Vidisha
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| State : |
 India
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| State : | Madhya Pradesh | ||
| District : | Vidisha | ||
| Sub-district : | Vidisha | ||
| Location : | 23 ° 31 ' N , 77 ° 48' E | ||
| Height : | 424 m | ||
| Residents : | 155,951 (2011) | ||
| Website : | Vidisha | ||
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The district capital of Vidisha in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh , with a population of around 160,000 , is particularly significant because of its long history.
location
Vidisha is located in the northern foothills of the Vindhya Mountains at an altitude of about 425 meters above sea level. d. M. The city is about 60 km (driving distance) northeast of Bhopal in the middle of a fertile hilly landscape; the Indian capital Delhi is approx. 750 km to the north. The climate is mostly warm and dry; Rain falls almost exclusively in the summer monsoon months from June to September.
population
Official population statistics have only been kept and published since 1991.
| year | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 |
| Residents | 92,922 | 125,453 | 155,951 |
The Hindi and Urdu- speaking population consists of about 88% Hindus , 6.5% Muslims and just under 5% Jains ; numerically small minorities are Christians , Sikhs , Buddhists and others. As is common in censuses in northern India, the male population is around 10% higher than the female.
economy
The area around Vidisha is dominated by agriculture. The city itself is an important transport hub for rail and bus travelers; in addition, the place is of regional importance as a trading town. Craft and service companies also play an important role.
history
A place called Vidisha is already mentioned in the Ramayana epic. Around 285 BC The later ruler Ashoka was here on behalf of his father Bindusara governor of the Maurya Empire and married a woman from the area; his son Mahinda , who spread Buddhist teachings in Sri Lanka , grew up in Vidisha. During the Shunga Dynasty (185–73 BC), Vidisha and Pataliputra were capitals of the empire. In 4./5. In the century AD, the city under the Pali name Besnagar played an important role as a trading city under the Gupta kings ; it is mentioned in the famous Indian poem 'The Messenger of the Cloud' ( Meghaduta ) by Kalidasa . In the 6th or 7th century Besnagar was destroyed by a flood of the Betwa river and rebuilt about 3 km further south under the name Bhelsa . During the time of Islamic dominance over northern India , renewed destruction took place - for example under Iltutmish , the Sultan of Delhi , in the years 1233/4. Later the city was part of the Mughal and Marathen empires as well as the Scindia dynasty residing in Gwalior . In 1956, Bhilsa , as the place was called for about 1300 years, was renamed 'Vidisha'.
Attractions
The main attractions of historical interest, explored in the 19th century by Alexander Cunningham and others, are all in the vicinity of the city and can be explored by taxi or rented bicycle:
- Above the unfinished or already destroyed Hindu Bijamandal temple from the 11th / 12th centuries. A mosque was built in the 14th century . On one of its pillars there is an inscription of the regional ruler Naravarman (around 1120/30).
- The rock dominating the place ( Lohangi-Pir ) was a retreat for the Muslim ascetic Sheikh Jalal Chisti, who was already venerated during his lifetime and sought out by many believers seeking advice and help . After his death he was buried in a small domed building, where he was still venerated by the people. Two Persian inscriptions from the 15th and 16th centuries have survived near it.
Surroundings
- The famous Heliodorus column is a thank you or commemorative monument of a Bactrian Greek from around 100 BC. Chr.
- Several Buddhist stupas ( Bhilsa-Topes ), including those of Sanchi as well as those of Satdhara and Sonari, bear witness to the former importance of Buddhism in the region.
- The Hindu cave temples of Udayagiri and the temple ruins of Gyaraspur also deserve attention.
