Shopping in Madyha Pradesh

Maheshwar

Maheshwari sarees are the main draw. Rani Ahilyabai is credited with introducing this uniquely woven saree 250 years ago. The fabric used id cotton and the saree has a plain bosy, at times with stripes or checks in variable patterns. Leaf and floral patterns decorate the borders, which are reversible (’known as bugdi’). The ‘pallu’ is particularly distinctive with five stripes, three coloured and two white running alternating across its width.

Mandu

Mandu is basically a historical place which is surrounded by forests and natural beauty. Being a very small city it does not offer much to purchase and shopping malls are absent. Nevertheless, one can buy some local handicrafts and items made in the region. These items make good souvenirs and decorative pieces.

Items made from gold and silver are particularly popular among the tourist as well as the native people. One can always go for some handloom cloths and some colourful garments. Being part of Vindhya range (Malwa), the influence of Vindhyachal (Malwa) tribal art is clearly visible in on the handicrafts and other items. One can also look for leather work.

Pachmarhi

As such there are no shopping Malls in Pachmarhi but one can get good items to purchase from shops around the bus stand. Pachmarhi is famous for items made from jute and marble decorative pieces.

Wildlife in Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh is a veritable haven for wildlife. In its lush forests, the tiger prowls and the spotted deer, the blue-bull and the gaur roam free. The barasingha has been saved from extinction and its numbers have multiplied in Kanha National Park.

The sal and bamboo forests of Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Panna, Pench, Satpura and many other National Parks and Sanctuaries are teeming with all kinds of wildlife and many hundred species of birds. In Madhya Pradesh, the old thrill of the jungle lives on!

One third of my land is forested, offering a unique and exciting panorama of wild life. Especially in the Vindhya-Kaimur and the Satpura and Maikala ranges and the Baghelkhand plateau.
The old princely families were enthusiastic “sportsmen”.

Rulers of states the size of English countries, and some appreciably larger, set aside vast stretches of wilderness as their own, private, haunting grounds. Since these royal hunts were fairly infrequent affairs and as the keepers of the hunting grounds were vigilant, the animals grew and prospered: in spite of the annual butchering.

Climate of Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh has a typical tropical climatic condition. Summers are hot and in some places humid while winters are comfortable. The monsoon season spreads from the month of June to September with the average rainfall of 1000 m in the west to 2000 mm in the east.

The temperature during summers ranges from maximum 33°C to 44°C and minimum 30°C to 19°C. The temperature during the winter season ranges with the maximum of 27°C to 10°C. The best time to visit this place would be during the months of November to February. Cotton clothing are ideal for visit anytime of the year.

Temperature

The temperature starts rising in Madhya Pradesh from March onwards, varying from region to region. In summer, the mean maximum temperature goes up to around 42.5oC in northern MP at places like Gwalior.

It is 40o-42.5oC in places like Bhopal, Sagar, Rewa, Bilaspur and Raigarh, to name a few. In other places, it ranges from 35o-400C. May is hotter than June when moisture-laden clouds arrive and bring down the temperature considerably.

The monsoon begins in end-June/July and last till end-August. The temperature remains more or less the same till September-October, after which, it starts falling, announcing the arrival of winter. Winter reaches its peak in the month of December in some places, and in January, in others. The average temperature in winter is as low as -10oC in the northern half of MP, while in the southern half the average temperature varies from 10o-15oC.

Rainfall

Madhya Pradesh gets maximum rainfall from June to September, and in some places, it rains in December and January due to a low-pressure build up. Both, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, feed the clouds reaching this state.

The western parts of the state get their monsoon from the Arabian Sea and the eastern parts get theirs from the Bay of Bengal. However, by the time these clouds reach Madhya Pradesh, a major part of their moisture is spent as they travel over many places before reaching this state.

Eastern Madhya Pradesh gets an average rainfall of over 112cm, whereas the northern and western areas get much less, ranging from 50-62.5cm. In the eastern parts of Madhya Pradesh, the monsoon is comparatively more predictable than in the western parts, making cultivation in dry periods almost impossible in the western areas.

Cuisine of Madhya Pradesh

Theres an old Indian adage, atithi devo bhava a guest is as God. Over the centuries this has been drilled so deep into succeeding generations of Indians that hospitality is almost next to godliness here.

