50 Amazing Facts About Madhya Pradesh

Facts About Madhya Pradesh: Madhya Pradesh is a state in the central part of India. Its capital is Bhopal. Before the establishment of the state of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh was the largest state in India. On November 1, 2000, the state of Chhattisgarh was established by separating some parts from the state of Madhya Pradesh.

The states of Madhya Pradesh are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Indore is the largest city in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The total population of the state (as per 2011 census) is 7,26,26,809. The main language of the state is Hindi.

Interesting Facts About Madhya Pradesh

The Chanderi Sarees are also adorned around the globe for the artistry behind their creation.
Rudyard Kipling was inspired by the forests of Kanha National Park to write the famous children novel “Jungle Book”.
India’s only active diamond mine is the Majhgawan mine in Panna, Madhya Pradesh. It has an annual capacity of 84,000 carats.
As per the census of 2001, the literacy rate in the state is about 70.6%, which is lower than the national average of 74.04%.
The lush landscape of Pench National Park and the town of Seoni provided the setting of the Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle book.
Madhya Pradesh has the largest reserves of diamond and copper in India. It is also rich in coal, manganese bauxite and dolomite.
It was the largest state till October 2000, when Chhattisgarh was part of it. With an area of 308,252 sq. km. It is also the fifth largest in terms of population.
Being one of the four places in India where Kumbh Mela is hosted, Ujjain is often referred to as the “City of Temples”, as it houses some of India’s most popular temples.
After Independence Madhya Pradesh constituted only of southern parts of today’s Madhya Pradesh and north-eastern parts of today’s Maharashtra. Nagpur was its capital city.
For centuries, Madhya Pradesh has been famous for its classical and folk music. In fact, India’s two medieval legendary singers, Tansen and Baiju Bawra were born near Gwalior.
The Geographical Centre of India lies in Madhya Pradesh at coordinate 24° 7’11”N and 77° 41’49”E, making the village of Karondhi, near Jabalpur, the most central spot in India

Geographical Facts About Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal is known as the city of lakes and derives its name from its earlier name, Bhoj Pal. It is named after the 11th century king Raja Bhoj who cost constructed the Bada Talab (Upper Lake).
Several great women rulers have reigned over parts of Madhya Pradesh over the centuries, including the Gond queen Rani Durgavati (16th century) and Rani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore (1767-1795).
In 1956, new Madhya Pradesh was created by combining the states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal and removing the Marathi-speaking Vidarbha region. Bhopal was made the capital city.
Since the 11th century, the exquisite hand-woven Chanderi sarees adorn the historic town of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh. The Chanderi Sarees are also adorned around the globe for the artistry behind their creation.
Gwalior is named after a sage named Gwalipa, who in the 8th century A.D. is said to have cute Raja Suraj Sen from leprosy by giving him healing waters. The hill fort was also known as Gopa Parvat, Gopachal Durg and Gopadiri.
In 2010, Madhya Pradesh government adopted the Hindi song “Sukh ka Daata Sab ka Saathi” as its state anthem. The song has been penned by veteran journalist Mahesh Shrivastava and sung by noted Bollywood playback singer Shaan.
Madhya Pradesh has been the birthplace of many legends of India, the likes of Chandra Shekhar Azad, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Kailash Satyarthi, Jaya Bachchan, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and many others.
Touted as one of the oldest cave collections in India, some of the rock shelters were inhabited more than 100,000 years ago. Bhimbetka site has the oldest known rock art in Indian sub-continent, dating back more than 30,000 years.
Madhya Pradesh is a busy railway hub as the main rail route that links Northern India with Southern India passes through it. As many as 425 trains pass through the state every day, of which 220 pass through Bhopal, the capital alone.
Being a landlocked state with no coastline, bus and train services cover most of Madhya Pradesh. It has a humongous 99,043 kms of road network, including 20 National Highways and a 4948 kms long rail network that criss-crosses the state.

