 <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span>  </p><p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">There is a bit of difference of opinion on  the origin of the name </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.  Some believe the trading community of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  with links with Middle East Arabs derived the name from the Arabic word <span class="SpellE">Jabal</span> which means hills. The others feel that the name is  based on the name of an Indian Saint <span class="SpellE">Jabali</span> <span class="SpellE">Pattanam</span>, who had the distinction of learning the Vedas despite being from the lower caste. The name may have its etymological references to Arabs or Saints, but the city is an inescapable tourist destination in Madhya Pradesh.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The city is also known by a typical Hindi name,  <span class="SpellE">Sanskardhani</span>, or a veritable urn of culture. The  salubrious environs of the virgin hills and the charm of River Narmada was an  attraction for the Saints and hermits from all over </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">India</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.  The city was the favorite of Kings and Maharajas looking for relaxation amid  hills, lakes and waterfalls. The hills of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">,  with varied mineral content are the preferred destination for geologists and  archeologists. Paleontologists, with the finding of a fossilized Dinosaur, come  in hordes looking for some more clues on the world before the last Ice Age.</span>  </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The exceptional topography of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  with hills all around the city gives it a picturesque setting. Some of the Hindi  movies have been shot here. The picturesque setting though is a nightmare for  town planners and developers. The Central Railways has constructed railway lines  winding along these hills, somewhat akin to a horseshoe. A railway journey to  the city is a singular experience with beatific old world charm. </span></p>  <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The town, on the Varanasi-<span class="SpellE">Nagpur</span> NH-7 is well connected with the North and  </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">South India</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">. The </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Airport</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> located about 12 miles from the city has limited  facilities. Recently the low priced <span class="SpellE">Deccan</span> Airlines  has started flights from </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Delhi</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> and  </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Bhopal</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> to the city. The authorities realizing the  importance of the city on the tourist map have made plans of upgrading the  airport.</span></p>  <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The city has the typical hot and dry temperate of  the Great Indian Plateau. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  is hot during summers with temperatures up to 47 degree Celsius and winters  bring it to the freezing point of water. The July to September months bring  heavy rains with the onset of the South Western monsoon. The October to March  window during the winters is suitable for a visit to the city.</span></p>  <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The city of about one and half million people has  had its share in the freedom struggle of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">India</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">,  with personalities like <span class="SpellE">Lokmanya</span> <span class="SpellE">Tilak</span>, <span class="SpellE">Mahatama</span> Gandhi, <span class="SpellE"><span class="GramE">Subhash</span></span> Chandra Bose conducting  rallies in </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">. The city is also home to many reputed educational  institutions, contributing a large professional workforce to the developing  Indian economy. </span></p>  <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">It is a city  with leftist leanings, loathing the capitalist juggernaut with vehemence. It is  the breeding grounds for many movements; the famous Narmada <span class="SpellE">Bachao</span> <span class="SpellE">Andolan</span> got resounding  support from this city. The city with anathema for capitalism is a fairly  inexpensive and highly satisfying tourist destination.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;{mospagebreak}</p><h2 class="pagetitle">Attractions </h2> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">,  the place crafted in marble, had been the cherished pleasure resort of the  12<sup>th</sup> Century <span class="SpellE">Gond</span> rulers. The British  enamored by the scenic beauty developed it as a major cantonment during their  rule over </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">India</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">. The central location of the City of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  was once instrumental in it being considered for the Capital of the Mughals. The  place surrounded by hills grant an inherent protection from being run over by  marauding armies. The city of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">,  whether capital city or not has a fascinating rustic splendor and a number of  interesting places on a platter for you.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="SpellE"><span class="GramE"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Madan</span></strong></span></span><span class="GramE"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> <span class="SpellE">Mahal</span> Fort</span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  Indian rulers had penchant of making forts on top of high hills, the reason  could have dominance and the ubiquitous security concerns. This fort was built  in the 11<sup>th</sup> century by the <span class="SpellE">Gond</span> King of  </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">. The name derives from the name of the king, <span class="SpellE">Madan</span> Shah. Today it is a ramshackle structure with  crumbling walls.