The Hospitality of People

The people of Madhya Pradesh are a very warm and hospitable lot. People invite you for lunch and dinner at the drop of a hat. In the villages, especially, the hospitality can be quite overwhelming. Appetizers, piping hot food, second helpings and desserts are offered to the visitor as if theres no tomorrow.
Refusing any course or helping is out of the question as it is taken as an insult to the host and his kitchen.

Delicacies of Cuisine

Indian meals are large, leisurely affairs with tables groaning under food and lots of heady (and heated!) conversation. Nobody believes in eating less of more here. If you like a dish you are expected to eat more of it; more often than not the hostess will serve you a generous second helping herself.

It is good manners to praise a dish; if you churlishly refuse to, your considerate host will take offence. Refusal to eat even a single course can lead to a crowd of people fussing all over you, pressing alternative dishes. At the end of a heavy meal if you burp dont be surprised to see an approving, indulgent smile playing on the hosts face. Burping is a sort of Indian equivalent of my compliments to the chef; I liked the food so much Ive stuffed myself silly.

Major Tourist Places in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal
Khajuraho
Shivpuri
Bandhavgarh
Pachmarhi
Vidisha
Mandu
Orchha
Kanha
Chitrakoot
Sanchi
Gwalior
Bhimbetka
Bhojpur
Chanderi
Indore
Ujjain
Islamnagar
Omkareshwar

Tourist Attraction in Madhya Pradesh

Khajuraho

Khajuraho, which has lent its name to a complex of exquisite Hindu and Jain temples, is a small town located amidst the forested plains of Bundelkhand in north-central Madhya Pradesh. The beautiful temples that dot Khajuraho are believed to have been built by the mighty Chandela rulers in the 9th and 10th century AD.

The engravings on these temples are highly sensual and erotic that depict in graceful forms intimate scenes of the whole range of human emotions and relationships. These sculptures congeal in stone a lyrical paean to love and passion and reflect the Chandela dynasty’s immense appreciation for art.

Gwalior

With its stimulating ambience and undeniable aura of romance, Gwalior is one of the most impressive cities in India for the sensitive holidaymakers. There is an interesting story of how the city derived its name. According to legends, Suraj Sen, a prince of the Kachhwaha clan of the 8th century, lost his way while venturing in the jungle and reached an isolated hill wandering around. There he met a venerable old man, Sage Gwalipa.

Thirsty and tired, he asked for some water and the sage led him to a pond. To his astonishment, the prince after drinking the water found that not only his thirst but his disease of leprosy has also been cured. He asked the sage if he could do anything in return and the sage told him to fortify the hill. The hill was fortified and named Gwalior, and the city that developed around it gradually acquired the name.

Bhopal

The city of Bhopal undulates on the banks of a vast lake spanning several square miles, which dominates its landscape and gives it a magnetic, mesmerizing quality difficult to resist. The tranquillity of the lake is perhaps, to a large extent, responsible for an air of almost deliberate indolence and complacency.

It affects one unawares and stubbornly clings to the old fabric of a Bhopal that was-a small, sleepy picturesque town, a town with lush forests and leisurely days of shikars, picnics and quiet fishing trips. Even today, despite becoming the capital of Madhya Pradesh and the consequent conflux of people due to industrialization and growth, Bhopal retains about it an almost eternal quaintness and charm.

Economy of Madhya Pradesh

Agriculture

The state is predominantly agricultural and about 80% of the population depends on agriculture for its livelihood. Rice, wheat, soyabean, rapeseed and mustard are among the principal crops of the state. But it is in the matter of pulses, urad, mung, gram and arhar, that Madhya Pradesh leads the others with about one-fifth of the total production of these protein-rich food crops coming from the state. The black soil of the Malwa region is good for cultivation of cotton and some textile mills have also come up because of the availability of cotton.

Indyustry

Forests are important in the state. About 1.7 million hectares of land in the state is under forests. Apart from the high quality teak, ’sal’ an important timber wood is also available in the state. Bamboos are also available in large quantities. A product of the forests of great relevance to the economy and even the polities of the state is the tendu leaves used extensively for making beedies. The state’s forests are mainly located in the Vindhyas and the Satpuras.

Coal and iron are among the more important of the minerals of Madhya Pradesh. The iron ore found in Madhya Pradesh is of high grade and occurs in the Dury, Jubalpur, Bastar and Gwalior districts. Manganese is another important mineral which occurs in Madhya Pradesh in the Balaghat and Chhindwara districts.

