Maharashtra

Maharashtra is the motherland of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the birthplace of Swarajya, and home to numerous dynasty ruins glorifying the state's history.

It is a state of India, occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan plateau. It is in the western peninsular part of the subcontinent. Its shape roughly resembles a triangle. Maharashtra’s capital (formerly famous as Bombay), Mumbai, is an island city on the western coast. It connects to the mainland by roads and railways. Aptly famous as the gateway of India, Maharashtra is one of India’s most prominent commercial and industrial centers. And it played a vital role in the country’s political and social life.

Further, Maharashtra is a leader among Indian states regarding agricultural and industrial production, trade and transport, and education. At one stage, considerably hidden by British dominance, its ancient culture survives largely through a solid literary heritage medium. Standard literature in Marathi, the state's predominant language, has played an essential role in nurturing a sense of unity among the Maharashtrians.

History of Maharashtra

Maurya Empire ruled Maharashtra in the third and fourth centuries BCE. Further, Maharashtra came under the rule of the Satavahana dynasty for 400 years, around 230 BCE. Gautamiputra Satakarni was the most illustrious ruler of the Satavahana dynasty. In 90 CE, Vedishri, son of the Satavahana king Satakarni, the "Lord of Dakshinapatha, wielder of the unchecked wheel of Sovereignty," made Junnar, 30 miles north of Pune, the capital of his kingdom. 

Western Chalukya, Western Satraps, Gupta Empire, Gurjara-Pratihara, Vakataka, Kadambas, Chalukya Empire, and Rashtrakuta Dynasty also ruled the state. Finally, before the Yadava rule. 

Shahji Bhosale, an ambitious general serving Mughals, Ahmadnagar Sultanate, and Adil Shah of Bijapur at different periods of his career, attempts to establish his independent rule in the early 17th century.

Further, his son Shivaji succeeded in establishing the Maratha Empire. Empire was further expanded during the 18th century by the Bhat family Peshwas based in Pune, Bhonsle of Nagpur, Gaekwad Baroda, Holkar of Indore, Scindia of Gwalior. The empire covered much of the subcontinent at its peak, encompassing over 2.8 million km. The Marathas get great credit for ending the Mughal rule in the country.

Few More Historic Facts

After their defeat in the Third Battle of Panipat against Ahmad Shah Abdali's Afghan forces in 1761, the Maratha suffered a setback. However, until the eighteenth century, the Marathas regained lost influence and ruled central and north India, including New Delhi.

The Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818) led to the end of the Maratha Empire. And the country went into the hands of East India Company in 1819. In the 1660s, the Marathas also developed a potent Navy circa. When at its peak, this dominated the territorial waters of the western coast of India from Mumbai to Savantwadi. It would attack the British, Portuguese, Dutch, and Siddi Naval ships and check their naval ambitions. The Maratha Navy commanded till around the 1730s. By the 1770s, it was in a state of decline and ceased to exist by 1818.

Local People

Marathi is the official state language, and more than four-fifths of the population speak the language. English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Bengali, Urdu, Sindhi, Telugu, and Malayalam are few other languages in the state. In addition, there are also many local languages, including Varhadi, Konkani on the west coast and Gondi, 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. In addition, there are many Christians in the metropolitan areas. Jewish and Parsi (a religious minority adhering to Zoroastrianism) groups have settled mostly in urban areas; Parsis live mainly in Mumbai and its environs. Other religious minorities include Jainas and Sikhs, whose small communities are widespread.

Local Food of Maharashtra

Maharashtra cuisine covers a range of mild to very spicy dishes. Jowar, Wheat, Rice, Bajri, Vegetables, Lentils, and fruit form the staple food of the Maharashtrian diet. Some of the famous traditional dishes include Puran Poli, Ukdiche modak, Thalipeeth, and Batata Vada. Misal Pav, Pav Bhaji, and Vada pav became very popular in the last fifty years. Meals (mainly lunch and dinner) served on a plate are thali. There is a specific place for each food item served on the thali.

In some households, meals begin with a thanksgiving offering of food (Naivedya) to the household gods. Maharashtrian cuisine is a blend of regional varieties, including Varhadi, Malvani (Konkani), and Kolhapuri. Though quite diverse, both use a lot of coconut and seafood. The chief foods of the Konkani people are rice and fish.

Among seafood, the most popular fish is the bombil or the Bombay duck. All non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes are eaten with boiled rice, chapatis, or bhakris, made of jowar, bajra, or rice flour. Unique rice puris called vada and amboli, a pancake made of fermented rice, urad dal, and semolina, are also eaten as a part of the main meal.

Culture

Maharashtra is a distinct cultural region. Manifesting its long artistic tradition within the ancient cave paintings found at Ajanta and Ellora of Aurangabad. Designating both of them as UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1983. During several medieval architectural masterpieces, devotional and classical music, and in its theatre. Pune, where numerous organizations nurture those great traditions, is the state’s undisputed cultural capital.

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Art of Maharashtra

Music in Maharashtra, like Marathi literature, has an ancient tradition. It became allied with Hindustani music in the 14th century. In additional recent times, Vishnu Narayana Bhatkhande and Vishnu Digambar Paluskar hugely influenced Indian classical music. Contemporary vocalists include Bhimsen Joshi and Lata Mangeshkar.

In rural Maharashtra, the main diversion is tamasha, a performance form that combined music, drama, and dance. Further, the standard tamasha troupe comprises seven artists, including a female dancer for featured roles and a bawdy clown.

The theatre and the cinema are famous in urban areas of Maharashtra. Leading playwrights Vijay Tendulkar, V. Khadilkar and Vijay, and actor Bal Gandharva raised the status of the Marathi drama as an art form. Further, the Indian film industry, referred to as Bollywood, began in Mumbai in the 1930s, and by the early 21st century, its films gained popularity among international audiences.

Moreover, Prabhat Film Company in Pune is among the country’s leaders in cinema; its best-known productions are Sant Dnyaneshwar (1940) and Sant Tukaram (1936). Maharashtrian film pioneers are Baburao Painter and Dadasaheb Phalke, and artists of Hindi cinema include Nana Patekar and Madhuri Dixit.

Festivals

Maharashtra celebrates many festivals throughout the year. Holi and Ranga Panchami are spring festivals. Autumn celebrates Dussehra (also spelled Dashahara), the triumph of good over evil. In August, during Pola, farmers bathe, decorate, and parade their bulls through the streets, signifying the beginning of the sowing season.

The Ganesh Chaturthi festival, celebrating the birth of the Hindu deity Ganesha, is held during the season and is by far the foremost famous in Maharashtra. Nationalist politician Bal Gangadhar Tilak came up with the idea of the first public celebration in 1893. Mud or clay idols of Ganesha are sold throughout the state.

Unique to Maharashtra is that the Hurda party, during which a farmer invites neighboring villagers to take of fresh ears of Jowar (grain sorghum). The 10th day of Muharram celebrates ʿĀshūrāʾ (the first month of the Islamic calendar), honors the martyrs of Islam, although Hindus also participate. Traditional dances along with folk songs accompany all those celebrations.