Palghar

On 1 August 2014, Palghar became the 36th district of Maharashtra. Its history is alternate with its old district Thane. Jawhar, Vasai and Palghar tehsils have a historical legacy. Vasai (then known as Bassein) was under the Portuguese Empire. Chimaji Appa, the Maratha military commander later captured Vasai fort from the Portuguese and embedded the Maratha flag on Vasai. Palghar was one of the important points in 1942 of the Chalejav campaign.

On 14 August 1942, there was an uprising against the British in Palghar, in which Kashinath Hari Pagdhare, Govind Ganesh Thakur, Ramprasad Bhimashankar Tiwari, Ramchandra Mahadev Churi, and Govind Sukur More were killed. The main circle of Palghar is known as "Paachbatti" (which means 'five lights' in Marathi) in honour of these martyrs. 14 August has been declared "Martyrs Day" in Palghar, when people gather at Paachbatti Circle to honour the five who sacrificed their lives for Indian independence.

At the 2011 Census of India,[2] Palghar had a population of 68,930. Males numbered 36,523 (52.9%) and females 32,407 (47.1%). The literacy rate was 77.52%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; male literacy was 81.2% and female literacy 73.35%. 11.8% of the population was under 6 years of age.

Marathi is the most widely spoken language with Warli, Vadvali and Vanjari dialects. Small communities of Gujaratis and Muslims speak Gujarati and Urdu respectively.

Palghar has an urban population of 33,086 thus about 48% of the total population lives in the urbanized area.

Kunbi, Bhandari, Warli (Adivasi), Katkari, Malhar Koli, Vanjari, Vadval, Mali (Sorathi) are the predominant castes in Palghar.

The Vanjaris are a nomadic tribe that have their roots in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan. Their language is distinct from standard Marathi as it has a high influence of Rajasthani and Gujarati.

Vadval is the most numerous community present in Palghar. They are said to be the descendants of Yadava dynasty of Devagiri who established themselves here. They form one of the very few Marathi-speaking communities which belong to Kshatriya varna but not the traditional 96-clan (96 - Kuli) Maratha caste.

Warli Painting and famous Tarapa dance features contribution towards art by the Warli community. Warli painting and art stretch back to a millennium. Warli art is also appreciated in foreign countries. Warlis represent the earliest settlers of the land around the present times and their culture has largely influenced the later cultures in and around the area.

The Koli (fishermen) community of Palghar is a reminder of the city's links with the Arabian sea. Fisheries form a large part of trade and diet of Palghar and also take up a major role in cultural events. The Kolis are further divided into subcastes such as Vaiti, Mangele, Bari, etc.

The economy of Palghar is largely the primary and tertiary sector. Palghar being the seat of Taluka and District, has many government offices and people working there. Agriculture, animal husbandry, dairy, and fisheries are practiced in abundance in the rural areas around the city and fuel the economy of the city.

Palghar had also been a hub for wood smuggling in the post-independence era, a practice that has been largely curbed by the Forest department and police. Other than wood, the secluded beaches were known to attract smugglers trying to offshore their goods and enter Mumbai by road to avoid customs.

The town has a number of schools and colleges, with more under construction to serve the increasing population. Palghar is the education hub of the area, with many students traveling from outside the town. The schools and colleges include:

• Sonopant Dandekar Arts, V.S. Apte Commerce & M.H. Mehta Science College Palghar[4]
• St. John College of Humanities and Sciences[5]
• St. John College of Engineering and Technology[6]
• St. John Institute of Pharmacy and Research[7]
• St.John College of Technical Institute
• Sonopant Dandekar Shikshan Mandali
• Anand Ashram English High School Palghar
• Sundaram Central School & Junior College [CBSE] Palghar
• Kenam English High School Palghar
• Holy Spirit English High School Palghar
• twinkle Star English High School Palghar
• Aryan High School Plaghar
• Jeevan Vikas High School Palghar
• Bhagini Samaj High School
• Sir JP International school [ICSE]
• Aryan English High School
• Surya Valley School
• Yashwantrao Chaphekar Jr.College of Arts, Commerce & Science
• Sacred heart English High School, Palghar
• National College, Palghar

Palghar railway station

Palghar is well connected via road and rail transport. Palghar acts as a divisional head of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, which provides direct connectivity to several towns across Maharashtra and Gujarat, including Surat, Vapi, Valsad, Vadodara, Bharuch, Ankleshwar, Anand, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Miraj, Sangli,Pune, Vaduj, Thane, Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar, Kalyan, Alibag, Nandurbar, Bhusaval, Shirdi, and Nashik.

Palghar railway station is an important railway station on the Western Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway, and the Ahmedabad–Mumbai main line. Along with Shuttle/Memu/EMU (local trains) services, many long-distance trains also stop here.

Cricket is the most popular sport in Palghar. Local tournaments are held at various locations in the district.

• Shardul Thakur is a cricketer from Palghar (Mahim) who plays for India, for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL and for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy.
• Aditya Tare is a wicket-keeper and a right-hand batsman from Palghar (Satpati village) who plays for Mumbai Indians in the IPL and for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy.

• 2020 Palghar mob lynching