BHIR

also spelled Bir town, central Maharashtra state, western India, on a tributary of the Krishna River near a gap in a range of low hills. Known earlier as Champavatinagar, its modern name probably derives from the Persian bhir (water). In its early history it belonged to the Calukya (Chalukya) and Yadava Hindu dynasties. Conquered by the Tughluq Muslim dynasty in the 14th century, it remained part of the Muslim states until 1947. Bhir is known for its leatherwork and its beautiful Kankalesvar Temple, where a poor Brahman is said to have received 1,000 pots of gold as a reward for his intense devotion. The town has several colleges affiliated with Marathwada University. Bhir and its environs lie in the Godavari River basin. The Balaghat Range is the source of many rivers that drain into the Manjra River, a tributary of the Godavari. The Godavari, which lies to the south, is considered sacred by the people of Bhir, and its banks are dotted with shrines. The area is highly dependent on agriculture and is sparsely populated. A significant number of the region's inhabitants, however, are landless labourers who make seasonal migrations to the sugar factories of nearby Ahmadnagar. Irrigation projects along the Godavari have been planned to augment the scanty annual rainfall and to strengthen agricultural production, which is dominated by cotton and jowar (sorghum). Pop. (1981) 80,287.