Maharashtra Maharashtra is a large, populous and economically important state. From Mumbai most travellers head south to the beaches of Goa, south-east to Pune and its famous ashram, or north -east to the World Heritage-listed cave temples of Ajanta and Ellora. The Western Ghats run parallel with the coast; the rest of the state stands on the high Deccan plateau, stretching some 800 km east. Maharashtra with Mumbai as capital was formed in 1960 when the Maratha and Gujrati-speaking areas were again separated. It has strong links with Gandhi and India's Independence.