Historical Facts About Madhya Pradesh

Discovered by Captain James Forsyth in 1857, Pachmarhi is Madhya Pradesh’s only hill station that offers a refreshing escape from steamy central India. Situated at 1100 m, Pachmarhi is popularly known as ‘Satpura ki Rani’ (Queen of Satpura).
Madhya Pradesh is home to a large number of ethnic groups and tribes namely Gond, Bhil, Bagia, Korku, Bhadia, Malto, Kaul, Dhar and many more. As per the 2011 census, the tribal/adivasi population is 21.1% of the total population of the state.
Bearing a silent witness to Mandu’s long, rich and varied history, Jahaz Mahal in Mandu is a jewel built somewhere around 1436-1439. It stood floating over the twin lakes- Munj Talao and Kapur Talao that makes Jahaz Mahal look as if it’s floating.
As per the Bhagavata Purana, it was at the Sandipani Ashram in Ujjain, that Lord Krishna, his brother Balrama and their friend Sudama completed their education and mastered every single lesson taught by Guru Sandipani, who was a Rishi (Sage) in Ujjain.
Founded by the Bundela Rajput Chief, Rudra Pratap in the 16th century, the town of Orchha seems frozen in time as its most of the monuments have retained their original grandeur even to this day. When you visit Orchha, it’s like traveling back in time!
Commissioned in 2nd century BCE by the Mauryan Emperor ‘Ashoka’, the Great Stupa at Sanchi is one of the oldest stone structures in India built over the relics of Buddha. The town of Sanchi is central to many Buddhist Stupas, all within a few miles of it.
These ancient and one of a kind temples in the world are adorned with intricate erotic and sensuous carvings. The sculptures showcase the open, progressive and artistic heritage of the time. These monuments are an epitome of architectural marvel and elegance.
Coal and iron ore are important minerals found in Madhya Pradesh. The place like Balaghat is famous for bauxite, copper, manganese, and dolomite. Panna is the most famous diamond mine, while Betul and Chhatarpur are known for fireclay, china clay, and coal reserves.
Home to Buddhist Stupas, the town of Sanchi is synonymous with the Buddhist Philosophy. The Stupas of Sanchi were constructed on the orders of Emperor Ashoka the Great, and since then, these Stupas have been safeguarding ancient history and art of the Mauryan period.

Economic Facts About Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh is considered as the state with the largest strength of tribals in India. The main tribal groups are Gond, Bhil, Baiga, Korku, Bhadia, Kaul, Malto and Sahariya. Districts like Dhar, Jhabua, and Mandla consists of more than 50 percent of tribal population.
Close to Khandwa district in Madhya Pradesh, and in the backwaters of Indira Sagar Dam on River Narmada, lies an island named Hanuwantiya. Every year, Hanuwantiya hosts India’s only and largest water carnival, Jal Mahotsav, which is India’s one of its kind water festivals.
Madhya Pradesh verdant forests contain a treasury of herbs and medicinal plants such as Plantago Ovata (Isabgol / Psyllium), Cyperus Rotundus (Nagarmotha / Nut Grass) and Rauwolfia Serpentine (Sarpagandha / Indian Snakeroot)and provide as much as 40% of the country’s total demand.
Situated at Bhedaghat by the side of river Narmada, the Marble Rocks present a picturesque scenery. The river was carved out of an eight kilometer beautiful gorge through these soft marble rocks and is a popular tourist spot. It is also famous for the beautiful “Dhuadhar” water falls.
Narmada is the longest river in Madhya Pradesh and has many tributaries . Tapti river runs parallel to the Narmada and the two rivers together, provide drainage to almost a quarter of land area of the state. Surprisingly, all the rivers which drain in the Ganges, flow from South to North!
Gwalior is Madhya Pradesh’s tourist capital. This historic city is replete with forts, museums and other historic monuments, which gives a glimpse of the bygone era. Patankar bazaar, is a popular market, offering the tourist a great selection of handicrafts, wall hanging, dolls, artificial jewelry etc.
Ujjain finds mention in one of the oldest continuously inhabited city’s in the world, having having existed since 800 BC. It is also one of the four city’s in India along with Haridwar Allahabad and Nashik that hosts the Kumbh Mela – the largest peaceful Hindu religious gathering in the world – once every 12 years.
Madhya Pradesh is home to 40% of India’s total tribal population. The largest tribe, the Gonds, inhabit areas on both sides of the Narmada as well as the Vindhya and Satpura regions. The Bhils, the second largest tribe, are concentrated around Jhabua, Khargone, Dhar and Ratlam. Baigas, Saharias, Bharias, Korkus and Santias are some other tribes.

