Tourism in Madhya Pradesh
Encyclopedia
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
is called the Heart of India
Tourism in India
Tourism in India is the largest service industry, with a contribution of 6.23% to the national GDP and 8.78% of the total employment in India. India witnesses more than 5.5 million annual foreign tourist arrivals and 740 million domestic tourism visits...
because of its location in the centre of the country. It has been home to the cultural heritage of Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
etc. Innumerable monuments, exquisitely carved temples, stupas, forts & palaces are dotted all over the State.
The natural beauty
Narmada River
The Narmada , also called Rewa is a river in central India and the fifth largest river in the Indian subcontinent. It is the third largest river that completely flows within India after Ganges and Godavari...
and the Tapti, running from east to west, and the Chambal
Chambal River
The Chambal River is a tributary of the Yamuna River in central India, and forms part of the greater Gangetic drainage system. The river flows north-northeast through Madhya Pradesh, running for a time through Rajasthan, then forming the boundary between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh before turning...
, Sone
Sone
The sone was proposed as a unit of perceived loudness by Stanley Smith Stevens in 1936. In acoustics, loudness is the subjective perception of sound intensity...
, Betwa, Mahanadi
Mahanadi River
The Mahanadi in East Central India. It drains an area of around 141,600 km2 and has a total course of 858 km. The river flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Orissa.-Source:...
west to east. Spectacular mountain ranges, meandering rivers dotted with hills and lakes and miles and miles of dense forests offering a unique and exciting panorama of wildlife in sylvan surroundings.
One third of the state is forested and offers a unique and exciting panorama of wildlife. In the National Parks of Kanha
Kanha
Kanha or Kanhapad was one of the poets of Charjapad, the earliest known example of bangla literature. He was a tantric buddhist and his poems in Charjapad are written in a code, whereby every poem has a descriptive or narrative surface meaning but also encodes tantric buddhist teachings...
, Bandhavgarh, Shivpuri
Shivpuri
Shivpuri is a city and a municipality in Shivpuri district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is in the Gwalior Division of northwest Madhya Pradesh and is the administrative headquarters of Shivpuri District. It is situated at an altitude of above sea level.-History:Shivpuri is an ancient...
and many others one has the rare opportunity to see the tiger, the bison and a wide variety of deer and antelope in sylvan surroundings.
World heritage sites
Although the modern state of Madhya Pradsh came into being in 1956, its cultural heritage is ancient and chequered. Innumerable monuments, exquisitely carved temples, stupaStupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
s, forts and palaces on hilltops, raise in the visitors mind visions of empires and kingdoms, of the great warriors and builders, poets and musicians, saints and philosophers; of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam. The famous Sanskrit poet-dramatist Kalidasa
Kalidasa
Kālidāsa was a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language...
and the great musician of the Mughal court, Tansen
Tansen
Mia Tansen is considered among the greatest composer-musicians in Hindustani classical music. He was an extraordinarily gifted vocalist, known for a large number of compositions, and also an instrumentalist who popularized and improved the rabab .He was among the Navaratnas at the court of the...
, were from Madhya Pradesh.
Several cities in Madhya Pradesh are extraordinary for their architecture and or scenic beauty.
Four sites in Madhya Pradesh have been declared World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
s by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
:
- The Khajuraho Group of MonumentsKhajurahoThe Khajuraho Group of Monuments in Khajuraho , a town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District, about southeast of New Delhi, are one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for...
(1986) - The Devi Jagadambi templeDevi Jagadambi templeDevi Jagadambika temple or Jagadambika temple of a group of about 25 temples at Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India. Khajuraho is a World Heritage site....
(1986) - Buddhist Monuments at SanchiSanchiSanchi is a small village in Raisen District of the state of Madhya Pradesh, India, it is located 46 km north east of Bhopal, and 10 km from Besnagar and Vidisha in the central part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the location of several Buddhist monuments dating from the 3rd...
(1989) - The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003)
Significant sites
Other architecturally significant or scenic sites include:- AmarkantakAmarkantakAmarkantak is a pilgrim town and a nagar panchayat in Anuppur District in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Also called "Teerthraj" , Amarkantak region is a unique natural heritage area and is the meeting point of the Vindhyas and the Satpuras, with the Maikal Hills being the fulcrum...
- AsirgarhAsirgarhAsirgarh Qila is an Indian fortress situated in the Satpura Range, about 20 km north of the town of Burhanpur, in Burhanpur District of Madhya Pradesh state. The fortress commands a pass through the Satpuras connecting the valleys of the Narmada and Tapti rivers, one of the most important...
