Uran

History

The city name is derived from the Hindu goddess Uranavati. It was called Uruvan during the rule of Madhavrao I, the fourth Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. Later, the area was named Uran by the Portuguese and Ooran by the British. Many Indian dynasties have ruled the area. In early history, these included the Maurya Empire, Sātavāhana Empire, Western Kshatrapas, Vākāṭaka Empire, Chalukyas, and Yadavas. The area around Mumbai, including Uran, was under Portuguese and British rule in the 16th to 19th centuries. who battled European naval interests in the 18th century.

Geography

Uran is located at . Uran has an average elevation of . On the tip of a peninsula, Uran is surrounded by sea on three sides. The town of Uran itself is centrally located on the peninsula, flanked by Karanja village to the south and Mora village and port to the north. Uran is home to extensive salt pans, part of a long-standing network of salt manufacturing around Mumbai. The land has been under redevelopment pressure. The Uran wetlands were once home to many species of birds and reptiles, some critically endangered. The wetlands were developed in 2009 and 2010, leaving only the Panje-Dongri wetlands.

Most-observed species

• House Crow

  Corvus splendens Vieillot, 1817 · Aves
  6,852
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  6,223
• Black Kite

  Milvus migrans (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  6,097
• Indian Pond-Heron

  Ardeola grayii (Sykes, 1832) · Aves
  4,747
• White-throated Kingfisher

  Halcyon smyrnensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,563
• Red-vented Bulbul

  Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,436
• Little Egret/Western Reef-Heron

  Egretta garzetta (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,424
• Common Myna

  Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,956

Most recent

• M 4.1 — 2019-07-24
  25 km WSW of Shirgaon, India