 "Ahmednagar to be renamed as Ahilyanagar: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde")
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced on Wednesday that Ahmednagar will be renamed 'Ahilyanagar'. This occurred after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that he would suggest to the Chief Minister that Ahmednagar City be renamed "Ahilyanagar."
Fadnavis, Shinde, and many state ministers were in Ahmednagar to attend a celebration marking the birth anniversary of Ahilyabai Holkar. The Holkar Queen of the Maratha Malwa kingdom is renowned throughout India for the construction of temples and "Dharamshala," or public rest houses.
Ahmednagar as ‘Ahilyanagar’: Overview
Ahilya Nagar will be devoted to Ahilyabai Holkar who was the queen of the Maratha Empire and was born in Chondi town of Ahmednagar area. On the day of the 298th birthday of the 18th-century queen, also known as Ahilyabai Holkar Jayanti, the announcement was made.
The occasion was shown by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar among others.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had been requesting the renaming of the Ahmednagar district since February after the government renamed Maharashtra's Aurangabad and Osmanabad as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Dharashiv separately.
Maratha warrior queen ‘Ahilyabai Holkar’: 5 Interesting Facts
1. A commander of Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao in Malwa territory named Malhar Rao Holkar was on his way to Pune when he came across an eight-year-old Ahilyabai at a temple service feeding the hungry and poor. Later, he married his son, Khanderao to her in 1733 because he was impressed by her.
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2. Male Rao, Ahilyabai's blessed son, died at the age of 19 in 1745.
3. She married Yashwantrao, a brave, poor man, in 1748, breaking social norms.
4. In 1754, her husband was killed in the war of Kumbher, leaving her a widow at 29 years old. Yet, she was forbidden from committing Sati by her father-in-law, who turned into her pillar of support.
5. After the demise of Malhar Holkar, her son was succeeded to the throne as the king. But, after his death, Ahilyabai sat as a queen of Indore on 11 December 1767.