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="SpellE"><span class="GramE"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sangram</span></strong></span></span><span class="GramE"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> <span class="SpellE">Sagar</span> and <span class="SpellE">Bajnamath</span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  The city of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> has been the favorite with the rulers and these  constructions date back to the rule of <span class="SpellE">Sangram</span> Shah in  the 15<sup>th</sup> century.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="SpellE"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Rani</span></strong></span><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> <span class="SpellE">Durgawati</span> Memorial and  <span class="GramE">Museum<span style="font-weight: normal;">  :</span></span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> The people of  </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> revere <span class="SpellE">Rani</span> <span class="SpellE">Durgawati</span> for her valor and sacrifice. She is the local Joan  of Arc of the city. The memorial and museum are dedicated to <span class="SpellE">Rani</span> <span class="SpellE">Durgawati</span> who defied the  might of Mughals. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="SpellE"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Tilwara</span></strong></span><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> <span class="GramE">Ghat  :</span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> The </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Ghats</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> or  the steps on the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Narmada</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> river are considered as holy as those on  </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Ganga</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">. The ashes of the father of the nation, Mahatma  Gandhi were immersed from this Ghat into the waters of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Narmada</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  and that brought the name of this Ghat into the history books. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="SpellE"><span class="GramE"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Bedaghat</span></strong></span></span><span class="GramE"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.</span></strong></span><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">This is a small place on the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Narmada</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">River</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">, about 12 miles from </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  and is famous for the sparkling water soaked marble rocks. The </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Narmada</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">River</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> passes through these hundreds of feet high marble  rocks. The serene sparkling beauty of marble and the silvery water of the river  against the morning sun is the just breathtaking.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="SpellE"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dhuandhar</span></strong></span><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> Falls. </span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Hindi word <span class="SpellE">Dhuandhar</span>  or roaring signifies the splendor of the place. The </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Narmada</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  plunges down the high marble hills creating misty or smoky water falls. The  gargantuan amount of water falling from such heights generates a roar which can  be heard miles away and succinctly named the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Roaring</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Falls</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">This ancient city like any other Indian city has  numerous temples but a few which have been constructed on top of the hills and  present a magnificent view of the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Narmada</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  are </span><span class="SpellE"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Chausat</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span><span class="SpellE"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Yogini</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Temple</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">,  </span><span class="SpellE"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Tripuri</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span><span class="SpellE"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sundari</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Temple</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Vishnu</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span><span class="SpellE"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Barha</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Temple</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.  The <span class="SpellE">Chausat</span> <span class="SpellE">Yogini</span> <span class="SpellE">Mandir</span> a Goddess <span class="SpellE">Durga</span> temple was  constructed in the 10<sup>th</sup> century. The exquisite stone carvings of the  era are a testimony to the high craftsmanship of the people of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The city of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  is ideally located for visiting the two nature parks, the <span class="SpellE">Kanha</span> and </span><span class="SpellE"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Bhandavgarh</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">National  Parks</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">. A drive of just about 2 to 3  hours from </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> would get you into the lap of a perfectly wild and  raw nature.