People of Maharashtra

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. The people of Maharashtra consists of Jews, Muslims, Zoroastrians and Christians who 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.