Tradition and customs of Maharashtra
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Maharashtra is the third largest state of India. It is known as the land of Sant religion|saints,[1] educationists and revolutionists, teachers, doctors, actors, actresses, film makers, notable among them being Mahadev Govind Ranade, Swatantraveer Savarkar, Savitribai Phule, [[Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Dadasaheb Phalke, Dada Kondke and many others. It has a long history of Marathi saints of Varakari religious movement, such as Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Chokhamela, Eknath and Tukaram which formsthe one of bases of the culture of Maharashtra or Marathi culture. Maharashtra is also known for its purogami culture which translates as reformist or forward culture[2] which was started by earlier saints and led by Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharaj, Babasaheb Ambedkar in modern times. Maharashtra has huge influence all over the world of 17th-century King Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj of Maratha Empire and his concept of Hindavi Swarajya which translates to self-rule of people.[3]
The state of Maharashtra spans multiple cultures which includes cultures related to Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians, etc. Lord Ganesha and Lord Vitthal are the traditional deities worshipped by Hindus of Maharashtra.
Maharashtra is divided into various regions, such as Marathwada, Vidarbha, Khandesh, and Konkan. Each has its own cultural identity in the form of different dialects of Marathi language,[4] folk songs, food, and ethnicity