Pauni

Pauni is a town in Bhandara district, Maharashtra, on the bank of the Wainganga, a river known locally as the southern Ganga. It is called the Kashi of Vidarbha because of its many temples, and its name is traced to a King Pavan. A moat and earthen rampart enclose three sides, with the river on the fourth, and parts of the 17th–18th century city wall survive. The town was once known for handloom weaving.

In the middle of town stand the walls of the Pawan Raja fort, with a lake on one side and a large old gateway linking two parts of the town. Excavations show that Pauni was a Buddhist centre in Maurya and Satavahana times, and coins of Satakarni, an early Satavahana king, have turned up. One excavated stupa, at Suleman Tekri, measured 41.6 metres across. The Umred-Pauni-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary, known for tigers, surrounds the area.