?महाराष्ट्र Maharashtra India
Coordinates: 18°58′N 72°49′E / 18.96, 72.82
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area	307,713 km² (118,809 sq mi)[1]
Capital	Mumbai
Largest city	Mumbai
District(s)	35
Population • Density	96,752,247 (2nd) • 314. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Indian Standard Time ( IST) is the time observed throughout India and Sri Lanka, with a Time offset of UTC+530. UTC+530 is the Timezone for Indian Standard Time Sri Lanka Time The geography of India is diverse with landscape ranging from snow-capped mountain ranges to deserts plains rainforests hills and plateaus To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here Surface areas between 100000 km² and 1000000 km² Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of Indian state Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial A district is an administrative division of a state in India India is divided into twenty-eight states and seven Union territories (UT In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume This is a list of the States of India in order of population 42 /km² (814 /sq mi)
Language(s)	Marathi
Governor	S C Jamir
Chief Minister	Vilasrao Deshmukh
Deputy Chief Minister	R R Patil
Established	1960-05-01
Legislature (seats)	Bicameral (289 + 78)
ISO abbreviation	IN-MH
Website: maharashtra.gov.in
Seal of Maharashtra

Coordinates: 18°58′N 72°49′E / 18.96, 72.82

Maharashtra mahārāṣṭra, IPA [məharaːʂʈrə] (help·info)') is India's third largest state in area (about the size of Italy) and second largest in population. The Constitution of India envisages Hindi as the primary official language to be used by the Union Government, with English as the subsidiary official language Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. Sanayangba Chubatoshi Jamir (born October 17 1931) is an Indian politician currently serving as Governor of Maharashtra. The following individuals have served as Chief Minister of the Indian state of Maharashtra since its establishment in 1960 Vilasrao Dagadojirao Deshmukh (विलासराव dagadojirao देशमुख (born May 26 1945) is the current Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Deputy chief minister is an optional post in some States of India second to the Chief minister. Raosaheb Ramchandra Patil, better known as R R Patil (रा रा The States Reorganization Act of 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries and governance of India 's states and territories. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral ISO 3166-2 is the second part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO ISO 3166-2IN is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to India. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country India is a union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Located in western India, Maharashtra is bordered by the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa and the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Gujarat (ગુજરાત Gujǎrāt, pronounced) is a state in western India. Madhya Pradesh (abbreviated as MP) ( Hindī: मध्य प्रदेश pronounced, Translation: Middle Province) often Chhattisgarh ( Chhattisgarhi / Hindi: छत्तीसगढ़ tʃʰət̪t̪iːsgəɽʰ, a state in central India, formed when the sixteen Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ pronounced) is a state in the southern part of India Goa ( Konkani: गोंय /ɡɔ̃j/ is India 's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. A Union Territory is a sub-national administrative division of India. For the Indian musical form see Dadra. Dadra and Nagar Haveli ( Gujarati: દાદરા અને નગર હવેલી Marathi The Arabian Sea makes up the state's western coast. The Arabian Sea ( Arabic: بحر العرب transliterated: Baḥr al-'Arab Sanskrit: सिन्धु सागर transliterated: Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra, is India's largest city and a prime center of economy and culture. Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial Nagpur is the second capital of the state. Nāgpur ( Marathi: नागपुर is the largest city in central India (2001 Census and the second capital of the state of Maharashtra.

Maharashtra is India's most developed and urbanized state,^[2][3] contributing 15% of the country's industrial output and 14. 7% of its GDP. ^[4]

In the 17th Century, the Marathas rose under the leadership of Shivaji Raje Bhosale against the Mughals who were ruling a large part of India. The Marāthās ( Marathi: mr मराठा also Mahrattas) form an Indo Aryan group of Hindu Warriors hailing mostly from the present-day Shivaji Bhosle, also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhosle ( Marathi: छत्रपती शिवाजीराजे भोसले (Born February The Maratha Empire expanded to cover most of northern India and existed for more than a century. The Maratha Empire ( Marathi: मराठा साम्राज्य Marāṭhā Sāmrājya; also transliterated Mahratta After the third Anglo-Maratha war, the empire ended and most of Maharashtra became part of Bombay state under a British Raj. The Third Anglo-Maratha War ( 1817 - 1818) was a final and decisive conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in The State of Bombay is a former state of India. During British rule, portions of the western coast of India under direct British rule were part of the For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British

After Indian independence, Maharashtra Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti demanded unification of all Marathi speaking regions under one state. Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti ( Marathi: संयुक्त महाराष्ट्र समिति roughly translated as United Maharashtra Committee, was The first state reorganization committee created the current Maharashtra state on May 1, 1960 (known as Maharashtra Day). Maharashtra Day on May 1 is celebrated in Maharashtra, a state on western coast of India. The Marathi-speaking areas of Bombay state, Deccan states and Vidarbha(which was part of Central Provinces and Berar) united to form the current state. The State of Bombay is a former state of India. During British rule, portions of the western coast of India under direct British rule were part of the The Deccan States Agency was an administrative unit of British India. Vidarbha (Marathi विदर्भ is the eastern region of Maharashtra state made up of Nagpur Division and Amravati Division. The Central Provinces and Berar was a province of British India.

History

See also: History of Maharashtra

Ajanta & Ellora caves. The Chinese Pilgrim, Hiun Tsang, visited Maharashtra during AD 640-641 and was very impressed by the prosperity of the country the efficiency of the administration and the character

The name Maharashtra first appeared in a 7th century inscription and in the account of a Chinese traveler, Hiuen-Tsang. See also Xuanzang (fictional character Xuanzang ( pronounced Shwan-dzang) was a famous Chinese Buddhist Monk, scholar traveler Its name may have originated from rathi, which means, "chariot driver". At that age Maharashtra was full of builders and drivers of chariots who formed a maharathis, a "fighting force. " In 90 A. D. Vedishri^[5], son of the Satavahana king Satakarni, the "Lord of Dakshinapatha, wielder of the unchecked wheel of Sovereignty", made Junnar, thirty miles north of Pune, the capital of his kingdom. The Sātavāhanas ( Marathi: सातवाहन Telugu:శాతవాహనులు were a Dynasty which ruled from Junnar ( Satakarni (Sātakarnī I was the third of the Satavahana kings WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Junnar (जुन्नर is a city with thousands of years of history in the Pune district of the In the early fourteenth century the Devgiri Yadavs were overthrown by the northern Muslim powers. Then on, the region was administered by various kingdoms called Deccan Sultanates. The Deccan sultanates were five Muslim -ruled late medieval kingdoms–- Bijapur, Golkonda, Ahmadnagar, Bidar, and Berar ^[6]

Pre Medieval history

Not much is known about Maharashtra's early history, and its recorded history dates back to the 3rd century B.C.E., with the use of Maharashtri Prakrit, one of the Prakrits derived from Sanskrit. The 3rd century is the period from 201 to 300 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical In literature Maharashtra is referred to as Dandakaranya, i. e. the Jungle (aranya) of punishment (dandakas). In times of Ramayana, it was home of deadly creatures & demons. Exiled persons resided here and sages have to cross it in order to reach vindyhachal mountains. Khar dushan & suparnkha has cited to be met Rama in this region. Later,^{{needs date}} Maharashtra became a part of the Magadha empire, ruled by emperor Ashoka. Magadha (मगध formed one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas ( Sanskrit, "great countries" or regions in ancient India. Ashoka ( Devanāgarī: अशोकः IAST: Aśokaḥ, aɕoːkə(hə Prakrit Imperial title Devanampriya Priyadarsi The port town of Sopara, north of present day Mumbai, was the centre of ancient India's commerce, with links to Eastern Africa, Mesopotamia, Aden and Cochin. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Sopara ( Sanskrit: Śūrpāraka (mentioned in the Hebrew texts as Ophir) was East Africa is the Easternmost Region of the African Continent. Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding Aden (ˈeɪdən Arabic: عدن) is a city in Yemen, 170 kilometers east of Bab-el-Mandeb.

With the disintegration of the Mauryan Empire, a local dynasty called Satavahanas came into prominence in Maharashtra between 230 B.C.E. and 225 C.E. The period saw the biggest cultural development of Maharashtra. The Sātavāhanas ( Marathi: सातवाहन Telugu:శాతవాహనులు were a Dynasty which ruled from Junnar ( Events By Place Roman Empire Taxes are increased in order to maintain the unity and defense of the Empire Events By Place Roman Empire Roman Emperor Alexander Severus marries Sallustia Orbiana, and possibly raises her father The Satavahana's official language was Maharashtri, which later developed into Marathi. Maharashtri (महाराष्ट्री प्राकृत is a language of ancient and medieval India, descended from Sanskrit, and spoken in what is Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. The great ruler Gautamiputra Satkarni (also known as "Shalivahan") ruled around 78 C.E. He started the Shalivahana era, a new calendar, still used by Maharashtrian populace and as the Indian national calendar. Gautamiputra Satakarni (also known as Shalivahana (c 78-102 AD was the twenty-third ruler of the Satavahana Empire Year 78 was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. The Shalivahana era, also known as the Saka era, is used with Hindu calendars the Indian national calendar, and the Cambodian Buddhist calendar The Indian national calendar (sometimes called Saka calendar) is the official civil calendar in use in India. The empire gradually disintegrated in the third century.

