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Maharashtra-At a Glance

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DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.23150.31047

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 Maharashtra- At a Glance

Welcome to the state of Maharashtra

(A Video Documentary Script)

By
Prof. A. Balasubramanian*
Centre for Advanced Studies in Earth Science,
University of Mysore ,Mysore
*(Former Director: -Culture and Cultural Relations-Pondicherry University,
*(Former Director-Educational Multimedia Research Centre-University of Mysore)
2013

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Introduction

India is one of the mostly preferred destinations for international tourists.

Tourism is a very promising industry in India. India is a country with a large number of
tourist spots and attractive features. India is a country known for its culture, heritage, history
and natural resources. All the states and union territories have a good number of locations
catering to the domestic and international tourists.

State Profile: location, Capital City, Population, languages.

Maharashtra is a state in the western sea coastline of India. The state covers an area of
307,713 km2 With 112,372,972 inhabitants. The state is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the
west, Gujarat and the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli to the northwest, Madhya
Pradesh to the northeast, Chhattisgarh to the east, Karnataka to the south, Andhra Pradesh to
the southeast, and Goa to the southwest. The capital and the largest city of the state is
Mumbai. The official language of Maharashtra is Marathi. The state has the quality of life in
the county with excellent physical infrastructure and it has 82.9% literacy level.

Physiography: Mountains and forest.

Maharashtra consists of two major relief divisions.

 The plateau which is a part of the Deccan tablel

 The Konkan coastal strip abutting on the Arabian Sea.

The state of Maharashtra forms a huge irregular triangle with its base on the west coast of
India, overlooking the Arabian Sea. The coastal strip is about 720 km long and not more than
80 km wide.

Climate

The climate of the state is divided into four seasons. They are

 Summer occurs in March, April and May is the hottest months. During April and May
thunderstorms are common all over the state. Temperature varies between 22°C-39°C
during this season.

 Rainy season starts normally in the first week of June. July is the wettest month in
Maharashtra, while August too gets substantial rain.

 Monsoon starts its retreat with the coming of September from the state.

 Winter is very Cool dry spell, with clear skies gentle breeze and pleasant weather
prevails from November to February. Temperature varies between 12°C-34°C during
this season.

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The best time to visit the place is winter season.

Short history

With a relatively small army, Maratha leader Shivaji (1627–80) established a base at Pune
and later Raigad, from where he controlled the Deccan and conquered more than 300 forts
during his reign. Shivaji, still highly respected, is credited for instilling a strong, independent
spirit among the region’s people.

From the early 18th century the Maratha Empire came under the control of the Peshwas, who
retained power until 1819 when, after much tussling, the British barged them aside.

After Independence, western Maharashtra and Gujarat were joined to form Bombay state.
Today’s state has Mumbai as its capital and was formed in 1960. The state is currently
controlled by a Congress-NCP coalition.

State is Known or famous for what?

The state is famous historical monuments, culture, food and Bollywood.

Accessibility – Road, Railways, Airways, Sea routes

Maharashtra, being the one of the most important cites of India, is well connected to most of
the other Cities of the Country, by highways, railways, sea routs and airways.

Airways

The state has two important airports. They are Chattarpati Shivaji International Airport
and Santa Cruz Domestic Airport in city Mumbai. The airports at Nagpur and Pune also
operate a few international flights, apart from the usual domestic ones. The cities of Kolhapur
and Aurangabad also have a domestic airport of their own. All public and private airlines,
like: Air India, Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Air Sahara, Kingfisher Airlines, Spice Jet, Air
Deccan, operate regularly to and from Mumbai.

Railways

The largest as well as the most important railway station of Maharashtra is situated in
Mumbai and is known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. From there everyone can get trains to
almost every part of nation. Apart from that, there are railway stations in Pune, Nashik,
Nagpur, Kolhapur, Aurangabad, AMravati, etc. The approx. length of the railway track is
5,497 kms.

Roadways

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The state is connected to the national highway 6 & 17 with the rest of the nation. The state
enjoys exceptionally good road networks. Also Maharashtra State Road Transport
Corporation runs several buses to and from the city to several other cities

Sea routs

The most of cities in Maharashtra are situated on sea banks. Hence everyone can go there via
ship form the neighboring counties. Apart from the international naval port at Mumbai, there
are a number of other minor ports in the state. Thus, reaching Maharashtra by presents no
problems for the tourists.

