Shahdol

About:

Shahdol District is a district of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. With a total area of 5,671 square kilometers and a population of 908,148. Shahdol is an important district of Madhya Pradesh. The town of Shahdol is the district headquarters. The district is part of Rewa Division. Some of the towns in this district are Dhanpuri and Burhar. The Virateshwar Temple in Sohagpur Vangana is the most important tourist destination of Shahdol and a structural masterpiece. The district extends 110 km. from East to West and 170 km. from North to South.

Shahdol district has been blessed with lush green forests, natural wealth of Coal, Minerals and with primitive Tribal population.There is a Virateshwar temple of Lord Shiv in Sohagpur Vanganga. 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.District Shahdol is predominantly hilly district. It is pituresque with certain pockets and belt of SAL and mixed forests. Total Geographical area of the district is 5671 Sq. Km. Adjacents to the District Shahdol are the boarding districts Dindori, Satna, Sidhi, Umaria, Anuppur and Rewa.

Shahdol, an administrative district of Madhya Pradesh is located in the north-eastern part of the Deccan Plateau. The District is surrounded by Anuppur in the East, Mandla and Bilaspur in the South, Satna and Sidhi in the North and Umaria in the West. The district extends 110 Kms. from east to west and 170 kms. From north to south, Shahdol is a hilly district with certain belt of sal forests.

According to 2001 Census, the total population of the district is 908148, out of which 391027 are Scheduled Tribes and 67528 are Scheduled Castes.With the headquarters located at Shahdol town, the backbone of the district's economy is its coal mines and other mineral resources.

The Virateshwar Temple in Sohagpur Vangana is the most important tourist destination of Shahdol and a structural masterpiece.

Location info:

Climate/Weather:

The climate of the district is temperate. 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 remains 46oC and 2.6oC respectively.

History of Shahdol

The etymology of the name as ascertained from the local residents points to its derivation from the name of the one Shahdolwa Ahir of Sohagpur village. The progenitor of the Ex-Illakadar family of Sohagpur, Jamni Bhan was the second son of Maharaja Virbhan Singh of Bagelkhand. He decided to settle at [Sohagpur] and assured maximum facilities to settler around, and also declared that places settled by clearing forests will be named after the pioneer settlers. Shahdolwa Ahir is believed to have settled the former village of Shahdolwa, about 2.5 km. from the headquarters of Sohagpur after this declaration. Later on, the place used to be the camp site for the Maharaja of Rewa and British officers on tour. More villages were grouped into the village of Shahdol as it grew to a town. The District Headquarters was shifted from Umaria to Shahdol after the merger of princely states took place in 1947.

Shahdol is named after the headquarters town Shahdol which is located on the Bilaspur-Katni Section of the South-Eastern Railways. The etymology of the name as ascertained from the local residents points to its derivation from the name of the one Shahdolwa Ahir of Sohagpur village. The progenitor of the Ex-Illakadar family of Sohagpur, Jamni Bhan was the second son of Maharaja Virbhan Singh of Bagelkhand. He decided to settle at Sohagpur and assured maximum facilities to settler around, and also declared that places settled by clearing forests will be named after the pioneer settlers. Shahdolwa Ahir is believed to have settled the former village of Shahdolwa, about 2.5 Km. from the headquarters of Sohagpur after this declaration. Later on, the place used to be the camp site for the Maharaja of Rewa and British officers on tour. More villages were grouped into the village of Shahdol as it grew to a town. The District Headquarters was shifted from Umaria to Shahdol after the merger of princely states took place in 1948.

Educational Institutions in Shahdol:

Shahdol Undergraduate Degree Colleges

Shahdol Law Colleges

Shahdol Postgraduate Degree Colleges.

Some important colleges are Government PG College, Shahdol,Pt Shambhoo Nath Shukla Government PG College (Autonomous), Shahdol.

In addition to LL.B. degree, many universities of law in Shahdol and institutes for law in Shahdol offers other diploma courses in several disciplines of law, including Administrative Law, International Law, Labour Laws, Tax Laws and Corporate Laws. There are various branches of specialisation in law like civil law, criminal law, corporate law, property law, income tax law, marine law, publicinternational law , family law, labour law, press law, excise law, constitutional law, administration law, sale of goods law, trade mark, copyright and patent law etc. one can choose from.

Langauges:

Culture:

District is very backward in the field of agriculture. Tribals of the district prefer the cultivation in the old traditional method. The size of the fields are very small and mainly the tribals are marginal farmers. The yearly yield of the products from the fields are not enough for their home use. Hence, for the rest part of the year they work on daily wages.

The living standard of tribals is very simple. Their houses are made of mud, bamboo sticks, paddy straw and local tiles. Tribal men wear Dhoti, Bandi, Fatohi and head gear. Women wear Saree named "Kaansh" saree in the local dialect. The saree is always of body colour. Women in the tribal community prefer to get their body parts hands, legs and neck encovered with colours. They wear different kinds of ornaments made of bamboo, seeds and metals.

The important coal field in the District is Sohagpur coal field. The Barakars in this area are about 3100 Sq. kms. Four coal seams have been recorded from the lower Barakars whereas a few thin seams are reported from Upper Barakars. The Lower Barakar coal of lower ash content and better quality as compared to that from Upper Barakars. In general the coal is of low rank, high moisture, high volatiles and non-cocking type. A reserve of 4064 million tonnes has been estimated from this field.

How to reach Shahdol?

Tourist Attraction of Shahdol:

VIRATESHWAR TEMPLE:

There is a Virateshwar temple of Lord Shiv in Sohagpur Vanganga. 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. Many Archaeologists consider this temple as the temple of Karn Deva. When you reach the campus of this 70 feet hight temple you will 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 AgniDevata, Panchlokpal, Batuk Bhairav, Amrut Bhairav, Nag Couple etc. this temple is the beauty of District.

Hotels/Lodge/Accommodation in Shahdol:

Bandhavgarh Jungle Lodge