Chhindwara

About:

Chhindwara district is one of the districts of Madhya Pradesh state of India, and Chhindwara town is the district headquarters. The district is part of Jabalpur Division.Chhindwara district was formed on 1st November 1956.

Chhindwara district one of the important district of Madhya Pradesh is part of the Jabalpur Division. It occupies 4% of the state and ranks first in terms of area in Madhya Pradesh. Chhindwara town is the district headquarters. Located in the southwest region of Satpura mountain region, Chhindwara occupies an area of 11,800 sq. km. and a population around 1.6 million. The name of the place is derived from Chhind (date palm) Wada (place) trees, as it is believed that this place was full of date palm trees and hence Chhindwara.

Location info:

It is located on the South-West region of 'Satpura Range of Mountains'. It is spread from 21.28 to 22.49 Deg. North (longitude) and 78.40 to 79.24 Deg. East (latitude) and spread over an area of 11,815 Sq. Km. This district is bound by the plains of Nagpur District (in Maharashtra State) on the South, Hoshangabad and Narsinghpur Districts on the North, Betul District on the West and Seoni Districts on the East.

Climate/Weather:


Chhindwara 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. Average annual rainfall is 1,183 mm. Minimum temperature during winder is 4 to 6 degree Celsius while maximum temperature during summer is 38 to 42 degree Celsius.

History of Chhindwara:

It is believed that once upon a time the Chhindwara District was full of "Chhind" (Date-Palm) trees, and the place was named "Chhind"-"Wada" (wada means place). There is also another story that because of the population of Lions (in Hindi it is called "Sinh"), it was considered that making entry into this district is akin to passing through the entrance of Lions' den. Hence it was called "Sinh Dwara" (means through the entrance of lion). In due course of time it became "Chhindwara".

History records the place from the time of the rule of Bhakth Bulund King, whose kingdom was spread over the Satpura range of hills and it is belived that his rule was upto the 3rd Century. One ancient plaque, belonging to "Rashtrakut" dynasty, found in "Neelkanth" village. This dynasty ruled upto the 7th Century. Then came the "Gondvana" dynasty which ruled the area with "Devgarh" as the capital. King 'Jatav' of 'Gond' community has built the Devgarh fort. Bhakth Bulund King was most powerful in the dynasty and he has adopted Muslim religion during the rule of Emperor "Aurangjeb". Later the power has changed many hands and finally 'Maratha rule' ended in 1803. On 17 September 1803, East India Company had taken over this kingdom by defeating 'Raghuji II', starting the British rule. After Independence 'Nagpur' was made the capital of Chhindwara District, and on 1st November 1956 this district was re-constituted with Chhindwara as the capital.

Educational Institutions in Chhindwara:

Chhindwara is relatively developed from its neighbouring districts in terms of education and there are opportunities available for students in almost all disciplines. In the recent past, few good educational institutions have sprouted in the region and marked the educational development of Chhindwara. Few notable institutes of Chhindwara are:

* Govt. PG College is situated at Dharam Tekri near Khajri. It was started in 1961 and affiliated to Harisingh Gaur Univ, Sagar.
* Satpura Law College, which was established by the Satpura Education Society, Chhindwara, in the year 1961-62. It is located in Mohan Nagar near Bus Stand.
* Danielson Degree College, situated at Nagpur Road, came into existence in July - 1970 under the guidance and initiative of Late Rt. Rev. Rubin Israelson (Bishop Of Chhindwara).
* R.S. Govt. Girls College is situated at the heart of the town. Established in 1982, this college has now strength of around 2500 girl students.
* Indira Priyadarshini College, situated at Parasia Road, is offering some professional courses like B.B.A, B.C.A, Microbiology, Biotechnology. This was established in 2001.

Other than these colleges, Chhindwara is also a house for some notable schools such as MLB Girl's School, St. Joseph School, Maharshi Vidya Mandir, Vidya Niketan School, Government Model Multipurpose High School, Saraswati Shishu Mandir, etc. in technical ,women polytechnic college is situated in chhindwara ,

Langauges:

languages are Hindi, Marathi, Gondi, Urdu, Korku, Musai, and Parvari.

Culture:

Chhindwara District has majority of tribal population. The tribal communities include Gond, Pardhan, Bharia, Korku. Hindi, Marathi, Gondi, Urdu, Korku, Musai, Parvari etc. languages/dialects are in use in the district. Majority of the tribals speak in Gondi and Hindi mixed with Marathi. Among the cultural functions/festivals in the district Pola, Bhujalia, Meghnath, Akhadi, Harijyoti etc. are famous ones. 'Gotmat Mela' of Pandhurna is unique and world renowned fair. On Shivrathri day 'Mahadev Mela' will be celebrated each year on "Choudagadh".

