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  Ahmednagar
  Ahmednagar  pronunciation (help·info) is a city of Ahmednagar District in the state of Maharashtra, India, on the west bank of the Sina river, about 120 km northeast of Pune and 120 km from Aurangabad. Ahmednagar District is the largest district in the state of Maharashtra. Sugar, milk and bank co-operatives thrive here. Ahmednagar is home to 19 sugar factories and is also the birthplace of the cooperative movement. Due to scarce rainfall, Ahmednagar often suffers from drought. Though citizens learn multilingual (e.g. English, Hindi, Marathi, Urdu) education in schools, Marathi is the primary language for daily-life communication. Hindi is also widely understood and spoken, though of the Dakhani (or Hyderabadi Urdu) dialect, with a lot of grammar and loan words from Marathi. Ahmednagar has recently published a plan of developing the city by year 2031.
  As of 2011 Indian census, Ahmednagar had a population of 347,549. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Ahmednagar has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national urban average of 79.9%. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
  
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  Ahmednagar district
  Ahmednagar district (अहमदनगर in Marathi/Hindi) is the largest district of Maharashtra state in western India. The historical Ahmednagar city is the headquarters of the district. Ahmednagar was the seat of the Ahmednagar Sultanate of late medieval period (1496–1636 CE). This district is known for the town of Shirdi associated with Sai Baba. Ahmednagar district is part of Nashik Division.
  The neighbouring districts to Ahmednagar district are Solapur (South East- SE), Osmanabad (SE), Beed (SE), Aurangabad (NE), Nashik (NW), Thane (NW), and Pune (SW).
  The name of the district is derived from the headquarters of the district, Ahmednagar. The city of Ahmednagar was named after the founder of the city, Malik Ahmed Shah Bahri, the first ruler of the Nizam Shahi dynasty (1490 ? 1509 CE) who laid the city's foundation in 1494 CE.
  
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  Akola
  Akola is a city in Akola district in Vidarbha region in the state of Maharashtra in central India. It is about 600 km east of Mumbai (former "Bombay") and 250 km west of Nagpur. Akola is the headquarters of Akola District located in Amravati Division.
  Akola district has an area of about 5431 square kilometers and population of 1,818,617 (2011 census). Akola is the third largest city in Vidarbha region after Nagpur and Amravati. Marathi is the most popular spoken language, though Hindi, English and Urdu are also used. Akola District is bordered on the north and east by Amravati District, on the south by Washim District, and on the west by Buldhana District.
  Akola, also called Cotton City, is known for its cotton production and is the largest cotton-producing district in India. The city is also famous for its pulses (dal), oil, and textile mills.
  
  
  
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  Akola District
  Akola is a district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city of Akola is the district headquarters. Akola district forms the central part of Amravati Division, and was a former British Raj Berar Province.
  Area of the district is 5,431 km². It is bounded on the north by Amravati District, to the east by Amravati District and by Washim District, to the south by Washim District, and to the west by Buldhana District. Washim was earlier a part of Akola.
  The Battle of Argaon, (Adgaon near Akot), took place on November 28, 1803, between the British under the command of Governor Arthur Wellesley and the forces of Maratha under Bhonsle of Nagpur during Second Anglo-Maratha War.
  Many old forts are located in Akola District viz.
  The district boundary latitude are : N and longitude are : E
  The climate is tropical and people mostly uses cotton clothes.
  The Purna River forms the part of north boundary of the district, and the top north portion of the district lies within its watershed along with Aas River and Shahnur River. The Vaan River forms the part of northwest boundary of the district after entering from the Amravati district.
  
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  Amravati
  Amravati  pronunciation (help·info) is a city in the state of Maharashtra, India. It is the seventh most populous metropolitan area in Maharashtra. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Amravati district. Among the historical landmarks in the city are the temples of Amba, Shri Krishna and Shri Venkateshwara.
  Amravati is also the headquarters of the "Amravati Division" which is one of the six divisions of the state of Maharashtra (Amravati and Nagpur divisions together form Vidarbha region). Apart from Amravati district itself, following four districts also come under Amravati Division:Akola, Yavatmal, Buldhana and Washim.
  Amravati Municipal Corporation, established in 1983, is the first Municipal Corporation in India, which has introduced privatization of octroi.
  Amravati is located at 20°56′N 77°45′E / 20.93°N 77.75°E / 20.93; 77.75. It has an average elevation of 343 metres (1125 feet). It lies 156 km (97 mi) west of Nagpur, and serves as the administrative center of Amravati District and of Amravati Division. The town is located near the passes through the hills that separate the cotton-growing regions of the Purna basin to the West and the Wardha basin to the East. There are two lakes in the eastern part of the city, Chhatri Talao & Wadali Talao. Pohara & Chirodi hills are to the east of the city. The Maltekdi hill is inside the city, it is 60 meters high.
  
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  Amravati District
  Amravati district (Marathi: अमरावती जिल्हा) is a district of Maharashtra state in central India. Amravati is the administrative headquarters of the district.
  The district is situated between 20°32' and 21°46' north latitudes and 76°37' and 78°27' east longitudes. The district occupies an area of 12,235 km². The district is bounded by Betul District of Madhya Pradesh state to the north, and by the Maharashtra districts of Nagpur to the northeast, Wardha to the east, Yavatmal to the south, Washim to the southwest, and Akola and Buldhana districts to the west.
  In 1853, the present-day territory of Amravati district as a part of Berar Province was assigned to the British East India Company, following a treaty with the Nizam of Hyderabad. After the Company took over the administration of the province, it was divided into two districts. The present-day territory of the district became part of North Berar district, with headquarters at Buldana. Later, the province was reconstituted and the territory of the present district became part of East Berar district, with headquarters at Amraoti. In 1864, Yavatmal District (initially known as Southeast Berar district and later Wun district) was separated. In 1867, Ellichpur District was separated but in August, 1905, when the whole province was reorganized into six districts, it was again merged into the district. In 1903, it became part of the newly constituted province of Central Provinces and Berar. In 1956, Amravati district became part of Bombay State and after its bifurcation in 1960, it became part of Maharashtra state.
  
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  Beed District
  Beed district (or Bid or Bhir) (Marathi: बीड जिल्हा) is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in India. The district headquarters are located at Beed. The district occupies an area of 10,693 km² and has a population of 2,161,250 of which 17.91% were urban (as of 2001).
  Beed district has a long history of many rulers and kingdoms. In the ancient era, this city was called as Champavati nagari. The city still proudly shows some old monuments showing the signs of past glory in the form of many city entry doors (called Ves in local language) and city protection walls. Until the 19th century, this part of Marathwada was under the Nizam monarchy, but was later included into the Indian Republic after a fierce struggle between Indian freedom fighters and Nizam soldiers. THE name of Bhir is given by Mohammad Tughlaq.And Gujjar
  Agriculture is the main business in Beed, and it is largely dependent on monsoon rain. Beed also is a district which provides a large number of laborers in India. history:
  
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  Bhandara district
  Bhandara district (Marathi: भंडारा जिल्हा) is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in India. The district headquarters are located at Bhandara. The district occupies an area of 3890 km² and has a population of 1,135,835 (male 573,184 female 562,651) of which 15.47% are urban (as of 2001). It is fondly called as the 'District of Lakes'. Bhandara has a mixed economy with agriculture, industries and forest resources contributing to it. Bhandara is known for its large production of rice. Tumsar, a tahsil town, is a famous rice market. Bhandara town is also known as 'Brass City' owing to the presence of a large brass products industry. Bhandara has no shortage of tourism spots with several important destinations like Ambagad Fort, Brahmi, Chinchgad, Dighodi etc.
  The district is also famous for the Ordnance Factory Bhandara Estate which is popularly known as Jawaharnagar colony. The beautiful colony has 2 schools, Kendriya Vidyalaya Bhandra and Ordnance Factory State School. This is the only Kendriya Vidyalaya in the Bhandara district. There is one Navodaya Vidyalaya (brain child of Late Primeminister Rajiv Gandhi) in Navegoan Bandh. Ashok Leyland, a Hinduja Group Company, has a production facility at Gadegaon near Bhandara. Sunflag Iron Steel company and Shivmangal Ispat Pvt. Ltd. are other major industrial undertakings in the district.
  
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  Bhiwandi
  Bhiwandi ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a city, in the district of Thane, in the western state of Maharashtra, in India, located 20 km to the north-east of Mumbai and 15 km to the north-east of Thane city. The exact location of Bhiwandi is 19°17′48″N 73°03′47″E / 19.296664°N 73.063121°E / 19.296664; 73.063121.
  Bhiwandi city the headquarters of the taluka of Bhiwandi, comes under the administration of the Bhiwandi-Nizampur City Municipal Corporation. The city is considered a part of the Greater Mumbai metropolitan agglomeration, along with Navi Mumbai and the cities of Kalyan, Thane, Ulhasnagar, Dombivli, Mira-Bhayandar and the Vasai-Virar region. According to the 2011 census, the total population of the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation area was 9,98,703.
  The city of Bhiwandi, known for its textile industry, has the largest number of Power looms in the country and is sometimes dubbed as 'The Manchester of India'. A major portion of the population is employed by the Power loom sector. The Mumbai-Agra highway (NH-3), passing through Bhiwandi ensures the smooth connectivity of the city with Mumbai, Thane, Nashik and the rest of India.
  
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  Chandrapur
  
  
  
  
  Chandrapur (Marathi: चंद्रपूर) is a city and a municipal corporation in Chandrapur district in the state of Maharashtra, India. It is also the headquarters of Chandrapur district. As the city has passed the population limit of 3 lakh, with the population of 3.73 lakh as per 2011 census, in a decision made on 20th Oct, 2011 by the state cabinate, Chandrapur municipal council is elevated to the D-grade Municipal Corporation status, along with Latur and Parbhani in the state.
  The city of Chandrapur has ancient temples of the goddess Mahakali and of Anchaleshwar, a form of the god Shiva. Chandrapur is also known as Chanda. The region is very rich in mineral wealth such as iron ore, limestone and coal. Many cement factories are located in this region. Due to large number of coal mines present around the city, the city is also known as City of Black Gold.
  Narsimha Rao, a prime minister of India, was stationed at Chandrapur during the days when Nizam ruled Hyderabad. Rao got admission to Nagpur on recommendations of one of the prominent advocates of the region, Balwantrao Deshmukh. Balwantrao Deshmukh was a follower of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. It was due to his efforts that Tilak visited Chandrapur and laid the foundation stone of a school "Lokmanya Tilak Vidyalaya". Shantaram Potdukhe, one of the ministers of state having charge of finance portfolio in Narasimha Rao's government, is from Chandrapur.. Mohan Bhagwat, senior functionary of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, is also from Chandrapur.
  
