Madhya Pradesh

Introduction

Tiger relaxing on the road in Bandhavgarh NP

© Utrecht

Madhya Pradesh is a state in central India and most famous for being home to the erotic temples of Khajuraho and also prime area for spotting the great Bengal tiger.

Geography

Madhya Pradesh literally means "Central Province", and is located in the geographic heart of India, between latitude 21.2°N-26.87°N and longitude 74°02'-82°49' E. The state straddles the Narmada River, which runs east and west between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges; these ranges and the Narmada are the traditional boundary between the north and south of India. The highest point in Madhya Pradesh is Dhupgarh, with an elevation of 1,350 metres. The state is bordered on the west by Gujarat, on the northwest by Rajasthan, on the northeast by Uttar Pradesh, on the east by Chhattisgarh, and on the south by Maharashtra.

Cities

• Jabalpur
• Bhopal
• Raipur
• Indore
• Gwalior
• Orchha

Sights and Activities

Tiger Parks/Wildlife Watching

Kanha National Park and Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh are among the best in the country with the highest density and chance to see this massive cat. Also, Pench and Panna Reserves are well worth a visit, though numbers of tigers have been decreasing enormously here during the last years. It is believed that Panna even lost of all its tigers due to poaching, just like Sariska reserve before.
Bandhavgarh National Park is the park with the highest tiger density in the world and very good chances to spot one. Kanha National Park is its larger neighbour further south and also home to many tigers and other wildlife.

Khajuraho

Khajuraho is a town located in Madhya Pradesh famous for groups of Hindu and Jain temples. These temples are a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their beautiful and erotic rock carvings. About 20 temples remain today, dating back to the 10th and 11th century A.D.

Events and Festivals

• Holi is quite popular in the Indian sub-continent and is traditionally celebrated on the day after the full moon in the month of Phalguna (early March), according to Hindu calender. Holi is a thanksgiving festival, where people offer prayer to God for good harvest and fertility of the land. Holi is a festival of freedom from social norms and caste inhibitions are shed for a day as people indulge in fun and merry-making. Colors and 'gulal' are showered on the people dressed up for the occasion and the whole community seems to merge into one big family under the guise of colors, without any distinction whatsoever. Children with face smeared with colors run around with 'pichkaris' (big syringes to splash colored water) and play amongst themselves. People exchange good wishes, sweets and gifts. Holi is also marked by vibrant processions which are accompanied by folk songs, dances and drum beating. Parties are also organized where snacks and the traditional milk-based drink “Thandai” is served which is often intoxicated with “Bhang”. Of late, lots of foreigners have started taking interest in this festival and they even enjoy the colors and the intoxicating drink. It is advised to cover your hair with a cap and eyes with sunglasses to avoid the colors splashing the eyes and damaging the hair.
• Republic Day - Republic Day is a national holiday in India every January 26 to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution in 1950 and the declaration of independence in 1930. The capital of New Delhi is the focus of the celebrations, including a flag raising ceremony, wreath laying, 21-gun salute, Presidential speech, and presentation of awards for selflessness and bravery. A massive military parade includes elephants ridden by children who have received national accolades.
• Gandhi Jayanti - Gandhi Jayanti is a national public holiday commemorating the birth of the peaceful activist, Mohandas Gandhi on October 2, 1869. The celebration coincides with the United Nations’ International Day of Non-Violence. In India, Gandhi is remembered through statues, flower and candle offerings, prayers and singing the devotional hymn Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram. The Indian government issues special mint rupees and postage stamps bearing his picture.
• Diwali - Diwali is the five-day festival of lights held in India in late October or early November each year. The widely celebrated Hindu event marks Lord Rama’s victory over the demon Ravan. Homes and streets are decorated with lights, candles and small clay lamps, and new clothes are worn and sweets are exchanged.

Weather

Madhya Pradesh has a subtropical climate. Like most of north India, it has a hot dry summer (April–June), followed by monsoon rains (July–September) and a cool and relatively dry winter. The average rainfall is about 1,371 mm. The southeastern districts have the heaviest rainfall, some places receiving as much as 2,150 mm, while the western and northwestern districts receive 1,000 mm or less.

Getting There

By Plane

The Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport at Indore is the busiest airport in Madhya Pradesh. Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal, Jabalpur Airport, Gwalior Airport and Khajuraho Airport also have scheduled commercial passenger services. Besides these, minor airstrips are located at Sagar, Ratlam, Mandsaur, Ujjain, Khandwa, Rewa, Shivpuri and Satna.

Getting Around

Bus and train services cover most of Madhya Pradesh. The 99,043-kilometre-long road network of the state includes 20 national highways. A 4,948-kilometre-long rail network criss-crosses the state, with Jabalpur serving as headquarters for the West Central Railway Zone of the Indian Railways. The Central Railway and the Western Railway also cover parts of the state. Most of the western Madhya Pradesh comes under Ratlam Rail Division of Western Railways, including cities like Indore, Ujjain, Mandsaur, Khandwa, Neemuch and Bairagarh in Bhopal. The state has a total of 20 major railway junctions. The major inter-state bus terminals are located in Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior and Jabalpur. More than 2,000 buses are conducted daily from these four cities. The intra-city transit systems mostly consist of buses, private autos and taxis.

Eat

As elsewhere in Central India, you can have the delicacies of regional cuisines from all over India in Madhya Pradesh. Besides, local Central Indian cuisine (Malwi food) is delicious: local Poha, and Daal Baflae of certain places such as Ujjain Indore and Ratlam are delicious.

• Ratlam is famous place for Namkeen Sev.
• The street food of Indore is renowned, with shops that have been active for generations, famous for Butta Kees and even Sabudana Khichdi available around the clock.
• Bhopal is known for meat and fish dishes, such as rogan josh, korma, keema, biryani, pilaf, and kebabs. There is street named "Chatori Gali" in old Bhopal where one can find traditional Muslim non-veg fare such as Paya soup, Bun Kabab, Nalli-Nihari to name a few local specialities.
• Gwalior is famous for chaat named as Bedmi (dal stuffed suji puri with aloo ki teekhi sabji), a favorite morning breakfast of gwaliorites, and also a famous sweet named Gajak (from Morena), famous in winter season, made up of Seasme and Jaggery, said to be very good for health also.
• Dal bafla is a common meal in the region, consisting of a steamed and grilled wheat cake dunked in rich ghee which is eaten with daal and ladoos. The culinary specialty of the Malwa region of central Madhya Pradesh is poha (flattened rice); usually eaten at breakfast with jalebi.

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