One of the most industrialized states of India, it occupies the western and central parts of the country and extends over the Sahyadri mountains; a vast stretch of 720 kilometers of the Arabian sea coast providing it a beautiful backdrop.
The present state of Maharashtra was formed on May 1, 1960 by carving it out of the erstwhile Mumbai state, which included the predominantly Marathi-speaking areas as the former princely state of Hyderabad as well as the Central Provinces and Berar.
Maharashtra is the third largest state and the second most literate state in the country, according to 1991 census. |
