Sindhudurg district (Marathi pronunciation: in̪d̪ʱud̪uɾɡ is an administrative

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...

of the Konkan division in India, which was carved out of the erstwhile

Ratnagiri district Ratnagiri District (Marathi pronunciation: �ət̪n̪aːɡiɾiː is a district in the state of Maharashtra, India. The administrative headquarter of the district is located in the town of Ratnagiri. The district is 11.33% urban. The district ...

. The district headquarters are located at

Oros The osmotic-controlled release oral delivery system (OROS) is an advanced controlled release oral drug delivery system in the form of a rigid tablet with a semi-permeable outer membrane and one or more small laser drilled holes in it. As the tab ...

and the district occupies an area of approximately 5,207 km and has a population of 849,651, of which 12.59% were urban (as of 2011). As of 2011, it's the least populous district of Maharashtra (out of 36).

History

The word '

Konkan The Konkan ( kok, कोंकण) or Kokan () is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, running from Damaon in the north to Karwar in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau in the east. The hinterland ...

' is of Indian origin and considerable antiquity, though the origin of the name has never been definitively explained. The seven kingdoms of the Konkan of mythology are mentioned in the History of Kashmir and are said to have included nearly the whole west coast of India. The

Pandava The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledge ...

s are said to have passed through this region in the 13th year of their exile and to have settled in this area for some time. The Raja of this region, Veerat Ray, accompanied them in the war at Kurukshetra with the

Kaurava ''Kaurava'' is a Sanskrit term which refers to descendants of Kuru, a legendary king of India who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the epic ''Mahabharata''. Usually, the term is used for the 100 sons of King Dhritarashtra and his wi ...

s. In the second century A.D., the

Maurya Empire The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until ...

annexed the Konkan coast. In the middle of the sixth century, kings of the Maurya and

Nala Nala (Sanskrit: नल) is a character in the '' Vana Parva'' book of the ''Mahabharata''. He was the king of Nishadha Kingdom and the son of Veerasena. Nala was known for his skill with horses and for his culinary expertise. He married prin ...

dynasties appear to have ruled in the Konkan. The district of

Ratnagiri Ratnagiri (IAST:Ratnāgirī ; �ət̪n̪aːɡiɾiː is a port city on the Arabian Sea coast in Ratnagiri District in the southwestern part of Maharashtra, India. The district is a part of Konkan division of Maharashtra. The city is known for ...

was under the Silahars, and the capital of their kingdom was probably Goa. Later it may have been relocated to a more central place in the vicinity of Ratnagiri or Kharepatan.

Chandrapur Chandrapur (earlier known as ''Chanda'', the official name until 1964) is a city and a municipal corporation in Chandrapur district, Maharashtra state, India. It is the district headquarters of Chandrapur district. Chandrapur is a fort cit ...

was one of the most ancient towns in Konkan, probably founded by Chandraditya, son of the

Chalukya The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynast ...

king

Pulakeshin II Pulakeshin II (IAST: Pulakeśin, r. c. 610–642 CE) was the most famous ruler of the Chalukya dynasty of Vatapi (present-day Badami in Karnataka, India). During his reign, the Chalukya kingdom expanded to cover most of the Deccan region in pe ...

. The 16th century saw the advent and rise of Portuguese power on the west coast of India and Sindhudurg was not immune. The sultan lost his hold on the district in 1675 with the rise of

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adilsh ...

, and the district became part of the

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Sh ...

. Marathas continued to rule the district till 1817, when the conflict between the British and the

Peshwa The Peshwa (Pronunciation: e(ː)ʃʋaː was the appointed (later becoming hereditary) prime minister of the Maratha Empire of the Indian subcontinent. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati (the Maratha king); later ...

s concluded and the whole of Konkan was transferred to the British. In 1819 South Konkan was formed as separate district with its headquarters first at Bankot and later at Ratnagiri. Three northern subdivisions were transferred to

Thane district Thane district (Pronunciation: �ʰaːɳe previously named Taana or Thana) is a district in the Konkan Division of Maharashtra, India. At the 2011 Census it was the most populated district in the country, with 11,060,148 inhabitants; however, ...

in 1830 and the district was reduced to a sub-collectorate level under Thane district. In 1832, it was again made a full-fledged district and named Ratnagiri district. In the year 1945, a new ''Mahal'' (

tahsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administ ...

