Google Map Of Madhya Pradesh

Official Website: http://www.mp.gov.in/
Established: 1956-11-01
Capital: Bhopal
Largest city: Jabalpur
Districts: 50
Government Body: NA
Legislature: NA
Parliamentary constituency: 29
High Court: Madhya Pradesh High Court
Area Total: 308,252 km2 (119,016.8 sq mi)
Area rank: 2nd
Population 2011: (2011)
Population Density: 245.6/km2 (636/sq mi)
Time zone: IST (UTC+05:30)
UN/LOCODE: NA
ISO 3166 code: IN-MP
Vehicle registration: NA
HDI: 0.488 (low)
HDI rank: 26th (2005)
Literacy: 76.5% (8th)
Official languages: Hindi

The State of Madhya Pradesh known as the “Heart of India” is famous for its architectural and scenic beauty with a number of festivals, awesome cuisines and its art forms.

Madhya Pradesh Introduction

Madhya Pradesh is also known as the “Heart of India”. Since this region is the central state of India, it is named as Madhya Pradesh. History of Madhya Pradesh starts from 1st November, 1956. In the year 2000, the state is divided into new Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. It is the second largest state by area and the sixth largest by population.

According to 2011 census, the population of Madhya Pradesh is 7,25,97,565 million. Majority of the people lives in villages and agriculture is the main occupation. The literacy rate is 63.7%. Tribals form majority of the population and is calculated to be around 20.27% of the total population. The main tribal groups are Gond, Bhil, Baiga, Korku, Bhadia etc.

Madhya Pradesh lies in the central part of India, having Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand as the neighboring states. Major part of the state is covered by forests. Many significant rivers like Narmada, Chambal, Tapti, Shipra, Sone, Mahanadi, Indravati and Betwa River flows through Madhya Pradesh. Major part of the region lies in the Deccan Plateau.

Tropic of Cancer passes through the state and it highly influences the climate of the region making it very harsh. Summers are extreme hot and starts around the middle of February till the end of July. Monsoon starts by mid of June and ends by September. Winters start by the mid of November and lasts up to mid of February. This region has a short monsoon and winter seasons.

History

Historical evidences shows that a number of famous empires from the Mauryans to Mughals ruled the state. British conquered the power after the third Anglo-Maratha war. After Indian independence, Madhya Pradesh was formed on 1st November, 1956. Madhya Pradesh was divided into the present Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on 1st November, 2000. Bhopal is the capital city of the new Madhya Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh is a mixture of many tribal and ethnic groups. Around 91.1% of the total population is Hindus. Madhya Pradesh also have a minority community who follows other religions like Christianity, Islam, Jainism, Buddhism etc. Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes are also a part of the population. Official language of the state is Hindi.

The economic growth rate of the region was very low between 1999 and 2008. Agriculture is the main occupation of the people in Madhya Pradesh. There are many natural elements which helps in the economic growth rate and some of them are:

• Coal, Iron, Manganese and bauxite in the soil
• Limestone deposits and marble
• Diamond bed
• Textile industry
• Huge plants in the public sector (Bhilai Steel Plant, Heavy Electrical etc.)
• Traditional village crafts
• Agriculture

Culture
The culture of Madhya Pradesh is very much influenced by the tribal and non-tribal community of the region. The state can be termed as the cultural museum of India. The state is famous for its architecture and scenic beauty. Khajuraho group of monuments including Devi Jagadambi Temple and Buddhist monuments at Sanchi is one among the World Heritage Sites of the state.

Madhya Pradesh has many unique folk dance forms like Karma, Jawara, Tertali, Lehangi, Ahiri Dance, Yadav Dance etc. The region has also a prominent role in Hindustani classical music and Dhrupad is a local genre in it. Tansen festival is celebrated every year at Gwalior. Gwalior Gharana started during the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar is one of the oldest Khayal Gharanas.

Majority of the people in Madhya Pradesh are Hindus. Minority community of Christians, Jains, Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhs also form a part of the population. Main official language is Hindi and Malwi, Chhattisgarhi, Bundelkhandi etc. are the other local languages of the region. Madhya Pradesh also has a number of colorful festivals like

• Madai festival of Bastar
• Khajuraho festival of dance
• Tansen music festival at Gwalior
• Shivrathri Mela
• Navrathri
• Chethiyagiri Vihara festival at Sanchi
• Fair of Nagaji
• Nimar Utsav
• Bahgoriya

In addition to the native festivals, the region also celebrates Diwali, Dusshera etc.

The cuisine of Madhya Pradesh has awesome variety of dishes. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian as well as many festive dishes are also included in the cuisine. Bhutte ki kees, chaaki ka shak etc. are some of the famous dishes of the region. Some of the famous sweet dishes are 'mawa-bati', 'khoprapak', 'shreekhand' and 'malpua'. Non-veg delicacies include the spicy rogan josh, korma, seekh kabab, shami kabab etc. Madhya Pradesh is the best place for snack and sweet lovers.