Madhya Pradesh
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MADHYA PRADESH
Area : 3,08,000 sq kms
Population : 7,25,97,565 Prov. census 2011)
Capital : Bhopal
Principal Language : Hindi
HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY
Ajit Kumar Jha , Mission Madhya Pradesh “India Today” 16/4/2018
The erotic 10th century Khajuraho sculptures built by the Chandela kings contrast sharply with the serene Sanchi stupa erected by Emperor Asoka (3rd century BC), yet both the Hindu and Buddhist structures symbolise Madhya Pradesh's monumental historical legacy. Equally powerful is the state's literary tradition: the classical Sanskrit poet Kalidasa's Meghadootam was a serenade of love for the beauty of prosperous Ujjain under King Vikramaditya just as the modern-day novel, A River Sutra, by Gita Mehta, is an ode to the holy river Narmada, lifeline of MP. Bhopal's Bharat Bhavan has lorded over Hindi literature since 1982 with its array of avant garde poets, novelists, artists and theatre personalities.
Meanwhile, the rugged rock-cut Udayagiri caves, the Bhimbetka rock shelters in Raisen district, the ornately built Jahangir Mahal in Orchha, the royal Rajwada in Indore, the great lakes of Bhopal built by the Paramara Raja Bhoj of Malwa, the palaces of Gwalior, the ancient Kal Bhairav temple, the Panch Pandav caves and the Ujjain Simhastha make MP a tourist's paradise no less than Rajasthan or Kerala. In sharp contrast to neighbouring Rajasthan's Thar desert, MP, nicknamed "the heart of India", with magnificent parks such as the Satpura national park in Pachmarhi, Bandhavgarh Tiger Safari, Kanha Tiger Reserve and Pench National Park near Seoni echo the enduring world of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book.
Against such awesome architectural splendour, rich literature and history and despite a thick forest area of 77,462 square kilometres, covering 30 per cent of the state, MP was part of the BIMARU (acronym along with Bihar, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh for their poor economic status) states and the Empowered Action Group (EAG) states in the past. The reason is not far to seek: with 6 per cent of India's population and 9.4 per cent of the country's territory, MP still constitutes only 4 per cent of India's GDP, batting much below its potential. Even among the EAG states, MP is somewhat of a mystery, less visible in tourism than neighbouring Rajasthan, less politically salient compared to its northern neighbour Uttar Pradesh and lagging behind its western and southern neighbours Gujarat and Maharashtra in industrial development.
Following Independence, the Madhya Pradesh state was created in 1950 with Nagpur as its capital. This state included the southern parts of present-day MP and the northeastern portion of today's Maharashtra. In 1956, the state was reorganised and combined with the states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal to form the new Madhya Pradesh, with Bhopal as its capital. The Marathi-speaking Vidarbha region was removed and merged with the then Bombay state. MP retained the title of India's largest state by geographical area until 2000. In 2000, the Chhattisgarh region was split to create a new state, and Rajasthan ended up becoming the largest state of India by area.
Encroachment around rock shelters
The Times of India, Oct 9, 2011
There are enroachments around world heritage sites such as Khajuraho, Sanchi and Bhimbetka rock shelters. Out of the 286 protected monuments in MP, at least 100 are encroached. Places of worship too have been erected here by sadhus, making it difficult for authorities to crack down on them. Officials are reluctant to take legal recourse thinking of the hurdles ahead. – Prakash Pillai
AGRICULTURE
Agriculture is the mainstay of State’s economy as 74.73 per cent of the people are rural. As much as 49 per cent of the land area is cultivable.
The net sown area during 2010-11 was estimated at about 2,08,36,000 ha. (both Rabi and Kharif). The foodgrain production was 171.77 lakh metric tones. The productivity of major crops like wheat, rice, pulses has also been good.
INDUSTRY AND MINERALS
Madhya Pradesh has entered the era of high-tech industries such as electronics, telecommunications, automobiles, Information Technology, etc. The state produces optical fibre for telecommunication needs. A large number of automobile industries have been established at Pithampur near Indore. Prominent industries in the public sector in the state are Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. at Bhopal, Security paper mill at Hoshangabad, Bank Note Press at Dewas, Newsprint factory at Nepanagar and Alkaloid factory at Neemuch and Oman Bina Refinery at Agasod near Bina in Sagar district.
An air cargo complex is coming up at Pithampur. The Government of India has set up a Special Economic Zone at Indore. Foreign Direct Investment is being promoted by implementing the comprehensive Economic Development Policy. The state government has announced an Industries Promotion Policy offering attractive incentives for investment in the state. The Government of India has also sanctioned a National Auto Testing and Research and Development Infrastructure Project to be set up at Pithampur in Dhar district.