From the Geographical point of view Chhindwara district can be divided into three main regions - 1) The plains near Nagpur region comprising of Tahsils Sausar and Pandhurna, 2) the central region comprising of Chhindwara, Southern part of Amarwara region and and Northern part of Sausar region. This region is also known as the Satpura mountain region and 3) The third region is mostly the Northern region comprising of hilly terrain.

The geographical height of district varies from 1,550 ft (470 m) to 3,820 ft (1,160 m) above sea level with an average elevation of 2215 feet (675 m). There are five major rivers which flow through the district namely Kanhan, Pench, Jam, Kulbehra, Shakkar and Doodh. Kanhan river flows in the Southern direction through the western parts of Chhindwara Tahsil and mixes with the Wenganga river. Jam river flows mostly through the Sausar region and joins with the Kanhan river. Pench river flows in the border areas of Chhindwara and Seoni Districts and mixes with the Kanhan river in Nagpur District. Kulbehra river starts at Umreth and flows through Chhindwara and Mohkhed and joins with Pench river. Around 4212.556 km². area of the district is covered under forest. Bamboo, Teak, Harra, Saalbeej, Tendu Patta are the major forest wealth.

Gond, Pardhan, Bharia and Korku are the main tribal communities of the region. Patalkot, State Tribal Museum, Chota Mahadev Cave, Deogarh Fort, Lilahi Waterfall, and Kukdi Khapa Waterfall are the ideal tourist destinations. The main festivals celebrated are Pola, Bhujalia, Akhadi, and Harijyoti. Mahadev Mela (on Shivratri) is another famous festival celebrated. There are many Hindu temples in Chhindwara district.

This place is well known to the travelers because of its scenic beauty. Tamia in Chhindwara district is a beautiful holiday and picnic resort on Satpura ranges. Tamia is situated 78 Km. from Pachmarhi.

There are five major rivers which flow through the district namely Kanhan, Pench, Jam, Kulbehra, Shakkar and Doodh. Kanhan river flows in the Southern direction through the western parts of Chhindwara Tahsil and mixes with the Wenganga river. Jam river flows mostly through the Sausar region and joins with the Kanhan river. Pench river flows in the border areas of Chhindwara and Seoni Districts and mixes with the Kanhan river in Nagpur District. Kulbehra river starts at Umreth and flows through Chhindwara and Mohkhed and joins with Pench river.

Lush green forests, colourful tribal communities, herbal plants and attractive tourist spots make the Chhindwara District of Madhya Pradesh an alluring proposition. Situated in the Satpuda Hills range, Chhindwara's economy is fueled by its vast coal reserves and the many industrial giants that it houses.

The District has a population of 18,48,882 (as per census 2001) spread over an area of 11,815 sq km (ranks first in area after the re-organization of the state). It has 1984 villages distributed in 11 development blocks. There are 11 tehsils in the district. The literacy rate is 54.82.

How to reach Chhindwara?

Nearest Railway Station:

Panchvalley Express between Chhindwara and Indore Junction

Patalkot Express between Chhindwara and Jhansi via. Bhopal - Bina.

  • Gwalior - Chhindwara Express between Chhindwara and Gwalior Junction via. Bhopal - Bina Junction.
  • Nagpur Passenger - Chhindwara to Nagpur (This narrow-gauge passenger covers the distance of 128 km in around 5 hours and travels through some beautiful scenic valleys)
  • Penchvalley Passenger - Chhindwara (Via Bhopal, This is the broad-gauge line and a couple of bogies connect to Delhi, Amritsar, Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur and Bilaspur as well)
  • Amla Passenger - Chhindwara to Amla
  • Nainpur Passenger - Chhindwara to Nainpur
  • Chhindu Passenger

Nearest Airport:

The nearest airport is Nagpur Airport (130 km).

Road Transport:There are large number of frequent buses but people prefer railway facilities usually

Tourist Attraction of Chhindwara:

Prominent Tourist Spots in the District include Patalkot, Tamia, Tribal Museum, Chota Mahadev Cave, Devgarh Fort, Nadadwari, Hot Water Spring at Anhoni and Radhadevi Caves and Jam Sanvli Temple (Near Sausar).

PATALKOT:

'Patalkot' situated in the hilly block 'Tamia' of Chhindwara District, has acquired great importance because of its Geographical and Scenic beauty. Patalkot is a lovely land scape located at a depth of 1200-1500 feet in a velley. Because of the great depth at which it is located this place is christened as 'Patalkot' ('Patal menas very deep, in Sanskrit). When one looks down the place sitting at the top of the valley, the place looks like a horse shoe in shape. People belive it as the entrance to 'Patal'. There is one more belief that after worshipping 'Lord Shiva' Prince 'Meghnath' had gone to Patal-lok through this place only. People say that this place was ruled by Kings in 18th and 19th Century and that there was a long tunnel connecting this place to 'Pachmarhi' in Hoshangabad District.

