HOME WEB NEWS IMAGES CLASSIFIEDS YELLOW PAGESPOLLS - SURVEYS WIKI COUNTRIES PHOTOS US UK INDIA
Cities Stocks Weather Movies Coupons Travel Blogs Health Horoscope Maps ASIA EUROPE Classifieds Yellow Pages
|
|
Maharashtra (Marathi: महाराष्ट्र mahārāṣṭra, IPA [məharaːʂʈrə] \') is India\'s third largest state in area and second largest in population after Uttar Pradesh. It is located in western India and is bordered by the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa and the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The Arabian Sea makes up the state\'s western coast. Mumbai, India\'s most populous city, is the capital of Maharashtra. The people are generally referred to as Marathis, Maharashtrains.
Contributing 15% of the country\'s industrial output and 12% of its GDP, Maharashtra is India\'s most developed state.http://www.worldbank.org.in/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/INDIAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20951183~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:295584,00.html
Contents |
The name Maharashtra first appeared in a 7th century inscription and in the account of a Chinese traveler, Hiuen-Tsang.
In 90 A.D. VedishriAn inscription at Naneghat describes Vedishri as a very brave king and the lord of Dakshinapatha (Deccan). Mirashi, Studies in Indology, vol. I, p. 76 f.], 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. 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.MAHARASHTRA TOURISM, The Official Website of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, Govt. of India
In 17th Century, the Marathas rose under leadership of Shivaji Raje Bhosale against the Mughals who were ruling a large part of India. He is thus regarded as the father of the Maratha state.
After Indian independence, in 1960 a separate Maharashtra state was carved out from Bombay presidency and Central provinces. The principal language of the state is Marathi.
Ajanta & Ellora caves.
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. 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 (modern Bihar) empire, ruled by emperor Ashoka. 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.
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 Satavahana\'s official language was Maharashtri, which later developed into Marathi. 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. 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. During this period, development of arts, religion and technology flourished. Later, in 753 C.E., the region was governed by the Rashtrakutas, an empire that spread over most of India. In 973 C.E., the Chalukyas of Badami expelled the Rashtrakutas, and ruled parts of Maharashtra until 1189 when the region came under the Yadavas of Deogiri.
Haji Ali is a famous Islamic site in Maharashtra
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. After the collapse of the Tughlaqs in 1347, the Bahmani Sultanate of Gulbarga took over, governing the region for the next 150 years. 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.
By the early seventeenth century the Maratha Empire began to take root. 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 constantly battled with the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and Adil Shah of Vijapur. 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 became the ruler of the Maratha kingdom in 1680. He Chhatrapatti Sambhaji Bhosale was captured by Aurangzeb.
Rajaram\'s nephew & Sambhaji\'s son, Shahu Bhosale declared himself to be the legitimate heir to the Bhosale throne. 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 Peshwas, Balaji Vishwanath and his son, Baji Rao I, bureaucratized the Maratha state. They systematized 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). 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, which controlled a fleet of vessels based in Kolaba and other centres of the west coast. These ships posed a threat not only to the new English settlement of Bombay, but to the Portuguese at Goa, Bassein, and Daman.
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. Gwalior was given to Scindia/Shinde, Indore to Holkar, Baroda to Gaekwad and Dhar to Pawar.
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.
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.
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 Bombay High Court is a historic example of British colonial architecture in Mumbai
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. A number of the Maratha states persisted as princely states, retaining local autonomy in return for acknowledging British sovereignty. 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. 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. A large part of present day Maharashtra called Marathwada remained part of the Nizam\'s Hyderabad state during British rule. 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. In 1942, the Quit India Movement was called by Mahatma Gandhi which was marked by a non-violent civil disobedience movement and strikes.
The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay in December 1911.
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. 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). On May 1, 1960, Maharashtra came into existence when Bombay Presidency State was split into the new linguistic states of Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Maharashtra lies in the tropical zone
Maharashtra encompasses an area of 308,000 km² (119,000 mi²), and is the third largest state in India. 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. The state of Gujarat lies to the northwest, with the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli sandwiched in between. The Arabian Sea makes up Maharashtra\'s west coast.
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). To the west of these hills lie the Konkan coastal plains, 50–80 kilometres in width. 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.
Konkan
The Ghats are also the source of numerous small rivers which flow westwards, emptying into the Arabian Sea. 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 plateau is composed of black basalt soil, rich in humus. This soil is well suited for cultivating cotton, and hence is often called black cotton soil.
