Introduction to Maharashtra

One of the most industrialized states of India, it occupies the western and central parts of the country and extends over the Sahyadri mountains; a vast stretch of 720 kilometers of the Arabian sea coast providing it a beautiful backdrop.

The present state of Maharashtra was formed on May 1, 1960 on unilingual principle by carving it out of the erstwhile Mumbai state, which included the predominantly Marathi-speaking areas as the former princely state of Hyderabad as well as the Central Provinces and Berar.

Maharashtra is the third largest state and the second most literate state in the country, according to 1991 census.

Facts & Figures of Maharashtra

Geographical Information of Maharashtra

Location

Located in the northern center of peninsular India, Maharashtra is surrounded by the Arabian sea in the west, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh on the north, Madhya Pradesh in the east and Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh on the south. The state extends between the latitudes 15.6° North and 22.1° North and longitudes 72.6° East and 80.9° East.

Physical Features

As far as the geography of Maharashtra goes, much of the state consists of the high Deccan plateau, which is separated from the straight Konkan coastline by 'Ghats'. The Ghats are a succession of steep hills, periodically bisected by narrow roads, and which are often crowned by medieval forts. Given their altitude, it is not surprising that the Ghats are home to the state's hill stations.

One of the three major regions of the state is the Sahyadri range with an elevation of 1000 meters. The unique feature of this region is a series of crowning plateau.

Lying between the Arabian Sea and the Sahyadri Range, Konkan is narrow coastal lowland, just 50 km wide and with an elevation below 200 meters.

The third important region is the Satpura hills along the northern border, and the Bhamragad-Chiroli-Gaikhuri ranges on the eastern border form physical barriers preventing easy movement. These ranges also serve as natural limits to the state.

Climate

The climate of Maharashtra is moderate, with variations in temperature ranging between 16°C and 35°C. July to September are the months when monsoon lashes this state with good rainfall. This does not mean that the whole state gets uniform rainfall; a large part of inner Maharashtra remains dry in comparison to other areas under the rain shadow of the Sahyadri.

Flora and Fauna

Total area under forest cover in Maharashtra is only 17%. Majority of the forests are in the eastern and Sahyadri regions of the state. Maharashtra has five national parks, three game reserves, and 24 wildlife/bird sanctuaries. These range from the Borivili National Park, surrounded by the Mumbai suburbs, to the Melghat Tiger Reserve, high up in the north of the state.

History of Maharashtra

The Mesolithic age forced these people to settle at one place and shift to agriculture for sustenance. They moved towards other river valleys from Tapi where first evidence of agriculture is found to be of around 1700 BC. Jorwe in the Ahmadnagar district has many evidences of the people residing in the region at that time. Between 1000 BC and 500 BC, the megalithic culture started to develop in this region. With the advent of the Iron Age in 500 BC, the gradual process towards urbanization started in this region and it was greatly helped by the many trade routes that connected it with north India.

The Chinese traveler Hiun Tsang visited this region in 640-641 BC and was very impressed with the prosperity of this region. During third and fourth centuries BC, the region of Konkan remained under the control of the Mauryans, whose policies led to great advancements in the fields of trade and Buddhist learning in the region. After the disintegration of the Mauryan Empire, the Satwahanas (230 BC - AD 225) came to rule this region. Pratishthan or modern Paithan was their capital. This great empire crumbled because of internal feuds in the ranks of vassals.

In succession came the great rulers of the Vakataka, Chalukya, and Rashtrakuta empires making Maharashtra a great center of culture and art. Yadavas were the last of these kingdoms that lost their power in the early 12th century and a long period of Muslim rule started in Maharashtra. Allauddin Khilji was the first ruler to understand the value of the Deccan as the key to extending influence over south India and consecutive rulers from Delhi till the 17th century tried their best to keep this region under their control.

From the middle of the 17th century, a new group of warrior people came to dominate the scene in Maharashtra and elsewhere in India called Marathas. The origin of Marathas is still debatable, but what is known is that they stole the limelight from the great Mughals and at one point of time even captured Delhi. It was only after defeating the Marathas that the English could establish their hegemony on India. Shivaji was the first great ruler of Marathas and it was he who paved the way for future Maratha influence on India. The heroism and greatness of Shivaji is still remembered by the people of this country and his stories are now part of the great Indian folklores.

Maharashtra remained at the forefront of the Indian struggle for independence and Pune was the center of most of the revolutionary activities taking place in the region at that time. Even in the Congress, most of the radicals were from Maharashtra and Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak was the undisputed leader of this group.

People of Maharashtra

Ethnicity

Varied customs and traditions co-exist peacefully in Maharashtra. There are the Parsis who have made Maharashtra their home, there are the Christians and Anglo-Indians who swear by Maharashtra, there is the folk population of lohars (blacksmiths), the dhangars (shepherds) and of course the fishermen and women called the Kolis. In addition, two major influences operate simultaneously in Maharashtra to mould their thinking and therefore customs. One is a strong Brahmanical influence; Pune has been and still is, to a certain extent, the center of Sanskrit learning. The second is the influence of BR Ambedkar, who introduced neo-Buddhist thoughts in the minds of the people.

Arts and Crafts

Two of the most well known handicrafts of Maharashtra are Kolhapuri chappals and the Paithani saris.

Music and Dance

Maharashtra is well known throughout the country for its rich music and dances. Lavnis, Bharuds, Povadas, and Gondals are the major forms of folk music in the state and represent the best that the Maharashtrian society has contributed in the field of music. Sharang Dev, from the state, was the writer of one of the greatest treatise on Indian music in the medieval times, Sangit Ratnakara. Most famous of the Indian musicians like Lata Mangeshkar, Pandit Jasraj, Bhimsen Joshi, Kishori Amonkar belong to Maharashtra. Maharashtra also has a very good theatre tradition.

