Ichalakaranji

Ichalkaranji (pronunciationⓘ[it͡səlkəɾəɳd͡ʒiː]) situated at the bank of the Panchganga River, is a city in Kolhapur District, Indian state of Maharashtra, governed by a municipal corporation. It is known for its textile manufacturing industry and "Manchester City of Maharashtra". Ichalkaranji was a Maratha jhagir situated on the banks of Panchganga River (Marathi: पंचगंगा नदी). It was ruled by a Babasaheb Ghorpade family for two centuries until 1947. The dynasty of Maratha rulers of Ichalkaranji has its origin in the middle of the seventeenth century. At that time, a poor Brahmin widow, by the surname of Joshi, from the coastal Konkan village of Mhapan, near Vengurla, in the present-day Sindhudurg district, moved east over the mountainous Western ghats with her seven-year-old son, Naro Mahadeo, to the village of Kapshi. The Maratha general Santaji Ghorpade, hailed from that village. Naro Mahadeo early took a keen interest in the cavalry horses of the general and one day persuaded a syce to allow him to ride a fiery warhorse to the river to drink water. This stolen ride was observed by the alert Santaji, who roundly scolded the syce, but also began to take a deep interest in the prodigal boy, who rode so well without formal training. Benefited by the general's attention. Naro, in turn, served Santaji loyally and both developed affection for each other. Naro performed heroically and gallantly. As Naro Mahadeo proved his ability, he was promoted and later on was rewarded with tax-collecting fiefs (Inams). Out of gratitude to his benefactor, Naro changed his surname from Joshi to Ghorpade, which to this day is the surname of the dynasty of rulers of Ichalkaranji.