Boisar is the largest industrial town in the

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Mumbai Metropolitan Region (ISO 15919, ISO: ''Muṁbaī Mahānagara Pradēśa''; abbreviated to MMR and previously also known as Greater Bombay Metropolitan Area), is a metropolitan area consisting of Mumbai and its Satellite city, satellite tow ...

in the Indian state of

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

. It was originally a part of the

Thane district Thane district (Pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, �ʰaːɳe previously named Taana or Thana) is a districts of Maharashtra, district in the Konkan Division of Maharashtra, India. At the 2011 Census it was the most populated district in the c ...

before becoming a part of the

Palghar district Palghar District (Marathi pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, aːlɡʱəɾ is a Districts of Maharashtra, district in the state of Maharashtra in Konkan Division. The headquarters of the district is the town of Palghar. Other major cities in the ...

. It is approximately 111 kilometers (69 miles) away from the state capital

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

, and is from the

union territory Among the states and union territories of India, a Union Territory (UT) is a region that is directly governed by the Government of India, central government of India, as opposed to the states, which have their own State governments of India, s ...

Daman. It is located in the district Palghar in Maharashtra. Boisar is governed by the Palghar Municipal Council (PMC). It is home to the largest Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). Boisar hosts India's first nuclear power station Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS). It has a railway station in the

Western Railway zone The Western Railway (abbreviated WR) is one of the 19 zones of Indian Railways and is among the busiest railway networks in India, headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra. The major railway routes of Indian Railways which come under Western Railw ...

Indian Railways Indian Railways is a state-owned enterprise that is organised as a departmental undertaking of the Ministry of Railways (India), Ministry of Railways of the Government of India and operates India's national railway system. , it manages the fou ...

as well as Mumbai Suburban Railway. The

Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor The Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor (Mumbai–Ahmedabad HSR) is an under-construction high-speed rail line, which will connect Mumbai, Maharashtra, the financial hub of India, with Ahmedabad, the largest city in the state of Gujara ...

will have a stop at Boisar. Boisar is a popular weekend spot for tourists and locals due to nearby beaches, forts and lakes. The place has seen rapid development due to: * The existence of more than 1500 industrial units. * Its proximity to

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

. * Easy access by train and road. * * Availability of surplus power and water. * Its vicinity of Maharashtra's largest fishing port Satpati (). * The upcoming Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train having a stop at Boisar. *The upcoming Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project (DMIC) being planned to pass via Boisar. * The upcoming Mumbai-Vadodara expressway. * The expansion of sea transport project.

Demonym

A resident of Boisar is called a ''Boisarkar'', ''Boisarean'', or ''Boisary'' in Marathi, in which the suffixes "kar"', "ean" and "y" means "resident of" or "to belong to". Boisar is located within the

History

Boisar city was part of the

Rashtrakuta dynasty The Rashtrakuta Empire was a royal Indian polity ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the 6th and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing their rule from Manapu ...

which had ruled the

Deccan plateau The Deccan is a plateau extending over an area of and occupies the majority of the Indian peninsula. It stretches from the Satpura Range, Satpura and Vindhya Ranges in the north to the northern fringes of Tamil Nadu in the south. It is bound ...

between the 8th and 10th centuries. It was ruled by

Ahmadnagar Ahmednagar, officially Ahilyanagar, is a city in, and the headquarters of, the Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India. Ahmednagar has several dozen buildings and sites from the Nizam Shahi period. Ahmednagar Fort, once considered almost imp ...

(1521–1594), the Portuguese Empire (1594), the

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...

(1739–1818), the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

(1818–1857) and the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

(1857–1947). There are some forts near the city, such as Asava Fort (11 km), Tarapur Fort (), Kaldurg Fort(), Shirgaon Fort (), Mahim Fort (), and Asheri Fort (). Boisar was initially inhabited by the

Kolis The Koli is an Indian caste that is predominantly found in India, but also in Pakistan and Nepal. Koli is an agriculturist caste of Gujarat but in coastal areas they also work as fishermen along with agriculture. In the beginning of 20th ce ...

and Konkanis who were fish and used to live in the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...

coast. The Kolis are traditional fishermen who speak different dialects of

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India **Marathi people (Uttar Pradesh), the Marathi people in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Mar ...

. The present Vanjari community of Boisar was part of the

Indus Valley civilization The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation, was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form from 2600 BCE ...

and originate from

Chittorgarh Chittorgarh (; also Chitror or Chittor or Chittaurgarh) is a major city in the state of Rajasthan in western India. It lies on the Berach River, a tributary of the Banas, and is the administrative headquarters of Chittorgarh District. It wa ...