During (250 C.E. – 525 C.E.), Vidarbha, the eastern region of Maharashtra, came under the rule of Vakatakas. Events By Place Roman Empire A group of Franks penetrate as far as Tarragona in Spain (approximate date Events Dionysius Exiguus proposes a calendar based on the birth of Jesus Christ Vidarbha (Marathi विदर्भ is the eastern region of Maharashtra state made up of Nagpur Division and Amravati Division. The Vakataka (Vākāţaka was an Indian dynasty which ruled parts of today's Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh from the third century to fifth century During this period, development of arts, religion and technology flourished. The arts is a broad subdivision of Culture, composed of many expressive disciplines. A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Technology is a broad concept that deals with a Species ' usage and knowledge of Tools and Crafts and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt Later, in 753 C. Event By Place Asia Samarkand is conquered by Arabs The town of Staraja Ladoga is founded in Russia. E. , the region was governed by the Rashtrakutas, an empire that spread over most of India. The Rashtrakuta Dynasty ( Sanskrit: राष्ट्रकूट rāṣṭrakūṭa, Kannada: ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಕೂಟ was a royal In 973 C. Events By Place Africa The Fatimids move their capital to Cairo. E. , the Chalukyas of Badami expelled the Rashtrakutas, and ruled parts of Maharashtra until 1189 when the region came under the Yadavas of Deogiri. The Chalukya dynasty ( Kannada: ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯರು ʧaːɭukjə was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and Central WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Badami (ಬದಾಮಿ formerly known as Vatapi, is a Taluk in the Bagalkot District Fort of Devagiri The area of the city includes the hill-fortress of Devagiri ( Marathi देवगिरी (sometimes Latinised to Deogiri

Islamic Rule

Haji Ali was built in 1631, during Islamic rule

Maharashtra came under Islamic influence for the first time after the Delhi Sultanate rulers Ala-ud-din Khalji, and later Muhammad bin Tughluq conquered parts of the Deccan in the 13th century. The Haji Ali Dargah (हाजी अली दरगाह (حاجی علی درگہ is a Mosque and Dargah ( Tomb) located on an islet off the coast Islam in India is the second-most practiced religion after Hinduism. The Delhi Sultanate ( Urdu: دلی سلطنت, दिल्ली सलतनत or Sultanat e Hind ( سلطنتِ هند; सलतनत ए Ala-ud-din Khilji ( Pashto / Arabic: علاء الدين الخلجي) (real name Juna Khan) (b Muhammad bin Tughluq (محمد بن تغلق (c1300&ndash 1351 also Prince Juna Khan was the Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351 After the collapse of the Tughlaqs in 1347, the Bahmani Sultanate of Gulbarga took over, governing the region for the next 150 years. The Tughlaq Dynasty ( Urdu: تغلق) of north India started in 1321 in Delhi when Ghazi Tughlaq assumed the throne under the The Bahmani Sultanate (Also called the Bahmanid Empire was a Muslim state of the Deccan in southern India and one of the great medieval Indian kingdoms After the breakup of the Bahamani sultanate, in 1518, Maharashtra was ruled by the breakaway in to 5 Shah's, namely Nizamshah of Ahmednagar, Adilshah of Bijapur, kutubshah of Govalkonda, bidarhshae of Bidar and Imadshah of Berar.

Rise of the Marathas

By the early seventeenth century the Maratha Empire began to take root. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar The Maratha Empire ( Marathi: मराठा साम्राज्य Marāṭhā Sāmrājya; also transliterated Mahratta Shahaji Bhosale, an ambitious local general in the employ of the Mughals and Adil Shah of Bijapur, at various times attempted to establish his independent rule. The attempts succeeded through his son Shivaji Bhosale. Marathas were led by Chhatrapati Raje Shivaji Bhosale, who was crowned king in 1674. Shivaji Bhosle, also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhosle ( Marathi: छत्रपती शिवाजीराजे भोसले (Born February Shivaji constantly battled with the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and Adil Shah of Vijapur. Aurangzeb ( (full title Al-Sultan al-Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram Abul Muzaffar Muhiuddin Muhammad Aurangzeb Bahadur Alamgir I Padshah Ghazi) ( November 4, By the time of his death in 1680, Shivaji had created a kingdom covering most of Maharashtra today (except the Aurangabad district which was part of the Nizam's territory) and Gujarat.

Shivaji's son and successor Chhatrapatti Sambhaji Bhosale became the ruler of the Maratha kingdom in 1680. Sambhaji Raje Bhonsle ( Marathi: धर्मवीर संभाजी राजे भोसले ( May 14, 1657 &ndash March 11, He was captured by Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb ( (full title Al-Sultan al-Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram Abul Muzaffar Muhiuddin Muhammad Aurangzeb Bahadur Alamgir I Padshah Ghazi) ( November 4,

Rajaram's nephew & Sambhaji's son, Shahu Bhosale declared himself to be the legitimate heir to the Bhosale throne. Shrimant Shahu Sambhaji Raje Bhonsle Chhatrapati Maharaj (1682-1749 was the fourth ruler of the Maratha Empire created by his grandfather Chhatrapati Shivaji, and In 1714, Shahu's Peshwa (chief minister) Balaji Vishwanath, helped him seize the Maratha throne in 1708, with some acrimony from Rajaram's widow, Tara Bai. The Peshwa ( Marathi:पेशवा plural Peshwe, Marathi:पेशवे were Brahmin Prime Ministers to the Maratha Tarabai (1675-1761 was a queen of the Maratha Empire in India.

Peshwas under Chatrapati

The Peshwe(prime ministers) played an important role in the strategic development of many forts in Maharastra. Chhatrapati (also Chatrapati) is an honorific or an imperial title for an Indian ruler They were also decisive in many battles, like Moropant Pingale in 1670’s Dindori battle against the Mughals, Ramchandra Amatya in 1690’s Satara Battle against the Mughals and, the Pant Pratinidhi Peshwa against fort recapturing battles fought between 1702-1706.

Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath, of the Bhat family, and his son, Baji Rao I, bureaucratised the Maratha state. Shrimant Baji Rao Balaji Bhat ( August 18[[ 699]]- April 25 1740) also known as Baji Rao I, was a noted general who served as Peshwa They systematised the practice of tribute gathering from Mughal territories, under the heads of sardesmukhi and chauth (the two terms corresponding to the proportion of revenue collected). Chauth (from Sanskrit meaning one-fourth) was a tax or tribute imposed from early Eighteenth century, by the Maratha Empire in Chauth (from Sanskrit meaning one-fourth) was a tax or tribute imposed from early Eighteenth century, by the Maratha Empire in They also consolidated Mughal-derived methods of assessment and collection of land revenue and other taxes. Much of the revenue terminology used in Peshwa documents derives from Persian, suggesting a far greater continuity between Mughal and Maratha revenue practice than may be politically palatable in the present day.

At the same time,the maritime Angre clan controlled a fleet of vessels based in Kolaba and other centres of the west coast. For the district in Chhatisgarh, see Raigarh district. Raigad District (रायगड जिल्हा also known as Raigarh These ships posed a threat not only to the new English settlement of Bombay, but to the Portuguese at Goa, Bassein, and Daman. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Goa ( Konkani: गोंय /ɡɔ̃j/ is India 's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population.

On the other hand, there emerged a far larger domain of activity away from the original heartland of the Marathas, which was given over to subordinate chiefs as fiefs. Under the system of Feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud, feoff, or fee, often consisted of inheritable lands or revenue-producing Gwalior was given to Scindia/Shinde, Indore to Holkar, Baroda to Gaekwad and Dhar to Pawar. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Gwalior ( Hindi: ग्वालियर) is a city in Madhya Pradesh in India For the School in Gwalior India see Scindia School. For the Italian city see Sindia Italy. Indore ( Hindi: इंदौर/इन्दोर, Marathi - इंदूर, the largest city and the commercial capital of the central Indian state of The Holkar were a prominent Dhangar family who ruled as Rajas and later Maharajas of Indaur (better known as Indore) in Central India The Gaekwad or Gaikwad (once rendered as Guicowar, also given (incorrectly as Gaekwar) ( Gujarati: ગાયકવાડ; Marathi WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Dhar or the medieval historical town of Dhara Nagari is located in the Malwa region of The Ponwar (also Panwar, Puar, Powar, or Pawar) are an Arya clan of that ruled the states of Chhatarpur, Dewas

After suffering a stinging defeat at the hands of Afghan chieftain Ahmad Shah Abdali, in the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761, the Maratha Confederacy broke into regional kingdoms. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Ahmad Shāh Durrānī (c1723-1773 ( also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī ( احمد شاه ابدالي) and born as Ahmad Khān Abdālī, The Third Battle of Panipat took place on January 14, 1761 at Panipat (Haryana State India) situated at about 80 miles (130 km north Year 1761 ( MDCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a

Post-Panipat, the Peshwa's ex-generals looked after the regional kingdoms they had earned and carved out for themselves in the service of Peshwas covering north-central and Deccan regions of India. Pune continued to be ruled by what was left of the Peshwa family.

