MAHARASHTRA
The land of rocks: Maharashtra.
General Information:
Area: 3, 07,713 Sq. Km
Language: Marathi, English, Hindi
Best time to visit: September to March
Capital City: Mumbai
Airports: Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad, Nagpur.
Location:
The third largest state of India, Maharashtra occupies a substantial portion of the Deccan plateau in the western part of the sub – continent. Maharashtra is bounded by the Arabian Sea in the west, in the North-west by Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh on the North and East, Andhra Pradesh on the South-east, Karnataka on the South-west and Goa in the south. It is largely divided in three parts; the western Maharashtra or the Konkan, the Vidarbha and the Marathwada.
Climate:
The coastal areas of Maharashtra receive heavy rainfall during the monsoon. The temperature here in monsoon varies between 26 to 32 degree centigrade. The interior Maharashtra is hot with maximum of 30 to 40 degree centigrade in the summers and 15 to 28 degree centigrade during winters.
About Maharashtra:
Maharashtra enters recorded history in the 2nd BC, with the construction of its first Buddhist caves. Though the references to the Vidarbha area are found in the great epic of Mahabharata, the first record on paper is that of the Chinese traveler, Xuan Zhuang of the 8th century A.D.
Maharashtra was an important state in the Mauryan kingdom till the 13th century and then was ruled by Hindu kings for many years till the Mughals came in. It was Shivaji, who united the robust villagers of the mountains and brought back self rule and established the Maratha kingdom. A large area of the Maharashtra state rests on high plateau, historically the main centre of the Maratha Empire, which successfully defied the might of the Mughals under the fearless rule of Shivaji, who is still an immortal legend here. Later the administrators of the Maratha kingdom, the Peshwas, brought glory to the land till they were defeated by the British. After independence the present state of Maharashtra was created in 1960, from the Marathi-speaking regions of what was previously Bombay State.
The state is known as “dagadacha desh”, or Land of Rocks, because of its forts, temples, caves, the Sahyadri mountain range and more so for the winning spirit and the toughness of the people here. Maharashtra with its diverse geographical features provides a range of attraction for the tourists. From serene sea beaches to rugged mountains, historical forts and legendary temples, ancient caves to the commercial capital of Mumbai.
The religious amalgamation of India is prominently visible in Maharashtra with people from various regions and of various religions came to settle here and formed a culture of their own.
Maharashtra, the name means a great country. Actually it has been derived from the word Maharathi, the great chariot drivers. Today, Maharashtra is a huge storehouse of timeless art and culture, which has been reflected through its, strong forts like the Raigad and the Simhagad, mystic caves like Ajanta, Ellora and the Elephanta, and religious places of worship, each having a legend behind it.
Apart from Marathi, English and Hindi, Gujarati and Konkani are also widely spoken in the state. Saints and philosophers have lived here. Arts and crafts have flourished here under various rulers in the forms of Paithani saris, Himru shawls, and lacquered objects. The traditional and the folk art like the Warli paintings, theatre, folk dance Tamasha are widely practiced here.
Maharashtra is one of the most industrialized states of the country. With Mumbai being its capital it has become the commercial capital. With other businesses that Mumbai has, it also boasts of producing most films than any other country in the world.
Vindhya and Satpura ranges running east to west in parallel formations traverse almost the entire peninsular India. Parallel across the Western coast are the Sahyadri Mountains. The Eastern coast is also lined with a hill system, irregular though, called Eastern Ghats. Each mountain system is dotted with hundreds of exotic beauty spots made easily accessible and equipped with modern amenities. There are skiing resorts in the Himalayas. Well planned mountaineering treks and river fording sports are also available in Himalayas and elsewhere. Each mountain range has its own peculiar majesty, grandeur and specific geological character. The forests, mostly sub-tropical and some of them perennial, harbour a variety of wild life. There are scores of wild life and bird sanctuaries which provide an exciting glimpse of the jungle world.
Proximity of Sahyadri has created numerous beautiful gorges, fiords, creeks and lagoons shaded by perennial green cover along the Arabian Sea coast particularly in Kerala, Goa and Konkan region of Maharashtra. These provide blissful coves of retreat known for their serene beauty. And the long pristine beaches along the Arabian Sea and also the Bay of Bengal - India has a 7,516 km.-long coastline - provide haven for sun-bathers and lovers of all kinds of water sports. At several places along the backwaters of Kerala traditional rowing tournaments, complete with colourful festivities, fetch rowing buffs and spectators in large numbers.
Down from the snow-topped Himalayas and across the fertile plains of Punjab stretch the undulating sandy deserts of Rajasthan, stark and hot, bereft of greenery and yet known for a riotous celebration of colours. As if to compensate for the nature's chicanery, the people of Rajasthan have created their own world of beautiful colours - the rich textiles, the turbans of men and the flowing ghagaras of women, ornamental embroidery, exquisite jewellery, the huts, the houses and the princely mansions. It is said that every village housewife, every child of Rajasthan is a born artiste endowed with a talent for brush and colour. Miniature paintings of Rajasthan School have admirers across the world. The exotic cities of Rajasthan, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bikaner known for their harmonious architecture and a superb blend of colours offer a feast to the discerning eye.
But the vibrancy of folk art, colour, folk dance and music is not confined to Rajasthan. It manifests in the harsh terrain of Ladakh, in the colourful life styles of the north-eastern tribes of Arunachal, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura and in the tribal belts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Maharashtra. The traditional village fairs, whether in tribal habitats or agricultural villages of the plains, express the quintessential spirit of rural India. A fair is a veritable riot of sound and music, fun and games, feast of local delicacies, songs and dances and a market of astoundingly colourful local handicrafts. A heartening glimpse of a robust and vigorous India of indomitable hope. There are over 700,000 villages in India and thousands of fairs are held annually. Some of these have earned a reputation attracting visitors from all corners of the country and abroad.