Sangameshwar Town

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This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS.

Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.

Sangameshwar Town

Former head-quarters of the tafaka of the same name in Ratnagiri District, Bombay, situated in 17 16' N. and 73 33' E,, on the Shastri river, at the confluence of the Alkanda and Varuna, about 20 miles from the coast. Population (1901), 3,233, It is a place of some sanctity and antiquity. The river, which thirty- five years ago was navigable by the largest vessels to the Sangameshwar quay, is now impassable 6 miles lower down.

There is, however, some trade in grain, piece-goods, and salt fish. During the famine of 1877-8, about 1,440 tons of grain were forwarded from Bombay through Sangameshwar to the Deccan. Early in 1878, 55 houses were burnt; and a few weeks later (March 16) a disastrous conflagration completely destroyed the taluka offices and 75 private houses. On the destruction of the public offices, the head-quarters of the taluka were moved to the more central and convenient village of DEVRUKH.

According to the Sahyddri khanda, Sangameshwar, originally called Ramakshetra, possessed temples built by Parasu Rama or Bhargava Rama. In the seventh century it was the capital of a Chalukyan king, Kama, who built temples and a fortress. Of these temples, one called Karneshvara remains. But the shrine of the Sangameshwar temple is said to be older, dating from Parasu Rama's time. In the fourteenth century it was for long the residence of Basava, the founder of the Lingayat sect. Every year in January-February a fair is held. At the confluence of the rivers are several sacred places (tlrthas), among them one known as ' cleanser of sins ' (Dkutapdp), It was here that SambhajT, son of SivajT, was taken prisoner by the Mughals and afterwards put to death in 1689. Sangameshwar contains five schools with 325 pupils.