ZARAKHANMAHI8 at 13:08, 19 March 2026

2026-03-19T13:08:43Z

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{{Short description|Region of southwest India}}
{{other uses}}
{{Distinguish|Concan, Texas|Khon Kaen|Kanara}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name = Konkan
| other_name =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang = kok
| image_skyline = Dabhol Beach.jpg
| caption = [[Dabhol]] in Ratnagiri district, Konkan division, Maharashtra. Beaches dotted with swaying coconut palms are a ubiquitous sight along the Konkani coast.
| image_map = Konkan Districts.png
| map_caption = Districts encompassing the Konkan and [[Karavali]] region.
| coordinates = {{coord|15.6|73.8|display=title}}
| settlement_type = Region
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| parts_type =
| parts =
}}

The '''Konkan''' is a stretch of land by the [[West Coast of India|western coast]] of India, bound by the river [[Daman Ganga]] at [[Daman, India|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 east.<ref name="history" />{{verify source|reason=Political boundary of [[Konkan division]] starts from [[palghar]] this page is about the historical Konkan region not just the Konkan Division occupied by Maharashtra|date=June 2022}} The [[hinterland]] east of the coast has numerous river valleys, riverine islands and the hilly slopes known as the [[Western Ghats]]; that lead up into the [[Table (landform)|tablelands]] of the Deccan. The Konkan region has been recognised by name, since at least the time of [[Strabo]], in the third century [[Common Era|CE]].<ref name="history">{{cite book |last=Saradesāya |first=Manohararāya |author-link=Manohar Rai Sardesai |title=A History of Konkani Literature: From 1500 to 1992 |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |year=2000 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1YILeUD_oZUC&pg=PA1 |isbn=978-8-1720-1664-7 |location=India |pages=1–14 |chapter=The Land, the People and the Language}}</ref> It had a thriving mercantile port with [[Arabs|Arab]] tradesmen from the 10th century onwards.<ref name="Wink1991">{{Cite book |last=Wink |first=André |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bCVyhH5VDjAC |title=Al-hind: The Making of the Indo-islamic World |year=1991 |publisher=[[Brill Publishers|Brill]] |isbn=978-90-04-09249-5 |page=68 |language=en}}</ref> The best-known islands of Konkan are [[Ilhas de Goa]], the site of the [[Goa state]]'s capital at [[Panjim]]; also, the [[Seven Islands of Bombay]], on which lies [[Mumbai]], the capital of [[Maharashtra]] & the headquarters of [[Konkan Division]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}

==Definition==
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 the [[Daman Ganga River]] in the north and the [[Gangavalli River]] in the south.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dwYDPnEjTb4C&dq=daman+ganga+gangavalli&pg=PA7|title=Goa Through the Ages: An economic history - Volume 2|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|year=1990|isbn=9788170222590|editor-last=De Souza|editor-first=Teotonio R.|location=India|pages=8–9}}</ref>

The ancient ''[[Coastal South West India|Sapta Konkan]]'' was a larger geographical area that extended from [[Gujarat]] to [[Kerala]] and included the whole region of coastal [[Maharashtra]] and [[Tulunad|coastal Karnataka Tulunad]].<ref name="history" /> However, this segment overlaps the Konkan, [[Tulunad|Tulunad coast]] and [[Malabar coast]] continuum; and usually corresponds to the southernmost and northernmost stretches of these locales respectively.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}

==Etymology==
According to the ''[[Sahyadrikhanda]]'' of the ''[[Skanda 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 as ''Saptah-Konkana'', meaning "piece of earth", "corner of the earth", or "piece of the corner", derived from [[Sanskrit]] words: ''koṇa'' (कोण, corner) + ''kaṇa'' (कण, piece).<ref name="skanda">{{cite book |title=Shree Scanda Puran (Sayadri Khandha) |editor-last=Shastri Gaytonde |editor-first=Gajanan |language=mr |publisher=Shree Katyani Publication |publication-place=Mumbai}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Gomantak Prakruti ani Sanskruti |version=Part 1 |page=206 |last=Satoskar |first=B. D. |language=mr |publisher=Shubhada Publication}}</ref> [[Xuanzang]], the noted [[China|Chinese]] [[Buddhist]] monk, mentioned this region in his book as ''Konkana Desha''; [[Varahamihira]]'s [[Brihat-Samhita]] described Konkan as a region of India; and 15th-century author Ratnakosh mentioned the word Konkandesha.<ref name="history" />

==Geography==
{{multiple image |align=right |direction=vertical |width=
|image1=Deogad Beach in Sindhudurg district ,Konkan region Maharashtra, India.JPG |caption1=Beach of [[Devgad taluka]], [[Sindhudurg district]], in the [[States and union territories of India|State]] of Maharashtra
|image2=Ratnagiri Mountain Ranges.jpg |caption2=View of the [[Western Ghats|Sahyadri Mountains]] in the village of Sathare Bambar, Ratnagiri district
}}

