RAMBLES IN CENTRAL INDIA

RAMBLES

IN

CENTRAL INDIA

Bawdies, Monuments and Nature

Dr. V.N. Sondhi

 ( correction > Date of birth of the author is 7th July1951)

{*This book is not available in the market. If any Govt. body wants to get reprinted after editing ,I would like to provide more write ups with original photographs. It could be translated in Hindi as the Hindi edition could be more useful for the common people of Hindi belt. }

Preface

This study has not been done intentionally but it is a byproduct of my

mission of starting my retired life with my prime objective to teach

the children of remote areas of Madhya Pradesh (MP) to improve

their foundation of learning which is very much lacking in the

primary and secondary schools of villages in this State. I was

motivated by chance for this task observing the condition of the

students at Bedha Ghat, Jabalpur, MP where I visited in May, 2007

as a tourist, about four years before my retirement. Meanwhile I

searched a place of lovely natural environment as well as the place

where my services were required and in this way my first stay was

Katav Ghat, Majholi Taheseel, District Jabalpur. From Katav Ghat I

was also visiting villages of Bahuriband Tahsil, District Katni.

During these visits I observed the historical monuments and I

caught them in my camera and my worry for their development

made me curious to know more and more about the surroundings

and other places near Jabalpur mostly in weekends. However, I have

not been not a student of History / Archeology but my ultimate

target was to get these places to be developed of Archeological

importance as well as important with the point of view of economic

development of the people of their surroundings through tourism,

and I started writing and sending my report to ASI and Department

of Tourism, Bhopal, MP. I achieved little bit success. Katav Ghat has

been developed as a new tourist spot and development at Roopnath

Dham and Tigma with tourist point of view are the examples. This is

the secret of this work.

Jabalpur itself is a historical city and is known as the city of Talabs.

However this city also have many beautiful Baolis. Few of them

might have been very luxurious in their times. They have lovely

architecture. This heritage should be protected and renovated to

give their original glory and utilized as swimming pool/water

sports/to enjoy bath in summer season.

These Baolis should be renovated with the point of view of

archeology, tourism as well as commercial use as swimming pool

and earn money for its maintenance expenses. And for this, it is my

suggestion that the Government should form a coordinating body of

the all the three Govt. organisations viz. Archeological Survey of

India, Department of Tourism as well as Department of Forest as

without it, the technical hindrances in the development programs

would not end.

In one weekend, I visited Singaurgarh Fort which had motivated me

to know the whereabouts of the decedents of Rani Dugawati the

Queen of Gond Dynasty. In this connection I came in touch with the

decedent of Byohar of Gond Dynasty Dr.Anupam Sinha, few

professors of Rani Durgawati Vishwaviddyalaya , Jabalpur etc but

no one was aware with the whereabouts of the decedents of

Gondwana king Raja Shankar Shah the martyr of freedom

movement of 1857. The story about their search is very much in my

write up "Decedents of Gond Dynasty, MP'. On observing my

findings, a renowned Professor of History Prof. R.K. Sharma asked

me to contact Prof. Suresh Mishra of Bhopal ( basically he belongs to

Mandla) who has done lot of work on the history of Gondwana and

rest of the MP. I started sending my observations to Prof. Mishra as

well as Archeological Survey of India, Delhi as well as Bhopal

offices. In connection with the development of Roopnath Dham,

Bahurivan, District Katni, I had dialogues with the in-charge of ASI,

Bhopal office Mr. Tahir. These two people Mr. Tahir and Professor

Suresh Mishra have motivated me to give a shape of a book to my

findings of my travelogues. In case the book is published the credit

will go to the two persons and especially to Prof.Suresh Mishra who

used to pinch me to give me a wakeup call for this work. I will always

be grateful to him that he has taken so much pain for my work to

bring it in published form.

Vijay Nath Sondhi

Professor Colony,

Pragati Parisar, Suhagi, Jabalpur MP

Contents

Bawdies of Maharajpur & Panagar 1

Bawdi Raja Karn Ki 7

Bawdis in Gadha 13

Bawdis of Bakal 24

Bawdis near Gwarighat Road, Ramnagar 39

Bawdis in the surroundings of Kuan Gaon 47

Bawdi of Hatta 51

Bawdi of Dixitpura and Ujar Purva 52

Bawlis of Hanuman Tal 55

Majhgawan 57

Bawdi of Jujhari 65

Amarkantak - Narmada Temple 70

View of Amarkantak 72

Baigad Nala 82

Kalinjar Fort and Neel Kanth Mandir 85

Jellahary 95

Tigwan 98

Parushram Kund and Parushram Dham 102

Nahan Devi Temple 104

Panna (M.P.) 105

Balaghat - Lanji - Hatta 118

Singaourgadh Fort 124

Ajaigarh 126

Few Temples of MP 133

Jhoteshwar and Sreedham, Gotegaon 139

Devghar in Imalia 142

Kakanmath Shiva Temple 145

Tuman 147

BALPUR 149

The Gun Carriage Factory 151

Aadhar Tal, Jabalpur 154

Chabi Village 155

Khiraini Village 156

Ramgarh 158

Patalkot 162

Narila White Lotus Pond 169

Pachmadi via Patalkot 171

My trip to Mandala, MP 174

Korba, via Kendai waterfall 178

Maheshwar 181

Roopnath Dham and Katav Ghat 184

Kendai Forest Village 189

Forest Villages of BAJAG Tahsil 198

Pollution in River Pariyat 202

Burha Sarowar 203

Dscndants of Gond Rulars (M.P.) 208

Descendants of Royal family of Datia, MP 217

------

Rambles in Central India : Bawdies, Monuments and Nature

by

Dr. V. N. Sondhi

Printed by

B.K. Traders

G-140, Shweta Complex, E-8, Shahpura, Bhopal

First Edition - 2016

ISBN - 978-93-8140-835-3

© Author

Publisher

Vikas Samvad

E-7/226, First Floor, Opp. Dhanvantri Complex,

Arera Colony, Shahpura, Bhopal, MP

Phone : 0755 - 4252789

E-mail : vikassamvad@gmail.com

Layout Cover Design

Amit Saxena

300/-