Datia is the district

headquarter Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top ...

of the Datia District in north central

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 second ...

,a state of

Central India Central India is a loosely defined geographical region of India. There is no clear official definition and various ones may be used. One common definition consists of the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, which are included in al ...

. It is an ancient town, mentioned in the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...

ruled by King Dantavakra. The city is 78 km from

Gwalior Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the s ...

, 325 km south of

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Hous ...

and 344 km north of Bhopal. About 18 km from Datia is

Sonagiri Sonagiri ( hi, सोनागिरी) or Swarnagiri about 60 km from Gwalior, has scores of Jain temples dating from the 9th century onwards. It is located in the Datia district of Madhya Pradesh, India. This location is popular among d ...

, a sacred Jain hill. Datia is also about 31 km from

Jhansi Jhansi (; Hindi: झांसी, Urdu: ) is a historic city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It lies in the region of Bundelkhand on the banks of the Pahuj River, in the extreme south of Uttar Pradesh. Jhansi is the administrative head ...

and 52 km from Orchha. The nearest airport is at

. It was formerly the seat of the eponymous

princely state A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, subject to ...

in the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

. Datia is situated near

and on the border with Uttar Pradesh. The old town is surrounded by a stone wall, encompassing beautiful palaces and gardens. The 17th-century palace of

Vir Singh Deo Vir Singh Deo, also known as Bir Singh Dev, was a Bundela Rajput chief and the ruler of the kingdom of Orchha. He was a vassal of the Mughal Empire. and ruled between 1605 and either 1626 or 1627. Vir Singh Deo assassinated Abul Fazl who was ret ...

is a notable example of the

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

architecture of

North India North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Cen ...

. The town serves as a trading center for grains and cotton products. Handloom weaving is an important industry. Datia has several important

landmarks A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

and is famous for the seven-story up and seven-story down palace built by Raja Vir Singh Deo in 1614. The town is also a thriving

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

spot for religious devotees. There are many temples, including the Sidhapeeth of Peetambhara Devi, Buglamukhi Devi Temple, and Gupteshwar Temple. Peetambra Peeth is a famous Shaktipitha located at the entrance of Datia. This pilgrimage spot is located about 1 km from Datia Bus Station and 3 km from Datia Railway Station on the Delhi-Chennai main line and features Buglamukhi Devi Temple. The Dhumavati Main Temple, established by Golokwasi Swamiji Maharaj and the Vankhandeshwar temple, a

Mahabharat The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuru ...

period temple of

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one o ...

are the main attraction of the place. It was ruled by Bundela Rajputs until 1947.

History

The state was founded in 1626 by Bundela Rajputs. Rao Bhagwan Rao, 1st Rao of Datia and Baroni 1626/1656, received Datia and Baroni from his father, Raja Bir Singh Deo of Orchha in 1626, and established his own state. After he died in 1676, the state came under British control with other territories in Bundelkhand under the Treaty of Bassein in 1802. The ancient title of the ruling family was Maharaja Rao Raja, but in 1865 the British Government recognized only the title of Maharaja as hereditary. For the British, the Peshwa maintained a military force consisting of 945 cavalry, 5203 infantry, and 3 guns. The motto of the royal family was Wir dalap Sharandah ("Lord of the Brave Army, Giver of Refuge"). In 1896–97, the state suffered from famine, and again to a lesser extent in 1899–1900. After India's independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Datia acceded the dominion of India, which later merged with the Union of India. Datia, together with the rest of the Bundelkhand agency, became part of the new state of Vindhya Pradesh in 1950. In 1956, the Vindhya Pradesh state was merged with certain other areas to form the state of Madhya Pradesh within the Union of India.

Geography

Datia is located at . It has an average elevation of 302 metres (990 feet).

Climate

Demographics

As of the 2011 India census, Datia had a population of 100,466. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Datia has an average literacy rate of 68%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 75% and female literacy is 60%. In Datia, 15% of the population is under six years of age.

Sites of interest

Datia is best known for the

Pitambara Peeth Shri Peetambra Peetha is a complex of Hindu temples (including an Ashram), located in the city of Datia, in the Madhya Pradesh state of central India. It was, according to many legends 'Tapasthali' (place of meditation) of many mythological as ...

, a famous shaktipitha located at the entrance of Datia. This pilgrimage spot features Bagalamukhi Devi Temple and Dhumavati Mai Temple, established by Shri Golokwasi Swamiji Maharaj. Vankhandeshwar, a Mahabharat period temple of Lord Shiva, is also situated here. A temple of the goddess Peetaambara Bagalamukhi, Shri Siddheshwar mahadev temple in village Kurthara located 20 km from Datia and white marble Jain temples are located at

is located 9 miles from Datia and is well connected by road and train.

References

External links

RASS-JB Public School Datia

Shri Rawatpura Sarkar Shanti International Public School, DatiaGovernment website on Datia district
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Datia district Cities in Bundelkhand Cities in Madhya Pradesh