BHAGORIA HAAT, JHABUA

BHAGORIA HAAT, JHABUA

This colourful festival of the Bhils and Bhilalas, particularly in the district of West Nimar and Jhabua, is actually in the nature of a mass svayamvara, a marriage market, usually held on the various market days falling before the Holi festival in March. As the name of the festival indicates, (bhag, to run), after choosing their partners, the young people elope and are subsequently accepted as husband and wife by society through predetermined customs. It is not always that boys and girls intending to marry each other meet in the festival for the first time. In a large number of cases the alliance is already made between the two, the festival providing the institutionalised framework for announcing the alliance publically. The tradition is that the boy applies gulal, red powder, on the face of the girl whom he selects as his wife. The girl, if willing, also applies gulal on the boy's face. This may not happen immediately but the boy may pursue her and succeed eventually.

Earlier, the Bhagoria haat was also the place for settling old disputes; open invitations were sent to enemies for a fight in the haat. Bloody battles used to be quite common in the past but today police and administration do not allow people to go to the haat armed.

The Bhagoria haat also coincides with the completion of harvesting, adding to it the dimension of being an agricultural festival as well. If the crops have been good, the festival assumes an additional air of gaiety..

In the life of the Bhils and Bhilalas, Bhagoria is not merely one festival but in fact a series of fairs held one by one at various villages on their specific market days, commencing eight days before Holi.

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ALAUDDIN KHAN SAMAROH, MAIHAR

ALAUDDIN KHAN SAMAROH, MAIHAR

Held in February

To commemorate the memory of the great music maestro of the 20th Century Padma Vibhushan late Baba Alauddin Khan Saheb, the Academy celebrates a Samaroh (function / festival) every year at his well-known seat of music, Maihar, in district Satna. This Samaroh has continuously been celebrated since 1970-80. In this Samaroh, besides a cherished chain of celebrated vocal and instrumental musicians performing in the style of late Baba Khan Saheb, a number of other talented artists, both the young and the veteran ones also perform classical music and dance in order to pay their musical tribute to the maestro Baba Alauddin Khan. The Samaroh is held every year in the month of February at Maihar in which music lovers and performers from all over the country and even abroad assemble and participate. The Samaroh has assumed countrywide recognition and reputation and it is one of the most prestigious programmes of the academy.

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ALL INDIA KALIDASA FESTIVAL

ALL INDIA KALIDASA FESTIVAL

Held in November

The Kalidasa Samaroh, the festival of classical Sanskrit Literature, Traditional Theatre and arts, is held every year as a tribute to the great poet playwright Kalidasa. Mahakavi Kalidasa is known as the greatest repository of our national heritage.

The colourful evening of Kalidasa festival starts with the original Sanskrit play of Kalidasa presented in a traditional style. For the next six days, festival goes with the presentation of classical dramas, dances, ballets and classical music concerts showing the greatness of Indian arts and culture.

Another attraction of this festival is an all India Kalidasa painting and sculpture exhibition inspired by the works of Kalidasa. The works are created by the artists in Indian traditional or folk style.

Thus, Kalidasa festival is a prestigious programme of Madhya Pradesh, which has glorious history of several decades. The first Kalidasa Festival, organised by the Madhya Pradesh Government, was inaugurated by the First President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad in 1958.

In short, Kalidasa Festival is dedicated to Indian Traditional Literature, Art and Culture and it is a tribute to our national poet Mahakavi Kalidasa, a great symbol of ever flowing Indian traditional literature representing the greatness of India all over the world.

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FOSSIL NATIONAL PARK

FOSSIL NATIONAL PARK

Fossil National Park is situated in Dindori, This national park has plants in fossil form that existed in India anywhere between 40 million and 150 million years ago spread over seven villages of Mandla District.

