After the death of Maharaja Shivsing, in 1792, his brother Sangramsing took Ahmednagar and the country around; and, in spite of the efforts of his nephew Gambhirsing, became an independent chief.
The later died in 1835, and Erskine, the British Agent, who was in the neighbourhood with a force, moved to Ahmednagar to prevent the queens from becoming satis.
Finding him resolved to prevent the sati practice, while pretending to negotiate, they secretly summoned the Bhils and other turbulent tribes, and in the night, opening a way through the fort wall to the river bed, the queens burnt themselves with their deceased husband.
[4] Among various old businesses with relevance to history of Himatnagar, Himat Vijay Printing Press (established in 1931) was named after King Himat Singh and was owned and operated by Late Shri Chhotalal Narsinhdas Shah (and his family still runs it) and he was longest servicing President of Himantagar Panchyant before it became municipality.
The white sandstone and cement walls of the original fort, though much ruined in parts still surround the heart of town.
In the town, a small stone building, with richly carved bow windows, was once the residence of the Maharajas of Ahmednagar.
[4] Further on is a well, known as the Kazi ni Vavdi, with inscriptions on the side walls, one in Arabic and the other in Devnagri, bearing respectively the dates 1417 (820 Hijri year) and 1522 (Samvat 1578).
The second inscription shows that the well was built in 1522 by Shamsher-ul-Mulk, who is stated by tradition to have been a son of Sultan Ahmed Shah.
Further, the citadel or inner fort, known like that in Ahmedabad as the Bhadra, contains some very fine though ruinous buildings, the principal lacing that traditionally known as the Mulla or Mohina Rani's palace.
In 1858, the principal building in the Bhadra was occupied as a mess-house by a small force sent to keep order in the Mahi Kantha during the troubled times of the Mutinies.
Outside, at some distance from the Bhadra and opening immediately on the Hathmati river, is the Idar gate, is close to it is a small mosque in perfect preservation, its windows worthy of notice, being each ornamented outside with a carved stone canopy while the frame is filled with carved stone work representing trees with foliage, through the interstices of which, a tempered light streams into the building.
At the back of the west cloister is a ladies gallery hidden from sight by carved open stone screens.
On the south side is a building with a stone canopy intended for the king or chief man of the place, who during the heat of the day came with his ladies to enjoy this cool retreat.
At one side of these, large arched doorways, now built up, led to an outwork facing the north, and immediately over the river, which was evidently at one time covered with a pillared roof.
Basic meal served in Himatnagar is Gujarati thali, that includes dal, rice or bhat, rotli and shaak (cooked vegetables and curry) with accompaniments of pickles and roasted papads.
Other religious festivals such as Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, the day of Ashurah Muharram, the birthday of prophet Eid-E-Milaad, Eid-Ul-Adha, Eid ul-Fitr, Paryushana, Mahavir jayanti, Daslakshana and kshamavani are also celebrated.