Mar: अहमदनगर ahamadanagara ‘Ahmad’s City’ City/District Maharashtra Ahmadnagar. From Ahmed and Skt: nagar, ‘city’ Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah I won a surprising victory here in 1494 (against Mahmood Shah II of the Bahmani Sultanate) on the basis of which he founded...
Mar: अजिंठा ajiṇṭhā ‘Shiva’ [Achinta] Caves/Archaeological site , Maharashtra The extraordinary Ajanta Caves feature rock-cut Buddhist monuments and paintings dating from 2ndC BCE to about the 5thC all set into a horsehoe Although locals knew of their existence...
Mar: अकोला akōlā ‘Akol Tree’ [Asadgad] -City/District, Maharashtra From Hin/Mar: akol/ankol, ‘sage-leaved alangium’ [Alangium salviifolium]. The akol/ankol is a small tree. It is used for the treatment of hemorrhoids and rheumatic arthritis. Also, legend has it...
Mar: अलिबाग alibāga ‘Ali’s Garden’ -Town, Maharashtra From Ali and Mar/Skt: bāga/bāgh, ‘garden’, ‘orchard’ The Bene Israel Jews lived here and there is a part of the town called Israel Ali” [Mar: āḷī , ‘lane’]. Local legends tell of Eli, a Bene...
Mar: अमरावती amarāvatī ‘(Place with) Figs’ [Udumbravati, Umbravati, Oomrawutty] -City/District Maharashtra From Mar: udumbara, ‘Cluster or Indian Fig’ [Ficus glomerata/racemosa]; and vāḍī/vāṭī, ‘enclosure’, ‘garden’. The Udumbara fig grows in bunches on the tree...
Mar: औरंगाबाद auraṅgābāda ‘Aurangzeb’s City’ [Paithan, Daulutabad, Fatehnagar] -City/District Maharashtra From Aurangzeb and Urd: ābād, ‘city’, ‘settlement’. In 1610 Malik Ambar founded Khadki, a new city which was intended to be the capital of the Ahmadnagar...
Hin: बीड bīḍa ‘Well’ [Bir, Bhir] -City/District Maharashtra From Ara/Per: biir/be’r ‘well’, ‘pit’; Per: bhir ‘water’. Muhammad bin Tugluq built a fort here in the 14thC and, according to the 18thC Tārīkh-e-Bīr (‘History of Beed’), found abundant sources...
Mar: भंडारा bhaṇḍāra ‘Treasury’ [Bhanara] City/District Maharashtra From Mar/Skt: bhāṇḍāra(m)/bhāṇḍāgāra ‘treasury’, ‘store-house’. Bhandara is nicknamed the ‘Brass City’ on account of its traditional brassworking trade. Some have suggested that the onamatopoeic...
Mar: चंद्रपूर c(h)andrapūra ‘Moon City’ -City/District Maharashtra From Skt: c(h)and(r)a, ‘shining’, ‘pleasant’, ‘moon’; and Skt: pur, ‘city’, ‘settlement’. The Chanda dynasty started with Bhim Balal Sha in the 9thC and ended in the 18thC with Nilkant Sha. This...
चिखलदरा cikhaladarā ‘Mud Canyon’ Hill Station, Maharashtra (Mah) Mar: cikhala, ‘mud’; and darā ‘gorge’, ‘canyon’ This 1,200m hill station is famous for its tigers and coffee plantations. The 407m Chikhaldara Skywalk...
Mar: चिपळूण c(h)ipaḷūṇa ‘Pure Mind’ -City/District Maharashtra From Chitpavan [Skt: pāvana, ‘pure’, ‘holy’; Skt: c(h)itta, ‘mind’, ‘thought’]. This area was the original home of the Chitpavan Brahmins which suggests that Chiplun is a corruption of their name....
Mar: दौलताबाद daulatābāda ‘Fortune City’ [Devagiri, Deogiri] -Village/Ancient City/Fort Maharashtra From Urd: daulat, ‘fortune’, ‘happiness’; and Urd: ābād, ‘city’, ‘settlement’. Founded as Devagiri/Deogiri in the 12thC [‘Hill of the Gods’, from Mar: deva/deo,...
Mar: देवळाली dēvaḷālī ‘God’s Village’ [Devalali, Deollaly] -Town/Hill Station Maharashtra From Mar: deva/deo, ‘god, ‘deity’; and Mar: valli, ‘village’ The slang word ‘doolally’ describes someone who is ‘mad’ or ‘crazy’. It is a 19th century word derived from...
Mar: धुळे dhuḷē ‘Dust’ -City/District Maharashtra From Mar: dhuḷē/dhūḷa, ‘dust’ Skt: dhūli In a region famous for its summer dust-storms it is tempting to reach for the obvious answer; particularly as there are no clear historical or topographical alternatives....