British Rule and Post-Independence

The Gateway of India, built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay in December 1911. The Gateway of India (भारताचे प्रवेशद्वार is a Monument in Mumbai, India. Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

With the arrival and subsequent involvement of the British East India Company in Indian politics, the Marathas and the British fought the three Anglo-Maratha wars between 1777 and 1818, culminating in the annexation of Peshwa-ruled territory in Maharashtra in 1819, which heralded the end of the Maratha empire. The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or Year 1819 ( MDCCCXIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar in the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year

The British governed the region as part of the Bombay Presidency, which spanned an area from Karachi in Pakistan to most of the northern Deccan. The Bombay Presidency was a former province of British India. (ڪراچي) is the largest city in Pakistan. It is the world's second largest city proper behind Mumbai in terms of population which exceeds 10 million A number of the Maratha states persisted as princely states, retaining local autonomy in return for acknowledging British sovereignty. For other uses see Principality, Other princely states A Princely State (also called Native State or Indian State) was a The largest princely states in the territory of present-day Maharashtra were Nagpur, Satara and Kolhapur; Satara was annexed to Bombay Presidency in 1848, and Nagpur was annexed in 1853 to become Nagpur Province, later part of the Central Provinces. Nāgpur ( Marathi: नागपुर is the largest city in central India (2001 Census and the second capital of the state of Maharashtra. For the Moth Genus, see Satara (moth. Satara (Marathiसातारा is a Town located in the WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Kolhapur ( Marathi:कोल्हापूर is a city situated in the south west corner of Nagpur Province was a province of British India that covered parts of present-day Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh states The Central Provinces and Berar was a province of British India. Berar, which had been part of the Nizam of Hyderabad's kingdom, was occupied by the British in 1853 and annexed to the Central Provinces in 1903. Nizam ( Urdu: نظام‌) a shortened version of Nizam-ul-Mulk ( Urdu: نظام‌الملک) meaning Administrator of the Realm, was Hyderābād and Berar (హైదరాబాదు حیدر آباد under the Nizams was the largest Princely state in the erstwhile Indian Empire A large part of present day Maharashtra called Marathwada remained part of the Nizam's Hyderabad state during British rule. Marathwada (Marathi मराठवाडा is a region of India 's Maharashtra state, which corresponds to Maharashtra's Aurangabad Division Hyderābād and Berar (హైదరాబాదు حیدر آباد under the Nizams was the largest Princely state in the erstwhile Indian Empire The British rule was marked by social reforms, an improvement in infrastructure as well revolts due to their discriminatory policies. At the beginning of the 20th century, the struggle for independence took shape led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and the moderates like Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Agarkar, Pherozeshah Mehta and Dadabhai Naoroji. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak (बाळ गंगाधर टिळक ( July 23 1856 - August 1 1920) was an Indian nationalist In 1942, the Quit India Movement was called by Mahatma Gandhi which was marked by a non-violent civil disobedience movement and strikes. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Quit India Movement (Bharat Chhodo Andolan or the August Movement) was a Civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in

After India's independence in 1947, the princely states were integrated into the Indian Union, and the Deccan States including Kolhapur were integrated into Bombay State, which was created from the former Bombay Presidency in 1950. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Deccan States Agency was an administrative unit of British India. The State of Bombay is a former state of India. During British rule, portions of the western coast of India under direct British rule were part of the In 1956, the States Reorganisation Act reorganized the Indian states along linguistic lines, and Bombay Presidency State was enlarged by the addition of the predominantly Marathi-speaking regions of Marathwada (Aurangabad Division) from erstwhile Hyderabad state and Vidarbha region (Amravati and Nagpur divisions) from Madhya Pradesh (formerly the Central Provinces and Berar). Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The States Reorganization Act of 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries and governance of India 's states and territories. Marathwada (Marathi मराठवाडा is a region of India 's Maharashtra state, which corresponds to Maharashtra's Aurangabad Division Vidarbha (Marathi विदर्भ is the eastern region of Maharashtra state made up of Nagpur Division and Amravati Division. Amravati Division is one of the six divisions of Maharashtra state in India. Nagpur Division is one of six administrative divisions of Maharashtra state in India. Madhya Pradesh (abbreviated as MP) ( Hindī: मध्य प्रदेश pronounced, Translation: Middle Province) often On May 1, 1960, Maharashtra came into existence when Bombay Presidency State was split into the new linguistic states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Geography

The Konkan region has many diverse landscapes

Maharashtra lies in the tropical zone

The Arabian Sea makes up Maharashtra's west coast

See also: Geography of Maharashtra

Maharashtra encompasses an area of 308,000 km² (119,000 mi²), and is the third largest state in India. The Konkan (Marathi कोकण also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 The word Maharashtra, the land of the Marathi speaking people appears to be derived from Maharashtri, an old form of Prakrit Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Maharashtra is bordered by the states of Madhya Pradesh to the north, Chhattisgarh to the east, Andhra Pradesh to the southeast, Karnataka to the south, and Goa to the southwest. Chhattisgarh ( Chhattisgarhi / Hindi: छत्तीसगढ़ tʃʰət̪t̪iːsgəɽʰ, a state in central India, formed when the sixteen Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ pronounced) is a state in the southern part of India Goa ( Konkani: गोंय /ɡɔ̃j/ is India 's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. The state of Gujarat lies to the northwest, with the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli sandwiched in between. Gujarat (ગુજરાત Gujǎrāt, pronounced) is a state in western India. Dadra ( Devanagari: दादरा is a light classical vocal form in Hindustani classical music, mostly performed in Agra and in Bundelkhand For the Indian musical form see Dadra. Dadra and Nagar Haveli ( Gujarati: દાદરા અને નગર હવેલી Marathi The Arabian Sea makes up Maharashtra's west coast. The Arabian Sea ( Arabic: بحر العرب transliterated: Baḥr al-'Arab Sanskrit: सिन्धु सागर transliterated:

The Western Ghats better known as Sahyadri, are a hilly range running parallel to the coast, at an average elevation of 1,200 metres (4,000 feet). The Western Ghats ( Kannada ಸಹ್ಯಾದ್ರಿ Marathi / Konkani - सह्याद्री Sahyadri Malayalam സഹ്യപര്‍വ്വതം The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit To the west of these hills lie the Konkan coastal plains, 50–80 kilometres in width. The Konkan (Marathi कोकण also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad To the east of the Ghats lies the flat Deccan Plateau. The Western Ghats form one of the three watersheds of India, from which many South Indian rivers originate, notable among them being Godavari River, and Krishna, which flow eastward into the Bay of Bengal, forming one of the greatest river basins in India. A drainage divide, water divide, divide or (outside North America) watershed is the line separating neighbouring Drainage basins India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country South India is the area encompassing India 's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union This article is about the river Godavari in India. For other uses see Godavari (disambiguation The Godavari ( Marathi language:गोदावरी The Bay of Bengal is a bay that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean.

The Ghats are also the source of numerous small rivers which flow westwards, emptying into the Arabian Sea. The Arabian Sea ( Arabic: بحر العرب transliterated: Baḥr al-'Arab Sanskrit: सिन्धु सागर transliterated: To the east are major rivers like Vainganga, which flow to the south and eventually into the Bay of Bengal.

There are many multi-state irrigation projects in development, including Godavari River Basin Irrigation Projects. The Godavari River has its catchment area in five states of India: Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, The plateau is composed of black basalt soil, rich in humus. Basalt (bəˈsɔːlt ˈbeisɔːlt ˈbæsɔːlt is a common Extrusive Volcanic rock. Humus (Origin 1790–1800 Latin: earth ground) is the organic material in Soil lending it a dark brown or black colouration This soil is well suited for cultivating cotton, and hence is often called black cotton soil.

Protected areas of Maharashtra

Several wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and Project Tiger reserves have been created in Maharashtra, with the aim of conserving the rich bio-diversity of the region. India has over 500 animal sanctuaries, referred to as Wildlife Sanctuaries ( IUCN Category IV Protected Area) Project Tiger is a Wildlife conservation project initiated in India in 1972 to protect the Bengal Tigers It was launched on April 1 As of May 2004, India has 92 national parks, of which 5 are located in Maharashtra. This is a list of all national parks of India. India 's first National park (an IUCN category II Protected area) was established in 1935 A large percentage of Maharashtra's forests and wildlife lie in the Vidarbha region. Vidarbha (Marathi विदर्भ is the eastern region of Maharashtra state made up of Nagpur Division and Amravati Division.

