Vidisha
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Vidisha | |
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| Coordinates | 23°32′N 77°49′E / 23.53°N 77.82°E |
| Country |  India |
| State | Madhya Pradesh |
| District(s) | Vidisha |
| Population | 125,457 (2001[update]) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area • Elevation |
• 424 m (1,391 ft) |
Vidisha or Besnagar or old name Bhelsa is a city in the central Indian state Madhya Pradesh, near its capital Bhopal. It is the administrative headquarters of Vidisha District.
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[edit] History
The town is situated east of the Betwa River, in the fork of the Betwa and Bes rivers, 10 km from Sanchi. The town of Besnagar, 3 km from present-day Vidisha on the west side of the river, became an important trade center in the sixth and fifth centuries BCE, under the Sungas, Nagas, Satavahanas, and Guptas, and was mentioned in the Pali scriptures. The Emperor Ashoka was the governor of Vidisha and it finds mention in Kalidasa's immortal Meghdoot. Besnagar was abandoned in the sixth century, it came into prominence again as Bhelsa during the medieval period. It thus, passed on to the Malwa Sultans, the Mughals and the Scindias.
The ruins of a Hindu shrine at Vidisha dedicated to Vishnu reveal that the foundation bricks were cemented together with lime mortar, the first known example of the use of cement in India. The ruins are of period prior to 2nd century BC.
Close to the ruins are the remains of votive pillars with palm-leaf capitals; the only one that still stands is the Heliodorus pillar, also known as Khamba Baba. A monolithic free-standing column, the pillar bears an inscription which states that it was Garuda Pillar, raised in honour of Vasudeva by Heliodorous, a resident of Taxila, who had been sent to the court of Bhagabhadra as an envoy of Indo-Greek monarch, Antialkidas. This inscription is a valuable historical record, revealing both the relations that existed between the region and the Greek kingdoms of the Punjab, and the fact that the Greek ambassador had become a follower of Hindu god Vishnu. The inclusion of the name of Antialkidas dates the erection of the pillar to approximately 140 BC
[edit] Geography
Vidisha is located at 23°32′N 77°49′E / 23.53°N 77.82°E[1]. It has an average elevation of 424 metres (1391 feet).
[edit] Demographics
As of 2001[update] India census[2], Vidisha had a population of 125,457. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Vidisha has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 77%, and female literacy is 62%. In Vidisha, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Vidisha or Besnagar as it is called in the Pali scriptures, once the prosperous capital of the western dominions of the Sungas, contains some remarkable antiquities that throw light on the considerable architectural development of the period.
Situated in the fork of the Betwa and Bes rivers, Vidisha, 10 km from Sanchi, occupies an important place amongst the ancient cities in India. In the 6th and 5th centuries BC, it rose to become an important trade centre and a bustling city under the Sungas, Nagas, Satvahanas and Guptas. The Emperor Ashoka was governor of Vidisha, and it finds mention in Kalidasa's immortal Meghdoot. Deserted for three centuries after the 6th century, it was renamed Bhilsa by the Muslims who built the now ruined Bija Mandal, a mosque constructed from the remains of Hindu temples. It later passed on to the Malwa Sultans, the Mughals, and the Scindias.
[edit] Topography
The District Vidisha lies on the Vindhyachal Plateau off the main Vindhyachal Range, which throws several spurs towards North and North-East. The Plateau slopes towards the North and it is drained by a number of rivers. These rivers have formed their valleys between the spur fanges. Most of the Vidisha lies in the Valley of Betwa River which flows from South to North. This valley is bordered by the Garhi-Teonda Range in the East and Ganiari-Raghogarh Range in the West. Both these ranges form part of the ranges of Vindhyachal on the Malwa plateau and extend from South to North.
The physical features of the district can be divided into the five following divisions : 1. The Valley of the Betwa 2. The Bina valley 3. The Eastern Range 4. The Western Range 5. The Sindh Valley
[edit] Tourism
The District Head Quarters town as it stands today is different from the old town of Vidisha or Besnagar. Till 1956, its name was Bhilsa. After that it was renamed as Vidisha for its close proximity to that glorious city of great antiquity.
Places of Interest: 1. Vidisha 2. Gyaraspur 3. Udaypur 4. Badoh-Pathari 5. Sironj 6. Archaeological Places
[edit] To Reach Vidisha
Vidisha is a railway Station on the Delhi-Madras, Delhi-Bombay main line of the Central Railway, at a distance of 56 km from Bhopal, the State capital of the Madhya Pradesh State. Sanchi on the Jhansi-Itarsi section of the Central Railway, and Vidisha, 10 km from Sanchi, are more convenient.
Regular bus services connect Vidisha, Udaypur, Gyraspur, Sanchi with Bhopal. Tongas and tempos for Udayagiri and Khambha Baba are also available from Vidisha.
[edit] References
- ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Vidisha
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