) called Kankavli Mahal (tahsil) was formed. The former Indian state of

Sawantwadi Sawantwadi an aesthetic land of artists, is an integral part of the Konkan region which is in the mid-western coast of India. The western coast of India since 1510 A.D. has assumed great importance in Indian history and history of internationa ...

was merged with the district and the taluka boundaries reorganized in the year 1949. In the same year the new taluka of Sawantwadi was created and two new mahals, Kudal and Lanja, were formed. With the reorganization of states in 1956, the district was included in

Bombay State Bombay State was a large Indian state created at the time of India's Independence, with other regions being added to it in the succeeding years. Bombay Presidency (roughly equating to the present-day Indian state of Maharashtra, excluding So ...

and since 1960, it is a part of Maharashtra. The name of the district has been adopted from the sea fort of Sindhudurg. This was built by Shivaji Maharaj near

Malwan Aagar faliya (also known as Malvan aagar faliya) is a small Indus Valley civilisation site, located at Valsad district in Gujarat, India. This site is, sometimes, considered one of the southernmost limits of Indus Valley civilisation, the other o ...

and its name literally means ‘Sea Fort’. Its construction started on 25 November 1664 and was completed in three years, designed such that it could not be seen easily by enemies coming from the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channe ...

. Sindhudurg district is the southern part of the Konkan coast which is historically known for its long coast line and safe harbours. Sindhudurg district was earlier a part of Ratnagiri district. For administrative convenience and industrial and agricultural development, Ratnagiri district was divided into Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg with effect from 1 May 1981. Sindhudurg district now comprises the eight tahsils of Sawantwadi, Kudal, Vengurla, Malvan, Devgad, Kankavli, Vaibhavwadi and Dodamarg.

Geography

Sindhudurg district is the southern most district of Maharashtra. It has deposits of Iron, Bauxite and Manganese. Sindhudurg is bordered on the north by

, on the south by the state of Goa, on the west by the

, and to the east across the crest of the Western Ghats or Sahyadris is

Kolhapur district Kolhapur district (Marathi pronunciation: olʱaːpuɾ is a district in the Maharashtra state of India. The city of Kolhapur is its district headquarter. It is situated near Panchaganga river. It is bordered by the Sangli district to the Nor ...

. Sindhudurg is part of the

(coastal) region, a narrow coastal plain in western Maharashtra which lies between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. Sindhudurg has a semi-tropical climate and remains warm and humid most of the year. It has three clear seasons: rainy (June–October), Winter (November–mid February) and Summer (mid February–May). Temperatures rise to a maximum of 32 °C and monsoon winds bring heavy rains (average rainfall 3240.10 mm). The people of Sindhudurg district mostly speak Konkani and a distinct dialect of Konkani called " Malvani"; almost all are fluent in Marathi as well.

About the district

Sindhudurg district was established on 1 May 1981. Tehsils and Panchayat Samiti: #

Dodamarg Dodamarg taluka is a taluka in Sindhudurg district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Dodamarg Taluka is situated between latitudes 15° 37' N and 15° 60' north and longitudes 73° 19' E and 73° 40' east. It is bordered by the Goa state to t ...

# Kudal # Vengurla # Malvan # Kankavli # Devgad #

Vaibhavwadi Vaibhavwadi taluka is a taluka in Kankavli subdivision of Sindhudurg district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Maharashtra. It was earlier a small market town by the name Vabhwe. In the early 1980s it was accorded the sta ...

Nagar Palika: #

# kudal #

# Malvan # Devgad-Jamsande # Kankavli # Vengurla Cities: #

# Malvan # Kankavli # Vengurla # Kudal #

# Devgad #

Smaller towns include : #

# Vijaydurg #

Banda Banda may refer to: People * Banda (surname) * Banda Prakash (born 1954), Indian politician * Banda Kanakalingeshwara Rao (1907–1968), Indian actor * Banda Karthika Reddy (born 1977), Indian politician *Banda Singh Bahadur (1670–1716), Sikh ...

# Amboli #

Rameshwar Rameshwar also known as Rameshwar Wadi is a small town located on the coast of Sindhudurg District of Maharashtra on the west coast of India. A very old Shri Dev Rameshwar Temple is located in this town which is dedicated to the Hindu deity ...

Girye Girye is a town in Devgad Taluka in Sindhudurg district of the state of Maharashtra, India. It is a small village on the west coast of Maharashtra. Transport Girye is located on MH SH 115 which connects with NH 17 45 km away from the tow ...

# Mangaon # Shiroda #

Mhapan Mhapan is a village surrounded by hillocks in Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra, India. Mhapan has its own shoreline, and it is around from the famous Vengurla beach and is just a stone's throw away from the serene beaches of Khavane and N ...

