Maharashtra,
India's third largest state in area is located in the western part of the
country. India's second largest state in population after Uttar Pradesh,
Maharashtra has a population of 96,752,247. Maharashtra shares boundaries
with the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, Andhra
Pradesh, Karanataka and the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. While
the cool blue Arabian Sea makes up the western coast of the state.
Maharashtra is a historic land and the name of the region first appeared in
a 7 th century inscription and in the account of famous Chinese traveller,
Hiuen Tsang. In the year 1960, a separate Maharashtra state was carved out
from Bombay presidency and Central provinces.
Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra, which also serves as the commercial
and entertainment capital of the country. One of the four metros of India,
Mumbai is also a major arrival point for overseas visitors. A cosmopolitan
city, Mumbai is often referred to as the city which never sleeps and one can
enjoy a variety of entertainment activities all through the night. Gateway
of India, Prince of Charles Museum, Maha Laxmi Temple, Jain Temple and Haji
Ali Tomb are some of the attractions of the city. Besides Mumbai,
Maharashtra has a number of other important cities and towns namely Pune,
Aurangabad, Nagpur and Nasik.
