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Maharashtra is the western state of India with the capital city Mumbai, the city of dreams (sapno ka sheher.) Mumbai is not an unknown city to any of us now with all the big bougie Bollywood stars residing there. May 1 every year is seen as the day of Maharashtra. Here we will cover more amazing facts about Maharashtra, a major state occupying Deccan India.
History of Maharashtra
The word Maharashtra is derived from “Maha” meaning “The great,” and “Rathi” meaning “chariot driver.” It pretty much explains the history of Maharashtra. The first ruler of Maharashtra was the Badami dynasty. It was ruled by many dynasties like the Satvahana Empire, Vakataka Empire, Gupta Empire, Raskshtrakutas, etc the major role was played by the Gupta Empire. The most powerful empire amongst them was the Vakataka empire. The Maratha dynasty took hold in the region in the 16th century, headed by the Maratha Shivaji Maharaja.
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Later in modern history times, it was headed by the British East India Company for a decade. Maharashtra has given many prominent nationalists to the nation like Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, etc. It stood as a progressive state that stood the test of time and different rulers.
Strategic location- Maharashtra
Maharashtra is the heart of the nation which has connections with the different countries through the sea. Maharashtra is a state that has a strong infrastructure for transportation and trade like airports, seaports, highways, etc. As far as the suppliers are concerned, it is the second most populated state of India after Uttar Pradesh, followed by Bihar, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh.
Fun facts About Maharashtra
Scroll to learn the most amazing facts about Maharashtra.
- 18 national highways in Maharashtra cover the area around 17,757 km.
- Maharashtra alone accounts for 12.92% of the total GDP of the nation. The per capita income in this state is more than the average of the nation.
- Most world heritage sites could be seen in this Indian state as compared to the other states in the nation.
- Maharashtra is one of the states with the maximum number of airports in the state. The rest are Gujrat (Top), Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka.
- The state animal, bird, flower, tree, and butterfly are the Indian giant squirrel, yellow-footed green pigeon, jarul, mango, and blue mormon respectively.
- This fact of Maharashtra is about the composition of the population. The race of marathis is Dravidian and Konkani are Aryan race in the state of Maharashtra state of India.
- The biggest market for onions is in the Maharashtra state, Nashik. This place produces half of the world’s onions every year.
- Wipro Ltd, a technology and IT company is a Marathi company established by Mohamed Prmiji in Amalner, District Jalgaon, Maharashtra.
- Maharashtra was the first state t build an Indian expressway. Moreover, the hyperloop system or high-speed transportation system can only be seen here in this state.
- The most efficient delivery system of food in the world is the dabbawala system in Mumbai.
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Language
The top two languages spoken in Maharashtra are Marathi and Konkan developed by Maharashtri Prakrit. However, the official language of the state is Marathi. It is used for any or all kinds of official documents except when Konkani is specified. The range of the Marathi language extends from the north area of Mumbai to the state of Goa and from east, it is extended to Deccan areas. In 1996, Marathi became the official language of this state.
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Culture
This is an amazing fact about Maharashtra that this state hugs all cultures of people. For instance, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians, etc. Amongst all the gods that people in Maharashtra pray to are Lord Ganesha, Maruti, and Mahadev in the form of Shivlinga. The state celebrates certain festivals with all joy like Makar Sankranti, Ganesh Chaturthi, Janmashtami, Guru Purnima, Navratri, and Diwali.
Art and Craft
You might not be shocked to read this fact about Maharashtra. The city of Kolhapur is the shelter for all of Maharashtra’s rich arts and crafts. Girls would agree that Kolhapuri chappals are one of the best kinds of footwear that pair well with traditional clothes. These footwear are homemade leather slippers. Another famous crafted piece of clothing is shawls that are handcrafted with the usage of silk, cotton, and satin.
Relevant Blogs
These are all the facts about Maharashtra. For more content related to the different states of India, visit our Civics and Polity archives.