Mangalwedha is a town in the Solapur district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the birthplace of Shri Jayatirtha, also called Teekacharya, one of the prominent saints of the Dvaita school of Vedanta.
Geography
The city of Mangalwedha is situated 55 km west of the district headquarters at Solapur and 25 km southeast of Pandharpur city.
Mangalwedha shares its boundaries with Pandharpur, Sangola, Mohol, Jath, and Bijapur in Karnataka.
History
Mangalwedha is also known as the “Land of Saints” as Saint Jayatirtha, Saint Damaji, Saint Kanhopatra, Saint Basaveshwera, and Saint Chokhamela are said to have come from Mangalwedha during the 14th century.
Mangalwedha is also known as Jwariche Kothar.
The major crops that are grown in and around Mangalwedha include Jowar, Bajra, groundnut, Sugarcane, and corn. Mangalwedha’s Jowar and Bajra have received geographical indications (GI) tags.
In the 14th century, Mangalwedha was ruled by the Bidar Sultanate followed by the Bijapur Sultanate.
Huljanti village is known for the Mahalingaraya deity and Biroba deity and as well as having a large fair during Diwali. Many people from Maharashtra and Karnataka come there to worship their deities.
Cuisine
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Mangalwedha is known for its special cuisine of jowar bhakri and salsa made from coarsely ground green chilis, kharda/thecha, and onion and chutney of groundnuts. Bhaji (a fritter made from gram flour) is another delicacy from Mangalwedha. It is also known for its spicy bhel, vada pav, and puri bhaji.
Demographics
As of the 2011 Census of India, Mangalwedha has a population of 21,824 consisting of 11,109 males and 10,715 females. There were 2,510 children ages 0-6.
Although the official language of Mangalwedha is Marathi, the town has a remarkable number of Kannada speakers.