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  Chandrapur District
  Chandrapur District (Marathi: चंद्रपूर जिल्हा) is a district in Nagpur Division of the Indian state of Maharashtra.It is located at the boundary of Andhrapradesh. The district was formerly known as Chanda District. In 1964, it was renamed as Chandrapur. It was the largest district in India until it was split into the separate district of Gadchiroli. It had a population of 2,071,101 of which 32.11% were urban as of 2001.
  It is famous for its superthermal power plant, one of the biggest in Asia, and its vast reserves of coal in Wardha Valley Coalfield. Chandrapur also has large reservoirs of limestone. The abundance of lime and coal supplies many cement factories like L&T (now UltraTech Cement), Gujarat Ambuja (Maratha Cement Works), Manikgarh, Murli Cement and ACC Cement in the district.
  Tadoba National Park near Chandrapur is one of India's 28 Project tiger reserves.
  The city of Chandrapur, the administrative headquarters, has ancient temples of Anchleshwar (Lord Shiva) and Mahakali (Goddess Mahakali).
  
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  Dhule
  Dhule (Marathi: धुळे), also known as Dhulia, is a city and a Municipal Corporation in Dhule district in northwestern part of Maharashtra state, India. It is one of the very few well-planned cities of India before Indian Independence.
  Dhule is located at 20°54′N 74°47′E / 20.9°N 74.78°E / 20.9; 74.78. It has an average elevation of 250 metres (787 feet).Dhule lies in the Khandesh region, which forms the northwest corner of Deccan Plateau. Dhule district is bounded by Gujarat State on west, by Madhya Pradesh on north and on east and south by Jalgoan and Nasik respectively. It is also situated in valley of the Tapi river along the banks of Panzara River (पांझरा). Devi Ekveera (Goddess Ekveera) temple is a well known temple, situated at the banks of Panzara river.
  As of 2001^[update] India census, Dhule had a population of 341,473. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Dhule has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80% and, female literacy is 69%. 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
  
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  Dhule District
  Dhule district (Marathi: धुळे जिल्हा) is a district of Maharashtra state in central India. The city of Dhule is the administrative headquarters of the district.
  The Dhule district previously comprised tracts of land predominantly inhabited by tribal population. The Dhule district was then bifurcated on 1 July 1998 into two separate districts now known as Dhule and Nandurbar, the latter comprising the tribal region. Agriculture remains the basic profession of the population in this district. Most parts of the district are not under irrigation and thus cultivation heavily depends on regular Monsoon or rain water. Apart from wheat, bajra, jowar or jwari, onion the most favored commercial crop is cotton. Majority of the population in the rural area speaks Ahirani (a dialect of Marathi) language, however Marathi is more widely spoken in the urban areas. Around 26.11% population of Dhule district resides in urban area. The Dhule District is a part of Maharashtra's historical region of Khandesh. Although for administrative purpose it is now clubbed to Nashik Division.
  
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  Gadchiroli district
  Gadchiroli district (Marathi: गडचिरोली जिल्हा) is an administrative district in Maharashtra, India. The town of Gadchiroli is the administrative headquarters of the district.
  Gadchiroli District is situated in the southeastern corner of Maharashtra, and is bounded by Chandrapur District to the west, Gondia District to the north, Chhatisgarh state to the east, and Andhra Pradesh state to the south and southwest. Gadchiroli District was created on August 26, 1982 by the separation of Gadchiroli and Sironcha tehsils from Chandrapur District. As of 2011 it is the second least populous district of Maharashtra (out of 39), after Sindhudurg.
  The district is currently a part of the Red Corridor.
  The main river basin of the district is the Godavari, which flows west to east and forms the southern boundary of the district. The major tributaries of the Godavari are the Indravati and the Pranhita, which is in turn formed by the confluence of the Wainganga and the Wardha near Chaprala village of Chamorshi Taluka.
  
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  Gondia District
  Gondia district (Marathi: गोंदिया जिल्हा), also known as Gondiya district, is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in India. The district headquarters are located at Gondia (Gondiya). The district occupies an area of 5,431 km² and has a population of 1,200,707 of which 11.95% were urban (as of 2001). The district is part of Nagpur Division.
  This district was carved out of Bhandara district in 1999.
  Gondia is also known as Rice City, as it is a rice producing district and has about 250 rice mills near the vicinity of city. it is also a major trading place. The Mumbai-Nagpur-Kolkata Road is the only national highway passing through the district, which covers to a total distance of 99.37 km. Gondia has bus connectivity to Jabalpur, Nagpur and Balaghat.
  It is currently a part of the Red Corridor.
  The district is divided into 2 sub-divisions, Gondia and Deori which are further divided into 8 talukas. Each sub-division consists of 4 talukas. The Gondia sub-division consists of Gondia, Goregaon, Tirora and Arjuni Moregaon talukas while Deori sub-division consists of Deori, Amgaon, Salekasa and Sadak Arjuni talukas. The district consists 556 Gram panchayats, 8 Panchayat Samitis and 954 revenue villages. Two municiplities in this district are Gondia and Tiroda.
  
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  Hingoli District
  Hingoli district (Marathi: हिंगोली जिल्हा) is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in India. The district headquarters are located at Hingoli. The district occupies an area of 4,526 km² and has a population of 987,160 of which 15.60% were urban (as of 2001). This district is part of Aurangabad division. One of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines, the Aundha Nagnath is located in Hingoli district.
  As of 2011 it is the third least populous district of Maharashtra (out of 39), after Sindhudurg and Gadchiroli.
  The territory of the present district became part of Bombay state in 1956 and Maharashtra state in 1960 as part of Parbhani district. This district was carved out from Parbhani district on 1 May 1999.
  In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Hingoli one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the twelve districts in Maharashtra currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
  This district is divided into two sub-divisions, which are further divided into five talukas. Hingoli sub-division is divided into three talukas: Hingoli, Kalamnuri and Sengaon. Basmath sub-division is divided into two talukas: Aundha and Basmath.
  
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  Horn of Africa
  The Horn of Africa (Amharic: የአፍሪካ ቀንድ^?, Arabic: القرن الأفريقي‎, Somali: Geeska Afrika, Tigrinya: ቀርኒ ኣፍሪቃ^?) (alternatively Northeast Africa, and sometimes Somali Peninsula; shortened to HOA) is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent. Referred to in ancient and medieval times as Bilad al Barbar ("Land of the Berbers"), the Horn of Africa denotes the region containing the countries of Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Somalia.
  It covers approximately 2,000,000 km² (770,000 sq mi) and is inhabited by roughly 100 million people (Ethiopia: 85 million, Somalia: 9.3 million, Eritrea: 5.2 million, and Djibouti: 0.86 million). Regional studies on the Horn of Africa are carried out, among others, in the fields of Ethiopian Studies as well as Somali Studies.
  The Horn of Africa is almost equidistant from the equator and the Tropic of Cancer. It consists chiefly of mountains uplifted through the formation of the Great Rift Valley, a fissure in the Earth's crust extending from Turkey to Mozambique and marking the separation of the African and Arabian tectonic plates. Most of the region is mountainous which arose through faults resulting from the Rift Valley, with the highest peaks in the Semien Mountains of northwestern Ethiopia.^{[citation needed]}
  
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  India
  India (ⁱ/ˈɪndiə/), officially the Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west;China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Burma and Bangladesh to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; in addition, India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.
  Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four of the world's major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—originated here, whereas Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium CE and also helped shape the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by and brought under the administration of the British East India Company from the early 18th century and administered directly by the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by non-violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi.
  
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  Jalgaon
  Jalgaon pronunciation (help·info) is a city in western India, to the north of the Maharashtra state in Jalgaon District, which itself is located on the northern Deccan Plateau. Located within the productive, irrigated agricultural region of Khandesh, Jalgaon has a municipal corporation.
  Modern Jalgaon now has major industrial areas, educational institutes and good hospitals. The city is well developed with good roads, shopping malls, and residential areas, and also has good communication and transport infrastructure. Jalgaon is near the famous Ajanta Caves and is one of the key attraction places for tourists.^{[citation needed]} Known as "Banana-City", it contributes to about half of the Maharashtra state's Banana production.
  Jalgaon has a diverse climate. It is exceptionally hot and dry during summer with temperatures reaching as high as 47 degrees Celsius. The highest temperature recording in May 2010 was 49.2 degrees Celsius. Jalgaon receives about 700 mm rainfall during monsoons, which is followed by pleasant temperature in winter.^{[citation needed]}
  
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  Jalgaon District
  Jalgaon district (Marathi: जळगाव जिल्हा) is a district of Maharashtra. It was formerly known as East Khandesh district. It has an area of 11,765 km², and a population of 3,682,690 (2001 census) of which 71.4% were rural.
  It is bounded by Madhya Pradesh state to the north, and by the districts of Buldhana to the east, Jalna to the southeast, Aurangabad to the south, Nashik to the southwest, and Dhule to the west.
  The present territory of the district was part of the independent Khandesh Sulatanate ruled by the Faruqi dynasty from 1382-1601. Jalgaon district, also known as East Khandesh district prior to 21 October 1960, was earlier a part of "Khandesh". According to Abul Fazal (Gladwin's Aine Akbari 1157), the name Khandesh is derived from the "Khan" title given by Ahmad-I of Gujarat (1411-1443) to Malik Nasir, the second of the Faruki kings. According to some sources, the name comes from the khandava forest of Mahabharat. The Mahabharat mentions Yuvanshava, the ruler of Toranmal (Nandurbar district) as fighting with the Pandavas. The rock temples and caves at Nashik and Ajanta show that during the first three centuries AD, Khandesh was under the rulers who patronised Buddhism. Thereafter, it was ruled by Saptavananas, Andhrabhrityas, Virsen (Ahir King), Yawan dynasty, Chalukyas, Yadavs and then Alaud-din Khilji, Mohammad Tughlak, Malik Raja Malik Nazir, the Nizam of Hyderabad, and subsequently the Marathas ruled the region.
  
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  Jalna District
  Jalna district (Marathi: जालना जिल्हा) is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in western India. Jalna town is the district headquarters. The district is part of Aurangabad division. The district occupies an area of 7718 km². The district is bounded on the north by Jalgaon district, on the east by Parbhani and Buldhana districts, on the south by Beed district and on the west by Aurangabad district.
  The district is known for Jamb Samarth village, the birthplace of Samarth Ramdas Swami. The Battle of Assaye was fought on September 23, 1803 near the village of Assaye located near Jafrabad in this district.
  The district is situated at the central Maharashtra, in the north Marathwada region. The district has moderately to gently sloping undulated topography. The Northern part of the district is occupied by the Ajanta and Satmala hill ranges.
  The Godavari flows along the southern boundary of the district from west to east direction. The rivers, Dudhana, Gulati, Purna are the principal tributaries of the Godavari, which flow through the district. The river Purna flows from the central part of the district and meets the Godavari in the neighbouring district. The rivers, Khelna and Girja are the important tributaries of river Purna which flow through the district. Jalna is well known for sweet limes and is called "The City of Sweet Limes" .
  
