Famous state of Maharashtra in india

  By Dhananjai | September 4, 2012 | INDIAN CULTURE

History The very first inhabitants of the region now called Maharashtra were the nomadic groups of people who eked out an existence hunting and foraging for food way back in the Paleolithic period. When the region became part of the great Mauryan Empire, it opened up to trade routes and cultural influences of northern India, but the first kings to make an impact belonged to the Satavahana dynasty (230 BC to 225 AD). The first Buddhist caves found in Maharashtra were constructed around that time. After the decline of the Satavahanas, a succession of Hindu dynasties – Vakatakas, Kalachuri, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas (responsible for building the phenomenal Kailasa temple at Ellora) and the Yadavas- ruled the region. With the advent of the Muslims around the 13th century AD, Hindu rulers found themselves battling against the expansionist intentions of the sultans of Delhi. By 1294, the Yadavas had been decimated and the sultans of the Delhi Sultanate became the overlords. Mohammad bin Tughlak of the Tughlak dynasty is remembered to this day for his failed attempt to shift his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (near Aurangabad) in the 14th century. The experiment failed, but not before thousands of his subjects had died during the forced march from Delhi, and the survivors had suffered further misery for want of water in the new capital. The state entered a new phase in history in the 17th century when its greatest hero, Shivaji (1627-1680) welded the local principalities into a powerful Maratha state. With his highly effective guerrilla warfare, he even took on the mighty Mughal Empire. As the Mughal Empire declined, the Marathas gradually expanded their empire all the way from Tanjore in the south to Gwalior in the north and Orissa in the east. The Marathas were finally brought to a halt in 1761 when the Afghan, Ahmad Shah Abdali routed them in the decisive battle of Panipat. The British East India Company’s tentacles spread across the Indian Subcontinent though it would take the British another half a century to finally crush the Marathas in 1818. With this, the region adapted to its new role as the British power base of the Bombay Presidency. The state played an important part in the growth of national consciousness with the likes of Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Bal Gangadhar Tilak leading a movement to regenerated nationalism. Bombay became the birthplace of the Indian National Congress in 1885 from where Mahatma Gandhi spearheaded the struggle for independence. With independence in 1947, Bombay Presidency was renamed Bombay State and thirteen years later, on 1 May 1960, split into the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra on linguistic basis.

Economy Maharashtra is a highly industrialised state, one, which has less than ten percent of the total Indian population but generates nearly one-fourth of the gross value of the Indian industrial sector. It accounts for nearly 40 % of the total tax collections in the country, 14.7% of India’s gross domestic product and 15.1 % of the national income. Mumbai is a major business, commercial and industrial centre, with the headquarters of many national conglomerates and international corporations and banks located here. The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) is the premier stock exchange in the country and its sensex is considered to be a valid indication of the financial health and investment trends, not only in the city but also for the entire country. Mumbai is also Maharashtra’s (and India’s) leading port; it also handles much of the import and export traffic of the country. Mumbai is also famous as the home of Hindi film industry, popularly called Bollywood, a major industry that adds glamour and glitz as well as provides employment and generates megabucks. Pharmaceuticals, Petrochemicals, heavy chemicals, electronics, automobiles, engineering, food processing and plastics are the other major industries in the state. Manufacturing industries are centered in Mumbai and in cities like Nagpur, Nasik, Aurangabad, Sholapur and Kolhapur. Textiles have long been important industry in the state that now is being recognized as the premier centre for electronics. The main crops grown in Maharashtra are sugar cane, cotton, peanuts, tobacco and pulses.

Language Always the most cosmopolitan place in India, Maharashtra has long welcomed newcomers making the state a melting pot and meeting ground of diverse cultures. Migrants came from foreign lands as well as from other parts of India in search of opportunities, particularly once Bombay became a business and industrial centre. Jews, Muslims, Zoroastrians and Christians all live in relative harmony, celebrating festivals and sharing culture and cuisine. The Maharashtrian has always been open to outside influences while preserving his own culture and religious traditions. Nearly 40 per cent of the population lives in urban areas and includes Sindhis who came across from the Sindh province of Pakistan in the aftermath of the partition, Gujaratis and Parsis from next door Gujarat, Kannadigas from Karnataka, Tamils from Tamil Nadu, Marwari businessmen from Rajasthan and Christians from Goa add the essence of their native cultures to the melting pot of Maharashtra. Marathi is the official state language and most people speak it except in the coastal region, where the people spea the local language, Konkani. Hindi, English, Sindhi, Gujarati and a medley of South Indian languages are commonly used in the cities.