# Phondaghat # Bhedshi #

Kot Kamte Kot is the surname of a Polish szlachta ( nobility) family. The surname derives from the nickname with the literal meaning "cat".Kazimierz Rymut, Nazwiska Polaków. Słownik historyczno-etymologiczny, Wydawnictwo Naukowe DWN, Kraków 2001 The ...

# Kandalgaon # Katta # Talere # Shirgaon # Naringre # Kharepatan # Achara # Sukalwad # Khotale # Hedul # Vanygawde # Kasal # Pawashi # Kadawal # Trimbak # Masure # Bandiwade,(बांदिवडे) Malvan # Jamsande # Shiroda # Ghonsari # Hivale # Poip # Tirlot # Navanagar # Amberi # Waghotan # Tirawade # Redi # Talvade Gate # Tale Bazar # Salgaon # Bhuibawada- Vaibhavwadi # Kunkeshwar # Katwan # Phanasgaon # Undil # Manache-mutat # Mathbudruk # Budhavle # Sanadave # Masure # Shivapur Kudal # Ovaliye Villages: # Gothos *Gram Panchayats: 433 *Villages: 743 *Towns: 5 *Police Stations: 9 *Police Outposts: 23

Agriculture

Sindhudurg's major crops are

Rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

Coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the f ...

Kokum ''Garcinia indica'', a plant in the mangosteen family (Clusiaceae), commonly known as ''kokum'', is a fruit-bearing tree that has culinary, pharmaceutical, and industrial uses. It primarily grows in the Western Ghats, especially the Goa and Konk ...

Mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in Sout ...

and

Cashew The cashew tree (''Anacardium occidentale'') is a tropical evergreen tree native to South America in the genus ''Anacardium'' that produces the cashew seed and the cashew apple accessory fruit. The tree can grow as tall as , but the dwarf cul ...

, of which the last three are the major annual crops. The irrigated area in Sindhudurg is 23.48%, through wells and small canals. 33,910 hectares of the district's agricultural land are irrigated, while hectares are not. 74% of the total land holding in the district is held by small and marginal farmers. The district has 38,643 hectares of forest cover.

Irrigation

*Major projects: 2 (Tilari and Talamba) *Medium projects: 4 *Small projects (state owned): 33 *Small projects ( Zilla Parishad owned): 460

Education

*Primary schools: Zilla Parishad operated – 1469, Private – 49 *Secondary schools: Grantable institutions - 184, Central Government institutions: 1, Private: 22 *Junior Colleges: 43 *Senior Colleges: 7 *D.Ed./ B.Ed. Colleges: 4 + 1 *Medical Colleges: 2
Government Medical College
(GMC) started in 2022, it is in town Oros) *Engineering Colleges: 2 *Polytechnic Colleges: 3 *Industrial Training Institutes (ITI): 7 (1. Sawantwadi 2. Malvan 3. Deogad 4. Sindhudurgnagari 5. Vengurla 6. Phondaghat 7. Vaibhavwadi)

Economy

*Banking sector: The district has **Nationalised banks (66 branches), Co-operative banks (106 branches) and rural banks (15 branches). * Fisheries **Sindhudurg has a sea coast length of 121 km. and an Exclusive economic zone spanning 16000 km². **Main fisheries centers of Sindhudurg are 8 - Vijaydurg, Devgad, Nivati, Achara, Malvan, Sarjekot, Vengurla, Shiroda **Total fish production: 19273 M. Tons **Fisheries Co.Op. Soc.: 34 (total members: 14216)

Cuisine

The cuisine of the district is popularly known as Malvani cuisine. Coconut, rice, and fish feature prominently in Malvani cuisine. Seafood, particularly '' Bangada'', '' Paplet'', prawns, and '' Tisrya'', is very popular. ''Kombdi Vade'', also called ''Vade Sagoti'', a chicken savory, is the most popular dish. Others include ''Ukadya Tandulachi Pej'' (उकड्या तांदळाची पेज – a semi-fluid boiled brown-red rice

Congee Congee or conjee ( ) is a type of rice porridge or gruel eaten in Asian countries. It can be eaten plain, where it is typically served with side dishes, or it can be served with ingredients such as meat, fish, seasonings and flavourings, most ...

preparation) and ''

Solkadhi Solkadhi is a type of drink, an appetizer originating from the Indian subcontinent, usually eaten with rice or sometimes drunk after or along with the meals. Popular in the coastal regions of Goa, southern Maharashtra and northern Karnataka, it i ...

