Raigad Fort






Ganpati Pule





Sindhudurg Fort



Snorkeling





Bordi Beach-Dahanu

The Konkan (Marathi: Kokan), also called the Konkan Coast, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad to Mangalore. Konkan Division is also one of six administrative sub-divisions of the state of Maharashtra, comprising of its costal districts. Residents of Konkan and their descendants are called Konkanis. The name may also refer specifically to the Konkani people, ethnic group of the region; most of whom speak the Konkani language. Besides the Konkanis the other major ethnic group are the Tuluvas, mostly living the districts of South Canara and Udupi of Karnataka state. The Sanskrit term Konkanastha, means "Resident of Konkan". The precise definition of Konkan varies, but most include Maharashtra's districts of Raigad, Mumbai, Thane, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, the state of Goa, and the Uttar Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka. The sapta-Konkan as depicted in Skanda-purana stretches from Maharashtra to Karnataka . This is actually logical since there are a lot of similarities in the food-habits (rice and fish), crops cultivated (rice, mangoes, cashews and jackfruit) and the physique (tall and well-built) of people dwelling in this area. The Konkan division is an administrative sub-division of Maharashtra which comprises all the coastal districts of the state.

Konkan Division, Paradise on Earth

Konkan Division, rich in verdant natural beauty, is endowed with a coastline of 720 km and exotic agricultural produce including mango, cashew and beetelnut. It includes Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, besides Mumbai and Mumbai Suburban District. The ancient land has produced galaxy of veterans from different walks of life. Sindhudurg is the second district in the country to achieve 100 per cent literacy. Konkan’s beautiful beaches, greenery, world famous Warli art and sea forts attract a steady stream of visitors and tourists. Exciting Konkan Railway route is an engineering marvel. The country’s first Atomic Power Plant is at Tarapur in Thane district.

1. District : 6 (Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg)

2. Area : 30746 sq. kms

3. Sub-divisions : 12 (Thane-3, Raigad-4, Ratnagiri-3, Sindhudurg-2)

4. Talukas : 50 (Mumbai Suburban-3, Thane-15, Raigad-15, Ratnagiri-9, Sindhudurg-8)

5. Dist. from Mumbai : Thane-40 kms., Raigad-120 kms., Ratnagiri-330 kms., Sindhudurg-481 kms.

6. Means of Transport : Main Airport- Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (Sahar-Mumbai), Chhatrapati Shivaji Domestic Airport (Santacruz-Mumbai); Railway Stations-45, ST Buses, 46 small ports.

7. Population(as per 2001 census) : Total-2,48,07,357.Male-1,32,81,860.Female-1,15,25,497

8. Literacy : Per cent-81.36.Total-1,80,97,558. Male-1,04,24,866. Female-96,72,692.

9. Area under Irrigation : 4,38,454 hectares

10. Area under Horticulture : 2,29,896 hectares

11. Languages/Dialects : Marathi, Hindi, English, Konkani (Daldi), Malvani

12. Folk-Arts : Koli dance, Govinda, Adivasi dance, Bhajan, Keertan, Bharud Jakdi, Naman,Dashaavtar, Chitrakathi, Pangul, Gaja (Dhangiri dance).

13. Main Crops : Rice, nagli, mango, cashew, coconut, jackfruit, beetle-nut, spices.

Geography

The Sahyadri Mountain range ("Western Ghats") forms the eastern boundary of the Konkan, and the Arabian Sea marks the western boundary. The southern boundary is the Gangavali River. The Mayura River forms the northern boundary. The Gangavali flows in the district of North Canara ("Uttara Kannada") in present-day "Karnataka State"; the cis-Gangavali portion (seen from Mumbai) of this district is the southern-most part of the Konkan. The towns of Gokarn, Guhagar, Honavar, and Karwar fall within the Konkan. The exact identity of the Mayura River, the northern limits of the historic Konkan, is indeterminate.