Jayakwadi is a dam on the Godavari river in Paithan tehsil of Aurangabad district in Maharashtra, India. It is the biggest irrigation project in Maharashtra state. This dam is surrounded by a bird sanctuary.

Districts/Region

Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, India.

History

A dam was constructed to fulfil the irrigation needs droughtprone Marathwada region. The original plan was formulated during the reign of the state of Hyderabad in the Beed district near Jayakwadi village. The project proposal for this was completed by 1964. The foundation of the dam was laid by the then Prime minister of India Lal Bahadur Shastri on 18 October 1965 and it was inaugurated on 24 February 1976 by the then Prime minister Indira Gandhi. It is a multipurpose project. Jayakwadi is considered as one of the largest earthen dams in Asia. Its has an elevation of approximately 41.30 m and it is 9.998 KM (10 KM approximately) long with a total storage capacity of 2,909 MCM (Million Cubic Metres).

Geography

Jayakwadi is in Paithan Tehsil of Aurangabad District in Maharashtra, located to the south of Aurangabad and north east of Ahmednagar.

Weather/Climate

The region has a hot and dry climate. The summers are more extreme than winters and monsoon, with a temperature up to 40.5 degrees Celsius.

The region has a hot and dry climate. The summers are more extreme than winters and monsoon, with a temperature up to 40.5 degrees Celsius.

Monsoon season has extreme seasonal variations, and the annual rainfall is around 726 mm.

Things to do

Tourists can visit Nathsagar reservoir, which is a lake formed by the Jayakwadi dam. Around 37 species of flora are reported in the vicinity of the reservoir. Tourists can also visit to see Dnyaneshwar Udyan developed in the proximity.

Nearest tourist places

● Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary: - Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary is a bird sanctuary which is located near Jayakwadi village in Paithan taluka of Aurangabad district in Maharashtra state, India. The sanctuary is located on the islands of various sizes. The dam inhabits various migratory birds, some of these birds are considered as international migrants.

● Sant Dnyaneshwar Udyan:- Sant Dnyaneshwar Udyan is a garden in Maharashtra which is similar to the Brindavan Garden of Mysore. It was built somewhere around 1970s by the state government, adjacent to Nathsagar, which is a reservoir formed by the Jayakwadi dam. Colourful flower beds, vast lawns and musical fountains have attracted a lot of tourists. It also has a play area for children, swimming pool and boat rides

● Bibi ka Maqbara: - The Bibi ka Maqbara ("Tomb of the Lady") is a tomb in Aurangabad Maharashtra, India. It was commissioned in 1660 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the memory of his wife Dilras Banu Begum. Bibi ka Maqbara is believed to be the second largest structure that Aurangzeb has built, preceded by the Badshahi Mosque.

● Ajanta Caves: - The Buddhist Caves in Ajanta are approximately 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments dating from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 CE in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state in India. There are rock-cut sculptures and paintings in these caves to be considered as the first preserved examples of ancient Indian art, especially paintings full of expressions depicting each and every emotion.

● Ellora Caves: - Ellora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. It is believed to be one of the largest Hindu temple cave composition in the world carved out in a rock, it features mostly Hindu and some of the Buddhist and Jain monuments with the fascinating work which is as old as of 600-1000 CE period. The largest excavation in a single giant rock can be witnessed in the cave number 16, the shape represents the Lord Shiva

● Ghrishneshwar Temple: - Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, sometimes also referred to as the Ghushmeshwar Temple, is one of the holy places dedicated to Lord Shiva whose references can be found in mythology such as Shiv Puraan. The word Ghrishneshwar means 'lord of compassion. The temple is located near the Ellora caves.

● Daulatabad Fort: - Deogiri Fort, also known as Devagiri or Deogiri, is a historic fortified citadel located in Daulatabad (Devagiri) village near Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. The beautiful piece of architecture was constructed in the 12th Century. It has served as a capital of the Yadava dynasty (9th century-14th century CE), It is also popularly known as the one of the seven wonders of Maharashtra. The fort stands on a conical hill about 200 metres of height.

Special food speciality and hotel

Aurangabadi food is much like Mughali or Hyderabadi cuisine with its fragrant pulao and biryani. The exclusive nonveg dish that only the city can call its own is Naan-Khaliya or (Naan-Qualia). It is a concoction of mutton and a variety of spices.

Accommodation facilities nearby & Hotel/ Hospital/Post Office/Police station

Various hotels are available near Jayakwadi dam. Numerous Hospitals are available near Jayakwadi dam around 1.5 KM. Post office near Jayakwadi dam is 3.2 KM. The police station available near Jayakwadi dam is 2.8 KM.

Visiting Rule and Time, Best month to visit

The ideal time to visit the place is from October and March.

Language spoken in area 

English, Hindi and Marathi