Who are Marathas ?

Marathas are a blend of the Warrior and Agrarian classes, speaking Marathi and generally having their roots in Maharashtra. They are also found in large Nos in Karnataka, Goa, and Madhya Pradesh & Gujarat. There are contradictory theories about the Historic origins of Marathas and hence are not discussed here. A few Maratha clans claim themselves to be Kshatriyas (Warriors). Some such families were the Bhosales, Ghorpades, Jadhavs, Nimbalkars, Mores, Manes, Ghatges, Dafleys, Sawants, Shirkes, Mahadiks and the Mohites. The prominent Maratha families mentioned above were serving under the Nizam Shah of Ahmednagar and Adil Shah of Bijapur. These families are generally referred as the 96 clans or kulis which comprise of 96 different main clans with their different sub clans. Marathas are descendents of Rashtrakuts, Mauryas, Pariharas/Parmar (Pawar), Pratiharas, Shilahars, Kadambas, Yadavas, Chalukyas and many other royal clans in India. Maloji Bhosale (c.1552-1606) then the patil of verul joined Nizam Shah with a small band of cavalry. His son, Shahaji (1599-1664) served under Nizam Shah and Adil Shah, and came to prominence as a leading General. His son Shivaji (1627-1680) established the Hindavi Swarajya (Sovereign Hindu state), which happened to be the nucleus of the Maratha power that came into being later on. The Marathas, who had been till then serving as Deshmukhs (Jagirdars) to the Muslim rules, now had their own king and kingdom. The majority of Marathas, however belong to the peasantry class. The dividing line between the Kshatriya classes and the peasantry classes has become thin with the passage of time.A lot of matrimonial alliances are also taking place amongst them, unlike those in North or South India. The Maratha army and the administration also had people from all castes taking pride in it. The fanatic Brahmins of those times had refused to coronate Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and subsequently Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur since they didn't consider Marathas, as 'Kshatriyas'. The Brahmins declared that 'Only Kshatriyas are entitled to be crowned as the Kings' and Marathas being 'Shudras' were not entitled to be crowned. Chhatrapati Shivaji brought Gagabhat of Varanasi to establish his lineage with the Sisodias (Rajputs) of Rajasthan & testify his being Kshatriya, whereas the great social reformer Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj extended the vedic rights to non brahmins and empowered them do the jobs of the brahmins.

Rajarshi Shahu realised the falacy in the caste system and corrected it by bringing all the sections of the society on one platform to fight this brahmin fanatism. Throughout his life, he struggled for the upliftment and education of the downtrodden. . It is a worthwhile to see the majority lot of Maharashtrians identifying themselves as Marathas. It is a case of inculcation of pride in masses, a case study for sociologists. Marathas consider themselves to be the saviours of Hinduism who fought the onslaught of fanatic Mughal Emperor Aurangjeb. It is generally agreed by Historians that had the Maratha power not been there after the Mughals, the whole of India would have become Pakistan after Independence. The death of Chhatrapti Shivaji in 1680 and his son Sambhaji in 1687 pushed the Maratha kingdom in the period of instability upto 1707. The tiny Maratha kingdom , established by Chattrapati Shivaji was expanded by the Peshwas, who were the Brahmin Prime Ministers. The real credit for expanding the Maratha kingdom goes to Bajirao Peshwa I(1721-1740) . The Peshwas subsequently ruled the Maratha Kingdom as defacto rulers. The Maratha Sardars or chieftanslike Gaekwads of Baroda, Shindes of Gwalior, Holkars of Indore expanded the power in North India and became powerful after the Peshwas.They then established their own kingdoms. At one time, the Marathas rule spread from Attock in Paktoonistan to Bengal (beyond Cuttack) in East India to become a Maratha confederacy. The Great Maratha, 'Mahadji Shinde' was the kingmaker at Delhi who played a dominant role in deciding the fate of Delhi rulers but never thought of occupying the throne for himself. In the battle that took place near Delhi ,after the Mughal power declined, the Marathas conclusively defeated Afgan-Rohila forces led by Shah Abdali & Najib Khan in 1756. Najib Khan surrendered to the Marathas and became their prisoner. This battle liberated Punjab from the Muslim dominion after 800 years. The Marathas chased and drove the Afghans back to Afghanistan. Thereafter Najib Khan woed Malharrao Holkar to his side and in return secured his release. Thus Marathas released Najib Khan. He again invited Shah Abdali for his second invasion in 1759. Marathas formed alliance with the Jat King Suraj Mal of Bharatpur This alliance led by Shrimant Sadshiv Rao Bhau and Shrimant Vishwas Rao (the Peshwa Shrimant Balaji Baji Rao's son) won spectacular victories and captured Delhi and Kunjapura. This was the time when the entire North & Central India was in the Maratha Command. Here the alliance developed cracks about handling of Delhi matters and ultimately split. Suraj Mal withdrew from the alliance. The Marathas then marched upto Panipat and blockedg the way of the Afghans back to Afghanistan, instead of continuing their attacks to completely defeat the partly defeated Abdali and Najib Khan. Seeing their way back to their homeland blocked, the Afghans in turn, blocked the way of the Marathas back into the Deccan. This standoff continued for a few months, while the Afghans cut-off all supplies to the huge Maratha army. The Afghans with Najib Khan meanwhile recaptured Delhi and Kunjpura. On the decisive day of 14th January 1761, the Marathas decided to break-through the Afghan blockade and re-enter Deccan. The disastrous battle saw about one hundred thousand Maratha troops killed in a matter of eight hours. Nanasaheb Peshwe (Balaji Bajirao) lost his brother, Sadashivrao, and also his first son, Vishwasrao, in this battle. Nanashaeb , unable to bear the shock also died shortly. It was one of the worst defeats for Marathas, Hinduism & the Indian Nationalist Forces. The dream of bringing India under one unified Hindu rule was thus shattered. The Afghans too suffered heavy losses and decided enough was enough and went back to Afghanistan. Abdali never returned to India after this stormy campaign. The Peshwas also lost control on the Maratha empire thereafter and the Maratha Generals like Shindes (Gwalior) and Holkars (Indore) consolidated themselves after this, in the North & Central India. For Marathas 'Panipat is a synonym for Disaster' and it haunts even the present generation of Marathas

MARATHI PEOPLE

The Marathi people or Maharashtrians (Marathi: Maraathii ) are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, that inhabit the Maharashtra region and state of western India. Their language Marathi is part of the southern group of Indo-Aryan languages. Although their history goes back more than a millennium, the community came to prominence when Maratha warriors under Shivaji Maharaj established the Maratha Empire in 1674.

