Khopoli

Khopoli was called Campoolie during the British Raj. Khopoli is located at 18°45' N, 73°20'.[1] It is situated at about 61 m above mean sea level.[8] It falls under three Pincodes - Khopoli 410203, Khopoli Power House 410204 and Jagdish Nagar 410216.[9] STD code for Khopoli is (0)2192.[10]

Bor Ghat

A colonial source describes Khopoli as follows:

The Bhor ghat is formed of a succession of lofty eminences, towering above each other, the last of which attains a height of 2000 feet (610 m) above the level of the sea. Its outline at a distance is bold and imposing; it presents a plane or table summit, with ranges of stupendous hills beyond, with the sublimity of which Europe possesses little that is analogous; at its foot stands the small and romantic village of Campolee, which has a noble tank and a Hindu temple, both built by Nana Furanvese (the Peishwa's prime minister) at his individual expense.[11]

There was an annachatra or a free feeding house, in the vicinity of the Mahadev temple, but by 1882 all that remained of it were huge grinding stones.[12] The GIPR line was extended to Khopoli in 1856.[5][13]

Khopoli is the site of the first privately owned hydroelectric power station in India built by the Tatas.[14]

Khopoli has a tropical monsoon climate (Am) with little to no rainfall from November to May and extremely heavy rainfall from June to September with moderately heavy showers in October.

In the 2011 India census, Khopoli had a population of 108,648. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Khopoli has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. Male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 68%. Thirteen per cent of the population is under 6 years of age.[16]

The factories in Khopoli municipal limits are:

• Alta Laboratories Limited, a bulk chemical manufacturer and a pioneer and still India's largest producer of salicylic acid and its various derivatives.[17]
• Bohler-Uddeholm India Limited[18]
• Bombay Oxygen Limited
• Government Milk Scheme, Khopoli[19]
• India Steel Works Limited, Bright Bar Division[20]
• Innovassynth Technologies Limited (Formerly Indian Organic Chemicals)[21]
• Isibars Limited, Special Steels Division[22]
• Mahindra Sanyo Pvt Ltd
• Mohan Rockey Spring Water Breweries Limited[23]
• Paper & Pulp Conversions Ltd (PAPCO), a pioneering paper & paperboard mill started by industrialist Baburaoji Parkhe. The first industry in Khopoli which brought electricity to the town. Started operations in Khopoli in 1949 and closed down in 1990.
• SANPlast PVT LTD Limited[24]
• Tata Hydro Electric Power Supply Company Limited[25]
• Tata steel BSL
• Wärtsilä India Limited.[26] Wärtsilä Corp, its parent company, is a Finland-based equipment provider; it plans to convert this unit into a global manufacturing and sourcing unit.[27]
• Wheelabrator Alloy Castings Limited[28]
• Zenith Steel Pipes Limited[29]

Various institutions run schools, colleges and a polytechnic.

Khopoli has a "fine oval shaped reservoir" and a temple of God Mahadev as Vireshwar built by Nana Phadnavis. The reservoir is built of solid and strong black rock and is oval shaped. The circumference of the reservoir is about 1207 m and it covers an area of about 75000 sq m. The reservoir holds excellent water throughout the year. The reservoir has surrounding walls also built in stone and are of a width of about 1.5 m to 1.8 m. The reservoir has stone steps leading to the water. The temple is of a height of about 22.9 m m from the base to the top and the foundation measures 12.2 m x 6.1 m. Inside is the image of God Shiva. The Sabha mandap measures about 6.1 m x 3.1 m. At the entrance of the temple is a samadhi. A fair is held in honor of the temple deity on Mahashivaratri day - Maagha Vadya 13.[1][12]

The PAPCO Mill complex has a Parashurama temple and Fire temple or Agni Mandir which was built in 1971.[35][36] The Gagangiri Maharaj Ashram is located in Khopoli, it is there that Gagangiri Maharaj died on 4 February 2008.[37]

The Akhil Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sangham, includes the Ayyappa Temple, in its list of Ayyappa temples in India and abroad.[38]

The major tourist attractions in the city include Adlabs Imagica, which is India's largest theme park. Mahad Ganpati Temple, Zenith Waterfalls, and Gangangiri Maharaj Ashram Lonavala is just 8 km away from the city.

• Raghunath Vaman Dighe (1896-1980), Marathi writer