STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

VITHAL RUKMANI MANDIR AT PANDHARPUR
(THE KASHI OF MAHARASHTRA)

AND

IDOL OF –TULJA BHAVANI MANDIR AT TULJAPUR
(THE KULSWAMINI OF MAHARASHTRA)

MAHARASHTRA IS THE THIRD LARGEST STATE IN INDIA BOTH IN AREA AND POPULATION. THE STATE IS BOUNDED BY THE ARABIAN SEA IN THE WEST, GUJARAT IN THE NORTH WEST, M.P. IN THE NORTH, A.P. IN THE SOUTH EAST AND KARNATAKA AND GOA IN THE SOUTH.
THE COSTAL STRIP ABOUT 560 KM LONG AND NOT MORE THAN 80 KM WIDE IS THE KONKAN REGION DOTTED WITH PADDY FIELDS AND COCONUT GARDENS. THE SAHYADARIS OR THE WESTERN GHATS RUN ALMOST PARALLEL TO THE SEA COAST. TO THE EAST OF THE SAHYADRIS STRETCHES MARATWADA AND VIDHARBHA REGIONS A VAST PLATEAU WHICH IS DRAINED BY THE GREAT RIVERS GODVARI, BHIMA AND KRISHNA. THE PLATEAU IS EXTERMELY FERTILE AND PROVIDES EXCELLENT CROPS OF COTTON, OILSEEDS AND SUGARCANE. THE RAINFALL IN THE STATE VARY CONSIDERABLY FROM 200 CM TO LESS THAN 50 CM. THE MAJOR FOOD CROPS ARE RICE, JAWARI, BAJRI AND WHEAT WHILE THE MAIN CROP IS SUGAR CANE.
OUT OF THE TOTL INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS THE WHOLE OF INDIA, 25% OF THE SUGAR PRODUCED IN MAHARASHTRA AND 18% OF ALL INDUSTRIAL UNITS IN INDAI LIES IN MAHARASHTRA STATE WHICH WAS FORMED IN 1960. IN POPULATION AND AREA IT STANDS THIRD IN INDIA.
CAPITAL OF MAHARASHTRA IS MUMBAI.LANGUAGE WHICH IS COMMONLY SPOKEN IS MARATHI.