The Warkari saint-poet Eknath (1533–1599), the main successor of Dnyaneshwar, was a major Marathi literary figure during this period. There was relatively little activity in Marathi in the early days of the Bahmani Sultanate (1347–1527) and the Bijapur Sultanate (1527–1686).
Nalopakhyan, Rukmini Swayamvar and Shripati’s Jyotishratnamala (1039) are a few examples. During the reign of the last three Yadava kings, a great deal of literature in verse and prose, on astrology, medicine, Puranas, Vedanta, kings and courtiers were created. The early Marathi literature was mostly religious and philosophical in nature, and was composed by the saint-poets belonging to Mahanubhava and Warkari sects. However, there is no evidence that the Yadava royal court directly supported the production of Marathi literature with state funds. However, the earliest records of actual literature in Marathi appear only in the late 13th century.The early Marathi literature emerged during the Seuna (Yadava) rule, because of which some scholars have theorized that it was produced with support from the Yadava rulers.The Yadavas did regard Marathi as a significant language for connecting with the general public, and Marathi replaced Kannada and Sanskrit as the dominant language of the inscriptions during the last half century of the Yadava rule. This tradition was particularly vital during the 17th century, when Shivaji, the great Maratha king, led his armies against the might of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.Įpigraphic evidence suggests that Marathi was a standard written language by the 12th century. A unique contribution of Marathi is the tradition of povadas, heroic stories popular among a martial people. Among the bhakti poets of Maharashtra, the most famous is Tukaram, who wrote in the 16th century. It was out of this tradition that the great names of early Marathi literature came: Jnaneshvara, in the 13th century Namdev, his younger contemporary, some of whose devotional songs are included in the holy book of the Sikhs, the Adi Granth and the 16th-century writer Eknath, whose best-known work is a Marathi version of the 11th book of the Bhagavata-purana. The latter sect was perhaps the more productive, for it became associated with bhakti movements, particularly with the popular cult of Vitthoba at Pandharpur. In the 13th century, two Brahmanical sects arose, the Mahanubhava and the Varakari Panth, that both shaped Marathi literature significantly. Marathi literature is the oldest of the Indo-Aryan literatures, dating to about 1000 CE. However, whatever be region that you visit or the language that you hear, the hospitality offered by the people of Maharashtra will remain the same, now and always! Even the Varhadi dialect can be heard from the people of Vidarbha region. Then, in the Desh region of the Deccan Plateau, you will come across people speaking in Deshi. As you move the south Konkan, you will hear many people speaking in Malvani – a dialect of Konkani. You can also find a number of dialects spoken in the state, which differ as you move from one region to another.įor instance, in the northwest parts of Maharashtra, Ahirani dialect is spoken. Along with this, people are also found speaking Gujarati and Urdu. In the bigger cities of Maharashtra (like Mumbai, Pune, etc), where the populace has acquired cosmopolitan nature, Hindi and English are counted amongst the major languages. Infact, this language is spoken by the majority of population living in the state. If you are going to a new place, especially if it’s in a foreign country, it is better to be prepared with all the information regarding it, right from the weather to location to languages spoken there.Īs far as Maharashtra is concerned, the official language is Marathi. Combine this with the architectural splendor of the state and voila, you have the perfect answer to why the state is so popular amongst Indian as well as foreign tourists. Maharashtra is counted amongst the coastal cities of India and has been gifted with natural beauty in abundance.