Hindustan ka Dil Dekho! Aao Ek bar fir Madhya Pradesh Dekho!

A state stationed at the center of India- Madhya Pradesh is popularly known as ‘The heart of India’.

खजुराहो प्रेम की नगरी

पचमढ़ी कला का वेश है

महा कुम्भ हर धर्म का संगम

जहा महाकाल महेश हैं

अनुपम है भारत की माटी

जिसमे मध्य प्रदेश है !!

-Prayag Tiwari

The soul and spirit of India, Madhya Pradesh has always been an attractive destination in terms of historical, cultural, and flora & fauna. There is no other state in India that is enriched with such a vast historical background that can attract tourist’s attention. For ages, Researchers and archaeologists are digging the hidden treasures of Madhya Pradesh and in this regard, they have achieved greater success. Home to breathtaking landscapes, mural panorama, and hub of ancient architectures; All these things together form a comprehensive sketch of Madhya Pradesh. There are endless numbers of tourist attractions that will bring out the inquisitiveness in you. The Madhya Pradesh Tourism department gave a tagline for the state- ‘HINDUSTAN KA DIL DEKHO’ that portrays the true image of Madhya Pradesh.

History:

If you go deeper into the history of Madhya Pradesh, then you will realize that it’s backdated to the time of the Stone age and there are various shreds of evidence of rock shelters and cave paintings that will give you a glimpse of 30,000 BCE. Asoka, the great Emperor is majorly associated with the state after his emergence as a great Viceroy of his time in Ujjain. He ruled the Indian subcontinent from 268 to 232 BCE and this was the time when India emerged as a strong individual entity. He was the grandson of the founder of the Mauryan Dynasty-Chandragupta Maurya, who did a lot of political as well as economic reforms in India. Chandragupta followed the teachings of his educator- CHANAKYA and his acclaimed book ARTHSHASTRA. Chandragupta and Chanakya and his political treatise Arthshastra had played a significant role in building the foundation of Madhya Pradesh. As Asoka emerged as a major ruler of the Indian sub-continent, so he established Ujjain as the dominant center in the region. The trade routes in Madhya Pradesh opened new doors for commercial businesses in India.

After the death of Asoka, the Gupta dynasty came to an end and then arose one of the most important Empires in Indian history- the MUGHAL EMPIRE. The major Mughal Empire was covered during the reign of AKBAR (1556-1605). This was the time when India was enriched and emerged as a powerful martial country. Akbar became the first Muslim ruler who gained the trust of Indian residents by nullifying the sectarian tax on Non-Muslims. Madhya Pradesh has always been the central part of India from where the whole commercial sector of the country was controlled. After Asoka, Akbar was the one who contributed a lot towards the commercial sector of the country and he even established harmony between two major religions in India- Hindu and Muslim!

The Mughal Empire came to an end after the death of Aurangzeb and then emerged Marathas who controlled most parts of Madhya Pradesh. Afterward, India was divided into semi-autonomous states that were ruled by Marathas, for instance, Malwa was ruled by Holkars of Indore, northern parts of Madhya Pradesh were ruled by Scindias of Gwalior, and Dewas and Dhar were ruled by Puars. 

Heart of India:

Madhya Pradesh is called the ‘Heart of India’ not just because its located in the central part of the country, but because the state is enriched with great ancient architectures and a wide range of flora and fauna. There are various tourist attractions that have been grasped the eyes of people from all over the world. Before 2000, the state was considered the biggest Indian state in terms of area and the fifth-largest state in terms of population. There are various world heritage sites, national parks, natural reserves, hill stations, and architecturally significant sites that are being contributed by the tourism department of Madhya Pradesh for a very long time.

मध्य में है जो प्यारा सा, सुखद सलोना न्यारा सा

ताल –तल्लैया की नगरी, भरते प्यार की सब गगरी

अम्बर मन का मोती सा, धरती पीली धोती सा

होली –ईद जश्न मनायें, आपस में सब प्रेम निभायें

मालवा की भीनी खुशबू, चमके जगमग से जुगनू

झलकारी भी हुई यहीं पर, ललकारे वो खड़ी ज़मी पर

सबसे यह प्रीत निभाता, भारत का हृदय कहलाता !!!

