What is Maharashtra famous for?

What is Maharashtra famous for?

Maharashtra is one of India's largest commercial and industrial hubs, which has led to it being called the Gateway of India. Maharashtra is also known for its culture and beauty. The ancient cave paintings found at Ajanta and Ellora are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and popular tourist destinations.

Maharashtra, a state of India, occupying a substantial part of the Deccan Plateau in the western peninsular part of the subcontinent. Its shape roughly resembles a triangle, with 450 miles (725 km) of west coast forming the base and its interior tapering to a blunt apex about 500 miles (800 km) to the east. Maharashtra is bordered by the Indian states of Gujarat to the northwest, Madhya Pradesh to the north, Chhattisgarh to the east, Telangana to the southeast, Karnataka to the south and Goa to the southwest, and the united territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and the Arabian Sea to the west.

The capital of Maharashtra, Bombay (formerly Mumbai) is an island city on the west coast, connected to the mainland by road and rail. Aptly called the Gateway of India, Maharashtra is one of India's largest commercial and industrial centers and plays a significant role in the country's social and political life.

Maharashtra is a leader among Indian states in terms of agricultural and industrial production, trade and transport, and education. Its ancient culture, at one stage largely obscured by British rule, survives largely through a strong literary heritage. In fact, communal literature in Marathi, the predominant language of the state, played an important role in cultivating a sense of unity among Maharashtrians. Area 118,800 sq mi (307,690 sq km). Pop. (2011) 112,372,972.

Land

Relief, drainage and soils

Western Ghats

Nashik, Maharashtra, India: ghats along the Godavari River

Maharashtra presents a complex range of physical diversity. To the west is the narrow Konkan coastal plain, which reaches its widest extent near Bombay. The relief is dominated by numerous smaller hills. There are many small, fast, west-flowing streams, most of which are less than 80 km. The largest, the Ulhas, rising in the Bhor Ghat, joins the sea after a course of 80 miles (130 km).

The Western Ghats (a mountain range on the western edge of the Deccan Plateau; ghat means "pass" in Marathi) run almost continuously for 400 miles (640 km) from north to south, with the foothills reaching within 4 miles (6.4 km) of the Arabian Sea. Elevations increase northward to peaks of about 4,720 feet (1,440 meters). There are several passes through which roads and railways connect the coast with the interior. The eastern slopes of the Ghats descend gently to the Deccan Plateau and are shaped by the broad, mature valleys of the Krishna, Bhima and Godavari rivers.

Between the Narmada river valley in the north, the Krishna basin in the south, and the west coast as far east as the city of Nagpur, the Ghats and the triangular plateau inland are covered with extensive lava flows called traps. They reach a maximum thickness of about 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) near Bombay. Differential erosion of the lava results in characteristic steppe-like slopes, uniform ridge lines and the tabletop appearance of many of Maharashtra's hills.

Around Nagpur, the Deccan Traps give way to rolling uplands (about 270 to 330 meters high) underlain by ancient crystalline rocks. Part of the larger Godavari basin, the Wardha-Wainganga valley faces south and has many lakes.

Much of Maharashtra is covered with black soil derived from decomposed lava rocks, commonly called "black cotton soils" (because cotton is often grown in them). Drifts along the slopes have eroded into medium brown and light colored sandy soils. Saline soils in river valleys are the result of limited soil drainage followed by intense evaporation.

Climate

The climate is subtropical to tropical (depending on altitude) and characteristically monsoonal (ie wet-dry), with local variations. India's southwest monsoon rains usually appear on the Mumbai coast in the first week of June and last until September, during which time they account for about four-fifths of the annual rainfall. Four seasons are normal: March–May (warm and dry), June–September (hot and humid), October–November (warm and dry), and December–February (cool and dry).

The Western Ghats and the mountain ranges on the northern borders greatly influence the climate, separating the humid Konkan coast from the dry inland highlands, the region called the Desh. Rainfall is extremely heavy in the Konkan, averaging about 100 inches (2,540 mm), with some of the wettest places receiving as much as 250 inches (6,350 mm), but it rapidly diminishes to one-fifth that amount east of the Ghats. Rainfall increases again in eastern areas, reaching about 40 to 80 inches (1,000 to 2,000 mm) in the extreme east.

Coastal regions have uniform temperatures; monthly averages in Mumbai are in the low 80s F (about 27–28 °C). A change of more than about 7°C between day and night temperatures is unusual. Pune (Poona), higher up on the plateau, benefits from cooler temperatures throughout the year. Inland, summer temperatures average as low as 100 F (about 38–41 °C) and winter temperatures average 21–23 °C.

Plant and animal life

Mahabaleshwar

Forests cover less than one-fifth of the state and are confined to the Western Ghats, mainly their transverse ranges, the Satpura range in the north and the Chandrapur region in the east. On the coast and adjacent slopes, plant forms are rich in floating trees, variegated shrubs and mango trees and coconut palms. The forests provide teak, bamboo, myrobalan (for dyeing) and other woods.

Thorny savanna vegetation is found in areas with less rainfall, especially in the highlands of Maharashtra. Subtropical vegetation is found on higher plateaus that receive heavy rains and have milder temperatures. Bamboo, chestnut and magnolia are common. Wild dates are found in semiarid tracts. Mangrove vegetation occurs in swamps and estuaries along the coast.

Wild animals include tigers, leopards, bison and several species of antelope. Striped hyena, wild pig and sloth are common. Monkeys and snakes are found in great variety, as are ducks and other game birds. The peacock is indigenous. Many of these animals can be seen in Tadoba, Chikhaldara and Borivli national parks of the state. The state's abundant marine life in the waters off its west coast remains largely untapped.