Time Zone, Currency and No Of Districts

Throughout the India, the time zone is same of all the States i.e. Indian standard Time +5:30

The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the
currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The new Indian rupee symbol
INR is derived from the Devanagari. The first series of coins with this new rupee symbol was
launched on 8 July 2011.

The modern rupee is subdivided into 100 paise though this division is now theoretical; as of
30 June 2011, coin denominations of less than 50 paise ceased to be legal tender. Bank notes
are available in nominal values of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 2000 rupees. Coins of the rupee
are available in 1, 2, 5 and 10. Paise coins of the rupee have nominal values of 50, and lower
denominations have been officially withdrawn.

The state is divided in 35 districts. They are Ahmednagar, Akola, Amravati, Aurangabad,
Beed, Bhandara, Buldhana, 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 and Yavatmal.

Hill Stations

Maharashtra is said to be the home of Sahydri Mountains. The Western Ghats forms a part of
the Sahydri range and has many exciting features.

The famous hill stations of the state are Matheran, Lonavala, Khandala, Mahabaleshwar,
Panchagani, Bhandardara, Malshej Ghat, Amboli, Chikhaldara Panhala, Panchgani,
Sawantwadi, Toranmal, and Jawahar.

Zoo/Parks/Jungles/Gardens

The famous parks and zoo present in the state are,

 Kamala Nehru Park is a park in India covering an area of 4,000 sq yd. The park is
Located at the top of Mumbai’s Malabar Hill, it is named after Kamala Nehru, the
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 wife of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. A place frequently visited by
schoolchildren.

 Kasturchand Park is the biggest meeting place in the Nagpur city center. It is
located about 1 km from the central railway station.

 Katraj Snake Park is a rare location to get the close view of variety of reptile
species. This Park, established in 1986, is situated close to Pune. The Park houses,
birds and turtles, reptiles and the rare species of Brown Palm Civet and is a major
attraction.

 Paymasters Park is a popular picnic spot in Matheran with different varieties of

flowers and beautifully arranged benches. The statues of Malet, Lt.Col. Paymaster
and S. L. Panday are erected here for their contribution to the place.

 Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan & Zoo is located at Mumbai. The total area of the
zoo is 19.2 Hectares and years 18 lakhs of visitors coming to visit the zoo. One of the
biggest zoos in the state.

 Maharajbag Zoo is situated in Nagpur. The total area of the zoo covers about 7
Hectares. There are 44 birds, 22 reptiles, and 166 mammals are present in the zoo.

National Parks and wildlife sanctuaries

There are two national parks and numerous wildlife sanctuaries present in the state.

The 2 national parks are,

 The Navegaon National Park is located at Navegaon.Gondia is one of the forest

resorts in Vidarbha region. The park is spread over an area of 135 square kilometers.
A picturesque lake with crystal clear water, stretching over an area of 11 square
kilometers. Strategically located watch towers enable the visitor to Navegaon to a
glimpse of the region’s varied wildlife.

 Todoba national park is the oldest national park of the state. It is a tiger reserved park.
It dervies its name from the local god “Taru”. The legend goes to that village chief
“Taru” was killed in an epic fight with the tiger.

The most important wildlife sanctuary present in the state are, Sanjay Gandhi wildlife
sanctuary, Anerdam wildlife sanctuary, yawal wildlife sanctuary, Karnala Bird sanctuary,
Malvan Marine sanctuary, Phansad wildlife sanctuary, Tansa wildlife sanctuary, Gautala
wildlife sanctuary, Jaikwadi wildlife sanctuary, Naygaon Mayur wildlife sanctuary, yedshi
ramling wildlife sanctuary, Bhimashankar wildlife sanctuary, Rehkuri blackbulk wildlife
sanctuary, Nandur Mahyamerhwar wildlife sanctuary and many more.

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Palace/Forts/ Museums/Art Galleries

There are nearly 350 forts in Maharashtra. Few major forts among them are the Ahmednagar
Fort, The Bandra Fort, Ghodbunder Fort, Karnala fort and Yeshwantgad.

 The Ahmednagar Fort is located in the heart of the city of Ahmednagar. It was the
headquarters of the Ahmednagar Sultanate. Currently the fort is under the
administration of the Armored Corps of the Indian Army.

 The Bandra Fort is located at Land's End in Bandra. It was built by the Portuguese
in 1640 as a watchtower overlooking Mahim Bay, the Arabian Sea and the southern
island of Mahim.

 Ghodbunder Fort is a located in Thane. In 1530 the Portuguese came to Thane but
they only began building the Ghodbunder fort in 1730. Currently the fort is in ruins
but there has been some renovation work started by the Government to preserve it.

