Maharashtra is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to the southeast and Chhattisgarh to the east, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh to the north, and the Indian union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu to the northwest. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the fourth-most populous country subdivision in the world.
Purushottam Laxman Deshpande, popularly known by his initials or as P. L. Deshpande, was a Marathi writer and humorist from Maharashtra. He was also an accomplished film and stage actor, script writer, author, composer, musician, singer and orator. He was often referred to as "Maharashtra's beloved personality".
Solapur is a city located in the south-western region of the Indian state of Maharashtra, close to its border with Karnataka. Solapur is located on major highway, rail routes between Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad, with a branch line to the cities of Kalaburagi and Vijayapura in the neighbouring state of Karnataka. Solapur domestic airport (SSE) was inaugurated on 29th September, 2024 . It is classified as A1 Tier and B-1 class city by House Rent Allowance (HRA) classification by the Government of India. It is the seventh biggest Metropolis Urban Agglomeration and 11th most populated city in Maharashtra as well as 43rd largest urban agglomeration and 49th most populous city in India.
Yashwantrao Balwantrao Chavan was an Indian freedom fighter and politician who served as 8th Minister of Finance from 1970 to 1971 & 1971 to 1974. He served as the last Chief Minister of Bombay State and the first of Maharashtra after latter was created by the division of Bombay state. His last significant ministerial post was as the Deputy Prime Minister of India in the short lived Charan Singh government in 1979.
Navegaon National Park is a National park located in the Arjuni Morgaon subdivision of Gondia district in state of Maharashtra, India. The Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Navegaon is home to almost 60% of the bird species found in entire Maharashtra. Every winter, flocks of migratory birds visit the lake. The national park has diverse type of vegetation ranging from dry mixed forest to moist forest. The forest type is 5 A/C3. Southern tropical dry deciduous forest.
Ahmednagar district, officially Ahilyanagar district, is the largest district of Maharashtra state in western India. The historical city of Ahmednagar is the headquarters of the district. Ahmednagar and Sangamner are the largest cities in the district. It was the seat of the Ahmednagar Sultanate of late medieval period. This district is known for the towns of Shirdi associated with Sai Baba, Meherabad associated with Meher Baba, Shani Shinganapur with Shanidev, and Devgad with Lord Dattatreya. Ahmednagar district is part of Nashik Division. The district is bordered by Aurangabad district to the northeast, Nashik district to the northwest, Thane and Pune districts to the southwest, Solapur district to the south and Beed district to the southeast.
Dr. Jabbar Patel is a former paediatrician and a Marathi-language theatre and film director of India. His production of Vijay Tendulkar's play Ghashiram Kotwal, in 1973 is considered a classic in Modern Indian Theatre. Patel received Filmfare Marathi Lifetime Achievement Award at 7th Filmfare Awards Marathi.
The word Maharashtra, the land of the mainly Marathi-speaking people, appears to be derived from Maharashtri, an old form of Prakrit. Some believe that the word indicates that it was the land of the Mahars and the Rattas, while others consider it to be a corruption of the term 'Maha Kantara', a synonym for 'Dandakaranya'. Maharashtra is the third largest state in India after Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. It covers an area of 307,713 km2 and is bordered by the states of Madhya Pradesh to the north, Chhattisgarh to the east, Telangana to the southeast, Karnataka to the south and Goa to the southwest. The state of Gujarat lies to the northwest, with the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli sandwiched between the borders. Maharashtra has coastline of 720 km.The Arabian Sea makes up Maharashtra's west coast. Maharashtra consists of two major relief divisions. The plateau is a part of the Deccan tableland and the Konkan coastal strip abutting on the Arabian Sea.
Atpadi is an administrative town of the Atpadi Taluka of Sangli District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Atpadi is located north-east of Sangli District and shares borders with the adjacent Solapur and Satara Districts. The town has a taluka administrative office, a courthouse, a police station, a government-run primary hospital, various schools and colleges and a theater. Atpadi's economy is based on the cultivation and sale of agricultural products, with pomegranates and cotton constituting the core of the industry. The town is also home to the Manganga Sahakari Sugar factory, a Pomegranate auction center and various small scale industries in fields such as manufacturing, processing, servicing and repairs.
Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar was a Marathi writer from Maharashtra, India. He was the first Marathi author to win the prestigious Jnanpith Award.
Maharashtra attracts tourists from other Indian states and foreign countries. It was the second most visited Indian state by foreigners and fifth most visited state by domestic tourists in the country in 2021. Aurangabad is the tourism capital of Maharashtra.
Prakash Baba Amte is a social worker from Maharashtra, India. Amte and his wife, Mandakini Amte, were awarded the Magsaysay Award for 'Community Leadership' in 2008 for their philanthropic work in the form of the Lok Biradari Prakalp amongst the Madia Gonds in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra and the neighbouring states of Telangana and Madhya Pradesh. In November 2019 he was awarded with the ICMR Lifetime Achievement Award by Bill Gates.
Lakshman Shastri Joshi was an Indian scholar, of Sanskrit, Hindu Dharma, and a Marathi literary critic, and supporter of Indian independence. Mahatma Gandhi chose him to be his principal advisor in his campaign against untouchability. Joshi was the first recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award in year 1955. He was also awarded with two of the India's highest civilian honours Padma Bhushan in 1973 and Padma Vibhushan in 1992
Bittu Sahgal is an environmental activist, writer, and the founder of Sanctuary Nature Foundation, an Indian nonprofit conservation organization that works on environmental policy, advocacy, science, on-ground support and habitat management. He is also the founding editor of Sanctuary Asia, a wildlife and ecology magazine.
Shanta Gokhale is an Indian writer, translator, journalist and theatre critic. She is best known for her works Rita Welinkar and Tya Varshi.
T.N.A. Perumal or Thanjavur Nateshachary Ayyamperumal was a wildlife photographer from Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Maharashtra:
Laxman Maruti Gaikwad is a famous Marathi novelist known for his best work The Branded, a translation of his autobiographical novel Uchalaya. This novel not only gave him international recognition but he was also awarded the Maharashtra Gourav Puraskar, and the Sahitya Akademi award for this novel. Considered a masterpiece in Marathi literature, his novel for the first time brings to the world of literature the trials and tribulations of his tribe, Uchalya, literally the pilferers, a term coined by the British who classified the tribe as a criminal tribe. This book also brings in the problems faced by the Dalits in India. At present he is residing in Mumbai.
Krishnarao Ganpatrao Sable, popularly known as Shahir Sable, was a Marathi language folk artist from Maharashtra, India. He was an accomplished singer, playwright, performer and folk theatre (Loknatya) producer & director. He was awarded with Padma Shri – India's fourth highest civilian honour, in 1998 for his contribution in the field of arts.
Achyut Godbole is an Indian businessman and writer from Mumbai, India. He was CEO of Patni Computer Systems and few more leading IT firms in 1980 and 1990s. He was at the position of CEO for almost 23 years in his career in management. He moved to writing.
