Adilabad derives its name from the erstwhile ruler of Bijapur, Mohammed Adil Shah. The district is world famous for its Nirmal toy making & Dhokra casting. The district was situated between 77° 47' and 80° E, of the eastern longitudes and 18.40' and 19.56 N', of northern latitudes.
The district is bounded on north by Yeotmal and Chanda district of Maharashtra, on the east by Chanda district, on the south by Karimnagar and Nizamabad districts and on the west by Nanded district of Maharashtra State.
The district has population of 27,41,239 as per the 2011 census which accounts for 7.79% of the total population of the State with 10.18% decadal growth.
Historical Background
The district derives its name from Adilabad, its headquarters town which was named after the ruler of Bijapur, Ali Adil Shah. The district was for long not a homogeneous unit and its component parts were ruled at different periods by nasties namely, the Mauryas, Staavahanas, Vakatakas, Chaludyasof Badami, Rashtrakututs, Chalukyas of Kalyani, Mughals,Bhosle Rajes of Nagpur and Asaf Jahis, besides the Gond Rajas of Sirpur and Chanda.
Agriculture
The southern part of the district consisting of Nirmal, Luxettipet, Khanapur and surrounding mandals is fairly developed agriculturally, owing to the availability of irrigation facilities there. The total cropped area of the district is 5.93 lakh hectares which constitute 37% of the total geographical area. The principal crops of the district are Jowar, paddy, Cotton, Wheat, Maize, Chillies, Sugarcane and Soy.
Tourism
There is a highest waterfall situated at Kuntala (V) of Neradigonda mandal, Potchera Waterfall at Pochara (V) of Boath mandal, the only one holy pilgrimage of Saraswathi temple at Basar where the thousands of pilgrimages are visiting every day.
The Kaddam Project is an existing major project across river Kaddam, a tributary of Godavari near Peddur (V), Kaddam (M), Adilabad District. The project is envisaged to irrigate an ayacut of 68,000 Ac. Khariff.
The Kaddam Project has been integrated with Sriramasagar Project. The reservoir being supplemented through Sriramasagar Project, Saraswathi Canal to stabilize the localized ayacut.
Temples
Basara Temple is situated 150 Kms from Adilabad, Adilabad District, Sri Gyana Saraswathi temple at Basara on the banks of river Godavari is the only temple in South India dedicated to the Goddess of learning. The legend has it that after the Mahabharata war, sage Vyas embarked on a pilgrimage in search of peace. He reached the serene kumaranchala hills on the banks of river Godavari and meditated and propitiated the Goddess who eventually appeared before him and granted her presence in the form of the divine trinity. The Goddess ordered the sage to place three handful of sand at three places everyday.
Miraculously these sand dunes transformed into the idols of the divine trinity i.e., Saraswathi, Lakshmi, & Kali. These are the presiding deities of Basar today. Despite the presence of the trinity, the temple is dedicated to Goddess Saraswathi.
Hills & Rivers
The most important river that drains the district is the river Godavari. The Pengange, the Wardha, and the Pranahita com next importance. The Kadam and the Peddavagu are tributaries of the Godavari. Besides these, there are also rivulets like the Satnala, the Swarna vagu, and the Suddavagu which drain the district.
The Godavari which is the largest river in peninsular India raises in the western Ghats at Trimbakeshwar near Nasik in Maharastra state and enters this district near Basara in Mudhole Taluk.
This mighty river forms the boundary of the district separating the district from Nizamabad and Karimnagar districts and skirts the southern borders of Chennur, Luxettipet, Khanaapur, Nirmal and Mudhole east - while taluks. The Penganga forms part of the northern boundary of the district in Adilabad.
