Tourism in

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...

has been an attraction of

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

because of its location in the centre of the country. Madhya Pradesh has won Best Tourism State National award for 3 consecutive years i.e. 2017, 2016 and 2015. Kandaria mahadev Khajuraho Temple

Natural environment

The

natural environment The natural environment or natural world encompasses all life, biotic and abiotic component, abiotic things occurring nature, naturally, meaning in this case not artificiality, artificial. The term is most often applied to Earth or some parts ...

of Madhya Pradesh is varied. Consisting largely of a plateau streaked with the mountain ranges of the

Vindhya 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 ...

s and the

Satpura The Satpura Range, formerly also known as the Seeonee Hills, 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 paral ...

s, the hills give rise to the main river system -

Narmada The Narmada River, previously also known as ''Narbada'' or anglicised as ''Nerbudda'', is the 5th longest river in India and overall the longest west-flowing river in the country. It is also the largest flowing river in the state of Madhya Prade ...

and the

Tapti The Tapti River (or Tapi) is a river in central India located to the south of the Narmada river that flows westwards before draining into the Arabian Sea. The river has a length of around and flows through the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat a ...

, running from east to west, and the Chambal,

Sone The sone () is a unit of loudness, the subjective perception of sound pressure. The study of perceived loudness is included in the topic of psychoacoustics and employs methods of psychophysics. Doubling the perceived loudness doubles the sone ...

Betwa , discharge1_min = , discharge1_avg = , date=November 2019 , discharge1_max = , source1 = Vindhya Range , source1_location = Near Obedullaganj, Vindhya Range north of Hoshangabad , source1_coordinates = , source1_elevation = , mouth ...

Mahanadi The Mahanadi River is a major river in East Central India. It drains an area of around and has a total length of . Mahanadi is also known for the Hirakud Dam which was the first major multipurpose river valley project after India's independenc ...

west to east. One half of the state is forested and offers a unique panorama of wildlif

In the National Parks of Kanha National Park, Kanha,

Bandhavgarh Bandhavgarh National Park is a national park of India, located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh. It spreads over an area of and was declared a national park in 1968. It became Tiger Reserve in 1993 with a core area of . Bandhavgarh wa ...

Shivpuri Shivpuri, previously known as Sipri, is a town and a municipality in Shivpuri district, located in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is in the Gwalior Division of northwest Madhya Pradesh and is the administrative headquarters o ...

and many others visitors have the opportunity to see the tiger, the bison and a wide variety of deer and antelope in natural surroundings.

World heritage sites

Although the modern state of Madhya Pradesh came into being in 1956, its cultural heritage is ancient and chequered. Innumerable monuments, exquisitely carved temples,

stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

s, forts and palaces on hilltops, raise in the visitors mind visions of empires and kingdoms, of the great warriors and builders, poets and musicians, saints and philosophers; of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. The famous Sanskrit poet-dramatist

Kalidasa Kālidāsa (, "Servant of Kali"; 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on Hindu Puranas and philosophy. His surviv ...

and the great musician of the Mughal court,

Tansen Rāmtanu ( – 26 April 1589), popularly referred to as Mian Tānsen (), or Sangeet Samrāt (), was a Hindustani classical musician. Born into a Hindu Gaur Brahmin family in Gwalior, he learnt and perfected his art in the northwest regio ...

, were from Madhya Pradesh. They are known all over the world. Three sites in Madhya Pradesh have been declared

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

s by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

: * The

Khajuraho Group of Monuments The Khajuraho Group of Monuments are a group of Hindu and Jain temples in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh, India. They are about 46 km (28.6mi) from Chhatarpur, Chhatarpur city, the district headquarter, 283 km (177mi) from Gwalior, southea ...

(1986) * Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989) * The

Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka The Bhimbetka rock shelters are an archaeological site in central India that spans the Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods, as well as the historic period. It exhibits the earliest traces of human life in India and evidence of the Stone Age star ...

