PHYSIOGRAPHY
Maharashtra consists of two major relief divisions. The plateau which is a part of the Deccan tableland and the Konkan coastal strip abutting on the Arabian Sea. The state of Maharashtra forms a huge irregular triangle with its base on the west coast of India, overlooking the Arabian Sea. The coastal strip, about 720 km, long and not more than 80 km wide, is the Konkan dotted with paddy fields and coconut gardens. The Sahyadris or the western ghats running almost parallel to the sea coast flank the Konkan on its east. To the east of the Sahyadris stretches a vast plateau forming the apex of the triangle. The major parts of Maharashtra is underlined by rocks of volcanic origin the lavas. These lava beds are a distinctive feature of landscape in Maharashtra and many of them present as black and massive girdles a spectacular display on the scarp face of the Sahyadri.

The drainage system of Maharashtra consists of both west-flowing rivers draining to the Arabian Sea and east flowing one which drain to the Bay of Bengal after traversing Andhra Pradesh and Mysore. The major rivers of the plateau are Tapi, The Godavari, the Bhima, the Krishna, the Wardha, and Wainganga. The Godavari is the principal river of Maharashtra.

HISTORY
From the time of the epic Mahabharatha the region called Vidharba is one besides Marathwada which comprises Maharashtra today. This region was a part of the Mauryan empire. After the fall of the Mauryan, Maharashtra was ruled by diverse dynasties, each adding to the cultural flavour of the region and each leaving behind its own distinctive marks. The Satavahanas administrated this area followed by the -Vakatas, the Rashtrakutas, Kalachuris, Chalukyas and the Yadhavas. In about the 11th century AD the Delhi Sultanate established their rule. This was overthrown by the Bahmani dynasty which ruled till the end of the 15the century. The 17th century heralded the sudden rise in power of the Maraths-Marathi speaking Hindu warriors of the region. The Marathas emerged as a strong power under Shivaji who ruled from 1646 to 1680. The Peshwas who succeeded Shivaji built up a Maratha empire which extended from Gwalior in the north to Tanjore in the south, till the 18th century after which the British exercised their influence in this region. From 1818 it became a part of the Bombay Presidency. In the year 1960 Under the Bombay Re-organization Act, Maharashtra and Gujarat were separated and Maharashtra attained statehood.

British Rule and Post-Independence
With the arrival and subsequent involvement of the British East India Company in Indian politics, the Marathas and the British fought the three Anglo-Maratha wars between 1777 and 1818, culminating in the annexation of Peshwa-ruled territory in Maharashtra in 1819, which heralded the end of the Maratha empire.

The British governed the region as part of the Bombay Presidency, which spanned an area from Karachi in Pakistan to most of the northern Deccan. A number of the Maratha states persisted as princely states, retaining local autonomy in return for acknowledging British sovereignty. The largest princely states in the territory of present-day Maharashtra were Nagpur, Satara and Kolhapur; Satara was annexed to Bombay Presidency in 1848, and Nagpur was annexed in 1853 to become Nagpur Province, later part of the Central Provinces. Berar, which had been part of the Nizam of Hyderabad's kingdom, was occupied by the British in 1853 and annexed to the Central Provinces in 1903. A large part of present day Maharashtra called Marathwada remained part of the Nizam's Hyderabad state during British rule. The British rule was marked by social reforms, an improvement in infrastructure as well revolts due to their discriminatory policies. At the beginning of the 20th century, the struggle for independence took shape led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and the moderates like Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Agarkar, Pherozeshah Mehta and Dadabhai Naoroji. In 1942, the Quit India Movement was called by Mahatma Gandhi which was marked by a non-violent civil disobedience movement and strikes.

After India's independence in 1947, the princely states were integrated into the Indian Union, and the Deccan States including Kolhapur were integrated into Bombay State, which was created from the former Bombay Presidency in 1950. In 1956, the States Reorganisation Act reorganized the Indian states along linguistic lines, and Bombay Presidency State was enlarged by the addition of the predominantly Marathi-speaking regions of Marathwada (Aurangabad Division) from erstwhile Hyderabad state and Vidarbha region (Amravati and Nagpur divisions) from Madhya Pradesh (formerly the Central Provinces and Berar). On May 1, 1960, Maharashtra came into existence when Bombay Presidency State was split into the new linguistic states of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Geography
Maharashtra encompasses an area of 308,000 km² (119,000 mi²), and is the third largest state in India. Maharashtra is bordered by the states of Madhya Pradesh to the north, Chhattisgarh to the east, Andhra Pradesh 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 in between. The Arabian Sea makes up Maharashtra's west coast.

