Raigad district

Raigad District (), also known as Raigarh District, is a district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is located in the Konkan region. The district was renamed after Raigad, the fort which was the former capital of the Maratha leader Shivaji, and is located in the interior regions of the district, in dense forests of the district, on a west-facing spur of the Western Ghats of Sahyadri range. The district had a population of 2,207,929 of which 24.22% were urban as of 2001.

The district is bounded by Mumbai Harbour to the northwest, Thane District to the north, Pune District to the east, Ratnagiri district to the south, and the Arabian Sea to the west. It includes the large natural harbor of Pen-Mandwa, which is immediately south of Mumbai harbour, and forming a single landform with it. Part of the district is included in the planned metropolis of Navi Mumbai, and its port, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port.

The district includes towns/cities of Roha, Panvel, Pen, Khopoli, Khalapur, Uran, Patalganga, Rasayani, Nagothana, Poladpur, Alibag, Karjat and Mahad. The biggest city both in area and population is Panvel. The district also includes the isle of Gharapuri or Elephanta, located in Uran tehasil which has ancient Hindu and Buddhist caves.

History

Kulaba (also spelled Kolaba) district was split from Thane district in 1869. According to the 1872 census Kulaba district had a population of just over 3,50,000 people, with 94% of the population being Hindus, and...
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