'' (सोल कढी – A preparation made of sol (kokum) सोल and coconut milk). Dry fish is also a local delicacy - varieties include ''Sungata'' and ''Golma'' which are both dried prawn preparations. Malvani cuisine differs from cuisines in the rest of Maharashtra, with dishes prepared using locally available spices and generally with little oil. Some popular Malvani dishes include * Kombadi Vade or Vade Sagoti (कोंबडी वडे thick puris made of rice flour) * Ghavane – ras (घावने - Rice dosa with sweet coconut milk) * Amboli – (आंबोळी उसळ - fermented rice dosa with spicy curry) * Shirvale (शिरवाळे - noodles served with sweet coconut milk) * Dhondas (धोंडस) * Fried fish and fish curry using Malvani spices * Solkadi (सोलकढी) * Khaprolya (खापरोळ्या) * Malvani Ukadiche Modak (Steamed

Modak Modak (Marathi: मोदक; Japanese: 歓喜団; Thai: โมทกะ or ขนมต้ม; Malaysian: Kuih modak; Indonesian: Kue modak; Burmese: မုန့်လုံးရေပေါ်), also referred to as Koḻukattai (கொ� ...

) * Malvani Khaja (खा) * Nhevre/Karanjee (करंजी - Stuffed crunchy sweet delicacy) * Olya Kajuchi * Pithi Bhat (पिठी-भात - Pithi is made of horsegram unlike the

besan Gram flour or kadala maavu is a pulse flour made from a variety of ground chickpea called Bengal gram or ''kaala chana''. It is a staple ingredient in the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent, including in Indian, Bangladeshi, Burmese, Nepali, ...

prevalent across the rest of Maharashtra) * Ukdya Tandlachi Pej with * Phanasachi bhaji (

Jackfruit The jackfruit (''Artocarpus heterophyllus''), also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family ( Moraceae). Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Bangladesh, ...

dish)

is a major influence on the socioeconomic life of Sindhudurg.

Alphonso Mango The Alphonso mango is a named mango cultivar that originated in India. Origin The variety is named after Afonso de Albuquerque, a distinguished militarian and viceroy of Portuguese India from 1509 to 1515. Jesuit missionaries introduced graft ...

(हापुस आंबा ) varieties from Devgad are particularly popular. Other varieties of mango: Mankur (मानकुर), Goa Mankur, Keshar, Pāyari (पायरी), Karel (करेल – used for preparing Mango Pickle), and Rayval are also popular for their distinct taste. Jackfruit is also one of the most popular fruits of Sindhudurg. Malvani cuisine also has many vegetarian dishes, including Garyache Sandan, Karmal pickle, Bimble, Amba Halad, Karadichi Bhakri, Kanyacha Sanja, Appe, Ghavan, Dalimichi Usual, and Kaju Usual, Raiwal Ambyacha Rayta, Yelapp.

Places of attraction

Tourist destinations

* Amboli Hill Station

* Sindhudurg Fort in Malvan *

Vijaydurg Fort Vijaydurg (sometimes written as Viziadurg), the oldest fort on the Sindhudurg coast, was constructed during the regime of Raja Bhoja II of the Shilahar dynasty (construction period 1193-1205) and restructured by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. ...

Devgad * Tarkarli Beach * Nivati Rock (a lighthouse in deep sea), Nivati Beach * Bhagvati Temple, Dhamapur Lake * Vengurla bandar (fishing port) *

Ganapati Temple, Redi The Ganapati temple of Redi is located approximately 30 km from Vengurla, in the small village of Redi, Maharashtra, India. The town in which this temple is situated contains iron ore mines and the Ganpati (Ganesha) idol was found in one of ...

* Vetoba temple ( Vengurla) * Ubhadanda beach (Vengurla) *

Sawantwadi Palace Sawantwadi an aesthetic land of artists, is an integral part of the Konkan region which is in the mid-western coast of India. The western coast of India since 1510 A.D. has assumed great importance in Indian history and history of internationa ...