Mar: कल्याण kalyāṇa ‘Noble (City)’ City, Maharashtra From Skt: kalyāṇa, ‘noble’, ‘blessed’, ‘auspicious’. Kalyan was a fort city. The Durgadi Fort [Hin/Mar: gadh/gaḍhī, ‘fort’ dedicated to the goddess Durga] was first constructed by the Moghuls in the 16th and...
Mar: खंडाळा khaṇḍāḷā ‘Chasm’ -Hill Station Maharashtra Skt: khaṇḍa ‘chasm’, ’gap’, ‘fissure’; and Mar: āvali, ‘row’, ‘range’. Khandala is a hill station in a dramatic setting with steep valleys and mountain passes. The name fits. Khandala and the nearby Lonavla hill...
Mar: खुलदाबाद khuladābāda ‘City of the Exalted’ [Rauza] -City, Maharashtra From Per: ḵẖuld-makānī, ‘exalted to heaven (title given to deceased emperors, princes etc.), ‘dwelling in Paradise’; and Urd: ābād, ‘city’, ‘settlement’. Emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb...
Mar: कोल्हापूर kōlhāpūra ‘Fox City’ -City/District, Maharashtra From Mar: kōlhā, ‘fox’, ‘jackal’ [Lat: Canis aureus]; and Skt: pur, ‘city’, ‘settlement’. According to myth this was the home of Kolhasur, a fox-like demon defeated by the Goddess Mahalakshmi to save...
Mar: लोणावळा lōṇāvaḷā ‘Cave Row’ Town/Hill Station, Maharashtra From Mar: lēṇē, ‘(man-made, decorated) cave’, ‘rock-cut temple’; and Mar: āvali, ‘row’, ‘range’. This refers to the sequence of ancient caves nearby (mostly Buddhist) with carvings, stupas, temples and...
Mar: महाबळेश्वर mahābaḷēśvara ‘Lord Mahabali’ [Malcolmpeth] -Hill Station/Town, Maharashtra Mahabaleshwar is a hill station (1,372m) in the Western Ghats. It was founded by Sir John Malcolm in the early 19thC who made it the summer capital of the Governors of...
Mar: मराठेवाडा marāṭhēvāḍā ‘Abode of the Marathas’ – Region/Division, Maharashtra From Maratha and Mar: vāḍā, ‘settlement’, ‘colony’. This region of Maharashtra was formerly a Marathi-speaking region of the former princely state of Hyderabad. The term dates...
Mar: माथेरान māthērāna ‘Forest Hill’ -Town/Hill Station, Maharashtra Mar: māthā, ‘crown’, ‘crest (of a hill); Mar/Skt: araṇa/araṇya, ‘forest’ Matheran is a car-free hill station, 80km west of Mumbai. It was founded by the British in the mid-19thC. The Matheran toy...
Mar: मुंबई mumba’ī ‘Mumba Devi’ [Bombay. Bom Bahia] -Capital City, Maharashtra Originally Mumbai was a group of seven islands [Bombay, Colaba, Lt Colaba, Mahim, Mazagaon, Parel, Worli] separated by malarial swamps; in the 14thC they were part of the lands...
Mar: मुरुड muruḍa ‘Morod Island’ Fort, Maharashtra From Kon: morod, ‘upland’; and Urd/Per: jazī’rah, ‘island’. The sea fort at Murud-Janjira is surrounded by the Arabian Sea on all sides and can only be reached by boat. It has 22 huge bastions with high...
Mar:नागपूर nāgapūra ‘Nag River City’ -City/District, Maharashtra From Nag River; and SKT: pur, ‘city’, ‘settlement’. The Nag River flows through the city and this is the most popular derivation. But it may also refer to a much earlier pre- or non-Aryan tribe, the...
Mar: नांदेड nāndēḍa ‘Nandi Shore’ [Nanditata, Nandigrama] -City, Maharashtra From Nandi and Mar: taṭa ‘shore or bank (of the sea or a river); or Skt: grama, ‘village’. Nanded is on the banks of the Godavari river. Nandi is Shiva’s gatekeeper, vehicle...
Mar: उस्मानाबाद usmānābāda ‘Osman’s City’ City/District, Maharashtra From Osman and Urd: ābād, ‘city’, ‘settlement’. The modern Osmanabad and Latur Districts were historically known as Dharashiv, the name of the seven ancient Buddhist and Jain caves which are...
Mar: पैठण paiṭhaṇa ‘Foundation (City)’ [Pratisthana] Town, Maharashtra From Skt: pratiṣṭhāna, ‘foundation’, ‘firm standing-place’; or Skt: pratiṣṭhā, ‘abode’,’ dwelling’; and Skt: sthāna, ‘place’. Paithan was the original capital of the Satavahana Empire (2ndC BCE...
