When you are the country’s leading industrial state, the one with highest tax-paying capacity and accounts for a huge chunk of the country’s GDP, chances are that other aspects of your vast and glorious diversity may take a backseat… tourism for instance. So while the inexplicably sky-rocketing real esatate value and industrial progress may put it on the most favoured destination of the executive class of the globe, the state of Maharashtra has enough to appeal to the travel happy, adventure-hunting, history buff class of individuals as well.

The third-largest state of the large country that is India, Maharashtra is a truly diverse, physical manifestation of the diversity of the country. The land of deep spirituality that saw the origin of some of the country’s most prominent poet-saints, a culture rooted in a rich aesthetic heritage and a stunning topography with undulating mountain ranges on one hand and a serpentine coastline on the other, and what’s more, home to the megalopolis of Mumbai, Maharashtra is a little-explored destination that will charm visitors. Stunning architecture with influences of its multi-racial antecedents, natural formations that would probably convert non-believers into taking that leap of faith and a vast and wonderful artistic heritage typify the state. Sitting unobstrusively almost in the western central belt of India, Maharashtra lures in tourists keen on discovering a world that is moving ahead, tradition, convention and age-old heritage intact.

Geography

Located in the western region of India, Maharashtra is the third-largest state of India by size, and the second largest by population. It stretches from the west coast to the interior regions and its climate too varies with its geography. Maharashtra contains India’s most industrialized region, the Mumbai-Pune belt. Agriculturally too, the state is one of India’s more advanced and well irrigated. The northern and eastern parts of the state, however, lag behind the western region, but are quickly catching up.

Climate

Maharashtra has a typical monsoon climate, with summer, winter and monsoon months spread over the 12-month period. Tropical conditions prevail all over the state, even the hill stations are not chilly. The state also experiences instances of dew, frost and hail, depending upon the weather.

March, April and May are the hottest months. During April and May thunderstorms are common all over the state. Temperature varies between 22°C- and 39°C, with the temperatures hitting the high 40s in some cases and in some places.

The state’s climate is characterised by the monsoon season as well, which dominates a quarter of the year, from June to August, sometimes September. July is the wettest month in Maharashtra. Rainfall in the state varies from region to region. Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, receive heavy rains of an average of 200 centimetres annually, while the districts of Nasik, Pune, Ahmednagar, Dhule, Jalgaon, Satara, Sangli, Solapur and parts of Kolhapur receive less than 50 centimetres of rainfall. Rainfall is heavily concentrated in the western region of the state, the  Konkan and Sahyadrian Maharashtra. Under the influence of the Bay of Bengal, eastern Vidarbha too receives good rainfall in July, August and September.

Winter, which falls after a blistering summer window right after the rains, sometime in mid-November, is a cool dry spell, with clear skies gentle breeze and pleasant weather. It lasts up to February. But the eastern part of Maharashtra sometimes receives some rainfall during this period. Temperatures vary between 12°C-34°C during this season.

History

The name Maharashtra is believed to be originated from rathi, which means charioteer. Maharashtra entered the annals of recorded history in second century BC, with the construction of its first Buddhist caves. The name Maharashtra first appeared in a seventh-century in the account of a contemporary Chinese traveller, Huan Tsang.

One of the most important figures in the history of the state is he warrior king, Maharaj Shivajiraje  Bhosle, the founder of the Maratha empire. He was one of the leaders of the state who carried out a lifelong struggle against the Mughals. By 1680, the year of Shivaji’s death, nearly the whole of Deccan belonged to his empire.

Sambhaji succeeded Shivaji, but could not carry forward the legacy of his father. The period of his rule, between 1680 and 1707, was marked with great instability in the history of the region. Balaji Vishwanath (1712-1721), Bajirao Peshwa (1721-1740), Nanasaheb Peshwa (1740-1761), ‘Thorale’ Madhaorao Peshwa (1761-1772), Narayanrao Peshwa (1772-1773), ‘Sawai’ Madhaorao Peshwa (1774-1795) and the ‘Second’ Bajirao Peshwa (1795-1802) were the other important rulers of Maharashtra.

The fall of Ahmednagar Fort in 1803 marked the end of Indian rule and supremacy of British in Deccan. In 1804, General Wellesly proclaimed the Deccan in a state of chaos, established military rule and the Peshwas remained titular rulers.

The present state was formed in 1960 with Bombay as the capital, when the Marathi and Gujarati linguistic areas of former state of Bombay were separated. Maharashtra became the main channel of cultural exchange between southern to northern India.

People

Maharashtra’s diversity of physical features and geography is reflected in her people and culture. The Deccan Plateau in central Maharashtra is largely populated by tribal groups, of which the Bhils, Mahadeo Kolis, Gonds and Warlis are the largest tribal communities. The Warli tribe, aboriginal settlers from the foothills of the Sahyadris, in the Thane district, north of Mumbai, inhabit the northwestern coast. They continue their frugal, traditional existence, worshipping the mother goddess, a practice that is entrenched in Warli myths that prophesied death upon the human race as a result of the humiliation of Mother Earth. Their houses too, are a reflection of their deeply traditional roots, and are a throwback to their dwellings from early days, with the houses generally having one door and no windows at all.