Lions at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, the world's largest national park within city limits

• Chandoli National Park, located in Sangli district has a vast variety of flora and fauna. The Borivali National Park, officially known as the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, is a unique National Park in that it lies within borders of a city Chandoli National Park (reference in Marathi Language an 31767 km² Indian National Park, established in May 2004 earlier a Wildlife Sanctuary declared in The twin cities of Sangli and Miraj are located in the Indian state of Maharashtra, nearly 400 kilometers southeast of Mumbai. The famous Prachitgad Fort and Chandoli dam and scenic water falls can be found around Chandoli National Park.
• Gugamal National Park, also known as Melghat Tiger Reserve is located in Amravati district. Gugamal National Park has an area of 167393 square kilometers This article is about the city in Maharashtra. For ancient town in Andhra Pradesh, see Amravati in Andhra Pradesh, or for other meanings of the word It is 80 km away from Amravati. This article is about the city in Maharashtra. For ancient town in Andhra Pradesh, see Amravati in Andhra Pradesh, or for other meanings of the word
• Navegaon National Park, located near Nagpur in the eastern region of Vidarbha is home to many species of birds, deer, bears and leopards. Navegaon National Park is a National park located in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, India. Vidarbha (Marathi विदर्भ is the eastern region of Maharashtra state made up of Nagpur Division and Amravati Division.
• Pench National Park, in Nagpur district, extends into Madhya Pradesh as well. For Pench National Park in Madhya Pradesh, see Pench National Park Madhya Pradesh. It has now been upgraded into a Tiger project.
• Sanjay Gandhi National Park, also known as Borivali National Park is located in Mumbai and is the world's largest national park within city limits. The Borivali National Park, officially known as the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, is a unique National Park in that it lies within borders of a city The Borivali National Park, officially known as the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, is a unique National Park in that it lies within borders of a city Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial
• Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, a man made wildlife sanctuary situated 30 km from Sangli. Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is a Protected area in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The twin cities of Sangli and Miraj are located in the Indian state of Maharashtra, nearly 400 kilometers southeast of Mumbai. Ancient temples of Lord Shiva and Jain Temple of Parshwanath located in Sagareshwar are a major attraction.
• Tadoba Andhari Tiger Project, a prominent tiger reserve near Chandrapur in Vidarbha. Tadoba Andhari Tiger Project is one of the prominent Tiger reserves in India. Project Tiger is a Wildlife conservation project initiated in India in 1972 to protect the Bengal Tigers It was launched on April 1 It is 40 km away from Chandrapur. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Chandrapur is city and a Municipal council in Chandrapur district in the state of Maharashtra

Apart from these, Maharashtra has 35 wildlife sanctuaries spread all over the state, listed here. The Nagzira (Bhandara district), Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary are the important ones. Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary is a Wildlife sanctuary located in Satara district of the Indian state of Maharashtra.

Apart from the above, Matheran, a Hill station near Mumbai has been declared an eco-sensitive zone (Protected area) by the Government of India. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Matheran is a city and a Municipal council in Raigarh district in the Indian Hill station is a term used for a town usually at somewhat higher elevations Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial

Economy

Main article: Economy of Maharashtra

See also: List of conglomerates in Maharashtra

Nariman Point, in Mumbai, is a prime financial district in Maharashtra

Favourable economic policies in the 1970s led to Maharashtra becoming India's leading industrial state. Industry Maharashtra's is India's leading industrial state contributing 13% of national industrial output This is a list of NSE-indexed conglomerates with corporate offices in Maharashtra. The rupee (रुपया ( code: INR) is the Currency of India. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. Over 41% of the S&P CNX 500 conglomerates have corporate offices in Maharashtra. However, regions within Maharashtra show wide disparity in development. Mumbai, Pune and western Maharashtra are the most advanced. These areas also dominate the politics and bureaucracy of the state. This has led to resentment among backward regions like Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Konkan. Vidarbha (Marathi विदर्भ is the eastern region of Maharashtra state made up of Nagpur Division and Amravati Division. Marathwada (Marathi मराठवाडा is a region of India 's Maharashtra state, which corresponds to Maharashtra's Aurangabad Division The Konkan (Marathi कोकण also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad Maharashtra's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $106 billion in current prices.

In 2007 Maharashtra reported a revenue surplus of INR 810 crore^[7]. A crore is a unit in the Indian numbering system and was formerly a unit in the Persian numbering system still widely used in Bangladesh, India, Maldives Maharastra is second most urbanised state with urban population of 42% of whole population.

The Bombay Stock Exchange, Asia's oldest and India's largest stock exchange

Maharashtra's is India's leading industrial state contributing 13% of national industrial output. The Bombay Stock Exchange Limited (मुंबई शेयर बाज़ार Mumbaī Śeyar Bājār) (formerly The Stock Exchange Mumbai; popularly called Market capitalization/capitalisation (aka market cap, mkt cap or capitalized/capitalised value) is a measurement of Corporate or Economic 64. 14% of the people are employed in agriculture and allied activities. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Almost 46% of the GSDP is contributed by industry. Major industries in Maharashtra include chemical and allied products, electrical and non-electrical machinery, textiles, petroleum and allied products. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Other important industries include metal products, wine, jewellery, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, machine tools, steel and iron castings and plastic wares. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice Jewellery (also spelled jewelry, see spelling differences) is a personal Ornament, such as a necklace ring or bracelet made from Gemstones A drug, broadly speaking is any chemical substance that when absorbed into the body Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products Food crops include mangoes, grapes, bananas, oranges, wheat, rice, jowar, bajra, and pulses. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Mangoes belong to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous species of tropical fruiting Trees in the Flowering plant family Anacardiaceae For the Tokyo University supercomputer see Gravity Pipe. GRAPE, or GRA phics P rogramming E nvironment is For the fruit see Banana. For other meanings see Banana (disambiguation. An orange —specifically the sweet orange —is the Citrus fruit Citrus sinensis ( syn Wheat ( Triticum spp is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Levant area of the Middle East. Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, some of which are raised for grain and many of which are used as Fodder plants either cultivated or as part Pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum) is the most widely grown type of Millet. Pulses are annual leguminous crops yielding from one to twelve Grains or Seeds of variable size shape and color within a Pod, according Cash crops include groundnut, cotton, sugarcane, turmeric, and tobacco. In Agriculture, a cash crop is a crop which is grown for Money. The peanut, or Groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea) is a species in the Legume family Fabaceae native to South America, Mexico Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp Sugarcane ( Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation of tall perennial grasses (family Poaceae tribe Andropogoneae Turmeric ( Curcuma longa) is a Rhizomatous Herbaceous Perennial plant of the Ginger family Zingiberaceae Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. The net irrigated area totals 33,500 square kilometres. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of

Cuffe Parade houses important financial institutions such as the World Trade Center

Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra and the business capital of India, houses the headquarters of almost all major banks, financial institutions, insurance companies and mutual funds in India. Cuffe Parade is an upmarket neighbourhood in South Mumbai. It is in the southern most region of the city just north of Navy Nagar. A mutual fund is a professionally managed type of collective investments that pools money from many investors and Invests it in Stocks bonds, India's largest stock exchange Bombay Stock Exchange, the oldest in Asia, is also located in the city. The Bombay Stock Exchange Limited (मुंबई शेयर बाज़ार Mumbaī Śeyar Bājār) (formerly The Stock Exchange Mumbai; popularly called After successes in the information technology in the neighboring states, Maharashtra has set up software parks in Pune, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Aurangabad, Nagpur and Nasik, Now Maharashtra is the second largest exporter of software with annual exports of Rs 18 000cr (20% of India's software exports). Information technology ( IT) as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA is "the study design development implementation support Pune (ˈpuːneɪ Marathi: पुणे Hindi: पूना formerly Poona, is the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial Navi Mumbai ( Marathi: नवी मुंबई IAST: New Muṃbaī formerly known as New Bombay, is a city on the west coast of the state of Nāgpur ( Marathi: नागपुर is the largest city in central India (2001 Census and the second capital of the state of Maharashtra. http//wwwmapsofindiacom/maps/maharashtra/roads/nashik_roadjpg Nashik (नाशिक

Mumbai is also the centre of India's Hindi film and television industry (Bollywood). Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Bollywood (बॉलीवूड بالی وڈ is the informal term popularly used for the Mumbai -based Hindi-language Film industry in India

Maharashtra ranks first nationwide in coal-based thermal electricity as well as nuclear electricity generation with national market shares of over 13% and 17% respectively. This is a list of States and Union Territories of India by installed capacity of power utilities with generation mode break-up as of 3 April 2006 published by the Ministry of Power Maharashtra is also introducing Jatropha cultivation and has started a project for the identification of suitable sites for Jatropha plantations. Analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Strategic Analysis of the Indian Biofuels Industry, reveals that the market is an emerging one and has a long way to go before it catches ^[8]

Ralegaon Siddhi is a village in Ahmednagar District that is considered a model of environmental conservation. Ralegaon Siddhi (aka Ralegan Shindi is a village in Parner Taluka of Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra, India Ahmednagar district (अहमदनगर in Marathi/Hindi is the largest district of Maharashtra state in western India. See also Natural environment The '''biophysical''' environment is the symbiosis between the physical environment and the Biological Conservation can be confused with Conversation and vice versa ^[9]

Government

The Bombay High Court

Like all states in India, the head of state is the governor, appointed by the Central government. A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government His or her post is largely ceremonial. The Chief Ministers of Maharashtra is the head of government and is vested with most of the executive powers. The following individuals have served as Chief Minister of the Indian state of Maharashtra since its establishment in 1960 This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State Maharashtra's capital is Mumbai, home to the Vidhan Sabha – the state assembly and Mantralaya, the administrative offices of the government. Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial The Vidhan Sabha also known as Legislative Assembly is the lower house of state legislature in India. It is also home to the Bombay High Court which has jurisdiction over Maharashtra, Goa, and the Union Territory of Daman and Diu. History & Premises The Bombay High Court (मुंबई उच्च न्यायालय was inaugurated on August 14, 1862. Daman and Diu ( Gujarati: દમણ અને દિવ Marathi: दमण आणि दीव Portuguese: Damão e Diu is a Union territory The legislature convenes its budget and monsoon sessions in Mumbai, and the winter session in Nagpur, which was designated as the state's auxiliary capital.

