Satara was the the major part of the Shivaji kingdom. Sajjangad of this district was the spiritual capital of Shivaji's monarchy. This place stands as a proud manifestation of Maharashtra's history, which is also a prominent page of the India's historic brochure.
Satara district of Maharashtra covers an area of 10,484 square kilometres and is located between 17.5 to 18.11 north latitude and 73.33 to 74.54 east longitude. This region is situated in the western side of the state and is bounded by Pune in its northern frontier. While Sangli lies in its southern part, Solapur is bounded in its eastern part. This region is bounded by Ratnagiri in its western side and by Raigad in its north-western frontier. This district is fondled with two important river basins, which include the Krishna river and the Bhima river. This region is safeguarded by Sahyadri mountain ranges of the Western Ghats in three directions, i.e north, south and west. These ranges form a border line between this region and the Ratnagiri district. This landscape is also fondled with Mahadeo hilly ranges, which covers the northern (Mahabaleshwar), eastern and south-eastern parts. These hilly ranges are barefaced and give an impression of bold escarpments of black citadels. Two major watersheds lend fertility to this region. The Bhima, which is a tributary of Krishna estuary flows across the northern and north-eastern part of the province and even covers the areas, which are adjacent to the Mahadeo hills. The rest part of the province is drained by the Krishna river, itself.
This region is scattered within the Deccan plateau. These hilly traps are comprised of gradation of basalt and laterite soils. However, most of the area is enriched in black loamy clay soil, consisting of carbonate of lime. This type of soil is generally ideal for cultivation and farming and huge amount of crops are grown every year on this fertile soil. The physiography of this division consists of a varied and diverse undulating and plain landscapes. These undulating plateaus are situated at an altitude of 4500 feet above the mean sea level. The sub-dued basins of Nira estuary, which cover the Phaltan tehsil, are located at an altitude of 1700 feet above the mean sea level. The climate of this region is also different in different regions. While the Mahabaleshwar region receives the maximum amount of rainfall, at an annual average of 6000 mm, the Man division falls under the driest zone, as it receives scanty rainfall, at an average of 500 mm. This province is comprised of 11 Tehsils and 10 Vidhan Sabha Constituencies. This division comprises of 2 Lok Sabha Constituencies, which include Satara and Madha. Other than Krishna and Bhima, other major estuaries, which drain this province are Koyna, Kudali, Urmodi, Venna, Neera, Manganga and Tarali.
The history of Satara dates back to 200 B.C. This place is also described in the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. Pandavas, during their 13th year of exile had stayed in Wai, which was known as Viratnagari in the archaic times. Chandragupta dynasty, under the administration of Mahendraditya Kumargupta I had embraced this territory into its territory and ruled over this place from 451 A.D till 455 A.D. Later this soil was governed by the Satavahans during 550 A.D and their rule lasted for 2 centuries. The Muslims landed over this place by the end of the 12th century. However, with the rise of the most powerful ruler of Maharashtra, Shivaji in 1663, the Nizam rule came to an end. This place was one of the major institutions of Shivaji's ministry. Some of the interesting places of this zone include the Ajinkyatara Fort, Char Bhinti Hutatma Smarak, Natraj Mandir, Sangam Mahuli and Sajjangad. This city was the spiritual capital of Shivaji's kingdom. Religious spots include Kuraneshwar, Yevateshwar Mandir, Maha Ganapati Temple of Wai, Shikhar Shinganapur, Siddhanath Temple, Chaphal, Aundh etc. Other tourist spots include Thoseghar waterfall, Chalkewadi, Kas Talav lake, Karad Priti Sangam etc.