 Karnala fort is a hill fort in Raigad district about 10 km from Panvel city. Currently
it is a protected place lying within the Karnala Bird Sanctuary.

 Yeshwantgad is an island fortification off the coast of Maharashtra in Ratnagiri

district. It is built on the Rajapur creek with the sea on one side. On three sides it was
protected by a ditch which can no longer be seen. On the fourth side there was a wall
with 17 bastions.

Tourist Spot: Trekking, Boating / Spots / Race course /Golf clubs

The popular tourists spots are the the Gateway of India, Prince of Wales Museum,
Elephanta Island, Haji Ali's Tomb, Flora Fountain, Kalbadevi Temple, Jama Masjid,
Bhuleshwar Temple, Mumbadevi Temple, Nehru Planetarium, Hanging Gardens,
Marine Drive, Nehru Science Center and ISKCON temple.

The most famous beaches are Manori, Madh Island, Versova, Marue, Goral, and Juhu
and entertainment places include Essel World and Fantasy Land.

Temples/Pilgrimage Centers/ Mosques/ Churches/ Jain etc.

Maharashtra has many valuable pilgrim destination and few of the most famous pilgrims are
Nasik, Shirdi.

 Nasik is called as the Abode of Maha Kumbh Mela and is located around 183 km to
the northeast of Mumbai. Nasik is also located on the banks of the Godavari River
which is surrounded by the nine hills.

 Shirdi is most famous for the great legend 'Sai Baba' and is considered to be the
abode of Lord Sai Baba and is located at 307 km to the north east of Mumbai. The

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 must-visit- places of Shirdi are Dwarkamai, Samadhi Mandir, Lendi Baug, Gurusthan
and the Kandoba Temple.

The most famous temples are the Ashtavinayaka temple, Shree Sidhi Vinayaka temple,
Trimbakeshwar and the Haji Ali Shrine.

 Ashatavinayaka Temples is a very famous temple that is dedicated to Lord Ganesha

and is a group that consists of eight temples. These eight temples are located at the
different locations and have their own history and mythology.

 Haji Ali Shrine is a Divine Mosque and was built by the devotees of Haji Ali. This
mosque is located in the middle of the sea covered with 500 yards and has only a
narrow path that joins to the mainland. This tomb has many exquisite glass works that
would surely attract the visitors.

 Trimbakeshwar is a very famous temple that is Dedicated To Lord Shiva and is

located in the Trimbak village that lies in 36 km from the place Nasik. This temple
serves as the basis for the holy River Godavari and preserves one of the 12
jyotirlingas that is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Handicraft/ Dress Materials/Whole sales products

Maharashtra is very famous for Handicraft materials. Some of the well-known handicrafts are

 Kolhapuri chappal making is a major handicraft industry that employees over

20,000 craftspersons in the district

 Warli Painting is living in Thane district of Maharashtra, the Warli tribe is known
for the sacred pictographs that they paint on the walls of their huts during wedding
rituals.

 Sawantwadi is popularly identified with wooden toys that are made from mango tree.
Though the craft is traditionally done by the Chitari, other communities have also
adopted this craft due to its commercial success.

 Ganjifa Cards, They are circular playing cards made from paper that is covered with
a mixture of tamarind seed powder and oil, painted and coated with lac. Darbari cards
have decorative borders and Bazaar cards are without borders.

 Silver artifacts, an integral part of Maharashtrian religious ceremonies has now

evolved into a flourishing trade

 Bidri is a specialized and refined technique using complicated sequences of inlay and
enamelling found only in India that follows in essence the techniques of the Persian
way of inlaying gold and silver on steel or copper.

Celebrations / Festivals / Dance / Music

7
The Maharashtrian calendar is dotted with festivals all-round the year. The love for
celebration is deeply embedded in their culture and it finds expression through the various
occasions.

 Diwali or Deepawali means a row of lights. The most beautiful of all Indian festivals,
Diwali is a celebration of lights. Streets are illuminated with rows of clay lamps and
homes are decorated with rangoli and aakash kandils

 Sankrant means the passing of the sun from one Zodiac sign to the other. People
exchange greeting and good wishes on this day. Sweet and crunchy ladoos made of
sesame and jaggery called “TilGul”are the favourite sweets.

 Nag Panchami is a festival in the honour of the Snake God Shesha Nag. Snake
worship is an important ritual of the Maharashtrians, and on the festival of Nag
Panchami, clay icons of cobras are venerated in homes. People offer sweets and milk
to the snake deity.