The Mandla Plant Fossils National Park is an area that spreads over 274,100 square metres. Such fossils are found in three other villages of the district also, which lie outside the national park. In Ghuguwa and Umaria the standing, petrified trunks of trees have been identified as Gymnosperms and Angiosperms- Monocotyledons and palms. There are certain Bryophytes also. There is some doubt about whether the fossils are from the late Jurassic or the early and mid-Cretaceous age. This is because when the breakup of the single land mass, Pangaea occurred, it was split by the continental drift into Laurasia and Gondwanaland somewhere between the Jurassic and Cretaceous ages. India formed a part of Gondwanaland. Interspersed with the plant fossils are to be found the fossils of molluscs. One theory is that the area in which the fossils are located, i.e., the Narmada Valley near Mandla, was actually a deep inundation of the sea into peninsular India till the Post- Cambrian Tertiary age, about 40 million years ago. This means that Narmada was a very short river which terminated in the inland sea above Mandla, and that the recession of the sea caused geological disturbances, which created the present rift valley through which the Narmada River and Tapti River flow in their present journey to the Arabian Sea.

The fossils look like ordinary rocks and are either removed from the fields unwittingly by agriculturists or are damaged by tourists and those unscrupulous people who think they can make quick money out of their sale.

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van vihar

VAN VIHAR NATIONAL PARK

The Van Vihar National Park is situated in the heart of Bhopal City. 445.21 hectare degraded hillock along with private Village land was initiated in 1980 and finally notified as a National Park in 1983. With the dedicated efforts of the Park management this area has now been transformed into an oasis of greenery. The area today serves as the green lung for Bhopal City. Although, having status of a National Park, the Van Vihar is developed and managed as a modern Zoological Park, following the guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority. There are about 207 species of birds, 60 species of butterfly; animals like tiger, leopard, hyena, Sloth bear, lion, sambar, chital, etc. are also present at the park along with gharial, crocodile and several species of tortoise.The animals are kept in their near natural habitat. Most of the animals are either orphaned brought from various parts of the state or those, which are exchanged from other zoos. Contrary to the common belief, not a single animal is deliberately captured from the forest. Van Viharalso potrays an awesome landscape which dishes out incredible scenic beauty. The adjoining Upper Lake adds immense beauty to the landscape of Van Vihar National Park. The lake enlivens particularly when thousands of migratory birds alight joyfully on the vast stretch of water during the cold days of winter. Dusk provides a panoramic view of the sunset on the lakeside like a fireball drowning in water. Van Vihar remains open throughout the year, About 2.50 lakh visitors come to Van Vihar every year, and Free entry for school, college students and Senior citizens.

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SATPURA

Satpura is a well-known Gondwana tract. During the year 1862, the Forest Department of Central Provinces constructed the Bison Lodge at Pachmarhi. Though the original construction no longer exists, a forest museum has been created at this spot. Satpura is an important habitat, harbouring a source population of tiger, which disperses to the adjoining Betul, Hoshangabad and East Nimar areas.

The faunal assemblage at Satpura is rich with tiger and its co-predators like leopard and Wild dog. The herbivores include Gaur, Sambar, Chital, Barking deer, Nilgai, and Chowsingha. Arboreal animals like Giant and Flying squirrels are also frequently seen along the riverine areas. Fresh water crocodiles and fishes are common in the water bodies here. While jungle fowl, partridges, quails, parakeerts and raptors are part of the rich avifauna of the area. The places of tourist interest include Jata Shankar, Pandav Caves, Priyadarshani Point, Mahadev, Chauragarh, Dhoopgarh, Cave Shelter, Bee Fall, Bori and Churna.

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SANJAY-DUBRI

SANJAY-DUBRI

Sanjay-Dubri landscape is characterized by undulating hills, valleys, deep gorges and plains with numerous streams. Sanjay an important link in the north-eastern part of the state between Bandhavgarh and Palamau tiger reserves. The forests of the northeast of Bandhavgarh are continuous with the forests of Sanjay Tiger Reserve. However, several areas require restorative management to ensure corridor connectivity. The tiger reserve also forms the watershed of the Son River and its tributaries.

The fauna consists of tiger, leopard, hyena, jackal, Chital, Sambar, Chinkara, Sloth bear, Wild pig, langur and a large variety of birds. Sanjay also forms the seasonal migratory route for wild elephants from Chattisgarh. In 2008, Sanjay Tiger Reserve was brought under Project Tiger. Securing inviolate core area for tiger and other wild animals by reducing the biotic disturbance, and stepping up field protection are the challenges before the reserve's management. The major tourist attractions here are RamadahaKund, Domarpert Hill and Gopad River.

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