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  Kolhapur
  Kolhapur {Marathi: कोल्हापूर}  pronunciation (help·info) is a city situated in the southwest corner of Maharashtra, India. Kolhapur serves as the headquarters of the Kolhapur district. Kolhapur is situated on the banks of the river Panchganga and is the location of the Temple of Mahalakshmi, a Hindu goddess.
  According to Hindu mythology, Kolhapura was settled by Kolhasura, a demon who was later killed by Mahalakshmi to relieve the local populace. However, honouring the demon's dying wish, the city was named after him. Kolhapur finds mentions in Devi Gita, the final and most important chapter of the Srimad Devi Bhagawatam, as one the important places of Shakti "Kollamma" worship, "Devi spoke:..."O King of Mountains! Still I am now telling something out of My affection to My Bhaktas. Hear. There is a great place of pilgrimage named Kollapura in the southern country. Here the Devi Laksmi always dwells...."
  It is said that famous Kannadiga Rashtrakuta king Amoghavarsha Nrupathunga I (800–878 CE) deeply cared for his subjects and once when a calamity threatened to harm them, he offered his finger as a sacrifice to the goddess Mahalakshmi of Kollhapura.^{[citation needed]}
  
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  Kolhapur District
  Kolhapur district is located in Maharashtra state. The city of Kolhapur is the district headquarters. The district had a population of 38,74,015 of which 33% were urban as of 2011. Marathi is spoken largely and Kannada is also spoken in some part of the Kolhapur District.
  Kolhapur is famous for being a centre of Art, education, industry and sports, food, headwear, footwear, jewellery and religious connections, particularly wrestling .Here the wrestling is called as "Kusti" and wrestlers are known as "Malla". This wrestling match is played in the square clay ground which is known as "Akhada". According to legend it was settled by Kolhasur, a demon who was later killed by Mahalakshmi to relieve the local populace. However, honouring the demon's dying wish, the city was named after him. The physical setting of the Kolhapur district is divided into three main parts namely Eastern ranges, Central ranges and Southern ranges. Eastern and Central ranges have black soil formed from 'lava' and at some places it has large tracks of fertile land. The western ranges are mostly hilly and have red soil. The majority area in the west is under thick forest coverage. Panchaganga, Warana, Dudhaganga, Vedganga, Bhogavati, Hiranyakeshi and Ghataprabha are main rivers which flows towards east through western Ghats. The river Panchaganga is formed by the tributaries namely the Kasari, the Kumbi, the Tulsi and the Bhogavati. Krishna river flows in the east on easten border of the district, similarly Tillari river flows on western border to west.
  
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  Latur
  Latur is a "small town" in Maharashtra state of India. It is known for its administration, food-grain trade and oil mills.
  Latur has an ancient history, which probably dates to the Rashtrakuta period. It was home to a branch of Rashtrakutas which ruled the Deccan from year 753-973AD. The first Rashtrakuta king Dantidurga was from Lattalur (Kannada: ಲಟ್ಟಲೂರು), probably the ancient name for Latur. Anecdotally, Ratnapur is also mentioned as a name for Latur.
  The King Amoghavarsha of Rashtrakutas developed the Latur city, originally the native place of the Rashtrakutas. The Rashtrakutas who succeeded the Chalukyas of Badami in 753 AD called themselves the residents of Lattalut.
  It was, over the centuries, variously ruled by the Satavahanas, the Sakas, the Chalukyas, the Yadavas of Deogiri, the Delhi Sultans, the Bahamani rulers of South India, Adilshahi, and the Mughals.
  Later in the 19th century it became part of the independent princely state of Hyderabad. In 1905 it was merged with surrounding areas and renamed Latur tehsil, and became part of Osmanabad district. Before 1948, Latur was a part of Hyderabad state under Nizam. The chief of Nizam's Razakar army Qasim Rizwi was from Latur.
  
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  Maharashtra
  Maharashtra /mɑːhəˈrɑːʃtrə/ (Marathi: महाराष्ट् mahārāṣṭra [məharaːʂʈrə] ( listen)) is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India. Maharashtra is the richest state in India, contributing 15% of the country's industrial output and 13.3% of its GDP (2006–2007 figures).
  Maharashtra is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, Gujarat and the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli to the northwest, Madhya Pradesh to the northeast, Chhattisgarh to the east, Karnataka to the south, Andhra Pradesh to the southeast, and Goa to the southwest. The state covers an area of 307,731 km² (118,816 sq mi) or 9.84% of the total geographical area of India. Mumbai, the capital city of the state, is India's largest city and the financial capital of the nation. Nagpur is the second capital of the state. Marathi is the official language.
  Maharashtra is the world's second most populous first-level administrative country sub-division. Were it a nation in its own right, Maharashtra would be the world's tenth most populous country ahead of Mexico.
  
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  Malegaon
  Malegaon  pronunciation (help·info)(Marathi: मालेगाव, Urdu: مالیگاوں) is a city and a Municipal Corporation in the Nashik district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
  Malegaon is one of the largest cities in northwest Maharashtra with an estimated population of 12 lakh to 14 lakh. It is second largest city of Nashik district after Nashik city. Total area of the city is 12.95 Sqkm in which 129 declared and un declared slums are located so far.
  
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  Mumbai
  Mumbai /mʊmˈbaɪ/, also known as Bombay /bɒmˈbeɪ/, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million. Along with the neighbouring urban areas, including the cities of Navi Mumbai and Thane, it is one of the most populous urban regions in the world. Mumbai lies on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. In 2009, Mumbai was named an Alpha world city. Mumbai is also the richest city in India, and has the highest GDP of any city in South, West or Central Asia.
  The seven islands that came to constitute Mumbai were home to communities of fishing colonies. For centuries, the islands were under the control of successive indigenous empires before being ceded to the Portuguese and subsequently to the British East India Company. During the mid-18th century, Mumbai was reshaped by the Hornby Vellard project, which undertook the reclamation of the area between the seven constituent islands from the sea. Completed by 1845, the project along with construction of major roads and railways transformed Bombay into a major seaport on the Arabian Sea. Economic and educational development characterised the city during the 19th century. It became a strong base for the Indian independence movement during the early 20th century. When India became independent in 1947, the city was incorporated into Bombay State. In 1960, following the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, a new state of Maharashtra was created with Bombay as capital. The city was renamed Mumbai in 1996.
  
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  Mumbai City District
  Mumbai City District (मुंबई जिल्हा) is a district of Maharashtra in Konkan Division. As a city district, it has no headquarters or subdivisions. It, along with the Mumbai Suburban District make up the metropolis of Mumbai. The city area is called the "island city" or South Mumbai or Old Mumbai. It extends from Colaba in the south to Mahim and Sion in the north. Until the 1960s, the area was known as Mumbai. Today, Mumbai municipality includes both districts. The city's area covers 67.7 km².
  The City of Bombay, as it was then called came in light in the year 150 A.D. through the geographical work of renowned geographer, Ptolemy. The City consisting of several islands were then ruled by Marathi kolis and agris, the native inhabitants of Mumbai.
  These natives ruled the islands up to 1345 A.D. Thereafter, the rulers changed down the history till the Islamic rulers invaded India and conquered some of the islands in 1534 A.D. Subsequently, a Muslim ruler from Gujarat took over all the islands, which were then conquered by the Portuguese. In 1661 A.D., the island of Bombay was added to the Britishers as a part of Royal Dowry, on the occasion of the marriage of King Charles II of England with the Portuguese princess Infanta Catherine.
  
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  Nagpur
  Nāgpur ( pronunciation (help·info) English: Nagpore) is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune. With a population of 2,405,421 (2011) Nagpur Metropolitan Area is the 13th largest urban conglomeration in India. It has also recently been ranked as the cleanest city and the second greenest city of India after Bangalore. In addition to being the seat of annual winter session of Maharashtra state assembly "Vidhan Sabha", [Nagpur] is also a major commercial and political center of the Vidarbha region of [Maharashtra], and is also famous throughout the country as "Orange City" for being a major trade center of oranges that are cultivated in the region. In addition, the city also derives political importance from being the headquarters for the Hindu nationalist organisation RSS and an important location for the Dalit Buddhist movement.
  Nagpur lies precisely at the center of the country with the Zero Mile Marker indicating the geographical center of India. The city was founded by the Gonds but later became part of the Maratha Empire under the Bhonsles. The British East India Company took over Nagpur in the 19th century and made it the capital of the Central Provinces and Berar. After the first reorganisation of states, the city lost its capital status but according to the informal "Nagpur Pact" between political leaders it was made the second capital of Maharashtra. Nagpur is also declared, "Tiger Capital of India " as it connects many Tiger Reserves in India to the world.
  
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  Nagpur District
  Nagpur district (Marathi: नागपूर जिल्हा) is a district in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra state in central India. The city of Nagpur is the district headquarters. The district is part of Nagpur Division.
  Nagpur district is bounded by Bhandara district on the east, Chandrapur district on the southeast, Wardha district on the southwest, Amravati district on the northwest and Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh state on the north.
  In 1853, after the death of Raghoji III, the princely state of Nagpur was annexed by the British and the territory occupied by the present district became part of Nagpur Province. In 1861, it was merged with the Central Provinces and Nagpur district became a part of one of its divisions, Nagpur division. In 1903, it became part of the Central Provinces and Berar. In 1950, Nagpur district became part of the newly formed Madhya Pradesh state and Nagpur became its capital. In 1956, after the reorganization of states, Nagpur district was incorporated in Bombay state. In 1 May 1960, it became a district of Maharashtra state.
  
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  Nanded
  Nanded (Marathi: नांदेड; Punjabi: ਨੰਦੇੜ; Urdu: ﻧﺎﻨﺪﻳﮍ ) is the second largest city in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India. It is also headquarters of Nanded district in the Marathwada Division of the state. It is an important holy place for the Sikh faith and is famous for the Hazur Sahib Gurudwara. It is the district headquarters once very famous as district of Sanskrit poets. Nanded is a town of great antiquity and famous for Muslim Sufi shrines. This district of great antiquity is important for the Hindu faith and is known for the Renukadevi temple at Mahur (a taluka place).
  Nanded is one of the historical places in Marathwada region of Maharashtra State. It is situated on north bank of Godavari river. Nanded is a town of great antiquity. It is famous for Sikh Gurudwaras and Sufi shrines. It is said that during the Puranic days, many great personalities travelled through Nanded district. Nandas ruled over Nanded through generations.
  