 Gudhi Padwa is a victory symbol-characterized by a bamboo stick with a coloured

silk cloth and garlanded with flowers and sweets atop .Maharashtrians erect gudhis on
Padwa, the first day of the Hindu new year

 Pola the harvest festival is celebrated by farmers all over Maharashtra. It is an

important festival of rural Maharashtra. On this day bullocks, which are an integral
part of the agricultural operations are worshipped.

 Narali Pournima is the full moon day of the month of Shravan is celebrated in
different parts of Maharashtra and is known variously as Narali Pournima, Shravani
Pournima, Rakhi Pournima or Raksha Bandhan. 'Naral' means 'coconut', and Narali
Pournmia is thus called because offerings of coconuts are made by people to the sea-
god on this day.

 Ganesh Chaturthi is for Lord Ganesh, the patron deity of Maharashtra, is the God of
wisdom. In August, preparations to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi - the auspicious day
when Lord Ganesh was born - begin with great enthusiasm all over the state.

Dance
Maharshtra, is a land of culture and traditions, where religious festivals are great occasions of
social entertainment. Various folk dances of Maharashtra are performed during festive or
special occasions, representing its rich cultural heritage.

 Lavani Dance

 Dhangari Gaja

 Povadas

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  Koli

 Tamasha

Educational hubs

 Government College of Engineering, Pune

 Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT), Pune
 State Institute of Education Technology, Pune
 Maharashtra Academy of Engineering & Educational Research, Pune
 Indian Institute of Packaging
 International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
 National Civil Defence College, Nagpur
Hotels (Five star, Four star, three star) and facility

Some of the most famous five star hotels in Maharashtra are The Oberoi and the Taj
President Hotel.

The Oberoi Hotel is located at the heart of Mumbai and is at a distance of 35 kms from the
airport.

The Taj President in Mumbai is at a distance of 3 kms and 35 kms from the railway station
and the airport.

Some of the famous budget hotels in Maharashtra are the Hotel Suba Palace, Gordon House
Hotel etc.

Hotel Suba Palace is situated closely to the Arabian Sea and is nearer to the Nariman Point.

Gordon House Hotel is located at Mumbai and has its own style and luxury.

Hospitality

 Tata Memorial Centre

 Wockhardt Hospitals
 Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital
 Fortis Healthcare Limited
 Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre
 P.D. Hinduja National Hospital & Medical Research Centre
 Seth GS Medical College & KEM Hospital
 Dr D.Y. Patil Hospital and Research Centre
 KEM Hospital, Pune
 Sahyadri Hospitals

Shopping Center/ Malls / Business Centers

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Some of the most famous shopping malls in Maharashtra are Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd,
Inorbit Malls, Atria, High Street Phoenix, Ishanya, Nirmal Lifestyle, Oberoi Realty Ltd,
Raghuleela Megamall, Runwal Group and The Phoenix Mills Limited.

 Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd

 Inorbit Malls

 Atria

 High Street Phoenix

 Ishanya

 Nirmal Lifestyle

 Oberoi Realty Ltd

Cinema Halls /Film Cities

The most famous Cinema halls in Maharashtra are

 Pune Cinema Halls located at Maharashtra

 Alaka Cinema / Theatre located at Pune
 Alankar Cinema / Theatre situated at Pune
 Apollo Cinema / Theatre located at Pune
 Deccan Cinema / Theatre situated at Pune
 Gunjan Cinema / Theatre located at Yerwada

Food Habits

Maharashtrian (or Marathi) cuisine is cuisine of the Marathi people, those from the state of
Maharashtra in India. Maharashtrian cuisine covers a range from being mild to very spicy
dishes. Wheat, rice, jowar, bajri, vegetables, lentils and fruit form important components of
Maharashtrian diet. Popular dishes include puran poli, ukdiche Modak,batata wada and
"Kande-pohe".

Safety and precautions

There are many important features of vacation. It is not an option but a compulsory measure
that has to be taken while travelling anywhere. General safety and precautions are,

 First aid tool kid is the most important one that everyone has to carry while
travelling.
 Travelling at night is unsafe.

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  Keep a photocopy of your passport and all other important documents in a safe
place.
 Don't share taxis with strangers.
 Make a note of emergency exits, stairwells, fire escapes and emergency plans at
hotels.
 And always have local police and ambulance number to make emergency call.

Maharashtra has plenty of such tourist locations. Each location speaks in volume almost its
uniqueness. The pride of India lies in every tourist spot.
Thank you

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