Konkan | |
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Region | |
 Dabhol in Ratnagiri district, Konkan division, Maharashtra. Beaches dotted with swaying coconut palms are a ubiquitous sight along the Konkani coast. | |
 Districts encompassing the Konkan and Karavali region. | |
| Coordinates:15°36′N73°48′E / 15.6°N 73.8°E /15.6; 73.8 | |
| Country |  India |
TheKonkan is a stretch of land by thewestern coast of India, bound by the riverDaman Ganga atDamaon in the north, toAnjediva Island next toKarwar town in the south; with theArabian Sea to the west and theDeccan plateau to the east.[1][verification needed] Thehinterland east of the coast has numerous river valleys, riverine islands and the hilly slopes known as theWestern Ghats; that lead up into thetablelands of the Deccan. The Konkan region has been recognised by name, since at least the time ofStrabo, in the third centuryCE.[1] It had a thriving mercantile port withArab tradesmen from the 10th century onwards.[2] The best-known islands of Konkan areIlhas de Goa, the site of theGoa state's capital atPanjim; also, theSeven Islands of Bombay, on which liesMumbai, the capital ofMaharashtra & the headquarters ofKonkan Division.[citation needed]
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 theDaman Ganga River in the north and theGangavalli River in the south.[3]
The ancientSapta Konkan was a larger geographical area that extended fromGujarat toKerala and included the whole region of coastalMaharashtra andcoastal Karnataka Tulunad.[1] However, this segment overlaps the Konkan,Tulunad coast andMalabar coast continuum; and usually corresponds to the southernmost and northernmost stretches of these locales respectively.[citation needed]
According to theSahyadrikhanda of theSkanda 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 asSaptah-Konkana, meaning "piece of earth", "corner of the earth", or "piece of the corner", derived fromSanskrit words:koṇa (कोण, corner) +kaṇa (कण, piece).[4][5]Xuanzang, the notedChineseBuddhist monk, mentioned this region in his book asKonkana Desha;Varahamihira'sBrihat-Samhita described Konkan as a region of India; and 15th-century author Ratnakosh mentioned the word Konkandesha.[1]
The Konkan extends throughout the western coasts ofMaharashtra, andGoa.[1] It is bounded by theWestern Ghats mountain range (also known as Sahyadri) in the east, theArabian Sea in the west, theDaman Ganga River in the north, and theRiver Aghanashini in the south. The Gangavalli flows in the district ofUttara Kannada in present-dayKarnataka. Its northern bank constitutes the southernmost portion of Konkan. The towns ofKarwar,Ankola,Kumta,Honavar, andBhatkal fall within the Konkan coast. The largest city on the Konkan coast isMumbai, the state capital ofMaharashtra. Districts on the Konkan coast are, from north to south:[6]
The main ethnolinguistic group of the Konkan region is theKonkani people. Specific caste and communities found in the region are theAagri,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,VadvalGavli, 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 theKatkari, Thakar,Konkana,Warli and Mahadev Koli, mainly found in the northern and central parts of Konkan. TheDubla andDhodia tribes live in southernGujarat,Dadra and Nagar Haveli andPalghar district ofMaharashtra. 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. TheGauda and Velip tribes are found in Goa.
The Jewish community calledBene Israel is mainly found inRaigad district. The Christians includedBombay East Indians in North Konkan andMumbai,Goan Catholics inGoa,Karwari Catholics inUttara Kannada as well asMangalorean Catholics inUdupi andDakshina Kannada.
Major Muslim communities likeKonkani Muslims andNawayaths are scattered throughout the whole region. They are reportedly descendants of people who came fromHadhramaut (inYemen orSouth Arabia),[7] and other parts ofArabia and theMiddle East. TheSiddis have their roots inAfrica.[2]spanish as well
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