History and Social Significance

Ratnagiri is the birthplace of Lokmanya Tilak as well as the workplace of Swatantryaveer Savarkar and Ratnagiri is known as the land of Vardamuni, Parshuram. In the Middle Ages, many European travelers and regiligious preachers visited the coast of Konkan. The ancient Konkan was ruled by Maurya, Satvahan, Trakootak, Chalukya, Rashtrakut, Shilahar, Kadamba and Yadav dynasties. During the Satavahana, the caves of Panhalakaji were the center of the study and spread of Buddhism. It is also mentioned at many places that there was sea trade between Ratnagiri and overseas. Ratnagiri is the land of three ‘Bharatratn’, such as Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, P.V. Kane and Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve. Apart from this, King Thiba of Bramhadesh was imprisoned in the Ratnagiri district by the then British government. Citizens of Myanmar and high officials visit time to time to Thiba Palace and Thiba King Tomb in Ratnagiri city. Ratnagiri district has become welknown, due to freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who had been captured in Ratnagiri by the British government.