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Madhya
Pradesh, located in the geographic
heart of India, is surrounded by seven
states viz. Maharashtra and Andhra
Pradesh in the south, Uttar Pradesh
and Rajasthan in the north, Bihar and
Orissa in the east and Gujarat in the
west. Madhya Pradesh is the second
largest Indian state in size with an
area of 308000 sq km.
The major
tribes of Madhya Pradesh are Gonds, Bhils,
Oraons, Korkens, and Kols. The tribal
culture of Madhya Pradesh is mixed with
traces of the Dravidians, the Mundas and the
Scythians.
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The state presents in all a
varied matrix of tribal culture ranging from
animists and fowlers to advanced cultivators
and factory workers. Though the state of
Madhya Pradesh came into existence on
November 1, 2000 following its bifurcation
to create a new state of Chhattisgarh. The
Chhatlisgarh region of the state comprises
Raigarh, Surgaja, Bilaspur, Durg and Raipur
districts. It is found that the inhabitants
of this area bestowed with many
peculiarities. The 'Pradhans', the
hereditary chroniclers are a bardic tribe of
Chhatlisgarh and worship various Gods and
Goddesses.
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Fairs
and Festivals of Madhya Pradesh
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Madhya
Pradesh has a list of innumerable fairs and
festivals including all the common major
occasions. Clad in their colourful best with
loads of jewellery, flowers and fancy
headgear, men and women set out days in
advance to reach the site of the fair or
festival.
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Fairs
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The
popular fairs occur mostly in the months
of Phalguna, Chaitra, Bhadra, Asvina and
Kartika. During Phalguna many fairs
coincide with the Holi and Shivaratri.
The Tansen Urs also falls at Gwalior
during this season. Sankranti Melas are
held at various places. Melas held
around Basant Panchami are also
important. Baldeviji Ka Mela(Panna),
Rajim Mela and the fairs held in
Bilaspur district are worth notice.
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One
of the unique attractions of Bastar is
the Madai festival held in the different
villages extending from Mandla to Bastar.
The Madai fairs of Narayanpur, Kondagaon,
Dantewara and Dhanara, falls within
February, March and April every year, it
is a day of great religious importance.
The village whole night is spent in
dancing, eating and making merry.
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Dusshera
of Bastar
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The
Dusshera of Jagdalpur is said to be
quite a celebration. Held annually in
the months of October-November, the
venue for this one is Jagdalpur in
Bastar.
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In the Chaitra fair
held at Biaora (Malwa), the Dhup Dehi ka
Mela of Hirapur (Rewa Division), the Ram
Navami fair of Naya Gaon, the Bhilat Baba ka
Mela of Seoni and the Gal Yatras held at
over two dozen villages of Malwa are worth
mention.
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Karma
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The
festival of Karma,a religious festival,
calls for a huge celebration every year
among the Korba tribals of MP.
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Religion
and Culture of Madhya Pradesh
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Madhya Pradesh has at least four
agro-climatic zones, and thus, has the
most interesting mix of people and ways
of life. It is home to about 40 percent
of India's tribal population. There are
three distinct tribal groups in the
state. The largest chunk is formed by
the Gonds, who once ruled a major part
of the state and after whom Gondwana,
the central portion of the state is
known.
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Language
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Hindi
is the main and the official - language
of Madhya Pradesh. Dialects of the
language, such as Bundelkhandi, Malwi
and Chattisgarhi, are spoken all over
the state. Urdu, Marathi, Sindhi, and
Gujarati are also commonly spoken here
thanks to the mix of people.
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Most of the
people in Madhya Pradesh are Hindus. There
are, however, sizeable minorities of
Muslims, Jains, Christians and Buddhists.
There is also a small percentage of Sikh
population.
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Climate
of Madhya Pradesh
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Madhya Pradesh
has a typical tropical climate condition.
The distinct seasons are summer (March to
May), winter (November to February), and the
intervening rainy months of the southwest
monsoon (June to September). Summers are hot
and in some places humid while winters are
comfortable. The temperature during summers
ranges from maximum 33°C to 44°C and
minimum 30°C to 19°C. The temperature
during the winter season ranges with the
maximum of 27°C to 10°C. During the
monsoon season temperatures average 19° to
30° C (66° to 86°). Madhya Pradesh
receives an average annual rainfall of about
1200 mm. The best time to visit this place
would be during the months of November to
February.
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Madhya
Pradesh are major attractiosn of Gwalior
Fort, Khajuraho Temples etc.
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Madhya Pradesh