SANGLI is also a major education and healthcare centre. There are a number of tourist spots in the Krishna valley near SANGLI. The grand temple of lord Ganesha in SANGLI is an attraction for devotees all overthe world. In ancient times, the region around Sangli was known as Kundal. This was the capital of the dynasty of Chalukyas which ruled India. In the pre-independence period, Sangli was a pricely state ruled by the royal family of the Patwardhans. In 1948, the Sangli state was merged into the Republic of India. SANGLI is no doubt the capital of Turmeric trade in India. There is also a lobby of sugar industries in thisregion. Vasantdada sugar factory in SANGLI city is the largest sugar factory in Asia. There are a number of Industrial estates in and around SANGLI. SANGLI-MIRAJ MIDC Industrial area is one ofthe largest well planned industrial estates in this region. This industrial area has facilities like Green House, Health Club, Swimming Pool, Software Training Centre, etc. Sangli is also a key centre for education and has some very good English medium schools.There are a number of engineering colleges and management institutes in SANGLI region. Also lots of software training institutes have come up in SANGLI. There is an abundance of engineers and software professionals here.With modern Telecom and Internet facilities from the DOT and Mobile services already there, SANGLI is now an attractive location for Information Technology Industry.