 | This articlehas an unclearcitation style. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style ofcitation andfootnoting.(February 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Malwa | |
|---|---|
Natural region (former administrative division) | |
 Malwa (highlighted) as per 1823 depiction of India byFielding Lucas Jr. | |
| Country |  India |
| Area | |
• Total | 83,535 km2 (32,253 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 500 m (1,600 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 22,773,993 |
| • Density | 270/km2 (710/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Major languages | Malwi,Hindi |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-MP |
| Largest city | Indore |
Malwa is ahistoricalregion of west-centralIndia occupying aplateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, theMalwa Plateau generally refers to thevolcanic upland north of theVindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also synonymous with the former state ofMadhya Bharat which was later merged withMadhya Pradesh. At present the historical Malwa region includes districts of westernMadhya Pradesh and parts of south-easternRajasthan. Sometimes the definition of Malwa is extended to include theNimar region south of theVindhyas.
The Malwa region had been a separate political unit from the time of the ancientMalava Kingdom. It has been ruled by several kingdoms and dynasties, including theAvanti Kingdom, TheMauryans, theMalavas, theGuptas, theParamaras, TheRajputs, theDelhi Sultanate, theMalwa sultans, theMughals and theMarathas. Malwa continued to be an administrative division until 1947, when theMalwa Agency ofBritish India was merged intoMadhya Bharat (also known as Malwa Union) state of independent India.
Although its political borders have fluctuated throughout history, the region has developed its own distinct culture, influenced by the Rajasthani, Marathi and Gujarati cultures. Severalprominent people in the history of India have lived in Malwa, including the poet and dramatistKalidasa, the authorBhartrihari, the mathematicians and astronomersVarahamihira andBrahmagupta, and the polymath kingBhoja.Ujjain had been the political, economic, and cultural capital of the region in ancient times, andIndore is now the largest city and commercial center.
Overall,agriculture is the main occupation of the people of Malwa. The region has been one of the important producers ofopium in the world. Wheat and soybeans are other important cash crops, and textiles are a major industry.
Malwi is ademonym given to people from the Malwa region.
Several early Stone Age orLower Paleolithic habitations have been excavated in eastern Malwa.[2] The nameMalwa is derived from the name of the ancient Indian tribe ofMalavas. The nameMalava is said to be derived from the Sanskrit termMalav, which means "part of the abode ofLakshmi".[3] The location of the Malwa orMoholo, mentioned by the 7th-century Chinese travellerXuanzang, is plausibly identified with present-day Gujarat.[4] The region is cited asMalibah inArabic records, such asKamilu-t Tawarikh by Ibn Asir.[citation needed]
TheMalwa Culture was aChalcolithicarchaeological culture which existed in the Malwa region, as well as nearby parts ofMaharashtra to the south, during the 2nd millennium BCE.[5][6]
Ujjain, also known historically asUjjaiyini andAvanti, emerged as the first major centre in the Malwa region during India's second wave ofurbanisation in the 7th century BC (the first wave was theIndus Valley Civilization). Around 600 BC an earthen rampart was built around Ujjain, enclosing a city of considerable size. Ujjain was the capital city of theAvanti kingdom, one of the prominentmahajanapadas of ancient India. In the post-Mahabharata period—around 500 BC—Avanti was an important kingdom in western India; it was ruled by theHaihayas, a people who were responsible for the destruction of Naga power inwestern India.[7]
The region was conquered by theNanda Empire in the mid-4th century BC, and subsequently became part of theMaurya Empire.Ashoka, who was later a Mauryan emperor, was governor of Ujjain in his youth. After the death of Ashoka in 232 BC, the Maurya Empire began to collapse. Although evidence is sparse, Malwa was probably ruled by theKushanas, theShakas and theSatavahana dynasty during the 1st and 2nd century CE. Ownership of the region was the subject of dispute between theWestern Kshatrapas and theSatavahanas during the first three centuries AD. Ujjain emerged a major trading centre during the 1st century AD.