The Western Ghats better known as Sahyadri, are a hilly range running parallel to the coast, at an average elevation of 1,200 metres (4,000 feet). To the west of these hills lie the Konkan coastal plains, 50–80 kilometres in width. To the east of the Ghats lies the flat Deccan Plateau. The Western Ghats form one of the three watersheds of India, from which many South Indian rivers originate, notable among them being Godavari River, and Krishna, which flow eastward into the Bay of Bengal, forming one of the greatest river basins in India.

The Warlis, aboriginal settlers from the foothills of the Sahyadris, in Thane district, north of Mumbai, live in a small cluster of huts called padas. These houses generally have one door and no windows at all.

The Gonds, a people of central India, are spread between the forested areas of the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. They have distinctive customs and speak a Dravidian language called Gondi. Today, many Gond youth have taken on the dominant language of their regions and cultural variations between tribal communities is expanding. Where their forest homes are still intact, however, their lifestyles remain unchanged and such communities provide anthropologists with a window into a past.

Although Maharashtra has a distinctive Hindu flavour, it has always had a tradition of secularism. Jewish communities have established several synagogues which are still active in Mumbai, Pune, Alibag, Pen, Thane and Revdanda. Mosques and dargahs, churches and Zoroastrian fire temples, all find the space to function. A sprinkling of Jain and Buddhist temple cover the region.

FESTIVALS

Maharashtra is the centre of many religious and cultural traditions. In Maharashtrian villages, life revolves around fairs and festivals.

In early January people celebrate Makar Sankranti, the passing of the sun from Dhanu (Sagittarius) to Makar (Capricorn). The sky is ablaze with colourful kites. Sweets flavoured with sesame seed is an important item during this festival. In March, the festival of Holi is celebrated which is a winter harvest and the advent of spring. People throw coloured water over each other and have great fun on this occasion. This is an important festival celebrated all over north India.

Gudhi Padwa is the new year for the Maharashtrians. On this day people offer rituals, prayers, prasad of neem leaves, gram pulse and jagerry and they buy new clothes. Families erect a gudhi or bamboo staff, with a coloured silk cloth and a bright garlanded goblet is hung on top of it.

During April, Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated when thousands of Jains make pilgrimages to Bahubali, where two Jain temples have been constructed one for the Swetambara sect and another for the Digambara. Christians observe Good Friday and Easter Sunday around the same time.

Buddha Purnima is celebrated in May. Muslims celebrate Bakrid in the same month and Muharram is witnessed in June in remembrance of the Prophet Mohammed on his death anniversary.

The full moon of Shravana is celebrated around August as Shravani Purnima, Rakhi Purnima and Raksha Bandhan. In the coastal areas it is celebrated as Narli Purnima to appease the sea gods. Fisher folk worship the sea and decorate their boats, sing and dance, and make offerings of coconut. Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on the same day in different parts of the state.

The most important Mahrashtrian festival is Ganesh Chaturthi, in honour of Lord Ganesh. It is the birthday of Ganesh - the elephant headed son of Shiva and Parvathi. Ganesh is believed to be the harbinger of good luck who removes all obstacles to success. He brings prosperity and keeps natural calamities at bay in the lives of those who worship him. This ten day festival begins with the installation of the deity, who is then worshipped daily till the immersion on the final day. Small Ganesh idols are installed in homes. Idols can tower 10m high and weigh several tonnes. On the tenth day, serpentine processions fill the streets and with the accompaniment of drumbeats and music the image of Ganesh is immersed in the water. Devotees chant 'Ganapati Bappa Morya' which means Ganesh, Daddy, please come back soon next year.

Nag Panchami, the snake festival, is observed at the village called Battis Shitale in the Sangli district towards the end of August or early September. The devotees collect hundreds of cobras, place them in earthen pots and worship them to the accompaniment of folk dances and song. Later they are carried in processions of bullock carts and chariots. On the following day they are released into the fields from where they were captured.

Dussehra and Diwali are celebrated in October and November. Dussehra which is the celebration of good over evil is an auspicious day for new ventures. Tools of trade, vehicles and machinery are worshipped on this day. Diwali which is the festival of lights marks the end of one commercial year and the beginning of another. Homes are decorated with oil lamps. A unique Maharashtrian touch is seen in the akash kandeels or lanterns that are hung outside homes. Bhaubij, the last day of Diwali, is similar to Raksha Bandan and deals with the relationship between brother and sister

Gokul Ashtami is celebrated in August. Young men form human pyramids to break pots of curds strung high up from buildings. In the villages, the Pola or the harvest festival is celebrated in which bullocks are bathed, decorated and taken out in a procession to the accompaniment of beating drums.