Maharashtra

Maharashtra

MAHARASHTRA

AREA: 3, 07,713 SQ. KM
POPULATION: 96,752,247
CAPITAL: MUMBAI
PRINCIPAL LANGUAGES: MARATHI

HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

The first well-known rulers of Maharashtra were the Satavahanas (230 B.C. 225 A.D.), who were the founders of Maharashtra, and have left a plethora of literary, epigraphic, artistic and archaeological evidence. This epoch marks tremendous development in every field of human endeavour. Then came the Vakatakas, who established a pan-Indian empire. Under them, Maharashtra witnessed an all-sided development in the fields of learning, arts and religion. Some of the Ajanta Caves and fresco paintings reached the high-level mark during their rule. After the Vakatakas and after a brief interlude of the Kalachuri dynasty, the most important rulers were the Chalukyas, followed by the Rashtrakutas and the Yadavas, apart from the Shilaharas on the coast. The Yadavas, with Marathi as their court language extended their authority over large parts of the Deccan.

While the Bahamani rule brought a degree of cohesion to the land and its culture, a uniquely homogeneous evolution of Maharashtra as an entity became a reality under the able leadership of Shivaji. A new sense of Swaraj and nationalism was evolved by Shivaji. His noble and glorious power stalled the Mughal advances in this part of India. The Peshwas established the Maratha supremacy from the Deccan Plateau to Attock in Punjab.

Maharashtra was in the forefront of the freedom struggle, and it was here that the Indian National Congress was born. A galaxy of leaders from Mumbai and other cities in Maharashtra led the Congress movement under the guidance of Tilak, and later Mahatma Gandhi. Maharashtra was the home of Gandhiji’s movement, while Sevagram was the capital of nationalistic India during the Gandhian era.

The administrative evolution of the state of Maharashtra is the outcome of the linguistic reorganization of the States of India, affected on 1 May, 1960. The State was formed by bringing together all contiguous Marathi-speaking areas, which previously belonged to four different administrative hegemonies – the district between Daman and Goa that formed part of the original British Bombay Province; five districts of the Nizam’s dominion of Hyderabad; eight districts in the south of the Central Provinces (Madhya Pradesh) and a sizeable number of petty native-ruled state enclaves lying enclosed within the above areas, which later merged with adjoining districts.

PLACES OF INTEREST

MUMBAI: Welcome to the city that never sleeps! Pulsating, Alive, On the Move, Vibrant, and Fun — this is Mumbai or as it is still frequently referred to — Bombay. The most modern city in India, it captures the spirit of the changing pace set by liberalization and modernisation.Once a cluster of seven islands, Mumbai was presented to King Charles II in 1661 as part of the dowry when he married Princess Catherine de Braganza of Portugal. Over the years, as colonialism gave way to independence, Mumbai has transformed itself into an entity with thriving markets, business houses and many different communities reflecting a cosmopolitan and trendy atmosphere rarely seen elsewhere. On the surface, it represents the ever-changing face of today’s India — the old coupled with the dynamic new, and yet at its very core, the heart of the city is steeped in Indian customs and values. It is the capital of Maharashtra state, and its official language is Marathi although English and Hindi are widely spoken and understood. This fast paced city has all that a super metropolis requires.

PUNE: Queen of the Deccan, Oxford of the East, and cultural capital of Maharashtra, Pune is a city with a future that promises to be as interesting as its history. Long-standing bastion of the Maratha Empire and home to the legendary Raja Shivaji, the Pune district is marked by magnificent land and sea forts, testimony to its glorious past. After Shivaji, the early 18th century saw the emergence of the Peshwas, a Maratha family that grew from being ministers at the court into a major political power over the next few decades. However, after the battle of Panipat in 1761, the Maratha Empire began to decline and in 1818, Pune was taken over by the British East India Company. Today, Pune is the centre of traditional Marathi culture, in which education, arts and crafts, and theatre are given pride of place. It has one of India’s oldest universities and its numerous colleges attract both Indian and international students, which is probably why it is called the Oxford of the East. Pune is fast catching up close on heels with Mumbai.

AURANGABAD: The gateway to the World Heritage Sites of Ajanta and Ellora, Aurangabad is named after the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb. Lying along the right bank of the Kham River, the city is the district headquarters, which offers visitors all the modern comforts and amenities. There are several luxury and budget hotels, shopping centres and banks. In the city, there are three museums housing the art treasures of the region — the Sunheri Mahal Museum, the University Museum and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Museum. You can also while away the hours in the pleasant confines of the Bani Begum Gardens.

AJANTA CAVES: Ajanta and Ellora are the pride of Maharashtra. The rock-cut caves of both these sites are world famous and illustrate the degree of skill and artistry that Indian craftsmen had achieved several hundred years ago. Ajanta dates from 100 B.C. while Ellora is younger by some 600 years

ELLORA CAVE: The cave temples and monasteries at Ellora, excavated out of the vertical face of an escarpment, are 26 km north of Aurangabad. Extending in a linear arrangement, the 34 caves contain Buddhist Chaityas or halls of worship, and Viharas, or monasteries, Hindu and Jai temples.
Spanning a period of about 600 years between the 5 th and 11 th century AD, the earliest excavation here is of the Dhumar Lena (Cave 29). Ellora has been designed as a World Heritage Site, to be preserved as an artistic legacy that will continue to inspire and enrich the lives of generations to come.

