ABSTRACT
Historically, Western India has been a crossroads of connection; from north to south and east to west, by land and sea, people navigated and settled in its varied geographical places. At the same time, this territory has also been constructed in terms of the geographic/cultural regions of ghat, desh and Konkan, each with their own conceptual framework and history. In this way, this area – which includes what is bounded within the state of Maharashtra as well surrounding environs – has historically been dynamic and multiple. Brought together as a whole or in parts by language, rulers and pilgrimage routes, the many places and spaces within this region have been as likely to pull against each other as unite, and different places within this region revolved around numerous centres – some established by rulers, some by sacred sites and still others by lived experiences that define what is home.
