Vidarbha is the eastern region of the Indian state of
Maharashtra, comprising
Nagpur Division and
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,
Chhattisgarh to the east,
Telangana 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. A majority of Vidarbhians speak
Marathi and
Varhadi-a dialect of Marathi.