Ratnagiri (pop. 76,229) is a town on the western coast of India, facing the Arabian Sea. It lies in southwestern Maharashtra, nearly 140 miles (219 kilometers) south of Mumbai. The town is the administrative headquarters of the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. It is one of the ports of the Konkan, the coastal plain of Maharashtra that lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats. A marine biology research station is in the town. Coastal steamers continue to frequent Ratnagiri, but its importance as a trading center has diminished.
The surrounding district, the southernmost region of the Konkan, grows various crops, including cashew nuts, coconuts, rice, and various fruits. Agriculture is declining because many of Ratnagiri’s workers are drawn away to find work in Mumbai. Fishing is important in coastal areas of the Ratnagiri district, especially in the town of Ratnagiri. The district also yields bauxite and iron ore. Traders export iron through the coastal town of Reddi.
The town of Ratnagiri has been an administrative center since the Middle Ages. It is now a tourist resort and a place of historic interest. An Islamic fort built in the 1500’s and strengthened in 1670 stands on a headland overlooking the harbor. The town also has a palace once used as a prison.
