PLACES

KAGAL

Kagal (16° 30' N; 74° 15' E; p. 9,821), the head-quarters of the Kagal taluka, is 12 miles south-east of Kolhapur on the Pune Belganv road. It lies in the valley of the Dudhaganga about a mile south of the river and is surrounded by rich garden land shaded by fine old mango trees.

Area and Population.

Of the total population of 9,821 according to the census figures of 1951, the agricultural classes number 4,687 and the non-agricultural classes 5,134. Of the latter 1,310 persons derive their principal means of livelihood from production other than cultivation, 816 persons from commerce; 111 persons from transport and 2,897 persons from other services and miscellaneous sources.

Municipality.

The civic affairs of the town are managed by a municipality established in 1909 and now functioning under the Bombay District Municipal Act (III) of 1901. The municipal area covers 6½ square miles. The municipal council is composed of 16 members. Two of the seats are reserved for women and two for the Scheduled Castes.

Income and Expenditure.

In 1955-56 the total income of the municipality, excluding extraordinary and debt heads was Rs. 22,690, composed of municipal rates and taxes, Rs. 11,477, revenue derived from municipal property and powers apart from taxation. Rs. 6,427, Government grant Rs. 4,028; and miscellaneous, Rs. 758. The total expenditure, in the same year amounted to Rs. 18,046 of which Rs. 1,630 was incurred under general administration, Rs, 2,627 under water supply, Rs. 1,326 under lighting, Rs. 114 under current repairs, Rs. 8,844 under sanitation, Rs. 1,839 under public works, and Rs. 1,666 under miscellaneous.

Municipal Services.

There is a Government dispensary in the town. Government also maintains a veterinary dispensary in the town. The municipality has built some kachha drains and also some stone-gutters. Water is supplied in sufficient quantities from pipes connected to the Jaising tank constructed in 1892 and situated at a distance of one mile. Compulsory primary education in the town is managed by the Kolhapur District School Board, the municipality contributing its statutory share. There is a private high school, named Sahu High School. There is a public library named Mahatma Gandhi Vacanalaya, Kagal, to which the municipality gives an annual grant of Rs. 50. There is no fire service maintained by the municipality. The total length of roads maintained by the municipality is six miles, only four miles of which are metalled. Bazar takes place twice in a week i.e., on Monday and Thursday. Various kinds of vegetables and fruits and corn are brought for sale.

Burial places.

There are municipal burial places in the town. There is one cremation ground reserved for Hindus and it is situated half a mile from the town. There is also one special shed erected which is being used in rainy season. There is also one burial place reserved for the Muslim community.

History.

Between 1775 and 1825 Kagal was more than once sacked and burned by the Rajas of Kolhapur. The oldest known mention of Kagal is in grants or sanads of the sixteenth century from the Bijapur Government. No old buildings remain entire but there are ruins of mosques and temples. The old fort was destroyed by Yasavantarao Sinde of Kolhapur in 1780. In its place about 1813 the late Hindurao Ghatge built a new fort 377 feet from east to west by 366 feet from north to south. It is enclosed by a ditch and a thick stone wall now much ruined. The eastern portion of the rampart was destroyed in 1858 by order of the British Government. Besides a large mansion built within the town by Hindurao after the model of the famous palace of Deeg, and several good houses belonging to the relations of the Ghatge family, a large mansion or vada stands at a small distance of the town, built by a Raja of Kolhapur at a cost of about a lakh of rupees. Of the public buildings the most important are three large rest-houses, a fine school-house, three temples, one sacred to Rama called Ramamandir, a second dedicated to Maruti, a third to Radhakrsna. The temples receive a cash allowance of Rs. 656-15-0 from Government. Every year in Kartik or October-November a fair or urus is held in honour of Saibi Pir. The fair is attended by about 2,000 people from Kolhapur and the neighbouring villages, and the sale of grain, cloth, fruit, and sweetmeats amounts to Rs. 2,000.

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