Shahdol District is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

in east central India. It old name was Matsya raj or Virat kingdom in the name of great king Maharaja

Virata Virata ( sa, विराट, IAST ''virāṭa''), was the king of the Matsya Kingdom, in whose court the Pandavas spent a year in concealment during their exile. Virata was married to Queen Sudeshna and was the father of Prince Uttara and Pr ...

. With a total area of and a population of 10,66,063. Shahdol is an important district of Madhya Pradesh. The town of

Shahdol Shahdol is a city in Shahdol district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Shahdol district, The total geographical area of the district is . Demographics India census A census is the procedure o ...

is the district headquarters. The district formerly comprised Shahdol division. The Virateshwara Temple in Sohagpur Vangana is the most important tourist destination of Shahdol and a structural masterpiece. The district extends from east to west and from north to south.

History

Shahdol was once known as Sohagpur, and has a history dating back to the Gupta period. The district was ruled by the Chedis and

Kalachuris The Kalachuris ( IAST: Kalacuri), also known as Kalachuris of Mahishmati, were an Indian dynasty that ruled in west-central India between 6th and 7th centuries. They are also known as the Haihayas or as the Early Kalachuris to distinguish them ...

, before being taken by the

Gonds The Gondi (Gōndi) or Gond or Koitur are a Dravidian ethno-linguistic group. They are one of the largest tribal groups in India. They are spread over the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Prad ...

. The town Sohagpur (Shahdol) was established by the Baghel king Sohag Deo. The fort of Bhandavgarh in modern-day Umaria district passed as dowry from the Kalachuris to the Baghels of

Rewa Rewa may refer to: Places Fiji * Rewa (Fijian Communal Constituency, Fiji), a former electoral division of Fiji * Rewa Plateau, between the Kaimur and Vindhya Ranges in Madhya Pradesh * Rewa Province, Fiji * Rewa River, the widest river in Fiji ...

, and they gradually conquered the surrounding territory from the Gonds. Later a small portion of the district was taken by a minor branch of the Baghels descended from Jamuni Bhan Singh, a younger brother of the king, who were not subsidiary to Rewa. Eventually the Bhonsles of Nagpur took over the territory, and after the Second Anglo-Maratha War it was ceded to the British. After the Maharaja of Rewa supported the Britishers during the 1857 rebellion, the district was returned to him in gratitude. Shahdol was at this time sparsely settled, and the Baghels invited many cultivators into the district from other parts. It remained an estate of Rewa state under the until Independence, when it became a separate district.

Location

Shahdol District is situated in the north-eastern part of the Madhya Pradesh province of India. Because of the division of the district on 15-08-2003, the area of the district remains . It is surrounded by Anuppur in the southeast,

Satna Satna is a city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of Satna district. It is 7th largest city and 8th most populous city of the state. The city is 500 km east of the state capital Bhopal. The city is ...

in the north, Sidhi in the northeast, Umaria in the west and

Koriya Korea State, currently spelled as Koriya, was a princely state of the British Empire of India. After Indian independence in 1947, the ruler of Koreaccededto the Union of India on 1 January 1948, and Koriya was made part of Surguja District ...

district of Chhattisgarh in the west. The district extends 110 km from east to west and 170 km from north to south. This district is situated between 22°38' N latitude to 24°20' N latitude and 80°28' E Longitude to 82°12' E longitude.

Topography

The District is located in the north-eastern part of the Deccan Plateau. It lies at the trijunction of Maikal Ranges of the

Satpura Range The Satpura Range is a range of hills in central India. The range rises in eastern Gujarat running east through the border of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and ends in Chhattisgarh. The range parallels the Vindhya Range to the north, and these ...

