Heritage India announces Gift of the Sahyadris: The Story and Glory of Maharashtra
• A lavish 280-page coffee table book traces 2,000 years of Maharashtra's story, from the Satavahanas to the birth of the state
• It explores how geography, faith, power and people made and moulded Maharashtra
Mumbai, October 14, 2026: Heritage India Communications Pvt Ltd has announced Gift of the Sahyadris: The Story and Glory of Maharashtra, a coffee table book that spans two millennia of the region's past, from the 1st century CE to the formation of Maharashtra on May 1, 1960.
Dr. Tejas Garge, Director of the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Maharashtra, was Chief Guest at the announcement. Unman Bankar, one of the writers of the blockbuster film Chhaava, was Guest of Honour. Between them, they represented Maharashtra's scholarship and its storytelling.
The book comes at a time when the world has begun to take notice of Maharashtra's past. In 2025, twelve forts of the Maratha Military Landscapes were inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List, joining Ajanta and Ellora. Gift of the Sahyadris tells the story behind these sites, and much more.
Speaking on the occasion, Manjiri Khandekar, CEO, Heritage India, said: "Marcus Garvey once said that a people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. For the last 20 years, our endeavour has been to strengthen those roots. As a tourism, publication and educational house, we believe the best way to celebrate history is to make it accessible and relevant to the common man, and maps, pictures and illustrations help us do that. Our last coffee table book, Punyakatha: Pune's Story of a Million Years, was well-received for both the depth of its content and the richness of its presentation. So, when Kalyani Sardesai, who wrote Punyakatha for us, wanted to tell 2,000 years of Maharashtra's story, I knew a dull approach would not do. The scale had to be equally lavish, and the presentation fun, colourful and engaging. Having published the Heritage India and Maharashtra Unlimited magazines, we had both the know-how and access to scholarly expertise."
Journalist and author Kalyani Sardesai, who wrote and creatively visualised the book, said: "The last thing Maharashtra needed was yet another history book. What it needed was its story. This book is unique in its scale, its ambition and the sheer stretch of time it covers. Through dramatisation and poetry woven into the history, we have tried to show readers, at every point, why this story matters to them and how it connects to their lives."
Maharashtra has long deserved a book of its own, Sardesai continued. It is neither North nor South. It has its own identity, with a culture as distinct as its landscape. It ranks among India's most industrialised and educated states, Mumbai is home to one of the world's biggest film industries, and the state has a deep and rich cultural heritage. Yet its larger story is often overlooked.
Speaking on the occasion, Unman Bankar said, "A book like this is important to take Maharashtra's story to its youth. Its triumph lies not just in the concept and writing, but in the strong editorial support that ensured the writing stays focused at all times. As a writer myself, I appreciate the challenge presented by such a vast subject."
Dr. Tejas Garge, who was a regular contributor to Heritage India Communications Private Limited's former magazines, including Maharashtra Unlimited and Heritage India, lauded the publishers' vision and courage in bringing out a beautiful and comprehensive book that readers can enjoy for both its visuals and its text.
At the heart of that story stand the Sahyadris. Far more than a mountain backdrop, the range forms part of the Western Ghats, one of the most biodiverse regions on earth. Its slopes catch the monsoon, give rise to the Godavari, Krishna and Bhima, and once sheltered the region's great cave monasteries. Centuries later, these same mountains became the natural bastions of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s Swarajya.
Written for readers aged twelve and above, the book moves through Maharashtra's ancient, medieval and modern eras. It shows how the geography of the Sahyadris shaped the region's history, explores its extraordinary rock-cut caves and forts, and traces how earlier setbacks prepared the ground for the rise of its most remarkable son, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It follows the rise and fall of the Peshwai and Maharashtra's emergence as a crucible of education, journalism, social reform, cosmopolitanism and innovation. The story reaches its climax with the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement, in which 106 people gave their lives, and the birth of the state on May 1, 1960.
The book also follows the voices that gave Maharashtra its soul: the saint poets from Dnyaneshwar to Tukaram, the Warkari tradition, and the rise of Marathi as a language of devotion, governance and literature. It gives women their due place, from Jijabai and Tarabai to Ahilyabai Holkar and Savitribai Phule. Dedicated sections on Vidarbha, Marathwada, Konkan, Khandesh and Western Maharashtra bring out the character of each region.
The book carries illustrations by Rahul Deshpande, Anant Dere, Tejas Modak and Madhumita Shinde. Its research panel includes historians Dr Ajit Apte, Prof. PK Ghanekar and Dr Manjiri Bhalerao.
This is not a book to read once and set aside. It is a collector's item for families to enjoy across generations, and a natural fit for school libraries and home bookshelves. Released just ahead of Diwali, it also makes a gift worth keeping. And it is not only for Maharashtrians, but for anyone who lives in Maharashtra or wishes to understand it more deeply.
Industrialist Dr. Abhay Firodiya will formally launch the book on October 31, 2026, at the auditorium of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune.
Book details:
Title: Gift of the Sahyadris: The Story and Glory of Maharashtra
Publisher: Heritage India Communications Pvt Ltd
Pages: 280
Price: Rs 2,500
About Heritage India
Heritage India is a Pune-based tourism, publication and educational house devoted to spreading Indian history and tradition since 2007. Its publications include the Heritage India and Maharashtra Unlimited magazines and the coffee table book Punyakatha: Pune's Story of a Million Years.
Website: www.heritage-india.com
Email: info@heritage-india.com
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