Madhya Pradesh is a mineral rich state. The state produced minerals worth Rs. 1590.46 crore in the year 2009-10. It produces 21 types of minerals. The output of minerals in 2008-09 was dolomite 1.98 lakh metric tonnes, diamond 16810 carats, limestone 285.43 lakh metric tonnes, bauxite 10.10 lakh metric tonnes and copper are 19.32 lakh metric tonnes. The coal production was 728.72 lakh metric tonnes.
The State is famous for its traditional handicrafts and handloom cloth manufactured in Chanderi and Maheshwar.
IRRIGATION AND POWER
The net area under irrigation was 65.43 lakh hectares in the year 2009-10. A Rs. 1919 crore Water Sector Restructuring Project is being implemented to restore irrigation facility in five lakh hectare by renovating the existing irrigation system in 30 districts. Madhya Pradesh is rich in low-grade coal suitable for power generation and also has immense potential of hydro-energy. Total installed power generation capacity in year 2010 was 9878.25 MW. There are eight hydro-electric power stations with 922.95 MW installed capacity.
DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has been implemented in all 50 districts. M.P. has topped in the country in its implementation. National Horticulture Mission has been launched to boost horticulture production and productivity in the state.
TRANSPORT
Roads : The total length of roads in the state is 91968 km. The length of national highway in the state is 4280 km while State highway extends to 10249 km. The state government has taken up the construction and upgradation of roads in a big way and about 70 thousand kilometer of roads will be constructed and upgraded.
Railways: The main rail route linking northern India with southern India passes through Madhya Pradesh. Main junctions in the state are Bhopal, Bina, Gwalior, Indore, Itarsi, Jabalpur, Katni, Ratlam and Ujjain. The divisional railways headquarters are at Bhopal, Ratlam and Jabalpur.
FESTIVALS
A number of festivals are celebrated in Madhya Pradesh. An important tribal festival is Bhagoriya marked by traditional gaiety and enthusiasm. Shivratri is celebrated in Khajuraho, Bhojpur, Pachmarhi and Ujjain and has its own local flavour while Ramnavami festival at Chitrakoot and Orchha has a unique sense of devotion imbued with tradition. Festivals of Orchha, Malwa, Pachmarhi bring to the fore, repertoire of culture and art of the people. Tansen Music Festival, Gwalior, Ustad Allauddin Khan Music Festival of Maihar, Kalidas Samaroh, Ujjain and Festival of Dances at Khajuraho are some of the well-known art festivals of Madhya Pradesh. An annual Narmada Festival has been started from this year at Bedhaghat in Jabalpur, famous for its marble rocks. A Shivpuri Festival has been started at Shivpuri. Betwa Festival has been started at Vidisha from this year.
TOURIST CENTRES
Perfectly preserved medieval cities, refreshing and enchanting wildlife sanctuaries and some of the holiest and most revered pilgrim centres offer to the tourist the most fulfilling experience. Tranquil beauty of Pachmarhi, glittering splendour of Marble Rocks and roaring sound of Dhuandhar Fall at Bedaghat, Kanha National Park, with its unique Barasingha, and Bandhavgarh National Park with its prehistoric caves and wildlife are some of the major attractions of the state. Gwalior, Mandu, Datia, Chanderi, Jabalpur, Orchha, Raisen, Sanchi, Vidisha, Udaygiri, Bhimbetika, Indore and Bhopal are the places well-known for their historical monuments. Maheshwar, Omkareshwar, Ujjain, Chitrakoot and Amarkantak are major centres of pilgrimage. Unique temples of Khajuraho are famous all over the world. The temples of Orchha, Bhojpur and Udaypur attract large number of tourists as well as pilgrims. Archaeological treasures are preserved in the museums at Satna, Sanchi, Vidisha, Gwalior, Indore, Mandsaur, Ujjain, Rajgarh, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Rewa and many other places. Omkareshwar, Maheshwar and Amarkantak have been declared as holy cities for their integrated development in accordance with their religious significance. Burhanpur is being developed as a new tourist destination.
