Ratnagiri (

IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Brahmic family, Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that ...

:Ratnāgirī ; �ət̪n̪aːɡiɾiː is a

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

city on the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...

coast in Ratnagiri District in southwestern

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

, India. The district is part of

Konkan The Konkan is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, bound by the river Daman Ganga at Damaon in the north, to Anjediva Island next to Karwar town in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau to the eas ...

division of Maharashtra. The city is known for the Hapus or Alphonso mangoes and is colloquially referred to as the Mango City. Ratnagiri is the birthplace of Indian independence activist Lokmanya Tilak. Thibaw, the last king of

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

, alongside his consort

Supayalat Supayalat (, ; 13 December 1859 – 24 November 1925), also spelt Suphayalat, was the last queen of Burma who reigned in Mandalay (1878–1885), born to King Mindon Min and Queen of Alenandaw (; also known as Hsinbyumashin or Lady of the White Elep ...

and two infant daughters were exiled to a two-storied brick mansion in Ratnagiri. The building is now known as Thibaw Palace.

Geography

Ratnagiri is located at . It has an average elevation of 11 meters (36 feet). The Sahyadri mountains border Ratnagiri to the east.

Climate

Transport

Road Ratnagiri is well connected to the other parts of the state and country by National Highways & State Highways. National Highways NH 66 ( Panvel – Edapally), NH 166 (Ratnagiri –

Nagpur Nagpur (; ISO 15919, ISO: ''Nāgapura'') is the second capital and third-largest city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is called the heart of India because of its central geographical location. It is the largest and most populated city i ...

) and Coastal Highway (Rewas – Reddy) pass through the city. MSRTC operates bus services to

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

Thane Thane (; previously known as Thana, List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city located on the northwestern side of the list of Indian states, state of Maharashtra in India and on ...

, Vasai, Nala Sopara,

Kalyan Kalyan (Pronunciation: əljaːɳ is a city on the banks of Ulhas River in Thane district of Maharashtra state in Konkan division. It is governed by Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation. Kalyan is a subdivision (Taluka) of Thane district ...

, Bhiwandi,

Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...

, Panaji,

Nanded Nanded is a city in Maharashtra state, India. It is the List of cities in Maharashtra, tenth largest city in the state and the List of cities in India by population, seventy-ninth most populated city in India. It is the second largest city in ...

, Latur, Tuljapur, Akkalkot, Ambajogai, Beed,

Kolhapur Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Kolhapur is one of the most significant cities in South Maharashtra and has been a hub of historical, religious, and cultural a ...

, Gargoti, Gadhinglaj, Nrushimhawadi, Ichalkaranji, Sangli, Miraj, Tasgaon, Jat, Islampur, Satara,

Belgaum Belgaum (Kannada ISO 15919, ISO: ''Bēḷagāma'', ), officially known as Belagavi (also Belgaon), is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka located near its northern western border in the Western Ghats. It is the administrative headquarters ...

Hubli Hubli (officially Hubballi) is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. The twin cities Hubli–Dharwad form the second largest city in the state by area and population and the largest city in North Karnataka. Hubli is in Dharwad district of ...

, Bijapur and other major towns of the state. North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation also operates buses from Belgaum, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Indi, Muddebihal, Sindgi, Athani, Jevargi and Talikota. Several private buses regularly ply for

and

and a few for

, Bijapur. Railways Ratnagiri is a major Railhead on

Konkan Railway The Konkan Railway (abbreviated KR) is one of the 19 railway zones in India with its headquarters at CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The Konkan Railway line from Roha to Thokur is operated and maintained by Konkan Railway co ...

route. Ratnagiri is also one of the two divisions of Konkan Railway Corporation. The city is well connected to

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

Amritsar Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...

Chandigarh Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern India, serving as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Situated near the foothills of the Shivalik range of Himalayas, it borders Haryana to the east and Punjab in the ...

Dehradun Dehradun (), also known as Dehra Doon, is the winter capital and the List of cities in Uttarakhand by population, most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous Dehradun district, d ...

