Damoh District

Damoh is a district of Madhya Pradesh. As of the 2001 census, Damoh has a population of 897,944 people. It has a total area of 7,306 square kilometers. Currently, it has 1,384 villages, 191 of which are currently uninhabited, and more than 75% have electricity. The district also has 7 administrative towns.

Much of the district’s geography consists of open plains with varying degrees of fertility, with low ranges and isolated heights breaking up the pattern. Exceptions to this are in the south and east part of the district, where there are spotted places of surrounding hills and patches of jungle that break up the region. The richest tracts lie in the center of the district, where much of the agriculture is found. The gentle descending slope and the porous character of the sandstone formation makes for very good and excellent drainage of the area. All of the streams located in the district flow from south to north, with the two principal rivers, the Sunar and the Bairma, traversing the whole length of the district. There isn’t that much use of the rivers for irrigation purposes although in many places, facilities are offered for such a purpose.

The district has a rich history dating back to ancient times. Several Stone Age tools have been found in the Singrampur Valley. The district was also part of the grand empire of the Guptas of Pataliputra who existed sometime in the 5th century. Traces of the kingdoms of Chandragupta, Samudragupta, and Skandgupta were also found via coins and plaques excavated in the region.

The 14th century was marked by the Muslim rule, as mentioned by several texts as well as stone carvings of sultans during that time. Later on, the Sultan of Malwa annexed the whole region to his rule. In the last quarter of the 15th century, it was the Shah of the Gond dynasty, Sangram Shah, who claimed the place under him. When the Mughal empire came, the region’s sovereignty was defended by the martyrdom of Rani Durgawati. Shortly after the Mughal came the Bundelas, who later had to give up the region for the Marathas dynasty in 1732. This reign went on until the British annexed the Marathas kingdom in 1888. During this time, in 1861, Damoh was formed into a separate district.

Due to its rich and fertile central land, Damoh is primarily agricultural. It also has a considerable cattle-market as well as several homegrown small industries such as weaving, dyeing and pottery making.

The district has many places of historical importance. Chief of these is Jatashankar, a temple that is found in the periphery of Damoh City. Another is the Shiv temple, Nohleshwar Temple, that is found about 1 kilometer away from the village of Nohta. Finally, the Sad-Bhawna Shikhar is the highest point of the Vidhyachal mountain ranges. It can be reached through a forest road that cuts through the Bhainsa-Kalumar road.