Thane

Thane, which is also known as "Shri Sthanak", is a north-eastern suburb of Mumbai, located at the head of the Thane Creek, in Maharashtra. The city is spread over a total area of about 147 square km and is at an altitude of about 7 meters above sea level. It is surrounded by the Yeoor and Parsik Hills. The administrative headquarters of Thane district is also located here.

Thane is also popular as the ‘Lake City’ because it has around 30 lakes within its territory, the Masunda Talao or the Talao Pali being the most beautiful one. Upvan Lake, which has the Yeoor Hills on one side and the Neelkanth Heights on the other, is another popular lake in the city.

In the past, Thane was under the governance of the Portuguese, the Marathas and then the British. The earliest record of Thane is present in the works of Ptolemy, a Greek geographer, who has mentioned about a place called ‘Chersonesus’ in his writings (135 - 150 AD). According to researches, it is the same area where Thane is located at present times.

The Portuguese came to Thane in 1530 and it was ruled by them for more than 200 years till 1739. At that time Thane was called ‘Cacabe de Tana’. In 1737 and 1739, the Marathas seized Bassein and Thane, and ruled it till 1784. After them came the British, who took over the Fort and brought Thane under their governance. They called the city ‘Tana’.

The headquarters of the district administration was located in this city during the British rule and a district collector was stationed here. In 1863 the Thane Municipal Council was formed and at that time the city was inhabited by about 9000 people.

The rich Maharashtrian culture is predominant in Thane. However, it is also influenced by the cosmopolitan culture of Mumbai due to its close proximity to the capital city. Although it is mostly inhabited by Marathis, North Indians, South Indians, Sindhis, Gujaratis and Marwaris also live in considerable numbers. Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Gokulashtami and Durga Puja are among the most important festivals celebrated here.

Besides the numerous lakes, the other places to visit in and around Thane include Yeoor Hills, which includes the ‘Swami's Math’, Tikuji-ni-Wadi, Essel World, Water World, Bassein (Vasai), Titwala Ganesh Mandir, Ambarnath, Ganeshpuri, Suddhagad Fort, Kashi and Mira villages and the Jawhar Palace.