thane

Other Definitions
thane (dest)
thane (dict)

For the Anglo-Saxon royal retainer, see Thane/Thegn.

Thane (formerly Thana) is a city in Maharashtra, India, part of the Mumbai Conurbation, northeast of Mumbai at the head of the Thane Creek.

History

The name "Thane" is said to be derived from Sthan or Sthanaka, the capital of the Shilahara kings of Konkan. It is currently the headquarters of Thane district. The earlist evidence of Thane appears in the works of the Greek geographer, Ptolemy, who, in his writings (135-150 AD) refers to a place called Chersonesus, which, according to researches, is the area around Thane creek. Slabs and copper plates dating back to the middle ages have also been discovered in Thane. Venetian traveller Marco Polo also visited Thane in 1290 AD. He describes the city as a great kingdom, which apparently had a well-developed port, for he mentions a continuous traffic of ships, and merchants trading and exporting leather, buckram, cotton, and importing horses. The Portuguese came to Thane about 1530 and ruled for over 200 years till 1739. Thane was then known as Cacabe de Tana. Work on the Thane Fort began in 1730. The Marathas, who conquered Bassein and Thane in 1737 and 1739, held sway over the region till 1784, when the British captured the Fort and ruled Thane, then also called Tana. They made it the headquarters of the district administration with a district collector stationed in Thane. The Thane Municipal Council was formed in 1863 when the city had a population of 9000. The first railway train in India ran from Bombay VT (Now Mumbai CST, See Mumbai) to Thana in 1853. Thane (or Thana) literally means "station" in Marathi the local language. It was the only railway station besides Victoria Terminus. After India's independence, Thane grew slowly and became an industrial town in the '60s and '70s. There was also a corresponding growth in trade, transport and construction activities, which picked up tremendously in the '80s. Once considered as the 'ugly twin' of Mumbai, today Thane outshines Mumbai in its planning and neatness. Even as it develops at a fast pace, Thane, formerly known as the 'City of Lakes', is still plagued with overcrowding and commuting problems.

Geography

Thane is located to the North of Mumbai (Bombay, Maharashtra,India). Although being a district place, the city has always been shadowed by the existence of the metropolis just on its outskirts .Spanned over an area of about 147 km², this city houses over 10 Lakh (1 million) people. A total of 200 km of roads run through the city. The city is surrounded by scenic hills, which add to its beauty. The Hill of Yeoor is considered to be the hill station for the Thaneyites. On the other hand is the Parsik Hill. The city is divided by Thane Creek, a stream of water from the Arabian Sea. Two road bridges & one rail bridge connect the two parts of the city

Location

30 km North East of Mumbai on the western coast of India

Weather

Typical coastal sultry & humid Rainfall - Average 250 to 300 mm brgining of June to end of September. Temparature - Average - 32 - 37 C Humidity - 45% to 87% highest in month of August.