- BawangajaBawangajaBawangaja is a famous Jain pilgrim center in the Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh in India. Its main attraction is the world's tallest statue, of the first Jain Tirthankara Adinatha. The statue is high, and was created early in the 12th century. The statue is supported from the back unlike one...
- Bhopal
- ChanderiChanderiChanderi चंदेरी شندرئ is a town of historical importance in Ashoknagar District of Madhya Pradesh state in India. It is situated at a distance of 127 km from Shivpuri,37 km from Lalitpur,55 km from Ashok Nagar and about 45 km from Esagarh It is surrounded by hills southwest of...
- ChitrakutaChitrakutaChitrakuta is a town and a nagar panchayat in Satna district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India....
- Deorkothar
- DharDharDhār is located in the Malwa region of western Madhya Pradesh state in central India. It is the administrative headquarters of Dhar District. The town is located west of Mhow, above sea level...
- Gwalior
- IndoreIndoreIndore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
- MaheshwarMaheshwarMaheshwar is a town in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh state, in central India. It is located 13 km east of National Highway 3 and 91 km from Indore, the commercial capital of the state. The town lies on the north bank of the Narmada River.-Etymology:The name Maheshwar comes from...
- MandleshwarMandleshwarMandleshwar is a town and a Nagar Panchayat in Khargone district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is a town of historical and religious importance situated on the banks of Narmada River, 8 km east of Maheshwar, and 99 km south of Indore....
- ManduManduMandu or Mandavgad is a ruined city in the Dhar district in the Malwa region of western Madhya Pradesh state, central India. The distance between Dhar & Mandu is about 35 km. In the 11th century, Mandu was the sub division of the Tarangagadh or Taranga kingdom...
- OmkareshwarOmkareshwarSee Omkareshwar, East Nimar for town of the same nameOmkareshwar is a Hindu temple dedicated to God Shiva. It is one of the 12 revered Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva....
- OrchhaOrchhaOrchha is a town in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh state, India. The town was established by Maharaja Rudra Pratap Singh in 1501, as the seat of an eponymous former princely state of central India, in the Bundelkhand region. Orchha lies on the Betwa River , 80 km from Tikamgarh &...
- ShivpuriShivpuriShivpuri is a city and a municipality in Shivpuri district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is in the Gwalior Division of northwest Madhya Pradesh and is the administrative headquarters of Shivpuri District. It is situated at an altitude of above sea level.-History:Shivpuri is an ancient...
- SonagiriSonagiri-Etymology:In Hindi, Sonagiri means a palace of gold....
and UjjainUjjainUjjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River , today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
.
Madhya Pradesh being very large geographically, and the history being spread over several millennia, a developing a comprehensive picture of heritage and architecture is a monumental task.
National Parks
National parks of India
This is a list of all national parks of India. India's first national park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, now known as Jim Corbett National Park. By 1970, India only had five national parks...
, including:
- Bandhavgarh National ParkBandhavgarh National ParkBandhavgarh National Park is one of the popular national parks in India located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh. Bandhavgarh was declared a national park in 1968 with an area of 105 km². The buffer is spread over the forest divisions of Umaria and Katni and totals 437 km²...
- Kanha National ParkKanha National ParkKanha National Park is a national park and a Tiger Reserve in the Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh, India. In the 1930s, Kanha area was divided into two sanctuaries, Hallon and Banjar, of 250 and 300 km² . Kanha National Park was created on 1 June, 1955. Today it stretches over an...
- Satpura National ParkSatpura National ParkSatpura National Park is located in district Hoshangabad of Madhya Pradesh in India. It gets the name from Satpura hill ranges ....
- Sanjay National ParkSanjay National ParkThe Sanjay National Park is located in the Sidhi District of Madhya Pradesh state in India. It it a part of the Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve. The park covers 466.7 km2.-Wildlife:...
- Madhav National ParkMadhav National ParkMadhav National Park is situated in Shivpuri District of Gwalior region in northwest Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the ancestral home of the line of ęAli Khan, a region based in Punjab, and most famous for the laws of commonly credited with defining modern day jurisprudence. Shivpuri town is located...
- Van Vihar National ParkVan Vihar National ParkVan Vihar National Park is a national park in India located a the heart of Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh. Declared a national park in 1983, it covers an area of about 4.45 km². Although it has the status of a national park, Van Vihar is developed and managed as a modern zoological...
- Mandla Plant Fossils National ParkMandla Plant Fossils National ParkNational fossils park is situated in Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh in India. This national park has plants in fossil form that existed in India anywhere between 40 million and 150 million years ago spread over seven villages of Mandla District...
