LATUR

Many years ago, Ratneshwar was the gram devta of Latur. Latur was referred to at this period as Ratnapur, which is another name for Ratneshwar.

Latur gets its name from the Rashtrakutas. Lattaluru, which is another name for Latur, was the home of the first Rashtrakut Raja, Dantidurga.

It is believed that Latur had a lot of water bodies in its distant past. There were baaravs (12 tals) in the area. It is also believed that in the Mahabharata, when Krishna went to war as a charioteer, his horses drank water from the talaavs of Latur.

In the city of Latur, Maharashtra, lived Narsing Vishwanath Jadhav. He was a young man from a poor family. Narsing lived in a small, old house with his parents and younger brothers and sisters.

Every morning, Narsing woke up before sunrise. He would study by the light of a kerosene lamp because they didn't have electricity. His father, a hardworking tailor, would start his day at the same time, getting ready to sew clothes for customers. Narsing saw how his family struggled with money. But instead of feeling hopeless, he decided to work hard in school. He wanted to become a Class 1 officer, an important government job that would help him support his family better.

Narsing's uncle, Dr. Satish Jadhav, was a well-known teacher in their area. He often visited Narsing and gave him advice. "The road may be tough," his uncle would say, "but if you work hard and never give up, you can do anything." These words made Narsing even more determined to succeed. Inspired by his uncle and driven by his own dreams, Narsing studied very hard for government exams. He spent many hours reading books, solving practice questions, and improving his skills. He wanted to do well in these tests so he could get a good job.

Then, something amazing happened. Narsing passed not just one, but four difficult exams one after another. He passed tests to become a (a) Civil Engineer Assistant in the Public Works Department, (b) Junior Engineer in the Palghar Zilla Parishad, (c) Civil Engineer Assistant in the Water Resources Department (d) Another position in the Palghar Zilla Parishad.

People in Latur were amazed by Narsing's success. Many who had similar problems in life feel inspired by his story. They see that if Narsing could do it, they can too. His story encourages many young people in Latur to work hard for their dreams, just like Narsing did.

Every day, a villager would take his cows to graze on his farm. One day, he noticed that one of his cows was standing in the same spot everyday, continuously dripping milk. The cowherd reported this to the village elders.

When the news spread, the villagers believed that a Swayambhu Shivlinga (a self-manifested representation of Shiva bhagwaan) had appeared there. They decided to build a mandir at that spot. The mandir was named Shree Nilkantheswar Mandir. There is no documented record of when the mandir was built. However, locals say that during their exile, Ram, Sita, and Laxman sought refuge in this mandir and performed puja there.

A unique feature of this mandir is that the Swayambhu Shivlinga is square-shaped. There is water around the Shivlinga's salunka (the base). Interestingly, no one knows the depth or source of this water, and its mystery remains unsolved. On September 30, 1993, when an earthquake struck the village, the water in the Shivlinga's salunka had dried up. According to locals, whenever something terrible is about to happen in the community, the water in the salunka dries up.

Gangubai belongs to the Pujari (Other Backward Class) group. She was 42 years old when the disaster struck her family. Her husband was a schoolteacher. She had five children, one daughter is married and lives in another village, and one son was in Pune on the day of the tragedy. They were from a lower-middle-class household.

The previous day of the earthquake was Anant-Chaturdarshi, a popular festival in Maharashtra honouring Ganesh bhagwaan, which was celebrated by all of the village's youth. Manish had also participated in all of the day's festivities and arrived late at the house at 2 o'clock in the evening. Though his friends invited him to sleep with them on their terrace next to his house, he stayed at home and slept on his patio with his family members since his mother would not let him go.

However, by the following morning, the calamity had altered the entire situation in the village. When she opened her eyes in the morning, she found herself coated in mud and stones. She couldn't understand anything, but after a few hours, many members rescued her. Then she was driven to her daughter's house by her son-in-law and son, who were staying in Pune at the time. After 15 days, she learned that her husband, daughter, and two sons had died in the earthquake.

Her son, Sanju, who lives in Pune, became troubled after seeing his family members, friends, and, most importantly, his brother struggling for his life. He could not forget his brother's screams, as he suffered and screamed for aid before dying. Even many days after the accident, he couldn't sleep or forget the funeral of his loved ones and the other members of the town.

After a year, Sanjay, an intelligent student, became an Engineer and secured a government job. He got married and has children. Gangubai was overjoyed for him, but her enjoyment did not last long. Even after years, the effects of the earthquake remained with him. He could only sleep if he took sleeping tablets before bedtime. But after a few days, he replaced the sleeping drugs with alcohol. He used to drink for 15 to 20 days without eating, and he was constantly talking about his brothers, sisters, and father, all of whom were killed in an earthquake.

