Maharashtra
Maharashtra comprises plateau with a narrow strip of coastal plain. This state has achieved industrial development to a significant level. It is an important centre of textile industries; besides, several other industries have also been set up which include automobiles, cement, fertilizers, chemicals, machine tools and computer parts. The famous film industry, Bollywood is located in Mumbai. Petroleum is also extracted from the seabed at Bombay High, off the shore of Mumbai. Important seaports include Mumbai and Nhava Sheva. The state is drained by the Godavari, Tapi and Krishna rivers. The soil is black, which is suitable for the cotton crop. Other crops grown here include rice, millets, sugarcane, groundnut and oilseeds. Fruits and vegetables are also grown on a commercial scale, such as grapes, bananas, cheekus, oranges etc. In Maharashtra, men wear dhoti-kurta-cap and women wear saree-blouse. All other types of dresses can also be seen commonly. Marathi is the chief language; while Hindi, Gujarati and English are widely understood. Important festivals are Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Holi, Diwali, Chhath, Eid and Christmas. The famous snacks of Maharashtra are bhel puri, pav-bhaji and vada-pav. Mumbai, the capital of this state, is a well-known industrial and trade centre. Other important towns in Maharashtra include Nagpur, Pune, Aurangabad and Nasik. Important places of tourist interest are Mahabaleswar, Ajanta, Elephanta and Ellora caves etc.