General Information
Area : 443,446 sq.km
Capital : Bhopal
Districts : 45
Population : 66,181,170
Male : 34,232,048
Female :31,949,122
Literacy : 43.45%
Language : Hindi
Introduction
A part of Madhya Pradesh has been separated and formed into a new state Chattisgarh from November 1, 2000. The details given here are before the separation. Click on Chattisgarh for more information.
Madhya Pradesh situated in the centre of India, is surrounded by Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh in the south, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan in the north, Bihar and Orissa in the east and Gujarat in the west. The state of Madhya Pradesh came into existence on November 1, 1956.
Except for the valleys of the Narmada and the Tapti, Madhya Pradesh consists of a plateau with a mean elevation of 1600 ft above sea level, interspersed with the mountains of the Vindhya and the Satpura ranges. The main river systems are the Chambal, Betwa, Sindh, Narmada, Tapti, Mahanadi and Indravati. Nearly a third of the state's area is covered with tropical forests ranging between the rivers Chambal in the north and Godavari in the south. To the east of Chambal, the area has rocky surface and thick forest. Farther north, the topography of the plains stretches up to the ravines of Chambal.
The highlands of Malwa present an appearance of waving fields of grain and the green luxuriance among the shades of mango and tamarind trees clustering round the rural habitations. The inhabitants of this plateau are mostly agriculturists. The low lying area in the north of Malwa which touches the tract around Gwalior has a different appeal. Its north-east side gradually extends to y Bundelkhand and meets the Kaimur Hills in Baghelkhand. Here the people are more sturdy and of lesser height as compared to the peasants of Malwa. The hilly regions fall mainly on the Vindhya and Satpura ranges where Bhils, Gonds, Korkus and other tribes of mixed descent practice agriculture. The river Narmada which rises from Amarkantak begins to run through a rocky bed near Jabalpur and Mandla. It emerges near Mandhata and widens its flow near Maheshwar in Nimad. During the rainy season a rich growth of vegetation is visible all around. The black soil of Malwa bears magnificent crops.
The climate is extreme in the north of Madhya Pradesh. It is cool and breezy in the central parts and humid in the eastern and southern regions.
Places to visit
Bhojpur
Bhojpur was founded by the legendary Raja Bhoj. It has the ruins of the magnificient Bhojeshwar Temple (dedicated to Lord Shiva), which has earned the nomenclature of Somnath of the East. The symbol of Shiva the Lingam, is a huge monolith.
Bhimbetka
In Bhimbetka, 46 km south of Bhopal, about 700 rock shelters belonging to the neolithic age, have been discovered. Over 500 caves have paintings depicting the life of pre-historic man, making the Bhimbetka caves an archaeological treasure
Khajuraho
This obscure village, a long way from anywhere, is on the world's culture map for its' 22 world-famous stone temples which were built by the Chandela kings between 950 AD and 1050 AD (originally there were 85 temples, but only these have survived). The most important are the Chaunset Yogini Temple dedicated to Goddess Kali, The Mahadev Temple, Chitragupta or Bharatji Temple with a lovely image of 11 headed Vishnu, Vishvanath and Nandi Temples, Lakshmana Temple, Visha Temple of Shiva (the largest and most typical of the temples). The Eastern group of temples consist of the Parasvanath Temple (the only Jain Temple surviving at Khajuraho), the Javeri Temple (dedicated to Vishnu), and other temples dedicated to Brahma, Yamuna and Adinath. Each temple, built of stone, is distinguished by carved spires and walls, where the subjects range from aesthetic depictions of major and minor deities and celestial beings to a variety of erotic sculptures.
Mandu
The city of joy is famed for stories of the love of King Baz Bahadur, for his consort, Rani Rupmati. Originally the capital of the Hindu Parmar Kings in the 13th century it was later captured by the Sultans of Malwa. The ancient monuments include Hoshang Shah's Tomb, India's first marble edifice and one of the supreme examples of Afghan architecture, which served as a model for the masterbuilders of the Taj Mahal, centuries later. Also worth a visit is the Jami Masjid, inspired by the mosque of Damascus.
Sanchi
68 kms from Bhopal, Sanchi has the distinction of having the finest specimens of almost all Buddhist architectural forms: Stupa, Chaitya, Temples and Monasteries, dating from 3rd century BC. The Great Stupa, the oldest stone structure in India, has magnificently carved gateways or toranas. The Ashoka Pillar that lies near the southern gateway is one of the finest examples of Ashokan pillars. The 5th century AD Gupta Temple is one of the earliest known examples of temple architecture in India.
Shivpuri
Shivpuri, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, was once the summer capital of the Scindia clan of Gwalior. Prior to that, its thick forests were the hunting grounds of Emperor Akbar. Today Shivpuri houses a wildlife sanctuary, the Madhav National Park, spread over an area of 156 square kms. The predominant species that inhabits the park is the deer, the commonest of them being the dainty chinkara, the Indian gazelle and the chital. Other common species are nilgai, sambar, blackbuck, sloth bear, leopard and the langur.
Ujjain
Ujjain is one of the holiest and oldest cities of India, was an important place during the reign of Ashoka. Famous for its Jyotirlinga shrine at Onkareshwar , it is one of the seven sacred cities of India. Once in 12 years, the mammoth "Kumbh Mela" festival is held here. The ancient shrine of Mahakala is one of its attractions.
Orchha
The capital of the Bundela Rajputs, between 1531 and 1783, Orchha seems to have frozen in time. The palaces and temples retain much of their pristine perfection. Some of the palaces are decorated with painted murals which represent the finest flowering of the Bundela school of painting. Orchha's fort complex has three impressive palaces placed in an open quadrangle: the Jehangir Mahal, built to mark Emperor Jehangir's visit to the city; the Raj Mahal, built by Madhukar Shah, the religious predecessor of Bir Singh Ju Deo; and the Rai Praveen Mahal, built for the famous musician-poetess paramour of King Indramani. The Ram Raja, Chaturbhuj, and Laxminarayan temples are worth a visit. Orchha also prides itself on its lovely garden, Phool Bagh. There are 14 cenotaphs or chhatries (memorials) to the rulers of Orchha, by the banks of the Betwa river. The Shahid Smarak commemorates the great freedom fighter, Chandrashekhar Azad who lived and worked in hiding in Orchha
Kanha National Park
This forms the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve created in 1974, under Project Tiger. Kanha boasts of about 22 species of mammals. Some of the inhabitants of this park are the gaur, the largest of the world's cattle; the sambar, the largest Indian deer; and the chausingha, the only four-horned antelope in the world. Some 200 species of birds inhabit the park.
Bandhavgarh National Park
Set amongst the Vindhyas, Bandhavgarh is a small national park, but it has the highest known density of tiger population in India. This is also known as White Tiger territory - these have been found in the old state of Rewa for many years. The other species found in abundance in Bandhavgarh are the gaur or Indian bison, the sambar, the barking deer and the nilgai.
How To Get There
Air: A number of airports are located within the state. Gwalior, Khajuraho, Indore, Jabalpur including capital Bhopal, the state are major airports in Madhya Pradesh. All public and private airlines operate regular flights to these airports.
Road: A strategic network of National Highways and State Highways interlink the cities of Madhya Pradesh to the other cities of India. The tourist destinations within the state located at convenient distance from Bhopal.
Rail: Bhopal is the main key railway station in the state, which is served by important trains connecting it to the rest of the country.