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. As of May 2004, India has 92 national parks, of which 5 are located in Maharashtra. A large percentage of Maharashtra\'s forests and wildlife lie in the Vidarbha region.
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.
Apart from the above, Matheran, a Hill station near Mumbai has been declared an eco-sensitive zone (Protected area) by the Government of India.
| Year | Gross Domestic Product (millions of INR) |
|---|---|
| 1980 | 166,310 |
| 1985 | 296,160 |
| 1990 | 644,330 |
| 1995 | 1,578,180 |
| 2000 | 2,386,720 |
The Bandra-Kurla Complex, a modern business district, is one of numerous special economic zones
Favourable economic policies in the 1970s led to Maharashtra becoming India\'s leading industrial state. However, regions within Maharashtra show wide disparity in development. Apart from 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. There was a movement in Vidarbha to separate from Maharashtra and become a separate state largely owing to lack of development and perceived sense of injustice.
Maharashtra\'s gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $106 billion in current prices. Maharastra is second most urbanised state with urban population of 42% of whole population.
Maharashtra\'s is India\'s leading industrial state contributing 13% of national industrial output. 64.14% of the people are employed in agriculture and allied activities. 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. Other important industries include metal products, wine, jewellery, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, machine tools, steel and iron castings and plastic wares. Food crops include mangoes, grapes, bananas, oranges, wheat, rice, jowar, bajra, and pulses. Cash crops include groundnut, cotton, sugarcane, turmeric, and tobacco. The net irrigated area totals 33,500 square kilometres.
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. India\'s largest stock exchange Bombay Stock Exchange, the oldest in Asia, is also located in the city. 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).
Mumbai is also the centre of India\'s Hindi film and television industry (Bollywood).
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.
Maharashtra is also introducing Jatropha cultivation and has started a project for the identification of suitable sites for Jatropha plantations.Identification of suitable sites for Jatropha plantation in Maharashtra using remote sensing and GIS. University of Pune. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
Ralegaon Siddhi is a village in Ahmednagar District that is considered a model of environmental conservation.A model Indian village- Ralegaon Siddhi. Retrieved on 2006-10-30.
Over 41% of the S&P CNX 500 conglomerates have corporate offices in Maharashtra.
The Bombay High Court
Like all states in India, the head of state is the governor, appointed by the Central 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. Maharashtra\'s capital is Mumbai, home to the Vidhan Sabha – the state assembly and Mantralaya, the administrative offices of the government. It is also home to the Bombay High Court which has jurisdiction over Maharashtra, Goa, and the Union Territory of Daman and Diu. 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. The Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) is the lower house consisting of directly elected members. The Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council) is the upper house, whose members are indirectly voted through an electoral college. Maharashtra is allocated nineteen seats in the Rajya Sabha and forty-eight in the Lok Sabha, India\'s national parliament.
After India\'s independence, most of Maharashtra\'s political history was dominated by the Congress party. 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. 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. 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.
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.Twelfth Finance Commission. Finance Commission of India. Retrieved on 2006-09-19.
| Year | Own Tax Revenues |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 198,821 |
| 2005 | 332,476 |
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.Twelfth Finance Commission. Finance Commission of India. Retrieved on 2006-09-19.
| Year | Own Non-tax Revenues |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 26,030 |
| 2005 | 30,536 |
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. 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. 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 22.57%.
Marathi is the official state language. 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. In the northwest portion of Maharashtra, a dialect Ahirani is spoken by a minority. In south Konkan, a dialect of Konkani known as Malvani is spoken by most of the people. 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.
The state has a Hindu majority of 80.2% with minorities of Muslims 10.6%, Buddhists 6%, Jains 1.3% and Christians 1%. Maharashtra has the biggest Jain, Zoroastrian and Jewish populations in India.
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]
It should be noted that about 76% of Hindus of Maharashtra speak Marathi while the rest speak Hindi, Gujarati and other languages. About one half of the Muslim population speak Marathi while the rest speak Urdu, Gujarati and other languages. Almost all of the Buddhist, Jewish and Christian population of Maharashtra speak Marathi. Most of the non-Marathi/non-Konkani speaking people are based in Mumbai and other urban areas.
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. 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).
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 12.0 million people. The other large cities are Pune, Nasik, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Amravati, Aurangabad and Nagpur.
