Chopda is a town and one of the Tehsils constituting 119 villages in the Jalgaon district in Maharashtra, a state in the western region of India. It is located at 21°15′N75°11′E / 21.25°N 75.18°E / 21.25; 75.18[3] and has an average elevation of 190 meters (623.36 feet). The town is situated on the banks of the Ratnavati River and is linked by roads to the rest of the Jalgaon district also borders with Districts like Dhule (Maharashtra), Khargone and Barwani in Madhya Pradesh. The Tapi, one of the major rivers in India, is approximately 10 km away from Chopda.
Chopda is renowned for its sweet delicacy, the 'Gunja Pedha,' prepared by the iconic Karsandas Nanji Mithaiwale (Jalgaonwale), a pedha that has been cherished since 1947.
Popular events to experience in Chopda are Rath Yatra, Shravan Somvar Jatra, and Ganpati Visarjan.
Vasantaray Jeevanarav More (National Congress Party) 2007–2009
Haribhau Javle (BJP) 2009–2014
Rakshatai Khadse (BJP) 2014-current
Demographics
Chopda has a population of 271,863 people.[4] Males constitute 52 percent of the population and females 48 percent. The average literacy rate is 67 percent, higher than the national average of 59.5 percent, with male literacy at 74 percent and female literacy at 59 percent. Approximately 13 percent of the population is less than six years old.
Chopda has an agricultural economy. Major crops include sugar cane, cotton, bananas, pulses, and poultry. Chopda is also home to several industrial projects, including the Chahardi sugar factory, SutGirani, and several cotton ginning and pressing factories. Other businesses like gold and cloth markets can be found on MG Road. Chopda also has several educational institutions and serves as a regional transportation center.[citation needed]
Chopda is connected by roads to neighboring cities such as Jalgaon (60 km), Amalner (36 km), Yawal (45 km), Shirpur (45 km). State Highway No.4, Burhanpur-Ankleshwar, goes through Chopda. Railway stations are in the neighbouring cities of Dharangaon, Amalner, Jalgaon, and Bhusawal. The closest airport is at Jalgaon.[citation needed]
Mahatma Gandhi Shikshan Mandal include Dadasaheb Dr. Suresh G. Patil College, Polytechnic College, Education College, Pharmacy College, CBSE Affiliated Oxford English Medium School Chopda schools include Pratap Vidya Mandir, Balmohan Vidyalay, Pankaj Primary School, Kasturba, Clara School, Mahila Mandal Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Vivekananda Vidyalaya, (CBSE affiliated) Vivekananda English Medium School,Pankaj Global School, Madhyamik Kanya Vidyalaya, College include Arts, Science and Commerce College, Chopda, College of Pharmacy, Smt. S.S.Patil Polytechnic, Pankaj Mahavidyalaya, and PVM B.Ed. College Mustafa Anglo Urdu High School. Pratap Vidya Mandir High School recently marked its centenary of establishment on 9 January 2018. Various other academic institutes and private coaching classes are run in the city. Institutes like Amar Sanstha provide coaching in various fields.
Local tourist sites include the hot springs at Unapdev. According to local mythology, an arrow shot by Lord Rama formed the hot springs; it is therefore considered a holy place and said to cure skin diseases. There are picnic spots around Unapdev. Other attractions include Chaugaon fort (or Gavali fort) near Lasur, Nageshwar temple, scenic hills in Satpuda, and the river Tapti. Rel Maruti Mandir is a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman, 8 km from Chopda on the route to Dharangaon. Aner Dam, 20 km from the city, is an old dam on the river Aner. There is also a temple of Sri Sant Shravan Baba On the banks of river Tapi at Vitner, 35 km from Chopda.