Mar: पालघर pālaghara ‘Leaf House’ Town, Maharashtra From Mar: pālā, ‘leaves’ or Mar: pāla, ‘hut with sloping sides and open ends’, ‘(cloth or blanket) tent’; and Mar: ghar(a), ‘house’. This may refer to the original type of housing here, which may or may not be...
Mar: परभणी parabhaṇī ‘Prabhavati’s City’ [Prabhavatinagar] – City/District, Maharashtra From Prabhavati and Skt: nagar, ‘city’. Parbhani is a corruption of Prabhavati (Nagar). In ancient times there was a large temple here dedicated to the goddess Prabhavati...
Mar: रायगड rāyagaḍa ‘King’s Fort’ [Rairi] Fort/District, Maharashtra From Mar: rāya, ‘king’; and Mar: aḍa, ‘fort’. Raigad fort was the capital of the Maratha Empire under Shivaji, the Maratha leader. The district was originally called Kolaba and was renamed in...
Mar: रत्नागिरी ratnāgirī ‘Jewel Mountain’ City/District, Maharashtra Mar: ratna, ‘jewel’, ‘gem’; and Mar: girī, ‘hill’, ‘mountain’. Ratnagiri, nicknamed the ‘Jewel of the Konkan coast’, is a port city and fort with historical importance. The cliff -top Ratnadurg...
Mar: सांगली sāṅgalī ‘Six Lanes’ [Sahagalli] – City/District, Maharashtra From Mar: sahā, ‘six’; and Mar: gallī, ‘lane’, ‘alley’. The city’s original name probably describes the city’s earliest street layout. The modern District is all sugar, spice and...
Mar: सातारा sātārā ‘Seven Stars’ -City/District, Maharashtra From Mar: sāta, ‘seven’; Mar: tārā, ’star’. The seven ‘stars’ are the seven mountains (and five forts, possibly seven) surrounding the city (Ajinkyatara, Sajjangad, Yawateshwar, Jarandeshwar, Nakdicha...
Mar: सिंधुदुर्ग sindhudurga ‘Sea Fort’ -Fort/District, Maharashtra. From Mar: sindhu, ‘ocean’, ‘sea’; durga, ‘fort’. Sindhudurg is a fort built on a small island off the coast of Malvan by Shivaji Maharaj, the 17thC founder of the Maratha Empire. The fort was built...
Mar: सोलापूर sōlāpūra ‘Millet City’ [Sonnalage/Sonnalagi, Sonalpur] – City/District, Maharashtra From Kol: sonna/sonnal, ‘maize’, ‘great millet’ [Tam: sōḷam, soṉṉal; Skt: yavanāla]. Kolami is a Dravidian language spoken in Telangana and Maharashtra; this...
‘Tap(t)i River’ -River Gujarat Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra The Tapti (or Tapi) is a 724 km river that flows from Multai (near Nagpur, Madhya Pradesh), through Maharashtra and Gujarat and into the Arabian Sea at Hazira (near Surat). The river is named after the goddess...
Mar: ठाणे ṭhāṇē ‘Place’ [Thana, Tanna] – City/District, Maharashtra From Skt: sthāna, ‘place’ or Mar: ṭhāṇēm, ‘post’, ‘station’. Mumbai was originally a group of seven islands. North of these islands was a larger island called Salsette...
Mar: उल्हासनगर ulhāsanagara ‘City of Joy’ -City, Maharashtra From Mar: ulhāsa, ‘joy’, ‘enthusiasm’; Skt: nagar, ‘town’, ‘city’ Following Partition in 1947 Kalyan Camp, a disused military barracks, was settled by Hindu...
Mar: वर्धा vardhā ‘Abundant (River)’ -River/City/District, Maharashtra From Skt: vardha, ‘increasing, bringing prosperity’. The 528 km Wardha river dominates the northern, western and southern sectors of the district. It flows from the Satpura range and eventually...
Mar: वाशीम vāśīma ‘Calf Grove’ [Vatsagulma, Vachchoma] -City/District, Maharashtra From Skt: vatsa, ‘calf’, ‘yearling’; Skt: gulma ‘clump or cluster of trees’, ‘grove’. Vashima is derived from Vachchhoma, the Prakrit corruption of Vatsagulma [Vatsagulma...
Mar: यवतमाळ yavatamāḷa ‘Barley Plain’ City/District, Maharashtra From Mar: yava, ‘barley’ [Hordeum hexastichon]; and māḷa, ‘uncultivated plain’. This barley can grow to 1.2m and can be harvested from the wild for food and raw materials. Another suggestion is ‘row of...