Maharashtra's legislature is bicameral, one of the few states in India to have a bicameral type. In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral The Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) is the lower house consisting of directly elected members. The Vidhan Sabha also known as Legislative Assembly is the lower house of state legislature in India. Legislative Assembly is the name given in some countries to either a Legislature, or to one of its chambers. The Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council) is the upper house, whose members are indirectly voted through an electoral college. The Vidhan Parishad also known as Legislative Council forms a part of the state legislatures of India. A Legislative Council is the name given to the legislatures or one of the chambers of the legislature of many nations and colonies An electoral college is a set of many electors who are empowered to elect a candidate to a particular Office. Maharashtra is allocated nineteen seats in the Rajya Sabha and forty-eight in the Lok Sabha, India's national parliament. The Rajya Sabha (meaning the "Council of States" is the Upper house of the Parliament of India. The Lok Sabha (also titled the House of the People, by the Constitution) is the directly elected Lower house of the Parliament of India The Parliament of India (or Sansad) is the federal and supreme Legislative body of India.

After India's independence, most of Maharashtra's political history was dominated by the Congress party. Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. Maharashtra became a bastion of the Congress party producing stalwarts such as Y. B. Chavan, one of its most prominent Chief Ministers. The party enjoyed near unchallenged dominance of the political landscape until 1995 when the right wing Shiv Sena and BJP secured an overwhelming majority in the state to form a coalition. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities Shiv Sena ( Devanāgarī: शिव सेना Śīv Senā, meaning Army of Shiva, referring to Shivaji Bhosle) is a Political party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP (भारतीय जनता पार्टी, Translation: Indian People's Party) founded in 1980 is a major Political A coalition is an alliance among individuals during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own Self-interest. After a split in the Congress party, former chief minister Sharad Pawar formed the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), but formed a coalition with the Congress to keep out the BJP-SS combine. Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar (Marathi शरदचंद्र गोविंदराव पवार (born December 12, 1940) popularly known as The Nationalist Congress Party ( NCP) (राष्ट्रवादी कॉँग्रेस पक्ष is an Indian political party based primarily out The 2004 elections saw the NCP gaining the largest number of seats to become the state's largest party, eroding much of the Shiv Sena's base. Under a pre-poll power sharing agreement, the Chief Minister would be from the Congress while the deputy Chief Minister would be from the NCP. Vilasrao Deshmukh is current CM and R. R. Patil (NCP) is DCM. Vilasrao Dagadojirao Deshmukh (विलासराव dagadojirao देशमुख (born May 26 1945) is the current Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Raosaheb Ramchandra Patil, better known as R R Patil (रा रा

See also: :Category:Political parties in Maharashtra

Revenues of Government

This is a chart of trend of own tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) of the Government of Maharashtra assessed by the Finance Commissions from time to time with figures in millions of Indian Rupees. ^[10]

This is a chart of trend of own non-tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) of the Government of Maharashtra assessed by the Finance Commissions from time to time with figures in millions of Indian Rupees. ^[11]

Demographics

With 42. 4% of its population living in urban areas such as Mumbai, Maharashtra is India's most urbanized state. ^[13]

As per the 2001 census, Maharashtra has a population of 96,752,247 inhabitants making it the second most populous state in India, and the second most populous country subdivision in existence, and third ever after the Russian SFSR of the former Soviet Union. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. This is a list of the most populous first-level administrative country subdivisions in the world in order of Population (estimated 2004) with the top The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Marathi-speaking population of Maharashtra numbers 62,481,681 according to the 2001 census. This is a reflection of the cosmopolitan nature of the state. Only eleven countries of the world have a population greater than Maharashtra. Its density is 322. 5 inhabitants per square kilometre. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of Males constitute 50. 3 million and females, 46. 4 million. Maharashtra's urban population stands at 42. 4%. Its sex ratio is 922 females to 1000 males. 77. 27% of its population is literate, broken into 86. 2% males and 67. 5% females. Its growth rate between 1991-2001 was pegged at 22. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. 57%.

Marathi is the official state language. Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. The Marathi language as is spoken in Pune is considered the defacto standard of spoken Marathi. In Megapolis Bruhan Mumbai, Marathi, English, Hindi and other languages are also spoken. Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is In the northwest portion of Maharashtra, a dialect Ahirani is spoken by a minority. The Khandeshi languages form a small subgroup within the Indo-Aryan languages, wedged between the territory of Bhili and that of Marathi. In south Konkan, a dialect of Konkani known as Malvani is spoken by most of the people. The Konkan (Marathi कोकण also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad Konkani ( Devanāgarī: कोंकणी Roman: Konknni Kannada: ಕೊಂಕಣಿ Malayalam: കൊങ്കണി IAST Malvani also known as "Malwani" is a dialect of Konkani with significant Marathi influences In the Desh region of the Deccan, a dialect called Deshi is spoken, while in Vidarbha, a dialect known as Varhadi is spoken by most of the people. Desh (Marathi देश, derived from the Sanskrit word ( देशः) meaning "country" is a region of Maharashtra state in central Vidarbha (Marathi विदर्भ is the eastern region of Maharashtra state made up of Nagpur Division and Amravati Division.

The state has a Hindu majority of 80. 2% with minorities of Muslims 10. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion 6%, Buddhists 6%, Jains 1. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. 3% and Christians 1%. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Maharashtra has the biggest Jain, Zoroastrian and Jewish populations in India. Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings PLEASE TAKE NOTE************

The Total Fertility Rate in 2001 was 2. 23. Caste Hindus - 2. 09, Muslims - 2. 49, Christians - 1. 41, Jains - 1. 41, Sikh - 1. 57, Buddhist - 2. 24, Others -2. 25, Tribals - 3. 14 and Dalits of all religions - 2. 42 (Hindu Dalits had higher TFR compared to Buddhist Dalits). [1]

Divisions

Divisions of Maharashtra

Main article: Districts of Maharashtra

Maharashtra is divided into thirty-five districts, which are grouped into six divisions: Aurangabad Division, Amravati Division, Konkan Division, Nagpur Division, Nashik Division, and Pune Division. Maharashtra state is made up of 35 districts which are grouped into six divisions A district is an administrative division of a state in India India is divided into twenty-eight states and seven Union territories (UT Marathwada (Marathi मराठवाडा is a region of India 's Maharashtra state, which corresponds to Maharashtra's Aurangabad Division Amravati Division is one of the six divisions of Maharashtra state in India. The Konkan (Marathi कोकण also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad Nagpur Division is one of six administrative divisions of Maharashtra state in India. Nashik Division is one of the six divisions of India 's Maharashtra state Pune Division is one of the six divisions of India 's Maharashtra state These are official revenue divisions of government of Maharashtra.

Geographically, historically and according to political sentiments Maharashtra has five main regions: Vidarbha or Berar (Nagpur and Amravati divisions), Marathwada (Aurangabad Division), Khandesh and Northern Maharashtra (Nashik Division), Desh or Western Maharashtra (Pune Division), and Konkan (Konkan Division). Vidarbha (Marathi विदर्भ is the eastern region of Maharashtra state made up of Nagpur Division and Amravati Division. Marathwada (Marathi मराठवाडा is a region of India 's Maharashtra state, which corresponds to Maharashtra's Aurangabad Division Khandesh (Marathi खानदेश is a region of central India, which forms the northwestern portion of Maharashtra state Desh (Marathi देश, derived from the Sanskrit word ( देशः) meaning "country" is a region of Maharashtra state in central

Principal cities

In contrast to the agrarian economy that characterises India, Maharashtra stands out, with the highest level of urbanisation of all Indian states [2]. The mountainous topography and soil are not as suitable for intensive agriculture as the plains of North India; therefore, the proportion of the urban population (38. 69 per cent) contrasts starkly with the national averageveloping metro and many large towns. Mumbai is the state capital, with a population of approximately 15. 2 million people. The other large cities are Pune, Nasik, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Amravati, Aurangabad and Nagpur.

Mumbai, India's largest city and the capital of Maharashtra

Pune is the second largest city in the state

• Mumbai: Mumbai is the financial and commercial capital of India and is the megapolis capital of Maharashtra. Pune (ˈpuːneɪ Marathi: पुणे Hindi: पूना formerly Poona, is the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial . It has the largest proportion of taxpayers in India and its share markets transact almost 70 per cent of the country’s stocks. Mumbai offers a lifestyle that is rich, cosmopolitan and diverse, with a variety of food, entertainment and nightlife available in a form and abundance comparable to that in world capitals. Mumbai has the best connectivity to the world and within India. No wonder, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSIA) in Mumbai is the biggest and the busiest airport India. Mumbai is India's link to the world of telecommunications and the Internet. VSNL (Now Tata Teleservices) is the terminal point in India for all telephone and internet traffic. Mumbai is India's flagship port destination. Mumbai is home to the Indian Navy's Western Command (INS).