Jaipur Jaipur (; , ) is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the List of cities and towns in Rajasthan, largest city of the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had ...

Jodhpur Jodhpur () is the second-largest city of the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, after its capital Jaipur. As of 2023, the city has a population of 1.83 million. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Jodhpur district and ...

Bikaner Bikaner () is a city in the northwest of the States and territories of India, state of Rajasthan, India. It is located northwest of the state capital, Jaipur. It is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division. Fo ...

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...

Vadodara Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is a city situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district. The city is named for its abundance of banyan ...

Surat Surat (Gujarati Language, Gujarati: ) is a city in the western Indian States and territories of India, state of Gujarat. The word Surat directly translates to ''face'' in Urdu, Gujarati language, Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of t ...

, Bhuj,

Indore Indore (; ISO 15919, ISO: , ) is the largest and most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The commercial capital of the state, it has been declared as the List of cleanest cities in India, cleanest city of In ...

Jabalpur Jabalpur, formerly Jubbulpore, is a city situated on the banks of Narmada River in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the 3rd-largest urban agglomeration of the state and the 38th-largest of the country. Jabalpur is the administrative h ...

Patna Patna (; , ISO 15919, ISO: ''Paṭanā''), historically known as Pataliputra, Pāṭaliputra, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, ...

Margao Margao (, ) is the commercial capital of the Indian state of Goa. It stands on the banks of the river Sal. It is the district headquarters of South Goa, and administrative headquarters of Salcete sub-district. It is Goa's second largest ci ...

Mangalore Mangaluru (), formerly called Mangalore ( ), is a major industrial port city in the Indian state of Karnataka and on the west coast of India. It is located between the Laccadive Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bengaluru, the st ...

Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...

, Kanyakumari,

Coimbatore Coimbatore (Tamil: kōyamputtūr, ), also known as Kovai (), is one of the major Metropolitan cities of India, metropolitan cities in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyy ...

and other major towns of the country. Every train passing through the city halts here. Connectivity to western Maharashtra is proposed through Vaibhavwadi Road –

route.

Collector and District Magistrate

M. Devender Singh (IAS: MH2011) joined as Collector and District Magistrate of Ratnagiri on 1 October 2022 after the previous Collector and District Magistrate B.N Patil was transferred.

Political Leadership

The Ratnagiri Municipality was established in 1876. The Office of the President of the Council was occupied by Mr. Pradeep Salvi of the Shivsena, before it got dismissed due to the completion of the Term. Currently, the Office of the Council President remains vacant with the Administrator and the Chief Officer being in charge of the Municipal Administration. Ratnagiri (Vidhan Sabha constituency): Uday Samant ( Shiv Sena), The Incumbent Cabinet Minister of Industries Uday Samant

Government of Maharashtra The Government of Maharashtra is the executive branch of the Indian states of india, state of Maharashtra. The government is led by the List of chief ministers of Maharashtra, chief minister (currently Devendra Fadnavis since 5 December 2024) ...

represents the Ratnagiri constituency in State Assembly since 2004, and has been appointed as the Guardian Minister of the Ratnagiri. Ratnagiri–Sindhudurg (Lok Sabha constituency): Narayan Rane ( BJP) represents the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg constituency in

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...

, lower house of the parliament since 2024.

Education institutes

Government College of Engineering, Ratnagiri
*M.M.A.K. Desai High School *Navnirman High English Medium School(CBSE), Ratnagiri *Podar International School, Ratnagiri
Sarvankash Vidya Mandir
*Gangadhar Govind Pathwardhan English Medium School (G.G.P.S) *College of Fisheries, Shirgaon, Ratnagiri (DBSKKV) * Government Polytechnic, Ratnagiri * Indian Technical Institute (ITI) Ratnagiri * Finolex Academy of Management and Technology (An engineering college affiliated to

University of Mumbai University of Mumbai is a public state university in Mumbai. It is one of the largest university systems in the world with over 549,000 students on its campuses and affiliated colleges. , the university had 711 affiliated colleges. It was est ...