* Sawantwadi Lake (Moti Talav) * Rock garden at Malvan * Hanumantagad, Fukeri (

) * Tilari Dam (Dodamarg) * Mangeli Waterfall (

) * Navdurga Redi * Napapne Waterfall, Vaibhavwadi * Achara Beach and Rameshwar Temple (16th century) * Mangeli waterfall (Dodamarg taluka – near Goa) * Shi Mandir, Medhe (Dodamarg taluka ) * Dream Land Garden, Navivadi (Kudal taluka) * Rameshwar Temple Kandalgaon * Manache waterfall * Bharatgad Fort, Masure (Malvan) * Manohar Manosantosh Gad (Shivapur) (Kudal taluka) * Shivapur Waterfall Gadakarwadi, Ghawhalwadi (Kudaldeshkar taluka)

Temples

* Shri Devi Mauli Mandir (Tiravade) * Shri Devi Sateri temple (Pawashi) * Shri Devi Lingeshwar temple (Tulsuli tarf Mangaon) * Shri Devi Gothanadevi temple (Tulsuli tarf Mangaon) *

Kunkeshwar Kunkeshwar (ISO15919: Kuṇakēśvar) is a village in Maharashtra, India situated on the bank of Arabian Sea. There is a temple for the Hindu deity Shiva in the village. Geography Situated along the sea in the Sindhudurg district, Kunkeshwar i ...

temple, Devgad * Lakshminarayan temple, Walwal * Shri Sateri Bhadrakali temple, Aronda * Shri Bramhanand Swami Math, Ozar (Taluka Malvan) * Bharadi Devi temple, Aangnewadi, Masure * Shri Sai Baba temple (First and oldest temple of Saibaba in India), Kudal * Redi Ganesh Vengurla * Navadurga temple at Redi * Shri Dev Rameshwar temple (17th Century) in Aakeri, Sawantwadi * Shri Dev Rameshwar Temple (16th Century) in

- Vijaydurg * Shree Dev Rameshwar temple, Achara * Bhalchandra Maharaj Ashram, Kankavli * Shri

Rahateshwar Rahateshwar is a village in the Devgad Taluka of the Sindhudurg district in the state of Maharashtra, India. The village is situated on the bank of a creek of the Arabian Sea and is the location of a temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiv ...

Mandir, Devgad * Shri Dev Gangeshvar, Lore No. 1 (Kankavli) * Shri Dev Kaleshwar temple, Nerur (Kudal) * Shri Dev Kudaleshwar temple, Kudal * Shri Dev Laxmi Narayan, Walawal (Kudal) * Shri Dev Ravalnath temple (Ambdos, Malvan) * Shri Devi Mauli temple, Walawal (Kudal) * Shri Devi Yakshini temple, Mangaon (Kudal) * Shri Dev Ling Ravalnath Karanje Mandir, Karanje (Kanakavli) * Shri Dev Gopalkrishna temple, Talashil-Tondavali (Malvan) * Shri Dev Rameshwar temple, Humarmala-Walawal (Kudal) * Shri Devi Sateri Shantadurga temple, Mhapan (Vengurle) * Shri Dev Siddheshwar temple, Mhapan (Vengurle) * Shri Dev Adnarayan temple, Parule (Vengurle) * Shri Devi Chamundeshwari temple, Aandurle (Kudal) * Shri Dev Vetoba temple, Parule (Vengurle) * Shri Dev Mahapurush temple, Bhogave Wadi Parule (Vengurle) * Shri Dev Kshetrapal temple, Parule-chipi (Vengurle) * Shri Dev Maruti temple, Kudal City * Shri Dev Vetal temple, Pendur (Malvan) * Shri Dev Lingeshwer temple, Kalse (Malvan) * Shri Devi Bhavai Bhagavti temple & Dhampur Lake, Dhampur (Malvan) * Shri Ganesh temple at Sawarwadi * Shri Lingeshwar-Pavanadevi Mandir, Janavali (Kanakavli) * Shri Maooli-Ravalnath-Vetal-Bagwe Maharaj Samadhi, Masure * Shri Bharadi Devi Devasthan, Aangnewadi, Masure, Malvan * Shri Pavanadevi-Bhagavati-Ravalnath Devasthan, Paliye Wadi, Bandiwade, Masure, Malvan * Shri Devi Bhadrakali Mandir, Revandi, Malvan * Shri Dev Kaleshwar Mandir, Kudal * Shri Kalbhairav temple, Kharepatan (Kankavli) * Shri Dev Kunkeshwar temple (Devgad) * Bhagwati Devi temple (Kot Kamte) * Shri Dev Jaiteer temple, Tulas (Vengurla) * Shri Dev Vetoba temple, Ajgaon (Sawantwadi) * Shri Devi Shanta Durga temple, Vadachapat (Malvan) * Shri Devi Kelbai temple, Kudal * Shri Devi Mauli temple, Fukeri (Dodamarg) * Vyagreshwar temple, Manache Devagad * Shri Devi Bhairavi Mandir Shivapur Kudal near Manohar Manosantosh Gad ' * Ravalnath Mandir, Shivaji Kudal * Shri Devi Shantadurga temple, Mhapan (Kudal) * Shri Swayanbhu Rameshwar temple, Ovaliye (Malvan) * Shri Kshetrapaleshwar temple, Hodawade (Vengurla) * Shri Dev Chavhateshwar temple, Humaramala-Anao (Kudal) * Shri Dev Gadekar temple, Tembwadi, Humaramala-Anao (Kudal) * Shri Sateri Devi temple (Vengurla City) * Shri Dev Narayan temple Asoli(Vengurla) * Shri Dev Vetoba temple Aravali (Vengurla) * Shri Devi Mauli temple Redi (Vengurla)