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  Nanded district
  Nanded district (Marathi: नांदेड जिल्हा) is a district of Maharashtra state in central India. The city of Nanded is the district headquarters.
  The district has an area of 10,502 km² while according to 2001 census its population is 2,876,259 of which 23.96% were urban. The Godavari River flows through the district.
  Nanded District lies in the eastern portion of Marathwada region, which corresponds to Aurangabad Division of Maharashtra. The district is bounded by Nizamabad, Medak and Adilabad districts of Andhra Pradesh on the east, by Bidar District of Karnataka falls on the south, by Parbhani and Latur districts of Marathwada on the west, and Yavatmal District of Maharashtra's Vidarbha region on the north. The influence of Andhra, Karnataka and Vidarbha can be seen on the language, behaviour and general conduct of the people of Nanded.
  
  Geographical Area  : 10,502 km²
  Total Population  : 28,68,158
  Male  : 14.76 Lakhs
  Female  : 13.91 Lakhs
  Urban to Total Population  : 28.29 %
  Normal Rainfall  : 901 mm
  Taluka  : 16
  Per Capita Income  : Rs.2,123
  Population (1991 Census, in 1000s) : 2,330 (Males=1,198 Females=1,132)
  Density  : 220 per km²
  Literacy  : 68.52%
  Male Literacy  : 81.14%
  Female Literacy  : 55.12 %
  
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  Nandurbar District
  Nandurbar (Marathi: नंदुरबार जिल्हा) is an administrative district in the northwest corner (Khandesh Region) of Maharashtra state in India . On 1 July 1998 Dhule was bifurcated as two separate districts now known as Dhule and Nandurbar. The district headquarters are located at Nandurbar city. The district occupies an area of 5035 km² and has a population of 1,311,709 of which 15.45% were urban (as of 2001).
  Nandurbar district is bounded to the south and south-east by Dhule district, to the west and north is the state of Gujarat, to the north and north-east is the state of Madhya Pradesh. The northern boundary of the district is defined by the great Narmada river.
  Current site for the construction and operation of the world's largest wind farm having an output of 1000MW is just 30 km away from Nandurbar city. This project is being undertaken by Suzlon Energy. Suzlon also has local manufacturing units at this site for making WTG tower and blades.
  Ranjana Sonawane of TembhlI village and rushil in Nandurbar district became first citizen of India to get twelve (12) digit Unique Identification on 29 September 2010. The unique identification or Aadhaar is ambitious project of the central government of India to provide unique identification to its billion plus citizens.
  
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  Nashik
  Nashik or Nasik (Marathi: नाशिक ) ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a city in Maharashtra, India. Nashik is located in the northwest of Maharashtra, 180 km from Mumbai and 202 km from Pune. Nashik is the administrative headquarters of Nashik district and Nashik Division. Nashik, which has been referred to as the "Wine Capital of India", or as India’s Napa Valley, is located in the Western Ghats, on the western edge of the Deccan peninsula on the banks of the Godavari. In addition to supplying the name to the famed Nassak Diamond, the city is known for its picturesque surroundings and pleasant climate. The Godavari River flows through Nashik from its source, which lies to the southwest of the city, in Trimbakeshwar . Nashik Urban Agglomeration (Nashik UA) has a (projected year 2008) population of 1,620,000 and a total area of 264.23 km² which makes it the fourth largest urban area in Maharashtra in terms of population. Nashik is the third most industrialized city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune .
  
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  Nashik district
  Nashik district, also known as Nasik district, is a district in Maharashtra, India. The city of Nashik is the administrative headquarters of the district.
  Nashik district has an area of 15,530 square kilometres. It is bounded by Dhule district to the north, Jalgaon district to the east, Aurangabad district to the southeast, Ahmadnagar district to the south, Thane district to the southwest, Valsad and Navsari districts of Gujarat to the west, and The Dangs district to the northwest.
  The Western Ghats or Sahyadri range stretches from north to south across the western portion of the district. With the exception of the westernmost few villages, the western portion is hilly, and intersected by ravines, and only the simplest kind of cultivation is possible. The western slope of the Ghats is drained by several rivers, including the Daman Ganga River, which drains westwards to the Arabian Sea.
  The larger eastern portion of the district, which lies on the Deccan Plateau, is open, fertile, and well cultivated. The Chander Range, which runs east and west, forms the chief divide of the plateau region. The Godavari River originates in the district and drains east towards the Bay of Bengal, and all the streams to the south of the Chander Range, including the Kadwa and Darna, are tributaries of the Godavari. To the north of the Chander Range, the Girna River and its tributary, the Mosam, flow westward through fertile valleys into the Tapti River.
  
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  Navi Mumbai
  Navi Mumbai (Marathi: नवी मुंबई, IAST: Navi Muṃbaī, English: New Mumbai) is a Planned Satellite City on the west coast of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It was developed in 1972 as a twin city of Mumbai, and is the largest planned city on the planet, with 163 square kilometres (63 sq mi) under the jurisdiction of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) and a total area of 344 square kilometres (133 sq mi). Navi Mumbai lies on the mainland on the eastern shore of Thane Creek. The city limits stretch from Airoli near Thane in the north, to Uran in the south. The length of the city is almost the same as that of Mumbai. The Vashi and the Airoli Bridges connect Navi Mumbai to Mumbai. A new link between Nerul and Uran is under construction. The costliest real estate and most highly developed areas of Navi Mumbai are Vashi and Nerul, while Kharghar and Panvel are experiencing major infrastructural developments due to their proximity to the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport. Vashi is known as the king of Navi Mumbai while Nerul is called the queen of Navi Mumbai. Navi Mumbai has a population of 11,19,477 (1,119,477) according to the 2011 census of India.
  
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  Parbhani
  Parbhani (Marathi: परभणी parbhani, Urdu: ﭘﺮﺑﮭﻨﯽ IPA  [pərbhNi] (help·info)) is a city in Parbhani district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Parbhani, formerly known as “Prabhavatinagar”, is a city in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Parbhani District.
  Parbhani is situated approximately at the centre of Maharashtra. The state capital, Mumbai lies to the west of Parbhani. The nearest major city is Aurangabad. Parbhani is well connected by road to other major cities also in Maharashtra and even in the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh. Parbhani is an important Railway junction on the Mumbai-Parbhani-Secunderabad and Parli-Parbhani-Bangalore lines.
  
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  Parbhani District
  Parbhani district (Marathi: परभणी जिल्हा) earlier also known as Prabhavatinagar, is one of the eight districts in the Marathawada region of Maharashtra State of India. The district had a population of 1,527,715 of which 31.76% were urban as of 2001. Parbhani city is the headquarters of this district.
  From 1596 to 1724, most of the present territory of the district was divided between Pathri and Washim sarkars of Berar Subah of the Mughal empire. In 1724, after the battle of Sakharkheda, it went under the Nizam's rule. Following the re-organization of the states in 1956, Parbhani along with the other districts of Marathwada became part of Bombay State. On May 1, 1960 when Maharashtra state was formed, it became a part of it.
  Parbhani district lies between 18.45 and 20.10 North Latitudes and 76.13 and 77.39 East Longitude. The district is bounded on the north by Hingoli and Buldhana district. On the east by Nanded and Hingoli district, on the South by Latur and on the West by Beed and Jalna districts.
  
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  Pune
  Pune, formerly Poona (pronounced [puɳeː] ( listen)), is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers. Pune city is the administrative capital of Pune district.
  Pune is known to have existed as a town since 937 AD. Pune was originally called Punawadi. In 1730, Pune became an important political center as the seat of the Peshwa, the prime minister of the Chhatrapati of Satara; it was during this era that Pune became the centre of Indian politics. After the town was annexed to British India in 1817, it served as a cantonment town and as the "monsoon capital" of the Bombay Presidency until the independence of India.
  Today, Pune is known for its educational facilities and relative prosperity. Pune is the cultural capital of Maharashtra. Pune has well-established manufacturing, glass, sugar, and forging industries since the 1950-60s. It has a growing industrial hinterland, with many information technology and automotive companies setting up factories in Pune district. The city is known for various cultural activities like classical music, spirituality, theatre, sports, and literature. These activities and job opportunities attract migrants and students from all over India and abroad, which makes for a city of many communities and cultures.
  
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  Pune District
  Pune District is situated in Maharashtra state of India. Pune city is the district headquarters. In the last census on 2001, the total population of the district was 7,232,555, making it the fourth most populous district in India (out of 640). Urban population comprises 58.08% of the total population. The current population of Pune urban agglomerate is over 4 million.
  Malik Ahmad : establishment of Nizamshahi of Ahmednagar (1490).
  With the establishment of the Nizamshahi rule with Ahmednagar as its headquarters, practically the whole of the Poona territory, perhaps with the exception of Indapur, which still continued to be under at least the nominal suzerainty of Yusuf Adil Khan of Bijapur, came under the unified control of the Nizamshahi. The territory was formed into a separate district or sarkar, with sub-divisions called paragana and smaller ranges called prant or desh. From such records as are available it appears that the revenue collection was mostly farmed amongst the important chieftains who were henchmen of the Nizamshahi. There was indeed an officer of the Nizamshahi who was charged with the responsibility of supervising and administering the functions of police and criminal justice, civil suits, as a rule, seem to have been referred to local panchayats.
  
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  Raigad district
  Raigad District (Marathi: रायगड जिल्हा), is a district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is located in the Konkan region. The district was renamed after Raigad, the fort which was the former capital of the Maratha leader Shivaji, and is located in the interior regions of the district, in dense forests of the district, on a west-facing spur of the Western Ghats of Sahyadri range. The district had a population of 2,207,929 of which 24.22% were urban as of 2001.
  The district is bounded by Mumbai Harbour to the northwest, Thane District to the north, Pune District to the east, Ratnagiri district to the south, and the Arabian Sea to the west. It includes the large natural harbor of Pen-Mandwa, which is immediately south of Mumbai harbour, and forming a single landform with it. The northern part of the district is included in the planned metropolis of Navi Mumbai, and its port, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port.
  The district includes towns/cities of Roha, Panvel, Pen, Khopoli, Kharghar, Taloja, Khalapur, Uran, Patalganga, Rasayani, Nagothana, Poladpur, Alibag, Karjat and Mahad. The biggest city both in area and population is Panvel. The district also includes the isle of Gharapuri or Elephanta, located in Uran tehasil which has ancient Hindu and Buddhist caves.
  
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  Sangli
  Sangli  pronunciation (help·info) is a city in the state of Maharashtra of India. Sangli is known as the Turmeric city^{[citation needed][disputed – discuss]} for its vast production of Turmeric. Sangli is situated on the banks of river Krishna and is the largest market place for Turmeric in Asia and houses many sugar factories, which it is also noted for. The Ganesh Temple of Sangli is a historical landmark of the city and is visited by thousands of pilgrims. Sangli is also noted for 'Bhadang' (dish made up of puffed rice).Sangli also famous for 'Bhel'. Bhel is a dish made by mixing puffed rice, onion, tamarind paste, tomato, etc.
  Sangli is also one of the largest grape growing regions in Maharashtra. Government has established Krishna Valley Wine Park 30 km away from Sangli to promote wine industry. Recently, Sangli has come up as a major wind power generation locations in India.^{[citation needed]}Suzlon has set up large wind farms around Sangli city with a capacity to generate over 900 MW of power.
  
