Maharashtra (Mah)

Mar: महाराष्ट्र mahārāṣṭra

‘(Land of the) Marathas’. 

The Marathas/Mahrattas were a combination of Marathi-speaking farming castes in Maharashtra. Under  Shivaji they established the Maratha Empire, a rebel force under the Mughal Empire and then under the British, which controlled the heartlands of India from its base in Pune.

In this derivation the language (Marathi), the state (Maharashtra) and the people (Marathas) are the same or may be related to the following derivations:

(1) ‘Great Kingdom’ from Skt: mahā, ‘great’; and  rāṣṭra, ‘land’, ‘territory’, ‘kingdom’. (2) ‘Great Warriors’. Some suggest that the name originates from  Skt: mahā, ‘great’; and raṭhī /raṭhā,  ‘chariot (fighters)’. (3) ‘Great Ratta’. From Skt: mahā, ‘great’; and the Ratta or Rashtrakuta dynasty ruling in areas corresponding to modern-day Karnataka and Maharashtra in the 6-10thC.

Maharashtra is India’s most industrialised state: it contributes 25% of India’s manufacturing output and has a per capita income 40% higher than the national average.

Ahmednagar (Mah)

 Mar: अहमदनगर  ahamadanagara  ‘Ahmad’s City’  City/District, Maharashtra...

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Akola (Mah)

Mar: अकोला akōlā  ‘Akol Tree’ [Asadgad]  City/District, Maharashtra. From...

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Alibag (Mah)

Mar: अलिबाग alibāga. ‘Ali’s Garden’ Town, Maharashtra. From Ali and Mar/Skt:...

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Amravati (Mah)

Mar: अमरावती amarāvatī ‘(Place with) Figs’   [Udumbravati, Umbravati,...

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Aurangabad (Mah)

Mar: औरंगाबाद  auraṅgābāda ‘Aurangzeb’s City’ [Paithan, Daulutabad,...

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Beed (Mah)

Hin: बीड  bīḍa ‘Well’   [Bir, Bhir]   City/District  Maharashtra From Ara/Per:...

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Bhandara (Mah)

Mar: भंडारा bhaṇḍāra ‘Treasury’   [Bhanara]   City/District  Maharashtra From...

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Chandrapur (Mah)

Mar: चंद्रपूर  c(h)andrapūra ‘Moon City’  City/District  Maharashtra From Skt:...

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Chiplun (Mah)

Mar: चिपळूण  c(h)ipaḷūṇa ‘Pure Mind’  -City/District    Maharashtra From...

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Dhule (Mah)

Mar: धुळे dhuḷē ‘Dust’  -City/District  Maharashtra From Mar:  dhuḷē/dhūḷa,...

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Kalyan (Mah)

Mar: कल्याण kalyāṇa ‘Noble (City)’  City, Maharashtra From Skt:  kalyāṇa,...

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Khandala (Mah)

Mar: खंडाळा khaṇḍāḷā ‘Chasm’  -Hill Station  Maharashtra Skt: khaṇḍa ‘chasm’,...

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Khuldabad (Mah)

Mar: खुलदाबाद khuladābāda ‘City of the Exalted’ [Rauza] -City,  Maharashtra...

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Kolhapur (Mah)

Mar: कोल्हापूर kōlhāpūra ‘Fox City’  -City/District,  Maharashtra From...

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Lonavla (Mah)

Mar: लोणावळा lōṇāvaḷā ‘Cave Row’  Town/Hill Station,  Maharashtra From Mar:...

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Marathawada (Mah)

Mar: मराठेवाडा marāṭhēvāḍā ‘Abode of the Marathas’ - Region/Division, ...

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Matheran (Mah)

Mar: माथेरान māthērāna ‘Forest Hill’  -Town/Hill Station, Maharashtra Mar:...

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Mumbai (Mah)

Mar: मुंबई mumba'ī ‘Mumba Devi’   [Bombay. Bom Bahia]  -Capital City, ...

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Nagpur (Mah)

Mar:नागपूर  nāgapūra ‘Nag River City’    -City/District, Maharashtra From Nag...

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Nanded (Mah)

Mar: नांदेड nāndēḍa  ‘Nandi Shore’   [Nanditata, Nandigrama]...

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Nashik (Mah)

Mar:नाशिक nāśika ‘Nine Peaks’  [Gulshanabad] - City/ District, Maharashtra...

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Osmanabad (Mah)

Mar: उस्मानाबाद  usmānābāda ‘Osman’s City’  City/District,  Maharashtra From...

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Paithan (Mah)

Mar: पैठण paiṭhaṇa ‘Foundation (City)’  [Pratisthana] Town, Maharashtra  From...

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Palghar (Mah)

Mar: पालघर pālaghara ‘Leaf House’  Town, Maharashtra From Mar: pālā, ‘leaves’...

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Parbhani (Mah)

Mar: परभणी parabhaṇī ‘Prabhavati’s City’   [Prabhavatinagar]  -...

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Pune (Mah)

Mar: पुणे puṇē ‘Auspicious City’  [Punya-Visaya, Punyangari, Pumawadi,...

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Raigad (Mah)

 Mar: रायगड rāyagaḍa  ‘King’s Fort’  [Rairi]  Fort/District, Maharashtra From...

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Ratnagiri (Mah)

Mar: रत्‍नागिरी rat‍nāgirī ‘Jewel Mountain’   City/District, Maharashtra Mar:...

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Sangli (Mah)

Mar: सांगली sāṅgalī ‘Six Lanes’  [Sahagalli]  - City/District, Maharashtra...

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Satara (Mah)

Mar: सातारा sātārā ‘Seven Stars’  -City/District, Maharashtra From Mar: sāta,...

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Sindhudurg (Mah)

Mar: सिंधुदुर्ग sindhudurga ‘Sea Fort’  -Fort/District, Maharashtra. From Mar:...

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Solapur (Mah)

Mar: सोलापूर  sōlāpūra ‘Millet City’  [Sonnalage/Sonnalagi, Sonalpur] -...

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Thane (Mah)

Mar: ठाणे ṭhāṇē ‘Place’  [Thana, Tanna] - City/District, Maharashtra From Skt:...

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Ulhasnagar (Mah)

Mar: उल्हासनगर ulhāsanagara ‘City of Joy’ -City, Maharashtra From Mar: ulhāsa,...

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Wardha (Mah)

Mar: वर्धा vardhā ‘Abundant (River)’  -River/City/District, Maharashtra From...

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Yavatmal (Mah)

Mar: यवतमाळ yavatamāḷa ‘Barley Plain’  City/District, Maharashtra From Mar:...

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