• Pune: Pune, the second largest city in Maharashtra, and also the 7th largest in India, is the state's cultural and heritage capital, with a population of 4. Pune (ˈpuːneɪ Marathi: पुणे Hindi: पूना formerly Poona, is the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra 5 million people. About 170-km from Mumbai by road, Pune was the bastion of the Maratha empire. Under the reign of the Peshwas - key ministers in the Maratha Empire - Pune blossomed into a centre of art and learning. Several far-reaching revenue and judicial reforms were also initiated in the city. Shaniwarwada, Saras baug, Aga Khan Palace, Parvati Temple, Khadakwasla Dam, Sinhgad are the most visited places by tourists in Pune. 'Ganeshotsav', a festival of Lord Ganesh is celebrated in Pune with lot of enthusiasm and worship. Pune is connected to Mumbai by the state of the art Mumbai-Pune Expressway as well is connected to the rest of the country by rail and air. The Mumbai Pune Expressway ( Marathi: मुंबई-पुणे द्रुतगती महामार्ग is India's first six-lane concrete high-speed access Pune also has very important military cantonments as well as the HQ of the Southern Command, the IAF Base at Lohegaon and IAF too.
• Aurangabad: A tourist capital of Maharshtra of more than 1. Aurangabad ( ( औरंगाबाद) from Persian / Urdu اورنگ‌آباد meaning "Built by the Throne" named after Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb 4 million, it is an upcoming industrial hub of Mahrashtra after Pune and Mumbai. Aurangabad is a capital of Marathwada. It is growing rapidly as many projects are coming to Aurangabad. Aurangabad is also know as Beer Capital of India and ranked in fastest growing cities in the World as many Industrial,IT-Software,Pharmacitical,Hospitality,Entertainment,Eduational projects are coming in the city.
• Nashik: One of the holy cities of the Hindu tradition, Nashik lies on the banks of the sacred river Godavari and has a population of about 1. http//wwwmapsofindiacom/maps/maharashtra/roads/nashik_roadjpg Nashik (नाशिक 4 million people. It is believed that Lord Rama, hero of the great Indian epic, the Ramayana, spent a major part of his exile here. Nashik is also a temple town, with over 200 temples.

Navi Mumbai ^[14]

• Navi Mumbai: It is a modern planned city with many Industries around, a new railway terminus, an international airport being constructed here. Navi Mumbai ( Marathi: नवी मुंबई IAST: New Muṃbaī formerly known as New Bombay, is a city on the west coast of the state of Navi Mumbai ( Marathi: नवी मुंबई IAST: New Muṃbaī formerly known as New Bombay, is a city on the west coast of the state of It was initially developed in the 1970s as a counter magnet to reduce urban congestion on Mumbai island. Navi Mumbai is connected to Mumbai at Vashi and Airoli nodes by rail and road by two massive bridges on the Thane creek. Navi Mumbai ( Marathi: नवी मुंबई IAST: New Muṃbaī formerly known as New Bombay, is a city on the west coast of the state of It has a good Highway network. Town planning is done by the Government of Maharashtra agency named CIDCO. The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra or CIDCO is a city planning organization created by the Government of Maharashtra.

• Thane: Thane is a city adjoining Mumbai on the Salsette Island, packed with Mulund in Mumbai on the north east and Thane creek and the Ulhas river on the south. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Thane ( Marathi / Konkani: ठाणे (formerly Thana) is a city in Maharashtra Salsette (साष्टी ( Portuguese: Salsete Marathi: Sashti (साष्टी is an island in Maharashtra state on India 's west Mulund ( Marathi मुलुंड is a north-eastern Suburb of Mumbai, India. Thane Creek is part of the Estuary of the Ulhas river in western India opening into Bombay Harbour. The Ulhas River is a river of western India. It originates near Karjat in the Western Ghats Range and flows westward through Raigad and Its a city with a population of 1. 5 million people and is one of the most developed as well as most urbanized cities in Maharashtra and India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Thane district. Thane (pronounced Thaanai by the locals is a district in northern Maharashtra state in western India. Thane is a major industrial and commercial city with the first industrial estate in Maharashtra the TTC area being established here in the 1960s. Thane is a predominantly Middle class, Marathi speaking and a culturally rich city. The first railway in India ran between Mumbai and Thane in 1853. Thane is also known as the city of Lakes as well as one of the cleanest cities in India.

Nagpur is a prime transport and industrial centre of India

• Nagpur:The erstwhile capital of the CP & Berar and after independence the capital of Madhya Pradesh till 1956. Nāgpur ( Marathi: नागपुर is the largest city in central India (2001 Census and the second capital of the state of Maharashtra. Nagpur is the nerve centre of Vidarbha (eastern Maharashtra), Nagpur - the 'orange city' as it is known - is located in the heart of India, with a population of about 2. 4 million people (2. 1 Million as per census 2001). It is also second administrative capital of Maharashtra. Nagpur is a growing industrial centre and the home of several industries, ranging from food products and chemicals to electrical and transports equipment. An international cargo airport is coming up in Nagpur. The Maintenance Command of Indian Air Force is located in Nagpur. The " Zero Mile Stone" or the geographical centre of India is located in Nagpur. Deekshabhoomi, Sitabardi Fort, Ambazari, Seminary Hills, Dragon Palace Temple, Pench National Park are some of the tourist attractions in and around Nagpur.

• Jalgaon: Jalgaon (जळगाव) is a city in western India, to the north of the Maharashtra state in Jalgaon District, which itself is located on the northern Deccan Plateau. Jalgaon (जळगाव is a city in western India to the north of the Maharashtra state in Jalgaon District, which itself is located on the northern Deccan Located within the productive, irrigated agricultural region of Khandesh, Jalgaon is a municipal corporation. Formerly part of territory controlled by the Holkar family of Maratha rulers, Jalgaon became part of British India's Bombay Presidency in 1818 and part of independent India in 1947. [citation needed] Jalgaon is also the hometown of the Smt. Pratibha Patil, President of India.

• Solapur: A workers place of Maharshtra of more than 1. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Solapur is a city and a Municipal corporation in south eastern Maharashtra, India 6 million,It is growing rapidly as many projects are coming to Solapur.

• Sangli: The 'Turmeric city of India' is the largest trade center for turmeric in the country. The twin cities of Sangli and Miraj are located in the Indian state of Maharashtra, nearly 400 kilometers southeast of Mumbai. Situated on the banks of river [Krishna], Sangli-Miraj twin cities form the largest urban agglomeration in South Maharashtra. Sangli is famous for its grapes and wine park. Miraj is known for Indian classical musical instruments exported all over the world. Ganapati Temple of Sangli and its Ganesh Festival attract tourists from all over India. Sangli houses some renowned engineering and medical institutions. Sangli is now coming up as a major wind power generation hub. Sangli is well known for its sugar factories and dairy farms.

• Kolhapur: Kolhapur city situated in the south west corner of Maharashtra, India. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Kolhapur ( Marathi:कोल्हापूर is a city situated in the south west corner of It is situated on the banks of river Panchganga and provides the location for the Mahalakshmi Temple. The city has strong cultural identity and lends its name to many common terms like Kolhapuri Chappal , Kolhapuri lavangi mirchi, Kolhapuri gur and Kolhapuri cuisine.
  Kolhapur is also known as Kalapur for being home for artists (painters, singers, Marathi cinema etc).

• Amravati: Amravati (also known as Amrawati or Amraoti) is a city in the state of Maharashtra in India. This article is about the city in Maharashtra. For ancient town in Andhra Pradesh, see Amravati in Andhra Pradesh, or for other meanings of the word It is believed to be the city of lord Indra, the king of all gods. It has very historical temples of Goddess Ambadevi and Mahanubhava's Lord ShriKrishna Temple. Amravati is located at 20. 93° N 77. 75° E. [1] It has an average elevation of 343 metres (1125 feet). It lies 156 km (97 miles) west of Nagpur, and serves as the administrative center of Amravati District and of Amravati Division. As with so many other small cities in India, Amravati is growing rapidly in terms of living quality. New flyovers and roads are being built to renovate the city, and other improvements like new traffic signals are underway under IRDP (Integrated Road Development Programme)implemented by government of Maharashtra.

Transport

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, previously Victoria Terminus, is a key railway station

Mumbai Airport is South Asia's largest aviation hub

The Indian Railways covers most of the Maharashtra and is the preferred mode of transport over long distances. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (छत्रपती शिवाजी टरमीनस formerly Victoria Terminus, and better known by its abbreviation CST or Bombay Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport ( Marathi:छ्त्रपती शिवाजी अंतरराष्ट्रीय विमानतळ, formerly Indian Railways (भारतीय रेल Bhāratīya Rail) abbreviated as IR (hi भारे is a Department of the Government of India under the Ministry Mode of transport (or means of transport or transport mode or transport modality or form of transport) is a general term for the different Almost the entire state comes under the Central Railways branch which is headquartered in Mumbai. The Central Railway is one of the largest of the 16 zones of Indian Railways. Most of the coast south of Mumbai comes under the Konkan Railway. The Konkan Railway (Railway SymbolKR is a company of the Indian Railways which operates along the Konkan coast of India. Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation buses, popularly called ST or MSRTC, link most of the towns and villages and have a large network of operation. Maharashtra State Road Transport These buses, run by the state government are the preferred mode of transport for much of its populace. In addition to the government run buses, private run luxury buses are also a popular mode of transport between major towns.

