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Synopsis The word 'ghar' has a whole host of different meanings, aside from its normal one of 'house'. For the people of Maharashtra the word may refer to family, the physical space of the house, the emotional ties and supports of its members, and even the locality or local community. The essays in this volume take this fertile ground as the starting point for an exploration of the social, emotional, and physical spaces in the state of Maharashtra. The ties of home, family and kinship are unravelled through a series of fascinating studies. The tragic love story of Bajirao and Mastani reveals much about socio- cultural processes, values and political events; an ethnographic study of the present-day practice of dowry attempts to understand it in its historical and contemporary contexts; a view of the Jedhes, an important clan (gharane) in the state's politcal life from the seventeenth century onwards, is traced via the records and genealogies left behind by them; another essay focuses on the system of political affiliations based on kinship and (fictitious) pseudo kinship relations that have enabled the Marathas to enjoy a dominant position in the politics of the region. These and other essays provide fascinating glimpses into the Maratha region and its people--its history, traditions and transitions, and will prove essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary social history, ethnography and sociology of modern India.