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Language
Always the most cosmopolitan place in India, Maharashtra has long welcomed newcomers making the state a melting pot and meeting ground of diverse cultures. Migrants came from foreign lands as well as from other parts of India in search of opportunities, particularly once Bombay became a business and industrial centre. Jews, Muslims, Zoroastrians and Christians all live in relative harmony, celebrating festivals and sharing culture and cuisine. The Maharashtrian has always been open to outside influences while preserving his own culture and religious traditions.
Nearly 40 per cent of the population lives in urban areas and includes Sindhis who came across from the Sindh province of Pakistan in the aftermath of the partition, Gujaratis and Parsis from next door Gujarat, Kannadigas from Karnataka, Tamils from Tamil Nadu, Marwari businessmen from Rajasthan and Christians from Goa add the essence of their native cultures to the melting pot of Maharashtra.
Marathi is the official state language and most people speak it except in the coastal region, where the people spea the local language, Konkani. Hindi, English, Sindhi, Gujarati and a medley of South Indian languages are commonly used in the cities.
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Religion
The population of Maharashtra is predominantly Hindu with pockets of Christian, Muslim and Jain communities. The different migrant populations brought in Judaism and Zoroastrianism to the state, though very few Jews are left but their synagogues stand as landmarks to the secular fabric of the state.
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Food
The culinary experience varies from region to region and community to community in Maharashtra. If you eat Konkan food, you’ll be treated to entirely new flavours as fish, seafood, lentils and vegetables are transformed into aromatic dishes using creamy milk of coconut and generously spiked with a local sour fruit called kokum. Rice is the staple in almost all parts of the state and in Kolhapur will be served accompanied by bright red, hot curries called ‘rassas’ that set even the hardiest palates aflame. Go to Aurangabad, and rice is transformed into rich pulaos and biryanis redolent with the heady aromas of rose water, saffron, cardamom and cinnamon. The local cuisine is greatly influenced by the local Muslim rulers and meats cooked in fresh spices and herbs are a regional specialty, as are a number of delectable sweetmeats and desserts.
Closer to Mumbai, Pune serves the essentially Hindu Marathi food, vegetarian, nutritious, delicately spiced and low in fat content. The cuisine in this city of Peshwas and Brahmins includes such favourites as Puneri misal, thalipeeth, puri bhaji and dalimbi usal that are not only tasty but also quick and inexpensive to make. But Pune is also home to a fair proportion of Christians, Muslims and Parsis, who bake wonderful fresh breads, cakes and biscuits.
Mumbai offers the entire range of Maharashtrian cuisine from the beef, pork and seafood preparations of the Christians to the beef curries and mutton biryanis of the Muslims; from the delicate vegetarian cuisine of the Maratha Brahmin community to the unusual blend of tastes of Parsi cuisine; from the many course meals to the ‘pharsan’ or snack food meals of the Gujaratis, you’ll find it all in this cosmopolitan city. And of course, you can’t miss Mumbai’s famous snack ‘bhel puri’- a mixture of puffed rice, ‘sev’ and bits of fried semolina biscuits, garnished with chopped onions, tamarind chutney, and coriander. Another favourite is the ubiquitous ‘pao-bhaji’, very soft, square buns (baked in batches of four to a square mould, of which you get one bun to a helping, hence ‘pao’ meaning ‘a quarter’) served with delicious curried potatoes, peas and tomatoes, cooked in front of you in a trice and served dripping with dollops of butter. Great for snacking as you explore the sights.
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Culture and Crafts
The state is a confluence of population movements from within and outside the country; multi cultural and multiethnic Maharashtra represents a mosaic of religions, cultures and lifestyles not found anywhere else. The Hindu, Christian, Parsi and Muslim communities that call the state home are usually conservative and traditional but underlying every belief and faith is religious tolerance and community spirit that serves to make the region less parochial than other parts of India.
From handloom weavers who create intricate patterns in silks and cottons to leather workers who make the comfortable and ubiquitous ‘kohlapuri’ slippers, Maharashtra has many crafts to tempt visitors. The exquisite gold brocade and silk ‘Paithani" sarees made in the village of Paithan in Aurangabad, take the weaver years to make and cost a minor fortune but are treasured heirlooms. Aurangabad is also the home of silk and cotton woven textiles made into beautiful shawls, stoles and bedcovers.
Pune, Sholapur and Kohlapur are places where the traditional nine-yard sarees worn by the local women, are made and can be bought in either silk or cotton. Local fruit produce is converted into preserves, jams, jellies, squashes and fruit crushes; highly prized are different kinds of honey from Mahabaleshwar. The abundance of sugarcane in the state is transformed into top quality jaggery and jaggery based sweets like peanut and dry fruit ‘chikkis’ or pralines. Maharashtra is also home to craftsmen who handcraft a wide variety of ceramics, textiles, home furnishings and traditional Indian string musical instruments like the sitar and tanpura.
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