| Sarni | |
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| Coordinates | |
| Country | India |
| State | Madhya Pradesh |
| District(s) | Betul |
| Population | 100,099 (2006[update]) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
Sarni is a municipality in Betul district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
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Sarni is located in an area that is known as a part of the Gondwana tract after the Gond tribe, who chiefly inhabited in this area and practiced shifting cultivation. In the fourteenth and fifteenth century, this area of Gonds was infiltrated by Rajputs and who, by the time of Mughals, had succeeded in reclaiming several parts of the Narmada valley for agriculture. The Gonds were pushed to higher plateaus and slopes to continue hunting and their shifting cultivation. This area saw unrest due to the tension between the Marathas and the Mughals during the seventeenth and eighteenth century. During the year 1818, the area saw the advent of British rule.
Sarni is located approximately 200 km (120 mi) south of capital Bhopal and approximately 225 km (140 mi) north of Nagpur. Sarni is accessible by both road and rail routes. An all-weather road connects Sarni to Nagpur-Bhopal National Highway NH 69, making it easily accessible from both nearby airports of Bhopal and Nagpur.
A nearby railway station of Ghoradongri is situated at a distance of 18 km. Ghoradongri railway station is located on Itarsi-Nagpur railway line and falls in route of several long distance trains connecting North and South India.
Nearest airports are Bhopal and nagpur
As of 2001[update] India census[1], Sarni has a population of 95,015. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Sarni has an average literacy rate of 79%, much higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 75%.In muncipal Sarni-Pathakhera 36 wards in prasent(Pathakhera-23,Sarni-13)wards. The survey highlights relatively high standards of living of Sarni and interestingly the municipality has only one person residing below poverty line. Most of the population of Sarni are migrant employees working in the Thermal Plant and hence majority of the population is in working age group. Only 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
It has one of the major power producing plant running on thermal, and hydro modes.
As per the local legend, a saint and tribal chief with name Mathardev baba frequented the peak and performed worship rituals to god Shiva. His method of worship was to use butter milk (locally known as matha in Hindi) instead of milk for the ceremony, and hence he came to be known as Mathardev. It is believed that a lion became worshiper of Mathardev and visited the shrine on hill top everyday during the ceremony. The tribal chief commanded a wide following during his lifetime and his followers believed that he possessed magical powers.
All major religious and national festivals of India are celebrated with enthusiasm in Sarni.
A distinct feature of Sarni is an annual week-long fair on the festival of Makar Sankranti in the month of January. The fair was first started in 1978 by a group of followers of Mathardev who started a project to create a shrine in order to organize and institutionalize the visitors. Since then it has become an annual affair.
The fair is organised by the temple committee (Mathardev mela samiti) with the help of Municipal Corporation of Sarni. The fair is a treat to senses with its beautiful sights, sounds and smells. Traders across the region come to the fair to sell a multitude of goods including religious items, artefacts, ornaments, clothes, toys, simple household goods, etc. Several acrobats, snake charmers, musicians and other artists attract crowd by displaying their talents. And many fair on Durgapooja Fair in Bengoli Tempal at Pathakhera, SaiTempal RamTempal Sarni,Shiv Mandir pathakhera, LakhaBanjara Hanuman tempal Pathakhera are organized in time to time.
Sarni is the very beautiful city which is surrounded by satpura mountain. Sarni is bestowed with several beautiful places of attraction in its vicinity due to its location in midst of Satpura hill ranges, valleys, plains, deep valleys, dense forests and water bodies including rivers, fountains and a large dam.
The nature is at its best during the Monsoon season when the entire view turns lush green. Mornings and evenings are generally misty giving it a surreal feel.
There are several interesting places nearby such as Patalkot, Pachmarhi, Satpura Tiger Reserve, Ratapani reserve forest. Many of the lesser known but beautiful places at a distance of just a few kilometers from Sarni are mentioned below: Rajdoh: here two 500 kW Hydel Electric Power generators are installed and the way is flanked on one side by an artificial canal.The canal outflow is called as Mini micro.at present this mini micro hydel power plant o&m ecological energy ltd,sarni Amrut Fall: (Named after a farmer) in Karanji village is a beautiful fall. Ret Ghat: White sand deposit brought by Tawa river makes it an excellent spot for picnic. It is on Damua road. Heera Palla: Situated near Shobhapur. This place is full of scenic beauty with a small river and rocks. One can hire a fisherman's boat to take a calm and serene boat ride on this shallow river. Ash Dam: here ash from the Thermal Power Plant is disposed and the local tribal s prepare liquor from mowah fruit. Bhopali: here on every Mahashivratri a fair is organized. This fair has religious importance for the locals. Hanuman Temple: A very old Temple of Hanuman is on Ranipur road. Jamun Jhiriya: This place is a source of natural mineral water to the local residents. Tawa Dam: This dam is much larger than the dam in Sarni. It is about 30 km (19 mi) from Itarsi.
One of the most conspicuous sites of Sarni is a Shiva temple overlooking the town from Mathardev peak, which is the highest point, approximately 3,500 ft (1,100 m) (from sea level), among neighbouring hills of Satpura ranges. The peak as well as the temple are named after a legendary tribal chief named Mathardev. The legendary chief commands strong following among the local and neighboring population.
The path to the peak is a steep trek climbing two hills. It takes approximately 35–40 minutes of continuous climb at walking pace to reach the top.
The hilltop also provides a view of the surrounding mountain ranges, Satpura dam and a bird's eye view of the town below.
Satpura Dam is a man made lake created as a reservoir for the Power Plant. The lake has a beautiful setting surrounded by dense forests and hills. A serpentine road traverses through a local hillock to reach the lake and is a favorite jogging track for the local populace. The dam becomes a tourist spot during the monsoon when routine opening of the gates to control water levels result in a waterfall like environment filled with mist. A Guest House is also situated at an adjoining hillock giving an unhindered view of the lake. Although advanced facilities for water sports are not available, boat rides are available for people who like to spend some time in solitude surrounded by nature.
Sarni is home to the largest power plant in MP, contributing to approximately 70% of total electricity supply of Madhya Pradesh. Its total capacity is 1142.5 megawatts and the construction work for the new 500 MW has already started.
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