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

. In the 15th century they served as a main

grain trade The grain trade refers to the local and international trade in cereals such as wheat, barley, maize, rice, and other food grains. Grain is an important trade item because it is easily stored and transported with limited spoilage, unlike other agri ...

r, supplier and salesman in the

Mughal army The army of the Mughal Empire was the force by which the Mughal emperors established their empire in the 16th century and expanded it to its greatest extent at the beginning of the 18th century. Although its origins, like the Mughals themselve ...

Alauddin Khalji Alauddin Khalji (; ), born Ali Gurshasp, was a ruler from the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the Indian subcontinent. Alauddin instituted a number of significant administrative changes in the Delhi Sultanate, related to revenue ...

. They migrated to "Moradi" port (today "Murbe") to trade in Boisar because the British started the railway in 1853 which halted the grain trade. Their language is distinct from standard

as it influenced by

Rajasthani Rajasthani may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Rajasthan, a state of India * Rajasthani languages, a group of Indic languages spoken there * Rajasthani people, the native inhabitants of the state * Rajasthani architecture, Indian ar ...

and

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub- ...

. The Vadval community is located in Boisar, Tarapur. They are said to be the descendants of Yadava dynasty of Devagiri who escaped from the Muslims. They form one of the few Marathi-speaking communities which belong to

Kshatriya Kshatriya () (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority"; also called Rajanya) is one of the four varnas (social orders) of Hindu society and is associated with the warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...

varna but not the traditional 96-clan Maratha caste. Boisar was town in

Bombay state Bombay State was a large Indian state created in 1950 from the erstwhile Bombay Province, with other regions being added to it in the succeeding years. Bombay Province (in British India roughly equating to the present-day Indian state of Mah ...

between 18th to 19th century. It was also city in the

after the

independence of India The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events in South Asia with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British colonial rule. It lasted until 1947, when the Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed. The first nationalistic ...

is the current district of Boisar from 1 August 2014.

Geography

Boisar encompasses an area of . It is located at 19° 48' 13N 72° 45' 22E and has an average altitude of at the base of the eastern slopes of the Sahyadri. Boisar is a part of the coastal country known as the

Konkan The Konkan is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, bound by the river Daman Ganga at Damaon in the north, to Anjediva Island next to Karwar town in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau to the eas ...

with the

forming its western coast, and is about from the shores. It is close to

, and Daman. People in and around Boisar use Marathi as a common language.

Hydrography

The two main rivers flowing through the city are the Surya and the Banganga (which has Betegaon Railway Bridge). Many small creeks are found all along the western coast villages like Kolwade, Kumbhavali, and Murbe where tidal waters flood upstream. There are dams such as the Surya Dam and the Devkhop dam. Boisar has no natural lakes but it has artificial ones. The Babule Lake and Navale Lake near the city are known for lotus blooms in winter. The Kokner/Kokaner hot water spring is on the banks on the Surya river; the water is a murky greenish brown due to sulphur & chemical deposits from the spring.

Pedology

Basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

and medium deep grayish black soil are found in the hill area and deep black soils are found in the basins of Surya river. Coastal saline soil occurs along the

. Other than basalt, minor minerals like murrum are found in the city.

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, the climate of Boisar is tropical, very humid, and warm because of the western coastal plains. The city experiences three main seasons and one transitional season. They are: #Winter Season (December to February). #Summer Season (March to June). #Monsoon Season (June to September). #Post Monsoon Season / Autumn (October and November): Hot and humid in the coastal areas.

Demographics

Census India 2011 reported a total of 20319 males and 15832 females and a total number of 4896 children below 6 years of age in Boisar. The is around 919 compared to the Maharashtra state average of 894. The literacy rate of Boisar is 88.49%, higher than the state average of 82.34%. The city has complete administration over 8,711 houses to which it supplies basic amenities like water and sewerage. It is also authorized to build roads within town limits and impose taxes on properties under its jurisdiction. Out of its total population, 14,372 are employed; 12,312 were males while 2,060 were females. In the census survey, a worker is defined as person who performs a job, service, cultivation, or labour. Of the 14372 people that were surveyed to be working, 89.32% were engaged in main work while 10.68% of total workers were engaged in marginal work.

Religion

According to the 2011 census, out of a total of 36,151 people in Boisar, Hindus (83.84%) constituted the majority of the city population. Schedule Caste (SC) constituted 4.82% while Schedule Tribe (ST) were 1.76% of the total population. The official language of Boisar is Marathi but Hindi and English are also allowed to be used for any official purpose. Marathi is the most widely spoken language with Vanjari, Agri, Koli, Vadvali and Warli dialects. Small communities of Gujaratis and Muslims speak Gujarati and Urdu respectively. Marathi, Hindi, and English are compulsory languages in schools whereas Sanskrit and Urdu are optional.