ELEPHANTA CAVE: 9 nautical miles across the sea from the Gateway of India lay Elephanta, also known as ‘Gharapuri’. Visit this green island for the wonders of the 7 th century, the painstakingly hewn rock-cut cave temple, dedicated to Shiva. The Maheshamurti panel in which Shiva is shown as a creator, protector and destroyer, is a sight that should be enjoyed at least once in a lifetime.

PITALKORA CAVES: Not as well known as Ajanta yet also interest are the rock-cut caves of Pitalkhora in the Satamala range of the Sahyadri hills. There are thirteen caves, set high up on the hill, overlooking picturesque ravines. Many of the caves contain carvings and paintings that date from the 1st century B.C. to the 5the century A.D.

DEVAGIRI DAULATABAD FORT : Devagiri (Daultabad of the later period), 11kms north-west of Aurangabad, is a famous for its formidable hill fort. The fort is situated on an isolated cone-shaped hill rising abruptly from the plain to the height of about 190 metres. The fortification constitutes of three concentric lines of defensive walls with large number of bastions. The noteworthy features of the fort are the moat, the scarp and the sub-terranean passage, all hewn of solid rock

RAIGARH FORT: Raigarh was Shivaji’s capital, the hill fort where he was crowned (1674 AD) and where he died (1680 AD). Strategically situated on an irregular wedge-shaped mass of rock, detached from the main body of Sahyadri Mountains by a deep valley and inaccessible from three sides, Raigarh is 210kms south of Mumbai and 27kms north of Mahad. The fort’s 5.12sq.kms hill-top plateau has three main points Hirakani in the west, Takamak in the north and Bhavani in the east. There is only one pathway to Raigarh, probably in keeping with Shivaji’s strategy “the fort’s approach should be easy for friends and impossible for foes”.

SHIRDI: is the abode of one of Maharashtra’s most revered saint — Sai Baba of Shirdi. Popularly known as the ‘Child of God’, Sai Baba preached tolerance towards all religions and the message of universal brotherhood. Every activity at Shirdi revolves around the vast temple complex dedicated to Sai Baba. Devotees start queuing up in the early hours of dawn to catch a glimpse and seek the blessings of the life-size statue of Sai Baba. Thursday is marked by special pujas and darshan of the Sai Baba statue.

NANDED: Nanded is one of the historical places in Marathwada region of Maharashtra State. It is situated on the north bank of Godavari River. It is famous for Sikh Gurudwaras. Nanded is a town of great antiquity. It is said that during the Puranic days, Pandavas traveled through Nanded district. Nandas ruled over Nanded through generations. In 1708, Guru Govind Singh the tenth spiritual leader of the Sikhs came over to Nanded, his permanent abode. It was he who preached amongst the Sikhs that there need not be any spiritual leader for them and they should take Granth Sahib as their leader. A monument has been constructed at the place where he breathed his last. A Gurudwara has also been constructed there

NASHIK: Proximity to many holy temples and sites including the famous pilgrimage centre of Shirdi and a long tryst with India’s sacred past, has made Nashik a confluence for the spiritually enlightened. Mythology has it that Rama, the king of Ayodhya, made Nashik his temporary abode during the 14 years of his exile. The poets Rishi Valmiki, Mahakavi Kalidas and Bhavabhooti have paid rich tributes to Nashik in many of their works. In addition, Nashik has always been the epicentre of commerce and trade. Ptolemy, the famous philosopher made a mention of Nashik in 150 BC, leading researchers to believe that it was probably the country’s largest market place.

GANAPATIPULE: Ganapatipule is one of the most spectacular beaches along the Konkan Coast – an idyllic getaway that attracts peace-seekers, beach lovers, and pilgrims alike. The temple of Swayambhu (self-originated) Ganesh is much frequented by thousands every year. The God is considered to be the Paschim Dwardevta (Western Sentinel God of India), and those who visit Ganapatipule, make it a point to pay their respects to this great deity. Aside from its clean beach and clear waters, Ganapatipule is rich in flora, including mangroves and coconut palms.

TARKALI: Situated 6 kms south of Malvan and 546 kms away from Mumbai on the coast of Maharashtra is Tarkarli. The mojar attraction here is the long and narrow stretch of beach, with its pristine water. On a clear day, you can see the sea bed through a depth of 20 ft.

MAHABALEWSHWAR: Soaring peaks, breathtaking valleys. Lush flora. Cool, crisp mountain air. This is Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra’s most popular hill station, and once the summer capital of the Bombay Presidency during the British Raj. Mahabaleshwar means ‘God of Great Power’ in Sanskrit. Indeed, the place is great and bountiful, rewarding the visitor with a mix of old-world charm, natural beauty and modernity.

MATHERAN: Your toy train chugs along slowly without a care in the world. During the two hour ascent, food vendors and monkeys jump on and off as the valley glides by sedately. Sprawling languidly at an altitude of 800 metres is Matheran – an undulating hilltop cloaked in green. The cliffs of Matheran with incredibly steep drops to the plains below offer stunning viewing points. These panoramic vistas, by day and night, leave you feeling light headed.