Maharashtra is a picturesque state in Western India, with a 720
km coastline and dominates the heart of the Peninsula. The
Western Ghats run parallel to the coast and have some scenic and
inviting hill stations. The rest of the State stands on the high
Deccan plateau, historically the main centre of the Maratha
empire, which successfully defied the might of the Mughals under
the fearless rule of Chhatrapati Shivaji. The State is dotted by
rugged forts that stand as mute witnesses down the ages to the
march of warrior kings, foreign trading vessels and invaders
from across the seas. The dry western margins of the plateau
have sites from the earliest prehistoric settlements and
Paleolithic remains in India. The first well known rulers of
Maharashtra were the Satavahanas (230 BC to 225 AD), who were
the creators of Maharashtra, and have left a plethora of
literary, epigraphic, artistic and archaeological evidence.
Thereafter there were a number of Hindu kingdoms, followed by
the first Muslim Dynasty in 1307. Mug