Maharashtra
Area : 307762 sq. kms
Population :
90 million
Languages :
Marathi, Hindi, Gujurati, English
Capital :
Mumbai
Accessibility :
Talk in general about major airports
,major roads, rail heads etc
When it comes to Indian States, one of the largest and commercially advanced state is that of Maharashtra.
The name itself implies its largeness -- 'Maha' means Big and 'Rashtra' means State impling that it is one of the largest states in India.
The picturesque state in Western India, with a 720 km coastline is dotted by rugged forts standing as mute witnesses down the ages to the march of warrior kings, foreign trading vessels and invaders from across the seas.
A large area of the state rests on high plateau, historically the main center of the Maratha empire, which successfully defied the might of the Mughals under the fearless rule of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Many of the inland and coastal forts of Maharashtra are a legacy of Shivaji's rule.
Running parallel to the coast are the Western Ghats, which harbour some of the most scenic and inviting hill stations - particularly Matheran and Mahabaleshwar. The Ghats divide the Deccan from the Konkan coast, with its unspoilt beaches, today being developed as modern resorts, like Ganapatipule and Sindhudurg. Mumbai, the booming capital of the state and the economic powerhouse of India, is the most affluent and industrialised city in the country today.
Maharashtra has seen a lot in its history right from the ideal rule of the Great Maratha Ruler 'Raje Shivaji' till the paradoxical ending of chatrapathis, the period of unstability, the loyalty of the Peshwas, their reign to the supreme power, to their total disasters and eventually the fall to the British, the further rise of leaders like Lokmanya Tilak, Agarkar, Savarkar, their varying ideologies but their same significant aim of achieving independence for their country and the people, birth of the Ganesh Chaturthi Festival and much more... the state and its monuments still echo the glory of its history.
One must not miss a state like Maharashtra that has progressed in every sphere be it art and culture or economy.