Mumbai has the biggest international airport in India with another coming up at Navi Mumbai. Navi Mumbai ( Marathi: नवी मुंबई IAST: New Muṃbaī formerly known as New Bombay, is a city on the west coast of the state of Pune has a civilian enclave international airport with flights to Dubai and Singapore, with plans on for a brand new greenfield International Airport. Pune (ˈpuːneɪ Marathi: पुणे Hindi: पूना formerly Poona, is the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra Other large cities such as Nagpur and Aurangabad are served by domestic airlines. Nāgpur ( Marathi: नागपुर is the largest city in central India (2001 Census and the second capital of the state of Maharashtra. Aurangabad ( ( औरंगाबाद) from Persian / Urdu اورنگ‌آباد meaning "Built by the Throne" named after Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Ferry services also operate near Mumbai, linking the city to neighbouring coastal towns. Other modes of public transport, such as a seven-seater tempo have gained popularity in semi-urban areas. Maharashtra has a large highway network and recently built the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the first controlled-access toll road project in India. The Mumbai Pune Expressway ( Marathi: मुंबई-पुणे द्रुतगती महामार्ग is India's first six-lane concrete high-speed access A limited-access road or controlled-access road is a Road to which access from adjacent properties is limited in some way A toll road, (also known as a tollway, turnpike, pike, or toll highway, especially if it is constructed to Freeway standards Maharashtra has three major ports at Mumbai (operated by the Mumbai Port Trust), the JNPT lying across the Mumbai harbour in Nhava Sheva, and in Ratnagiri, which handles the export of ores mined in the Maharastra hinterland. Mumbai Harbour (aka Front Bay) is the southern portion of the Ulhas River Estuary, the northern (and narrower part of which is called Thane Creek Jawaharlal Nehru Port (also known as Nhava Sheva) is a Port in Maharashtra, India that borders the Arabian Sea. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Ratnāgiri ( Marathi:रत्नागिरी is a port city on the Arabian Sea coast

Culture

See also: Maharashtrian cuisine and Marathi cinema

Ganesh Chaturthi, a popular festival in the state

Marathi is the language of Maharashtrians. Maharashtrian (or Marathi) cuisine is Cuisine of the Marathi people, those from the state of Maharashtra in India Marathi cinema (मराठी चित्रपट is one of the oldest in regional Indian films industry Ganesha Chaturthi ( IAST: Gaṇeśa Caturthī Devanagari: गणेश चतुर्थी or Ganesha Festival is a day on which Lord Ganesha Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. Maharashtrians take great pride in their language and history, particularly the Maratha Empire, its founder Shivaji is considered a folk hero across India. The Maratha Empire ( Marathi: मराठा साम्राज्य Marāṭhā Sāmrājya; also transliterated Mahratta Shivaji Bhosle, also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhosle ( Marathi: छत्रपती शिवाजीराजे भोसले (Born February India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country About 80% of Maharashtrians are Hindu, and there are significant Muslim, Christian and Buddhist minorities. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices There are many temples in Maharashtra some of them being hundreds of years old. These temples are constructed in a fusion of architectural styles borrowed from North and South India. The temples also blend themes from Hindu, Buddhist and Jain cultures. The temple of Vitthal at Pandharpur is the most important temple for the Varkari sect. Vithoba ( Marathi: Viṭhobā विठोबा) also known as Vitthala ( Sanskrit: Viṭṭhala विठ्ठल Kannada: Viṭṭala WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Pandharpur is an important pilgrimage city on the Bhimā river in Solāpur district, Other important religious places are the Ashtavinayaka temples of Lord Ganesha, Bhimashankar which is one of the Jyotirling (12 important shiva temples). Ashtavinayaka (अष्टविनायक literally means "eight Ganeshas " in Sanskrit. Ganesha ( Sanskrit: sa गणेश Gaṇeśa) also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh and also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar Ajanta and Ellora caves near Aurangabad are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and famous tourist attractions. Ellora ( Marathi: Verul is an archaeological site 30 km (186 miles from the city of Aurangabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra Aurangabad ( ( औरंगाबाद) from Persian / Urdu اورنگ‌آباد meaning "Built by the Throne" named after Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Mughal architecture can be seen is the tomb of the wife of Aurangzeb called Bibi Ka Maqbara located at Aurangabad. Aurangzeb ( (full title Al-Sultan al-Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram Abul Muzaffar Muhiuddin Muhammad Aurangzeb Bahadur Alamgir I Padshah Ghazi) ( November 4, Bibi Ka Maqbara was built by Prince Azam Shah, son of Emperor Aurangzeb, in the late 17th century as a loving tribute to his mother Dilras Bano Begam Aurangabad ( ( औरंगाबाद) from Persian / Urdu اورنگ‌آباد meaning "Built by the Throne" named after Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb In 1708, the year following the death of Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Singh the tenth spiritual leader of the Sikhs came over to Nanded, his permanent abode. He proclaimed himself the last living Guru and established the Guru Granth Sahib as the eternal Guru of the Sikhs. This elevates the reverence of Granth to that of a living Guru. A monument has been constructed at place where he breathed his last. Maharaja Ranjit Singh's endowment saw the construction of a beautiful Gurudwara at Nanded around 1835 AD. The Gurudwara features an imposing golden dome with intricate carvings and a breathtakingly beautiful artwork. It is known as Shri Huzur Abchalnagar Sachkhand Gurudwara

Maharashtra has a large number of hill, land and sea forts. Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for Forts have played an important role in the history of Maharashtra since the time of the Peshwas. Some of the important forts in Maharashtra are Raigad, Vijaydurg, Pratapgad, Sinhagad. Majority of the forts in Maharashtra are found along the costal region of Konkan.

Marathi Hindus revere Bhakti saints of all castes, such as Dnyaneshwar (Brahmin), Tukaram (Moray Shudra), Namdev (Chhimba Shudra), and Chokhamela (Mahar). Bhakti ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion. Sant Jñāneshwar / Sant Dnyāneshwar (1275-1296 ( ज्ञानेश्वर in Marathi) (also known as Jñanadeva - ज्ञानदेव Tukārām was a prominent Marathi Sant and religious poet in the Hindu tradition in India. Nāmdev ( Nām Dev or Sant Nāmdev) (c1270-c1350 CE was a prominent religious poet of Maharashtra, India in the Hindu tradition Chokhamela was a Saint in Maharashtra, India in the 14th century The Mahars are an important Social group within the Indian state of Maharashtra state and surrounding states

There were several other Harijan saints of Maharastra. Dalit is a self designation for group of people of South Asian descent who were traditionally regarded as untouchables or low Caste. They are Sant Banka Mahar, Sant Bhagu, Sant Damajipanth, Sant Kanhopatra, Sant Karmamelam, Sant Nirmala, Sant Sadna, Sant Sakhubai, Sant Satyakam Jabali, Sant Soyarabai. Other important devotees are Namdev Mahar, devotee of Shirdi Sai Baba, lived in Kharagpur^[15] and Bhagubai, the wife of Namdev Mahar, devotee of Sai. Sai Baba of Shirdi (d October 15, 1918) also known as Shirdi Sai Baba was an Indian Guru, Yogi and Fakir

In modern times Nisargadatta Maharaj, a Shudra and bidi-seller, became a Hindu saint of major influence in India. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (birth name Maruti Shivrampant Kambli ( April 17, 1897 – September 8, 1981) was an Indian

Popular forms of God are Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna and Lord Ganesh. Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism Ganesha ( Sanskrit: sa गणेश Gaṇeśa) also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh and also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar

Lord Shiva's devotion is celebrated by taking part in Maha Shivaratri (Night of Shiva) festival. Maha Shivratri or Maha Sivaratri or Shivaratri or Sivaratri ( Night of Shiva or "Great Night of Shiva" is a Hindu festival celebrated every year on In modern times, the Elephanta island in Mumbai, Lord's Shiva island in local mythology, originated the Elephant Festival. Lord Krishna's devotion are celebrated in the state-wide Gokul Ashtami (or Krishna Janmashtami, Krishna's birthday) whereby many devotees fast on the entire day until midnight. Krishna Janmashtami ( Devanagari कृष्ण जन्माष्टमी, also known as "Krishnashtami","Saatam Aatham"," Gokulashtami Lord Ganesh's devotion is celebrated by Ganesh Chaturthi (Ganesh's birthday) in August. Ganesha Chaturthi ( IAST: Gaṇeśa Caturthī Devanagari: गणेश चतुर्थी or Ganesha Festival is a day on which Lord Ganesha

Entertainment

Bollywood is based in Mumbai

Maharashtra like other states of India has its own folk music. Bollywood (बॉलीवूड بالی وڈ is the informal term popularly used for the Mumbai -based Hindi-language Film industry in India Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The folk music viz. Gondhal Lavani, Bharud, Powada, stand popular especially in rural areas, while the common form of music favored in urban areas is from the Hindi and Marathi Film Industry. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India.

Like its rich folk culture Maharashtra has equally rich Literature. The earliest instances of Marathi literature is by Sant Jnyaneshwar with his Bhawarthadeepika (popularly known as Jnyaneshwari). The Dnyaaneshwari (or Jñaneshwari is the commentary on Bhagavad Gita written by Marathi saint and poet Dnyaneshwar during the 13th century The compositions done during this period are spiritually inclined. The other compositions are by Sant Tukaram, Sant Namdev, Sant Gora Kumbhar. Tukārām was a prominent Marathi Sant and religious poet in the Hindu tradition in India. Nāmdev ( Nām Dev or Sant Nāmdev) (c1270-c1350 CE was a prominent religious poet of Maharashtra, India in the Hindu tradition The compositions are mostly in poetic form, which are called as Bhajans. These bhajans by saints are popular and part of day to day life. The Modern Marathi literature has been enriched by famous poets and authors like P. L. Deshpande, Kusumagraj, Prahlad Keshav Atre, Vyankatesh Madgulkar. Purushottam Laxman Deshpande (पुरुषोत्तम लक्ष्मण देशपांडे (8 November 1918 &ndash 12 June 2000 was a Marathi writer Vishnu Vāman Shirwādkar (विष्णु वामन शिरवाडकर ( February 27 1912 - March 10 1999) popularly known by his Prahlād Keshav Atre ( 13 August 1898 - 13 June 1969) popularly known as Āchārya This literature has been passed on to the next generations through the medium of large number of books that are published every year in Marathi.