Malwa became part of theGupta Empire during the reign ofChandragupta II (375–413), also known asVikramaditya, who conquered the region, driving out theWestern Kshatrapas. The Gupta period is widely regarded as a golden age in the history of Malwa, when Ujjain served as the empire's western capital. The astronomerVarahamihira was based in Ujjain, which emerged as a major centre of learning, especially inastronomy andmathematics. Around 500, Malwa re-emerged from the dissolvingGupta Empire as a separate kingdom; in 528,Yasodharman of Malwa defeated theHunas, who had invaded India from the north-west.
During the seventh century, the region became part ofHarsha's empire, who disputed the region with theChalukya kingPulakesin II ofBadami in theDeccan. During his reign theBuddhist pilgrim monkXuanzang had visited India and mentions seeing a hundred Buddhist monasteries along with a same number of Deva temples of different kinds with the adherents ofPashupata Shaivism making a majority. He also states that there were two places in India that were remarkable for the great learning of the people, viz., Malwa andMagadha. The people there esteemed virtue, were of an intelligent mind and exceedingly studious.[8]
In 756 ADGurjara-Pratiharas advanced into Malwa.[9] In 786 the region was captured by theRashtrakuta kings of the Deccan, and was disputed between the Rashtrakutas and the Gurjara Pratihara kings ofKannauj until the early part of the tenth century. The Emperors of theRashtrakuta dynasty appointed theParamara rulers as governors of Malwa.[10] From the mid-tenth century, Kingdom of Malwa was ruled by theParamaras, who established a capital atDhar. KingBhoja, who ruled from about 1010 to 1060, was known as the greatpolymath philosopher-king of medieval India; his extensive writings cover philosophy, poetry, medicine, architecture, construction,town planning,veterinary science,phonetics,yoga, andarchery. Malwa became an intellectual centre of India, and became home to a major astronomical observatory, attracting scholars from all over India includingBhāskara II. His successors ruled until about 1305, when Malwa wasconquered by the Delhi Sultanate. Malwa was several times invaded by the south IndianWestern Chalukya Empire.[11]
Dilawar Khan, previously Malwa's governor under the rule of the Delhi sultanate, declared himself sultan of Malwa in 1401 after theMughal conquerorTimur attackedDelhi, causing the break-up of the sultanate into smaller states. Khan started theMalwa Sultanate and established a capital atMandu, high in theVindhya Range overlooking theNarmada River valley. His son and successor,Hoshang Shah (1405–35), developed Mandu as an important city. Hoshang Shah's son, Ghazni Khan, ruled for only a year and was succeeded byMahmud Khalji (1436–69), the first of theKhalji sultans of Malwa, who expanded the state to include parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and theDeccan. The Muslim sultans invited theRajputs to settle in the country. In the early 16th century, the sultan sought the aid of the sultans of Gujarat to counter the growing power of the Rajputs, while the Rajputs sought the support of theSesodia Rajput kings ofMewar.During that time Much of the Malwa was conquered byRana Sanga ofMewar who appointed one of his close alliesMedini Rai as ruler of Malwa under his lordship.Chanderi was capital of his kingdom.[12]After the defeat ofRajput confederation inBattle of Khanwa nearAgra againstBabur which was fought for Supremacy ofNorthern India betweenRajputs andMughals.[13]Babur then siegedChanderi offering Shamsabad to Medini rai instead of Chanderi as it was the capital of his kingdom and was of great importance but Rai refusedBabur's offer and chose to die. He was defeated byBabur in January 1528 atBattle of Chanderi andBabur conquered the fort.[14]
Gujarat stormed Mandu in 1518. In 1531,Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, captured Mandu, executed Mahmud II (1511–31), and shortly after that, the Malwa sultanate collapsed.[15] TheMughal emperorAkbar captured Malwa in 1562 and made it asubah (province) of his empire. TheMalwa Subah existed from 1568 to 1743. Mandu was abandoned by the 17th century. During the 17th century much of Western Malwa was held by theRathors of the Ratanawat branch. The Ratanawats later broke into several states which later becameRatlam State,Sitamau State andSailana State. Some of the lesser states wereMulthan andKachi-Baroda.[16][17]
As the Mughal state weakened after 1700, theMarathas held sway over Malwa under leadership ofChimnaji Appa,Nemaji Shinde andChimnaji Damodar were the firstMaratha generals to cross the boundary ofMaharashtra and to invade in Malwa in 1698. Subsequently,Malhar Rao Holkar (1694–1766) became leader of Maratha armies in Malwa in 1724, and in 1733 the MarathaPeshwa granted him control of most of the region, which was formally ceded by the Mughals in 1738.Ranoji Scindia, noted Maratha commander, established his headquarters at Ujjain in 1721.[citation needed]. This capital was later moved toGwalior State byDaulatrao Scindia. Another Maratha general, Anand RaoPawar, established himself as the Raja ofDhar in 1742, and the two Pawar brothers became Rajas ofDewas State.