Ethnonym

Further information: Maratha

The Marathi people are also known as Maharashtrians. The whole community was called Maratha or Marathe (plural of Maratha) between the 17th and 19th centuries. However, at the beginning of 20th century, due to the efforts of Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur, the peasant Marathi class called Kunbi started using the word Maratha to describe themselves. So that in current usage, the term Maratha applies mainly to the group mentioned before rather than the wider Marathi community. In the Marathi language, they refer to themselves as marathi manoos. They are called Marathi people because of the language they speak, Marathi.

Maharashtra, the state in India where majority of Marathi People live

History

Main articles: Marathas and Maratha Empire

The earliest records refer to the region today known as Maharashtra as Dandakaranyas which means " Forest of punishment".In times of Ramayana, it was home of deadly creatures & demons. Only exiled persons and Sages (Rishis) typically resided here.Khar dushan & suparnkha has cited to have met Rama in this region. Around 600 BC, the region today known as Maharashtra was one of the mahajanapadas known as Assaka. Panchavati near City of Nasik is stated in Ramayana, as the place where Lakshman chopped the nose- (nasik in Sanskrit) of Ravana's sister Shurpankha. It is not known whether prior to the coming of the Aryans, this region was inhabited by other civilizations or not. Emperor Ashoka added Maharashtra and the surrounding regions to the Mauryan Empire. Around 230 BC, a local dynasty, the Sātavāhanas rose to power in the Maharashtra. The kingdom, based in Junnar near Pune, eventually turned into an empire with the conquests of the northern part of what is today known as Karnataka as well as Andhra Pradesh. It is believed that most of the Marathi people today are descendants of this empire. The empire reached its zenith under Gautamiputra Sátakarni, more popularly known as Shalivahan. He started a new calendar called Shalivahan Shaka which is still used by people of Deccan, i.e. Marathi, Kannada & Telugu people today. The empire collapsed around 300 CE. The use of Maharashtri language (proto-Marathi) also started during the Satavahana rule. After which the region was ruled by various small kingdoms. The region was annexed by the Rashtrakuta dynasty in the 8th century. After the Rashtrakuta kingdom fell, the region was ruled by the Yadava Dynasty of Deogiri who made Marathi their official language. They ruled till 13th century after which the region fell under Islamic rule. The Deccan sultanates ruled Maharashtra for around three centuries.

Statue of Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of Maratha Empire

In mid 17th century, Shivaji Maharaj founded the Maratha Empire by reclaiming the Desh and the Konkan region. After a lifetime of exploits and a series of conquests, Shivaji died in 1680. The Mughals who had lost a lot of ground to the Marathas under Shivaji invaded Maharashtra in 1681. Shivaji's son Sambhaji was crowned Emperor in 1681 after a brief civil war. Sambhaji led the Marathas valiantly against a much stronger opponent. Till 1689, Sambhaji never lost a fort or territory to Aurangzeb. But in 1689, he was betrayed by his own commanders and was captured, brutally tortured and cruelly beheaded by Aurangzeb.^[2] With their leader dead, the Marathas were demoralised, but the young Rajaram was put to the throne and then the Maratha crown prince had to retreat to Jinji in South India. But in 1707, under the leadership of Maharani Tarabai, the Marathas won the War of 27 years. The grandson of Shivaji saw the greatest expansion of Maratha power .After his death in 1749 the Peshwa became the real power behind the empire from 1750-1761. The empire was expanded by many Maratha sardars like Shinde,Gayakwad,Pawar,Bhonsale and Holkar,Pandit,Pantpratindhi,Govindpant Bundele,Sardar Gupte etc. under the coordination of Bajirao and his son Balaji Bajirao until the Marathas ruled practically the whole sub-continent from Attock in today's Pakistan to Southern India. Pune became the imperial seat with envoys, ambassadors and royals coming in from far and near. However, after the Third battle of Panipat, the empire broke up into many independent kingdoms. However due to the efforts of Mahadji Shinde, it remained a confederacy until the British defeated Bajirao II. Still, several nominally independent Maratha states existed until 1947 when these states acceded to the Dominion of India.

Literature

Main article: Marathi literature

Marathi was the court language during the reign of the Yadava Kings. The Yadava king Singhana is known for his magnanimous donations which are carved in stone slabs in Marathi in the temple of Goddess at Kolhapur in Maharashtra. Composition of famous works of scholars like Hemadri are also found. Hemadri was also responsible for introducing a style of architecture also called Hemandpanth.^[1] There are various stone inscriptions in Marathi found at Akshi in Mumbai (former Colaba) district, Patan, Pandharpur, Dive-Aagar etc. The most famous among these is the one found at the bottom of the statue of Gomateshwar (Bahubali) at Shravanabelagola in Karnataka. This inscription goes like "Chamundraye karaviyale, Gangaraye suttale karaviyale" which gives some information regarding the sculptor of the statue and the king who had it constructed.^[2]

The Marathi people have a long literary tradition which started in the ancient era. However, it was the 13th century saint Sant Dnyaneshwar who made literature highly popular among the masses. His Dnyaneshwari is considered a masterpiece. Along with Dnyaneshwar, Sant Namdev was also responsible for propagating Marathi literature. Namdev is also important to the Sikh tradition, since several of his compositions are enshrined in the Guru Granth Sahib. Sant Eknath, Sant Tukaram[3], Mukteshwar and Samarth Ramdas were equally important figures in the 17th century. In the 18th century, writers like Vaman Pandit, Raghunath Pandit, Shridhar Pandit, Mahipati and Mororpanta produced some well-known works.

The first English Book was translated in Marathi in 1817. The first Marathi newspaper started in 1835. Many books on social reforms were written by Baba Padamji (Yamuna Paryatana, 1857), Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Lokhitawadi, Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade, Hari Narayan Apte (1864–1919) etc. Lokmanya Tilak's newspaper Kesari, set up in 1880, provided a platform for sharing literary views. Marathi at this time was efficiently aided by Marathi Drama.

Modern Marathi poetry began with Mahatma Jyotiba Phule's compositions. The later poets like Keshavasuta, Balkavi, Govindagraj, and the poets of RaviKiran Mandal like Madhav Julian wrote poetry which was influenced by the Romantic and Victorian English poetry. It was largely sentimental and lyrical. Prahlad Keshav Atre, the renowned satirist and a politician wrote a parody of this sort of poetry in his collection Jhenduchi Phule. Sane Guruji (1899–1950) contributed to the children's literature in Marathi. His major works are Shyamchi Aai (Shyam's Mother), Astik (Believer), Gode Shevat (The Sweet Ending) etc. He translated and simplified many Western Classics and published them in a book of stories titled Gode Goshti (Sweet Stories). Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar (1889–1976)'s Yayati won him the Jnanpith Award for 1975. He also wrote many other novels, short stories, essays etc. The poetry of Arun Kolatkar, Dilip Chitre, Mangesh Padgaonkar, C.T. Khanolkar (Aarti Prabhu), Namdeo Dhasal, Suresh Bhat, Vasant Abaji Dahake, Manohar Oak and many other modernist poets is complex, rich and provocative. Bhau Padhye, Vilas Sarang Shyam Manohar and Vishram Bedekar are well known fiction writers.

In the second half of the 20th century, Marathi literature rose to its highest with more and more common people patronizing it. Writers like Pu La, Va Pu Kale, Ranjeet Desai, Gangadhar Gadgil and Vijay Tendulkar are considered modern greats.

Muslim authors too have contributed to Marathi literature. Poets like Amar Shaikh and Shahir Shaikh wrote some memorable poetry. Shahir Shaikh was an important figure in the "Maharashtra Ekkikaran Chalwal". The Marathi Muslim Writers Movement which was started in Solapur by Prof. F.H.Bennur to inculcate Marathi literature among young Muslims, has acquired credibility of its own and holds its sessions regularly. Recently, authors like Hamid Dalwai also contributed to the development of Marathi literature.

In the mid fifties, the "Little magazine movement" gained momentum. It published writings which were non-conformist, radical and experimental. Dalit literary movement also gained strength due to the little magazine movement. This radical movement was influenced by the philosophy of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and challenged the literary establishment which comprised of largely middle class, urban and upper caste people. The little magazine movement threw up many excellent writers. Bhalchandra Nemade is a well known novelist, critic and poet. Dalit writer Na Dho Mahanor is well known for his work. Dr.Sharad Rane is a well known Bal-Sahityakar and marathi writer.

Religion

The majority of Marathi people are Hindus. Although Krishna in the form of Vithal is the most popular deity amongst Marathi Hindus, they also worship the Shiva Family deities such as Shankar & Parvati under various names and also Ganesh. The Warkari tradition holds strong grip on local Hindus of Maharastra. The public Ganesh festival started by Lokmanya Tilak in the late 1900s is still very popular. Marathi Hindus also revere Bhakti saints of all castes, such as Dnyaneshwar (Brahmin), Tukaram (Moray Maratahi-Kunbi), Namdev (Shimpi-Artsian,Vaishya) and Chokhamela (Mahar).

There are also significant minorities of Muslims, Christians and Neo-Buddhists. The Neo-Buddhists are followers of Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Marathi Muslims belong mostly to the Sufi tradition. Visiting the tombs of Sufi saints is very important to this community. Hindus also visit these tombs in great numbers, especially during the annual Urus.

There is also a 3000 strong community of Marathi Jews, popularly known as Bene Israel Most of the rest have migrated to Israel. Before the migration this community numbered at least 90,000.^{[citation needed]}

Communities

There are many different castes & communities of Marathi people, with variant forms of traditions. All Communities respect and follows the Warkari movement of which was started in around 13th century.The feudal Marathas caste make up more than 35% of the Marathi demographics. The 96 kulin Marathas claim to be the descendants of the Maratha kings and knights(sardar). The farming Maratha-Kunbi community accounts for the largest agricultural and political group in the Maharashtra region. The Maratha-Kunbi community is now the dominant political group in Maharashtra region,they have also dominated Police, Military jobs in Maharastra.

The Marathi Brahmins, although they make up only 4% of the Marathi population, have made a significant contribution to the culture and warkari movement of Maharashtra. They are divided into five groups - Saraswat, Deshastha, Chitpavan, Devrukhe Karhade and Daivadnya.The Marathi Brahmins have long been associated with the freedom struggle, arts, literature, sports and social reform.

The Dalits or scheduled castes (major castes are Mahar, Chambhar, Mang) make up about 11.0% of Maharashtra population [4] and fourth of the total Marathi population. Many of them and particularly the Mahar community under the guidance of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar embraced Buddhism. They are concentrated in Vidarbha. There are several other artisan communities like Shimpi, Sutar, Sonar, Teli, Gurav and Nabhik. These communities fall under the OBC category. Other communities like Mali, Dhangars, Khostis are more prosperous than OBCs (other backward castes) from other areas of India and are also mainly concentrated in the region of Vidharba.

Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu is a highly educated Kshatriya-Kayastha community. Members of this community traditionally competed with brahmins for clerical and administrative positions under Maratha & British rule. Baji Prabhu Deshpande and Bal Thackeray are the noted historic and contemporary members of this community respectively.

Pathare prabhu is another enterprising and highly educated Marathi Hindu community mainly based around Mumbai.

The East Indians are Marathi-speaking Christians concentrated in and around Mumbai. They have largely retained their pre-Christian practices.

Other groups include Marathi Muslims. Marathi muslims from the Konkan region have retained many of their preconversion practices including the Marathi language. Other muslims in Maharashtra tend to identify with the islamic culture of North India and mostly speak an Urdu dialect called Dakhni.

The Indian government does not collect data on the "upper castes". However, their present numbers may be calculated from the census carried out by the British Raj government a century or more ago.[5]

Food

Main articles: Maharashtrian cuisine and Malvani cuisine

There are many communities in the Marathi society which gives the cuisine much diversity. One can even say that the diversity extends to the family level because each family has its own combination of spices. The majority of Maharashtrians do eat meat and eggs, but the Brahmin community is mostly lacto-vegetarian, however, many Brahmins have now taken to Non vegetarianism or Ovo vegetarianism.

Maharashtrian cuisine is regionally diverse. The staple food on Desh (Deccan plateau) is usually bhakri( In Maharashtra a flat bread preparation made using Indian millet called jowar,bajra or bajri), cooked vegetables, dal and rice. The North Maharashtrians prefer "roti" though. In the coastal Konkan region , rice is the traditional staple food. An aromatic variety of rice called ambemohar is more popular amongst Marathi people than the internationally known basmati rice.

"Thalipeeth" is a popular traditional breakfast bread that is prepared using "Bhajani",a mixture of many different varieties of lentils.

Marathi Hindu people have many days throughout the year for "fasting". On most of these fasting days, traditional staple food like rice and chhapatis are to be avoided. However, many other food items such as milk products, potatoes, peanut and sabudana preparations are allowed which result in a full rich alternative "fasting" cuisine.

In Maharashtrian Food there are various different kind of spices used which make the cuisine very distinct from each other. Eg. Malavali Food uses More of wet coconut and coconut milk in the preparation , In vidarbha region the coconut is not used much in daily preparations but dry coconut is used in preparations like Spicy Savaji recipes or Mutton and chicken dishes.

Some Maharashtrian dishes like Sev bhaji, Misal Pav, Patodi are distinctly regional dishes inside Maharashtra.

In South Konkan, near Malvan, an independent exotic cuisine has developed called Malvani cuisine. It is predominantly non-vegetarian. Kombdi Vade, fish preparations and baked preparations are more popular here.

Desserts are an important part of Marathi food. Puran poli, Shrikhand, Basundi,Kheer and Modak are loved by most people. It should be noted that traditionally the desserts were associated with a particular festival, for example, modaks are prepared during the Ganpati festival.

Festivals

This section provides brief overview of various Hindu festivals celebrated in Maharashtra. Some of the festivals listed here are celebrated all over India (eg. Dasara, Diwali, Raksha Bandhan, etc.) with certain special traditions followed by Maharashtrian Community while others are typical Maharashtrian festivals (eg. Gudi Padwa, Mangala Gaur, Bhogi, etc.).

• Gudhi Padwa
  • First day of the month Chaitra as per Hindu Calendar (usually comes in the month of March) is celebrated as Marathi new year. This is the day when Rama returned to Ayodhya after killing Ravana. Please note that in Northern India, it is believed the Rama returned to Ayodhya on Diwali Padwa. The residents celebrated his homecoming by decorating their homes with Gudi (victory pole). Gudi padwa is also celebrated as the day when Shalivahana defeated the Shaka rulers. The legends says he put life into mud figures of soldiers. This is one of the 3 and a half days in the Hindu Lunar calendar, whose every moment is considered auspicious. This is the day on which people start new ventures, perform house-warming poojas and buy expensive items such as gold, silver, new appliances or property. Kids perform Saraswati Pooja on this day before starting their new academic year. This marks the beginning of new season, Spring.
• Akshaya Tritiya
  • The third day of the Vaishak month is celebrated as Akshaya Tritiya. This is one of the 3.5 most auspicious days in the Hindu Calendar (usually comes in the month of April). This marks the end of Haldi Kumkum festival which is a get-together organised by women for women. Married women invite friends, relatives and new acquaintances to meet in an atmosphere of merriment and fun. On such occasions, the hostess distributes bangles, sweets, small novelties, flowers, betel leaves and nuts as well as coconuts. The snacks include Kairiche Panhe (raw mango juice) and Vatli Dal.
• Wat Purnima
  • This festival is celebrated on Jyeshtha Purnima (full moon day of Jyeshtha month of Hindu calendar), around June. On this day, women fast and worship the Banyan tree to pray for the growth and strength of their families, like the sprawling tree which lives for centuries. Married women visit a nearby tree and worship it by tying red threads of love around it. They pray for well-being and long life of their husband.
• Ashadhi Ekadashi
  • Ashadi Ekadashi (11th day of the month Ashada - falls somewhere around July -August) is closely associated with great Marathi saint Dnyaneshwar. Twenty days prior to this day, thousands of Varkaris start their pilgrimage to Pandharpur from Alandi with Dnyaneshwar's Paduka (footwear) in a Palakhi. Varkaris carry Tals or small cymbals in their hand, wear a rosary of tulsi around their neck and sing and dance to the devotional hymns and prayers to Vitthala. People fast all over Maharashtra on this day and offer prayers in the temples. This day marks starting of Chaturmas (The four Monsoon months, from Ashad through Kartik) as per Hindu Calendar.
• Guru Paurnima
  • The full moon day of the month Ashada is celebrated as Guru Purnima. For Hindus 'Guru-Shishya' ('Teacher-Student') tradition is very important, be it educational or spiritual. Gurus are often equated with God and always regarded as a link between the individual and the Immortal. On this day spiritual aspirants and devotees worship Maharshi Vyasa, who is regarded as Guru of Gurus.
• Nag Panchami
  • One of the many festivals in India, where Marathi people celebrate the nature. Nags (Cobras) are worshipped on the fifth day of Shravan month (around August) of Hindu Calendar. Women put temporary tattoos with Henna on their hand on the previous day and buy new bangles on Nag Panchami day. In a small village named Battis Shirala in Maharashtra a big snake festival is held which attracts thousands of tourists worldwide. In other parts of Maharashtra snake charmers are seen sitting by the roadsides or moving from one place to another with their baskets that hold snakes. While playing the lingering melodious notes on their flutes, they beckon devotees with their calls -"Nagoba-la dudh de Mayi" (give milk to the Cobra Oh Mother!) Women offer sweetened milk, popcorns ('lahya' in Marathi) to the snakes and pray. Cash and old clothes are also given to the snake-charmers.
• Narali Paurnima
  • This festival is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Shravan in the Hindu Calendar (around month of August). This is the most important festival for the coastal region as the new season for fishing starts on this day after the rainy season. Fishermen and women offer coconuts to the sea and ask for peaceful season. The same day is celebrated as Rakhi Poornima to commemorate the abiding ties between brother and sister. Narali Bhaat (sweet rice with Coconut)is the main dish on this day. Deshastha Brahmin men change their sacred thread (janve in Marathi) on this day.

Gukulashtami dahi-hundi celebration

• Gokul Ashtami
  • Birthday of the Lord Krishna is celebrated with great fervour all over India on the 8th day of second fortnight of the month Shravan (usually comes in the month of August). In Maharashtra, Gokul Ashtami is synonymous with the ceremony of Dahi handi. Dahi handi is an enactment of Lord Krishna's efforts to steal butter from Matka (earthen pot) suspended from the ceiling. Large earthen pots filled with milk, curds, butter, honey, fruits etc. are suspended from a height between 20 to 40 feet in the streets. Teams of young men and boys come forward to claim this prize. They construct a human pyramid by standing over each other's shoulders till the pyramid is tall enough to enable the topmost person to reach the pot and claim the contents after breaking it. Many times currency notes are tied to the rope by which the pot is suspended. The prize money is distributed among those who participate in the pyramid building. The Dahi-hundi draws huge crowd and they support the teams trying to grab these pots by chanting 'Govinda ala re ala'.
• Mangala Gaur
  • Pahili Mangala Gaur (first Mangala Gaur) celebration is one of the most important celebration for the new brides in Maharashtra. On the Tuesday of the month of Shravan after her marriage, the new bride performs Shivling puja for the well being of her husband and new family. It is also a get-together of all women folks. It includes chatting, playing games, Ukhane (married women take their husband's name woven in 2/4 rhyming liners) and great food. They typically play Zimma, Fugadi, Bhendya (more popularly known as Antakshari in modern India) till the wee hours of the next morning.
• Bail Pola]]/Pithori Amavasya
  • Pola or Bail Pola is celebrated on the new moon day (Pithori Amavasya) of the Shravan month (usually falls in August) to pay respect to bulls for their year long hard work. The festival is very important for the farmers. On the day of Pola, farmers take their bulls to the river and clean them thoroughly. They then decorate them by painting horns, putting decorative shawls on their body, ornaments on their horn and flower garlands around their neck. The bulls are then taken in a joyous procession accompanied by music and dancing. Villages have fairs, competitions to celebrate this festival. This is a vacation day for the bulls.
• Hartalika
  • Third day of the month of Bhadrapada (usually comes around August/September) is celebrated as Hartalika in honor of Harita Gauri or the green and golden goddess of harvests and prosperity. A lavishly decorated form of Parvati, Gauri is venerated as the mother of Ganesha. Women fast on this day and worship Shiva and Parvati in the evening with green leaves. Women wear green bangles and green clothes and stay awake till midnight.

Ganeshotsav

• Ganesh Chaturthi
  • fourth day of Bhadrapada is celebrated with tremendous enthusiasm as Ganesh Chaturthi on the in honor of Lord Ganesha, the God of wisdom. Almost every household in the state installs Ganesha idols at home. Early morning on this day, the clay idols of Ganesha are brought home while chanting Ganpati Bappa Morya and installed on the decorated platforms. During India's independence struggle, Lokmanya Tilak turned this festival into a public event and united people towards a common goal of throwing British colonizers out of India. The festival is still celebrated as public and private event. The festival lasts for 10 days with various cultural programmes like music concerts, orchestra, plays and skits. Some social activities are also undertaken during this period like blood donation, scholarships for the needy or donation to the people suffering from any kind of natural calamity.
• Gauri
  • Along with Ganesha, Gauri festival is celebrated with lot of festivities in Maharashtra. This is three day festival. On the first day, Gauris arrive at home, next day they eat lunch with variety of sweets and on third day they return to their home. Gauris arrive in a pair, one as Jyeshta (meaning the Elder one) and another as Kanishta (meaning the Younger one). They are treated with lots of love since they represent the daughters arriving at their parents place.
• Anant Chaturdashi
  • 11th day of Ganesh festival (14th day of the month Bhadrapada)is celebrated as Anant Chaturdashi which marks the end of the Ganesh festival. People bid tearful farewell to the God by immersing the installed idols from home / public places in water by chanting 'Ganapati Bappa Morya, pudhchya warshi Lawakar ya!!' (Father Ganesha, come early next year).
• Ghatsthapana
  • Starting with first day of the month of Ashwin as per Hindu Calendar (around month of October), the nine days and nights festival immediately preceding the most important festival Dasara is celebrated all over India with different traditions. In Maharashtra on the very first day of this 10 day festival, idols of Goddess Durga are installed at many homes. This installation of the Goddess is popularly known as Ghatsthapana. During this period, little girls celebrate 'Bhondla/Hadga' as the Sun moves to the thirteenth constellation of the zodiac called "Hasta" (Elephant). During the nine days, Bhondla is celebrated in the garden or on the terrace during evening hours by inviting female friends of the daughter in the house. An elephant is drawn either with Rangoli on the soil or with a chalk on a slate and kept in the middle. The girls go around it in a circle, holding each other's hands and singing the Bhondla songs. All the Bhondla songs are traditional songs passed down the generations. The last song typically ends with the words '...khirapatila kaay ga?' (meaning 'What is the special dish today?'). This 'Khirapat' is a special dish / dishes often made laboriously by the mother of the host girl. The food is served only after the rest of the girls have guessed the dish/dishes correctly.
• Dasara
  • This festival is celebrated on the tenth day of the Ashwin month (around October) according to the Hindu Calendar. This is one of the 3 and a half days in the Hindu Lunar calendar, whose every moment is considered auspicious. On the last day (Dasara day), the idols installed on the first day of the Navratri are immersed in water. This day also marks the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana. People visit each other and exchange sweets. On this day, people worship Aapta tree and exchange its leaves (known as golden leaves) and wish each other future like the gold. There is a legend involving Raghuraja , an ancestor of Rama, Aapta tree and Kuber. There is also another legend about Shami tree where the Pandava hid their weapons during their exile.
• Kojagari
  • Short form of Sanskrit 'Ko Jagarti?' (meaning 'Who is awake?'), Kojagiri is celebrated on the full moon day of the month Ashwin. It is said that on this Kojagiri night Goddess Lakshmi visits every house asking "Ko Jagarti?" and blesses those who are awake with fortune and prosperity. To welcome the Goddess, Houses, temples, streets, etc. are illuminated. People get together on this night usually in the open space (eg. garden or on the terrace) and play games till midnight. At midnight, after seeing reflection of full moon in the boiled milk (boiled with saffron and various varieties of dry fruits), they drink this milk. Eldest child in the household is honored on this day.
• Diwali
  • Diwali is by far the most glamorous and important festival in India. Houses are illuminated with rows of clay lamps and are decorated with rangoli and aakash kandils (decorative lanterns of different shapes and sizes). Diwali is celebrated with new clothes, spectacular firecrackers and a variety of sweets in the company of family and friends. This joyous celebration is, on the whole, symbolic of dispelling the darkness of misery and bringing the light of prosperity and happiness into human life.
    • First Day: Diwali starts on the 13th day of the dark fortnight of the month of Ashwin (October / November). This day is known as Dhantrayodashi.
    • Second Day: The 14th day of dark fortnight is known as Narak Chaturdashi. On this day people celebrate demon Narakasur’s death by Lord Krishna. They get up early in the morning and massage their bodies with scented oil. They make use of 'utane' or 'utanah' for bath instead of soap. This special bath is referred to as 'abhyang-snan'. Utane is up made of several things having ayurvedic properties like 'chandan' (sandal wood), 'kapoor' (camphor), manjistha, rose, orange skin and haldi (turmeric).
    • Third Day: It is believed that Goddess of wealth Lakshmi visits every house in the evening of the new Moon, so this day is celebrated as Lakshmi pujan. Every household performs worship of Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesh and money.Unlike Gujarat where Chopdapujan or closing of accounting books takes place in a temple, Marathi people do the same ceremony at home. It is customary in Maharashtra to stay at home on this night.
    • Fourth Day: Next day which is first day of the Hindu calendar observed in North India. Marathi people celebrate this first day of month of Karthik as 'Diwalicha Padva'. This is a celebration of togetherness and love for married people. To mark the occasion wives usually receive special gifts from their husbands after the 'aukshan'.
    • Fifth Day: Last day of Diwali festival is called Bhau Bij. On this day, sisters pray for long life of their brothers. Brothers, in turn bless their sister and pamper them with gifts.

• Tulsi Vivah (Tulshicha lagna)
  • The Tulsi (Holy Basil plant) is held sacred by the Hindus as it is regarded as an incarnation of Mahalaxmi who was born as Vrinda. End of Diwali celebrations marks the beginning of Tulsi-Vivah. Maharashtrians organize marriage of sacred Tulsi plant in their house with Lord Krishna. On this day the Tulsi vrindavan is colored and decorated as a bride. Sugarcane and branches of tamarind and amla trees are planted along with the tulsi plant. Though a mock marriage, all the ceremonies of an actual Maharashtrian marriage are conduncted including chanting of mantras , Mangal Ashtaka and tying of Mangal Sutra to Tulsi. Families and friends gather for this marriage ceremony which usually takes place late evening. Various poha dishes are offered to Lord Krishna and then distributed among family members and friends. This also marks the beginning of marriage season.

• Kartiki Ekadashi
  • 11th day of the month Kartik marks the end of Chaturmas.

• Bhogi
  • Eve of Hindu festival 'Makar Sankranti'.

• Makar Sankranti
  • Sankraman means passing of the Sun from one Zodiac sign to the other. This day marks the Sun's passage from the Tropic of Dhanu (Sagittarius) to Makar (Capricorn). Makar Sankranti falls on January 14 in non-leap years and on January 15 in leap years. It is the only Hindu festival which is based on the Solar calendar rather than the Lunar calendar. The day starts becoming longer from Jan 14 as the Sun moves from Southern hemisphere to Northern hemisphere. For Maharashtrians, Sankrant is the festival of friendship, a time to celebrate the old friendships, to form new ones and repair the old ones. Maharashtrians exchange sweets with each other saying "Tilgul ghyA Ani goD bolA" which means "Accept tilgul (sweets) and speak sweet words". Tilgul is a sweet concoction made out of til - sesame seeds and gul - jaggery. Friends are asked to emulate the quality of Tilgul and stick together in lasting friendship and love. Sweet rotis (bread) made from sesame seeds and jaggery called "gul-poli" is the special dish of the day. The special significance of "til" is because of its nutritive and medicinal qualities and as this festival falls in the winter season the combination of til and jaggery is extremely beneficial and nutritive. People wear black clothes on this day. Maharashtrian women wear a special black saree called 'Chandrakala' which is embossed with crescent moons and stars and married women celebrate the festival by getting together for "haldi Kumkum".

• Maha Shivratri
• Holi
• Dhuli Vandan
• Rang Panchami
• Urus /Jatra A large number of villages in Maharashtra hold their annual festivals (Village carnival) in the months of January -March. These may be in the honor of the village deity or the tomb (darga) of a local sufi saint. Celebrations may include cart racing, kabbadi & wrestling tournaments, a fair and lavani/tamasha. A number of families eat meat only during this period.

Marathi people outside India

A large number of Indian people were taken in the 1830s to Mauritius to work on sugar-cane plantations. Majority of these migrants were Hindi speaking or from Southern India but also included a significant number of Marathi People.[6]

After the state of Israel was established in 1948, the majority of Marathi Jews or Bene Israel moved there.[7]

Indians including Marathi People have been going to Europe or particularly Great Britain for more than a century. Maharashtra Mandal, London just celebrated their 75th birthday.[8] A small number of Marathi people also went to East Africa during the British colonial era. Most of these original immigrants have moved to other countries.

Large scale immigration of Indians into United States started when Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 came into effect. Most of the Marathi immigrants who came after 1965 were professional such as doctors, engineers or Scientists. A second wave of immigration took place during the I.T. boom. The Marathi community in USA is currently about 35,000 people. [9]

Mainly due to the I.T. boom and general ease of travel, Marathi people may be found in all corners of the world including Australia[10], Canada[11], Gulf countries [12], European countries[13],Japan and China

HISTORY OF MARATHA'S

The Marāthās (Marathi also Mahrattas) form an Indo Aryan group of Hindu warriors hailing mostly from the present-day state of Maharashtra, who created the expansive Maratha Empire, covering a major part of India, in the late 17th and 18th centuries. They were also considered as Kshatriyan warriors.

The "Marathas" were known by that name since their native tongue was almost invariably Marathi, however, not all those whose native tongue is Marathi are Marathas. Historically "Maratha" was a common term used for people of Maharashtra region that speak Marathi. In present time, the term "Maratha" refers only to those Marathi-speaking people who also belong to certain specific Hindu castes: for one available listing, refer to Maratha clan system. Thus, the terms "Marathi people" and "Maratha people" are not interchangeable and should not be confused for each other.

Etymology

The etymology of the words "Marātha" and "Marāthi" is uncertain. It may be a derivative of the Prakrit word Marhatta found in Jain Maharashtri literature, itself from Sanskrit Maharā "great realm" (from maha "great" and rā "nation, dominion, district"). One theory holds that a reference to a clan known as Rārika in some of Ashoka's inscriptions alludes to a people of the Deccan who were progenitors of the Marathi-speaking people; that the later "Mahārāri Prakrit" is associated with these people

Other theories link the words Marātha and Rāhri with Ratta, supposedly a corruption of Rāshtrakuta, the name of a dynasty that held sway over the Deccan from the 8th to 10th centuries.

All theories however affirm, as do linguists, that the modern Marathi language has developed from the Prakrit known as Mahārāshtri.

Shivaji and his faithful Maratha comrades

Maratha clan system

According to some sources (mostly elitist), most Marathas must belong to one of the 96 different clans (The "96 Kuli Marathas", but it's been forever debatable as there is no constructive evidence or social hierarchical structure that determines who is 96 Kuli & who is not). The list of 96 Maratha clans is different as per different historians. An authoritative listing was apparently first attempted in 1889 and a list finalised in 1956 by the Government of India.

Population

The Marathas originated as a social class of Marathi speakers (Indo-Aryans). They number some 40 million, about half the number of native Marathi speakers.Maratha people are the original people of Maharashtra pradesh. They belong to the Kshatriya (King /Warrior) class.

Historical prominence

The extent of the Maratha Confederacy c.1760 AD, roughly corresponding to its peak (denoted by the yellow region)

Maratha Empire

Different Maratha (also called as Rastriks or Maha-rathis or Mahrattas) rulers during Medieval period (before 12th century) include Satavahana, Rashtrakuta, Yadhav-Jadhavs. They re-united into historical prominence under the leadership of Chhatrapati Shivaji in the 17th century. Shivaji Maharaj, born into the Bhosale clan of Marathas, secured an independent state by dint of lifelong struggle and thereby founded an empire, the remnants of which lasted until the independence of India in 1947. The state thus founded by Chhatrapati Shivaji attained its zenith under the tutelage of the Peshwas in the 18th century, extending from the Indus in present-day Pakistan to Orissa in the east and from the punjab to central Karnataka in the south. The kingdom of Thanjavur in present-day Tamil Nadu was also ruled by a Maratha dynasty, albeit outside the ambit of the main Maratha Empire. At its peak, the Maratha Empire established a protectorate over the mughal emperor and paramountcy over the numerous Rajput chieftains of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Central India and elsewhere. They had also managed to bring Punjab under their sway and end Muslim rule there and keeping the field open for the Sikhs. This vast empire declined gradually after the third battle of Panipat (1761); by 1818, all of present-day India had fallen to the British East India Company.

The history of the states and dynasties comprising the Maratha Empire constitutes a major portion of the history of late medieval India. While that extensive history is detailed elsewhere, it is noteworthy that the rise of the Marathas:

• represented the revival of the political power of the Hindus in north India after many centuries of Muslim rule;
• prevented the spread of the Mughal Empire and associated Islamic culture to south India;
• was the primary cause of the decline of the Mughal Empire;
• led to the dilution of the caste system as an overwhelming number of Brahmins too, fought along with them;
• led to the modernisation of India's armed forces, as they introduced indigenously designed and manufactured muskets (known as Gardi muskets)
• encouraged the development of the Marathi language and was seminal to the consolidation of a distinct Maharashtrian identity.

Maratha states

Since the Marathas ruled much of India in the period immediately preceding the consolidation of British rule in India, the Maratha states came to form the largest bloc of princely states in the British Raj, if size be reckoned by territory and population. Prominent Maratha states included:

Ruins of the Raigad Fort which served as a capital of Maratha Empire in the 17th century

• Kolhapur
• Solapur
• Gwalior
• Indore
• Baroda
• Dewas (Senior and Junior)
• Dhar
• Chhatarpur
• Mudhol
• Sandur (princely state) in Bellary District of Karnataka India
• Akkalkot
• Phaltan
• Jath
• Jawhar
• Sawantwadi
• Satara
• Marathwada
• Thanjavur, and many others
• Nashik,
• Jalgaon

Prominent Maratha dynasties

• Satavahanas of Pratishthan, present day Paithan near Aurangabad.
• Mohites of Talbid near Karad
• Yadavas of Deogiri (Daulatabad)
• Jadhavs of Sindkhed Raja, Vidarbha, Nashik
• Ghorpades of Ghorpade Raja, Mudhol
• Bhonsles of Kolhapur, Satara, Nagpur, Sawantvadi and Thanjavur
• Sindhias (Shinde) of Gwalior
• Gaekwads (Gaikwad) of Baroda
• Pawars of Dewas, Dhar and Chhatarpur
• Rajeshirkes
• Dalvis of Palvani,Soveli
• Morays of Mauryakhand,present day North Pakistan,areas of Afghanistan & Kashmir.Taluk Jawali(i.e from Wai,Mabaleshwar & down towards Raigad in Konkan)& Khatau in Satara dist of Maharashtra.

[ Bilingual Marathas

The empire also resulted in the voluntary relocation of substantial numbers of Maratha and other Marathi-speaking people outside Maharashtra, and across a big part of India. Thus, there are today several small but significant communities descended from these emigrants living in the north, south and west of India. These communities tend often to speak the languages of those areas, although many do also speak Marathi in addition. Gujarati, Hindi, Konkani, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil are some of the other languages thus spoken Zinjurke's of Shirur...

Presence in politics

Marathas have dominated the state politics of Maharashtra since its inception in 1960. The very first Chief Minister of Maharashtra was a maratha (Yashwantrao Chavan). After that, Maharashtra has witnessed heavy presence of Maratha community in the ministry, local municipal commissions, panchayats etc. The reason for the same is said to be the majority of the population in the state (around 40%) as per 1991 census.

Notable Marathas

Historical

• Chhatrapati Shri Shivaji Maharaj
• Shahaji Raje, father of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
• Jijabai, mother of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
• Sambhaji Raje, son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
• Maharani Soyarabai - second wife of Maharaja Shivaji (sister of Sarsenapti Hambirrao Mohite from Talbid near Karad)
• Sarsenapati(General) - Hambirrao Mohite from Talbid near Karad
• Tarabai, Regent of Kolhapur, daughter of Sarsenapati Hambirrao Mohite
• Umabai Dabhade - Won the Ahmedabad war against Mughals in 1732 (wife of Sarsenapati Khanderao Dabhade)
• Serfoji II, Maharaja of Tanjavar
• Shahu Maharaj, Chhatrapati of Kolhapur
• Prataprao Gujar,
• Ranoji Birajdar
• Dhanaji Jadhav
• Santaji Ghorpade
• Khanderao Dabhade - Sarsenapati (General) from Talegaon Dabhade
• Tanaji Malusare, hero of the conquest of Kondhana
• Shrimant Mahadaji Shinde shrinath Bahadur Gwalior
• Chandrarao Moray of Jawali(Satara dist), Subhanrao Moray Sarkar of Vardhangad(Tal - Khatau,Satara),Ranoji Moray-RaiBahadur of Karachi.
• Naik Nimbalkar Raje of Phaltan,Satara.--121.246.32.198 (talk) 07:10, 24 September 2008 (UTC)Shivaji's Grandmother was from this clan.
• Prataprao Gujar,Sarsenapati of Shivaji's army.

Maratha Saints & Philosophers

Chakradhar Swami, Dnyaneshwara, Namdeo, Chokhamela,Goroba Kaka, Narhari Sonar, Shekh Mahammad, Eknath, Tukaram, Ramdas

Speakers

Dada Dharmadhikari, Gokak V.K., Shivajirao Bhosale, Nirmalkumar Phadkule, Pandurang G. Patil, Ram Shewalkar

Shivajirao Bhoasale

Born on 15th july 1925 in Satara District. He is educated in Rayat Shikshan Sanstha founded by Karmavir Bhaurao Patil.He was impressed by philosophy of Vivekanada during his studenthood at Satara.He was a good listener, though he attracted to eloquation. He listened J.Krishnamurti,Dr.Ambedkar.Shivajirao's personality is nurished by great teachers like Prof.R.D.Ranade,MamasahebDandekar, Laxmanshastri Joshi. He is great commentator of Literature of all Marathi Saints Like Dnyaneshwara, Tukarama And Ramdas. Shivajirao retired as Vice Chanceler of Marathwada Universitty,Aurangabad (Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada Universitty).For long tennure served as principal at Mudhoji College, Phaltan.He is Best orater of this age.He has delivered series of lectures on Vivekananda, SriAurobindo, Tagore, Gandhi, Ambedkar and other great men.

Corporate World

• Suhas Patil, a founder of Cirrus Logic’s predecessor company
• Late Shantanurao Kirloskar, CEO of Kirloskar Group of Companies
• Dinesh Keskar, senior vice-president, sales, commercial airplanes, Boeing

Political

• Yashwantrao Chavan, former [Deputy Priminister] of India
• Sharad Pawar, Minister of Agriculture, Government on India, former CM of Maharashtra
• Udayanraje Bhosale, Descendant of Chhatrapati Shri Shivaji Maharaj
• Vasant Dada Patil, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra
• Dr D.Y.Patil, Founder Chancellor of D.Y.Patil University
• Shankarrao Chavan, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Home Minister of India
• Late Madhavrao Scindia(Shinde)
• Jyotiraditya Scindia(Shinde)
• Jayant Patil, Minister of Finance and Planning of Maharashtra
• Vilasrao Deshmukh, Chief Minister of Maharashtra
• R. R. Patil, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra
• Subhash R. Desai, Senior Leader Shiv Sena Maharashtra
• Anil Deshmukh, Road Transport Minister of Maharashtra
• Patangrao Kadam,Bharathi Vidyapeeth
• Vijayrao Auti, M.L.A Shiv sena party
• Balasaheb Thorat,Agriculture Minister of Govt. of Maharashtra
• Adv.Mahesh m Rane youth leader
• Narayan Rane
• Prabhakarrao More MLA ,Raigad.

Science

• Vijay P. Bhatkar
• Vasant Gowarikar
• Jayant Narlikar
• Raghunath Mashelkar

Writers

• Vishwas Patil
• Shivaji Savant
• Ananad Yadav
• Shankar Patil
• Ranjeet Desai
• Baba Kadam
• Ganesh Jadhav

Artists

• Smita Patil

• Lalita Pawar
• Dada Kondake
• Laxmikant Berde
• Rajinikanth
• Sulochana Chavan
• Nirmiti Sawant
• Ritesh Deshmukh
• Sayaji Shinde
• Sapana Gaikwad
• Priya Arun
• Sayali Bhagat
• Vijay Kadam
• Shivaji Satam
• Vikas Kadam
• Abhijit Savant
• Vidya Malavade(Chakde India)
• Sagarika Ghatge(Priti Sabarval Chakde India)
• Shobhana Samartha (Actress and actresses Nutan and Tanuja's mother)
• Nutan
• Tanuja
• Asha Kale
• Savita Prabhune
• Kishori Shahane
• Renuka Shahane
• Rekha Rao
• Kuldip Pawar
• Ramesh Bhatkar
• Machhindra Kambli
• Sanjay jog
• Dr Kashinath Ghanekar
• Ramesh deo
• Seema Deo
• Ajinkya Deo
• Dhumal
• Raja Gosavi
• Bharti Achrekar
• Durga Khote
• Nivedita Joshi
• Laxmikant Berde
• Bhakti Barve Inamdar
• Ranjana
• Ravindra Mahajani

Sports

Bandu Patil (January 1, 1936 – August 23, 1988), Olympic Gold medal Men's hockey 1964 - Tokyo K Jadhav (Olympic bronze medalist, India's first individual olympic medal winner)

Cricket

• Vinod Kambali
• Sandip Patil
• Chandrakant Pandit
• Kiran More
• Pravin Aambre
• Rajendra Shirke

Wrestlers

• Khashaba Jadhav (Wrestling) - India's first individual Olympic medalist when he won the wrestling bronze medal at the 1952 Helsinki Games
• Mamasaheb Mohol
• Maruti Mane Hind Kesari
• Harishchandra Birajdar Hind Kesari
• Yuvaraj Chaugule Hind Kesari
• Dhanaji Phadtare Maharashtra Kesari
• Kaka Pawar
• Ganapatrao Andalkar
• Dadu Chaugule Hind Kesari
• Vinod Chaugule Maharashtra Kesari
• Amol Buchade Maharashtra Kesari
• Vikas Jadhav

Armed forces

A special mention needs to be made of the Maratha Light Infantry regiment of the Indian Army, which represents the military qualities of the Marathas. One of the famous regiments of the Indian Army, the Maratha Light Infantry is also one of the oldest. Its First battalion, also known as the Jangi Paltan, was raised as far back in 1768 as part of the Bombay Sepoys. The Marathas came to special attention in the Great War (World War I) and have been awarded up to and about 2 Ashok Chakra, 10 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, 4 Maha Vir Chakra, 4 Kirti Chakra, 1 ACCL II, 14 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, 34 Vir Chakra, 18 Shaurya Chakra, 4 ACCL III, 4 Yudh Seva Medals, 107 Sena Medals, 1 Shaurya Chakra & Bar, 23 Vishisht Seva Medals, 1 Padma Bushan, 1 Arjun Award and 3 Unit Citations.

Army

• Naik Yashavantrao Ghadge(recipient of Victoria cross)
• Second Lt Ram Raghoba Rane(Recipient of Paramvir Chakra)
• Major-General Jagnathrao Bhosale
• Major-General Hanmantrao M. Mohite (Former chief of Southern Command)
• Lt-General S.S.Thorat
• Pandurang Salunkhe(recipient of Mahavir Chakra)
• Brig.Udaykumar Wamanrao Deshmukh.(A.V.S.M.)(son-in-law of Major General Jaganathrao Bhosale)
• Major Ragobha Rane (Recipient of Paramvir Chakra)
• Shaheed Major Manish Pitambare {Recipient Of Kranti Chakra)(kunbi Maratha caste)

Air force

• Air Commodore NK Shitoley, recipient of the DFC Distinguished Flying Cross
• Air Marshal, Yeshwant Rane
• Air Vice Marshal, Mohanrao Desai

Sports

• Khashaba Jadhav (Wrestling) - India's first individual Olympic medalist when he won the wrestling bronze medal at the 1952 Helsinki Games
• Bandu Patil (Hockey) - 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Men's field Gold - was from the elite 5th Battalion of the Maratha Light Infantry
• Tejaswini Sawant (Shooting)
• Uday Pawar (Badminton)
• Sujata Jain-Pawar (Badminton)