West India
( Western India) consists of the states of Goa, Gujarat and
Maharashtra, along with the
Union Territories of Daman
& Diu and Dadra
& Nagar Haveli. It is relatively highly
industrialized, with a large urban
population. Mumbai, the
business capital of India is in the West.
Choose State / Union
Territory
Parts of Gujarat was the site of
the Indus Valley Civilization. West India was
ruled by the Mauryas, Gurjar, Rajputs,
Satavahanas, Western Satraps
and Indo Greeks in
ancient times, had Persian influence and was taken over by
Mughals and then dominated by
the Marathas till independence.
With the Western Ghats
and the Konkan coast forming this region, the
vegetation varies from tropical rainforests
to thorny bushes and shrubs.
The major rivers are Narmada, Godavari, Zuari,
Mandovi, Krishna, Ghaggar
and
Chambal.
Though there are just three states, each
has its own distinct culture. Goa has a major
Portuguese influence, visible in its
churches, buildings, lifestyle and cuisine.
Maharashtrian culture derives from the
ancient Indo-Aryan Vedic culture influenced
deeply by the Maratha Empire.
Resulting literature, theatre and
cinema are popular and unique.
Gujarati culture is a blend of Hindu
and Jain traditions. In recent
years, it has been rocked by communal
violence, damaging centuries old traditions of
tolerance.
Bollywood's (with its
headquarters as Mumbai)
impact on the lifestyle and
culture of this region accounts for
the overall high standards of
living. Marathi is the most
widely spoken language followed by Gujarati
and Konkani.
West India has diverse
cuisine, from the coconut, cashew
and seafood of Goa to the totally
vegetarian Gujarati food. The hill
stations of West
India include Lonavala, Khandala, Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani and Matheran
, while some
intricate carvings can be found in the
monuments at Aurangabad, Ahmedabad, Gondal, Mandvi,
Porbandar and Rajkot
.
Unique ecosystems in the Rann of Kutch
and the last of the surviving Asiatic
lions at Gir National
Park make West India proud.
West India also has some of the best
vineyards with a number of
wines being exported and finding a place in the
European markets. The beaches
at Goa and the Konkan coast are some of the best in
the world.
The climate of West India varies between
tropical wet, tropical wet and dry and
semi arid. While coastal
regions experience little seasonal variations
(temperatures range between 20°C to
38°C), Mumbai and
northern Konkan experience cooler winters
(temperatures around 12 °C ).
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