GOVERNMENT
Governor : Shri Ram Naresh Yadav
Chief Secretary : Avani Vaish
Chief Minister : Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Jurisdiction of : Madhya Pradesh High Court
AREA, POPULATION AND HEADQUARTERS OF DISTRICTS
S. No. District Area (sq km) Population Headquarters
(Prov. Census 2011)
1 2 3 4 5
1. Badwani — 13,85,659 Badwani
2. Balaghat 9,229 17,01,156 Balaghat
3. Betul 10,043 15,75,247 Betul
4. Bhind 4,459 17,03,562 Bhind
5. Bhopal 2,772 23,68,145 Bhopal
6. Chhatarpur 8,687 17,62,857 Chhatarpur
7. Chhindwara 11,815 20,90,306 Chhindwara
8. Damoh 7,306 12,63,703 Damoh
9. Datia 2,038 7,86,375 Datia
10. Dewas 7,020 15,63,107 Dewas
11. Dhar 8,153 21,84,672 Dhar
12. Dindori — 7,04,218 Dindori
13. Guna 11,065 12,40,938 Guna
14. Gwalior 5,214 20,30,543 Gwalior
15. Harda — 5,70,302 Harda
16. Hoshangabad 10,037 12,40,975 Hoshangabad
17. Indore 3,898 32,72,335 Indore
18. Jabalpur 10,160 26,60,714 Jabalpur
19. Jhabua 6,782 10,24,091 Jhabua
20. Katni — 12,91,684 Katni
21. Khandwa (East Nimar) 10,779 13,09,443 Khandwa
22. Khargone (West Nimar) 13,450 18,72,413 Khargone
23. Mandla 13,269 10,53,522 Mandla
24. Mandsaur 9,791 13,39,832 Mandsaur
25. Morena 11,594 19,65,137 Morena
26. Narsinghpur 5,133 10,92,141 Narsinghpur
27. Neemuch — 8,25,958 Neemuch
28. Panna 7,135 10,16,028 Panna
29. Raisen 8,446 13,31,699 Raisen
30. Rajgarh 6,154 15,46,541 Rajgarh
31. Ratlam 4,861 14,54,483 Ratlam
32. Rewa 6,314 23,63,744 Rewa
33. Sagar 10,252 23,78,295 Sagar
34. Satna 7,502 22,28,619 Satna
35. Sehore 6,578 13,11,008 Sehore
36. Seoni 8,758 13,78,876 Seoni
37. Shahdol 14,028 10,64,989 Shahdol
38. Shajapur 6,196 15,12,353 Shajapur
39. Sheopur — 6,87,952 Sheopur
40. Shivpuri 10,278 17,25,818 Shivpuri
41. Sidhi 10,256 11,26,515 Sidhi
42. Tikamgarh 5,048 14,44,920 Tikamgarh
43. Ujjain 6,091 19,86,597 Ujjain
44. Umaria — 6,43,579 Umaria
45. Vidisha 2,742 14,58,212 Vidisha
46. Ashoknagar 4,673.90 8,44,979 Ashoknagar
47. Burhanpur 2,472.5 7,56,003 Burhanpur
48. Anuppur 3,746 7,49,521 Anuppur
49. Alirajpur - 7,28,677 Alirajpur
50. Singrauli - 11,78,132 Singrauli
MADHYA PRADESH
BANDHAVGARH NATIONAL PARK
Bandhavgarh is a densely forested park and a well-known tiger reserve, with a historical background. Besides a wondrous scenic beauty, it also has on offer some ancient ruins, which are worth seeing. There are a number of rock caves with inscriptions in Brahmi script that date back to the 1st century BC, a temple, and the towering Bandhavgarh fort itself.
Bandhavgarh is claimed to have a largest concentration of tigers. Gaur, Chinkara, Spotted deers, Sambar, Barking deer, Leopard are some of the mammals found here. This national park is a paradise in itself for avid bird watchers.
Location: Shahdol District
Best time to visit: November to June
Habitat: Rocky hills rising from the swampy and densely forested valley
Area: 105.40 sq.kms
Access
Nearest Airport - Khajuraho Nearest Railway Stations - Jabalpur (164 kms), Katni (102 kms), Satna (120 kms), Umaria (35 kms) By Road - Regular bus services and taxis
BORI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
Due to its unique geographical location, the forest is the most sheltered and protected and provides for a rich faunal population. Steep hills of Pachmarhi on the north, a vast water body in the form of Tawa reservoir on the western side and thick forest on the south and east, has kept this area undisturbed for a long time.
Tiger, Leopard, Wild dogs, Wolves, Sloth bear, Sambar, Chital, Barking deer, Gaur, Four-horned antelope, and an abundance of bird diversity abound this wildlife sanctuary and are a temptation for any nature lover.