There is bauxite which is required in the production of aluminium and which is available in the Katni tehsil of Jabalpur. Madhya Pradesh has a large deposit of limestone required for the production of cement. The Panna region has a rich diamond bed and is well known for the production of diamonds. Marble is also available in the state in several districts. The state has rich granaries of food. In the northern part sillimanite and ochre are excavated. Other natural products are steatite and China clay.

There are many flourishing textile mills in the state and artificial silk manufacturing plants located at Ujjain, Nagda, Indore and Gwalior. In the public sector, huge plants, namely the Bhilai Steel plant, the Heavy Electrical and the Bailadilla are the major achievements. The Nepa Mills produces newsprint for the country. Diesel engines are manufactured at Indore and attractive pottery and carpets are produced at Gwalior.

The state is famous for traditional village crafts such a chanderi sarees, leather and clay toys. Ancillary industries such as dyeing, calico printing and bleaching have also tended to concentrate in areas producing handloom cloth, silk and wool products. The states wood work and lacquer-ware are also very famous.

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal is a city in central India. It is the capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Bhopal has earned the sobriquet City of 7 Lakes

Introduction

Bhopal is a city in central India. It is the capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh. Bhopal is also the administrative headquarters of Bhopal District and Bhopal Division. Historically, Bhopal was also the name of a state of central India (See Bhopal (princely state)).

On December 3, 1984, a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal leaked 40 tons of toxic methyl isocyanate gas, which killed more than 3 thousand people outright and injured anywhere from 150,000 to 600,000 others. Another 12,000 deaths have officially been ascribed to the disaster’s effects, although campaign groups put the figure much higher. (See Bhopal disaster.)

History

Bhopal is said to have been founded by the Parmara King Bhoj (1000-1055), who had his capital at Dhar. The city was originally known as Bhojpal named after Bhoj and the dam (’pal’) that he is said to have constructed to form the lakes surrounding Bhopal. Bhopal during the British Raj: see main article Bhopal (princely state)

After Independence

Bhopal was one of the last princely states to sign the ‘Instrument of Accession’ 1947. Though India achieved Independence in August 1947, the ruler of Bhopal acceded to the Indian government only on May 1, 1949. Sindhi refugees from Pakistan were accommodated in Bairagarh, a western suburb of Bhopal.

According to the States Reorganization Act in 1956, Bhopal state was integrated into the state of Madhya Pradesh, and Bhopal was declared as its capital. The population of the city rose rapidly.

In December 1984 a cloud of methyl isocyanate was released from the factory of Union Carbide, a multinational company (now taken over by Dow Chemicals). The cloud covered half of the city and killed thousands of people; see Bhopal Disaster.

Bhopal City

Law and Government

Bhopal is the capital city of Madhya Pradesh. The last mayor was Ms. Vibha Patel, who was removed by the state government. The new mayor is Indian National Congress’s Sunil Sood.

Geography
Bhopal is a hilly area, located on the Malwa plateau, and the land rises towards the Vindhya Range to the south. The summers are hot and the winters cold. It rains moderately during the rainy season.

The municipality covers 286 square kilometres. It has two very beautiful lakes, collectively known as the Bhoj Wetland. These lakes are the Upper Lake (built by King Bhoj) and the Lower Lake. The catchment area of the Upper Lake is 361 km2 while that of the Lower Lake is 9.6 km2. The Upper Lake drains into the Kolans River.

The major hills in Bhopal comprise of Idgah hills and Shyamala hills in the northern region and Arera hills in the central region.

It is well connected to the rest of the country by rail, air and road links.

Languages in Madhya Pradesh

The predominant language of the region is Hindi. In addition to standard Hindi, several regional variants are spoken, which are considered by some to be dialects of Hindi, and by others to be distinct but related languages.

Among these languages are Malvi in Malwa, Nimadi in Nimar, Bundeli in Bundelkhand, and Bagheli in Bagelkhand and the southeast. Each of these languages or dialects has dialects of its own. Other languages include Bhilodi (Bhili), Gondi, and the isolate Kalto (Nahali), all spoken by tribal groups. Due to rule of Marathas, Marathi is spoken by a substantial number of people.