Religion The population of Maharashtra is predominantly Hindu with pockets of Christian, Muslim and Jain communities. The different migrant populations brought in Judaism and Zoroastrianism to the state, though very few Jews are left but their synagogues stand as landmarks to the secular fabric of the state.

Food The culinary experience varies from region to region and community to community in Maharashtra. If you eat Konkan food, you’ll be treated to entirely new flavours as fish, seafood, lentils and vegetables are transformed into aromatic dishes using creamy milk of coconut and generously spiked with a local sour fruit called kokum. Rice is the staple in almost all parts of the state and in Kolhapur will be served accompanied by bright red, hot curries called ‘rassas’ that set even the hardiest palates aflame. Go to Aurangabad, and rice is transformed into rich pulaos and biryanis redolent with the heady aromas of rose water, saffron, cardamom and cinnamon. The local cuisine is greatly influenced by the local Muslim rulers and meats cooked in fresh spices and herbs are a regional specialty, as are a number of delectable sweetmeats and desserts. Closer to Mumbai, Pune serves the essentially Hindu Marathi food, vegetarian, nutritious, delicately spiced and low in fat content. The cuisine in this city of Peshwas and Brahmins includes such favourites as Puneri misal, thalipeeth, puri bhaji and dalimbi usal that are not only tasty but also quick and inexpensive to make. But Pune is also home to a fair proportion of Christians, Muslims and Parsis, who bake wonderful fresh breads, cakes and biscuits. Mumbai offers the entire range of Maharashtrian cuisine from the beef, pork and seafood preparations of the Christians to the beef curries and mutton biryanis of the Muslims; from the delicate vegetarian cuisine of the Maratha Brahmin community to the unusual blend of tastes of Parsi cuisine; from the many course meals to the ‘pharsan’ or snack food meals of the Gujaratis, you’ll find it all in this cosmopolitan city. And of course, you can’t miss Mumbai’s famous snack ‘bhel puri’- a mixture of puffed rice, ‘sev’ and bits of fried semolina biscuits, garnished with chopped onions, tamarind chutney, and coriander. Another favourite is the ubiquitous ‘pao-bhaji’, very soft, square buns (baked in batches of four to a square mould, of which you get one bun to a helping, hence ‘pao’ meaning ‘a quarter’) served with delicious curried potatoes, peas and tomatoes, cooked in front of you in a trice and served dripping with dollops of butter. Great for snacking as you explore the sights.

Culture and Crafts The state is a confluence of population movements from within and outside the country; multi cultural and multiethnic Maharashtra represents a mosaic of religions, cultures and lifestyles not found anywhere else. The Hindu, Christian, Parsi and Muslim communities that call the state home are usually conservative and traditional but underlying every belief and faith is religious tolerance and community spirit that serves to make the region less parochial than other parts of India. From handloom weavers who create intricate patterns in silks and cottons to leather workers who make the comfortable and ubiquitous ‘kohlapuri’ slippers, Maharashtra has many crafts to tempt visitors. The exquisite gold brocade and silk ‘Paithani” sarees made in the village of Paithan in Aurangabad, take the weaver years to make and cost a minor fortune but are treasured heirlooms. Aurangabad is also the home of silk and cotton woven textiles made into beautiful shawls, stoles and bedcovers. Pune, Sholapur and Kohlapur are places where the traditional nine-yard sarees worn by the local women, are made and can be bought in either silk or cotton. Local fruit produce is converted into preserves, jams, jellies, squashes and fruit crushes; highly prized are different kinds of honey from Mahabaleshwar. The abundance of sugarcane in the state is transformed into top quality jaggery and jaggery based sweets like peanut and dry fruit ‘chikkis’ or pralines. Maharashtra is also home to craftsmen who handcraft a wide variety of ceramics, textiles, home furnishings and traditional Indian string musical instruments like the sitar and tanpura.