The Konkan extends throughout the western coasts of [[Maharashtra]], and [[Goa]].<ref name="history"/> It is bounded by the [[Western Ghats]] mountain range (also known as Sahyadri) in the east, the [[Arabian Sea]] in the west, the [[Daman Ganga River]] in the north, and the [[River Aghanashini]] in the south. The Gangavalli flows in the district of [[Uttara Kannada]] in present-day [[Karnataka]]. Its northern bank constitutes the southernmost portion of Konkan. The towns of [[Karwar]], [[Ankola]], [[Kumta]], [[Honavar]], and [[Bhatkal]] fall within the Konkan coast. The largest city on the Konkan coast is [[Mumbai]], the state capital of [[Maharashtra]]. Districts on the Konkan coast are, from north to south:<ref>{{Cite web|title=Konkan Division District List (कोंकण विभाग जिल्हा यादी)|url=http://www.swapp.co.in/site/indianstatedistrictlist.php?stateid=j1YKCtUvHkShwKBqk6iHow==&divisionid=bRbHGKvCu7LMDJJGUsYuQA==|access-date=26 January 2022|website=swapp.co.in}}</ref>

* [[Daman district, India|Damaon]] district
* [[Palghar district]]
* [[Thane district]]
* [[Mumbai Suburban district]]
* [[Mumbai City district]]
* [[Raigad district]]
* [[Ratnagiri district]]
* [[Sindhudurg district]]
* [[Uttara Kannada|North Kanara]] (Karwar to Bhatkal)

==Ethnology==
{{main|Konkani people}}

The main ethnolinguistic group of the Konkan region is the [[Konkani people]]. Specific caste and communities found in the region are the [[Agri caste|Aagri]], [[Koli people|Koli]], [[Bhandari caste|Bhandari]], [[Kunbi]], [[Maratha (caste)|Maratha]], [[Gabit]], Mangela, Karadi, Phudagi, Vaiti, [[Kharvi]], [[Teli]], [[Kumbhar]], [[Nai (caste)|Nhavi]], [[Dhobi]], [[Twashta Kasar|Kasar]], [[Sutradhar|Sutar]], [[Lohar (caste)|Lohar]], [[Chamar|Chambhar]], [[Mahar]], [[Dhangar]], [[Gaud Saraswat Brahmin]] (also includes Rajapur Saraswats and Chitrapur Saraswats), [[Kudaldeshkar Gaud Brahmin|Kudaldeshkar]], [[Pathare Prabhu]], [[Gomantak Maratha Samaj|Gomantak Maratha]], [[Chitpavan|Chitpavan Brahmins]], [[Karhade Brahmin|Karhade Brahmins]], [[Daivadnya]], [[Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu|Kayastha Prabhu]], [[Panchkalshi]], [[Vani]], [[Komarpant]], [[Chaukalshi|Vadval]] [[Gavli]], Ghorpi, Nath Jogi, [[Gurav]], Pagi, Kalan, Ghadi, Padti, [[Vanjari_caste|Vanjari]], [[Shimpi|Namdev Shimpi]] and others. [[Billava]], [[Bunt (community)|Bunt]], [[Nador (caste)|Nadavara]], [[Mogaveera]] and Linghayat communities found in the parts of Karnataka which are near to Konkan.

Tribal communities include the [[Katkari]], Thakar, [[Konkana]], [[Warli]] and Mahadev Koli, mainly found in the northern and central parts of Konkan. The [[Halpati|Dubla]] and [[Dhodia]] tribes live in southern [[Gujarat]], [[Dadra and Nagar Haveli]] and [[Palghar district]] of [[Maharashtra]]. 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. The [[Gauda and Kunbi|Gauda]] and Velip tribes are found in Goa.

The Jewish community called [[Bene Israel]] is mainly found in [[Raigad district]]. The Christians included [[Bombay East Indians]] in North Konkan and [[Mumbai]], [[Goan Catholics]] in [[Goa]], [[Karwari Catholics]] in [[Uttara Kannada]] as well as [[Mangalorean Catholics]] in [[Udupi]] and [[Dakshina Kannada]].

Major Muslim communities like [[Konkani Muslims]] and [[Nawayath]]s are scattered throughout the whole region. They are reportedly descendants of people who came from [[Hadhramaut]] (in [[Yemen]] or [[South Arabia]]),<ref name="Khalidi1996">{{citation |last=Khalidi |first=Omar |author-link=Omar Khalidi |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O_WNqSH4ByQC&pg=PA52 |chapter=The Arabs of Hadramawt in Hyderabad |title=Mediaeval Deccan History |editor1=Kulkarni |editor2=Naeem |editor3=De Souza |publisher=Popular Prakashan |location=[[Mumbai|Bombay]] |year=1996 |isbn=978-8-1715-4579-7}}</ref> and other parts of [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabia]] and the [[Middle East]]. The [[Siddi]]s have their roots in [[Africa]].<ref name="Wink1991" />

==See also==
*[[People of the Konkan Division]]
*[[Konkan Railway]]
*[[Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project]]
*[[Malabar Coast]]
*[[Coromandel Coast]]
*[[Tulunad|Tulunad coast]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{wikivoyage inline|Konkan}}
*[http://www.konkan.me Konkan Tourism] – a complete guide on tourism
*[https://www.hotelinkonkan.com Konkan Hotels]
*[https://trendifyworld.com/kokan-darshan-the-best-tourist-places-in-maharashtra/ Tourist Place to visit Konkan Darshan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829150556/https://trendifyworld.com/kokan-darshan-the-best-tourist-places-in-maharashtra/ |date=29 August 2021 }}

{{Maharashtra}}
{{Western Ghats}}
{{GeoSouthAsia}}

[[Category:Konkan| ]]
[[Category:Regions of India]]
[[Category:Landforms of Goa]]
[[Category:Coasts of India]]
[[Category:West Coast of India]]
[[Category:Konkani]]
[[Category:Regions of Maharashtra]]

Konkan - Revision history

ZARAKHANMAHI8 at 13:08, 19 March 2026