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  Sangli District
  Sangli district is a district of Maharashtra state in west-central India. Sangli city is the district headquarters. The district is 24.51% urban. Sangli and Miraj are the largest cities. The industrial town of Kirloskarwadi is also located in the Sangli District. Industrialist Laxmanrao Kirloskar started his first factory here.
  Kundal, the region around Sangli, was the capital of the Chalukyas. Kundal was an ancient village, around 1,600 years old. Kaundanyapur (its old name) was a part of Karnataka.Pulakesi I chose Vatapi (Badami in Karnataka) as his capital. Kundal was home to freedom fighters like Krantisigha Nana Patil, Shamrao Lad, Captain Ramchandra Lad, G.D. Lad, Shankar Jangam, and Housabai Jangam.
  Sangli District is located in the western part of Maharashtra. It is bounded by Satara and Solapur districts to the north, Bijapur District, Karnataka to the east, Kolhapur and belgaum, Karnataka districts to the south, and Ratnagiri District to the west.
  Sangli district is situated in the river basins of the Warna and Krishna rivers. Other small rivers, such as the Warana and the Panchganga, flow into the River Krishna. Land in the region is suitable for agriculture.
  
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  Satara District
  Satara District is a district of Maharashtra state in western India with an area of 10,480 km² and a population of 2,808,994 of which 14.17% were urban (as of 2001^[update]).Satara is the capital of the district and other major towns include Wai, Karad, Koregaon, Koyananagar, Rahimatpur, Phaltan, Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani. This district comes under Pune Administrative Division along with Pune, Sangli, Solapur and Kolhapur Districts. The district of Pune bounds it to the north, Raigad bounds it to the North-West, Solapur the east, Sangli to the south, and Ratnagiri to the west.
  
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  Sindhudurg District
  Sindhudurg (Marathi: सिंधुदुर्ग जिल्हा) is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in India, which was carved out of the erstwhile Ratnagiri District. The district headquarters are located at Oros (ओरस). The district occupies an area of 5207 km² and has a population of 868,825 of which 9.47% were urban (as of 2001). [1]
  As of 2011 it is the least populous district of Maharashtra (out of 39).
  The district is named after the fort of Sindhudurg (which means "fort in the sea"), which lies on a rocky island just off the coast of Malvan (मालवण).
  Sindhudurg district was established in 1981.
  Sindhudurg is bordered on the north by Ratnagiri District, on the south by the state of Goa, on the west by the Arabian Sea, and to the east across the crest of the Western Ghats or Sahyadris is Kolhapur District. Sindhudurg is part of Konkan (coastal) region, a narrow coastal plain in western Maharashtra which lies between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.
  Sindhudurg has a semi-tropical climate and remains warm and humid in most of the year. It has three clear seasons : Rainy (June - October), winter (November-mid February) and Summer (mid February–May). Temperatures vary between Max. 32°C and monsoon winds bring heavy rains (average rainfall 3240.10 mm).
  
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  Solapur
  Solapur  pronunciation (help·info) is a city in South Western Maharashtra, India governed by municipal corporation.
  Solapur is one of the four districts that form the region of Western Maharashtra (the other three districts are Satara, Kolhapur and Sangli).Solapur is one of the cities in Maharashtra, situated near the borders with Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh It is the fourth largest district in Maharashtra in terms of land area and seventh largest in terms of population. It is an important junction on the Central railway line. Solapur is a city with an array of small and medium scale industries.
  Solapur is famous for textile industries, Solapur chadars and towels are famous around the globe.The famous factory outlets/shop are pulagam textile, tanabana, chatala, boddul textile, venugopal textile, etc. It has been a leading center for cotton mills and power looms, though recent times have seen these industries relocate elsewhere.
  The chief deity of the city is Shri Siddeshwar. The "Nandidhwaj" procession on Makar Sankranti fair is attended by millions of devotees. An annual fair is held in the month of January wherein huge crowd comes from various parts of country, which is called as Gadda Fair in vernacular language.
  
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  Thane district
  Thane (Marathi: ठाणे जिल्हा ʈʰaːɳeˑ) is a district in northern Maharashtra state in western India. As of 2011 it is the most populated district in the nation. The headquarters of the district is the city of Thane. Other major cities in the district are Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli, Mira-Bhayander, Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar, Ambarnath, Kulgaon-Badlapur, Dahanu, Shahapur, Wada and Vasai-Virar. This is the third-most industrialised district in Maharashtra.
  The district is situated between 18°42' and 20°20' north latitudes and 72°45' and 73°48' east longitudes. The area of the district is 9558 km². The shape of the district is triangular. The district is bounded by Pune and Ahmadnagar on the east, Nashik on the east and northeast, Valsad District of Gujarat state and Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli on the north. The Arabian Sea forms the western boundary, while it is bounded by Mumbai City District and Mumbai Suburban District on the southwest and Raigad District on the south.
  The district derived its name from the city of Thane, which is the district headquarters. The name Thane derived from the ancient name of the same city, Shristhanaka, when it was the capital of the Shilahara kings.
  
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  Ulhasnagar
  Ulhasnagar is a city located on coast of the West India, approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) northeast of the city of Mumbai, in the Thane district in the state of Maharashtra. This city is part of Mumbai Metropolitan Region managed by MMRDA.
  Ulhasnagar, also referred to as Sindhunagar, has an estimated population of 472,943 people (2001). The name derives from the Ulhas river which flows through it. Kalyan is situated near Ulhasnagar. The city is home to many types of businesses.
  Ulhasnagar is located at 19°13′N 73°09′E / 19.22°N 73.15°E / 19.22; 73.15. It has an average elevation of 19 metres (62 feet).
  As of 2011^[update] India census, Ulhasnagar had a population of 506937. (Current Estimate : One million). Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%.
  Ulhasnagar is a municipal town and the headquarters of the Tahsil bearing the same name. It is a railway station on the Mumbai-Pune route of the Central Railway. Ulhasnagar, a colony of migrants in the aftermath of the Partition of India (1947), is 61 years old. Situated 58 km from Mumbai, the once-barren land has developed into a rich town of Thane district. Originally, known as Kalyan Military transit camp (or Kalyan Camp), Ulhasnagar was set up especially to accommodate 6,000 soldiers and 30,000 others during World War II. There were 2,126 barracks and about 1,173 housed personals. The majority of barracks had large central halls with rooms attached to either end. The camp had a deserted look at the end of the war and served as a ready and commercial ideal ground for Partition victims. Sindhis, in particular, began life anew in the new land.
  
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  Vidarbha
  Nagpur, Amravati, Akola
  Vidarbha (Marathi: विदर्भ) is the eastern region of Maharashtra state made up of Nagpur Division and Amravati Division. Its former name is Berar (Varhad in Marathi). It occupies 31.6% of total area and holds 21.3% of total population of Maharashtra. It borders the state of Madhya Pradesh to the north, Chattisgarh to the east, Andhra Pradesh to the south and Marathwada and Khandesh regions of Maharashtra to the west. Situated in central India, Vidarbha has its own rich cultural and historical background distinct from rest of Maharashtra. The largest city in Vidarbha is Nagpur, the second largest is Amravati while Akola stands third followed by Yavatmal, Chandrapur and Gondia. A majority of Vidarbhians speak Vahardi, a dialect of Marathi.
  The region is famous for growing oranges and cotton. Vidarbha holds two-thirds of Maharashtra's mineral resources, three quarters of its forest resources, and is a net producer of power. Throughout its history, Vidarbha has remained much calmer during the communal troubles than the rest of India; but it is plagued very much by poverty and malnutrition. It is less economically prosperous compared to the rest of Maharashtra.
  
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  Wardha District
  Wardha district (Marathi: वर्धा जिल्हा) is one of the 35 districts in Maharashtra state in western India. This district is a part of Nagpur Division. The city of Wardha is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district had a population of 1,236,736 of which 26.28% were urban as of 2001.
  The History of Wardha dates back to prehistoric period. It has a unique place in the Indian Natural History, since the Ostrich egg-shell has been found at Sindi (Railway) in Wardha district. It was included in the empire of Mauryas, Sungas, Satavahanas and Vakatakas Pravarpur, modern Pavnar was once the capital of the Vakataka dynasty. Vakatakas were contemporary of Imperial Guptas. The daughter of Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya) was married with Vakataka ruler Rudrasena. The period of Vakatakas was 2nd to 5th C.A.D. and their empire stretches from Arabian sea in west to Bay of Bengal in east, Narmada river in north to Krishna-Godavari delta in south.
  Later on, Wardha was ruled by Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Yadavas, Delhi Sultanate, Bahamani Sultanate, Muslim ruler of Berar, Gonds and Maratha. Raja Buland Shaha of Gonds, Raghuji of Bhonsale were the prominent rulers in Medieval period. Nearby 1850's Wardha, (then a part of Nagpur) fell into the hands of British. They included Wardha in the Central Provenance. Wardha is a sister city for Sevagram, and both were used as major centers for the Indian Independence Movement, especially as headquarters for an annual meet of the Indian National Congress in 1934, and Mahatma Gandhi's Ashram.
  
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  Washim District
  Washim is a district in Maharashtra, India. The headquarters is at Washim. The area of the district is 5,150 km².
  The district had a population of 1,020,216 of which 17.49% were urban as of 2001. Washim is located in the eastern region of Vidharbha. Akola lies to its north, Amravati lies to its north-east, Hingoli lies to its south, Buldhana lies to its west, Yavatmal lies to its east. River Penganga is the main river of the district. It flows through the Tehsil of Risod. Later it flows through the boundary of Washim and Hingoli districts. River Kas is the main tributary of Penganga. River Kas meets Penganga about 1 km from the village of Shelgaon Rajgure. River Arunavati and its tributaries originates in the Tehsil of Washim and them flows through the tehsils of Mangrul Pir and Manora into the district of Yavatmal. River Katepurna originates in the hilly areas of the district and flows northwards through the tehsil of Malegaon and enters the Akola district.
  There are hilly ranges extending from through the tehsils of Malegaon, Washim, Mangrul Pir and Manora. There is plain region in the basins of River Penganga in the Risod Tehsil. The important cities are Washim, Risod, Karanja, Malegaon, Mangrul Pir, Manora and Shirpur. Washim is the largest city in the district. There are many well known hospitals, Schools, Colleges and Banks in Washim City. It is specially famous for its Balaji Temple. It also has a railway junction. By railway is connected to Akola, Purna, Nanded and Khandwa. Karanja is another city. It has another railway junction. There are some parts covered by the forests. There are mainly two regions. Both the regions are protected under Katepurna Wildlife Sanctuary and Karanja Sohol Wildlife Sanctuary respectively.
  