(2003) *The city of Gwalior and Orchha(2020) ( Not included as a world heritage site, pilot cities for the Historic Urban Landscape programme and survey )

Significant sites

Other architecturally significant or scenic sites include: * Alampur *

Amarkantak Amarkantak ( NLK ''Amarakaṇṭaka'') is a pilgrim town and a Nagar Panchayat in Anuppur, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Amarkantak region is a unique natural heritage area. It is the meeting point of the Vindhya and the Satpura Ranges, with the ...

* Asirgarh * Bawangaja *

Bhopal Bhopal (; ISO 15919, ISO: Bhōpāl, ) is the capital (political), capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes,'' due to ...

Chanderi Chanderi, is a town of historical importance in Ashoknagar District of the state Madhya Pradesh in India. It is situated at a distance of 127 km from Shivpuri, 37 km from Lalitpur, 55 km from Ashok Nagar and about 46 km ...

* Chitrakoot * Chambal * Deorkothar *

Dhar Dhar is a city located in Dhar district of the Malwa region in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Dhar district. Before Indian independence from Great Britain, it was the capital of the Dhar ...

Gwalior Gwalior (Hindi: , ) is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; It is known as the Music City of India having oldest Gwalior gharana, musical gharana in existence. It is a major sports, cultural, industrial, and political c ...

Indore Indore (; ISO 15919, ISO: , ) is the largest and most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The commercial capital of the state, it has been declared as the List of cleanest cities in India, cleanest city of In ...

Jabalpur Jabalpur, formerly Jubbulpore, is a city situated on the banks of Narmada River in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the 3rd-largest urban agglomeration of the state and the 38th-largest of the country. Jabalpur is the administrative h ...

Maheshwar Maheshwar is a town, near Khargone city in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh state, in central India. It is located on State Highway-38 ( Khargone city- Barwaha- Bandheri Highway),13.5 km east of National Highway 3 (Agra-Mumbai highway ...

Mandleshwar Mandleshwar is a town and nagar panchayat in the Khargone district of the India state of Madhya Pradesh. It is on the banks of the Narmada River, east of Maheshwar and south of Indore. It is a "Pavitra nagri" as termed by the government of ...

Mandu Mandu may refer to: Geographic toponyms * Mandu River, a river in Minas Gerais, Brazil * Mandu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, a village * Mandu, Madhya Pradesh, a ruined city in Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, India * Mandu, Jharkhand, ...

* Muktagiri * Narsinghgarh *

Narmadapuram Hoshangabad (Hindi: ), officially Narmadapuram (), is a city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Hoshangabad district and Narmadapuram division. It is located in central India, on the south bank of the ...

Omkareshwar Omkareshwar Temple (IAST: ''Ōṃkārēśvar'') is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, located in Mandhata, nearby Khandwa city in Khandwa district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the 12 revered Jyotirlinga shrines of Shi ...

Orchha Orchha is a town, near the city of Niwari in the Niwari district of Madhya Pradesh state, India. The town was established by a Bundela Rajput ruler Rudra Pratap Singh some time after 1501, as the seat of an eponymous former princely state ...

* Rewa *

Sailana Sailana is a town in the Malwa region of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Sailana is from Ratlam city and away from Banswara district of the neighboring state of Rajasthan. Sailana was once the capital of the Sailana State before it merged i ...

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 . Geography Shahdol is Located on . It has an average eleva ...

* Sagar *

Sonagiri Sonagiri () or Swarnagiri, about 65 km from Gwalior, has scores of Digambar Jain temples dating from the 9th century onwards. It is located in the Datia district of Madhya Pradesh, India. This location is popular among devotees and asce ...

Ujjain Ujjain (, , old name Avantika, ) or Ujjayinī is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative as well as religious centre of Ujjain ...

Madhya Pradesh being very large geographically, and the history being spread over several millennia, a developing a comprehensive picture of heritage and architecture is a monumental task.

