Jalna, the headquarters of
Jalna District, is situated on the banks of Kundalika River. It is the premier commercial center of the Marathvada region. Jalna is about 60 km southeast of
Aurangabad.
Tradition says that the town was founded long back during the reign of Ram(hero of the epic Ramayana). Rama’s consort Sita is supposed to have resided here. The place where Rama’s palace stood was then known as Janakpur. Later a wealthy Mohammedan merchant named the place as Jalna.
Jalna is an important handloom and power loom-weaving center. There are also cotton ginning and pressing factories and an agricultural market produce committee handling large quantities of all kinds of agricultural produce. The industrial area has a large number of steel rolling mills, a unit manufacturing ball bearings, agro based units and seed manufacturing units.
A Masjid (mosque) and a large tank, Moti Talav, to the west of the town constructed by Jamshed Khan, the governor during Malik Akbar's time is major attraction. The town gets water from the Jaikwadi Dam and the Ghanevadi tank. There is a fort named Mastgad and a citadel on the east of the town, built in 1725.
Nearest airport is at Aurangabad (60 km). Regular bus services connect the city with Mumbai, Nasik,
Manmad, Hyderabad(354 km) and Shirdi.
Jalna Railway Station is on the Aurangabad -
Nanded line.