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">{mospagebreak}</p><h2 class="pagetitle">Nature </h2> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The city in the Great Indian Plateau, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">,  with marble hills and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Narmada</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">River</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> as the backdrop has the galore of virgin nature. A  visit to the city does not end with the marble rocks; it does not end at the  numerous forts and temples on the hills; it actually is the beginning of a great  journey into the wild that the State of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Madhya Pradesh</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> can offer. The city of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  with its central location is the place to begin a journey that you will cherish  all your life.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The city is within two to four hours of journey to  many Sanctuaries and National Parks. A planned journey to the North East of  Jabalpur will take you to <strong>Fossil</strong> and </span><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Bandhavgarh</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">National Parks</span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">. A couple of hours more and you reach <span class="SpellE"><strong>Panpatha</strong></span><strong>, Son <span class="SpellE">Ghariyal</span>, Sanjay <span class="SpellE">Dubri</span> and <span class="SpellE">Bagdara</span> Sanctuaries.</strong> The </span><span class="SpellE"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Kanha</span></strong></span><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">National Park</span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> is to the South of the city and if you have plans  of doing a full circuit of the State, then you must include <span class="SpellE"><strong>Pench</strong></span><strong> and <span class="SpellE">Kanha</span> National Parks</strong> in your itinerary.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="GramE"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Fossil</span></strong></span><span class="GramE"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span></strong></span><span class="GramE"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">National Park</span></strong></span><span class="GramE"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;&nbsp; The park is located just about 50 miles from  </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">. It has been established by the Government of  Madhya Pradesh for displaying and preserving the fossilized remains of many a  pre-historic species found in various excavations in the State. The park is  spread only over a few hundred square meters of area. The size really does not  matter as the student of paleontology has a lot to gain from the collection  available under one roof.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="GramE"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Bandhavgarh</span></strong></span><span class="GramE"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span></strong></span><span class="GramE"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">National Park</span></strong></span><span class="GramE"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The park is the Tiger reserve located about  90 miles from </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> is just about an hourâ€™s drive from Fossil national  park. Spread over more than 160 square miles of virgin natural terrain of the  </span><span class="SpellE"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Satpura</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Ranges</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">,  this park has a wide variety of flora and fauna. The park is home to the Indian  tiger, panther, sloth bear, variety of antelopes and birds. If you are lucky  then you may see the white tiger, though only few in numbers but conspicuous in  the largely green surroundings.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The park has a host of plant species primarily the  deciduous variety. The huge bamboo groves, old Sal trees and grasslands in their  pristine magnificence are a paradise for nature photography enthusiasts. The  fauna in their natural habitat is a great attraction for ornithologist and wild  life enthusiasts.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The park offers quite a few staying on options too.  The Tiger Den Resorts, <span class="SpellE">Mewar</span> Camp Bandhavgarh  and</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> <span class="SpellE">Chruhat</span>  <span class="SpellE">Kothi</span> Bandhavgarh offer the best of the modern  comforts in natural surroundings. The accommodation is by and large in modern  tents with all the amenities. The resorts also arrange Elephant Safari for that  thrilling medieval royal experience. Jeeps and Land rovers are also available  for a quick tour of the park.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The park has lot more for the nature lovers; the  best would be sipping a glass of wine sitting on a pedestal atop a tree and  watching the frolicking antelopes and stalking them the leopards and  tigers.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The <span class="SpellE">Kanha</span> and  </span><span class="SpellE"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Pench</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">National  Parks</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> to the South of the city have  similar milieu and services. The parks in the State are open during the January  to June period only. The best time to visit would be Jan to mid April; the  months of May and June are terribly hot for any Western traveler to venture in  the wild with little backup. So get set and gear up for an exploratory trip to  the Wild West or probably the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Center</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> of  </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">India</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.