Rajgarh District

Rajgarh district is one of the smallest districts in the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is situated in the western parts of the state. The district of Rajgarh shares its borders with the state of Rajasthan, and the Shajapur district, Sehore district and Bhopal district. This district forms the northwestern part of Bhopal Commissioner`s Division. The district has a quadrangular shape with the northern and western sides longer than the southern and eastern sides, respectively. The zigzag boundaries of the district of Rajgarh resemble a pear. Some of the major locations in this district are Zirapur, Biora, Rajgarh, Sarangpur, Khilchipur (Princely State of Khilchipur) and Narsinghgarh (Princely State of Narsinghgarh). Rajgarh is well connected by road railway network.

History of Rajgarh district deals with the rule of Mughal kings and the native princes from 1681. Before this, the area of the present Rajgarh district was parcelled out among the princely state of Rajgarh, Khilchipur, Narsinghgarh, Dewas district (Senior), Dewas (Junior) and Indore.

The Umat Rajputs, the branch of the great Paramara Dynasty ruled the Rajgarh District. They enjoyed a "Sanad" Estate (a legal document approved to the princely states confirming them in their states, in return for their loyalty) under the Sultans of Delhi and Mughal Emperors in succession. The first capital of Rajgarh District was Duparia, now in Shajapur District. Later, the capital was shifted to Dungarpur, which is 19 kilometres from Rajgarh, and then to Ratanpur, which is 19 kilometres to the west of Narsinghgarh. In order to avoid disturbance by the frequently passing Mughal armies, the ruler of the Estate, Mohan Singh, acquired the present side, originally known as Jhanjhanipur from the Bhil Tribe in the year 1640. Finally, he shifted the headquarters in the year 1645, giving the place its present name. The district got its name from the headquarters town Rajgarh.

During the reign of the Mughal Emperor, Akbar (1556-1605), a "Khilat" and a Sanad were granted to Udaji of Tatanpur. During that period, Sarangpur was a Sarkar in the Subah of Malwa. Its jurisdiction extended from the western part of present Sehore district to the eastern regions of Ujjain district. Among its 24 Mahals, many have retained their original names and are identified as Ashtah, Agra (Agar), Bajilpur (Bijilpur), Talain (Talen), Bhorsah, Khiljipur, Sarangpur, Jirapur, Sondarsi (Sundarsi), Sajapur, Sosner (Sunner), Kayath and Navgam (Tarana).

In the year 1645, with the permission of Rajmata, Deewan Ajab Singh defeated the Bhils in the hilly region of Rajgarh and constructed a Palace in the year 1745, which was having 5 main gates namely, Itwaria, Surajpol, Bhudwaria, Panradia and Naya Darwaja. In addition, it constitutes three very ancient temples namely Raj Rajeshwar temple, Chatubhujnathji temple and Narsingha temple. In Jhanjherpur, which was the capital and it is having a palace due to which this place is known as Rajgarh and it had become famous. At present, the district is divided into 5 subdivisions and 6 tehsils.

In the year 1908 that is during the rule of British Government, Rajgarh state was divided into 7 Parganas, namely Biaora, Newalganj, Karanwas, Kotra, Kalipith, Talen and Seogarh. The Princely State of Narsinghgarh was divided into 4 Parganas, namely Huzur (Narsinghgarh), Khujner, Pachore and Chhapra. The Parganas were place in the charge of a Tahsildar each for revenue matters and magisterial work. The Princely State of Khilchipur was divided into 3 Paraganas. Sarangpur was the tahsil headquarters of Dewas District. Jarapur was a tahsil of Mahidpur district of former Indore State.

Rajgarh district is 390 meters above the mean sea level. The total geographical area of the District is 6,154 square kilometres. It is one of the smallest districts of Madhya Pradesh state, both in respect of area. It is 145 kilometres from the state capital Bhopal. The Newaj River and Parbati River flow through this district. The total area of the district covered by forest is 17,706 hectares and the gross cropped area in this district is 5, 98,200 hectares. The gross area irrigated in the Rajgarh district is 1, 60,096 hectares.

According to the population Census in 2011, Rajgarh had population of 1,546,541 of which male and female were 791,038 and 755,503 respectively. Rajgarh District population constituted 2.13 percent of total population of Madhya Pradesh. The population density of Rajgarh district is 251 people per sq. km. The average literacy rate of Rajgarh in 2011 was 62.68 compared to 53.70 of 2001. The male and female literacy were 75.07 and 49.79 percent respectively.