She claims that her grandchildren are the last hope her son has left. Her kid used to say, "kalaji karu nakos Aai, mazya mulanchi hi kalji tulach ghyaychi aahe, Tula khup jagaychay…, Jagshil na mazhya mulansathi..!"- He told her that she should focus on his children rather than worrying about him, as she will live long to take care of them for him. 

She now has a big house with nine rooms thanks to the money she received in the name of her husband and children, as well as a regular pension and post-traumatic diseases such as neck discomfort, vision problems and so on, but she is not happy. She believes that the only peace a human being can achieve is after death, as she learned from her son. She takes sleeping pills every day and night and continues to sleep in her room. She also stated that she was happier living in a small congested house with her husband and children than she is now with the wealth she has, which cannot replace her happiness. She believes that the most important necessities in life are lacking and that there is nothing left for her in this world, thus she wants to die as soon as possible.

Mahadevibai, a 68-year-old widow, graciously welcomed the interviewer into her home. Throughout the interview, she remained calm, only growing emotional at a few points.

Mahadevi Vijayakumar Mali, a single woman from Sangavi, lost her husband in the devastating earthquake of 1993. Belonging to the Other Backward Class, she and her farmer husband had once owned six acres of fertile land. Today, Mahadevi is a proud mother of four married children.

Mahadevibai was just 25 years old when the earthquake struck on September 30, 1993. On that fateful day, she not only lost her husband but also gave birth to a child. She had been kept in a small hut outside the house with her mother, awaiting the arrival of her newborn. Around 5 a.m., people came to transfer her to a safer area, and it was only then that she learned of her husband's passing.

Suddenly thrust into widowhood with four young children, Mahadevibai felt utterly helpless. However, her parents' unwavering support and presence for six months following the earthquake gave her the strength to carry on. She was determined to fulfill her responsibilities as a mother and start anew. Mahadevibai's courage shone through as she sought help from her relatives and neighbors, only to be met with silence. Everyone was in a similar predicament, and no one was in a position to assist. Moreover, as a widow, she feared the potential negative reactions from society if someone were to aid her. Undaunted, Mahadevibai took matters into her own hands. She became a responsible mother, willing to face any challenge for her family. To avoid burdening her parents, she never asked them for help. Instead, she began working as a daily wage laborer and even loaned out a cow to sell milk in the city, determined to make ends meet.

She discovered that her late husband had taken out a loan, which she diligently repaid over the next 12 years. Her commitment to her children's well-being and her own independence drove her forward. Today, Mahadevibai stands tall as a debt-free, independent woman. Her children have grown into successful individuals, and she takes immense pride in their achievements. She has dedicated her life to her family, placing their needs above her own. As she reflects on her 18-year journey, Mahadevibai acknowledges the loneliness she faced, but her resilience and faith have carried her through.

Some people believe that a pujari got a dream the day before the 1993 earthquake occurred that there was going to be an earthquake in the village. There were announcements made with a dhonda around the village, and as a result, some people protected themselves by sleeping outside their homes. It is believed that if it hadn’t been for the pujari's vision, more than 3000-4,000 people would have died.

It is believed that anyone who gets bitten by a snake should visit this mandir. Since the snake is Mahadev's vehicle, no one is harmed by its poison and will be saved by bringing them to the mandir.

Kharosa gets its name from rakshas Khargosa. It is believed that Ram came to this area to fight the rakshas. He also visited Vishnu, Mahadev and the Buddha murtis in the caves.

It is also said that the rakshas built the caves and had a sabha in the area. The Buddha was added later. However, the stone shivling was preexistent. There are four rakshas' around the shivling.

It is commonly believed that Udagiri Sanyasi once went to a river for a bath. While bathing, he sneezed, and the sneeze landed on a lotus. He tied the lotus with the grass he found in the river and left it there before departing.

Later, Raja's daughter came to the river for a bath. She noticed the lotus, liked it, and picked it up to smell it. As she inhaled, Udagiri's sneeze entered her body through her nose, causing her to become pregnant. As a result, the Raja expelled her from the palace. She found shelter with a rishi in the forest, where she later gave birth to a child named Nashika.

Since her first child was conceived through a sneeze that entered her nose, she began giving birth to a new baby every time she sneezed.

An incident mentioned in the Puranas explains the nomenclature of Udgir. According to the story, several eons ago, a sant named Udaling meditated in the area. Shiva was pleased by his devotion and rapt penance and decided to grant him an aashirvad. He said that a shivalingam will emerge in the spot that Udalinga performed his penance at. Moreover, the place would be named after him. Hence, Udgir is named after Sant Udaling.

The probable place of the origin of the Yellam Raddy community, which was earlier the vellapu community during the Rashtrakuta dynasty, is around present-day Latur district. Many people from this community also reside in Andhra Pradesh. Their traditional occupation is agriculture. They speak in dialects of Telugu and Marathi.