At the end of the 18th century, Malwa became the venue of fighting between the rival Maratha powers and the headquarters of thePindaris, who were irregular plunderers. The Pindaris were rooted out in a campaign by the British generalLord Hastings, and further order was established underSir John Malcolm.[4] TheHolkar dynasty ruled Malwa fromIndore andMaheshwar on theNarmada until 1818, when the Marathas were defeated by the British in theThird Anglo-Maratha War, and the Holkars of Indore became aprincely state of theBritish Raj.
After 1818 the British organised the numerous princely states of central India into theCentral India Agency; the Malwa Agency was a division ofCentral India, with an area of 23,100 km2 (8,900 sq mi) and a population of 1,054,753 in 1901. It comprised the states ofDewas State (senior andjunior branch),Jaora,Ratlam,Sitamau andSailana, together with a large part ofGwalior, parts of Indore andTonk, and about 35 small estates and holdings. Political power was exercised fromNeemuch.[4]
UponIndian independence in 1947, the Holkars and other princely rulers acceded to India, and most of Malwa became part of the new state ofMadhya Bharat, which was merged into Madhya Pradesh in 1956.
.jpg)
The Malwa region occupies a plateau in western Madhya Pradesh and south-easternRajasthan (between21°10′N73°45′E / 21.167°N 73.750°E /21.167; 73.750 and25°10′N79°14′E / 25.167°N 79.233°E /25.167; 79.233),[7] withGujarat in the west. The region includes the Madhya Pradesh districts ofAgar,Dewas,Dhar,Indore,Jhabua,Mandsaur,Neemuch,Rajgarh,Ratlam,Shajapur,Ujjain, and parts ofGuna andSehore, and the Rajasthan districts ofJhalawar and parts ofKota,Banswara andPratapgarh.
Malwa is bounded in the north-east by theHadoti region, in the north-west by theMewar region, in the west by theVagad region andGujarat. To the south and east is the Vindhya Range and to the north is theBundelkhand upland.
The plateau is an extension of theDeccan Traps, formed between 60 and 68million years ago[18][19] at the end of theCretaceousperiod. In this region the main classes of soil areblack, brown andbhatori (stony) soil. The volcanic, clay-like soil of the region owes its black colour to the highiron content of thebasalt from which it formed. The soil requires less irrigation because of its high capacity for moisture retention. The other two soil types are lighter and have a higher proportion of sand.
The average elevation of the plateau is 500 m. Some of the peaks over 800 m high are at Sigar (881 m),Janapav (854 m) and Ghajari (810 m). The plateau generally slopes towards the north. The western part of the region is drained by theMahi River, while theChambal River drains the central part, and theBetwa River and the headwaters of theDhasan andKen rivers drain the east. TheShipra River is of historical importance because of theSimhasth mela, held every 12 years. Other notable rivers areParbati,Gambhir andChoti Kali Sindh.
