Vidarbha

Vidarbha (Marathi: विदर्भ) is the eastern region of Maharashtra state, India made up of the Nagpur Division and the Amravati Division. Its former name is Berar (Varhad in Marathi). It occupies 31.6% of total area and holds 21.3% of total population of Maharashtra. It borders the state of Madhya Pradesh to the north, Chattisgarh to the east, Andhra Pradesh to the south and Marathwada and Khandesh regions of Maharashtra to the west. Situated in central India, Vidarbha has its own rich cultural and historical background distinct from rest of Maharashtra. The largest city in Vidarbha is Nagpur, the second largest is Amravati while Akola stands third followed by Chandrapur, Yavatmal, Wardha and Gondia. A majority of Vidarbhians speak Vahardi, a dialect of Marathi.