Osmanabad is a district in the southcentral part of Maharashtra adjoining Solapur in the Marathwada region. Osmanabad district lies in the southern part of the state. It lies on the Deccan plateau, about 600 m above sea level. Parts of the Sina, Manjira and Terna River flow through the district. The district headquarter is located at Osmanabad. The District of Osmanabad derives its name from the last ruler of Hyderabad, the 7th Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, of which the region was a part till 1947. This region was earlier part of The Hyderabad State until Independence.
History: The city Osmanabad derives its name from the last ruler of Hyderabad, the 7th Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, of which the region was a part till 1948. Osmanabad’s history dates way back to the era of the Ramayana where the Hindu deity Rama is said to have spent a few years of his exile. As per historical evidence, the district was ruled by the Mauryas, Satavahanas, Rashtrakutas, and Yadavas. In early centuries the city belonged to the Hindu Chalukyas and Devagiri Yadavas, but later became a part of the Bahmani and Bijapur kingdoms.
For a period of time, Osmanabad was also ruled by the Mughals, Bahmani, Nizam and Adil Shah kingdoms. Before the Hyderabad Nizam’s rule, it was under the control of the Mughal King Aurangzeb. Being under the Nizam rule, the district did not celebrate its freedom when the rest of India became independent in 1947. However, soon in 1948, Hyderabad State was merged with independent India and the district became a part of the then Mumbai District. It became a part of Maharashtra State when the State was formed in 1960. Osmanabad has a historic lineage dating back to the days of Marathwada and even before that to several kingdoms of which the region was a part.
*(All the above information are from Wikipedia.)
Transport:
Airport: Aurangabad Airport is the nearest airport located at a distance of 240 Km from the city.
Rail: Osmanabad railway station is an important railway station situated on Latur – Miraj railway route of central railway. It is connected to the cities of Pune, Mumbai, Kolhapur, Miraj-Sangli, Pandharpur, Nagpur, Parbhani, Latur, Nanded, Parali Vaijnath, Hyderabad, and Nizamabad.
Road: National Highway 52 passes through Osmanabad city connecting cities of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, to Maharashtra through Dhule, Aurangabad, Beed, Osmanabad, Tuljapur, Solapur and Vijayapura, Hubballi, Ankola in Karnataka. Maharashtra State Highway 67 also passes through the Osmanabad city.
Local: Auto Rickshaw, vehicles and taxis are available for local transport.
Tourist Interest:
Naldurg Fort: The beautiful Naldurg fort is built enclosing the surface of a knoll situated about 50 Km south-east of Osmanabad.
Read my experience in Naldurg Fort.
Tuljapur: The most famous tourist destination in Osmanabad District is in Tuljapur, which is famous for the Tuljabhavani Temple, a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Bhavani (Durga Or Parvati). It is considered one of the 51 Shakti Pithas. It is situated 32 km from Osmanabad and was built in c. 12th century CE.
Paranda Fort: Paranda city of Osmanabad district contains the medieval Paranda Fort which has large canon and shell stored in the fort or artillery.
The other places of interest are Dargah, Kunthalgiri and others.