History of Madhya Pradesh

Ancient

The city of Ujjain (also known as Avanti) arose as a major center in the second wave of Indian urbanization in the sixth century BCE, and served as the chief city of the kingdom of Malwa or Avanti. Further east, the kindgom of Chedi lie in Bundelkhand. Chandragupta Maurya united northern India c. 320 BCE, establishing the Maurya empire (321 to 185 BCE), which included all of modern-day Madhya Pradesh.

The Maurya empire went into decline after the death of Asoka, and Central India was contested among the Sakas, Kushanas, and local dynasties during the 3rd to 1st centuries BCE. Ujjain emerged as the predominant commercial center of western India from the first century BCE, located on the trade routes between the Ganges plain and India’s Arabian Sea ports. It was also an important Hindu and Buddhist center. The Satavahana dynasty of the northern Deccan controlled parts of Madhya Pradesh during the 1st to 3rd centuries CE.

Northern India was conquered by the Gupta empire in the 4th and 5th centuries, which became known as India’s “classical age”. The Vakataka dynasty were the southern neighbors of the Guptas, ruling the northern Deccan plateau from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal. These empires collapsed towards the end of the 5th century.

Medieval

The attacks of the Hephthalites or White Huns brought about the collapse of the Gupta empire, and India broke up into smaller states. A king Yasodharman of Malwa defeated the Huns in 528, ending their expansion. King Harsha of Thanesar reunited northern India for a few decades before his death in 647. The Medieval period saw the rise of the Rajput clans, including the Paramaras of Malwa and the Chandelas of Bundelkhand.

The Paramara king Bhoj (c. 1010-1060) was a brilliant polymath and prolific writer. The Chandelas created the temple city of Khajuraho between c. 950 and c. 1050. Gond kingdoms emerged in Gondwana and Mahakoshal. Northern Madhya Pradesh was conquered by the Muslim Delhi Sultanate in the 13th century.

After the collapse of the Delhi Sultanate at the end of the 14th century, independent regional kingdoms reemerged, including the Tomara Rajput kingdom of Gwalior and the Muslim Sultanate of Malwa, with its capital at Mandu. The Malwa Sultanate was conquered by the Sultanate of Gujarat in 1531.

Modern

Most of Madhya Pradesh came under Mughal rule during the reign of the emperor Akbar (1542 - 1605). Gondwana and Mahakoshal remained under the control of Gond kings, who acknowledged Mughal supremacy but enjoyed virtual autonomy. After the death of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1707 Mughal control began to weaken, and the Marathas began to expand from their base in central Maharashtra.

Between 1720 and 1760 the Marathas took control of most of Madhya Pradesh, and Maratha clans were established semi-autonomous states under the nominal control of the Maratha Peshwa. The Holkars of Indore ruled much of Malwa, and the Bhonsles of Nagpur dominated Mahakoshal and Gondwana as well as Vidarbha in Maharashtra. Jhansi was founded by a Maratha general. Bhopal was ruled by a Muslim dynasty descended from the Afghan General Dost Mohammed Khan. Maratha expansion was checked at the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761.

The British were expanding their Indian dominions from bases in Bengal, Bombay, and Madras, and the three Anglo-Maratha wars were fought between 1775 and 1818. The Third Anglo-Maratha War left the British supreme in India. Most of Madhya Pradesh, including the large states of Indore, Bhopal, Nagpur, Rewa, and dozens of smaller states, became princely states of British India, and the Mahakoshal region became a British province, the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories. In 1853 the British annexed the state of Nagpur, which included southeastern Madhya Pradesh, eastern Maharashtra and most of Chattisgarh, which were combined with the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories to form the Central Provinces in 1861. The princely states of northern Madhya Pradesh were governed by the Central India Agency.

After Indian independence

Madhya Pradesh was created in 1950 from the former British Central Provinces and Berar and the princely states of Makrai and chhattisgarh, with Nagpur as the capital of the state. The new states of Madhya Bharat and Vindhya Pradesh were formed out of the Central India Agency.

In 1956, the states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, and Bhopal were merged into Madhya Pradesh, and the Marathi-speaking southern region Vidarbha, which included Nagpur was ceded to Bombay state. Bhopal became the new capital of the state. In November 2000, as part of the Madhya Pradesh Reorganization Act, the southeastern portion of the state split off to form the new state of chhattisgarh.