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Geographically,
the centre of India, Madhya Pradesh is a plateau straddled by the
meandering Narmada, Chambal, Betwa and Shipra rivers, surrounded by the
mighty Vindhya and Satpura... |
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Madhya
pradesh is filled with lush forests, magnificent monuments, exuberant
festivity and blissful solitude. |
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The
Khajuraho Festival of Dances draws the best classical dancers in the
country who perform against the spectacular backdrop of the floodlit
temples every year. |
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*THE HEART OF INDIA* |
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Madhya Pradesh as its name implies, lies in the heart of
India. It
covers an area of 4,43,406 sq. km, making it the biggest state in the
country, bordering seven other states - Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Andhra
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Madhya
Pradesh consists largely of a plateau streaked with the hill ranges of the
Vindhyas and the Satpuras with the Chhattisgarh plains to the
east. The hills give rise to the main river systems - the Narmada and the
Tapti, running from east to west, and the Chambal, Sone, Betwa, Mahanadi,
and the Indravati west to east.
Madhya Pradesh, , came into being in 1956, its cultural heritage
is ancient and chequered. Innumerable monuments, exquisitely carved temples,
stupas, forts and palaces on hilltops, raise in the visitor's mind visions
of empires and kingdoms, of great warriors and builders, poets and
musicians, saints and philosophers; of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and
Islam..
India's immortal poet-dramatist Kalidasa and the great musician of the
Mughal court, Tansen, hailed from the region. Customs and beliefs in each
area have added colour to the fairs and festivals. Dussehra in Bastar;
Shivratri in Khajuraho, Bhojpur, Pachmarhi and Ujjain; Ramnaumi in
Chitrakoot and Orchha, Bhagoriya in Jhabua and the annual festival of dances
at Khajuraho are events for the tourists to remember. The Malwa Festival in
Indore, Mandu and Ujjain, and the Pachmarhi Festival bring alive the rich
folk and tribal culture of the state in colourful celebrations. |
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No. of
Districts |
61
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Area
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308,313 sq
kms |
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population
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60,385,118
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No. of Towns
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46
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Literacy rate
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64.11%
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Inhabited villages |
71,526
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MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT |
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Lok Sabha |
40 |
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Rajya Sabha
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16
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State Capital |
Bhopal
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ITEMS
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YEAR
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M.P.
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Schedule Caste Population ( % ) |
1991 |
14.5 |
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Schedule Tribe Population ( % ) |
1991 |
23.3 |
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HEALTH
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Population per Government hospitals and dispensaries |
1995-96 |
80711 |
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Population per Government hospitals and dispensaries |
1995-96 |
80711 |
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Population served by each bed in Government hospitals and
dispensaries |
1995-96 |
2610 |
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Average Rural population served by each primary health centre |
1995-96 |
27616 |
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TRANSPORT &
COMMUNICATION |
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Total roads length per 100 Sq. Km. of area ( Km. ) |
1995-96 |
22 |
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Surfaced roads length per 100 Sq. Km. of area ( Km. ) |
1995-96 |
17 |
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HISTORY |
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Antiquity of Madhya
Pradesh goes back to the dawn of history. Widely distributed rock shelter
paintings present an eloquent testimony of its hoary past. Madhya Pradesh
which forms central India is associated with some famous names in Indian
History. Emperor Ashoka began his career from Ujjain. Major portion of
Central India formed part of the Gupta Empire (300-550 AD). In the first
half of the seventh century it was part of emperor Harsha’s kingdom. In
the early eleventh century the muslims entered central India, First Mahmud
of Ghazni and laterMohammad Ghori incorporated certain parts with
Sultanate of Delhi. It also formed part of Mughal empire. Till the death
of Mahadji Scindia in 1794, Marathas ruled supreme in
Central India, but thereafter independent smaller states came
into existence. Some great women rulers like Rani Ahilyabai Holkar of
Indore, Gond queen
Rani Kamla devi and Rani Durgawati have carved a niche for them in
history. |
 Madhya Pradesh has the largest tribal population in
India. The population of
Scheduled Tribes in the State is 154.03 lakhs
Main Tribes of Madhya Pradesh are Gond, Bhil, Kanwar ,Baiga, Bharia Kol,
Korku, Oraon among others.
Sparseness of population
is another special feature of tribal areas. Communication is scanty and
difficult in tribal areas. Such situation raises a real problem as to how
the benefits of the developments programmes should be extended to a
majority of the tribals living in interior areas. |
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ART AND
CULTURE |
 The
State Government has constituted a separate Department for Culture in the
year1980.