The place is spread over an area from 22.24 to 22.29 Deg. North, 78.43 to 78.50 Deg. East. The place is located at a distance of 62 Km from the district headquarters in the North-West direction, and 23 Km from Tamia in North-East direction. Patalkot is spread over an area of 79 Sq.Km. at an average height of 2750-3250 feet above Mean Sea Level. 'Doodh' river flows in the picturesque valley. It is a treasure of forest and herbal wealth. There are 12 villages and 13 hamlets in this valley, with a total population of 2012 (1017 male and 995 female). Most of the people belong to 'Bharia' and 'Gond' tribes. Because of the inaccessibility of this area, the tribals of this region were totally cut off from the civilised world. But, with the constant efforts being made by the Government, tribals of this area started tasting the advantages of adopting civilised life. 'Patalkot Development Agency' has taken up the overall development of this area and people. Now, there are Primary Schools, Primary Health Centres, Veterinary Health Centres etc. serving the needs of these people. The Government has built stop dams for irrigation purpose, people started using modern cultivation methods, tools. They employ diesel/ electric pump sets to irrigate their land, use improved seeds, fertilisers. Every effort is being made to bring these people to the main stream. The day is not far away when we can see our tribal brothers of Patalkot mixing well with the modern world. 'Patalkot' is attracting many tourists because of its geographical location, scenic beauty, culture of the people who live here, and the immense and rare herbal wealth.

CHOTA MAHADEV CAVE AT TAMIA:

Tamia village is situated at a distance of 32 miles from Chhindwara on Chhindwara - Pachmari Road. The steep hills, dense forests, and big winding ghats have all combined to make Tamia a beauty spot and a tourist place. A P.W.D. rest house is picturesquely situated on a steep hill commanding an extensive view of the deep jagir forests and mountainous ranges of Satpura notably Mahadeo and Chaura Pahad in the background. The view from the rest house is noted for its constantly shifting natural scenary which is inspiring to the visitors to this place. The government postal bungalow situated in Tamia is a pleasant place as it is located in hilly range at 3765 feet height above Mean Sea Level surrounded by dense forest. The sunrise and sunset scenes give a breath taking experience to the visitors. About 1.5 Km from this bungalow there is a cave where in the holy 'Shivling' (the diety of Lord Shiva) of 'Chota Mahadev' exists. Just beside the cave is a small water fall. Both of these provide a feast to the eyes of the visitors.

DEVGARH FORT:

This famous historical fort of Devgarh is situated 24 miles south of Chhindwara beyond Mohkhed. The fort is built on a hill which is fortified by a deep valley clothed with dense reserve forest. The fort is approachable upto its foot by motor road. The nature is bountiful here.

It was the capital of 'Gond' empire till 18th Century and had its glory and glitter at that time. Now, one can find only the delapitated remains of the mighty kingdom and fort. Devgarh kingdom was considered to be the largest tribal kingdom in Central India. The archeological structures like palace, fort and other buildings make it a beautiful tourist place and remind us of the past glory. It is believed that there was a secret underground passage connecting Devgarh to Nagpur, which was used by the kings to escape at times of emergency.

Among the remnants of the fort the main gate facing North speaks of its past glory. Besides this, there remain Nagarkhana, a place of cattle drum, scattered remnants of the fort walls and ruins of the Darbar Hall. There is a curious reservoir named 'Mortitanka' at the top of the fort. It is said that at one time the water stored in the reservoir remained so clear that one could have a clear view of even a coin lying at its bottom. It is believed to be built by King Jatava of Gond Dynasty. The design of Devgarh fort is much akin to Moghul architecture, and hence some historians are of the view that the fort was built by Bakhta Buland who succeeded King Jatava.

At present Devgarh village is a small inhabitance. The ruins at this place speak of its past glory.

WATERFALLS AT KUKDI KHAPA & LILAHI:

The picturesque location of Kukdi khapa water fall falls in the Chhindwara to Nagpur narrow gauge railway line, between the stations Umaranala and Ramakona. The water fall is situated in the panoramic 'Sillevani' Mountain range. The height of this fall is approximately 60 feet. The location is more beautiful immediately after a spell of good rains. While travelling in the train along the narrow gauge towards Nagpur one can visualise this beautiful picnic spot.

Lilahi Water Fall:

The Lilahi Water fall is located in the down stream of the District's second biggest river 'Kanhan'. This fall is situated in the route from Mohkhed to Pandhurna via Devgarh. It is close to the place called 'Narayan Ghat' near Lilahi village on the Kanhan river. The lovely sight of the water fall surrounded by mountain rocks and colourful nature is in deed a feast to the visitor. The water fall will have sufficient down flow water from July to January months.

