Shahdol
| Shahdol | |
|---|---|
| city | |
|
Temple-virat, Shahdol
 Shahdol railway station | |
  Shahdol   Shahdol Location in Madhya Pradesh, India | |
| Coordinates: 23°17′N 81°21′E / 23.28°N 81.35°ECoordinates: 23°17′N 81°21′E / 23.28°N 81.35°E | |
| Country |
 India |
| State | Madhya Pradesh |
| District | Shahdol |
| Elevation | 464 m (1,522 ft) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
| • Total | 86,681 |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-MP |
| Vehicle registration | MP |
| Website |
www |
Shahdol is a city in Shahdol district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Shahdol District. Shahdol is also the 10th Division of Madhya Pradesh state, including Shahdol, Anuppur, Umaria, and Dindori districts.
Shahdol district has lush green forests, a natural wealth of coal and minerals, and a primitive tribal population.
There is a Virateshwar temple of Lord Shiv in Sohagpur Baan Ganga. Kalchuri King Maharaja Yuvraj Deva had it built between 950 and 1050 AD to present it to the Acharya of Golkaki Math.
District Shahdol is predominantly hilly. It is picturesque with certain pockets and belt of SAL and mixed forests. The total geographical area of the district is 5671 km2.
Adjacent to the District Shahdol are the boarding districts Dindori, Satna, Sidhi, Umaria, Anuppur and Rewa.
Demographics
As of 2011 India census,[2] Shahdol had a population of 100,565. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Shahdol has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 86%, and female literacy is 72%. 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Notable people
- Ram Kishore Shukla - Former Speaker, Dy Speaker, Cabinet Minister, Government of M.P.
- Amita Chapra - Former Member, State Women's Commission, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, Minister of State (Status)
Monuments
Kalchuri established in the districts of Shahdol (Madhya Pradesh) of IX in the 13th century. Study of the finest example of Kalcuri Art is alive in Singhpur, 15 km from Shahdol district.
Art is alive in Panchamatha temple (10th century) which now forms the entrance to the temple of modern Panchamatha. At the center of the lintel: God Vishnu on Garuda. The figurations of Ganga and Yamuna surrounded by characters in their wake. Singhpur is also famous for one of the oldest temples of maa kankali devi. There are seven temples of durga in India of kalchuri art. The Kankali Devi temple is the seventh. There is a god ganesh statue as well. Devotees from every part of country visit the temple to have the blessing of maa kali.
At the time of ramnavmi in March–April and durganavmi, a spiritual fair is organized.
Major educational institutions of district are Good Shepherd Convent, Kendriya Vidyalaya, St. Jude's Christian Mission school, Saraswati Sishu Vidya Mandir, D.A.V public school and Govt. Raghuraj Higher Secondary School. There is also a Polytechnic College, ITI, Indira Gandhi Home Science College for women and Govt. Pt. Sambhunath Shukla College having co-ed.
Shahdol is a mixed cultural town, with many temples made by different societies, like Kali Mandir By Bengali Samiti, Kali mandir by Milan Samiti (part of the old Bengali samiti), Jagannath temple by Orria Samiti, Gurudwara by Panjabi samiti and sindhi and Jain mandir by Jains and Lord Buddha mandir by Buddhists.
Temples
Shahdol is popular for Virat temple of Lord Shiva, situated at Sohagpur Banganga. Kalchuri king Maharaja Yuvraj Deva had got it built between 950 A.D. and 1050 A.D. to present it to the Acharya of Golkaki Math. The temple is now having a recognition by Indian monuments and heritage organization Archeological Survey of India and declared as national heritage monument. Many Archaeologists consider this temple as the temple of Karn Deva. On reaching the campus of this 70 feet height temple one can find this beautiful example of Kalchuri Age architecture. When you ascend the five steps of the terrace of this temple, you will find Nandi and Lion as if welcoming you. The statue of Mahavir, Shiv and Parvati in dancing posture, the statue of Saraswati, Ganesh, Vishnu, Nrisingh, Vyal, beautiful young woman taking out a thorn, fighting men, Lord Krishna playing flute, beautiful erotic postures related to Kamsutra, Vinavadini, Ardhnarishwar will fascinate you. Having the statues of Agni Devata, Panchlokpal, Batuk Bhairav, Amrut Bhairav, Nag Couple etc. this temple is the beauty of District. A multi armed dancing Shiva is of great interest of this temple. Several erotic figures have close resemblance to the sculptures of Khajuraho. The temple bears influence of Chandella and Parmara art of coeval period.
Climate
The climate of the district is moderate. It rains from June to October in the district. The temperature remains the highest in the month of June and the lowest in the Month of January. The maximum and minimum temperature of the district remain 46oC and -1oC.
Forest
Sal, amla, teak, sarai and shisham are the main trees found in this district. The flower of mahua and guli provide edible oil. Mahua flower is mostly used for making wine by tribal people.
Mines and minerals
There are a number of coal mines in the district and coal is found from the southern part of the district. Besides this, there are mines of fire-clay, red and yellow ochers and marble.
Industries
According to a 1998 survey, there are 116 industries (large scale and small scale) in the district. The famous Orient Paper Mill is situated in Amlai. Small scale industries of polythene and baskets of bamboo are also run in the district.
References
- ↑ "Census of India Search details". censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01.