Language spoken Hindi | State Madhya Pradesh District Ashoknagar | |
Ashoknagar (also Ashok Nagar) is a city in Madhya Pradesh(M.P.) state of central India. It is the administrative headquarters of Ashoknagar District. Earlier it was part of Guna district. Ashoknagar is well known for its Grain Mandi and "Sharbati Gaihu", a type of wheat. The nearest district Guna 45 km from the city. Ashoknagar, formerly known as Pachar, has five tehsils viz. Isagarh, Chanderi, Piprai, Mungaoli, Ashoknagar and Shahdora. In Ashoknagar city there are two parts: the Railway Gate and Gandhi Park Side. The railway line is in the middle of the city. Ashoknagar has a railway station and a bus stand. Ashoknagar is connected to the main cities of Madhya Pradesh by road and railway.
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Map of Ashoknagar
Ashoknagar is located in the northern part of Madhya Pradesh, between the rivers Sindh and the Betwa. It comes under the northern part of Malwa plateau, though main part of its district lies in the Bundelkhand Plateau. The eastern and western boundaries of the district are well defined by the rivers. The Betwa flows along the eastern boundary separating it from Sagar District and Lalitpur District of Uttar Pradesh. The Sindh is the main river flowing along the western boundary. Chanderi, a part of Ashoknagar, is famous for its brocades and muslins, especially for its handwoven Chanderi sarees. Ashoknagar is situated on the Kota-Bina railway section of Western Central Railway. Ashoknagar is approximately 200 km away from the capital of the state Bhopal.
Culture
The city lies in the Bundelkhand region and follows traditional Indian culture. The dialects spoken are of Hindi mixed with Bundelkhandi and Khadi bhasa. Ashoknagar is famous for the Jain temple called Trikaal Choubeese, where the idols of past, present, and future Thirthankars, as described in the Jain religion, have been kept.The district is also famous for a small town called Chanderi, which is about 60 km from Ashoknagar. Chanderi was earlier, at the time of Mahabharata, known as "Chendi". Chendi Naresh Shishupal was its ruler, who was then killed by Lord Krishna. In Chanderi, ancient sculptures have been discovered in large numbers. Thubonji Sidhdha Kshetra is another one of the pilgrim center for Jains. It is about 32 km from Ashoknagar. In the south, about 35 km from Ashoknagar, is the famous Karila Mata Mandir, which is known to be the birthplace of Luv and Kush, sons of Lord Rama and Sita Mata. A huge fair is organized every year on Rangpanchmi in which the Rai Dance is performed by the Bedni women. Tumen is also a famous historical pilgrim center situated at Triveni known for Mata Vindhyavasini temple. There are many more places of religious importance in the district of Ashoknagar.
Chanderi is a tehsil of the Ashoknagar district and is a famous historical & tourist palace. The main occupation of the people of Chanderi is handicraft. Chanderi sarees are famous all over the world. These are made by cotton and silk by hand through Khatka. Khatka is a self made machine for preparing sarees. Another famous place in Ashoknagar district is Sri Anandpur, the world headquarters of the Sri Advaith Paramhansa Sect. Disciples from across the globe visit Anandpur twice a year during Baisakhi and Guru Purnima to seek blessings from the gurus. Kadwaya, a small village in the district is also famous for the ancient Shiv Mandir, Garhi and Mata Mandir.
Geography
Ashoknagar is situated at the average elevation of 507 metres(1640 ft) above sea level. It is in the plateau region and has an agricultural topography. The plateau is an extension of the Deccan Traps, formed between 60 and 68 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous period. In this region, the main classes of soil are black, brown and bhatori (stony) soil. The volcanic, clay-like soil of the region owes its black colour to the high iron content of the basalt from which it is formed. The soil requires less irrigation because of its high capacity for moisture retention. The other two soil types are lighter and have a higher proportion of sand. The year is popularly divided into three seasons: summer, the rains, and winter. Summer extends over the months of Chaitra to Jyestha (mid-March to mid-May). The average daily temperature during the summer months is 35 °C, which typically rises to around 46 °C on a few days. The rainy season starts with the first showers of Aashaadha (mid-June) and extends to the middle of Ashvin (September). Most of the rain falls during the southwest monsoon spell, and ranges from about 100 cm in the west to about 165 cm in the east. Ashoknagar and surrounding areas receive an average of 140 cm of rainfall a year. The growing period lasts from 90 to 150 days, during which the average daily temperature is below 30 °C, but seldom falls below 20 °C. Winter is the longest of the three seasons, extending for about five months (mid-Ashvin to Phalgun, i.e., October to mid-March). The average daily temperature ranges from 15 °C to 20 °C, though on some nights it can fall as low as 5 °C. Some cultivators believe that an occasional winter shower during the months of Pausha and Maagha—known as Mawta—is helpful to the early summer wheat and germ crops.[5]
Tourism
There are a number of tourist spots in Ashoknagar, including:
Along with the above-mentioned locations, there are many other tourist spots in the outskirts of Ashoknagar.