Due to its altitude of about 550 to 600 meters above mean sea level, the region has comparatively cool evenings against the hot days during the summer season.[20] Even if the day temperature reaches 42 to 43 degrees Celsius, the night temperatures are always in range of 20 to 22 degrees making the climate much cooler than the other areas of the region. The cool morning wind, thekaraman, and an evening breeze, theShab-e-Malwa, make the summers less harsh. The termShab-e-Malwa, meaning dusk in Malwa (fromshab,Urdu for night), was introduced by theMughals.
The year is popularly divided into three seasons: summer, the rains, and winter. Summer extends over the months ofChaitra toJyestha (mid-March to mid-May). The average maximum temperature during the summer months is 37 °C, which typically rises to around 40 °C on a few days. The rainy season starts with the first showers ofAashaadha (mid-June) and extends to the middle ofAshvin (September). Most of the rain falls during the southwestmonsoon spell, and ranges from about 80 cm in the west to about 10.5 cm in the east. Indore and the immediately surrounding areas receive an average of 90 cm of rainfall a year. The growing period lasts from 90 to 150 days, during which the average daily temperature is below 30 °C, but seldom falls below 20 °C. Winter is the longest of the three seasons, extending for about five months (mid-Ashvin toPhalgun, i.e., October to mid-March). The average daily minimum temperature ranges from 6 °C to 9 °C, though on some nights it can fall as low as 3 °C. Some cultivators believe that an occasional winter shower during the months ofPausha andMaagha—known as Mawta—is helpful to the early summer wheat and germ crops.[7]
The region is part of theKhathiar-Gir dry deciduous forestsecoregion,Narmada valley dry deciduous forests, andEastern Highlands moist deciduous forests.
Vegetation: The natural vegetation istropical dry forest, with scatteredteak(Tectona grandis) forests. The main trees areButea,Bombax,Anogeissus,Acacia,Buchanania andBoswellia. The shrubs or small trees include species ofGrewia,Ziziphus mauritiana,Casearia,Prosopis,Capparis,Woodfordia,Phyllanthus, andCarissa.
Wildlife:Sambhar(Cervus unicolor),Blackbuck(Antilope cervicapra), andChinkara(Gazella bennettii) are some commonungulates.[21]During the last century, deforestation has happened at a fast rate, leading to environmental problems such as acutewater scarcity and the danger that the region is being desertified.
The population of the Malwa region was 22,773,993 in 2011, with a population density of a moderate 270/km2. The annual birth rate in the region was 31.6 per 1000, and the death rate 10.3. The infant mortality rate was 93.8, slightly higher than the overall rate for the Madhya Pradesh state.
There are numerous tribes in the region, such as theBhils—and their allied groups, theMeos theBhilalas,Barelas andPatelias—and theMeenas, who all differ to a remarkable degree from the regional population in their dialects and social life. They encompass a variety of languages and cultures. Some tribes of the region, notably theKanjars, werenotified in the 19th century for their criminal activities, but have since been denotified. A nomadic tribe from theMarwar region of Rajasthan, theGadia Lohars—who work aslohars (blacksmiths)—visit the region at the start of the agricultural season to repair and sell agricultural tools and implements, stopping temporarily on the outskirts of villages and towns and residing in their ornate metal carts. TheKalbelia is another nomadic tribe from Rajasthan that regularly visits the region.[22]
Malwa has a significant number ofDawoodi Bohras, a subsect ofShia Muslims from Gujarat, who are mostly businessmen by profession. Besides speaking the local languages, the Bohras have their own language,Lisan al-Dawat. ThePatidars, who Migrated from Gujarat settle in the Malwa-nimar. The Whole Malwa-Nimar belt is dominated by Patidar's who are large landowner's.
