Maharashtra: Profile

Maharashtra is India`s 3rd largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population. With 35 districts, grouped into six divisions, it is termed as the financial hub of the country. The state capital Mumbai is rightly termed as the business capital of India.

History

The name Maharashtra first appeared in a 7th century inscription and in a Chinese traveler`s account. Its name is assumed to have originated from rathi, which means, "chariot driver". At that age Maharashtra was full of builders and drivers of chariots who formed a maharathi, a "fighting force”. In 90 AD King Vedishri made Junnar, thirty miles north of Pune, the capital of his kingdom.

In 1526, the first Mughal king, Babar, gained prominence in Delhi and soon Mughal power spread to southern India. The Mughals dominated India till the early 18th century.

In the 17th century Chhatrapati Shivaji stood against the Mughals who ruled across India and established independent Maratha rule. Later, the Maratha kingdom too ended owing to the Anglo-Maratha war, and a large part of Maharashtra became part of the state of Bombay under British rule.

As India gained independence, under the State Reorganisation Act, the Bombay state was formed by merging the states of Kutch and Saurashtra and the Marathi speaking areas of Hyderabad and Madhya Pradesh in the old state of Bombay. However, Kannada speaking areas of the old state of Bombay were transferred to Mysore (Karnataka) by the Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960. The state of Gujarat was carved out of the Northern and Western part of the Bombay state. The remaining region got renamed as Maharashtra.

Demographics

The 2001 Census of India had put the population figures of Maharashtra at 96,752,247. The corresponding population density is 322.5 inhabitants per square kilometre. The sex ratio in the state as per that census was 922 females per 1,000 men and the literacy rate was 77.27 percent.

80 percent of the population here comprises Hindus. Others who coexist with them include Muslims 10.6%, Buddhists 6%, Jains 1.3% and Christians 1%. Jains, Zoroastrians and Jews are also present in the state. The principal spoken language is Marathi, while Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, Telugu, Kannada and Sindhi are also spoken here.

Culture

Maharashtra has a diverse culture. The state also consists of many ancient temples and their construction is a blend of North and South India. The temples fuse themes from Hindu, Buddhist and Jain cultures.

Not only this, Mumbai also embraces UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Ajanta and Ellora caves as well as Elephanta caves. Mughal similitude is also seen with the tomb of the wife of Aurangzeb called Bibi Ka Maqbara located at Aurangabad.

In the villages, life revolves around fairs and festivals. The most prominent festival is Ganesh Chaturthi which is conspicuous by large processions and colourful images of Lord Ganesha.

Gudi Padwa, Diwali, Rangapanchami are some other festivals that are celebrated in the state.

Tourism

Be it the Gateway of India or the paintings of the Ajanta caves or the sculpture of the Ellora caves, Mumbai showcases a wide variety of tourist destinations that induces a sense of discovery, a discovery of the self, and of the divine.

Maharashtra`s 720 km long affair with the Arabian Sea extends from Dahanu and Bordi in the north up to Goa proceeding southwards. If you`ve got a penchant for sand, sea and surf, this state has a lot of interesting options.

It also comprises hill stations located at an altitude of 2000 metres that offer clean, calm and a thoroughly refreshing alternative to the city life.

Economy

As the financial hub of our country, the state’s capital, Mumbai, houses the headquarters of almost all major banks, financial institutions, insurance companies and mutual funds in India. India`s largest stock exchange- the Bombay Stock Exchange which is the oldest in Asia, is also located in the city. Mumbai is also the centre of India`s film and television industry-Bollywood.

As per the CMIE report, Maharashtra has the largest economy in the country. Its Gross Domestic Product (GSDP) at current prices stood at Rs.3,71,877 crore in the year 2004-05. The state roughly accounted for 13 per cent of the National Income. It had the fifth highest per capita income in the country at Rs 36,423.

The major industries of Maharashtra are textiles, automobiles and chemicals. The other service industries include telecommunications, hotels, banking, information technology, media, power, construction, real estate, health and community services, and tourism.

Government

It has 48 seats in the Lok Sabha and 19 seats in the Rajya Sabha. It’s one of the few states to have a bicameral legislature. Mumbai is home to the Vidhan Sabha – the state Assembly and Mantralayam, the administrative offices of the government. It is also home to the Bombay High Court.

Post-independence, Mumbai was in the political grips of the Congress party, but in 1995 the right wing Shiv Sena and BJP secured an overwhelming majority in the state to form a coalition. However, in the 2004 elections, NCP emerged as a strong force in Maharashtra politics and formed the government with Congress support. After the Mumbai terror attacks both the Chief Minister and the Home Minister had to resign after which Ashok Chavan became the Chief Minister and Chhagan Bhujbal the Deputy Chief Minister.

Compiled by: Biplob Ghosal