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Maharashtra
Maharashtra Travel Guide & Travel Infrmation
In terms of area, Maharashtra is the third largest state in India. In terms of population, it holds the second rank in the country. Situated in the western part of India, the state of Maharashtra is a culturally and geographically diverse state. The capital of the state is Mumbai. Maharashtra ranks as one of the most chosen tourist destinations for both domestic and international visitors as a result of its hill stations, architectural wonders, varied flora and fauna, scenic beaches and resorts, and pilgrimage centers.
Geographical location of Maharashtra
The state of Maharashtra is precisely located between 18.96° North latitude and 72.82° East longitude. Maharashtra shares its boundaries with the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Gujarat in the northwest, the Arabian Sea in the west, Madhya Pradesh in the north and northeast, Karnataka in the south, Chhattisgarh in the east, Goa in the southwest, and Andhra Pradesh in the southeast.
The state of Maharashtra can be split into six regions and they are as follows:
- Marathwada (Aurangabad Division)
- Western Maharashtra (Pune Division)
- Konkan
- Amravati
- North Maharashtra (Nashik Division)
- Vidarbha (Nagpur Division)
Some interesting facts and figures about Maharashtra
Area: 307,713 km2 (118,809 sq miles).
Elevation: The tallest point in Maharashtra is Kalsubai in the Western Ghats mountain range with an elevation of 1,646 meters.
Climate: Usually, the state features a monsoon weather and there are three seasons – summer, monsoon, and winter. The warmest months are March, April, and May. The lowest temperature recorded in the summer is 22°C and the maximum is 39°C. From June to September, it is monsoon in Maharashtra. Winter spans from November to February. Minimum temperature in the winter months can touch 12°C and the maximum 34°C.
Rainfall: The yearly rainfall in Maharashtra ranges between 400 and 6,000 mm.
Largest city: Mumbai
Capital city: Mumbai
Population: 112,372,972 (2011)
Chief Minister: Prithwiraj Chavan
Languages spoken: Marathi, Hindi, Konkani, English, and Urdu.
Best season to visit: From November to February.
State symbols
Animal: Indian Giant Squirrel
Bird: Yellow-footed Green Pigeon
Tree: Mango
Flower: Lagerstroemia
Maharashtra is regarded as a popular traveler's destination in India because it offers a perfect blend of city tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism and religious tourism. Literally, the term Maharashtra refers to the "Great Nation" or "Great State". The nickname is quite apt because of its huge size and immense variety of culture and religion. The state is one of the most coveted visitor destinations in the country and provides nearly all that an avid traveler looks for. Starting from wildlife reserves, unspoiled beaches, natural caves, hill stations, impressive citadels, waterfalls, prehistoric sacred sites, vibrant carnivals and fests, historic memorials to museums, Maharashtra attracts countless visitors round the year. The most visited tourist attractions in Maharashtra are as follows: Read More....
By Rail:
The state enjoys excellent connectivity with the other places in India via a railways network covering 5,983 km between four zones. The Western Railway and the Central Railway zones of Indian Railways both have their headquarters in Mumbai, at Church Gate and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus respectively.
The Nanded division of the South Central Railways has been set up to serve the Marathwada area of the state.
The Konkan Railway works as a subordinate organization of the Indian Railways and it is headquartered in CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai. This railway caters to the Konkan seaward area towards the south of Mumbai and extends to the western shorelines of the country.
The suburban railway network in Maharashtra is also quite big and transports approximately 6.4 million commuters on a daily basis. Other than this, a Metro and monorail is under construction in the city of Mumbai. Read More....