, the foot of the Kaimore Range an extension of the

Vindhya Range The Vindhya Range (also known as Vindhyachal) () is a complex, discontinuous chain of mountain ridges, hill ranges, highlands and plateau escarpments in west-central India. Technically, the Vindhyas do not form a single mountain range in the ...

and a mass of parallel hills which extend over the Chhota Nagpur plateau in Jharkhand. In between these hill ranges lies the narrow valley of the Son and its tributaries. Since the Kymore Range extends along the

Son A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current c ...

just across the northern boundary, the District may be divided into three physiographic divisions. They are :- * The Maikal Range * The Hills of Eastern Plateau * The Upper Son Valley District Shahdol is predominantly hilly district. It is picturesque with certain pockets and belt of SAL and mixed forests. Total geographical area of the district is 5671 km². Adjacents to the District Shahdol are the boarding districts Satna, Sidhi, Umaria, Anuppur and Rewa.

Mineral resources

District Shahdol is very rich in its mineral resources. Minerals found in district are coal, fire clay, ochers and marble.

Sohagpur Coalfield Sohagpur Coalfield is located in Shahdol district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh in the basin of the Son River. It is the biggest coalfield in the state of Madhya Pradesh. History Coal was discovered in this region, first in Sohagpur Coalfi ...

contributes a major part in the revenue of the state. A brief description of the various occurrences is given below : The important coal field in the District is Sohagpur coal field. The Barakars in this area are about 3100 km² Four coal seams have been recorded from the lower Barakars whereas a few thin seams are reported from Upper Barakars. The Lower Barakar coal of lower ash content and better quality as compared to that from Upper Barakars. In general the coal is of low rank, high moisture, high volatiles and non-coking type. A reserve of 4064 million tonnes has been estimated from this field. Good black clay deposits occur near Jamuni and Hinota. Ochers deposit in the Shahdol district is reported from pachdi. Marble deposits are found near villages Pasgarhi, Bagdari and Paparedi. Details of the deposit to be under search in these areas. District Shahdol is only uranium producer in state The current source of gas is Coal Bed Methane (CBM) blocks in Sohagpur East (SP-E) and Sohagpur West (SP-W) located in Shahdol. RIL has been awarded by the Government of India the Coal Bed Methane (CBM) blocks, located in the districts of Shahdol and Annupur in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The plateau production of CBM from these blocks is expected to be about 3.5 mmscmd. Total reserves estimated at 3.75 trillion cubic feet of in-place gas reserves under coal seams in Sohagpur coal bed methane (CBM) blocks

Economy

In 2006 the

Ministry of Panchayati Raj The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is a branch of the Government of India. Ministry of Panchayati Raj looks into all matters relating to the Panchayati Raj and Panchayati Raj Institutions. It was created in May 2004. The ministry is headed by a m ...

named Shahdol one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 24 districts in Madhya Pradesh currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

Agriculture

District is very backward in the field of agriculture. Tribals of the district prefer the cultivation in the old traditional method. The size of the fields are very small and mainly the tribals are marginal farmers. The yearly yield of the products from the fields are not enough for their home use. Hence, for the rest part of the year they work on daily wages. Mahua fruit, wood & seeds are source of income for tribe area people.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census Shahdol District has a

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 1,066,063, roughly equal to the nation of

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

or the US state of

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

. This gives it a ranking of 427th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of . Its

population growth rate Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. Actual global human population growth amounts to around 83 million annually, or 1.1% per year. The global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to ...

over the decade 2001-2011 was 17.27%. Shahdol has a

sex ratio The sex ratio (or gender ratio) is usually defined as the ratio of males to females in a population. As explained by Fisher's principle, for evolutionary reasons this is typically about 1:1 in species which reproduce sexually. Many species devia ...

of 968

females Female (symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gametes than a male. Females a ...

for every 1000 males, and a

literacy rate Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...

of 68.36%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 8.42% and 44.65% of the population respectively. The Tribals have a simple lifestyle. Their houses are made of mud, bamboo sticks, paddy, straw and local tiles. Tribal men wear Dhoti, Bandi, Fatohi and headgear. Women wear Saree named "Kaansh" saree in the local dialect. The saree is usually of skin colour. Women love to wear colourful clothes and ornaments. They wear traditional jewelry made of bamboo, seeds and metals. Nowadays people have also taken a liking for Western wear. Almost half of the tribals are

, 22%

Kols The Kol people referred to tribals of Chotanagpur in Eastern Parts of India. The Mundas, Oraons, Hos and Bhumijs were called Kols by British. It also refers to some tribe and caste of south-east Uttar Pradesh. They are mostly landless and depend ...

