Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a major state in western India and the country's economic and financial engine, home to Mumbai, the national financial capital and Bollywood. Its capital is Mumbai, while Pune is another major hub. The second most populous state in India, it drives much of the nation's industry, finance and cinema.

Maharashtra stretches from the Arabian Sea coast and the lush Konkan strip up the steep Western Ghats to the vast Deccan Plateau inland. The Godavari and Krishna rivers rise here. The climate ranges from coastal tropical to drier interior.

Maharashtrian culture is rich and varied, famous for the grand Ganesh Chaturthi festival, Marathi theatre and literature, and the global influence of the Hindi film industry based in Mumbai. It blends cosmopolitan city life with deep traditions.

The homeland of the Maratha Empire founded by Shivaji, which challenged the Mughals, Maharashtra became a major center of commerce under the British in Bombay. Formed as a Marathi-speaking state in 1960, it grew into India's industrial powerhouse.