Destination India: Ratnagiri, Maharashtra

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Ratnagiri, Maharashtra

Tillak Janmasthan
Originally uploaded by Janmejay A.

The birth place of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Ratnagiri is located in the south-western part of Maharashtra. The city is a part of the long coastline of Konkan tract, along the Arabian Sea coast. The surrounding area is bordered by the Sahyadri Hills on the West. The fertile alluvial soil is good for the production of rice, coconut and cashew cultivation. Ratnagiri is famous for its golden Haapus (Alphonso) mangoes.

The Ratnagiri fort was built by the Bijapur dynasty and was strengthened by Maratha King Shivaji in 1670. This is the fort where Veer Savarkar was confined during the freedom struggle.

About Me

India has always fascinated me for different reasons. The vastness of its culture, the diversity of people’s opinions and the limitations of its vision. Despite our diversity, we need to have a collective vision. India is not a country of four metropolis or a couple of high-tech cities. This nation of a billion people has 29 states and 6 union territories. We have 35 state and territorial capitals. How much do we know about each of these important cities?

Professionally I am a graphic designer from Bombay, India. In 1987, I co-authored a book on Corporate India, but my desire to throw a wider net and pick up much more information remains intact. I want my people from every city and every state to write and photograph details and information that would be interesting to the viewers around the world. We have so much to talk about and so much to share - this medium and this technology can help fulfill our collective dreams.