Kokum (Garcinia indica) called as the ‘The Kool King’ of Indian fruits flourishes in the dense forests of the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. Konkan kokum is a perennial fruit of commercial value that thrives in the scenic Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts. According to the locals, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts have about 43,000 centuries-old kokum... Continue Reading →
Markandeshwar Temple, Chamorshi, Gadchiroli District, Maharashtra
Located at the bank of the sacred Wainganga River in Markanda village in Gadchiroli district, the ancient temple complex of Markandeshwar is popularly called as the 'Khajuraho of Vidarbha'. Titled by historians and architects as the 'Most Picturesque Temple Complex', the iconic Markanda Mahadev Temple is steeped in spirituality, heritage and culture. This temple... Continue Reading →
Gondeshwar Temple, Sinnar, Nashik District, Maharashtra
One of the finest examples of the Hemadpanthi style of architecture is the Gondeshwar Temple at Sinnar. Considered to be the largest, most complete and best preserved medieval temple of the Deccan, Gondeshwar Temple bathed in the golden hue effulgence of the sun at sunrise and sunset is a spectacle to behold! According to... Continue Reading →
Mangalwedha Jowar of Maharashtra
Popularly known as the 'Land of Saints', Mangalwedha taluka in Solapur district is renowned for its culture, heritage and agricultural produce. Traditional crops like sorghum, bajra, groundnuts, corn and sugarcane cultivated in this historical place has been famous for centuries. The local variety of jowar known as Maldandi jowar has been cultivated here for at... Continue Reading →
Jalgaon Brinjal of Maharashtra
Jalgaon located in Khandesh in Maharashtra is popularly known as the 'City of Brinjals'. Light green brinjals from Jalgaon district comprising of fifteen talukas of Jalgaon, Jamner, Erandol, Dharangaon, Bhusaval, Bodwad, Yawal, Raver, Muktainagar, Amalner, Chopda, Parola, Pachora, Chalisgaon and Bhadgaon are used for preparing the famous Khandeshi vangyache bharit. Locals say that brinjals are... Continue Reading →
Sangli Turmeric of Maharashtra
Sangli located in the western part of Maharashtra is considered to be the largest and most important trading centre for turmeric in Asia. Popularly known as the 'Saffron City', Sangli has been cultivating its world-famous turmeric since the 1900s. It is said that large quantities of Sangli turmeric used to be exported through the Rajapur... Continue Reading →
Ajara Ghansal Rice, Ajara Taluka, Kolhapur District, Maharashtra
Scented rice has always been a prized possession in regional economies since the days of yore. Different varieties of indigenous scented rice have been cultivated in different parts of India since ancient times. Both Charaka and Sushruta have extolled the medicinal values of fragrant rice in their respective treatise. Ajara Ghansal rice grown in... Continue Reading →
Solapur Pomegranate of Maharashtra
Pomegranate or anar or dalimb as it is known in the local language is said to have its origin in Baluchistan in Iran and the Himalayas. The cultivation of pomegranate began in the late 1960s in Solapur district. Locals say that in 1972, Solapur faced extreme drought and emphasis was laid on increasing the cultivation... Continue Reading →
Lasalgaon Onion of Maharashtra
Lasalgaon, situated in Niphad taluk of Nashik district is the biggest market for onions not only in India but in Asia! Maharashtra is the biggest producer of onions in the country and unknown to many, the famed Lasalgaon onion also known as Niphad red or Nashik red influences the rate of onion in the Asian... Continue Reading →
Purandar Fig of Maharashtra
The journey of the famed Purandar fig began in the late 1300s when Muhammad bin Tughlaq shifted the seat of power from Delhi to Daulatabad. A few people he used to keep company with who were well acquainted with the cultivation of fruits typical to Central Asia started growing these in the dry area of... Continue Reading →
Kolhapur Jaggery of Maharashtra
Since the 18th century, Maharashtra has been well-known for its extensive jaggery production business, so much so that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj came up with the ingenious idea to establish the first market yard of jaggery to fulfil all its requirements and services. Kolhapur district located in the western part of Maharashtra has been widely accepted... Continue Reading →
Mahabaleshwar Strawberry of Maharashtra
Mahabaleshwar, an idyllic summer getaway for the Bombay province during the British Raj was formally introduced to the English strawberries in the 1920s. This delectable red fruit called the Australian strawberry grown by the British in their gardens was looked upon by locals with great curiosity who were clueless about their taste and just intrigued... Continue Reading →
Waigaon Turmeric
India is the world's leading producer and exporter of turmeric with a staggering average of 46,500 tons of turmeric exported each year valued at approximately Rs 4,689 million! Besides, the established varieties grown in different parts of the country, there are at least seventeen known variants that have an impressive curcumin content ranging from 2.8... Continue Reading →
Sangameshwar Temple, Saswad, Maharashtra
The ancient Sangameshwar temple of Swayambhu Mahadev at the confluence of two rivers namely Karha and Chambali (Bhogwati) is situated in the historically significant city of Saswad in the state of Maharashtra. Saswad is known to be deeply entrenched in history, spirituality, religion, culture and architecture from time immemorial. It is believed that the... Continue Reading →
Krishnabai Temple, Old Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra
Kshetra Mahabaleshwar is very famous for three temples namely Panchaganga, Mahabaleshwar and Krishnabai. Panchaganga temple is probably the most well-known of the three as the waters of five rivers Koyna, Krishna, Venna, Savitri and Gayatri come together in this temple. Close to the Panchaganga temple is a well-marked trail that leads to the beautiful Krishnabai... Continue Reading →
Warli House of Maharashtra
Ancient history has showed us that paintings have been used as a means of communication be it the cave paintings of early man or the archaeological finds of many great civilizations or the pictographs seen in later settlements. The origin of Warli art can be traced back to about 15,000 years ago. Warli house is... Continue Reading →
Kedareshwar Cave at Harishchandragad, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra
The ancient hill-fort of Harishchandragad located in Malshej Ghat in the district of Ahmednagar at about an altitude of 4,670 ft is a historical treasure chest. It is believed to have conclusive finds of microlith (chipped stone used as tools) used by man about 35,000-3,000 years ago in the Microlithic Age. This sacred place has... Continue Reading →
