Maharashtra
Maharashtra A Land whose sheer size and diversity will stun the visitors. Enjoy the mountains that stretch out into the mists as far as the eye can see. Many forts that stand tall, proud and strong. The scores of temples, sculpted into and out of basalt rock. Its diverse and colourful cultures, woven into one gigantic quilt. Her festivals that galvanise the sleepy thousands into fervent motion. And her miles of silver, white beaches, stretched taut and inviting over the entire coast. Its all the one state of Maharashtra.
The modern state of Maharashtra is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the West, Gujrat and the Union Territory of Dadara Nagar haveli to the North West, Madhya Pradesh to the North & North East, Chhattisgadh to the East, Karnataka to the South, Andhra Pradesh to the South East and Goa to the South West.
The antiquity of the human habitation in the state goes back to the stone age period. Numerous sites with the stone age tools have been reported on the bank of various rivers as well as in the river valleys. Numerous Chalcolithic sites have been located and some like Inamgaon (1300 BCE to 700 BCE) were extensively excavated. During the historical period (after 6th century BCE) the rule of the Mauryas (4th century BCE to 2nd century BCE) is clearly seen in Maharashtra. Remains of the inscriptions of Ashoka have been found in the state. A long lasting rule over the state was that of the Satavahanas (1st century BCE to 3rd Century CE).This was a very flourishing period of the state. The international trade with the western world was in full swing during this period.
The ports in Maharashtra played a major role in this. The result can be seen in the excavation of a number of Buddhist rock cut caves like Bhaja, Pitalkhore, Karla Nasik etc patronised mainly by the trading community. The Western Kshatrapas were ruling from Gujrat but they had conquered some of the Satavahana territory for some time. The Satavahanas defeated these rulers in 78 CE and regained their land. The Satavahana rule expanded not only in the whole of the modern state of Maharashtra but also in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. After the decline of the Satvahana rule, many small kingdoms were established in different parts of Maharashtra like the Abhiras, Traikutakas etc. But in 4th century CE the Vakataka rulers came to prominence. They had two branches both ruling in Vidarbha. Some of their rulers had patronized the cave excavation activities at Ajanta in 5th century CE.