Fairs and Festivals

Held in September/October, Ganesh Chaturthi is a ten-day event akin to Durga Puja in Bengal, and is celebrated with as much zeal. For this is the time when the routine in the state comes to a grinding halt. Ganesh, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, has a very special place in every Indian heart as he is the god propitiated before all other gods, and at the start of any new task, plan or project.

Gudi Padva (March/April) is significant as it marks the beginning of the Maharashtrian New Year. It is dedicated to Sahaliwan, the son of a humble potter who overthrew the reigning Guptas of Malwa to become an important monarch guiding the fortunes of a new dynasty. This day marks the beginning of the Hindu solar year.

Best observed from Mumbai's Chowpatty Beach, Nariel Purnima or the coconut day in August marks the end of the monsoons and is celebrated by Maharashtra's fisherfolk with much enthusiasm.

Pateti in August is the Parsee New Year, significant because it was on this day that the Shahenshahi Zoroastrian community landed in India while migrating from Persia. The Parsees celebrate at the agiary or fire temple, and the community bonds are strengthened through feasts and the meeting of friends and relatives.

Mount Mary's Feast is celebrated in Mumbai for a week beginning on the Sunday closest to the birthday of the Virgin Mary (September 8). Held in the predominantly Catholic area of Bandra in Mumbai, thousands throng to the Basilica. A fair is held with huge Ferris wheels, amusement rides, bands and shows.

In Mumbai, with a large Catholic population, Christmas is a fun event. Trees are decorated and lit in tropical city, midnight masses are held and huge amounts of Christmas pudding consumed. Enormous stars of colored paper are lit and suspended across streets. Miniature cribs are crafted for Jesus recreating the Nativity scene.

The Ellora Festival and the Elephanta Festival attract the country's finest talent to perform amidst a surrounding that must surely be fit for the gods alone. These illuminated cave sites are the appropriate muse for the rendition of classical music.

Mumbai lights its Holi bonfire at Chowpatty, pays obeisance at Shiva temples with bael leaves during Shivratri, and observes a unique event for Janmashtami. On this day, which is Lord Krishna's birthday, earthenware pots full of curds and coins are suspended on ropes across the streets of the city. Then young men form a pyramid and the man on the top breaks the pot while the crowd around cheers and applauds.

Attire

The women of Maharashtra wear a nine-yard saree called Nauvari, which is quite different from the saree worn in north India. The saree is accompanied with jewelry like earrings, heavy necklaces, and a lot of bangles. For a distinctive Maharashtrian look, a nose-ring made of pearls and rubies are perfect. Small girls wear parkar-polka. A parkar is skirt-like long garment and a polka is a typical blouse made of traditional Maharashtrian fabric, which is mostly bottle green, red or blue.

Dhoti with Kurta is the most common men's wear. Until recently, men wore a traditional shirt called sadara. They also wear a cloth turban on their heads. Pugdi is a turban worn on special occasions while for everyday wear a mundasa is used.

However, most men in the urban centers have adopted modern garments like pants and shirts, though these are still not so common among the women, especially married women.

Cuisine

The culture of Maharashtra, which reveals itself in many ways, is also reflected in its local cuisine. Though most people are not very familiar with Maharashtrian cuisine and it has yet to find its way into five-star kitchens, there does exist a large and interesting culinary repertoire. Maharashtrian cuisine is divided into two, Konkani, and Varadi. Though quite different, both use a lot of seafood and coconut.

Grated coconuts spice many kinds of dishes, but coconut oil is not very widely used as a cooking medium. Peanuts and cashewnuts are widely used in vegetables and peanut oil is the main cooking medium. Another feature is the use of kokum, a deep purple berry that has a pleasing sweet and sour taste. Kokum, most commonly used in an appetizer-digestive called the sol kadhi, is served chilled.

Among seafood, the most popular fish is bombil or the Bombay duck, which is normally served batter fried and crisp. All non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes are eaten with boiled rice or with bhakris, which are soft rotis made of rice flour. Special rice puris called vada and amboli, which is a pancake made of fermented rice, urad dal, and semolina, are also eaten as a part of the main meal.

In the vegetarian fare, the most popular vegetables are brinjals. A popular style of cooking brinjals is bharlivangi or baby brinjals stuffed with coconut. Maharashtrian fare is incomplete without papads, which are eaten roasted or fried. The most popular desserts of Maharashtra are the puran poli, which is roti stuffed with a sweet mixture of jaggery and gram flour, and shreekhand, which is sweetened curd flavored with cardamom and saffron.

Tourist Destinations of Maharashtra

Opening some of the most enduring chapters of Indian civilization, Maharashtra offers a wide range of tourist attractions to choose from. Starting from Mumbai, the largest metropolis in India and also its financial capital to Ajanta and Ellora to Mahabaleshwar to Pune to Aurangabad to Lonavala, the state of Maharashtra makes its impression on the mind and soul of the visitors strongly.

How to Reach Maharashtra

By Air

Maharashtra has five domestic airports and one international airport at Mumbai. Most of these airports have regular connections through the Indian Airlines and other domestic airlines. Mumbai is the most connected international airport in India and most of the important international destinations are connected with this place.

By Rail

Mumbai is the hub of the railway network in Maharashtra having three major railway stations and the headquarters of two Railway Zones in India. Most of the important places in India are connected by rail to Mumbai. Many important tourist spots in the state are directly connected to Mumbai by regular trains.

By Road

Maharashtra has the best road connection in India and all the places of importance are conveniently connected to each other. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation as well as private operators provide good services connecting all the tourist centers in the state.