The Victoria Terminus is a key railway station
Mumbai Airport is India\'s largest aviation hub
The Indian Railways covers most of the Maharashtra and is the preferred mode of transport over long distances. Almost the entire state comes under the Central Railways branch which is headquartered in Mumbai. Most of the coast south of Mumbai comes under the Konkan Railway. 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. 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. Pune has a civilian enclave international airport with flights to Dubai and Singapore, with plans on for a brand new greenfield International Airport. Other large cities such as Nagpur and Aurangabad are served by domestic airlines. 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. 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.
Marathi is the language of Maharashtrians. Maharashtrians take great pride in their language and history, particularly the Maratha Empire, its founder Shivaji is considered a folk hero across India. About 80% of Maharashtrians are Hindu, and there are significant Muslim, Christian and Buddhist minorities. 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. Other important religious places are the Ashtavinayaka temples of Lord Ganesha, Bhimashankar which is one of the Jyotirling (12 important shiva temples). Ajanta and Ellora caves near Aurangabad are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and famous tourist attractions. Mughal architecture can be seen is the tomb of the wife of Aurangzeb called Bibi Ka Maqbara located at Aurangabad. 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. Forts have played an important role in the history of Maharashtra.
Maharashtra like other states of India has its own folk music. 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.
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 compositions done during this period are spiritually inclined.The other compositions are by Sant Tukaram, Sant Namdev, Sant Gora Kumbhar. 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. 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 Maharatstra located in the economic capital of India Mumbai. The Marathi film industry was once placed in Kolhapur but now is spread out through Mumbai too. The pioneer of Indian movie industry, Bharat Ratna Shri Dadasaheb Phalke, producer & director V. Shantaram, B.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. 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. 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.
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.
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. In eastern Maharashtra, the diet is based more on Wheat, Jowar and Bajra. Puran Poli (पुरण पोळी), Bakarwadi, plain simple Varan Bhat(dish cooked with plain rice and curry), Modak are few dishes to name. 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. 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.
The Cricket craze can be seen through out Maharashtra, as it is the most widely followed and played sport. Kabaddi, Hockey are also played with fervor. Children’s games include Viti-Dandu (Gilli-danda in Hindi) and Pakada-pakadi (Tag).
Hindus in Maharashtra follow the Saka era calendar. Gudi Padwa, Diwali, Rangapanchami, Gokulashtami and Ganeshotsav are some of the festivals that are celebrated in Maharashtra. 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. The festival which continues over ten days is in honour of Ganesha the God of learning and knowledge. A large number of people walk hundreds of kilometers to Pandharpur for the annual pilgrimage in the month of Ashadh.
| Topics related to the Marathi language |
|---|
| Grammar • Phonology • Devanagari script • Modi script • Literature • Poetry • Samyukta Maharashtra Movement • Maharashtra State • Marathi Wikipedia |
| | Maharashtra Portal |
| State of Maharashtra | |
|---|---|
| Topics | History - Geography - Economy - Tourism - Marathi language Marathi people - Marathi literature - Marathi cinema - Maharashtrian cuisine |
| Regions | Desh • Khandesh • Konkan • Marathwada • Vidarbha |
| Districts | Ahmednagar • Akola • Amravati • Aurangabad • Beed • Bhandara • Buldana • Chandrapur • Dhule • Gadchiroli • Gondia • Hingoli • Jalgaon • Jalna • Kolhapur • Latur • Mumbai (City) • Mumbai (Suburban) • Nagpur • Nanded • Nandurbar • Nashik • Osmanabad • Parbhani • Pune • Raigad • Ratnagiri • Sangli • Satara • Sindhudurg • Solapur • Thane • Wardha • Washim • Yavatmal |
| Major cities | Amravati • Aurangabad • Jalgaon • Kolhapur • Mumbai • Navi Mumbai • Nagpur • Nashik • Pune • Solapur• Thane |
| Mumbai Metropolitan Region MMRDA | Mumbai • Navi Mumbai • Thane |
| States and territories of India | ||
|---|---|---|
| States | Andhra Pradesh · Arunachal Pradesh · Assam · Bihar · Chhattisgarh · Goa · Gujarat · Haryana · Himachal Pradesh · Jammu and Kashmir · Jharkhand · Karnataka · Kerala · Madhya Pradesh · Maharashtra · Manipur · Meghalaya · Mizoram · Nagaland · Orissa · Punjab · Rajasthan · Sikkim · Tamil Nadu · Tripura · Uttar Pradesh · Uttarakhand · West Bengal |  |
| Union territories | Andaman and Nicobar Islands · Chandigarh · Dadra and Nagar Haveli · National Capital Territory of Delhi · Daman and Diu · Lakshadweep · Puducherry | |
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia
