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Konkan
The Konkan is a stretch of land by the western coast of
India, bound by the river Daman Ganga at Damaon in the Konkan
north, to Anjediva Island next to Karwar town in the Region
south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan
plateau to the east.[1] The hinterland east of the coast has
numerous river valleys, riverine islands and the hilly
slopes known as the Western Ghats; that lead up into the
tablelands of the Deccan. The region has been recognised
by name, since at least the time of Strabo in the third
century CE.[1] It had a thriving mercantile port with Arab
Dabhol in Ratnagiri district, Konkan
tradesmen from the 10th century.[2] The best-known division, Maharashtra. Beaches dotted
islands of Konkan are Ilhas de Goa, the site of the Goa with swaying coconut palms are a
state's capital at Panjim, and the Seven Islands of Bombay, ubiquitous sight along the Konkani
on which lies Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra and the coast.
headquarters of the Konkan Division.

Definition
Historically, the limits of Konkan have been flexible, and it
has been known by additional names like "Aparanta" and
"Gomanchal", the latter being defined as the coastal area
between the Daman Ganga River in the north and the
Gangavalli River in the south.[3]

The ancient Sapta Konkan was a larger geographical area

that extended from Gujarat to Kerala and included the
whole region of coastal Maharashtra and coastal
Karnataka.[1] However, this segment overlaps the Konkan
and Malabar coast continuum; and usually corresponds to Modern Districts of India forming the
Konkan
the southernmost and northernmost stretches of these
Coordinates:
locales respectively.
Country India

Etymology
According to the Sahyadrikhanda of the Skanda Purana, Parashurama threw his axe into the sea
and commanded the Sea God to recede up to the point where his axe landed. The new piece of land
thus recovered came to be known as Saptah-Konkana, meaning "piece of earth", "corner of the
earth", or "piece of the corner", derived from Sanskrit words: koṇa (कोण, corner) + kaṇa (कण,

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piece).[4][5]
Xuanzang, the noted Chinese Buddhist monk, mentioned this region in his book as
Konkana Desha; Varahamihira's Brihat-Samhita described Konkan as a region of India; and 15th-
century author Ratnakosh mentioned the word Konkandesha.[1]

Geography
The Konkan extends throughout the western coasts of
Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.[1] It is bounded by the Western
Ghats mountain range (also known as Sahyadri) in the east, the
Arabian Sea in the west, the Daman Ganga River in the north,
and the River Aghanashini in the south. The Gangavalli flows in
the district of Uttara Kannada in present-day Karnataka. Its
northern bank constitutes the southernmost portion of Konkan.
The towns of Karwar, Ankola, Kumta, Honavar, and Bhatkal fall
Beach of Devgad taluka,
within the Konkan coast. The largest city on the Konkan coast is
Sindhudurg district, in the State
Mumbai, the state capital of Maharashtra. Districts on the
of Maharashtra
Konkan coast are, from north to south:[6]

Damaon district
Palghar district
Thane district
Mumbai Suburban district
Mumbai City district
Raigad district
Ratnagiri district View of the Sahyadri Mountains
in the village of Sathare Bambar,
Sindhudurg district
Ratnagiri district
North Kanara(Karwar to Bhatkal)

Ethnology
The main ethnolinguistic group of the Konkan region is the Konkani people. Specific caste and
communities found in the region are the Aagri, Koli, Bhandari, Kunbi, Maratha, Gabit, Mangela,
Karadi, Phudagi, Vaiti, Kharvi, Teli, Kumbhar, Nhavi, Dhobi, Kasar, Sutar, Lohar, Chambhar,
Mahar, Dhangar, Gaud Saraswat Brahmin (also includes Rajapur Saraswats and Chitrapur
Saraswats), Kudaldeshkar, Pathare Prabhu, Gomantak Maratha, Chitpavan Brahmins, Karhade
Brahmins, Daivadnya, Kayastha Prabhu, Panchkalshi, Vani, Komarpant, Vadval Gavli, Ghorpi,
Nath Jogi, Gurav, Pagi, Kalan, Ghadi, Padti, Vanjari, Namdev Shimpi and others. Billava, Bunt,
Nadavara, Mogaveera and Linghayat communities found in the parts of Karnataka which are near
to Konkan.

Tribal communities include the Katkari, Thakar, Konkana, Warli and Mahadev Koli, mainly found
in the northern and central parts of Konkan. The Dubla and Dhodia tribes live in southern Gujarat,
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Palghar district of Maharashtra. Palghar district has the largest
percentage of tribal population in Konkan. A small nomadic tribe called the Vanarmare is found in
southern parts of Konkan, which was originally associated with the hunting of monkeys. The
Gauda and Velip tribes are found in Goa.

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The Jewish community called Bene Israel is mainly found in Raigad district. The Christians
included Bombay East Indians in North Konkan and Mumbai, Goan Catholics in Goa, Karwari
Catholics in Uttara Kannada as well as Mangalorean Catholics in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada.

Major Muslim communities like Konkani Muslims and Nawayaths are scattered throughout the
whole region. They are reportedly descendants of people who came from Hadhramaut (in Yemen
or South Arabia),[7] and other parts of Arabia and the Middle East. The Siddis have their roots in
Africa.[2]

See also
People of the Konkan Division
Konkan Railway
Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project
Malabar Coast
Coromandel Coast

References
1. Saradesāya, Manohararāya (2000). "The Land, the People and the Language". A History of
Konkani Literature: From 1500 to 1992 (https://books.google.com/books?id=1YILeUD_oZUC&
pg=PA1). India: Sahitya Akademi. pp. 1–14. ISBN 978-8-1720-1664-7.
2. Wink, André (1991). Al-hind: The Making of the Indo-islamic World (https://books.google.com/b
ooks?id=bCVyhH5VDjAC). Brill. p. 68. ISBN 978-90-04-09249-5.
3. De Souza, Teotonio R., ed. (1990). Goa Through the Ages: An economic history - Volume 2 (htt
ps://books.google.com/books?id=dwYDPnEjTb4C&dq=daman+ganga+gangavalli&pg=PA7).
India: Concept Publishing Company. pp. 8–9. ISBN 9788170222590.
4. Shastri Gaytonde, Gajanan (ed.). Shree Scanda Puran (Sayadri Khandha) (in Marathi).
Mumbai: Shree Katyani Publication.
5. Satoskar, B. D. Gomantak Prakruti ani Sanskruti. Part 1 (in Marathi). Shubhada Publication.
p. 206.
6. Limited, Nigade Software Technologies (opc) Private. "Konkan Division District List (कोंकण
विभाग जिल्हा यादी)" (http://www.swapp.co.in/site/indianstatedistrictlist.php?stateid=j1YKCtUvHkS
hwKBqk6iHow==&divisionid=bRbHGKvCu7LMDJJGUsYuQA==). www.swapp.co.in. Retrieved
26 January 2022.
7. Khalidi, Omar (1996), "The Arabs of Hadramawt in Hyderabad" (https://books.google.com/book
s?id=O_WNqSH4ByQC&pg=PA52), in Kulkarni; Naeem; De Souza (eds.), Mediaeval Deccan
History, Bombay: Popular Prakashan, ISBN 978-8-1715-4579-7

External links
Konkan travel guide from Wikivoyage
Konkan Tourism (http://www.konkan.me) – a complete guide on tourism
Konkan Hotels (https://www.hotelinkonkan.com)
Tourist Place to visit Konkan Darshan (https://trendifyworld.com/kokan-darshan-the-best-tourist
-places-in-maharashtra/)

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