Maharashtra Gateway to the Heart of India

The state with second largest population in India and stands third in total area in India and that lies in the west part of the country is state of Maharashtra. The state is considered to be the wealthiest among all states in the country and contributes a good amount of 15 percent in terms of industrial output and a total GDP of 13 percent as per calculations in the year 2006-2007.

Towards the west lies the Arabian sea while to its northwestern direction is the state of Gujarat and the Dadra and Nagar Haveli, state of Madhya Pradesh touches from north and northeastern direction, eastern side touches with Chhattisgarh, towards the south, southeast and southwest lies Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Goa respectively. The total area of the state is 307,731 square kilometer that is calculated as 9.84 percent of countries total geographical area. The city of Mumbai is the capital city and also is largest city in the country with contributing maximum financial support to country. Next to Mumbai, the city of Nagpur is given the name as winter capital of state. The major language spoken in the state is Marathi.

The state has the second largest population in the country. If the state would have been an independent nation it would have been declared as twelfth most popular country in the world before Philippines.

Why Visit Maharashtra

There are numerous tourists’ attractions that cover the beaches in the state, scenic hill stations, historical monuments, caves and wildlife sanctuaries. The state experiences numerous visitors throughout the year from all parts of the world.

The famous hill stations in the state are Panchgani, Mahabaleshwar, Malshej Ghat and Jawahar. The scenic and pictorial surroundings of these places have made them famous for shooting many movies in India. The hill stations lie in the range of Sahayadri hills that lies in the Western Ghats.

The most famous beaches that are considered most visited by the visitors are Juhu and Marine Drive beaches. The remains of many Portuguese forts and structures can be seen all around the Dahanu Bordi beach. The Velneshwar beach sees many water sports.

The Ajanta and Ellora caves belong to 2nd and 3rd BC and the structure is the amalgamation of architecture that comprises of Buddhists, Jain and Hindu. The architectural beauty of the caves is mesmerizing. The Guptas built the Elephanta caves from 9th to 12th century.

The city of Mumbai is the contemporary city along with being the financial city of the country. The most popular tourist’s attractions in the city are Gateway of India, beaches like Juhu and Marine drive and Siddhi Vinayak temple. The Bollywood industry is also based in the city.

Exploring The Culture of Maharashtra

The temples in the state are as old as almost 100 years that depict the architecture of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain cultures. Bibi Ka Maqbara in Aurangabad displays the Mughal architecture. Guru Gobind Singh Ji who is the last Sikh Guru finally made Maharashtra as his home.

The folk music of the state is Bharud, Powada and Gondhal Lavani. The songs written in Marathi and Hindi language are common among the people of the state.

Bhawarthadeepika the famous Marathi literature was written by Sant Jyaneshwar. The literatures of the modern day have been contributed by Prahalad Keshav Atre, Kusumagraj and P.L. Deshpande.

The state has wide variety of Indian cuisine served to its visitors. Rice and fish are served in Konkan area. Other food items popular are wheat, Jowar, Bajra, Modak and Chivada.

Tourism in Maharashtra

The state is also called as the industrial state of the country. The other modern cities of the state are Mumbai, Nasik, Nagpur, Pune and Aurangabad. People of the state generally speak Marathi language and are commonly referred to as Marathis or Maharashtrians. The other languages that people speak in the state are English and Hindi.

The state sees maximum number of foreign tourists in comparison to other states of the country while as per the survey conducted in year 2010 this state is ranked 4th in the number of visitors from the country. The city of Aurangabad is named as Tourism capital of Maharashtra.

Facts for Tourist

The political groups in Mumbai are against the fact of women wearing any kind of revealing clothes. The summers in the city are very hot and hence tourists are advised to carry cotton clothes and consume more and more water during their visit to the city. It is advised to the visitors not to show extra affability towards the taxi or auto drives and especially during night travel.