Maharashtra is a picturesque state in Western India, with a
720 km coastline and dominates the heart of the Peninsula. The city of Bombay (Mumbai) is the
capital. The state was formed in 1960, when the old state of Bombay was split
along linguistic lines into two new states, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Marathi is
the official language of the state, the second most populous in India, and
Hinduism is the predominant religion.
The mountains of the Western Ghats run parallel to the coast of the state,
leaving a narrow strip known as the Konkan between the Arabian Sea and the
interior plateau. There is a series of small ports along the coast in addition
to Bombay. Beyond the Western Ghats is a vast plateau drained by the Tapi,
Godavari, Bhima, Krishna, Wardha, and Vainganga rivers. The great Tapi trough, a
fertile belt where cotton is cultivated, is there.
The heaviest rainfall is along the coastal area, where it averages 203–305 cm a year.
The climate in general is tropical. In the plateau areas, 64–203 cm of rain
fall annually, creating a semiarid climatic zone. Rice,
grown in the coastal area, is the primary food crop, but it is supplemented by
the production of grain sorghum and small millet. The state is rich in minerals;
manganese, iron ore, bauxite, coal, and salt are mined. Industry, including the
manufacture of textiles, electrical products, and chemicals, is mainly
concentrated in Bombay, Pune, Aurangabad, and Nagpur.
The Muslim rulers of India controlled the area of Maharashtra from the early
14th cent. to the mid-17th cent., when the great Maratha leader Sivaji formed a
Maharashtran confederacy. In the 16th cent., Portugal was the leading foreign
power in the region, but Great Britain gradually gained influence and by the
early 19th cent. had incorporated the Maharashtran area into the Bombay
presidency, which later became a province of British India. Maharashtra is
governed by a chief minister and cabinet responsible to a bicameral legislature
with one elected house and by a governor appointed by the president of India.
Maharashtra today is a large and populous state, but has a marvellous
diversity. Because of its geographical location, its tradition of
trade and commerce and the tolerant attitude of its inhabitants, people of many
different faiths have settled here. These communities have worshipped and lived
in complete freedom and almost every religion of the world is represented in
this State. Its booming capital Mumbai, makes it not only one of the most
important states economically, but also a major gateway for overseas visitors.
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