) * Government college of Pharmacy, Ratnagiri *Patwardhan High School, Ratnagiri. * Phatak High School, Ratnagiri *Late T.P. Kelkar Jr. college of Science Ratnagiri *Sacred Heart Convent Highschool, Udyam Nagar * R. B. Shirke High School * Mistry High School, Ratnagiri * M. S. Naik High School. * Gogate Joglekar College *St.Thomas English Medium School *Rajendra Mane College of Engineering & Technology (Affiliated to

) *Rajendra Mane Polytechnic *A.D. Naik Urdu Medium School *Sacred Heart Convent High School, Ratnagiri. * Mane's International School *S.B. Keer Law College. *Jagadguru Narendracharya Maharaj Educational Institute

Marine Biological Research Station

The Maharashtra Government under the Department of Fisheries established the Marine Biological Research Station (MBRS) in 1958 at Ratnagiri, which is presently attached with Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, Dist.: Ratnagiri. The research station has a 10-hectare area as a field facility including a three-storied building at the main campus, a well-equipped aquarium and museum, a modernized brackish water fish farm, a Mechanized Fishing and Research Vessel, Seed Production facilities, and various laboratories at its disposal. The Marine Biological Research Station, Ratnagiri is one of the premier institutes, especially in the South Konkan Coastal Fisheries Zone, having a mandate for the development of fish production technologies, transferring the technologies to fish culturists, entrepreneurs, and the industry, and generating professionally trained manpower in fish culture.

3D Planetarium

Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...

Eknath Shinde Eknath Sambhaji Shinde (born 9 February 1964) is an Indian politician who has served as the List of deputy chief ministers of Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra since December 2024, alongside Ajit Pawar under Devendra Fadnavis. ...

inaugurated a 3D Planetarium on the 16th of December, 2022 in Ratnagiri. This planetarium is the first active 3D planetarium in Maharashtra and fifth nationally.

History

Ratnagiri, located along the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, has a rich and diverse history that dates back centuries. It served as the administrative capital under the Sultanate of Bijapur, with its strategic location making it an important military and trade center. The Ratnadurg Fort, originally built by the Bijapur Sultanate, was reconstructed by Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1670, turning it into a key coastal defense post. In 1731, Ratnagiri came under the control of the Kingdom of Satara, marking the beginning of its integration into the

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...

. Following the Third Anglo-Maratha War, the British annexed Ratnagiri to British India in 1818, further embedding it into the colonial structure. Ratnagiri holds significant cultural importance as the birthplace of Indian freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, born on 23 July 1856. Tilak, an influential leader in India’s struggle for independence, moved to

with his family at the age of 10. His early years in Ratnagiri influenced his later revolutionary thoughts. The city was also a place of exile for King Thibaw of Burma after the British Empire annexed his country. In 1886, King Thibaw, along with his family, was exiled to Ratnagiri, where he lived the rest of his life under British surveillance. His residence, the Thibaw Palace, still stands as a symbol of this chapter in the city’s history. Furthermore,

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (28 May 1883 – 26 February 1966 ), was an Indian politician, activist and writer. Savarkar developed the Hindu nationalist political ideology of Hindutva while confined at Ratnagiri in 1922. The prefix "Veer" (mea ...

, a key figure in India’s independence movement, was confined in Ratnagiri from 1921 to 1935, first in prison and then under local confinement. His time in Ratnagiri played a pivotal role in shaping his revolutionary ideologies. Today, Ratnagiri is known not only for its historical significance but also for its agricultural contributions, especially the famous Alphonso mangoes, and its growing role as a cultural and educational hub in Maharashtra.

References

External links

{{Ancient Dharmic centres of Higher Learning Port cities and towns of the Arabian Sea Port cities in India Talukas in Maharashtra Cities and towns in Ratnagiri district Tourist attractions in Konkan Ratnagiri Cities in Maharashtra