Konkan

For the village in Burkina Faso, see Konkan, Burkina Faso.

"Concan" redirects here. For Concan, Texas, see Concan, Texas.

Konkan or the Konkan Coast or Kokan as specifically called in the state of Maharashtra, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India. It is a 720 km long coastline. It consists of the coastal districts of western Indian states of Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka. The ancient sapta-Konkan is a slightly larger region described in the Sahyadrikhanda which refers to it as "Parashuramakshetra".

Traditional houses in Konkan region

Boundaries

The precise definition of Konkan varies, it is roughly the land between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, and between the Tapti River in the north and the Chandragiri river in the south. It includes the following districts of modern India: Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, North Goa, South Goa and Uttara Kannada

Modern Districts of India forming the Konkan

The Konkan division

The Konkan division is an administrative sub-division of Maharashtra which comprises all the coastal districts of the state.

Geography

The Sahyadri Mountain range ("Western Ghats") forms the eastern boundary of the Konkan, and the Arabian Sea marks the western boundary. The southern boundary is the Gangavali River. The Mayura River forms the northern boundary.

The Gangavali flows in the district of ("Uttara Kannada") in present-day "Karnataka State"; the cis-Gangavali portion (seen from Bombay) of this district is the southernmost part of the Konkan. The towns of Karwar, Ankola, Kumta, Honavar and Bhatkal fall within the Konkan. The exact identity of the Mayura River, the northern limits of the historic Konkan, is indeterminate.

This is a schematic map of the Konkan belt (Maharashtra) with the hill stations plotted on it and how they are connected with roadways and railways.

Ethnology

Main article: Konkani people

Some of the ethnic groups and communities found in the region include Agri, Koli, Gabit, Chitpavan, Gauda, Kuruba and Kunbi.

Tribal communities in Konkan include Konkana, Warli and Kolcha in Southern Gujarat, Dadra and Nagarhaveli and Thane district of Maharashtra. Katkaris are found more in Raigad and also some in Ratnagiri district.

See also

• People of the Konkan Division
• Konkani people
• Konkani language
• Konkan Railway
• Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project

External links

The official website of Konkan is http://konkanindia.com

• www.konkantourismguide.com
• Kokanwadi Resort at Kotawade, Ratnagiri