GOTMAR MELA (FAIR) OF PANDHURNA:

Sixty five kilometers from Chhindwara, in the headquarters of 'Pandhurna' tahsil a unique fair (mela in hindi) by name 'Gotmar Mela' is celebrated every year on the second day to 'Bhadrapad' New Moon day. This fair is celebrated on the banks of the river 'Jam'. A long tree is erected in the middle of the river with a flag at its very top. The residents of the villages 'Savargaon' and 'Pandhurna' gather on either bank of the river, and start pelting stones ('Got') at the persons of the opposite village who try to cross into the mid of the river and remove the flag on top of the tree trunk. The village whose resident succeeds in removing the flag will be considered victorious. The whole activity happens amidst the chanting of the sacred name of 'Maa' Durgaji. Several people get wounded in this celebration and the District Administration makes elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of this rare fair.

TRIBAL MUSEUM:

The Tribal Museum started in Chhindwara on 20th April 1954 has acquired 'State Museum' status in the year 1975. And on 8th September 1997 the Tribal Meseum name has been changed to "Shri Badal Bhoi State Tribal Museum". Shri Badal Bhoi was a revolutionary tribal leader of the district. He was born in Dungria Titra village of Parasia tehsil in 1845. Under his leadership thousands of tribals were demonstrated at collectors bunglow in 1923, held Lathi charge and he was arrested. On 21st August 1930 he was arrested by English Ruler for breaking the Forest rule at Ramakona (under the leadership of Shri Vishnath Damodhar) and sent to Chanda jail. He left his last breath in jail in 1940 after the english ruler given poison to him. Due to his contribution to the national freedom strugle, the Tribal museum name has been changed to "Shri Badal Bhoi State Tribal Museum". Since 15th August 2003, the Tribal Museum remains opened for tourists on Sundays also.

As per the directions of head of the Tribal Research Organisation, Bhopal the district Tribal museum "Shri Badal Bhoi State Tribal Museum" is maintained by Museum Incharge Officer with the help of artists and peons. It is comprises of 14 rooms, 3 galleries and two open galleries. It depicts the Tribal culture of 45 (approx.) tribal communities living in Madhya Pradesh & Chhatisgarh states. It is the oldest and the biggest Tribal Museum in Madhya Pradesh. Since 1st September 2003, nominal entry fee of Rs.2.00 per head is being collected. Before to this it was allowed free of cost. Everyday 200-250 visitors visiting the Tribal Museum, which depicts the usefulnes and attractiveness of the museum.

It is a treasure house storing the antique and rare collection of items related to the tribals living in the district. One can find items related to the houses, clothes, ornaments, arms, agriculture tools, art, music, dance, celebrations, the dieties worshipped by them, religious activities, herbal collection and so on. The museum throws light on the rich tradition and ancient culture of the tribal community. Gound & Baiga, the prime tribes living in the district, it has depicted the family living styles. Also it has shown how the Agria tribes uses to mould iron, Patalkots Dehia agricultural system pictures etc. which attacts the tourists and looks like living items. To put it in a nut-shell, the museum is a one stop collection-cum-information centre on the tribes of this district.

NEELKANTHI:

Some ruins of a temple can be seen by the side of Siphna stream which flows at some distnace of Neelkanthi, a village which is 14 miles south-east of Chhindwara town. The entrace gate to the main temple is said to date back between 7th and 10th century. It is believed that at one time an area of 264 x 132 Sq. feet inside the gate was surrounded by a rampart. The stone slabs of the gate are fastened together with iron hooks. An illegible insciption can be found on one of the stone pillars of the temple. There is a reference to Raja Krishna III of Rashtrakut kingdom. The design of the gate is Bahmanic style.

ANHONI:

Anhoni village is situated near Mahuljhir Police Station and at a distance of 2 miles from the village Jhirpa on Chhindwara-Piparia road. The place is within forest area. A hill stream with hot and boiling Sulphur springs flow near the village. These springs at a further distance assume the form of a nullah. The water of this spring is believed to be beneficial for skin diseases and for certain impurities of the blood.

OTHER PLACES OF IMPORTANCE:

'Kalyani Devi' temple in 'Kapurdha' village near 'Chourai'

'Sharada Devi' temple in 'Saliwada' near 'Amarwara'.'Sharada Devi' temple in 'Saliwada' near 'Amarwara'.

'Nagadwari' caves in Junnardeo Tahsil, where one of the caves is so big to shelter thousands of people from rain.

Hotels/Lodge/Accommodation in Chhindwara:

Saket ,Gourav ,Gayatri,Royal Palace,E L C Hostel,Satkar,Relax