Various Offices falling
under Department of Culture are
:
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Archeology, Archives & Museum, Madhya Pradesh
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Directorate of Languages & Culture, Madhya Pradesh
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Institutes
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Fine Arts and Music Education Gazetteer Section
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Ravindra Bhawan, Bhopal
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Swatantrata Sangram Smarak Bhawan,
Bhopal
Various
Institutes/Academies are as under :
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Madhya Pradesh Kala Parishad
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Madhya Pradesh Sahitya Parishad
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Kalidas Academy, Ujjain
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Ustad Allauddin Khan Sangeet Academy
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| The giant fort of Gwalior
evokes memories of a momentous past. Orchha.. where a legacy of temples
and forts touches life with a medieval wand. |
| Abode of Gods |
Exquisite temples. Enchanting
mosques. Bathing ghats sanctified with faith. Steeped in divinity, the
holy shrines of Madhya Pradesh reflect the triumph of tolerance. Pilgrims
come in endless eddies to venerate the gods at Ujjain, Omkareshwar and
Maheshwar, the abodes of peace and tranquillity. To pray at the
awe-inspiring mosque at Bhopal. And to seek solace at Chitrakoot - the
legendary birthplace of Brahama, Vishnu and Mahesh, where Lord Ramais
believed to have sought shelter during his years in exile.
Handwoven brocades of Chanderi and Maheshwar, the Kosa silk of Raigarh,
leather toys, exquisitely wrought bell-metal...there's a whole treasury of
handicrafts.
- Railways: Trunk Rail
route connecting nothern India passes through Madhya Pradesh. Main
junctions in the state are Bhopal, Bilaspur, Bina, Gwalior, Indore,
Itarsi, Jabalpur, Katni, Ratlam, Ujjain & Khandwa.
- Aviation: Major
airports linking Delhi, Bombay, Varanasi & Nagpur are Bhopal, Raipur,
Indore, Khajuraho & Gwalior.
 Mandu
is a celebration in stone of life and joy, of the love of the poet-prince
Baz Bahadur for his beautiful consort, Rani Roopmati. Roopmati's pavilion
still gazes down at Baz Bahadur's palace, a magnificent expression of
Afghan architecture. Rulers of Mandu built exquisite palaces like the
Jahaz and Hindola Mahals, ornamental canals and pavilions, as graceful and
refined as those times of peace and plenty. Each of Mandu's structures is
an architectural gem, like the massive Jami Masjid and Hoshang Shah's
Tomb.The glory of Mandu lives on, in its palaces and masques, in legends
and songs, chronicled for posterity.
 The
temples of Khajuraho are India's unique gift to the world. Life, in every
form and mood, has been captured in stone. The Khajuraho temples were
built in the short span of a hundred years, from 950-1050 A.D. in a truly
inspired burst of creativity. Of the 85 original temples, 22 have survived
till today to constitute one of world's great artistic wonders.
 Sanchi
is known for stupas, monasteries, temples and pillars dating from the 3rd
century B.C. to the 12th century A.D. The most famous of these monuments,
the Sanchi Stupa 1, was originally built by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka.
Carved with stories of the Buddha's past and present lives and with
incidents from subsequent history of Buddhism, the gateways are the finest
specimens of early classical art.
 Kanha's
sal and bamboo forests, rolling grasslands and meandering streams stretch
over 940 sq. km in dramatic natural splendor. This is the original Kipling
country, of which he wrote so vividly in his Jungle Book. The abundance of
wildlife species exists today in Kanha National park, which forms the core
of the Kanha Tiger Reserve created in 1974 under Project tiger.The park is
the only habitat of the rare hardground barasingha.
 This
is a small National Park; compact, yet full of game. The density of the
tiger population at Bandhavgarh is the highest known in India. This is
also White Tiger country. Bandhavgarh is densely populated with species:
the great gaur, or Indian bison, Sambar, Barking deer and Nilgai are to be
seen in the more open areas of the park.
 Pachmarhi
is Madhya Pradesh's most verdant jewel, a place where Nature has found
exquisite expression in a myriad enchanting ways. Each dawn at this lovely
hill resort girdled by the Satpura ranges ushers in a day of tranquil
beauty. The valley, ravines and maze of gorges, sculpted in red sandstone
by wind and weather aeons ago, add their own coloring to this palette of
shades, and cascading waterfalls flash silver in the sunshine.
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Bhedaghat
(near
Jabalpur)
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Dressed in glittering splendour, the Marble Rocks at Bhedaghat rise to
the height of a hundred feet on either side of the Narmada. The serene
loveliness of the scene is one of cool quiet, the sunlight sparkling on
the marble-white pinnacles and casting dappled shadows on the pellucid
waters. |
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