The most spoken language in Malwa region isMalvi which is the regional language andHindi is spoken in cities. Also,Marathi is spoken considerably in the region ofIndore,Dhar,Dewas andUjjain. A significant number ofMarathas,Jats,Rajputs andBanias also live in the region. TheSindhis, who settled in the region after thepartition of India, are an important part of the business community. Like southern Rajasthan, the region has a significant number ofJains, who are mostly traders and business people. The region is home to smaller numbers ofGoan Catholics,Anglo-Indians,Punjabis andParsis or Zoroastrians. The Parsis are closely connected to the growth and evolution ofMhow, which has a Parsi fire temple and aTower of Silence.
Indore is the commercial capital of Malwa region and Madhya Pradesh as state. Malwa is one of the world's major opium producers. This crop resulted in development of close connections between the economies of Malwa, the western Indian ports andChina, bringing international capital to the region in the 18th and 19th centuries. Malwa opium was a challenge to themonopoly of theBritish East India Company, which was supplyingBengal opium to China. This led the British company to impose many restrictions on the production and trade of the drug; eventually, opium trading was pushed underground (seeOpium Trading in Mumbai for more information). When smuggling became rife, theBritish eased the restrictions. Today, the region is one of the largest producers of legal opium in the world. There is a central, government-owned opium and alkaloid factory in the city of Neemuch. Nevertheless, there is a still a significant amount of illicit opium production, which is channelled into the black market. The headquarters of India's Central Bureau of Narcotics is inGwalior. TheRajputana-Malwa Railway was opened in 1876.
The region is predominantly agricultural. The brown soil in parts of the region is particularly suitable for the cultivation of suchunalu (early summer) crops as wheat, gram (Cicer arietinum) and til (Sesamum indicum). Relatively poor soil is used for the cultivation of suchsyalu (early winter) crops as millet (Andropogon sorghum), maize (Zea mays),mung bean (Vigna radiata),urad (Vigna mungo), batla (Pisum sativum) and peanuts (Arachis hypogaea). Overall, the main crops are jowar, rice, wheat, coarse millet, peanuts and pulses, soya bean, cotton, linseed, sesame and sugarcane. Sugar mills are located in numerous small towns.
The black, volcanic soil is ideal for the cultivation of cotton, and textile manufacture is an important industry. Large centres of textile production include Indore, Ujjain and Nagda. Maheshwar is known for its fineMaheshwari saris, andMandsaur for its coarse woollen blankets. Handicrafts are an important source of income for the tribal population. Coloured lacquerware from Ratlam, rag dolls fromIndore, and papier-mâché articles from Indore, Ujjain and several other centres are well known.
Mandsaur district is the sole producer in India of white- and red-colouredslate, used in the district's 110 slate pencil factories. There is a cement factory in Neemuch. Apart from this, the region lacks mineral resources. The region's industries mainly produce consumer goods—but there are now many centres of large- and medium-scale industries, including Indore,Nagda and Ujjain. Indore has a large-scale factory that produces diesel engines.Pithampur, an industrial town 25 km from Indore, is known as the Detroit of India for its heavy concentration of automotive industry. Indore is recognised as the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh, and is the main centre for trade in textiles and agro-based products. It has one of the sixIndian Institutes of Management and one of sixteenIndian Institute of Technology.
The culture of Malwa has been significantly influenced by Gujarati and Rajasthani culture, because of their geographic proximity.Marathi influence is also visible, because of recent rule by theMarathas.