Culture

Festivals

Boisar residents celebrate Marathi, Indian, and Western festivals.

Ganesh Chaturthi Ganesh Chaturthi (ISO: ), also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi () or Vinayaka Chavithi () or Vinayagar Chaturthi (), is a Hindu festival celebrating the birthday of Hindu deity Ganesh. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha's ''m ...

and Gokulashtami/Dahi Handi are popular festivals in the city. Some other festivals celebrated in the city are :

Transportation

Railway Station

* Boisar railway station is the main mode of transportation. * All local trains runs between Dahanu and Churchgate; Dahanu-Virar has a stop at Boisar railway station. * It is part of the

. * There are some local trains and express trains that run through Boisar station to the Mumbai Central line and

Central Railway zone Central Railway (abbreviated CR) is one of the 19 zones of Indian Railways. Its headquarters are located at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai. It has the distinction of operating the first passenger railway line in India, which opened ...

via the Boisar-Vasai-Bhiwandi-Panvel railway route. * Boisar railway station has 3 platforms and multiple tracks. After a period of neglect, it has become properly maintained.

Road

*Transportation inside city is done by three-wheeled buses

auto rickshaw An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many other terms in various countries, including three-wheeler, Adaidaita Sahu, Keke-napep, Maruwa, auto, ...

s. *(Boisar-

Palghar Palghar () is a prominent town in the Konkan division of Maharashtra state, India, and a municipal council. It is strategically located within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, and since 2014, it has been the administrative capital of the Palgh ...

), (Boisar-Navapur, Nandgaon, Alewadi and Kumbhavali) and (Boisar-Tarapur) are connected via 10-seat passenger auto rickshaws and

Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation abbreviated as (MSRTC, or simply ST), is the state-run bus service of Maharashtra, India, which serves routes to towns and cities within Maharashtra as well as to its adjoining states. It also of ...

buses. *

provides AC and non AC bus services to other cities in Maharashtra. *Boisar is connected to national highway NH 48, which connects to Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Boat Services

*In city, the coastal area usually commutes by ferry. Routes are defined by Maharashtra Maritime Board. # Navapur to Dandi. # Murbe to Satpati. # Murbe to Kharekuran. * Ferries are available throughout the year from 6 am to 6 pm, except during monsoons. Timings of ferry can change depending on the tide.

Air

*Boisar has no airport. *The nearest airport is Chhatrapati Shivaji international airport Mumbai(BOM) which is away.

Education

Schools and Higher Secondary Schools (Junior Colleges)

There are schools and junior colleges in Boisar. Most of them are run by private individuals and trusts. The city's public school system and junior colleges are managed by the education ministry of the Government of Maharashtra. The schools and junior colleges are affiliated with the following boards: #

Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (Abbreviation: MSBSHSE) is a statutory and autonomous body established under the "Maharashtra Secondary Boards Act" 1965 (amended in 1977). Most important task of the board ...

. ##

Secondary School Certificate Secondary School Certificate (SSC), Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) or Matriculation examination, is a public examination in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Maldives and Nepal conducted by educational boards for the successful completi ...

(SSC): 10th grade. ## Higher School Certificate (HSC): 12th grade. #

Central Board of Secondary Education The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national-level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India. Established in 1929 by a resolution of the government, the Board ...

(CBSE). #

Indian Certificate of Secondary Education The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) is an academic qualification awarded by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private, non-governmental board of education in India. The CISCE conducts these examinati ...

(ICSE).

Institutes headquartered in city proximity

Professional Programme (Internship and Apprenticeship)

*Boisar is known for its industrial hub and most industries (especially chemical, pharmaceutical, textile and mechanical companies) offer internship and apprenticeship programs to college undergraduates and postgraduates. Banks and hospitals also provide work experience for students and professionals.

Research Institutions

Boisar is home to two prominent research institutions: the

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is India's premier nuclear research facility, headquartered in Trombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was founded by Homi Jehangir Bhabha as the Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay (AEET) in January 1954 ...

(BARC) and the Agricultural Research Station.

Notable people

Shardul Thakur Shardul Narendra Thakur (born 16 October 1991) is an Indian international cricketer who plays for Mumbai in domestic cricket and has previously appeared for several Indian Premier League teams. He is an allrounder who bats right-handed and bowl ...

Indian cricketer, CSK player, lives here * Rajani Pandit better known as female Sherlock Holmes or India's Sherlock, who is India's first female detective

References

{{Mumbai metropolitan area Neighbourhoods in Thane Palghar district Cities and towns in Palghar district Townships in India Planned communities in India