Maharashtra.
Capital: Mumbai.
Population. 92 million.
Area. 1 19000 square miles.
Revenue Districts. 35.
The State of Maharashtra is one of the largest in the country.
It stands on the high Deccan plateau which stretches east 500 miles,
from the Western Ghats. This was the main center for the Marathas who
defied the moguls for so long and which under the rule of Shivaji carved out
large part of central India as its domain. Its many inland and coastal forts and castles
is a legacy of Shivaji and to a lesser extent of the Portuguese.
Maharashtra encompasses an area of 119,000 square miles, and is the third largest state in India. It 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 4,000 ft. Kalsubai, a peak in the Sahyadris, near Nasik City is the highest elevated point in Maharashtra. To the west of these hills lie the Konkan coastal plains, 50 miles 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.
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 Waingangā, 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.
Western Maharashtra, which includes the districts of Nasik, Ahmadnagar, Pune, Satara, Solapur, Sangli and Kolhapur, is a prosperous belt famous for its sugar factories. Farmers in the region are economically well off due to fertile land and good irrigation.
Maharashtra has several breathtaking hill views and hill stations. Most of these were established during the British colonial rule, as a retreat from the scorching summer heat. These hill stations attract domestic and foreign tourists in large numbers.
Some popular hill stations are Matheran, Lonavla, Khandala, Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani, Bhandardara, Malshej Ghat, Amboli, Chikhaldara, Panhala, Sawantvadi, Toranmal, Jawhar, etc.
A crater lake is situated on the outskirts of Lonar town in district Buldhana, Maharashtra. The impact of a huge meteor that descended on earth from space carved out a bowl roughly 1 mile in diameter believed to be formed 50,000 years ago. The size and age make it the largest and oldest meteoric crater in the world. It precedes its nearest rival, the Canyon Diablo in Arizona in the United States, by a clear 2.30 centuries. Today, Lonar Lake is the third largest natural salt-water lake in the world. The peculiarity about the Lonar crater is that it is almost perfectly circular in shape. Apart from scientific significance Lonar also occupies a place of prominence in ancient Indian scripts. According to Sanskrit literature, Lonar was called ‘Viraj Kshetra’ in ancient times.
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 92 national parks, of which five are located in Maharashtra. A large percentage of Maharashtra's forests and wildlife lie in the Zadi-pranta, of eastern Vidarbha.
Lions at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, the world's largest national park within city limits. at Borivali is a popular tourists attraction.
• Navegaon National Park located near Gondia in the eastern region of Vidarbha is home to many species of birds, deer, bears and leopards.
• Tirora park lies in Tirora Range of Bhandara Forest Division, in Gondia district of Vidarbha region.
• The sanctuary is enclosed in the arms of the nature and adorned with exquisite landscape. The sanctuary consists of a range of hills with small lakes within its boundary. These lakes not only guarantee a source of water to wildlife throughout the year, but also greatly heighten the beauty of the landscape.
• Tadoba Andhari Tiger Project, a prominent tiger reserve near Chandrapur in Vidarbha. It is 25 miles away from Chandrapur
• Pench National Park, in Nagpur district, extends into Madhya Pradesh as well. It has now been upgraded into a Tiger project.
• Chandoli National Park, located in Sangli district has a vast variety of flora and fauna. 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. It is 50 miles away from Amravati.
Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary a man made wildlife sanctuary situated 20 miles from Sangli. Ancient temples of Lord Shiva and Jain Temple of Parshwanath located in Sagareshwar are a major attraction..
Apart from the above, Matheran a Hill station near Mumbai has been declared an eco-sensitive zone by the Government of India
Maharashtra is a distinct cultural region. Its long artistic tradition is manifested in the ancient cave paintings found at Ajanta and Ellora, in a number of medieval architectural masterpieces, in its classical and devotional music, and in its theatre. Pune, where numerous organizations sustain these great traditions, is the state's undisputed cultural capital.
In rural Maharashtra, the foremost diversion is tamasha, combining music, drama, and dance. The typical tamasha troupe comprises seven artists, including a female dancer for featured roles and a bawdy clown. The theatre and the cinema are popular in urban areas. Maharashtra has many festivals throughout the year.
Holi and Ranga Panchami are spring festivals. The Dassera (Dashahara) is an autumn festival and has special significance, as it commemorates the day on which Maratha warriors traditionally started on their military campaigns.
Diwali, coming next, is a celebration of lights and fireworks. During Pola, bullocks are given a holiday and decorated for races.
The Ganesh festival during the rainy season is by far the most popular in Maharashtra.
Mumbai is the seat of Bollywood films with film city and studios around.
It is the main center of Hindi films and TV serials.
Mumbai is the seat of Central and Western Railway headquarters.
Mumbai Stock Exchange is the oldest in the country.
Mumbai is the business capital which houses the headquarters of all major
Banks, financial institutions, Insurance companies.
Mumbai International Airport caters to the flow of millions of air-travelers.
Air-Cargo Complex handles air courier services.
Indira dock caters to the influx of sea travellers and import export of goods.
New-Bombay is highly industrialised and parallels the old Mumbai in trade and industry.
Mumbai Poona, Aurangabad are home to best educational institutions and IIT in the country. It is the home of best medical engineering and best hospitals in the country.
60% of the population is still involved in agriculture. Cash crops include ground-nut, sugarcane, tobacco cotton, turmeric with net irrigated area of 20000 square miles.
Maharshtra has 40% of internet users in the country.
It is the third largest exporter of software after Bangalore and Hyderabad exporting
30% of country’s software export.
Regional party disputes in political life has marred the progress of the State.