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  Yavatmal District
  Yavatmal district (Marathi: यवतमाळ जिल्हा) (formerly Yeotmal) is a district of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is located in the region of Vidarbha, in the east-central part of the state.Yavatmal town is the administrative headquarters of this district.
  It is believed that Yavatmal, along with the rest of the erstwhile Berar province, was part of the legendary kingdom of Vidarbha mentioned in the Mahabharata. Berar also formed part of the Mauryan Empire during the reign of Ashoka (272 to 231 BCE). Berar later came under the rule of the Satavahana dynasty (2nd century BCE–2nd century CE), the Vakataka dynasty (3rd to 6th centuries), the Chalukya dynasty (6th to 8th centuries), the Rashtrakuta dynasty (8th to 10th centuries), the Western Chalukya (10th to 12th centuries), and finally the Yadava dynasty of Devagiri (late 12th to early 14th centuries). A period of Muslim rule began when Ala ud din Khilji, Sultan of Delhi, conquered the region in the early 14th century. The region was part of the Bahmani Sultanate, which broke away from the Delhi Sultanate in the mid-14th century. The Bahmani Sultanate broke up into smaller sultanates at the end of the 15th century, and in 1572 Berar became part of the Nizam Shahi sultanate, based at Ahmednagar. The Nizam Shahis ceded Berar to the Mughal Empire in 1595. As Mughal rule started to unravel at the start of the 18th century, Asaf Jah I, Nizam of Hyderabad seized the southern provinces of the empire (including Berar) in 1724, forming an independent state.
  
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  Amol Palekar
  Amol Palekar (born 24 November 1944) is an Indian actor of the 1970s and a director and producer of Hindi and Marathi cinema.
  He did his postgraduation in Fine Arts from the Sir JJ School of Arts, Mumbai, commenced his artistic career as a painter which was distinguished by his seven one-man exhibitions along with his participation in many group shows. He has been a leading persona of avant garde theatre in India. He has been active in Marathi and Hindi theatre as an actor, director and producer since 1967. As a trend setting director who brought the theatre out of the proscenium arch, his productions still inspire the younger theatre practitioners. His stupendous contribution to the modern Indian theatre often gets overshadowed because of his enormous popularity as a lovable lead actor in Hindi films.
  As an actor, he ruled the silver screen for over a decade from 1970. His charming image as a ‘boy next door’ carved an unparallel niche in contrast to the larger than life heroes prevalent at that time in Indian cinema. He received three Film Fare and six State awards as Best Actor. His performances in regional language films in Marathi, Bengali, Malyalam and Kannada fetched him tremendous critical acclaim as well. While choosing to concentrate on filmmaking, he decided not to act after 1986.
  
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• Asha Kale
  Asha Kale is an actress in the Marathi language film industry of India. She was given the V Shantaram lifetime achievement award by the State Government of Maharashtra in 2010.
  
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  Ashok Saraf
  Ashok Saraf (born 4 June 1947) is an Indian actor and comedian. He has appeared in many Hindi and Marathi movies for since the late 1960s.
  Ashok Saraf is known mainly for comedy movies, many of which he appeared in with Laxmikant Berde. Apart from films, Ashok Saraf has also starred in television serials like Yeh Choti Badi Baatein and Hum Paanch (as Anand Mathur).
  Saraf is married to actress Nivedita Joshi-Saraf. They have one son.
  
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• Bhalji Pendharkar
  Bhalji Pendharkar (1898-1994(?)) was a film personality in India, and recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the most prestigious award in the field.
  Born in family of Dr Gopal Pendharkar and Radhabai, Bhalji was related to quite a few film personalities in Indian film industry. His elder brother Baburao Pendharkar was a famous film personality. Other famous names in family included step brother Master Vinayak Radhabai's son, cousin V Shantaram, son of Kamalabai, Radhabai's younger sister.
  Bhalji started his career in the era of silent films. He was associated with Prabhat Film Company's earliest talkies, and also worked with other studios in hometown of Kolhapur. Later he acquired his own studio in form of Jayprabha Studio and became a film producer and director. He also write lyrics for some film songs in Marathi. His more famous films are: Netaji Palkar, Thoratanchi Kamala, Chhatrapati Shivaji, Mohityanchi Manjula, Maratha Tututka Melvava, Sadhi Manse, Tambdi Maati. Hindi: Maharathi Karna, Valimi, Chhatrapati Shivaji.
  
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  Dada Kondke
  
  Krishna Kondke (August 8, 1932 - March 14, 1998), popularly known as Dada Kondke, was a Marathi actor and film producer. He was one of the most renowned personalities in Marathi film industry, famous for his double entendre dialogs in movies.
  Dada Kondke was born in a mill-worker's family in Naigaon in central Mumbai on Gokulashtami day and hence was named Krishna.^{[citation needed]} Dada Kondke was entered in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest number of films (nine) that achieved silver jubilee (running for 25 consecutive weeks). Krishna Kondke was called "Dada", an honorific Marathi term meaning "elder brother", which led to his popular name Dada Kondke.
  Dada Kondke was a born in a mill-worker's family in Naigaum, near Lalbaug, Mumbai. These workers were mostly migrants to the city of Mumbai looking for employment in the prospering cotton mills. This section of the society was well connected to their rural roots. Dada's movies targeted this section of the society. Tamasha and stage drama's have always played an important role in Marathi entertainment industry. Dada had started his entertainment career with a band and then as a stage actor. While working for drama Dada toured all over Maharashtra which helped him understand what entertainment meant to the local population. This learning can be seen in his movies which targeted the masses rather than any particular social class. DADA was a native of Ingavali in Bhor which is in Pune district of Maharashtra.
  
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  Dadasaheb Phalke
  Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke (दादासाहेब फाळके) ( pronunciation (help·info)) (30 April 1870 – 16 February 1944) was an Indian producer-director-screenwriter, known as the father of Indian cinema. Starting with his debut film, Raja Harishchandra in 1913, now known as India's first full-length feature, he made 95 movies and 26 short films in his career spanning 19 years, till 1937, including his most noted works: Mohini Bhasmasur (1913), Satyavan Savitri (1914), Lanka Dahan (1917), Shri Krishna Janma (1918) and Kaliya Mardan (1919).
  The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, for lifetime contribution to cinema, was instituted in his honor, by the Government of India in 1969, and is the most prestigious and coveted award in Indian cinema.
  Dhundiraj Govind Phalke was born on 30 April 1870 in Deshastha Brahmin family at Trimbakeshwar, 30 km from Nasik, Maharashtra, India, where his father was an accomplished Sanskrit scholar.
  He joined Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai in 1885. After passing from J.J. School in 1890, Phalke went to the Kala Bhavan in Baroda, where he studied sculpture, engineering, drawing, painting and photography.
  
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  Dadasaheb Torne
  Ram Chandra Gopal "Dadasaheb" Torne रामचंद्र गोपाळ "दादासाहेब" तोरणे (13 April 1890 - 19 January 1960) was the first Indian to make an Indian-language feature film, as established by an advertisement in The Times of India of 25 May 1912.
  He is also considered the "Father of Indian cinema"
  
  Although Torne made his first film (Shree pundalik पुंडलिक, 1912) just under a year before Dhundiraj Govind "Dadasaheb" Phalke made his, it is the latter who is regarded as the father of Indian cinema. The distinction may lie with the fact that, unlike Phalke, Torne sent his film overseas for processing. Moreover, Torne's Pundalik was 1,500' (c. 22 minutes) long, about 1,200' shorter than Phalke's Raja Harischandra, which ran for about 40 minutes.
  Ram Chandra Gopal Torne was born on 13 April 1890 Saraswat Brahmin family. in Malwan village, on the Western Indian Konkan coast near Mumbai. Following his father's death, the young boy and his mother were asked to leave the house by his uncle and they were forced to live in poverty.
  
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• Dilip Prabhavalkar
  Dilip Prabhavalkar is an Indian Marathi film, television and theatre actor. Although he established himself as a prominent Marathi stage and movie actor, he became particularly known on the national scene for his portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi in the 2006 film, Lage Raho Munna Bhai. He reprised the role of Gandhi in the Telugu language remake, Shankar Dada Zindabad. Apart from acting, Prabhavalkar is author of many plays and children's story books.
  Dilip Prabhavalkar gained a Master's degree in Biophysics and a diploma from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, before working for a pharmaceutical company and as a partner in a video production unit. During this period, he performed as an actor in several children's and experimental plays staged at Chhabildas.
  His first major performance was in Lobh Nasava Hi Vinanti a play written by Vijay Tendulkar and directed by Arvind Deshpande. In 1991, he decided to choose acting as a career.
  In children's and amateur theatre, Prabhavalkar was associated with Ratnakar Matkari's group and performed in all the plays staged by the troupe. His performances of a simpleton in Prem Kahani and Vidur in Aranyak — a play based on the Mahabharat — were awarded prizes at the Maharashtra State Drama Festival.
  
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• Dinkar D Patil
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  Girish Karnad
  Girish Raghunath Karnad (born 19 May 1938) is a contemporary writer, playwright, screenwriter, actor and movie director in Kannada language. His rise as a prominent playwright in 1960s, marked the coming of age of Modern Indian playwriting in Kannada, just as Badal Sarkar did it in Bengali, Vijay Tendulkar in Marathi, and Mohan Rakesh in Hindi. He is a recipient of the 1998 Jnanpith Award for Kannada, the highest literary honour conferred in India.
  For four decades Karnad has been composing plays, often using history and mythology to tackle contemporary issues. He has translated his major plays into English, and has received critical acclaim across India. His plays have been translated into several Indian languages and directed by eminent directors like Ebrahim Alkazi, B. V. Karanth, Alyque Padamsee, Prasanna, Arvind Gaur, Satyadev Dubey, Vijaya Mehta, Shyamanand Jalan and Amal Allana. He is also active in the world of Indian cinema working as an actor, director, and screenwriter, both in Hindi and Kannada cinema, earning numerous awards along the way. He was conferred Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.
  
