Bidar & Gulbarga districts of Karnataka to the South.
Osmanabad along with the other four districts of the Marathwada region was formerly a part of the Nizam’s State. After India got its freedom in 1947 the reorganisation of various princely states was carried out. In 1956 the Marathwada region was included in the then Bombay State into Maharashtra and Gujarat. In 1960, Osmanabad along with the other districts of Marathwada became an integral part of Maharashtra. Today Osmanabad is a full fledged district of Maharashtra playing significant role in various aspects of the state.
Tehsils in Osmanabad district:-
• Osmanabad
• Tuljapur
• Omerga
• Paranda
• Bhoom
• Kalamb
• Vashi
• Lohara
DHARASHIV CAVES:-
________________________________________
The dharashiv caves are situated 8 km away from Osmanabad city in Balaghat Mountains.
There are total 7 caves in the Balaghat Mountain lane.
The first cave is without any statue with small open space .
The second cave consists of a statue with Artistic work on right side of statue.
The art work is of gandharva era.
The fourth cave is with open space without any statue inside.
The statue in the sixth cave is damaged while the seventh cave has no statue
These caves were originally Buddhist, but were later converted into monuments of the Jain religion and fresh caves were also excavated nearby.
There are some more Buddhist caves excavated in the hills, about 8 miles from Dharashiva.
The earlier of them are referred by Burgess to the middle of the 7th century A. D. Cave No. II is modeled on the plan of the Vakataka caves at Ajanta. It has a central hall measuring 80 feet by 80 feet, with 14 cells for the residence of the Bhiksus and garbhagraha with a colossal image of the Buddha in Padmasana.
Another cave (No. III) has a hall of 59’ by 59’, closely resembling Cave No I.
Later some Jain caves (No. V and VI) were excavated on the same hill. They are described in the Prakrt work Karakandacariu as excavated by the king Karakanda, who came to know about the earlier caves from the prince Siva of Terapura (Tagara).
The Karakandacariu is a work of the 11th century A. D. so these later caves were probably excavated in the 9th or 10th century A. D. during the age of Rastrakutas.
Khvaja Samsuddin dargah:-
The other object of interest is the dargah of Khvaja Samsuddin at which a largely attended urus is held in the month of Rajab.
A Persian inscription in the dargah gives the, date of Khvaja's death as 720 Hijri. Said to have been erected during the period of Muhammad-bin-Tughluq, the dargah stands in the midst of an encompassed courtyard having entrances on three of its sides. The main edifice of solid masonry crowned with a huge vaulted dome is 12.19 x 12.19 metres (40' x 40') and contains two tombs one of which is that of Samsuddin.
It has an arch-shaped entrance with similar arches on the other three sides also. The top corners are also adorned with minars. Within the same compound and exactly opposite Samsuddin's dargah is the tomb of his son, Tajuddin, housed under a canopy of twelve columns. Its top is also decorated with minars, but of smaller size. The dargah looks majestic and is an excellent specimen of mediaeval Muhammedan sculpture.
Dhrtarastra Nagesvar Temple:-
The principal mosque and the ruins of an old fort or gadhi lie to the southern extremity of the town. Of the many Hindu shrines that of Dhrtarastra Nagesvar claims antiquity as well as religious importance. Situated on the banks of the Bhogavati, it is said to be the 108th and the last tirth or holy place along the Bhogavati from its source somewhere in the hills at Dharasiv.
