Sangli

Sangli, Maharashtra, India

Sangli, city, southern Maharashtra state, western India. It lies in a upland region along the Krishna River, about 20 miles (32 km) east-northeast of Kolhapur.

Sangli is the former capital (1761–1947) of Sangli state. The city’s original name was Sahagalli—from the Marathi terms saha (“six”) and galli (“lanes”) describing the early street plan—which later was shortened to Sangli. It contains a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Ganapati (Ganesha) that attracts many pilgrims.

The city is on the rail line between Pune (north) and Bengaluru (Bangalore; southeast, in Karnataka state). Its market in oilseeds and turmeric is one of the most important in India. Industries include cotton-textile and oil mills, copper and brass manufactures, and a large-scale cigarette factory. Sangli has a number of colleges affiliated with Shivaji University in Kolhapur.

The chief agricultural products of the surrounding Krishna River valley are millet, sugarcane, and dairy products. Southeast of Sangli lies the Sangli-Miraj industrial complex. The adjacent town of Miraj is renowned for the manufacture of musical instruments (most notably the sitar), and Sangli is a traditional centre of goldsmiths. Most of the region’s arts and science, commercial, engineering, and medical colleges are located in the Sangli-Miraj area. The Miraj Medical Centre has given the locality a reputation for excellent medical care. Pop. (2001) 436,781; (2011) 502,793.