Dr. Vinod Chavan

 Rare migratory birds arrive at Latur lakes  By Dr Vinod Chavan   In a significant ecological development, the arrival of rare migratory birds to lakes has surprised the bird and nature lovers in the Latur district. The Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) and the Common Crane (Grus grus) have been spotted at Pangaon and Kamkheda lakes, located in Renapur tehsil of Latur district. The sighting of the birds has created excitement among birdwatchers, researchers, and residents.  According to nature enthusiast and wildlife expert Sushant Chavan, more than sixty Bar-headed Geese were sighted at the lakes for the first time in Latur district. These species of birds traveled from the Magnolia and Russia border over the Himalayan mountain ranges. Along with that total of six rare Common Cranes birds sighted. These birds travel from Afghanistan and Europe. They were spotted last year at the lakes, observed resting and feeding at the freshwater lakes.  These species are know...

Lokyogi – The Saga of a Mass Leader The journey of a leader who measured success not by personal gain, but by service to the people. In Lokyogi, Shivajirao Patil Kavhekar offers not just a chronicle of his life, but a rich, deeply personal narrative of the transformation of a village, a region, and ultimately, a man who rose from the soil of rural Maharashtra to shape political, social, and agricultural change with unwavering dedication. Born on July 11, 1954, in the small village of Kavha in Latur tehsil, Kavhekar’s early life was rooted in simplicity and service. Raised in a farming family with strong ties to the Arya Samaj movement and a legacy of leadership, his father was a respected Police Patil and a prominent landlord. Kavhekar imbibed the values of duty, discipline, and social reform from an early age. These formative influences are vividly recalled in his autobiography, as he brings alive memories from both his maternal and paternal ancestral homes, sketching the intellectua...

  A Six-Decade Political Journey Untainted by a Single Stain Former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil Chakurkar, a towering figure in national politics for over six decades, died on Friday (Dec 12, 2025) morning at 6.05 am in Latur at his residence ‘ Devghar’ at the age of 91. The last rites of veteran  Congress leader  were performed with full State honours in Latur on Saturday (December 13, 2025), with many top leaders in attendance. He was a prominent member of the  Lingayat community , was buried in his farm at Varvanti village, on the outskirts of Latur.   Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla,  Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge,   Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, and Karnataka Minister Eshwar Khandre, Gurunath khubba, Diliprao Deshmukh, Sanjay Bansode, Amit Deshmukh, Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar were among those present.   Born on 12 October 1935, Sivraj Patil began his political jo...

  छोट्या हातांची मोठी कमाल... चिमुकल्यांच्या श्रमातून माझं घरच्या भिंती बोलू लागल्या लातूर समाजातील शिक्षणापासून वंचित विद्यार्थ्यांना   शिक्षणाची आवड निर्माण होऊन त्यांना सुलभ पद्धतीने   शिक्षण घेता यावे. यासाठी औसा तालुक्यातील बुधोडा-वान्ग्जेवाडी येथील माणूस प्रतिष्ठान द्वारा संचलित 'माझं घर' मध्ये विविध उपक्रम राबवण्यात येत असून शरद झरे व संगीता झरे यासाठी पुढाकार घेत आहेत. विद्यार्थ्यांना प्रकल्पामध्ये गांधीजींच्या नई तालीम संकल्पनेवर आधारित स्वावलंबणाचे   धडे   दिले जातात. गतवर्षी मुलांनी स्वतः तयार केलेल्या आकाश कंदील, उटणे, पणत्या विक्रीतून मिळालेल्या पैश्यातून प्रकल्पातील भिंतीवर रंगवलेली चित्रे व रेखाटलेल्या माहितीच्या माध्यमातून भिंतीही बोलक्या झाल्या आहेत. तर विद्यार्थ्यांची शिक्षणात रुची वाढत आहे. सर्व भिंतींवर विविध विषयांवर आधारित चित्रे रेखाटली आहेत. त्यामुळे विद्यार्थ्यांना गुणवत्तापूर्ण शिक्षण देण्यास मदत झाली आहे. विद्यार्थ्यांना शिकण्यासाठी उपयुक्त असे पाठ भिंतीवर रंगवले आहेत.   विद्यार्थ्यांच्या   ज्ञानात भर घालणारी माहिती...

Latur village holds fair dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi to mark Republic Day While most villages organise fairs dedicated to gods and local deities, residents of Ujed in Maharashtra’s Latur district have been organising an annual fair in honour of Mahatma Gandhi to mark the Republic Day for the last 70 years. The three-day ‘Gandhibaba Jatra’ is organised at Shirur Anantpal tehsil starting January 25. The entire village is enveloped in pure and unbridled energy for three days, with streets adorned with vibrant flags and colourful ‘rangolis’ drawn in front of every house. For the past 70 years, inspired by a heartfelt reverence for the father of the nation, Ujed residents have celebrated Republic Day with this fair. Nandini Jadhav, the sarpanch of Ujed village, on Friday, led a procession to bring Gandhiji’s bust, which stands in the gram panchayat office, to the village square. The fair will feature agricultural exhibitions, competitions for children, wrestling matches and cultural program...

Sandhan Valley to Shivneri Fort: A Journey Through Maharashtra's History  Travelogue by Mr Vinod Chavan A three-day historical-educational visit was organized by Raja Narayanlal Lahoti English School for the class VIII students, from Sunday (Nov 10) to Tuesday (Nov 12). The visit provided students with the opportunity to explore some of Maharashtra’s most significant natural and historical sites, including the breathtaking Sandhan Valley, the famous Naneghat, the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Shivneri Fort, and the magnificent Shiv Srushti, created by the visionary historian Babasaheb Purandare. On the first day of our tour, after traveling overnight, we reached a resort on Sunday morning and freshened up. Then we set off for Sandhan Valley. Maharashtra, blessed with rich natural beauty, is home to some remarkable landscapes, and Sandhan Valley is one of its hidden gems. Nestled in the Sahyadri mountain ranges near Samrad village in Ahmednagar district, this valley o...