The main language of Malwa isMalvi, although Hindi is widely spoken in the cities. This Indo-European language is subclassified as Indo-Aryan. The language is sometimes referred to as Malavi or Ujjaini. Malvi is part of theRajasthani branch of languages; Nimadi is spoken in theNimar region of Madhya Pradesh and in Rajasthan. The dialects of Malvi are, in alphabetical order, Bachadi,Pawari/Bhoyari in Betul, Chhindwara, Pandhurna and Wardha districts.[24] Dholewari, Hoshangabadi, Jamral, Katiyai, Malvi Proper, Patvi, Rangari, Rangri and Sondwari. A survey in 2001 found only five dialects: Ujjaini (in the districts ofUjjain,Indore,Dewas,Dhar,Agar Malwa andSehore), Rajawari (Ratlam,Mandsaur andNeemuch), Umathwari (Rajgarh) and Sondhwari (Jhalawar) andBhoyari/Pawari (in the districts ofBetul,Chhindwara,Pandhurna andWardha). About 55% of the population of Malwa can converse in and about 40% of the population is literate in Hindi, the official language of the Madhya Pradesh state.[25]
Traditional Malwa food has elements ofRajasthani,Gujarati andMaharashtrian cuisine. Traditionally,jowar was the staple cereal, but after theGreen Revolution in India, wheat has replaced jowar as the most important food crop; many arevegetarians. Since the climate is mostly dry throughout the year, most people rely on stored foods such as pulses, and green vegetables are rare. A typical snack of Malwa is thebhutta ri kees (made with grated corn roasted inghee and later cooked in milk with spices).Chakki ri shaak is made of wheat dough, which is washed under running water, steamed and then used in a gravy of curd. The traditional bread of Malwa is calledbaati/bafla, which is essentially a small, round ball of wheat flour, roasted over dung cakes, in the traditional way.Baati is typically eaten with dal (pulses), whilebaflas are dripping with ghee and soaked with dal. Theamli ri kadhi iskadhi made with tamarind instead of yogurt. Sweet cakes, made of a variety of wheat calledtapu, are prepared during religious festivities. Sweet cereal calledthulli is also typically eaten with milk or yoghurt. Traditional desserts includemawa-bati (milk-based sweet similar toGulab jamun),khoprapak (coconut-based sweet),shreekhand (yogurt based) andmalpua.
Lavani is a widely practised form of folk music in southern Malwa, which was brought to the region by theMarathas. TheNirguni Lavani (philosophical) and theShringari Lavani (erotic) are two of the main genres. The Bhils have their own folk songs, which are always accompanied by dance. The folk musical modes of Malwa are of four or five notes, and in rare cases six. The devotional music of theNirguni cult is popular throughout Malwa. Legends ofRaja Bhoj andBijori, theKanjar girl, and the tale ofBalabau are popular themes for folk songs. Insertions known asstobha are commonly used in Malwa music; this can occur in four ways: thematra stobha (syllable insertion),varna stobha (letter insertion),shabda stobha (word insertion) andvakya stobha (sentence insertion).
Malwa was the centre ofSanskrit literature during and after the Gupta period. The region's most famous playwright,Kalidasa, is considered to be the greatest Indian writer ever. His first surviving play isMalavikagnimitra (Malavika and Agnimitra). Kalidasa's second play, his masterpiece, is theAbhijñānaśākuntalam, which tells the story of king Dushyanta, who falls in love with a girl of lowly birth, the lovely Shakuntala. The last of Kalidasa's surviving plays isVikramuurvashiiya ("Urvashi conquered by valour"). Kalidasa also wrote the epic poemsRaghuvamsha ("Dynasty of Raghu"),Ritusamhāra andKumarasambhava ("Birth of the war god"), as well as the lyricMeghaduuta ("The cloud messenger").