The Gonds, a people of central India, are spread between the forested areas of the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. They have distinctive customs and speak a Dravidian language called Gondi. Today, many Gond youth have taken on the dominant language of their regions and cultural variations between tribal communities is expanding. Where their forest homes are still intact, however, their lifestyles remain unchanged and such communities provide anthropologists with a window into a past.

Maharashtra, by and large, has a rich tradition of secularism. Jewish communities have established several synagogues which are still active in Mumbai, Pune, Alibag, Pen, Thane and Revdanda. Mosques and dargahs, churches and Zoroastrian fire temples, all find the space to function. A sprinkling of Jain and Buddhist temple cover the region. Mumbai, the financial, commercial, megalopolis, is the stronghold of a vast cosmopolitan, modern crowd, a fact that characterizes its multidimensional spirit. It also draws immigrants in droves from other parts of the country, who come to the city to earn a better living.

The length and breadth of the state is characterised by different cuisines, tastes and types, both non-vegetarian and vegetarian. While the coastal regions thrive on seafood cuisine, the interiors of Maharashtra, have a particular proclivity for red meat. Broadly, Maharashtrian cuisine is divided into two, Konkani and Varadi, the common ingredient in both being lots of coconut, and a generous amount of spice.

While grated coconut spices many kinds of dishes, coconut oil is not very widely used as a cooking medium. Peanuts and cashew nuts are widely used in vegetables and peanut oil is the main cooking medium. Another feature is the use of kokum, a deep purple berry that has a pleasing sweet-and-sour taste. Kokum, most commonly used in an appetizer-digestive called the sol kadhi, is served chilled.

Among seafood, the most popular fish is bombil or the Bombay duck, which is normally served batter-fried and crisp. All non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes are eaten with boiled rice, chappatis, or with bhakris, which are soft rotis made of rice flour, jowar, bajra or ragi. Special ricepuris, called vada and amboli, which is a pancake made of fermented rice, urad daal, and semolina, are also eaten as a part of the main meal.

In the vegetarian fare, the most popular vegetables are brinjals and the quintessential potato. Maharashtrian fare is incomplete without papads, which are eaten roasted or fried. The most popular desserts of Maharashtra are the puran poli, which is roti stuffed with a sweet mixture of jaggery and gram flour, and shreekhand, which is sweetened curd flavored with cardamom and saffron.

Maharashtra is a vast state, with different customs and traditions specific to each region, and this is reflected in everything, from the clothes that people wear to the arts and crafts that have been handed down from generation to generation.

Maharashtra has a lively tradition of song, dance, music and theatre. Dance forms include the povada, lavani and koli – which is the tradition of the fisherfolk of the state – and folk dances like dhangri, gaja, dindi, kala and tamasha. Vasudev, another dance form, is performed by the state’s own version of minstrels. They are men decked out in a distinctive headgear of peacock feathers, dancing and singing anecdotes from Lord Krishna’s life in exchange for alms. This are traditionally found in the villages near the regions of Jalgaon and Dhule. On auspicious occasions like the birth of a child, dancers might hold night-long performances called gondhals. In other parts of the state, the bharud is very popular. It is a form of narrative, an enactment of the written musical compositions of poet-saints. The lavani, the domain of women, is sometimes called the queen of Marathi folk music and dance. Marathi theatre itself has evolved over the years, and is now a mature form of communication which challenges norms and often embraces rebellious themes.

The arts and crafts that originate in the region too are indicative of the rich tapestry of creative aesthetic handed down by generations. Maharashtrian jewellery is also specific to the region, with a partiality to gold jewellery. Remains of old, intricately carved woodwork can still be seen in palaces of yore. In the tiny shops in the bylanes of the district of Nashik, a few hundred kilometres from Mumbai, metal workers style utensils and vessels following age-old traditions. Paithan, which was once an important seat of learning, is famous for its beautiful silk saris which sport intricate gold borders. In Aurangabad, families weave silk-like himru shawls and make silver bidri ware.

Chawk, the sacred pictograph of the Warli tribes who inhabit the Thane district near Mumbai, was traditionally painted by women during wedding ceremonies. The technique involves the use of rice paste and straw smeared on the mud walls of their simple dwellings. Today, young men have taken to painting their own experiences, using the typically decorative Warli motifs on paper.

By Air

Mumbai has the biggest international airport in India Other airports in the state are in the cities of Pune, Aurangabad, Nagpur and Nashik.

By Rail

The Indian Railways covers most of the Maharashtra State and the entire state comes under the Central Railways, which is headquartered in Mumbai. South coast of Mumbai comes under Konkan Railway.

By Road

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation buses, or the ST or MSRTC, link most of the towns and villages and have a large network of operation. These buses, run by the state government are the preferred mode of transport for much of its populace. In addition to the government run buses, private run luxury buses are also a popular mode of transport between major towns.

All the cities of Maharastra all well connected by rail, air and road.

By plane

Maharashtra has five airports – Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik and Aurangabad, among which Mumbai is the busiest airport in India.

By train

The state is also well connected with other parts of India by the Indian railways. Mumbai is the headquarters of the central and western railways while the city of Nagpur, which is close to the geographical centre of India, has rail connectivity with all the metros of the country.

By car

There is a comprehensive network of roads and national highways running through the entire state, with a constant flow of both public and private buses and taxis plying around Maharashtra.