The world famous Film industry Bollywood is in Maharashtra located in the economic capital of India Mumbai. Bollywood (बॉलीवूड بالی وڈ is the informal term popularly used for the Mumbai -based Hindi-language Film industry in India India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial The Marathi film industry was once placed in Kolhapur but now is spread out through Mumbai too. Marathi cinema (मराठी चित्रपट is one of the oldest in regional Indian films industry WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Kolhapur ( Marathi:कोल्हापूर is a city situated in the south west corner of Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial The pioneer of Indian movie industry, Bharat Ratna Shri Dadasaheb Phalke, producer & director V. Shantaram, B. Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke (Marathi दादासाहेब फाळके ( April 30, 1870 - February 16 V Shantaram, renowned Indian producer-director-actor most known for his films like Dr R. Chopra, Shakti Samanta, Raj Kapoor, form a few names of the Hindi Film fraternity, while writer, director, and actor P. L. Deshpande, actor Ashok Saraf, actor Laxmikant Berde, actor & producer, Sachin Pilgaonkar, Mahesh Kothare belong to the Marathi Film Industry. Shakti Samanta (শক্তি সামন্ত (born January 13, 1926 in Burdwan, West Bengal, British India) is an Indian director Ranbirraj Kapoor 'The Show-man' ( Hindi: राज कपूर Rāj Kapūr December 14, 1924 - June 2, 1988) was an Indian Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Purushottam Laxman Deshpande (पुरुषोत्तम लक्ष्मण देशपांडे (8 November 1918 &ndash 12 June 2000 was a Marathi writer Ashok Saraf (born January 1) is an Indian actor and Comedian. Laxmikant Berde ( November 3, 1954 – December 16, 2004; Mumbai) was an Indian comic actor who acted in many Marathi Sachin Pilgaonkar ( Marathi: सचिन पिळगांवकर often known by his first name as just Sachin, is an Indian movie and TV actor as well Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. The early period of Marathi theatre was dominated by playwrights like Kolhatkar, Khadilkar, Deval, Gadkari and Kirloskar who enriched the Marathi theatre for about half a century with excellent musical plays known as Sangeet Naatak. Deval is the name of a French family which has produced a dynasty of French jeunes de langues, Dragomans and consuls. The Kirloskar Group (consisting of Kirloskar Brothers Limited, Kirloskar Oil Engines Kirloskar Ferrous Industries Kirloskar Pneumatic Company Kirloskar Ebara Pumps The genre of music used in such plays known as Natyasangeet. It is during this era of the Marathi theatre that great singer actors like Bal Gandharva, Keshavrao Bhosle, Bhaurao Kolhatkar, Deenanath Mangeshkar thrived. Narayan Shripad Rajhans (नारायण श्रीपाद राजहंस better known as Bal Gandharva (1888 - 1967 was an Marathi singer and stage Dinanath Mangeshkar ( Devanagari: दीनानाथ मंगेशकर) ( December 29, 1900 - April 24, 1942) was a

Some of the popular Marathi television channels are Star Majha, Zee Talkies, Zee Chovis Taas, Mi Marathi, DD Sahyadri, Zee Marathi, ETV Marathi, which host shows ranging from soap operas, cooking and travel to political satire and game shows. Marathi Language Television Industry started in India in 1984. Star Majha (स्टार माझा is a 24-hour Free-to-air Marathi news channel broadcasted in India. Zee Talkies is a Marathi television channel broadcasting movies by Zee Entertainment. Mi Marathi/Mee Marathi is an entertainment channel owned by Shri Adhikari Brothers in Marathi language Zee Marathi ( Marathi:झी मराठी is India -based Satellite television channel which carries broadcasts in Marathi. ETV Marathi is a popular Marathi -language television channel

The cuisine of Maharashtra varies according to the region of Maharashtra. The people of the Konkan region have a chiefly rice based diet with fish being a major component, due the close proximity to the sea. The Konkan (Marathi कोकण also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad In eastern Maharashtra, the diet is based more on Wheat, Jowar and Bajra. Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, some of which are raised for grain and many of which are used as Fodder plants either cultivated or as part Pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum) is the most widely grown type of Millet. Puran Poli (पुरण पोळी), Bakarwadi, plain simple Varan Bhat(dish cooked with plain rice and curry), Modak are few dishes to name. Puran poli ( Marathi & Konkani: पुरणपोळी, Gujarati: Poli, Tamil: போளி Poli, Kannada: Rice and curry is the De facto national dish of Sri Lanka, and as a generic term for how curry is served in parts of India & South Asia Chicken and Mutton are also widely used for a variety of cuisines. Kolhapuri Mutton is famous dish for its peculiar spicy nature.

Women traditionally wear a nine yard or five yard sari and men a dhoti or pajama with a shirt. The pancha in Telugu, called dhoti or doti in Hindi, Laacha in Punjabi, Mundu in Malayalam Kids in pajamasjpg|thumb| Boys in pyjamas]] Pajamas or pyjamas (see also spelling differences) is a word with several different related meanings in This, however, is changing with women in urban Maharashtra wearing Punjabi dresses, consisting of a Salwar and a Kurta while men wear trousers and a shirt. Salwar kameez ( also spelled shalwar kameez or shalwar qameez) is a traditional dress worn by both women and men in Southern Asia. Salwar kameez ( also spelled shalwar kameez or shalwar qameez) is a traditional dress worn by both women and men in Southern Asia. A kurta ( Persian / Urdu: کرتا, Hindi: कुरता কুর্তা also called a panjabi in Bengali (or kurti

The Cricket craze can be seen through out Maharashtra, as it is the most widely followed and played sport. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Kabaddi, Hockey are also played with fervor. Kabaddi (sometimes written Kabbadi or Kabadi) (கபடி otherwise known as சடுகுடுకబడ్డీ ਕਬੱਡੀ कबड्डी कबड्डीکبڈی Hockey is any of a family of Sports in which two teams compete by trying to maneuver a Ball, or a hard round rubber or heavy plastic disc called a puck Children’s games include Viti-Dandu (Gilli-danda in Hindi) and Pakada-pakadi (Tag). Gilli-danda ( Devanagari: गिल्ली डण्डा or gulli-danda or Guli Danda is an Amateur sport, similar to Cricket Gilli-danda ( Devanagari: गिल्ली डण्डा or gulli-danda or Guli Danda is an Amateur sport, similar to Cricket Tag (also known as it, had, he, tips, tig, touch, tiggy, tick, dobby, chasing Tag (also known as it, had, he, tips, tig, touch, tiggy, tick, dobby, chasing

Hindus in Maharashtra follow the Saka era calendar. The Shalivahana era, also known as the Saka era, is used with Hindu calendars the Indian national calendar, and the Cambodian Buddhist calendar The word Calendar consist of two words 1 Cal ( in Pashto means Year in Hindi and Persian is Sal- also means Year Gudi Padwa, Diwali, Rangapanchami, Gokulashtami and Ganeshotsav are some of the festivals that are celebrated in Maharashtra. Gudhi Padwa (Devnagari गुढीपाडवा is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month and is celebrated as New Year's Day by Maharashtrians Diwali, or Deepavali, (also called Tihar and Swanti in Nepal (Markiscarali is a major Indian and Nepalese festival and a significant Holi ( or language|Bhojpuri]] also called the Festival of Colours, is a popular Hindu spring Festival observed in India, Krishna Janmashtami ( Devanagari कृष्ण जन्माष्टमी, also known as "Krishnashtami","Saatam Aatham"," Gokulashtami Ganeshotsav is an annual Hindu festival It is generally celebrated from Ganesh Chaturthi to Anant Chaturdashi. Ganeshotsav is the biggest festival of Maharashtra which is celebrated with much reverence and festivity throughout the state and has since some time become popular all over the country. Ganeshotsav is an annual Hindu festival It is generally celebrated from Ganesh Chaturthi to Anant Chaturdashi. The festival which continues over ten days is in honour of Ganesha the God of learning and knowledge. Ganesha ( Sanskrit: sa गणेश Gaṇeśa) also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh and also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar A large number of people walk hundreds of kilometers to Pandharpur for the annual pilgrimage in the month of Ashadh. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Pandharpur is an important pilgrimage city on the Bhimā river in Solāpur district,

References

See also

• Districts of Maharashtra
• Geography of Maharashtra
• Western Ghats of Maharashtra
• History of Maharashtra
• Timeline of Maharashtra history
• Marathas
• Maratha Empire
• Dhangars
• Marathi
• Wikipedia in Marathi language
• Marathi people
• Marathi cinema
• Maharashtrian cuisine
• Tourism in Maharashtra
• Social Reform Movement in Maharashtra
• List of conglomerates in Maharashtra
• Freshwater ecology of Maharashtra

External links

• Government of Maharashtra
• Marathi Language Web Portal
• Public Works Department Maharashtra State Official Website
• Maharashtra travel guide from Wikitravel