Jabalpur

According to a prevalent theory, Jabalpur was named after a sage named Jabali, who meditated on the banks of the Narmada river. Another theory suggests an Arabic origin of the word since jabal in Arabic means granite boulders or huge boulders, which were common in the region. According to a fringe theory, the name refers to Jauli Pattala, a sub-divisional unit, mentioned in Kalachuri inscriptions. Jauli also refers to the Huna queen of the Kalachuri king, Karna. It was spelled as 'Jubbulpore' during British rule[10]

In 2006, the Jabalpur Municipal Corporation renamed the city to Jabalpur.[11]

Mythology describes three Asuras (evil spirits) in the Jabalpur region, who were defeated by the Hindu god Shiva. Tripurasura being the main asura, gave the city its puranic name Tripur Tirth.[12] Tripuri region corresponds to the ancient Chedi Kingdom of Mahabharata times, to which king Shishupala belongs.

Ashokan relics dating to 300 BCE have been found in Rupnath, 84 kilometres (52 mi) north of the city, indicating the presence of the Mauryan Empire (322 to 185 BCE) in the region.[12] When the empire fell, Jabalpur became a city-state before coming under the rule of the Satavahana dynasty (230 BCE to 220 CE). After their reign, the region was ruled locally by the Bodhis and the Senas, following which it became a vassal state of the Gupta Empire (320 to 550).[12]

The region was conquered by the Kalachuri Dynasty in 875 CE. The best known Kalachuri ruler was Yuvaraja-Deva I (r. 915–945), who married Nohla Devi (a princess of the Chalukya dynasty).[13] One of the Kalachuri ministers, Golok Simha Kayastha, was instrumental in founding the Chausath Yogini Temple near Bhedaghat. His descendants include Bhoj Simha, who was the Dewan to the Gond king Sangram Shah (1491–1543); Dewan Aadhar Singh Kayastha, who was the prime minister to Rani Durgavati (r. 1550–1564),[14] and Beohar Raghuvir Sinha, the last Jagirdar of Jabalpur who reigned until 1947.

Gondwana rule

Rani Durgavati preparing for the battle of Narrai; fresco by Beohar Rammanohar Sinha in Jabalpur's Shaheed-Smarak

Jabalpur was an important centre of power during the rule of the Gond kings of Garha-Mandla.[15] The ruler of Garha-Mandla, Madan Shah, (1138–1157) built a watchtower and a small hilltop fort at Madan Mahal, an area in Jabalpur. In the 1500s, the Gond king, Sangram Shah held Singorgarh fort. Rani Durgawati was a princess of the Chandela Dynasty, who was married to Dalpat Shah of the Gond dynasty. 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.[16]

The Gond king, Hriday Shah (1634-1668) moved his court to the Mandla fort. He secured water sources and built irrigation structures. The kingdom was invaded in 1742 by the Maratha peshwa (prime minister), Balaji Baji Rao along with Visaji Chandorkar, the Maratha governor of Sagar, and made a tributary state of the Maratha Empire.[17][18]

Jabalpur has a humid subtropical climate typical of north-central India (Madhya Pradesh and southern Uttar Pradesh). Summer begins in late March, lasting until June. May is the hottest month, with an average temperature exceeding 40 °C (104 °F). Summer is followed by the southwest monsoon, which lasts until early October and produces 889 mm (35 in) of rain from July to September. The average annual precipitation is nearly 1,386 mm (54.6 in). Winter begins in late November and lasts until early March. January is the coldest month, with an average daily temperature near 15 °C (59 °F).

In the 2011 India census, the Jabalpur city (the area covered by the municipal corporation) recorded a population of 1,081,677.[5] The Jabalpur metropolitan area (urban agglomeration) recorded a population of 1,268,848.[6]

Bada Fuhara and Kamania Gate in the heart of old Jabalpur city

Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ)'s Matang truck

The Narmada river bringing in freshwater from the Vindyachal Ranges has developed Jabalpur district into an agrarian economy. The land of the Narmada basin with its fertile alluvial soil gives good yields of sorghum, wheat, rice, and millet in the villages around Jabalpur. Important among commercial crops are pulses, oilseeds, cotton, sugar cane, and medicinal crops. The state is poised for a breakthrough in soybean cultivation. In Kharif crops occupy 60% and Rabi crops 40% area with 71.4% area under food grain production. Nearly 59% of landholders are marginal whereas small farmed share 18% of farmland.

Jabalpur has a variety of industries largely based in mineral substances of economic value found in the district, although the ready-made garments industry is a substantial portion of production in Jabalpur.

Defence establishments started in the early 20th century. Jabalpur has Vehicle Factory Jabalpur, Grey Iron Foundry, Gun Carriage Factory Jabalpur and Ordnance Factory Khamaria which belong to the Ordnance Factories Board manufacturing various products for the Indian Armed Forces. The Gun Carriage Factory was started in the year 1904 is well equipped and manufacture gun parts, mounting, shells, and a variety of the other product for war purposes. Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ) was started as a manufacturer of trucks and other defence vehicles. The other two are Grey Iron Foundry (GIF) and Ordnance Factory Khamaria (OFK).

Armed forces make up a large portion of the city and economy in this city. The city has three regimental centres: Grenadiers, Jammu and Kashmir rifles and the Signals regiment. Jabalpur is also the army headquarters of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Orissa. Jabalpur is an important divisional headquarters, having eight districts: Jabalpur, Seoni, Mandla, Chhindwara, Narsimhapur, Katni, Dindori, Balaghat. The Jabalpur District has been reconstituted on 25 May 1998. It now has four tehsils Jabalpur, Sihora, Patan, and Kundam. Jabalpur also has the headquarters of the Madhya Pradesh State Electricity Board, Homeguards, and many other state and central government offices. There are seven blocks in the district with 1449 inhabited villages, 60 uninhabited, 1209 revenue villages, and 4 forest villages. The presence of several industries in Jabalpur bolstered the industrial scenario of the city. However, the industrial growth of the area owes much to the defense establishments and the four ordnance factories.

