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Hinduism - Where Is Maharashtra In India?

 


Maharashtra is a modern Indian state that stretches from the Arabian Sea to the Deccan Plateau, reaching east through the Western Ghats.

Maharashtra is one of the "linguistic" states established following India's independence in 1947, with the goal of uniting people who share a similar language and culture (in this instance, Marathi) under a single government.

It was established in 1960 when the previous state of Bombay was divided into the current states of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Bombay, India's capital, is the country's financial and industrial hub.

The western parts are heavily industrialized, whilst the eastern regions are mainly agrarian, with sugar plantations dominating the landscape.

Maharashtra is historically the home of the Marathas, a clan whose eighteenth-century dominion spanned much of northern India.

Maharashtra is home to the Rashtriya Svayamsevak Sangh and the Shiv Sena, two Hindu nationalist groups that have attempted to influence Indian politics.

In addition to its economic and political significance, the state is home to several historical, cultural, and religious attractions.

The rock-cut caverns of Ellora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the Buddhist caves of Ajanta; and the cave temple at Elephanta in the Bombay port are among the historical and cultural monuments.

The Godavari and Bhima rivers, as well as their associated sacred sites (tirthas); sites associated with the Varkari Panth religious community, particularly the temple to the god Vithoba at Pandharpur; and three of the jyotirlingas, which are particularly holy to the god Shiva: Bhimashankar, Ghrneshvar, and Tryambakeshvar.

See Christine Nivin et al., India. 8th ed., Lonely Planet, 1998, for general information about Maharashtra and other Indian states.


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