Dhule City

Shri Nathji came to Dhulia in January 1951, when he was traveling with Shri Ram Lal from Akola to Mumbai by road. Shri Ram Lal had a relative in Dhulia by name of Narayan Lal. Shri Nathji stayed and his entourage stayed at the house of Narayan Lal in Dhulia for one day. Shri Nathji delivered a sermon at Dhulia which took everyone above space and time and filled them with a bliss that they had never experienced before in their lives.

Dhule also known as Dhulia, is a city in northwestern part of Maharashtra state. It is one of the very few well-planned cities of India before Indian Independence.

Dhule lies in the Khandesh region, which forms the northwest corner of Deccan Plateau.  It is also situated in valley of the Tapi river along the banks of Panzara River . Devi Ekveera temple is a well known temple, situated at the banks of Panzara river here.

Until the beginning of the 19th century, Dhule was an insignificant village, subordinate to Laling, Fort. Under the rule of the Nizam, Laling was incorporated with the District of Daulatabad. The town passed successively through the hands of the Arab kings, the Mughals, and the Nizam, and into the power of the Peshwas about 1795. In 1803, it was completely deserted by its inhabitants on account of the ravages of Holkar and the terrible famine of that year. In the following year, Balaji Balwant,, to whom Laling had been granted by the Peshwa, repeopled the town. He made his headquarters at Dhule to administer the surrounding areas,  where he continued to exercise authority till the occupation of the country by the British in 1818. Dhule was immediately chosen as the headquarters of the newly formed District of Khandesh by Captain John Briggs. In January 1819, he obtained sanction for building public offices for the transaction of revenue and judicial business. Artificers were brought from distant places, and the buildings were erected at a total cost of £2700. Every encouragement was offered to traders and others to settle in the new town. Building sites were granted rent free in perpetuity, and advances were made both to the old inhabitants and strangers to enable them to erect substantial houses. At this time, Captain Briggs described Dhule as a small town, surrounded by garden cultivation, and shut in between an irrigation channel and the river. From the date of its occupation by the British, the progress of Dhule had been steady. Towards the end of 19th century the town had already become significant trading centre due to the trade in cotton and linseed. Coarse cotton, woolen cloths and turbans were manufactured for local use around this time. Dhule also become a cantonment town for the British.

Being situated at the intersection of two National Highways, Dhule is a popular stop for truckers. From road transport point of view, Dhule serves as one of the most important junctions over NH3 (Mumbai-Agra highway) and NH6 (Great Eastern Road, which connects Gujarat to Bengal). It is also end point for NH211. (Dulhia -  Solapur Higway)