Mandsaur
| Mandsaur | |||
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 India
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| State : | Madhya Pradesh | ||
| District : | Mandsaur | ||
| Location : | 24 ° 4 ′ N , 75 ° 5 ′ E | ||
| Height : | 430 m | ||
| Area : | 36.36 km² | ||
| Residents : | 141,667 (2011) | ||
| Population density : | 3896 inhabitants / km² | ||
| Postal code : | 458001 | ||
| Website : | Mandsaur | ||
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Mandsaur or Mandasor ( Hindi : मंदसौर ) is a city in the far west of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh . It was once an important city in the border area between the principalities or sultanates of Malwa and Mewar and is now the capital of a border district with Rajasthan .
location
Mandsaur lies on the Shivna River at an altitude of approx. 430 m . The distance to the southeastern capital of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal ; is a good 320 km (driving distance); to Udaipur in Rajasthan it is a good 180 km in a northwesterly direction. The climate is temperate to warm; Rain (approx. 880 mm / year) falls almost exclusively in the summer monsoon season .
population
| year | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 |
| Residents | 95.907 | 116.505 | 141,667 |
The Hindi and Urdu- speaking population consists of about 67.5% Hindus , a good 25% Muslim and about 6.5% Jains ; numerically small minorities are Christians , Sikhs , Buddhists and others. As usual in censuses in northern India, the male population is about 5% higher than the female.
economy
In the villages in the agriculturally oriented environment, cotton , wheat , lentils and oilseeds are mainly grown; The cultivation of opium poppies also plays a role that should not be underestimated. The city itself serves as a center for crafts, trade and services of all kinds.
history
In earlier times the place was called Dashapura or Dashpur . From approx. 350 to 550 AD the dynasty of the Aulikaras ruled from here . Later the Gurjara- Pratiharas extended their territory up to this point and since about the 8th century Mandsaur was on the border between the kingdoms of Malwa and Mewar . In the first phase of the Islamic conquests in northern India , the area remained largely unnoticed and so a Hindu empire, to which Mandsaur belonged, was able to maintain itself around 200 km south in Mandu . This came under the rule of the Sultanate of Delhi for a short time in the 13th century ; since 1392 the city belonged to the Sultanate of Malwa , which was annexed by the Mughal ruler Akbar I in 1562 . In the phase of the decline of the Mughal dynasty in the 18th century, the Marathas temporarily took over power that could not be defeated even by an army under the leadership of Jai Singh II . In 1818 the area came under British rule.
Attractions
- The Pashupatinath temple, known beyond the region and dedicated to the god Shiva as “Lord of all life”, stands on the banks of the Shivna. While most of the temple is more recent, the chronological classification of the cult image, an 8-headed Shiva lingam over 2 m high, remains unclear - the dates range from the 6th to the 12th century.
- The Nalcha Mata Temple is also a well-known sanctuary beyond Mandsaur. On feast days, older rites such as the fire walk are practiced here in honor of the goddess .
- The Mandsaur Fort was built by Hoshang Shah (r. 1405-1435), the Sultan of Malwa , to secure the north-western border of his domain. In the ruined fort there is still a stepwell (baoli) .
- In the park of the District Collectors Office there is an approx. 3 m high - allegedly Gupta period - Shiva sculpture, which is however referred to as Parashurama .
Surroundings
- Approx. 4 km north, near the village of Sondani, there is a victory column with an inscription from the year 528, which commemorates a victory of King Yasodharman over the Hephtalites or Hunas . Immediately next to it are two steles with figural reliefs.
- Approx. 140 km northeast of Mandsaur, d. H. About 25 km north of Bhanpura , the ruins of the Hinglajgarh Fort and prehistoric rock paintings are located in a dense forest landscape .
See also
- Pashupatinath Temple , Nepal
Web links
- Mandsaur, attractions - Photos and information (English)
- Mandsaur, Pashupatinath Temple - Photos
- Mandsaur and the surrounding area - Photos and brief information (English)
- Mandsaur and surroundings - video (hindi)
- Mandsaur, fire walk at the Nalchi Mata Temple - video (hindi)