-Anonymous

There are variously beautiful, fascinating, and majestic sites and locations in Madhya Pradesh that can surely compel anyone to visit this state once in his lifetime.

Kandariya Mahadev Temple:

Situated in one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites- Khajuraho, Kandariya Mahadev Temple is popularly known as ‘THE GREAT GOD OF THE CAVE’. The structure and pattern of the temple give us a glimpse of the architectural style of the medieval period of India. The temple is in the Chattarpur district of Madhya Pradesh and the temple has been constructed during the time of Vidhayadhara- ruler of the Chandela dynasty. Khajuraho is known for having a group of temples and Kandariya temple is the largest and tallest among other temples. The carvings, the Makara Torana, and the marble Shiva Linga are the most important features of the Kandariya temple. This east-facing temple is embellished with various external as well as internal miniature and carvings that will totally baffle you.

How to reach: You can hire a cab from Khajuraho. This will enable you to enjoy your road trip.

When to go: You can visit this temple in any season, but October to February will be the best time to visit this place. February will be the best time because then you can also witness the Khajuraho dance festival. The festival covers major classical dances performed by renowned dancers from all over the world.

The temple opens at 6:00 am and closes at 10:00 pm and you can also get Prasad from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm.

Dhuandhar Falls:

Situated in the Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Dhuandhar falls is one of the most beautiful falls in India that will leave you speechless. The alluring beauty of fall will take you into the lap of tranquillity and serenity. The high voltage sound coming from the fall and the droplets of water on your cheeks will make you go crazy. The fall is located at the Narmada river at Bhedaghat and is almost 30 meters high. The physical attractiveness, smoke cascade, and loud music of the fall are breathtaking. The Narmada river is surrounded by Marble rocks and then makes its way and turns into fall.

How to reach: Dhuadhar falls is 30km away from Jabalpur and you can hire a cab for an amazing road trip.

When to go: The best time to visit Dhuadhar Falls is during Narmada Mahotsav during Sharad Purnima. You can also have a boat ride.

Kanha National Park:

This largest national park is known for one of the best Tiger reserves of India. You can sneak peek into this national park and if you are lucky you can have a glimpse of the Bengal Tiger, the most popular and endangered tiger species, Sloth Bear, Indian Leopards, Indian Wild Dog, and Barasingha. Most of us have read the favorite book of our time- THE JUNGLE BOOK by Rudyard Kipling. The jungle depicted in this book was inspired by the KANHA NATIONAL PARK. This national park was first founded in the year 1955 to save the endangered tiger species. The national park covers 1945 square kilometers and there are various wildlife management plans been initiated by the Madhya Pradesh government in order to save rare species and rare flora and fauna of the national park.

How to reach: You can reach Kanha National Park by air. Jabalpur is the nearest airport. You can also opt for Raipur and Nagpur airports.  All these airports have direct connectivity from Mumbai and Delhi.

When to go: The best time to visit this national park is from November to June.

Sanchi Stupa:

Located 46 kilometers from Bhopal, Sanchi Stupa is built by great Mauryan Emperor Asoka in the 3rd century BCE. As, this parasol-like structure is having the relics of Gautam Buddha, so this is considered the oldest stone architecture that has been built in memory of Gautam Buddha. Asoka was a follower of Buddhism and he wanted to spread and preserve the teachings of Gautam Buddha, so he ordered to build this sacred architecture. This Stupa is the authentication of the Mauryan Dynasty and that is the reason that it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage site. You can visit some of the important sites here:

• The Great Stupa
• Sanchi stupa 2
• The Great Bowl
• Bija Mandal
• The disciples
• Udaygiri caves
• The ASI Museum
• Gupta temple
• Sanchi Stupa 3
• Chaitya, Vihar

How to reach: This world heritage site is 46 km away from Bhopal. You can opt for a bus or hire a cab for a road trip.