Swang is a popular dance form in Malwa; its roots go back to the origins of the Indian theatre tradition in the first millennium BC. Since women did not participate in the dance-drama form, men enacted their roles.Swang incorporates suitable theatrics and mimicry, accompanied alternately by song and dialogue. The genre is dialogue-oriented rather than movement-oriented.[26]
Mandana (literally painting) wall and floor paintings are the best-known painting traditions of Malwa. White drawings stand out in contrast to the base material consisting of a mixture of red clay and cow dung. Peacocks, cats, lions, goojari, bawari, theswastika and chowk are some motifs of this style.Sanjhya is a ritual wall painting done by young girls during the annual period when Hindus remember and offer ritual oblation to their ancestors. Malwa miniature paintings are well known for their intricate brushwork.[27] In the 17th century, an offshoot of the Rajasthani school of miniature painting, known asMalwa painting, was centred largely in Malwa and Bundelkhand. The school preserved the style of the earliest examples, such as theRasikapriya series dated 1636 (after a poem analysing the love sentiment) and theAmaru Sataka (a 17th-century Sanskrit poem). The paintings from this school are flat compositions on black and chocolate-brown backgrounds, with figures shown against a solid colour patch, and architecture painted in vibrant colours.[28]
The biggest festival of Malwa is theSimhastha mela, held every 12 years, in which more than 40 million pilgrims take a holy dip in riverShipra. The festival ofGana-gour is celebrated in honour ofShiva andParvati. The history of the festival goes back toRano Bai, whose parental home was in Malwa, but who was married in Rajasthan. Rano Bai was strongly attached to Malwa, and did not want to stay in Rajasthan. After marriage, she was allowed to visit Malwa only once a year;Gana-gour symbolises these annual return visits. The festival is observed by women in the region once in the month ofChaitra (mid-March) andBhadra (mid-August). TheGhadlya (earthen pot) festival is celebrated by the girls of the region, who gather to visit every house in their village in the evenings, carrying earthen pots with holes for the light from oil lamps inside to escape. In front of every house, the girls recite songs connected with the Ghadlya and receive food or money in return. TheGordhan festival is celebrated on the 16th day in the month of Kartika. TheBhils of the region singHeeda, anecdotal songs to the cattle, while the women sing theChandrawali song, associated withKrishna's romance.
The most popular fairs are held in the months ofPhalguna,Chaitra,Bhadra,Ashvin andKartik. TheChaitra fair, held at Biaora, and theGal yatras, held at more than two dozen villages in Malwa are remarkable. Many fairs are held in the tenth day of the month ofBhadra to mark the birth ofTejaji. TheTriveni mela is held at Ratlam, and other fairs take place inKartika at Ujjain, Mandhata (Nimad), among others.
Muslim community of Malwa is headed by Mufti e Azam Malwa or Grand Mufti of Malwa, who follows Aala Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (an important leader of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat[29]).[30][31] He is considered as the supreme fatwa issuing authority of the region. Mufti Rizwanur-Rahman Faruqi was succeeded by his son in law Mufti Habeeb yar Khan. The current incumbent is Mufti Noorul Haq.[30][31]
The main tourist destinations in Malwa are places of historical or religious significance. The riverShipra and the city of Ujjain have been regarded as sacred for thousands of years. TheMahakal Temple of Ujjain is one of the 12jyotirlingas, literally meaning“pillars of light". Ujjain has over 100 other ancient temples, includingHarsidhhi,Chintaman Ganesh,GadhKalika,KaalBhairava andMangalnath. The Kalideh Palace, on the outskirts of the city, is a fine example of ancient Indian architecture. TheBhartrihari caves are associated with interesting legends. Since the fourth century BC, Ujjain has enjoyed the reputation of being India'sGreenwich,[32]as thePrime Meridian of the Hindu geographers. The observatory built byJai Singh II is one of the four such observatories in India and features ancient astronomical devices. TheSimhastha mela, celebrated every 12 years, starts on the full moon day in Chaitra (April) and continues into Vaishakha (May) until the next full moon day.
Mandu was originally the fort capital of the Parmar rulers. Towards the end of the 13th century, it came under the sway of the Sultans of Malwa, the first of whom named it Shadiabad (city of joy). It remained as the capital, and in it the sultans built exquisite palaces like the Jahaz Mahal and Hindola Mahal, ornamental canals, baths and pavilions. The massive JamiMasjid and Hoshang Shah's tomb provided inspiration to the designers of theTaj Mahal centuries later.Baz Bahadur built a huge palace in Mandu in the 16th century. Other notable historical monuments areRewa Kund,Rupmati's Pavilion, Nilkanth Mahal, Hathi Mahal, Darya Khan's Tomb, Dai ka Mahal, Malik Mughit is Mosque and Jali Mahal.
