Ahmednagar

Ahmednagar
City
Ahilyanagar
Ahmednagar railway station
Interactive map of Ahmednagar
Coordinates: 19°05′N 74°44′E / 19.08°N 74.73°E / 19.08; 74.73
Country India
State Maharashtra
DistrictAhmednagar
Founded1490
Founded byAhmad Nizam Shah I
Named afterAhmad Nizam Shah I (formerly)
Ahilyadevi Holkar (present)
Government
 • TypeMayor–Council
 • BodyAhmednagar Municipal Corporation
 • MayorJyoti Gade
Area
 • Total
39.30 km2 (15.17 sq mi)
Elevation
649 m (2,129 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
350,905
 • Rank124th
 • Density8,929/km2 (23,130/sq mi)
DemonymAhilyaNagari / Ahilyanagarkar / Ahmednagarkar / Ahmednagari /Nagarkar (Marathi)
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
414001, 414003
Telephone code0241
Vehicle registrationMH-16, MH-17
Official languageMarathi
Websiteahmednagar.gov.in

Ahmednagar, officially Ahilyanagar, is a city in, and the headquarters of the Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India. Ahmednagar has several dozen buildings and sites from the Nizam Shahi period. Ahmednagar Fort, once considered almost impregnable, was used by the British to detain Jawaharlal Nehru (the first prime minister of India) and other Indian Nationalists before Indian independence. A few rooms there have been converted to a museum. During his confinement by the British at Ahmednagar Fort in 1944, Nehru wrote the book The Discovery of India. Ahmednagar is home to the Indian Armoured Corps Centre & School (ACC&S), the Mechanised Infantry Regimental Centre (MIRC), the Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE) and the Controllerate of Quality Assurance Vehicles (CQAV). Training and recruitment for the Indian Army Armoured Corps takes place at the ACC&S.

Ahmednagar is a relatively small town and shows less development than the nearby western Maharashtra cities of Mumbai and Pune. Ahmednagar is home to 19 sugar factories and is also the birthplace of the cooperative movement. Due to scarce rainfall, the city often suffers from drought. Marathi is the primary language for daily-life communication. The city administration has recently published a plan of developing the city by year 2031.