The presence of the military base and the ordnance factories have improved the infrastructure of the city. This has boosted the industrial development of Jabalpur. The important industries in Jabalpur are:

The nominal GDP of Jabalpur District was estimated at Rs. 42,518 crores for the year 2020–21.[25]

Marble-art

Jabalpur is an important tourism city in Madhya Pradesh and central India. Notable sites in Jabalpur include Hanumantal Bada Jain Mandir, Jabalpur Madan Mahal, Dhuandhar Falls, Chausta-Yogini, Gwarighat and Marble Rocks in Bhedaghat, Balancing rock near Madan Mahal Fort 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. The largest Wildlife Sanctuary in terms of area of the state of Madhya Pradesh, the Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary is very close to Jabalpur and can be easily visited. The recently notified Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve which is the seventh tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh also lies in close vicinity to Jabalpur and can be easily visited via Jabalpur.

Hanumantal Bada Jain Mandir is a 17th-century Jain temple that appears like a fortress with numerous shikharas. The temple has 22 shrines (vedis), making it the largest independent Jain temple in India. Madan Mahal 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.[35] 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 the 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 visited tourist destinations in Jabalpur. Lamheta Ghaat[36] and Tilwara Ghaat[37] are well-knownGhats 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,[38] Bhadbhada fall,[39] Gughra Fall,[40] Osho Amritdham,[41] Pisanhari Ki Madiya which is a historic Jain pilgrimage near Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College,[42] and Nandishwardeep Jain temple.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram in Karondi village is located around 90 kms from Jabalpur city. Lying on the Tropic of Cancer, the location is claimed to be the geographical central point of India by Yogi.[43]

LNCT Jabalpur

St. Aloysius Senior Secondary School, established in the year 1868, is among the oldest schools in India

Jabalpur became a centre of higher education by the end of the 19th century, with institutions such as the Hitkarini Sabha, established by local citizens in 1868,[45] and Robertson College (now bifurcated into the Government Science College, Jabalpur, and Mahakoshal Arts & Commerce College) was established in Sagar in 1836 and moved to Jabalpur in 1873.[46] Government Engineering College, Jabalpur was the first technical institution in Central India to be established by the British. IIITDM Jabalpur was founded in 2005. Scholars, authors and politicians such as Ravishankar Shukla, Rajneesh, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh had been in Jabalpur for some time in their life.

Jabalpur is known for many universities such as Rani Durgavati University (also called the University of Jabalpur), Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University, Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University, Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University and Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur, Indian Council of Medical Research-NIRTH. Other institutions like Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur and MP State Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur are very important forest research centers based in Jabalpur.

Jabalpur also hosts a Government Medical College named Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College. The largest Government Cancer Institute in Madhya Pradesh, the Madhya Pradesh State Cancer Institute will soon become functional in Jabalpur at the adjoining premises of the NSCB Medical College. The School of Excellence in Pulmonary Medicine is also a Government center of excellence in pulmonary medicine located in the premises of NSCB Medical College.

Several television news channels have branches in the city. Various cable operators operate digital cable TV system in city.[47]

The city has two stadiums: Ravishankar Shukla Stadium and Rani Tal Stadium. It is generally accepted that while serving at Jabalpur in 1875, Colonel Sir Neville Chamberlain developed a new variation of black pool by introducing coloured balls into the game in the British Army officer's mess. This game was later dubbed snooker.[9]

Historical personalities

• Amedee Delalex (1826-1889)
• Rani Durgavati (1524–1564)
• Abani Mukherji (1891–1937)

Movie and TV personalities

• Tom Alter
• Jaya Bachchan
• Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal
• Shaleen Bhanot
• Gurmeet Choudhary
• Kirron Kher
• Prem Nath
• Arjun Rampal
• Shalini Pandey
• Ashutosh Rana
• Pradeep Rawat
• Sharat Saxena
• Aadesh Shrivastava
• Raghubir Yadav

Armed forces officers

• Maj Gen G. D. Bakshi
• Admiral Jal Cursetji
• Lt Gen WAG Pinto

Civil servants and people holding high public office

• C. B. Bhave, IAS
• Sudhir Kumar Mishra
• S Prakash Tiwari

Politicians

• Captain B P Tiwari
• Frank Anthony
• Rameshwar Neekhra
• Rakesh Singh
• K. S. Sudarshan
• Vivek Tankha
• Shreegopal Vyas
• Sharad Yadav

Business

• Siddhartha Paul Tiwari
• Ajai Chowdhry
• Shyam Mardikar

Spiritual gurus

• Mahant Swami Maharaj
• Osho Rajneesh
• Maharshi Mahesh Yogi

Journalists

• Arnab Goswami

Engineers

• S. P. Chakravarti

Doctors

• Yogesh Kumar Chawla
• Pradeep Chowbey
• Narmada Prasad Gupta
• Pukhraj Bafna
• Shashi Wadhwa

Authors and poets

• Subhadra Kumari Chauhan
• Kamta Prasad Guru
• Harishankar Parsai
• Nell St. John Montague
• Ram Kinkar Upadhyay

Sportspersons

• Madhu Yadav

• Jubbulpuria
• Jabalpur district
• Indian Ordnance Factories
• Tropical Forest Research Institute

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