Konkan

A typical view of the Konkan, consisting of white-sand beaches and palm trees (mostly coconut and betel nut).

The Konkan, also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali is the name given to a rugged and beautiful section of the western coastline of India from Raigad to Mangalore. It includes Mumbai Region and Thane District. The sapta-Konkan is a slightly larger region described in the Skanda-purana.

Konkan is also one of six divisions of the state of Maharashtra.

Residents of Konkan and their descendants are called Konkanis. The name may also refer specifically to the Konkani people, an ethnic group of the region; most of them speak the Konkani language, which is from the Indo-European family of languages.

The Sanskrit term Konkanastha (कोंकणस्थ), meaning "Resident of Konkan", is used to refer to the Chitpavan, a Brahmin caste of the region.

Rural Konkan

Boundaries

The precise definition of Konkan varies, but most include Maharashtra's districts of Raigad, Thane, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, the state of Goa, and the Uttar Kannada and Dakshin Kannad districts (North and South) of Karnataka. The cities of Mumbai and Mangalore are geographically a part of the Konkan.

The sapta-Konkan as depicted in Skanda-purana stretches from Maharashtra to Karnataka . This is actually logical since there are a lot of similarities in the food-habits (rice and fish), crops cultivated (rice, mangoes, cashews and jackfruit) and the physique (tall and well-built) of people dwelling in this area.

The Konkan division

Map of the districts comprising the Konkan division of Maharashtra.

The Konkan division of Maharashtra comprises the entire coastal region of the state, including Mumbai.

• Area: 30,746 km²
• Population (2001 census): 24,807,357
• Districts: Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Thane
• Literacy: 81.36%
• Area under irrigation: 4,384.54 km²

The Konkan division in Goa comprises the whole of it. In Karnataka, the Konkanis are large in no. and so is is the Konkan coast which extends from Uttar Karnatak(Karwar) to Dakshin Karnatak(Kodial). Karnataka , influenced by Maharashtra state influences Konkan.

History of administrative districts in Konkan Division

There have been changes in the names of Districts and has seen also the addition of newer districts after India gained Independence in 1947 and also after the state of Maharashtra was formed.

• Notable events include the creation of the Sindhudurg from the southern areas of the Ratnagiri district.
• Second event include the renaming of the erstwhile Kolaba district as Raigad, district.
• The Thane district is under proposal to be divided and a separate Jhawar (Tribal) district be carved out of existing Thane district

External links

• KONKAN TV
• All you want to know about GSB Konkani (Updated Daily*****)
• GSB Konkani User group
• Discussion Group for Konkani Catholics of Goa, Karwar and Mangalore
• News and Information about Konkani Catholics
• Stunning Konkan Pictures
• A description of the land, people and culture.
• Discussion group.
• Beautiful Konkan Pictures
• Ratnagiri District.
• Konkan.org. (Broken)

See also

• Konkan Railway
• History of Konkan