Warananagar is a town located in the Taluka Panhala, District Kolhapur, State of Maharashtra, India. It is situated in the Western part of Maharashtra and is approximately 30 Kilometers away from the city of Kolhapur. The town is known for its industrial hub, educational complex, and cooperative model, situated at the foothills of Holy Lord Jyotirling and historical Panhala Fort. The town was established by the Warana Cooperative Complex, which is one of the largest co-operative societies in Asia. The Warana co-operative sugar factory is the mother institute of all the industrial and educational co-operative units including Warana Dairy, Warana Bank, Warana Bazaar, Warana Navshakti, Shree Warana Vibhag Shikshan Mandal (SWVSM), Mahatma Gandhi charitable medical trust’s hospital including Tatyasaheb Kore Dental College and Research Center, Warana Children’s Orchestra, Shree Warana Bhagini Mandal, Warana Mahila Credit Society, and many more. Warananagar has also made strides in education, contributing to the overall development of the region. The educational institutions in and around Warananagar includes schools, colleges, technical institutes, different research centers, science and innovation activity center, ITI, skill and vocational training centers, training-cum-production center, and many more. The rural region around Warananagar is characterized by agricultural activities, taking into consideration its fertile land.
Warananagar is the township of populace functioning in the Warana Industrial and Educational Complex. The given name was derived from the river Warana. Sixty years ago, Warana was a barren region. Today it is evolved as 'Warana-Rashtra', a true representation of all round rural development.
Warana is a name that distinctively stands ahead in the co-operative movement and field of education. It is the name associated with sugar, milk, malted food, paper, banking, consumer stores, and women empowered industrial activities. Just 60 years ago, Warananagar was an area deprived of all advancements, especially, in the field of education. Today, one is astounded to see how this bleak land is transformed into a proficient industrial & educational complex. It is a blossoming green campus that smilingly welcomes all.
The man who had brought about this metamorphosis, the Late Hon. Shri V. A. alias Tatyasaheb Kore, Founder President, of Shree Warana Industrial & Educational Complex. He sacrificed his bliss and stood unwavering to do the paramount and turned this land, which was once full of dacoits, into a prosperous township, a paradise in the true sense. He established Shree Warana Vibhag Shikshan Mandal in 1964, since then the Shikshan Mandal has taken itself the need-based endeavor of making education accessible to the poor and deserving.
Under the dynamic leadership of Hon. MLA Dr. Vinayji Kore (Savkar Saheb), President, Shree Warana Industrial & Educational Complex, the Mandal is marching towards excellence in value education, research, and attitude of service to the nation.
With a sprawling campus of 300 acres, the Mandal houses Marathi and English Kindergartens, residential High Schools, English Academy, International CBSC School, Military Academy, College of Pharmacy, Junior and Senior Colleges of Arts, Commerce and Science, College of Architecture, Institute of Engineering and Technology, Industrial Training Institute, and well-furnished hostels for boys and girls, quarters for teachers and non-teaching staff.
State-of-the-art sports amenities like basketball court, gymnasium, badminton, table-tennis court swimming pool, Shivneri playground for students in campus inculcates sportsmanship, fitness culture and state and national level players in the array of sports.
Campus also hosts a special cell for career guidance and competitive exams providing a study center, library, and direction for students aspiring to excel in competitive exams also appreciates them every year. The felicitation of successful candidates in UPSC through Gourav Sohala - Vision by Surajya Foundation annually, is a larger than life inspirational program full of zeal and inspiration shaping budding aspirants in civil and government services.
Shree Warana Bal Vadhya - Vrund musical academy is India’s first children’s orchestra founded by late Tatyasaheb Kore in 1970. The students are instilled with skills of musical instruments and passionate singing. The performances are spell bound in presence of Hon. President, Prime-Minister, and Ambassadors of national and international repute spreading the musical fragrance of Warana throughout the world.
Warana Wired Village Project was a unique initiative by Warana co-operative complex attracting various projects from the State and central Governments. This project was of 2.5 Crore in field of information technology and first of its kind in Asia.