Tourist info centres

There are many offices and extension counters of the Government of India Tourism Department as well as the Maharashtra State Tourism Department at the major cities and tourist destinations in the state. The convenient ones in Mumbai are:
Government of India Tourist Office, 123 M. Karve Road, Churchgate, Mumbai- 400 020.
Tel: 022- 2209 3229
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, CDO Hutments, Madam Cama Road, Nariman Point.
Tel: 022 – 2284 5678
India Tourism Development Corporation, Express Towers, 9th Floor,Nariman Point, Mumbai-400 021.
Tel: 0 22 2204 4040

How to get there by Air If you are visiting India from overseas, there is a very good chance that Maharashtra will be your first introduction to this beautiful ancient land, since a majority of the international flights to India land in Mumbai, the state capital. The International Airport is at Sahar, 30 kms from the city centre of Nariman Point and 4km from the domestic terminus at Santa Cruz. Within the state, many of the larger cities like Aurangabad, Nasik, Nagpur and Pune have airports facilitated by the national domestic airlines and private commercial companies.

How to get there by Rail Mumbai is the headquarters for both Western & Central Railways sectors of the behemoth Indian Railways. An enormous network of regular train services connects all cities and villages of Maharashtra with the rest of India, so you can train into the state from just about anywhere else in the country.

How to get there by Road Maharashtra has well maintained state and national highways that link it to the different towns and cities of the state as well as of India. Good motorable roads with service stations and motels connect Mumbai, Pune, Nasik, Kohlapur and Aurangabad to the neighbouring states of Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Traffic is fairly heavy but disciplined. Interstate roadways buses and private operators run every kind of bus from luxury coaches to ramshackle rattletraps. Car rental companies will provide chauffeur driven/ self driven vehicles; traffic drives on the right hand side and while ideally you should have an international driving license, your local license will do for stays under six months.

Getting around Maharashtra has well maintained state and national highways that link it to the different towns and cities of the state. Good motorable roads with service stations and motels connect the major cities and towns to Mumbai, Pune, Nasik, Kohlapur, Nagpur and Aurangabad. Traffic is fairly heavy but disciplined. State roadways buses and private operators run every kind of bus from luxury coaches to ramshackle rattletraps. Car rental companies will provide chauffeur driven/ self driven vehicles; traffic drives on the right hand side and while ideally you should have an international driving license but your local license will do for stays under six months.

Where to Stay in Maharashtra

Maharashtra offers plenty of places to stay beginning from top-end luxuryhotels in Mumbai, Pune and Aurangabad with all facilities including convention, conference, spas, sports and multi-cuisine restaurants.
Less expensive accommodation like mid-rung and budget options are also available with all modern amenities and comforts for business travellers and tourists. At the bottom of the price chart are guesthouses, lodges, hostels and hotels offering little more than a bed and bathroom. Reasonably priced but with few frills are the government tourism department run hotels.

Best Time to Visit Maharashtra

The best time to visit Maharashtra is between September and April, specific to the coastal areas where it rains like the devil from June to September. The period between September and June is perfect for a trip to the hill stations of Mahabaleshwar and Lonavla. The winter months between November and February are pleasant months weather wise, as the humidity levels are the lowest and evenings are cool to cold. Average summer temperatures through the state hover between 22°C-39°C and winter temperatures average 12°C-34°C.

Climate The geographical diversity of Maharashtra ensures it has different climatic zones in different parts of the state. The eastern region experiences extremes of climate, becoming rather hot in summer. The coastal areas, though relatively cooler, are generally humid except during the winter months. The state receives maximum rain mainly during the southwest monsoon from June to September. The rains are the heaviest in the coastal belt (200cm) and almost negligible in the central part of the state that falls in the rain shadow region (50 cm). The winter months between November and February are the pleasantest, although evenings can be cold. Average summer temperatures through the state hover between 22°C-39°C and winter temperatures average 12°C-34°C.

Things to do in Maharashtra

Whether you want a beach holiday or a holiday in hill station, Maharashtra is the state that caters to each and every traveller by offering an endless list ofthings to do. One may go admiring the beauty of Buddhist caves at Ajanta or Hindu and Jain temples at Ellora. Take a trip to Pune for its rich legacy and cultural heritage.
Visit the glamorous city of Mumbai, the hill stations scattered at the Sahayadri Range, and the various beaches in the Konkan region of the state. Come down to the pilgrim city of Nashik, and Nagpur, which is famous for its appealing oranges.
Shop to your heart’s content at an assortment of busy markets which sell hand woven fabrics and textiles, foreign goods, and knick-knacks at best bargains. Other fun things to do in Maharashtra are the outdoor activities which include trekking, paragliding, and para-sailing. Panchgani is an ideal spot for these activities.
Revel in the festivities of various cultural and religious festivals celebrated here. The celebrations and merriment during the major festivals like Ellora Festival, the Kumbh Mela, and Ganesh Chaturthi is exuberant!