National Parks

Fort Bandhavgarh National Park Madhya Pradesh India

Madhya Pradesh is home to several

National Parks A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

, including: *

Bandhavgarh National Park Bandhavgarh National Park is a national park of India, located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh. It spreads over an area of and was declared a national park in 1968. It became Tiger Reserve in 1993 with a core area of . Bandhavgarh w ...

Kanha National Park Kanha Tiger Reserve, also known as Kanha–Kisli National Park, is one of the tiger reserves of India and the largest National park of India, national park of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It covers an area of in the two districts Mandla and Ba ...

Satpura National Park Satpura Tiger Reserve is a tiger reserve located in the Narmadapuram district of Madhya Pradesh in India. Its name is derived from the Satpura range. It covers a total area of , consisting of of Satpura National Park, of Bori Wildlife Sanctu ...

Sanjay National Park Sanjay National Park is a national park in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh, India. It covers an area of and is a part of the Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve. It was declared a National Park in 1981 and a tiger reserve in 2006. Sanjay Dubri Tiger R ...

Madhav National Park Madhav National Park is situated in Shivpuri District of Gwalior division in northwest Madhya Pradesh, India. Two national highways pass through the park, the Gwalior to Bombay former National Highway 3 (now part of National Highway no. 44) ...

* Van Vihar National Park * Ghughua Fossil National Park * Panna National Park *

Pench National Park Pench National Park is a national park in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. It is part of Pench Tiger Reserve and covers an area of . It was declared a sanctuary in 1965, raised to the status of a national park in 1975 and en ...

*Dinosaur Fossils National Park *

Kuno National Park Kuno National Park is a national park and wildlife sanctuary in Gwalior Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh, India. It derives its name from the Kuno River. It was established in 1981 as a wildlife sanctuary with an initial area of . In 2018, it ...

There are 11 national parks and 25 wildlife sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh. Apart from tiger, the national parks in Madhya Pradesh have animals like Leopard, Gaur, Chital, Sambar, Nilgai, Chinkara, Barking Deer, Barasingha, Samber Deer, Wild Boar, Monkey, Peacock, etc.

Nature reserves

There are also a number of nature preserves, including: *

* Bagdara Wildlife Sanctuary *

Bagh Caves The Bagh Caves are a group of nine rock-cut monuments, situated among the southern slopes of the Vindhya Range in Bagh town of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh in central India. These monuments are located at a distance of 97 km from Dh ...

Bhedaghat Bhedaghat is a town and a nagar panchayat in Jabalpur district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is situated by the side of river Narmada and is approximately 20 km from Jabalpur city. Bhedaghat is known for the high marble r ...

* Bori Wildlife Sanctuary * Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary * Narwar *

Pachmarhi Pachmarhi is a hill station in the Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh state of central India. It has been the location of a cantonment (Pachmarhi Cantonment) since the British Raj. The municipality is located in a valley of the Satpura Rang ...

* Chambal * Narsinghgarh * Orchha Wildlife Sanctuary * Patalkot * Parsili

Fairs and festivals

Customs and beliefs in each area in Madhya Pradesh have added colours to the fairs and festivals.

Shivratri Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually to worship the deity Shiva, between February and March. According to the Hindu calendar, the festival is observed on the fourteenth day of the first half (night start with darkness - ...

Khajuraho Khajuraho () is a city, near Chhatarpur in Chhatarpur district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. One of the most popular tourist destinations in India, Khajuraho has the country's largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous ...

