Datia District

Datia is one of the districts located in Madhya Pradesh. It is located on the northern part of the state. The district has a total population of 627,818 people on a total geographical area of 2,691 square kilometers. The majority of the people live in the rural areas, with the urban parts only having 137,545 people. The district has an elevation of 218 meters above sea level. For its boundaries, the district of Bhind bounds it to the north while to the west, the district of Gwalior lies. The southwest is occupied by the district of Shivpuri while a big part of the south and the east is Uttar Pradesh. The district’s administrative headquarters is the town of Datia. Datia is part of the Gwalior division of Madhya Pradesh.

Historically, Datia is an ancient town, having been mentioned in the Indian epic Mahabharata where it was called Daityavakra. In modern times however, the district was a state in the Bundelkhand region, known then just by the town of Datia. The place was ruled by the Rajputs of the clan Bundela, who were also descendants of the younger son of a former raja of Orchha.

Later on, it was administered as part of Central India’s Bundelkhand agency, lying in the extreme northwest of the region, near Gwalior. Back then, it was surrounded on all sides by Central India’s other princely states, excepting the east where the United Provinces bordered it. Back then, Datia state was the second highest in rank of all Bundela states, with the ruling maharajas bearing the hereditary title of Second of the Princes of Bundelkhand.

When India gained its independence in 1947, the Maharajah of Datia acceded and later merged with the Indian union. With the rest of the Bundelkhand agency, Datia became a part of the new state of Vindhya Pradesh in 1950. On November 1, 1956, the states were reshuffled and Vindhya Pradesh was merged with the other states to become Madhya Pradesh. Datia became one of the districts of the new state and has remained to be such until the present.

Handloom-weaving is an important industry in the district, and the administrative town is a market center for food grains and products made of cotton. There are also several manufacturing companies that have set shop in Datia, ranging from metals to solvents. These industries include Gwalior Synthetics, Pandit Granite and Datia Metal Industries.

Some of the more popular and famous attractions in Datia include Pitambra Peeth, a Hindu holy place located at the entrance of Datia. It is said to hold the power of the Hindu goddess Pitambra. The place attracts thousands of pilgrims each year and it features several temples such as the Buglamukhi Devi and the Dhumawati Mai. Another famous attraction is the seven-storied Govind Palace which was built entirely on stone by the Raja Bir Singh Deo in 1614. It is one of the best examples of Bundela architecture today. The palace also houses several Bundela paintings.

The district can be accessed by the West Central Railway line between the districts of Jhansi and Gwalior. Datia Railway Station on the other hand is on the Delhi-Mumbai railway line. For those traveling by road, there are regular buses that traverse the Shivpuri, Gwalior and Bhind routes. The nearest airport is located in Gwalior.