Rajgarh District

Rajgarh is one of Madhya Pradesh’s smaller districts. It lies on the northern edge of the Malway Plateau and two rivers form the boundary on its sides; the Parbati River forms the eastern boundary while the Kali Sindh River completes the western boundary. The district is bounded by Rajasthan to the north, the district of Shajapur to the west and south, Bhopal to the east, Guna to the northeast and Sehore to the southeast. The zigzagging boundaries of the district make it look like a pear. Rajgarh district is part of the Bhopal division.

As of the 2001 census, Rajgarh district has a total population of 1,254,085 people distributed across a total area of 6,154 square kilometers. The district itself has 6 administrative tehsils. They are Rajgar, Khilchipur, Sarangpur, Biaora, Zirapur and Narsinghgarh.

Rajgarh was previously the headquarters of a state ruled by the Umar Rajputs; they enjoyed a Sanad Estate under Sultans of Delhi, and even with the Mughal emperor successors. The first capital was Duparia, which is now in Shahjapur district. It was later shifted to Dungarpur and then to Ratanpur, before finally being shifted back.

The district as it is today was created in May 1948, after India gained independence. It included the former princely states of Rajgarh, Khilchipur, Narsinghgarh, and other parts of the states of Dewas and Indore. The district was originally part of Madhya Bharat and when it was integrated into the newly established state of Madhya Pradesh on the 1st of November, 1956, it became a district of the new state.

The district has fairly good cultivated lands, with about 412,714 hectares of total area that are sown. Of this, the total gross area being irrigated amounts to about 160,096 hectares. As of 2001, the district also has a total livestock of 794,122, and a total poultry of 138,649. Comparing this to the population of the district, it can be said that Rajgarh is a very good producer of farm and agricultural products. It is not to say, however, that the whole district is rural; as of 2001, the district has 11 registered factories and 3000 registered manufacturing units.

There are also several historical places that can be found in the district. The more popular ones include the 700 year old Chaturbhujnath Temple found in the banks of Ajnar River, in Biaora. Another temple, the 400 year old Raghunathji Temple, is found in the same area. Over at Talen, in the bank of the Ugal River, can be found the remains of the political places of Sindhia and Holkar. Also, at Chhagoda, some 15 miles away from Rajgarh, one can find several historical and famous caves. The most famous, however, is arguably the town of Narsinghgarh, with over 300 years of history, having been found in 1681 by Dewan Parasram. During autumn, the place becomes very picturesque and beautiful, especially if seen from the top of the Baijnath Mahadeo temple.