When to go: The best time to visit this tourist attraction is between November to February.

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga:

लता किशोर की आवाजे

गूजे हिन्द स्वदेश है

पवित्रा नर्मदा शिप्रा की

ओंकारेश्वर महेश्वर का  उपदेश है

माण्डू है परमार वंश का नक्शा

छत्रशाल ओरछा नरेश है

अनुपम है भारत की माटी

जिसमे मध्य प्रदेश है !!

-Prayag Tiwari

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is one of the twelve jyotirlingas that is dedicated to the Hindu Deity Shiva. It is said that these jyotirlingas are the sacred abode of Lord Shiva and they are the most worshipped temples in India. The Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is situated in Ujjain on the side of the Rudra Sagar Lake. The ShivLing inside the Mahakaleshwar temple faces towards the south and that is why it is also known as the ‘DAKSHINAMURTI’. No other Jyotirlinga faces towards the south and that is why Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is unique among all. This Jyotirlinga is also known as SWAYAMBHU (The one who born of itself).

The best time to visit the temple is at the time of Maha Shivratri or Nag Panchami. But do take some precautions because there will be many crowds and you can get caught in trouble.

Bollywood interest in Madhya Pradesh:

Due to its historical background and various natural reservoirs, Madhya Pradesh has always been a major point of interest in the Bollywood industry. There are various cinematographic sites that have been captured through the eyes of Bollywood directors. The natural landscapes, local culture and traditions, historical monuments, and ancient architectures, all these things have been depicted in various Bollywood movies.

Mohenjo Daro:

The recently released movie Mohenjo Daro was shot at Bhedaghat. The captivating and mesmerizing locale was the exact location of Dhuadhar falls and the Bhedaghat Narmada river I talked about above. Watching Hrithik Roshan at such a beautiful, lush green, and serene location is all one looks at in a Bollywood movie. Although, the movie was not a hit one, due to the choice of location it earned some popularity.

Asoka:

Do you remember the hot and steamy song- ‘San sanan na’ from the movie Asoka, starring Shahrukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor was shot at Bhedaghat, Maheshwar, and Panchmarhi. The movie was critically acclaimed for its locations and Shahrukh and Kareena’s performance. As the movie was based on a historical background so it was important for the movie to be shot at some historical location and nothing was best other than Madhya Pradesh. The director and writer of the movie, Santosh Sivan chose some of the exotic locations in Madhya Pradesh, for instance, Rajat Prapat, Panchwati ghat, Handi Khoh, Saraswati Ghat, Apsara Vihar, and Maheswar. These locations brought a special effect to the movie.

Raajneeti:

This Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, and Arjun Rampal starring movie were shot in Bhopal. The movie was revolving around a political background and drama, so it needs to be perfect in its location. If you have ever gone to Bhopal or you are a local resident of Bhopal, then you can easily relate what were the places that have been captured in Rajneeti. Some of the locations were VIP road, Upper and Lower lake, Iqbal Maidan, Birla Mandir, and Shahjahanabad. 

Paan Singh Tomar:

This movie was inspired by a real-life character who was a talented runner but turned into a dacoit due to some adverse situations. Paan Singh Tomar surfaced his terror in Chambal district in Madhya Pradesh and that is why it was necessary to shoot the movie at real locations. The movie was shot in Chambal valley. 

There are endless numbers of Bollywood movies that have captured the true essence of Madhya Pradesh. Apart from above mentioned, there are some others, for instance, Youngistaan, Tevar was shot at ghats of Maheshwar, Pyar Kiya to Darna kya was shot in Indore, Jitendra starring movie Kinara was shot at Mandu district nearby Indore, Maqbool was shot in Bhopal, and the lovers were shot in Chamba Valley and Gwalior. 

Do read : Kashi – Mystic Sound from the land of Ganges