Maharashtra facts for kids
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Maharashtra (Marathi: महाराष्ट्र) is the name of a state of India and its language is Marathi. It is the third-biggest state of India (the size of only two states are bigger). Only one Indian state has more people. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra. (Name ‘Mumbai’ comes from original name of the city, Mumbapuri.)
Maharashtra is in the west part of India on the coast of the Arabian Sea. Seven other states of India have borders with Maharashtra. It covers an area of 118,530 mi² (306,993 km²), it is bigger than Italy but smaller than Oman. In traditional Indian geography it falls under the West Indian zone.
Maharashtra has more business than any other one state of India.
Culture
Provincial symbols of Maharashtra
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Provincial bird of Maharashtra
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Provincial animal of Maharashtra
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Provincial tree of Maharashtra
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Provincial flower of Maharashtra
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Most people in Maharashtra are Hindus and you can see it in the culture of Maharashtra. There are many temples in Maharashtra and some of them are very old. The architecture of these temples is a mixture of architecture from North and South India. The temples also have ideas from Hindu, Buddhist and Jain cultures. Maharashtra has many forts like Raigad and Pratapgad which were very important in the early history of the Maratha Empire and also sea forts like the one at Sindhudurg.
The folk music of Maharashtra is mixed.
An early piece of Marathi literature is Bhawarthadeepika (known as Dnyaneshwari) by Dnyaneshwar. The religious songs called bhajans by Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram, Namdev are very popular. Modern Marathi literature also has some great poets and authors like P. L. Deshpande, Kusumagraj, Prahlad Keshav Atre, and Vyankatesh Madgulkar. Many books are published every year in Marathi.
The theater, movies, and television in Maharashtra are mostly made in Mumbai, and the actors in each area (like television) can work in the others. Some important people in the movie industry are Dadasaheb Phalke, Dada Kondke, Ashok Saraf, Laxmikant Berde, Sachin Pilgaonkar, Mahesh Kothare and V. Shantaram. Early Marathi theatre had important playwrights (people who write plays) like Kolhatkar, Khadilkar, Deval, Gadkari and Kirloskar. They wrote musical plays called Sangeet Naatak. The music from those plays is called Natyasangeet. Important actors at this time were Bal Gandharva, Keshavrao Bhosle, Bhaurao Kolhatkar, and Dinanath Mangeshkar.
Some of the popular Marathi television channels are Mi Marathi and ETV Marathi. They have many kinds of shows: soap operas, cooking, travel, political satire, and game shows.
The food of Maharashtra is different in each place. The people in the Konkan region eat more rice and the ones near the ocean eat a lot of fish. In eastern Maharashtra, most people eat a lot of wheat, jowar, and bajra. Other important things people eat in Maharashtra are lentils, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, chilies, garlic, ginger, and aamras. Many people also eat chicken and mutton.
In the past, women wore a long sari and men wore a dhoti or pajama with a shirt. Today, women in the cities often wear other clothes like Salwar kameez (dresses from the Punjab), and men in the cities wear trousers and a shirt.
Cricket is very popular in Maharashtra. Many people play it and many others watch it. Kabaddi is also popular. Children play Viti-Dandu and Pakada-pakadi (Tag).
Hindus in Maharashtra follow the Saka era calendar. Gudi Padwa, Diwali, Rangapanchami, Gokulashtami, and Ganeshotsav are some of the festivals that are celebrated in Maharashtra. Ganeshotsav is the biggest festival. The Hindus celebrate it with reverence and festivity in Maharashtra and it has also become popular in other parts of India. The festival which lasts ten days is in honor of Ganesha, the Hindu god of learning and knowledge.
Images for kids
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Late Harappa figure from Daimabad hoard, Indus Valley civilization
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2nd century BCE Karla Caves are a group of Buddhist caves near Lonavala
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Statue of Shivaji opposite Gateway of India in South Mumbai
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The Bombay-Poona Mail Train of the GIPR company in 1907
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Dried up the Godavari at Puntamba, Ahmadnagar district after a poor Monsoon
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A Bengal tiger in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve
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Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai. Hinduism is the dominant religion in Maharashtra
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Mantralaya or administrative headquarters of Maharashtra state government in South Mumbai
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The Bombay High Court, one of the oldest high courts in India
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Mumbai is a major contributor to the economy of Maharashtra
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Freshly grown sugarcane, agriculture is the second leading occupation in Maharashtra
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Mumbai–Nashik Expressway
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Students at a state-run primary school in Raigad district.
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Founded in 1887, Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) is one of the oldest engineering colleges in Asia
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Situated in Pune, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune was established in 1948 after the Indian independence.
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Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (Agricultural University) at Akola
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A Primary Healthcare center in the village of Amboli in Pune district
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Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station, the state's power production source
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Maharashtrian Vegetarian Thali
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Misal Paav, a popular dish from Maharashtra
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A Girl and a Woman dressed in traditional Maharashtrian Nauvari lugada (nine-yard sari)
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Lavani performance
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Playwright Vijay Tendulkar
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P L Deshpande (in center), one of the most popular authors in Marathi language
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Times of India building in Mumbai
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Children playing cricket in a farm outside the village of Chinawal in Jalgaon.
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Night-time skyline of Downtown Mumbai at Nariman Point
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Ganeshotsav festival in Pune
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Khandoba mandir of Lord Khandoba in Jejuri
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Venna Lake at Mahabaleshwar
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Indian Tigers at Tadoba Tiger reserve
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Pandharpur, a Hindu pilgrimage centre in the state
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See also
In Spanish: Maharashtra para niños
