State of India - Maharashtra

Area: 3,07,713 sq km

Population: 7,89,37,187

Capital Of City: Mumbai

Languages: Marathi

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History: Maharashtra is the third largest state in India and one of the most industrialized states of the country. It is famous for its coastline and the capital city of Mumbai. Mumbai is famous for Bollywood (named after Bombay, the former name of the city). India is the world's largest producer of films and many of these are made in Bollywood. Every year thousands of young hopefuls come to the city hoping to make it big in Bollywood - stars like Dev Anand, Jeetandra and Jackie Shroff are some who made it from rags to riches in the city. Most hopefuls though are not so lucky and end up working as poorly paid extras. Dalal street (also in Mumbai) with its famous Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) is the financial capital of India. The word dalal itself means dealer and that's exactly what happens in a stock exchange - dealers sell and buy shares (a small part of a company) for their clients here. Ajanta and Ellora The caves of Ajanta and Ellora are world famous monuments of Maharashtra. The 30 caves of Ajanta were made in over 800 years by Buddhist monks. The place was all but forgotten till its accidental discovery by British officers in the last century. The monks used little more than hammer and chisel but the beauty they carved in the rocks is amazing. Ellora is even more amazing, the caves were carved from the side of a hill. The famous Kailas Temple is a stunning example of a whole temple cut out of rock - imagine the precise mathematics that the carvers used while deciding which portion of the rock should be cut and which left for doors, sculptures, pillars etc! Chhatrapati Shivaji is one of the most respected warriors of Maharashtra.