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MAHARASHTRA - AT A GLANCE |
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One of the largest states of India, Maharashtra
occupies a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau
in the western peninsular part of the subcontinent.
Its shape roughly resembles a triangle, with the
725-kilometre western coastline forming the base and
the interior narrowing to a blunt apex some 500
miles to the east. It has an area of 307,713 square
kilometres. The state is bounded by the Arabian Sea
in the west, Gujarat in the north-west, Madhya
Pradesh in the north, Andhra Pradesh in the
south-east, and Karnataka and Goa in the south.
On the coast the average minimum temperature in
January is 16° (61° F), and the average maximum is
32° C (90° F); in June the average minimum
temperature is 26° C (79° F), and the average
maximum is also 32° C (90° F). Inland the average
temperatures range from 14° to 29° C (57° to 84° F)
in January and from 25° to 40° C (77° to 104° F) in
May. Maharashtra has a monsoon season that accounts
for about 80 percent of its annual rainfall.
Its capital, Mumbai is an island city which is
billed as the Gateway of India; it is one of the
most vibrant commercial and cultural centres of
india.
History
The name Maharashtra first appeared in a 7th century
inscription and in the account of a contemporary
Chinese traveller, Hsuan Tsang. According to one
view, Maharashtra derives its name from the word "maharathi"
(great chariot driver), which refers to a skillful
northern fighting force that migrated southward into
the area. The group's language, intermingled with
the speech of the earlier Naga settlers, became
Maharastri, and this by the 8th century developed
into Marathi. There was also a continuous influx of
people from remote Greece and Central Asia.
Historically, Maharashtra falls into three regions:
Western Maharashtra, Vidarbha and Marathwada. Among
these, Vidarbha has a hoary past and is mentioned
many times in the Mahabharata. Maharashtra as a
whole became promimnent in the history of india from
the Mauryan period. After the fall of the Mauryans
Maharashtra was ruled by many Hindu kings for nearly
a thousand year. The Yadavas who were the last of
these dynasties came to the end of its rule in 1294
when the muslims overwhelmed the state ushering it
to a period of successive muslim rule.
Maharashtra got a new leash of life when the
venerable warrior, Shivaji came to the centrestage.
He brought the Marathas into a unified force to
build a powerful Maratha Empire. The Peshawas who
followed the Shivaji rule extended the Empire from
Gwalior to Tanjore in the South. The Maratha power
received a setback at Panipat, in 1761, when the
Afghan ruler Ahmed Shah Abdali routed the Maratha
forces. They recovered only to confront the British
power and to be decisively defeated in 1818. After
the defeat of 1818 Maharashtra settled down as a
part of the Bombay Presidency under the British
administration.
After Independemce, Bombay continued as one state
consisting of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Under the
Bombay Re-organization Act, 1960 Maharashtra and
Gujarat were formed into separate states on May 1,
1960, Maharashtra retaining the old capital Bombay
(now renamed as Mumbai).
Society and Culture
Maharashtrians are racially and ethnically
heterogeneous. Descendants of a warrior tribe, the
people of Maharashtra are very honest, hard working
and hospitable. Filled with a zest for living and
always on the move, their regard for women is
legendary. Maharashtra, predominantly a Hindu
society, with Ganesha as the principal deity, is
also home to a host of other religious groups,
including the enterprising Parsi community. Marathi,
Hindi and Gujarati are widely spoken in this state.
Other important languages are Telugu, Kannada,
Sindhi, Urdu, Bengali, Malayalam, and English. There
are also many local languages, such as Konkani on
the west coast and Gondi, Varhadi, and Mundari in
the eastern and northern forests.
Maharashtra's religious diversity reflects that of
India as a whole. Hindus predominate, followed by
Muslims and Buddhists. There are many Christians in
the metropolitan cities. Parsis (a religious
minority adhering to Zoroastrianism) live mainly in
Bombay and its environs; a few are found in other
cities. Other religious minorities include Jainas
and Sikhs, whose small communities are widespread.