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  Govind Nihalani
  Govind Nihalani (born 19 August 1940) is an Indian director, cinematographer, and also a screenwriter and film producer. He has been directing Hindi films since the late seventies, and worked in the television medium.
  Nihalani was born on 19 August 1940 in Karachi, Sindh province (now in Pakistan) and his family migrated to India during the partition of 1947. He started out as a cinematographer, graduating in cinematography from the Shree Jaya Chamrajendra polytechnic in Bangalore in 1962. He was an Assistant Cinematographer to the legendary V. K. Murthy.He was associated with all the earlier films of Shyam Benegal and with the cinematography of Richard Attenborough's Oscar-winning epic Gandhi. Nihalani and Benegal are well known for their socially relevant films.
  His first directorial venture was Aakrosh starring Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, the late Smita Patil and the late Amrish Puri. This was based on a real story which was converted into a film script by the eminent Marathi playwright Vijay Tendulkar and it made a huge impact on audiences all over India. It shared the Golden Peacock for best film at the International Film Festival of India held in New Delhi in 1981. His film Ardh Satya, based on a story by S.D. Panwalkar, is still remembered by film lovers. It changed forever the way in which Indian cinema portrayed the police and it exposed in stark detail the police-politician-criminal nexus. Come 1997, and he adapted Bengali novelist, Mahasweta Devi's acclaimed novel by the same name to Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa
  
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  Jabbar Patel
  Dr. Jabbar Patel (Marathi: डॉ.जब्बार पटेल) (born 23 June 1942, Pandharpur) is a theatre and film director of India. His production of the play Vijay Tendulkar's play Ghashiram Kotwal, in 1973 is considered a classic in Modern Indian Theatre.
  He is the maker of classics films in Marathi cinema, like, Jait Re Jait (Mohan Agashe, Smita Patil), Umbartha (Smita Patil, Girish Karnad), Simhasan (Nana Patekar, Shreeram Lagoo, Reema Lagoo) Some of his other films are, Mukta, Ek Hota Vidushak, and Musafir(Hindi). His most acclaimed film is Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar released in 1999. He won the 1995 Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration for his Marathi film, Mukta.
  Born in 1942 in Pandharpur in Maharashtra, having taken primary and secondary education in Haribhai Deokaran Highschool Solapur, he was, at first, a paediatrician. He founded the noted Marathi experimental theatre group, 'Theatre Academy', which staged Vijay Tendulkar's Ghashiram Kotwal in 1973, followed by, 'Teen Paishacha Tamasha', an adaptation of Brecht's Threepenny Opera in 1974. He is also a writer and has written for the film 'Aagey se right'. He even has written lycris of the song 'Raya asa dhondu naka angala' from the film 'Samna' He just finished working on the film based on life and work of santoor maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma.
  
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  Latur District
  Latur district (Marathi: लातूर जिल्हा) is a district in Maharashtra state of India. Latur city is the district headquarters.It is the 16th largest city in the state of Maharashtra. In the last census on 2001, the total population of the district was 2,080,285. Urban population comprises 20.08% of the total population [1]. The current population of Latur urban agglomerate is over 4 lacs.
  Latur has an ancient history, which probably dates to the Rashtrakuta period. It was home to a branch of Rashtrakutas which ruled the Deccan from year 753-973AD.The first Rashtrakuta king Dantidurga was from Lattalur (Kannada: ಲಟ್ಟಲೂರು), probably the ancient name for Latur. Anecdotally, Ratnapur is also mentioned as a name for Latur.
  The King Amoghavarsha of Rashtrakutas developed the Latur city, originally the native place of the Rashtrakutas. The Rashtrakutas who succeeded the Chalukyas of Badami in 753 A.D called themselves the residents of Lattalut.
  It was, over the centuries, variously ruled by the Satavahanas, the Sakas, the Chalukyas, the Yadavas of Deogiri, the Delhi Sultans, the Bahamani rulers of South India, Adilshahi, and the Mughals.
  
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• Laxmikant Berde
  Lakshmikant Berde (3 November 1954 – 16 December 2004; Mumbai) was an Indian actor who appeared in Marathi and Hindi movies.
  From his early years, Lakshmikant was interested in acting. His participation in stage dramas during the cultural activities for Ganesh festival celebrations performed at Konkanasth Vaishya Samaj, Girgaum got him interested in acting. He won awards for participation in inter-school and inter-college drama competitions. Following this, Berde started his acting career with the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh. In 1983, he appeared in his first major play, Purushottam Berde's Tour Tour which was a hit.In 1998 he got a big hit in Tamil from super director "Sukrut Thakur" who is popularly known as Sukrut Raghavan or TM Sukrut.
  Lakshmikant made his movie debut with the Marathi movie Lek Chalali Sasarla. Following this, Berde started getting offers to act in Marathi films. He acted in Dhum Dhadaka, Hamal De Dhamal, Ashi Hi Banwa Banvi, Balache Baap Brahmachari and Thartharat. Berde's first Hindi film was Sooraj Barjatya's Maine Pyar Kiya with Salman Khan. Some of his other popular Hindi films include Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Mere Sapno Ki Rani, Aarzoo, Saajan, Beta, 100 Days and Anari.
  
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• Mahesh Kothare
  Mahesh Kothare is an actor, director and producer of Marathi and Hindi films. He has been working in The Indian Cinema right from his childhood days. He acted as a child artist in well known movies Raja Aur Rank, Chhota Bhai, Mere Laal, Ghar Ghar ki Kahani, etc. The very popular song 'Tu kitani aachhi hai tu kitani bholi hai o maa' was picturized on him. His first commercial film as a filmmaker was Dhumdhadaka, a Marathi movie.
  Around the mid 80s, two young actors donned the director's mantle: Mahesh Kothare and Sachin Pilgaonkar. Pilgaonkar directed Navri Mile Navryala and around the same time Mahesh Kothare directed Dhumdhadaka. Pilgaonkar's film was a box-office hit while Mahesh Kothare's film not only became a mega hit at the box-office but it also became a trend-setter and brought young audiences to Marathi Cinema. Mahesh Kothare then went on to make comedy films which became major hits. He made the first Marathi film shot on the anamorphic format (Cinemascope) - Dhadakebaaz. He brought a number of innovations in the technical quality of Marathi films and was also the first to bring Dolby Digital sound to Marathi Cinema with the film Chimni Pakhara. He made the first Marathi film with Digital Special Effects, Pachadlela in 2004. He is the first Marathi Film Maker to produce Sci-Fi films.
  
  wn.com/Mahesh_Kothare
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  Mahesh Manjrekar
  Mahesh Manjrekar (born 15 August 1958) is an Indian director, actor, writer and producer. He is credited with directing the critically acclaimed films Vaastav: The Reality (1999), Astitva (2000) and Viruddh... Family Comes First (2005). He has won a National Film Award and two Star Screen Awards. Besides direction, he has acted in several films including some of his own productions. He first gained acclaim as an actor for his performance in the 2002 film Kaante, and later played negative roles in the Telugu film Okkadunnadu (2007) and as the gangster Javed in the film Slumdog Millionaire (2008). He played the role of Shivaji Maharaj in Marathi film Me Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy. He also played the role of Harpist Dongara in the Aakhri Chunauti series of episodes in C.I.D..
  Mahesh Manjrekar's other TV appearances include:
  
  wn.com/Mahesh_Manjrekar
• 
  Marathi people
  The Marathi people or Maharashtrians (Marathi: मराठी माणसं or महाराष्ट्रीय) are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, that inhabit the Maharashtra region and state of western India. Their language Marathi is part of the southern group of Indo-Aryan languages. Although their history goes back more than a millennium, the community came to prominence when Maratha warriors under Shivaji established the Maratha Empire in 1674. If regarded as a single ethnic group, the Marathi constitute the 17th largest ethnic group.
  The term 'Marathi people' is derived from the language commonly spoken by this ethnicity, i.e. Marathi.
  The term Maratha or its plural Marathe was used between the 17th and 19th centuries, coinciding with the existence of the Maratha Empire. However, at the beginning of 20th century, due to the efforts of Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur, the peasant Indo-Aryan Kshatriya Marathi class called Kunbi started using the word Maratha to describe themselves. The current usage of the term Maratha applies mainly to the former Indo-Aryan Kshatriya Kunbi caste as well as the 96 clan upper caste Maratha group and not to the wider Marathi community.
  
  wn.com/Marathi_people
• Master Vinayak
  Vinayak Damodar Karnataki(19 Jan 1906 - 19 Aug 1947) commonly referred to as Master Vinayak was an Indian actor and film director.
  Born in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India, Master Vinayak was related to quite a few relatives in Film Industry which had strong presence in Kolhapur. His brother Vasudev Karnataki became an cinematographer while his stepbrother Baburao Pendharkar (1896–1967) became a acclaimned actor.
  He was married to actress Meenakshi Shirodkar^{[citation needed]} and fathered actress Nanda, born 8 January 1939. Vinayak died in Bombay.
  
  wn.com/Master_Vinayak
• Nilu Phule
  Nilu Phule (died 13 July 2009) was an Indian actor known for his roles in the Marathi language movies and Marathi theatre. Nilu Phule had acted in around 250 Marathi and Hindi movies during his film career.
  Phule was also a social worker, and was associated with Rashtra Seva Dal.
  Nilu Phule was born in either 1930 or 1931 (depending on the source) in Pune as Nilkanth Krushnaji Phule to the clan of the noted social worker Jyotiba Phule.
  Phule's first job was that of a gardener at the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, aged 17. He used to get a salary of Rs. 80 per month, out of which, he used to donate Rs. 10 to the Rashtriya Seva Dal, a social organization he was involved with. He wanted to pursue his gardening career forward, but due to lack of financial support, he could not start his own plant nursery. During this time, at the age of 20, Nilu was inspired by Rabindranath Tagore's writings and went on to write a drama, Udyan. His composing for the drama Yedya Gabalache Kam Nahi during the 1957 Lok Sabha elections garnered him fame.
  
  wn.com/Nilu_Phule
• Pralhad Keshav Atre
  Prahlād Keshav Atre (Marathi: प्रल्हाद केशव अत्रे pronunciation (help·info)) (13 August 1898 – 13 June 1969), popularly known as Āchārya Atre (Marathi: आचार्य अत्रे), was a multi-faceted Indian figure. He was a prominent Marathi writer, a poet, an educationist, a newspaper founder–editor of Maratha (a Marathi language daily whose head office and press was located at Coca-Cola gulley in Worli, Mumbai), a political leader, a movie producer–director–script writer and above all, a noted orator.
  His Marathi film, Shyamchi Aai (श्यामची आई) won the 1954 National Film Award for Best Feature Film.
  Atre was born in the town of Saswad, near Pune, in Maharashtra, India.
  Atre got his BA and BT degrees from the University of Bombay and later Teacher's Diploma (TD) from the University of London. He was ranked first in the BT examination.Also his general work was praised as being of high quality by his British Professors at the London Day Training College of London University.
  His teaching career spanned 20-years, at the height of which, he ran a high school as its principal. He compiled a series of Marathi language textbooks for elementary and secondary schools, which were widely used in in Maharashtra State for several years.
  