Location: Hoshangabad
Area: 518.00 sq.kms
KANHA NATIONAL PARK
It is one of the most visited parks in the country as animal sightings are very high. Kanha is infact known as tigerland. The landscape of Kanha comprises flat top hills and ridges forming valleys. Two tributaries of Narmada, Banjar and Halon are the main source of water besides a number of lakes and ponds. The forest is mainly Sal in the valleys and Bamboo on the hill slopes. The forest is fragmented with meadows that are the remnants of the slash-and-burn cultivation practice in earlier times. Today these areas are teaming with wildlife.
Gaur, Sambar, Chital, Black buck, Barking deer, Mouse deer, Blue bulls for the major herbivore species. The Hard ground Barasingha is the main attraction as these majestic animals are confined only to Kanha. The tiger population in the park is also good but sighting a tiger cannot be guaranteed. Spotting large herds of Chital or spotted deer in thousands could be a reality here. In fact Kanha is a wildlife photographer's paradise as also for an avid bird watcher.
Location: Mandla and Balaghat Districts
Best time to visit : March to June
Habitat : Sal and Bamboo forests, rolling grasslands and meandering streams
Area: 1945 sq. kms
Access
Nearest Airport - Jabalpur (170 kms), Nagpur (270 km) Nearest Railway Station - Jabalpur, Nagpur By Road - Regular bus services
Accommodation
Forest Lodge (ITDC) Kanha Safari Lodge, Baghira Log Huts (Kishi) Jungle Camp, Khalia M.P. Tourism Log Huts Kipling Camp
Contact
Field Director, Project Tiger, P.O. Mandla Madhya Pradesh
MADHAV NATIONAL PARK
Commonly known as Shivpuri, Madhav National Park is located on the national highway between Gwalior and Jhansi. Spread over 337 sq.km., the vegetation is mainly dry deciduous forest. Two large lakes are the main source of water and shelter for a diverse aquatic bird population. Shivpuri was a hunting reserve of the erstwhile Maharaja of Gwalior. Tiger, Chinkara, Four-horned antelope, Sambar, Chital, can be seen.
Location: Sheopuri District
Area: 337 sq.kms
Access
By Air - Gwalior
By Rail/Road - Gwalior, Jhansi
PENCH NATIONAL PARK
Situated on the Madhya Pradesh - Maharashtra border, it is partly in both the states, and can be approached from Seoni in Madhya Pradesh and Nagpur in Maharashtra.
The reservoir formed by the dam on Pench River provides abundant water for the rich fauna. The forest is mainly deciduous with open grass meadows. Gaur, Sambar, Chital, Tiger, Leopard are some of the important species found. The reservoir has a good fish population.
The forest guesthouses are ideal for stay. Totladoh and Ranidoh on the river, provides an opportunity for observing waterfowl. Other terrestrial bird diversity is also high.
Location: Seoni (30 kms) and Nagpur (57 kms)
Area: 293 sq.kms
Access
By Air - Nagpur By Rail - Nagpur and Seoni
Accommodation
Forest Guest House
TADOBA NATIONAL PARK
Tadoba National Park is one of the best National Park in Central India. It is predominantly teak and bamboo forest. A good motorable road within the park provides a good opportunity for spotting animals. Chances of spotting Leopards are high in this place. A large lake has crocodiles and observing animals around the lake can be ideal, especially Wild boars.
Sambar, Chital, Barking deer, Wild dog, Nilgai, Wild boar, Tiger, Leopard and seasonal Gaurs are main animals. Birds are in good numbers.
Tadoba has good forest rest houses and a visit to this park is always rewarding.
Location: Chandrapur on the Nagpur-Chennai route
Best time to visit: May to June
Access
By Rail - Chandrapur (45 kms) By Road - Nagpur-Chennai route
PANNA NATIONAL PARK
Panna National Park lies 25 kms away from Khajuraho. The park is spread over an area of 543 sq. kms along the eastern bank of the Ken river. There are a large number of gorges and waterfalls within the park. There are tigers, panthers, bears, wild boars, bluebulls, gazelles, spotted deer, black bucks and birds within the sanctuary.
Location – Khajuraho
Best time to visit - September to March
Area - 543 sq. kms
Access
By Air/Road: Khajuraho (25 kms)] By Rail: Gwalior
LIVING ADVENTUROUSLY
HANG GLIDING/PARA GLIDING
Mhow and Indore in Madhya Pradesh are best suited for hang gliding / para sailing.It offers excellent facilities to the enthusiasts.
Developmental indicators
2015-21
From: [From the archives, Oct 10, 2023: The Times of India]
See graphic:
Developmental indicators, MP, 2015-22