Beaches

Demographics

According to the 2011 census Sindhudurg district has a

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction usi ...

of 849,651, roughly equal to the nation of

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...

or the US state of

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large po ...

. This gives it a population ranking of 474th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was -2.21%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 6.54% and 0.82% of the population respectively. Sindhudurg has a sex ratio of 1037 females for every 1000 males, which is second highest in Maharashtra, and a

literacy rate Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...

of 85.56%. At the time of the

2011 Census of India The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listing phase began on 1 April 2010 and involved the collection of information about all buildings. Informatio ...

, 91.22% of the population spoke Marathi, 2.29% Malwani, 1.65% Konkani, 1.54%

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...

as their first language. The district is largely rural, with 87.41% of population residing in rural areas.

Divisions

The eight talukas of this district are Devgad, Kankavli, Malvan, Kudal,

, Vengurla and

and

. There are three Vidhan Sabha constituencies in this district. These are Kankavli, Sawantwadi and Kudal. All of these are part of the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha constituency.

Transportation

Sindhudurg is connected to the state capital

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...

by road through the erstwhile National Highway 17 (

NH-17 National Highway 66, commonly referred to as NH 66 (erstwhile NH-17 and a part of NH-47), is a mostly 4 lane long busy National Highway that runs roughly north–south along the western coast of India, parallel to the Western Ghats. It con ...

), now renumbered as NH-66. This highway also connects the district to neighbouring Goa and

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...

. There are regular MSRTC and private luxury buses connecting to adjoining cities like

Kolhapur Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarter of the Kolhapur district. In, around 2 C.E. Kolapur's name was 'Kuntal'. Kolhapur is ...

(110 km away from Kankavli),

Belgaum Belgaum ( ISO: ''Bēḷagāma''; also Belgaon and officially known as Belagavi) is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka located in its northern part along the Western Ghats. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous Belagavi ...

(90 km from Sawantwadi City), Panaji – Goa (55 km away Sawantwadi & Vengurle). Towns and major villages are well connected to Mumbai as a large percentage of emigrants from the district are based in the Mumbai area. The district is also well connected by

Konkan Railway The Konkan Railway (abbreviated KR) is one of the 19 railway zones in India with its headquarters at CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The first passenger train ran on Konkan railway tracks on 20 March 1993, between Udupi and ...

to Mumbai, Thane, Goa and other parts of the country like

Mangalore Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka– ...

Karwar Karwar is a seaside city, ''taluka'', and administrative headquarters of Uttara Kannada district lying at the mouth of the Kali river on the Kanara coast of Karnataka state, India. Karwar is a popular tourist destination and with a city urba ...

Ernakulam Ernakulam () is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation a ...

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...

Coimbatore Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbat ...

Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tam ...

, Hapa, Veraval, New Delhi, Jodhpur and Porbundar. The main railway stations on this route are Kudal, Kankavli and

. Many trains halt at these stations. The nearest major airport is Dabolim Airport in Goa which is around 80 km from cities like Sawantwadi, Kudal and Vengurle.

Sindhudurg Airport Sindhudurg Airport , also known as Chipi Airport, is a domestic airport serving the city of Sindhudurg, Maharastra, India. It is located at Chipi-Parule in Vengurla taluka, located from the nearest city of Malvan and from Sindhudurg. Cons ...

at Chipi-Parule, near Malvan was inaugurated in 2019.Currently Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India provides daily flight services to and from Mumbai.

References

External links

Sindhudurg district official websiteSea Eagle study by Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra
{{Coord, 16.108889, N, 73.690833, E, source:itwiki_region:IN, format=dms, display=title Districts of Maharashtra 1981 establishments in Maharashtra Konkan division