  wn.com/Pralhad_Keshav_Atre
• Ranjana Deshmukh
  Ranjana Deshmukh (born 1955, died March 3, 2000), famous on-screen as just Ranjana, was a popular Marathi actress who dominated the Marathi silver screen in the '70s and '80s. Like her aunt, noted Hindi actress Sandhya, she was introduced to the screen by V. Shantaram in Chandanachi Choli Ang Ang Jaali, directed by Kiran Shantaram in 1975. She then starred in the lead role in Shantaram's next film, Jhunj. Ranjana won the best actress award in 1980 from the state government for Are Sansar Sansar. She bagged the award again for Gup Chup Gup Chup in 1983. Her other key films include Sushila, Gondhalat Gondhal, Mumbaicha Faujdar, Jakhmi Vaghin, Bhujang and Ek Daav Bhutacha.
  Ranjana made hit pairs at the box office with several noted Marathi film actors including Ashok Saraf, Shriram Lagoo, Kuldeep Pawar, Nilu Phule, Ravindra Mahajani, Raja Gosavi and others.
  Ranjana Deshmukh's career came to an abrupt end in 1987 in a car accident while she was on her way to a film shoot to Bangalore. Ranjana's legs were paralysed in the accident; she also lost movement of her left arm. She later starred in a play Fakta Ekdach, as a wheelchair-using woman who is deserted by her lover. It was believed to be based on her real life in which Ashok Saraf deserted her after her accident.
  
  wn.com/Ranjana_Deshmukh
• 
  Renuka Shahane
  Renuka Shahane (born March 27, 1965) is an Indian actress working in the Bollywood film industry and in Indian television, best known as the presenter of Doordarshan TV show Surabhi (1993–2001).
  Renuka Shahane was born in Maharashtra. She studied Arts from Mithibai college. She is married to Ashutosh Rana, also a Bollywood actor. They have two sons, Shouryaman and Satyendra.
  Shahane started her career with the MarathiHach Sunbaicha Bhau film industry and has done many Marathi Films. She then worked in the popular TV show, Surabhi.
  She became popular after her role in Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, a 1994 blockbuster film. She released her first Marathi film as a director called Rita. Adapted from her mother Shanta Gokhale's novel, Rita Welingkar, Renuka plays the pivotal role of a friend, guide and philosopher of Rita, the main protagonist. Renuka has Jackie Shroff, Pallavi Joshi, Suhasini Mulay and Mohan Agashe in the cast.
  Circus was one of the initial Indian television serials that she starred in. She portrayed the love interest of then relatively unknown Shah Rukh Khan's character. Her role as a strong-willed woman in another television serial Imtihaan was widely appreciated.
  
  wn.com/Renuka_Shahane
• Satyadev Dubey
  Satyadev Dubey (1936 – 2011) was an Indian theatre director, actor, playwright, screenwriter, and film actor and director. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1971.
  He won the 1978 National Film Award for Best Screenplay for Shyam Benegal's Bhumika and 1980 Filmfare Best Dialogue Award for Junoon. In 2011, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.
  Satyadev Dubey was born in Bilaspur district of the then Madhya Pradesh in 1936. He moved to Mumbai with the aim of becoming a cricketer, but ended up joining the Theatre Unit, a theatre group run by Ebrahim Alkazi, which also ran a school for many budding artists. Later when Alkazi left for Delhi to head the National School of Drama, he took over the Theatre Unit, and went on to produce many important plays in the Indian theatre.
  He produced Girish Karnad's first play Yayati, and also his noted play Hayavadana, Badal Sarkar's Ebang Indrajit and Pagla Ghoda, Chandrashekhara Kambara’s Aur Tota Bola (Jokumaraswamy in original Kannada), Mohan Rakesh’s Aadhe Adhure, Vijay Tendulkar’s Khamosh! Adalat Jaari Hai, and A Raincoat For All Occasions and Jean Anouilh's Antigone in 2007.
  
  wn.com/Satyadev_Dubey
• Sayaji Shinde
  Sayaji Shinde is a Marathi film and multilingual actor from India who has acted in Bollywood, Tollywood and Kollywood. He was born in a small village near Satara, Maharashtra.
  Sayaji Shinde is a Maharashtrian actor who acted in Marathi films. He moved into Hindi films including Bacchu Yaadav in Shool- which was followed by role in Market and Calcutta Mail. He was then introduced in the Tamil film industry by Gnana Rajasekaran for the critically acclaimed Tamil film "Bharathi", 2000. he received rave reviews and critical acclaim for his brilliant performance. He was then later introduced in Telugu films through the film Tagore, 2003. He acted more number of films in Telugu and started dubbing for his character in Telugu. Now he is a very well known character artist and both Telugu and Tamil film industries.
  He produced couple of Marathi movies.Sayaji helped Nagesh Bhonsle produce the marathi film Goshta Choti Dongraevadhi.He also produced Makarand Anaspure directed film, Dambis(2011).
  
  wn.com/Sayaji_Shinde
• Shridhar Phadke
  Shridhar Phadke (Marathi: श्रीधर फडके, born September 9, 1950) is a composer and a singer from Maharashtra, India.
  Shridhar Phadke was born on September 9, 1950 in Mumbai. He is son of the famous Marathi singer and composer Sudhir Phadke and singer Lalitabai Phadke. He completed his education from D. G. Ruparel College of Arts Science and Commerce and later did his post graduation in Information Technology in United States of America in the decade of 1970. Later he joined Air India. He retired from Air India as DGM in the year 2009.
  He has not undergone any formal training for music, in spite of this his music has always been loved by listeners. When Shridhar Phadke was in USA for his post graduation, he composed his first tune for a devotional song Devachiye Dwari. Sudhir Phadke heard this song and appreciated the tune. Sudhir Phadke also sung this song in one of his programs in USA. Later this song was recorded in voice of Suresh Wadkar for album Omkar Swaroopa (Marathi: ॐकार स्वरूपा)
  Shridhar Phadke started his career as a music director with the film Laxmichi Paule (Marathi: लक्ष्मीची पाउले). Earlier it was decided that Sudhir Phadke would compose music for this film. But the director heard the tune of the song Phite Andharache Jaale (Marathi: फिटे अंधाराचे जाळे) composed by Shridhar Phadke. He liked the tune very much and decided to include this song in the film. Later it was decided that all songs from this film be composed by Shridhar Phadke.
  
  wn.com/Shridhar_Phadke
• Smita Patil
  Smita Patil (17 October 1955 – 13 December 1986) was an Indian actress of film, television and theatre. Regarded among the finest stage and film actresses of her times, Patil appeared in over 75 Hindi and Marathi films in a career that spanned just over a decade. During her career, she received two National Film Awards and a Filmfare Award. She was the recipient of the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour in 1985.
  Patil graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune and made her film debut with Shyam Benegal's Charandas Chor (1975). She became one of the leading actresses of parallel cinema, a New Wave movement in India cinema, though she also appeared in several mainstream movies throughout her career. Her performances were often acclaimed, and her most notable roles include Manthan (1977), Bhumika (1977), Aakrosh (1980), Chakra (1981), Chidambaram (1985) and Mirch Masala (1985).
  Apart from acting, Patil was an active feminist (in a distinctly Indian context) and a member of the Women's Centre in Mumbai. She was deeply committed to the advancement of women's issues, and gave her endorsement to films which sought to explore the role of women in traditional Indian society, their sexuality, and the changes facing the middle-class woman in an urban milieu.
  
  wn.com/Smita_Patil
• 
  Sonali Kulkarni
  Sonali Kulkarni (born 3 November 1974) is an Indian actress. She was born in Pune. She has worked in Marathi and Hindi films. She is known for her roles in Dil Chahta Hai, Singham, Taxi No 9211, and Gair.
  Sonali Kulkarni first made her appearance on the screen in a Kannada film titled Cheluvi directed by Girish Karnad. She thereafter has appeared in many films, which includes an Italian film titled Fuoco Di Su Me for which she won an award in the 2006 Milan International Film Festival.
  She has received a Special Jury Award (non-feature) in the 49th National Film Awards (2002) for her role in a short film in Marathi Chaitra.
  Apart from acting, she was an editor with Viva, a supplement of Marathi daily newspaper Loksatta from June 2005 till May 2007. She used to pen a weekly column called "So Kool". The columns are published in the book So Kool by Rajahansa Prakashan. Actor Nana Patekar on the release of this book said, "Whenever I read her articles, I feel she is talking to me. There is so much of simplicity in her writing."
  
  wn.com/Sonali_Kulkarni
• Sudhir Phadke
  Sudhir Phadke (Marathi: सुधीर फडके pronunciation (help·info), 25 July 1919 - 29 July 2002) was an accomplished Marathi singer-composer from India. He was regarded as an icon of the Marathi film industry and Marathi Sugam Sangeet (light music) for five decades. Apart from Marathi, Phadke sang and composed songs in several Hindi films as well.
  Phadke was affectionately known as Babuji (an honorary title given to respected gentlemen in India).
  Sudhir Phadke was born in Kolhapur on 25 July 1919. His birth name was Ram Phadke, but he later changed his name to 'Sudhir' when he composed a song for HMV. Phadke acquired his primary tutelage in vocal classical music from the late Vamanrao Padhye in Kolhapur. After beginning his career with HMV in 1941, he joined the Prabhat Film Company as music director in 1946. During his long career, he composed music for many Marathi and Hindi films. He was also an immaculate playback singer. Phadke married his fellow singer Lalita Deulkar. Their son Shridhar Phadke (born 1950) is also a composer and singer.
  
  wn.com/Sudhir_Phadke
• 
  Vikram Gokhale
  Vikram Gokhale (occasionally credited as Vikram Gokhle) is a well known Indian film, television and stage actor, notable for his roles in Marathi theatre and Hindi films and television. He is the son of another well known veteran Marathi theater and film actor Chandrakant Gokhale,and brother Mohan Gokhale who acted in 68 Marathi and 16 Hindi films besides 64 Marathi plays and several Marathi TV serials over a span of 75 years.
  Gokhale is now directing his debut directorial film titled Aaghaat. Produced by Sprint Arts Creation and executive producer Rajesh Damble, the film is based on a story written by Dr Nitin Lavangare. The cast of the film includes actors Mukta Barve and Dr Amol Kolhe and is shot in Pune. The film is getting released on 24 December 2010.
  Vikram Gokhale has a long family lineage active in Indian film industry. His great grandmother Durgabai Kamat was the first female artiste of the Indian screen, while his grandmother Kamlabai Gokhale (Kamlabai Kamat at that time) was the first female child artiste of Indian cinema. Way back in 1913, Durgabai acted as Parvati and Kamlabai as Mohini in a film by name Mohini Bhasmasur, produced and directed by Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian cinema. His father Chandrakant Gokhale was a veteran Marathi film and stage artist and has acted in over 70 Marathi and Hindi films.
  
  wn.com/Vikram_Gokhale

History of Marathi Cinema (2005)

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• Documentary

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• timeline:
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