, Bhojpur,

and

; Navratri and Dusshera in

Ramanavami Rama Navami () is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Rama, one of the most popularly revered deities in Hinduism, also known as the seventh avatar of Vishnu. He is often held as an emblem within Hinduism for being an ideal king and h ...

in Chitrakoot and

, Bhagoriya dance in

Jhabua Jhabua is a town and a municipality in Jhabua district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Jhabua District. Recently the district has got international recognition because of its endemic hen species ...

and the annual festival of dances at

are events for the tourists to remember. The

Malwa Malwa () is a historical region, historical list of regions in India, region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic plateau, volcanic upland north of the ...

festival in

and

, and the

festival bring alive the rich folk and tribal culture of the state in colourful celebrations. Gwalior trade fair is India's second largest trade fair. It is organised in various sectors which includes electronic sector, automobile sector, food sector, fun (jhula) sector etc. Gwalior carnival is a newly introduced festival in 2012. It was organised for 22 days in December. It is planned to organise carnival every year. Nimar Utsav takes place every year in the holy city of Maheshwar in the Hindu month of Kartika on the occasion of Kartika Purnima. The festival lasts for 3 days with a cultural programme at Ahilya Ghat in Maheshwar.

Hill stations

Gallery

File:Sailana_Palace.jpg,

Palace,

File:2100914-Tal_ul_Masjid_Bhopal.jpeg, Taj-ul-Masajid,

File:Jamgate.jpg, Jam Gate, Dr. Ambedkar Nagar File:Rupmati Mahal.jpg, Rupmati Mahal,

File:Bhojpur Temple Front.JPG,

Bhojeshwar Temple The Bhojeshwar Temple (IAST: Bhojeśvara) is an incomplete Hindu temple in Bhojpur village of Madhya Pradesh, India. Dedicated to Shiva, it houses a high lingam in its sanctum. The temple's construction is believed to have started in the 11th c ...

File:Chanderi.jpg,

File:Gwalior Fort Morning View.jpg,

Gwalior Fort The Fort of Gwalior or the Gwalior Fort is a 6th century defence hill fort in Gwalior, India. Mughal Emperor Babur called it the "pearl amongst the fortresses of Hind" because of its impregnability and magnificence and it has also been nickna ...

File:247 Gwalior.jpg,

Siddhachal Caves Siddhachal Caves or Siddhanchal Jain Collosi are Jain cave monuments and colossal carved into the rock face inside the Urvahi Gate of the Gwalior Fort in Gwalior, India. There are the most visited among the five groups of Jain rock carvings in ...

& Gopachal Hill has rock carved Jain sculptures File:Sas Bahu Temple.jpg, Sasbahu Temple, Gwalior File:Kanch Mandir, Indore.jpg, Kanch Mandir,

is famous for exquisite artwork on glass panels File:Orchha mausolea.jpg, Mausolea on the bank of the Betwa River,

File:Mahakal Temple Ujjain.JPG,

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga () is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, shrines which are said to be the most sacred abodes of Shiva. It is located in the ancient city of Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh, I ...

File:White tigers.jpg,

White tiger The white tiger (ashy tiger) is a leucistic morph of the tiger, typically the Bengal tiger. It is occasionally reported in the Indian wilderness. It has the typical black stripes of a tiger, but its coat is otherwise white or near-white, and ...

s in the tiger reserve of Panna Image:Stay_view_from_terrace_west_big.jpg,

from the Ahilya Fort,

File:Chhatri of Malhar Rao Holkar at Alampur, India.jpg, Alampur File:Rani Rupmati pavilion.jpg,

File:Bateswar (6).JPG, Bateshwar temple complex,

Morena Morena or MORENA may refer to: Places * Morena, Madhya Pradesh, a town in central India * Morena (Lok Sabha constituency), Madhya Pradesh * Morena (Vidhan Sabha constituency), Madhya Pradesh * Morena, San Diego, California, a neighborhood * Mo ...

File:Front_view_of_sabalgarh_fort.jpg, Sabalgarh

Tourist attractions places

1) Kutni Dam Kutni Island resort in khajwa

Kutni Dam is a multipurpose river canal project on Kutni river situated in Khajwa, Madhya Pradesh, India.It is the largest dam in Chhatarpur district.The dam across the Kutni river and it is 7 km from Rajnagar, 12 km from Khajuraho and 40 km from Chhatarpur District.The dam is famous for its beauty and vastness. Kutni River image

References

External links

* * The Official Govt Website O
Madhya Pradesh Tourism
{{Tourism in India