</span></p><p>{mospagebreak}</p><h2 class="pagetitle">Education </h2> <p>Sanskardhani, urn of culture, the city of Jabalpur has more than one hundred  and fifty educational institutions. The city has more than 70 Secondary and  Senior Secondary Schools, 30 odd Engineering and Medical Institutes and three  Universities. A city of a million people certainly has more than it can chew.  The colleges here are the favorite educational destination from all over India.  Another facet is the ease of admission and the so called payment seats, where in  the money power will gain you entry to a professional college.</p> <p>The professional colleges in Jabalpur churn out more than one thousand  trained engineers and medical staff each year. The rapidly progressing Indian  economy and new global ventures do present a lot of job opportunities but to the  deserving few only. The rest add up as statistics to the growing numbers of  highly educated unemployed youth in the country.</p> <p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rani Durgavati University</span> is the most  illustrious of the three; the other two being Jawaharlal University of  Agriculture and the M P Bhoj Open University. Rani Durgavati University was  established in the year 1956 and named Jabalpur University. The University has a  large campus spread over just a little less than a hundred acres of the highly  expensive Jabalpur prime property.</p> <p>The Campus houses the Admin Block, Physical Education department and separate  faculty buildings which include the arts, mathematics, physics, chemistry and  bio-technology disciplines. The University has a highly developed computer lab,  a library and separate hostels for male and female students. The amenities for  the teaching staff and the students include a health center with modern gym  equipment, sports facilities like the swimming pool, courts for various racquet  games, canteens, residential quarters and a fully operative market complex.</p> <p>The University has been sited in the most primitive tribal belt of the state  to spread the light of education and help eradicate illiteracy in this region.  The university has been successful in the mission can be gauged by the fact that  it is the affiliated University of more than a hundred colleges and imparted  higher education to a hundred thousand students over the forty years of its  existence.</p> <p>The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jawaharlal University of  Agriculture</span> was established in the fifties to develop scientific know how  to help the farming community of the agrarian state. The University has various  courses in the field of Agriculture technology, seed research and  bio-technology. The students get hands down training on the farming methods and  even get a small piece of land to cultivate a crop.</p> <p>The <span style="font-weight: bold;">M P Bhoj Open University</span> has  brought the higher learning to the doorsteps of the students who can not attend  a regular day college. The University has setup elaborate infrastructure all  over the state to provide the course materials and conduct mandatory class room  sessions. The main focus of the University is on teaching of IT related courses  as it is one of the fastest growing fields.</p> <p>The numerous professional colleges in Jabalpur have courses on Ayurvedic  Medicine, Yoga, and almost all technological, arts and commerce related  subjects. The Public Schools like St Xavierâ€™s, St Aloysius, St Maryâ€™s and St  Thomas have a long teaching history in the city. The State Government has setup  primary schools for compulsory free education and the Central Government brought  the Kendriya Vidyalas. The Sanskari City has an envious assortment of  educational establishments.</p><p>{mospagebreak}</p><h2 class="pagetitle">Culture </h2> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  district with River Narmada bringing in fresh water from the </span><span class="SpellE"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Vindyachal</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Ranges</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  has developed into an agrarian economy. The land of the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Narmada</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  basin with its fertile alluvial soil gives good yields of sorghum, wheat, rice  and millets in the villages around </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.  The State of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Madhya  Pradesh</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> is the largest producer of  Soybeans and the district of Jabalpur occupies a place of pride in agriculture  production. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The people</span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> are simple and hardworking. The presence of the  sacred </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Narmada</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> and the rule of <span class="SpellE">Gond</span> and  Maratha dynasties has made </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  a primarily Hindu dominated area. The <span class="SpellE">Mughal</span> rule  brought in a sizable Muslim population and created religion based pockets in the  city. The city has seen the worst form of Hindu Muslim riots in the 60s. The  rise in the population of the city especially village folk migrating to the city  are settling in slums on the outskirts of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.  The estimates are that by the year 2015, the population of the city will double  to a whopping two million people.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The economy</span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> of the city is dependent on the few cottage and  defense related industries. The cottage industries are the <span class="SpellE">bidi</span> or the small Indian cigarette making, garment industry,  poultry and light engineering. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">  is known by the huge defense manufacturing setup. It has Ordnance Factories, Gun  and Explosives Factory, the Defense Vehicle Factory and the Defense Metal  Foundry. These were established in the early part of the nineteenth century by  the British. The factories are supplying most of the equipment to the Indian  Armed Forces. The industry also employs the largest workforce in the city of  </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Hindi</span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> is the first language of the state and spoken and  understood in the city. The <span class="SpellE">Moghuls</span> brought Urdu and  the influence of Maratha rulers has given Marathi to the multilingual culture of  </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Jabalpur</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">. The city folk do communicate in English but the  jingoist villagers prefer to use their mother tongue Hindi or Marathi. The state  of Madhya Pradesh is home to many Hindu movements like the <span class="SpellE">Rashtriya</span> <span class="SpellE">Swamyesewak</span> <span class="SpellE">Sangh</span> or RSS, a voluntary organization for inculcating true  Hindu values in the youth. The farming culture has given rise to crime and  villagers can be seen with double barrel guns, a status symbol in Madhya  Pradesh.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p><span class="GramE"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Festivals and  Dance Forms.</span></strong></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> The  people are religious and celebrate most of the festivals of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">India</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> in  their singular boisterous style. The tribes of Madhya Pradesh have added color  to the festivities with a number of dance forms. The typically <span class="SpellE">Gond</span> dance Karma associated with fertility is performed in  the month of August. The nomadic tribes like <span class="SpellE">Kanjars</span>  and <span class="SpellE">Banjaras</span> perform <span class="SpellE">Matki</span>,  <span class="SpellE">Phulpati</span> and <span class="SpellE">Girida</span> dances.  The <span class="SpellE">Matki</span> dance is performed in the marriages. The  women dance with an earthen pitcher balanced on their heads. The dances are  generally accompanied by the staccato sound of a shrill drum called <span class="SpellE">Dolaki</span>. The <span class="SpellE">Kanjar</span> tribe can be  seen performing acrobatics on the road sides and the famous ring trick where the  acrobat wriggles his body through a ring measuring less than a feet and a  half.</span></p><p>{mospagebreak}</p><h2 class="pagetitle">History </h2> <p>The ancient city of Tripuri, the Jabalpur of today, was mentioned in the  great epic Mahabharata. The original inhabitants of Jabalpur were the nomadic  Bhil and Gond tribes. These tribal communities were not highly structured as the  North Indian Rajputs, or the Western Marathas. They were groups of farming  communities in the fertile Narmada basin. The naÃ¯ve tribes were gradually driven  to the forests by the ordered Armies of the Marathas and then the Mughals. The  British decimated the might of the tribal people by passing the Forest Act,  which gave them absolute control over all the forests.</p> <p>The earliest known states, the State of Avanti; which controlled the  territory of modern day Jabalpur and the Eastern part of Madhya Pradesh, dates  back to third century BC. Avanti had regular change of guards and various  dynasties; the Sungas, Guptas, Harshas ruled the state. The Kalchuri dynasty in  the latter part of eighth century AD made Jabalpur as their capital. The Gonds  having imbibed the art of war wrested control in the 13th Century. The Gondwana  Kingdom thrived in the region till late 16th Century.</p> <p>The Gonds were lovers of art and worshippers of the Janani or the mother  creator. The power to procreate is truly divine and their unsullied culture  recognized sex as an ultimate worship. They built the exotic temples and palaces  with erotic sculptures and the exquisite fine carvings all over the Gond  Kingdom. The beauty of the temples and palaces in Jabalpur is an apt statement  of their craftsmanship.</p> <p>The Mughal rulers expanding their rule to the South India viewed the region  as the major bottleneck and attacked it time and again. The legend of Durgawati,  the Gond Queen and local Joan of Arc, was born when she killed herself after  been defeated by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The rugged terrain was not the forte  of Mughals and soon the specialists in guerilla warfare, Marathas gained  control. The saga of change was not to stop here and the British defeated the  Marathas in early 18th century.</p> <p>The elusive Pindari tribes of the region, the Thugs, were notorious for their  looting and treacherous killings of traders and merchants. The British were  instrumental in wiping out this menace. The Collector of Jabalpur, Colonel  William H Sleeman was the man behind eradicating the Thugee menace. On the way  to Pench National Park, the village of Kokha, once a bastion of the Thugee cult;  saw hanging and trampling by elephants of hundreds of Thugs.<br />The city of  Jabalpur was made the capital of the Sagar and Narmada territories under the  British rule and developed it into a massive cantonment. Later the city had the  headquarters of one of the Southern Army divisions.</p> <p>The location of the city within the Indian hinterland led to the development  of Jabalpur as the major supplier of arms and equipment, and establishment of  the ordnance factories. The city was part and parcel of the freedom struggle  with bigwigs like Mahatma Gandhi, Lokmanya Tilak and Subhash Chandra Bose  holding major conferences in the city.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The city has maintained its fickle character even after independence and  witnessed Hindu Muslim riots, Hindu revivalist movements and even today  considered as the stronghold of the BJP and RSS, the Hindu Revivalist political  parties of India.</p> 