Maharashtra is a distinct cultural region. Its
artistic and cultural heritage are best manifestated
in the numerous ancient cave paintings 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, its cultural capital is lively with cultural
activities and organizations. Festivals abound in
this state of jolly people. Some important are:
Kala Ghoda festival in Jan; Elephanta Music and
Dance Festival in Feb ; Gudhi Paadva and Ram Navami
in March ; Akshayya Truteeya , Maharashtra Day,
Mahavir Jayanti , Buddha Jayanti in April-May; Wat
Pournima in May-June ; Gokhulashtami in July/Aug ;
Navroz or Parsi New Year in July/Aug ; Ganesh
Chathurthi in Aug/Sept ; Nariel Purnima in Sept ;
Ramadan (varies according to the Muslim calendar);
Dussehra in Oct; Savitri Vrata in Jeshta.
Economy and Infrastructure
Maharashtra is richly endowed withn various minerals
of industriasl importance like manganese, coal, iron
ore, limestone, copper, bauxite, silica sand, and
common salt. These minerals are found in substantial
quantities in in the eastern districts with some
deposits in the west. Bituminous coal are found in
the in the districts of Bhandra, Nagpur and
Chandrapur. Undersea oil deposits were discovered in
and near Mumbai in the 1970s. The mountainous region
of the state is a virtual repository of rich timber
reserves.
Sorghum, millet, and pulses dominate the cropped
area. Rice grows where rainfall exceeds 40 inches,
and wheat is a winter crop in fields that retain
moisture. Cotton, tobacco, and peanuts are major
crops in areas having 24-39 inches of rainfall.
Irrigation dams in rain-shadow areas have resulted
in a rich sugarcane yield. Mangoes, cashew nuts,
bananas, and oranges are popular orchard crops.
Maharashtra is one of the most industrialised states
in the country. Cotton textile industry is the
largest and the oldest industry in the state.
Important centres of this industry are located at
Bombay, Nagpur, Sholapur, Akola, and Amravati;
handloomed goods are produced especially in and
around Nagpur and Sholapur. Traditional and agro
industries also make significant presence in Jalgaon
and Dhule (edible oils processing) and Kolhapur,
Ahmadnagar, Sangli, and Miraj (sugar refining).
Fruit canning and preservation are important in
Nagpur, Bhusawal, Ratnagiri, and Bombay. Timber,
bamboo, sandalwood, and tendu leaves (for cheap
cigarettes) are the importanr forests produce.
Small-scale agro-processing, consisting of
conversion of food grains, oilseeds, and other crops
into items of daily consumption, is virtually
ubiquitous in the state.
Maharashtra utilises both hydroelectricity and
thermal electricity. The producing plants of the
former are in western areas of the state while that
of the latter form of power are in the eastern
region. Maharashtra is the home of India's first
nuclear plant (located at Tarapur, 70 miles north of
Mumbai).
The state's greatest concentration of heavy industry
and high technology is in the Mumbai-Pune zone. The
petrochemical industry has witnessed a massive
growth in the state after the installation of
India's off shore oil wells near Mumbai in 1976. Oil
refining and the manufacture of such items as
agricultural implements, transport equipment, rubber
products, electric and oil pumps, lathes,
compressors, sugar-mill machinery, typewriters,
refrigerators, electronic equipment, and television
and radio sets are assuming increasing importance.
Automobile industry is in its infancy but holds high
promises. Mumbai is the capital of Indian film
industry and is popularly known as Bollywood.
Aurangabad and Thane are also important industrial
hubs.
Maharashtra is well connected by roads, air and
railways. Five national highways connect the state
with Delhi, Calcutta, Allahabad, Hyderabad, and
Bangalore. State and private transport operators
serve all routes. Inland water transport plays a
limited role in Maharashtra, and other than Bombay
there are only minor ports on the western coast. |
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