Nagpur

Nāgpur (meaning City of the Snakes) is a city located near the geographical center of India, in the state of Maharashtra. Nagpur has a metropolitan population of 2.4 million (1998 est.), roughly half of them speak Marathi. It is known throughout the country as the "Orange City," due to it being a major trading centre for oranges and because the entire region has a climate favourable for large scale cultivation of oranges.

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Nagpur city is situated at an altitude of 900 to 1000 feet (275 to 300 m) above sea level and has an area of 220 km². It receives an annual rainfall of 1,242 mm (48.9 in). Except for the summer months from March to June, which are hot, the weather all round is moderate. Winter lasts from November to January, and is a good time for visitors.

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Nagpur is a very important road and railway junction, a transit for almost all the trains that span the country lengthwise or breadthwise, including all four of India's major metropolitan cities. Nagpur has two major railway stations - Nagpur railway station and Ajni railway station. Nagpur is home to the India Zero Mile Stone, from which distances throughout India are measured.

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Recently awarded for being the cleanest city of India, Nagpur is reputed to be the second greenest city in India. With a rapidly growing infrastructure and population, Nagpur is fast on its way to becoming a cosmopolitan city.

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Nagpur is the Winter Capital of the state of Maharashtra and is also headquarters of Nagpur District and Nagpur Division administration. As a result, it is the center of the historic Vidarbha region, which includes most of eastern Maharashtra. Due to its Winter Capital status, the Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly holds its Winter Session at Nagpur in the month of December at which time the entire political community of Maharashtra descends on Nagpur for the two week duration of the session.

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Nagpur also houses the national headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right wing Hindu nationalist organisation. Deekshabhoomi in the city was the place where Dr. B. R. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism to overcome discrimination against lower-caste and untouchable Hindus. Dalits and Buddhists from all over the country converge to Deekshabhoomi every year on Dussera. The Vidarbha Cricket Association ground in Nagpur is one of the nine test venues in the country and has been witness to a number of exciting contests.

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Nagpur is also the next most favoured IT destination in Maharashtra after the saturation in Mumbai and Pune. The Butibori industrial area near the city is one of the biggest in the country in terms of area. A international cargo hub is also coming up in Nagpur. Nagpur also houses the Maintainance Command of the Indian Air Force.

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City: :For alternate meanings see city (disambiguation)...

India: The Republic of India is a country in South Asia which comprises most of the Indian subcontinent. India has a coastline which stretches over seven thousand kilometres, and shares its borders with Pakistan to the west, the People's Republic of China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast, and Bangladesh...

Maharashtra: Maharashtra (महाराष्ट्र) is India's third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. It is bordered by the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa an...