Cultural Facts About Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh has been home to numerous famous personalities. Freedom fighter – Chandra Shekhar Azad, children rights activist – Kailash Satyarthi, singers like Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar, actor Arjun Rampal, actress Jaya Bachchan (Bhaduri) and cricketers like Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Amay Khurasia, and Narendra Hirwani among many others.
Built back in the 10th century, the Khajuraho monuments are an epitome of breath-taking sculptures and elegance. The sculptures depict the artful and erotic expressions of the various sexual practices of the time. These clusters of sculptures have been classified as the world heritage sites, which attract hundreds and thousands of people every day.
Since the 4th century BC, Ujjain has marked the first Meridian or Prime Meridian of longitude for Hindu geographers. Ujjain was known to ancient Greeks as Ozene. The name finds mention in Ptolemy’s Geographia (2ndcentury AD) and the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (1st century AD) as the capital of the western Satraps – the Indo-Scythian rulers of the western and central India.
‘Land of the Tigers’, Bandhavgarh National Park is the place with the highest density of Royal Bengal tigers in the world, and is home to some of the most exotic wildlife, which is difficult to spot in other parts of India. There is saying about the park, that goes “In any other park, you are lucky to spot a tiger, in Bandhavgarh you are unlucky if you don’t spot (at least) once”.
The only hill station in Madhya Pradesh is the beautiful Pachmarhi, known more fondly as “Satpura ki Rani” for it’s location in the Satpura range. It is situated 1,100 meters above sea level. Pachmarhi’s name derives from the hindi word Panch, meaning ‘five’ and ‘marhi’, meaning ‘caves’. It’s a reference to the five caves on a hilltop that, according to the legend, was built by Pandavas during their 14 year exile.
Situated at an altitude of 1,352 metres above sea level, Pachmarhi is a very popular tourist hill station located in Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh. It is also widely known as “Satpura ki Rani” (Queen of Satpura). The name Pachmarhi is derived from the Hindi words ‘Panch’ (Five) and ‘Marhi’ (Caves), believed to have been carved out by the Pandava brothers of Mahabharata era, during their thirteen years of exile.
Madhya Pradesh’s renowned Maheshwari saris owe both their inception and later revival to the Holkar family. It was in the 18th century that Rani Ahilya Bai Holkar invited weavers from Surat to Maheshwar to procure the distinctive textiles. In the mid-1970s, the handloom industry was in a state of decline. Richard Holkar, a descendant of Rani Ahilyabai, and his wife Sally, founded the Rehwa society in 1979 to help revive the craft.
The Great Stupa at Sanchi, built by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC, is the oldest stone structure in India Sanchi is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was lost to the world for almost 600 years from around the 13th century up to 1818, when a British official named General Taylor rediscovered it. The group of 50 remaining monuments – temples, monasteries and pillars – had been forgotten and left undisturbed during all this time.
Bandhavgarh is home to some of the exotic wildlife creatures that are difficult to spot in other parts of India. The most famous ones are white tigers besides for the wide variety of birds, mammals, butterflies, and reptiles. Bandhavgarh had also been the hunting ground for the ancient Kings. Bandhavgarh has also mythological significance as it is believed that the ancient Bandhavgarh Fort was gifted by Lord Rama to his younger brother Lakshmana.
Bhopal was ruled by four women in succession between 1819 and 1926, who are credited with giving the city its waterworks, railways, postal system and a municipality (constituted in 1907). They were Qudsia Begum (1819 to 1837), who in turn was succeeded by her only daughter Shah Jehan Behum (1868 to 1901). Her daughter Kaikhusrau Jehan Begum ruled from 1901 to 1926. The 1982 discovery of a nearly complete skull of an advanced Homo Erectus in Hathnora village in the Narmada valley indicates that the area had been inhabited since the middle Pleistocene era (5,00,000 years ago).

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