Close to Mandu is Maheshwar, a town on the northern bank ofNarmada River that served as the capital of theIndore state underAhilyabai Holkar. The Maratharajwada (fort) is the main attraction. A life-size statue of Rani Ahilya sits on a throne within the fort complex. Dhar was the capital of Malwa before Mandu became the capital in 1405. There, the fort is in ruins but offers a panoramic view. The Bhojashala temple (built-in 1400) is still used as a place of worship on Tuesday. Dhar is also a birthplace of Raja Bhoj. Dhar people named as Dharwasi.
ModernIndore was planned and built by Ahilyabai Holkar. The grand Lal Baag Palace is one of its grandest monuments. TheBada Ganpati temple houses what is possibly the largest Ganesh idol in the world, measuring 7.6 m from crown to foot. TheKanch Mandir is a Jain temple entirely inlaid with glass. The Town Hall was made in 1904 in the indo-gothic style; originally namedKing Edward Hall, it was renamedMahatma Gandhi Hall in 1948. Thechhatris are the tombs or cenotaphs erected in memory of dead Holkar rulers and their family members.
The shrine ofHussain Tekri, built by theNawab of Jaora,Mohammad Iftikhar Ali Khan Bahadur, in the 19th century, is on the outskirts of Jaora in the Ratlam district. Mohammad Iftikhar Ali Khan Bahadur was buried in the same graveyard where Hussain Tekri was buried. During the month ofMoharram, thousands of people from all over the world visit the shrine ofHazrat Imam Hussain there, which is a replica of the Iraqi original. The place is famous for the rituals calledHajri to cure mental illness.
Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the region.Indore is also home to theMadhya Pradesh Cricket Association. The city has two international cricket ground, theHolkar Cricket Stadium. The first cricket ODI match in state was played in Indore atNehru Stadium, Indore.
| No. | Venue | City | Sport | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holkar Cricket Stadium | Indore | Cricket | 30,000 |
| 2 | Nehru International Cricket Stadium | Indore | Cricket | 25,000 |
| 3 | Indore Sports Complex | Indore | Cricket | 50,000 |
| 4 | Abhay Khel Prashal | Indore | Indoor Sports | 500 |
| 5 | Indore Tennis Club | Indore | Lawn Tennis | 500 |
| 6 | Emerald High School Ground | Indore | Cricket | 500 |
| 7 | Daly College | Indore | Field Hockey,Football,Cricket | 500 each |
There have been demands for a separate Malwa state with the probable capital atIndore. The region includes the Madhya Pradesh districts ofDewas,Mandsaur,Neemuch,Ratlam,Shajapur,Agar,Ujjain,Indore,Barwani,Burhanpur,Dhar,Jhabua,Khandwa,Khargone,Alirajpur andRajgarh.
The main language of Malwa isMalvi, although Hindi is widely spoken in the cities. This Indo-European language is subclassified as Indic. The language is sometimes referred to as Malavi or Ujjaini. Malvi is part of theRajasthani branch of languages;Nimadi is spoken in theNimar region of Madhya Pradesh and in Rajasthan. The dialects of Malvi are, in alphabetical order,Bachadi,Bhoyari/Pawari,Dholewari,Hoshangabadi,Jamral,Katiyai, Malvi Proper,Patvi,Rangari,Rangri andSondwari. A survey in 2001 found only four dialects: Ujjaini (in the districts of Ujjain, Indore, Dewas and Sehore),Rajawari (Ratlam, Mandsaur and Neemuch),Umadwari (Rajgarh) andSondhwari (Jhalawar, in Rajasthan). About 55% of the population of Malwa can converse in and about 40% of the population is literate in Hindi, the official language of the Madhya Pradesh state.[33]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
The Zenana - Kishen Kower., a poem byLetitia Elizabeth Landon:
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
22°43′31″N75°51′56″E / 22.7252°N 75.8655°E /22.7252; 75.8655
