Jabalpur Knowledge Guide

History

Gondwana rule

The Gondwana king, Raje Madan Shah Madawi of Mandla, (r. 1138–1157) built a watchtower and a small hilltop fort at Madan Mahal, an area in Jabalpur. In the 1500s, the Gond king, Sangram (whose son, Raje Dalpat Shah Madawi married Rani Durgavati) held Singaurgarh fort in Sangrampur. Rani Durgawati was a warrior of the Gond Dynasty, famous for her prosperous kingdom. She was well aware of the importance of water conservation and hence she built more than 85 ponds in Jabalpur, mainly Ranital, Haathital, Madhatal and Hanumantal.In 1564, during the reign of Veer Narayan (Sangram's grandson), Abdul Majeed Harawi (viceroy of Kara-Manikpur in the Mughal Empire) conquered Jabalpur and its surrounding areas. However, the Mughal supremacy in Jabalpur was more nominal than real. In 1698, the Gondwana king, Raje Hriday Shah (r. 1652–1704) moved his court to the Mandla fort. He secured water sources and built irrigation structures. Later, Gondwana was seized by Nizam (r. 1753–1780). After Nizam, the Gondwana Kingdom was conquered by the Marathas.

Maratha rule

The Maratha rulers of Sagar, came to power in about 1781. Around 1798, the Maratha Peshwa gave the Nerbuddah valley to the Bhonsle kings of Nagpur, who ruled the area until 1818, when it was seized by the British East India Company after the Battle of Sitabuldi.

British Raj

Under the British Raj, the name Jabbalgarh became Jubbulpore and the town was made the capital of the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories (part of the North-Western Provinces governed by the Agra Presidency). Jabalpur was known for Thuggee murders, which were combated by William Henry Sleeman (later appointed as the chief commissioner at Jubbulpore and then British Resident at Lucknow). 16 June 1857 saw the kindling of a rebellion in the cantonment of Jubbulpore. The 1857 movement was started by the Gondwana king, Raje Shankar Shah Madawi and the prince Kunwar Raghunath Shah Madawi. Both were arrested and imprisoned, and executed on 18 September 1857. In 1861, the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories became part of the new Central Provinces and in 1903, the Central Provinces and Berar. In the early 1900s, Jubbulpore became the headquarters of a brigade of the Fifth Division of the Southern Army. A gun carriage factory was established in Jabalpur in 1904. Mahatma Gandhi's longest stay in Jubbulpore was in 1933 at the Beohar palace of Beohar Rajendra Simha. Many freedom fighters joined Gandhi's Swadeshi, Swaraj and Satyagraha movements. Those from Jubbulpore included Ravishankar Shukla, Seth Govind Das, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Makhanlal Chaturvedi and Dwarka Prasad Mishra. In 1939, the Tripuri Indian National Congress (INC) session was chaired by Subhas Chandra Bose. The Swaraj movement begun under the direction of Lokmanya Tilak. A Congress session was held at Vishnudatt Shukla Nagar at Tilwara Ghat, near Jubbulpore, when Subhas Chandra Bose was elected the Congress President over Gandhi's objections.

After independence

Gandhi's remains were brought to the city after his death. On 12 February 1948, the urn containing his ashes was immersed in the Narmada River at Tilwara Ghat by Ravishankar Shukla, Beohar Rajendra Sinha, Seth Govind Das, and others. In 1950, the Central Provinces and Berar became the state of Madhya Pradesh and Shukla became the first chief minister of the Congress-led government. In 1956, Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal (state) were merged into the newly formed state of Madhya Pradesh. Jubbulpore was renamed to Jabalpur and was chosen to be the state capital – but due to political pressure, Bhopal became the state capital instead.

Culture

Cuisine

Sweets in Jabalpur's local delicacy include Doodh ka Halwa, Kalakand, Bhaji Wada, Dal Mangode, Aloo Bonda, Khoye ki Jalebi, Mawa-Bati, Khoprapak, Shrikhand, Malpua, Imarti and Makkhanvada. Khoye ki Jalebi, which is quite popular in Madhya Pradesh, was invented by Harprasad Badkul in 1889 at his shop, Badkul Halwai. Other local dishes include Gakkad Bharta, Dal Bafla, Bhutte ka Khees, Rogan Josh, and Poha.

Tourism

Jabalpur is an important tourism city in Madhya Pradesh and Central India. Notable sites in Jabalpur include Hanumantal Bada Jain Mandir, Madan Mahal, Dhuandhar Falls and Marble Rocks in Bhedaghat, and the Shiv Statue at Kachnar City. The world-renowned tiger reserves like Kanha National Park, Bandhavgarh National Park, and Pench National Park can be easily visited via Jabalpur. Hanumantal Bada Jain Mandir is a 17th-century Jain temple which appears like a fortress with numerous shikharas. The temple has 22 shrines (vedis), making it the largest independent Jain temple in India. Madan Mahala is a fort built by the Gondi king Madansahi in 1116 which is situated atop a hill in Jabalpur. Kachnar city in Jabalpur is known for a 23-metre-high (76 ft) Shiva statue housing a cavern with replicas of Shiva lingas from 12 shrines nationwide. The city also houses the Rani Durgawati Museum which was built in 1964 to commemorate Rani Durgavati. The museum hosts ancient relics, sculptures and a collection of items related to Mahatma Gandhi. Dumna Nature Reserve Park is an ecotourism site open to the public which is located in the Jabalpur district. It houses the Khandari Dam, which is a source of drinking water to the city and has many crocodiles. The Bargi Dam Reservoir near Jabalpur is known for boat rides. Tourist attractions in Jabalpur also include the boat rides on Narmada river, which is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) away from the city, specially in moonlight. The journey through Narmada reveals the Marble Rocks, where the river has carved the soft marble, creating a gorge of about 8 km in length, and the Dhuandhar falls, which is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Jabalpur. Lamheta Ghaat and Tilwara Ghaat are famous Ghats on the banks of Narmada River. The Tilwadeshwar temple is located near the Tilwara Ghat and it is also the place where Gandhi's ashes were immersed. Other tourist destinations near the city include Chausath Yogini Temple, Bhedaghat Fall, Bhadbhada fall, Gughra Fall, Osho Amritdham, Pisanhari Ki Madiya which is a historic Jain pilgrimage near Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College, and Nandishwardeep Jain temple.