Bhind District

Bhind district is located in Madhya Pradesh. Its district headquarters is located in the town of the same name. The district is found in the Chambal region, in the northwest of the state. As of the 2001 census, Bhind district has a population of 1,428,599 people. Since the whole district has a total area of 4,459 square kilometers, that makes the population density 320 people per square kilometer.

Bhind district is bounded by Uttar Pradesh ton the north and east. All are districts of the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh. To the south is the district of Datia, while southwest and west are bounded by Gwalior and Morena, respectively.

The district’s name was taken from the mythological Hindu saint Vibhandak Rishi, who is also known as Bhindi Rishi. The region was under the rule of the Chedi King Shishupal, during the Mahabharat era. Later, the Yadav rule was established in the area by King Yadav Krishna. The Chedi continued having a prominent role during the Mahajanapada period. It was later that the Chandels took control of the area, but they lost their grip on it when they were defeated by the Chauhan dynasty, under Prithivi Raj Chauhan. Later, Bhind was under the rule of the Bhadorias (also known as Bhadaurias) in the north while the Jats took the south.

Bhind district’s modern history May 28, 1948, when the Prime Minister of India then, Jawaharlal Nehru, inaugurated the state of Madhya Bharat. It was then decided that the Union be divided into six districts, and Bhind was included among them. When the states were reorganized, Madhya Bharat was added to the state of Madhya Pradesh on November 1, 1956, and Bhind became a district of the latter.

The region has long been under the threat of armed robbery and banditry, by people known as dacoits, even during the Mughal times. A big reason for this is the fact that the yawning chasms and deep ravines of the Chambal River provide effective hideouts for the bandits. The ravines and chasms are the result of gully erosion and they are currently heavily under soil loss. Fortunately, this has not escaped the attention of the state government as watershed developments and aerial seeding of plants like acacia and prosopis are underway to control soil erosion and ravine expansion. The quality of the terrain still proves to be a challenge, though. In spite of this, the soil of Bhind district is very fertile, well drained by several rivers and extensive canal systems.

For the tourists and visitors, Bhind has several sites that are established tourist destinations. The more popular ones include:

1. The Jain Temple. In the tradition of Jains, this temple is among the Atishaya Kshetra, or a place where Lord Mahavira made a stopover during his journey after having received Ultimate Realization. The temple is located 14 kilometers from the Bhind town.

2. National Chambal (Gharial) Wildlife Sanctuary. Situated on the Chambal River, this reserve is famous for its crocodiles, Ganges dolphins, gharials, and several migratory birds.

3. The Sun Temple.