Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh

History of Madhya Pradesh
History believes that Madhya Pradesh was inhabited from Middle Pleistocene era. Ujjain was the capital of the Avanti Kingdom, Malava, Karusha, Avantihedi, Dasarna and Nishada and also one of the longest inhabited cities of India. Dost Mohammed Khan, founded the Bhopal state. The British took control of the entire region, after the Third Anglo-Maratha War. After Independence, Madhya Pradesh was formed from British Central Provinces and Berar and the princely states of Makrai and Chhattisgarh, in 1950, with Nagpur as the capital of the state. In 1956, the states of Vindhya Pradesh, Madhya Bharat, and Bhopal combined to form Madhya Pradesh state. Chhattisgarh is carved out of Madhya Pradesh in November 2000 and Bhopal was made capital city of Madhya Pradesh.


Geography of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh is nicknamed as "heart of India" due to its geographical location. With an area of 308245 sq kms, it is the second largest state in the country. Madhya Pradesh shares it borders with Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Madhya Pradesh constitutes 12.30% of the forest area of India.

Government and Administration of Madhya Pradesh
For administration purpose Madhya Pradesh is divided into 10 divisions and 51 districts. The major political parties in the state are Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party. Madhya Pradesh legislative assembly consists of 230 seats. Madhya Pradesh contributes 40 members to the Indian Assembly in which six and nine are reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes respectively.

Language and Culture of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh’s culture is mainly influenced by Gond tribe, Bhil tribe and Oraon tribe. State is a hub of 'erotic' artistries and beautiful architectural works. Chanderi sarees and Maheshwari saree are the people treasure in the state. Bamboo work, carpet weaving, ornaments and jewellery, pottery, stone-carving are some of the famous crafts in the state. Sher, Akhara, Shaitan, baredi, karmaPhag, Lota dance are some of the famous tribal dances in the state. Maihar gharana, the Gwalior gharana and Senia gharana are some of the noted classical music in the state. Madhya Pradesh’s food is mainly hot and spicy. Cuisine in Madhya Pradesh has a small touch of Rajasthani and Gujrati cuisines. Madhya Pradesh is famous for many sweet like 'mawa-bati', 'shreekhand', 'khoprapak'. Lassi is one of the favorite drinks in the state. Hindi is widely spoken followed by Urdu, Marathi, Sindhi and Gujarati. Dialects of the language, such as Malwi, Bundelkhandi and Chhattisgarhi are also spoken.

Education Status of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh had a literacy rate of 70.60% in 2011. Jawaharlal Nehru Agriculture University, Madhya Pradesh Veterinary Sciences University, Madhya Pradesh Medical University, Rajiv Gandhi Technical University Bhopal, Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication are some of the Universities in the state. They are approximately 500 degree colleges in the state. Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, IIM Indore, IIT Indore, National Law Institute University Bhopal, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Bhopal) are some of the premier educational and research institutions in the state.

Economy of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh’s GDP was 4509 billion in the year 2013-2014. State’s economy mainly depends on agriculture. Wheat, soybean, gram, sugarcane, rice, maize, cotton are some of the main crops in the state. It has 5 SEZs. Apart from these, 14 SEZs approval was given in October 2011. Madhya Pradesh has the largest reserves of diamond and copper in India. Madhya Pradesh houses 6 Ordnance Factories which are run by the Ordnance Factories Board which manufactures a variety of products for the Indian Armed Forces.

Tourism in Madhya Pradesh
UNESCO declared The Khajuraho Group of Monuments, Buddhist Monuments and The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka as the World Heritage Sites. Panchmarhi, Amarkantak and Shivpuri are the famous hill stations in the state. One third of the state’s area is forest and offers a unique and exciting panorama of wildlife. Stare has many national parks and national reserves like Kanha National Park, Satpura National Park, Sanjay National Park, Madhav National Park, Van Vihar National Park, Pachmarhi, Amarkantak, Bagh Caves, Bhedaghat, Bori Wildlife Sanctuary etc.

Festivals Celebrated in Madhya Pradesh
Lokrang Festival is celebrated for five days starting from 26th January every year to exhibit the art and culture of the state. Tansen Sangeet Samaroh is dedicated to great Tansen. It is celebrated in the month of November. Madai festival is one of the most colorful tribal festivals of Madhya Pradesh. Apart from these all the major festivals in India are celebrated.