Tourism of Rajgarh district offers several places of attractions which include Zirapur, Rajgarh, Biora, Khilchipur, Sarangpur and Narsinghgarh. The district of Rajgarh is well connected by roads and railway network. The most prominent among the tourist attractions of this district is Narsinghgarh. The Narsinghgarh town is about 300 years old and was founded in the year 1681 by Dewan Parasram. The beautiful lake in the town in which is reflected the old fort and palace still bears the name of the founder. Some of the temples in this district are Jalpamata temple, Shyamji Sanka temple, Khoiry Mahadev temple, etc.

The town of Narsinghgarh is 83 kilometers from the Bhopal. The site of the town is the place of the temple of Shiva, previously known as Topila Mahadeo, for the persons who lived there manufactured toplis or basket. This place becomes picturesque and beautiful in the autumnal months. From the top of the Baijnath Mahadeo temple one can enjoy the pleasant panoramic view of the lakes of full limpid water, the land carpeted in lush green grass, the small streams racing down the slopes of the hills and hills themselves covered with good vegetation. As rustling wind sweeps the murmuring countryside adorned with mellowing crops, radiant in the evening sun, the brilliance of blue skies seems to evenly match with the grandeur of the green.

The Jalpamata temple is 4 kilometers from Rajgarh. It is on the high hill and a picturesque view of the town from the top can be enjoyed. It is covered with dense forest possessing different varieties of plants. During the Navaratri season large number of visit this place from different parts of the district and various other parts of the state. The Khoiry Mahadev temple is another beautiful temple in the Raigarh district. It is also one of the favorite picnic spots in Rajgarh. The Shyamji Sanka temple at Narsinghgarh is one of the well-known temples of Raigarh. Sanka is a small village located close to the Parvati River and is about 5 kilometers from Kotra. In the month of Magh a mela is held here and is known as Shyamji-ka-mela. The famous temple of Shyamji was constructed in the memory of the king Sangram Singh by his wife Bhagyawati in the 16-17th century. The temple possesses beautiful paintings on the wall reflecting the Malwi and Rajashthani effects, the beautiful and well carved stones and bricks were used to construct the temple.

Biora Mandu is a village which is said to be over 1000 years old having been named after a Kulmi Patel. The Muslim troops used to be stationed here and as per the legend, it was from here that they saw the 5 Sola Khamba at Bihar (Narsinghgarh). It is located on the bank of Kali Sindh River and it is 10 kilometers from the Sarangpur tehsil. It was the scene of the battle in the year 1813 and 1847. Kotra was previously a teshsil of Rajgarh state. It is located 10 kilometers from the south of Narsinghgarh. It is on the fringe of forest and some old Shikargarh (hunting places) are well laid out.

Apart from the temples in the district of Rajgarh, there is the Dargah Shareif. A saint, Hazrat Syed Qurban Ali Shah Badakhshani, known as `Baba Badakshani R.A.` was born in 1245 in the Hijri calendar at Badakshan and came to India in 1268 in the Hijri calendar from Badakhshan of Afghanistan and later he came to Rajgarh in 1309 of Hijri. In the A.D. 1914, he died in the 20th of the holly month of Ramadan of 1334 Hijiri. Since then his death anniversary is celebrated as `URS` from 10th to 12th March. People of different communities from different parts of India and some of other countries come in to the URS for spiritual gain. Dargah Shareef, Masjid and other buildings were erected by the Mutawalli of Dargah, Shri Syed Mushtaq Ali Rizvi Sandelvi after the death of Baba Sahib. At present, all managements of Dargah Shareef and URS program are managed by the present Mutawalli of Dargah Shri Syed Mushtaq Rizvi.

Chidikho is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the district of Rajgarh. The Wildlife Sancutary of Narsinghgarh in the Rajgarh district is among one of the 35 sanctuaries of Madhya Pradesh established in the year 1978, under Forest Division Rajgarh Social Forestry. Sanctuary is situated on the Jabalpur-Jaipur National Highway and it is 70 kilometers from Bhopal. It covers 57.197 square kilometers of (Reserve Forest) area. Due to its natural beauty it is also known as the `Kashmir of Malwa` region.

There is a lake in the center of this sanctuary which is known as the `Chidikho Lake`. The lake forms one of the major attractions for the visiting tourists. The sanctuary was constructed by the rulers of the state and in the ancient time this sanctuary was used for hunting purpose by the rulers. Different migratory birds from a number of places visit this sanctuary. Local birds as well as migratory birds can be seen here in the sanctuary. State bird, Dhoodh Raj and National bird, Peacock are mainly seen in this sanctuary and in nearby areas. Some of the wild animals inhabiting the sanctuary are Gulbagh, Cheetal, Sambhar, Neelgai, etc.