- Panna National ParkPanna National ParkPanna National Park is a national park located in Panna and Chhatarpur districts of Madhya Pradesh in India. It has an area of about 543 square miles . The terrain in Panna National Park is undulating and heavily forested with many streams and waterfalls.Among the animals found here are the chital,...
- Pench National Park, Madhya PradeshPench National Park, Madhya PradeshPench National Park is situated in Seoni and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh in India. It derives its name from the Pench River that flows through the National park from north to south dividing the park into almost equal western and eastern halves- the well forested areas of Chhindwara and...
.
Nature reserves
- AmarkantakAmarkantakAmarkantak is a pilgrim town and a nagar panchayat in Anuppur District in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Also called "Teerthraj" , Amarkantak region is a unique natural heritage area and is the meeting point of the Vindhyas and the Satpuras, with the Maikal Hills being the fulcrum...
- Bagh CavesBagh CavesThe Bagh Caves are a group of nine rock-cut monuments, situated among the southern slopes of the Vindhyas in Kukshi tehsil of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh state in central India. These monuments are located at a distance of 97 km from Dhar town. These are renowned for mural paintings by...
- BhedaghatBhedaghatBhedaghat is a town and a nagar panchayat in Jabalpur district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is situated by the side of river Narmada and is approximately 20 km from Jabalpur city...
- Bori Nature Reserve
- Ken Gharial
- Ghatigaon
- Kuno Palpur
- NarwarNarwarNarwar is a town and a nagar panchayat in Shivpuri district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Narwar is a historic town and the Narwar Fort is just east of the Kali Sindh River and is situated at a distance of 42 km from Shivpuri. Narwar was known as Narwar District during the times of...
- ChambalChambal RiverThe Chambal River is a tributary of the Yamuna River in central India, and forms part of the greater Gangetic drainage system. The river flows north-northeast through Madhya Pradesh, running for a time through Rajasthan, then forming the boundary between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh before turning...
- Kukdeshwar
- NarsinghgarhNarsinghgarhNarsinghgarh is a town of historical importance in the Damoh District of Madhya Pradesh in India. There is one ancient fort built by Shah Taiyab in Narsinghgarh. The town Narsinghgarh is situated on Sonar River. Birla group has established one cement factory at Narsinghgarh.-External links:*...
- Nora Dehi
- PachmarhiPachmarhiPachmarhi is a hill station in Madhya Pradesh state of central India, also known for the Pachmarhi Cantonment. It is widely known as "Satpura ki Rani" , situated at a height of 1000 m in a valley of the Satpura Range in Hoshangabad district...
- Panpatha, Shikarganj
Fairs and festivals
Khajuraho
The Khajuraho Group of Monuments in Khajuraho , a town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District, about southeast of New Delhi, are one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for...
, Bhojpur
Bhojpur, Madhya Pradesh
Bhojpur is a town of historical and religious importance in Raisen District of Madhya Pradesh, India.-History:Bhojpur is named after its founder, the Parmara king Bhoj .- Bhojeshwar temple :...
, Pachmarhi
Pachmarhi
Pachmarhi is a hill station in Madhya Pradesh state of central India, also known for the Pachmarhi Cantonment. It is widely known as "Satpura ki Rani" , situated at a height of 1000 m in a valley of the Satpura Range in Hoshangabad district...
and Ujjain
Ujjain
Ujjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River , today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
; Ramanavami in Chitrakoot and Orchha
Orchha
Orchha is a town in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh state, India. The town was established by Maharaja Rudra Pratap Singh in 1501, as the seat of an eponymous former princely state of central India, in the Bundelkhand region. Orchha lies on the Betwa River , 80 km from Tikamgarh &...
, Bhagoriya dance in Jhabua
Jhabua
Jhabua is a town and a municipality in Jhabua district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Jhabua District.-History:...
and the annual festival of dances at Khajuraho
Khajuraho
The Khajuraho Group of Monuments in Khajuraho , a town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District, about southeast of New Delhi, are one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for...
are events for the tourists to remember. The Malwa festival in Indore
Indore
Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
, Mandu
Mandu
Mandu or Mandavgad is a ruined city in the Dhar district in the Malwa region of western Madhya Pradesh state, central India. The distance between Dhar & Mandu is about 35 km. In the 11th century, Mandu was the sub division of the Tarangagadh or Taranga kingdom...
and Ujjain
Ujjain
Ujjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River , today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
, and the Pachmarhi
Pachmarhi
Pachmarhi is a hill station in Madhya Pradesh state of central India, also known for the Pachmarhi Cantonment. It is widely known as "Satpura ki Rani" , situated at a height of 1000 m in a valley of the Satpura Range in Hoshangabad district...
festival bring alive the rich folk and tribal culture of the state in colourful celebrations.