, 20% are Baiga.

Religion

As of the 2011 census, 93.53% of the population were Hindus, 3.98% Muslims and 1.82% other religions (mainly traditional tribal religion).

Languages

At the time of the

2011 Census of India The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listing phase began on 1 April 2010 and involved the collection of information about all buildings. Information ...

, 94.92% of the population in the district spoke

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

and 3.4%

Bagheli Bagheli (Devanagari: बघेली) or Baghelkhandi is a Central Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Baghelkhand region of central India. Classification An independent language belonging to the Eastern Hindi subgroup, Bagheli is one of the ...

as their first language. Vernaculars spoken in Shahdol include

, which has a

lexical similarity In linguistics, lexical similarity is a measure of the degree to which the word sets of two given languages are similar. A lexical similarity of 1 (or 100%) would mean a total overlap between vocabularies, whereas 0 means there are no common words. ...

of 72-91% with

(compared to 60% for German and English) and is spoken by about 7,800,000 people in

Bagelkhand Bagelkhand or Baghelkhand is a proposed state and a mountain range in central India that covers the northeastern regions of Madhya Pradesh and a small area of southeastern Uttar Pradesh. History Dahala Baghelkhand was known as Dahala 6th–1 ...

. Around 7,500 people still speak Gondi in the district.

Tourist Attractions

Virateshwara Temple, Banganga

Erotic sculpture at virat temple shahdol

Virateshwar temple or Virat Temple, dating back to the 10th - 11th century CE, is a temple of

Lord Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

Sohagpur Sohagpur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Hoshangabad district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the subdivisions and development blocks in Hoshangabad district. Sohagpur is also one of the legislative constituencies of Mad ...

, Shahdol district of

. This temple was built by the

Kalchuri The Kalachuris ( IAST: Kalacuri), also known as Kalachuris of Mahishmati, were an Indian dynasty that ruled in west-central India between 6th and 7th centuries. They are also known as the Haihayas or as the Early Kalachuris to distinguish them ...

ruler, Maharaja Yuvraj between 950 A.D. and 1050 A.D. This was built as a present for the Acharya (saint) of Golkaki Math. Many archaeologists consider this temple as the temple of Karna Deva. This 70 feet tall temple is one of the most famous architectures of the

Age. The temple is under the preservation of the

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...

(ASI).

Bansagar Dam

Bansagar or Ban Sagar Dam is a multipurpose river Valley project on

Son River Son River ( hi, सोन नदी, also spelt Sone River) is a perennial river located in central India. It originates near Amarkantak Hill in Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district of Chhattisgarh and finally merges with the Ganges River near Pat ...

situated in the

Ganges Basin The Ganges Basin is a part of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) basin draining 1,999,000 square kilometres in Tibet, Nepal, India and Bangladesh. To the north, the Himalaya or lower parallel ranges beyond form the Ganges-Brahmaputra divide. ...

in Madhya Pradesh, India with both irrigation and 435 MW of hydroelectric power generation .

Kankali Mandir

Kankali Mandir is located at village Antra.

Transport

The nearest airport is

Jabalpur Airport Jabalpur Airport , also known as Dumna Airport, is a domestic airport serving the city of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is located at Dumna, east of the city. It is the third busiest airport in Madhya Pradesh after Devi Ahilya Bai Ho ...

Shahdol railway station Shahdol railway station is a railway station in Shahdol town of Shahdol district in Madhya Pradesh. Station Code of Shahdol is 'SDL'. It has three platforms. It comes under Bilaspur railway division of South East Central Railway Zone. It is ...

is connected by rail route and roadways. To reach by bus or taxi, one needs to travel on state highway 22.

References

External links

Official website
{{coord, 23, 18, N, 81, 21, E, region:IN-MP_type:adm2nd_source:kolossus-nowiki, display=title Districts of Madhya Pradesh Coal mining districts in India