Sohagpur

Sohagpur
city
Sohagpur Location in Madhya Pradesh, India
Coordinates: 22°42′N 78°12′E / 22.7°N 78.2°E / 22.7; 78.2Coordinates: 22°42′N 78°12′E / 22.7°N 78.2°E / 22.7; 78.2
Country	India
State	Madhya Pradesh
District	Hoshangabad
Government
• Type	BJP
• Body	mla,mayor of town
Elevation	323 m (1,060 ft)
Population (2001)
• Total	23,852
Languages
• Official	Hindi
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)

Sohagpur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Hoshangabad district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

Geography

Sohagpur is located at 22°42′N 78°12′E / 22.7°N 78.2°E / 22.7; 78.2.^[1] It has an average elevation of 323 metres (1059 feet). The area is generally flat terrain and full of natural sites like Marhai(मढ़ई). Palakmati is the local river here.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,^[2] Sohagpur had a population of 229,734. The majority of the population lives rurally (107,395) whereas only 122,339 live in urban areas. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%.

Associated History

The town gets its name from Suhagpur-Sobhagyapur-Shonitpur. In Dwaparyuga(approx. 5310 yrs ago), it was the capital of kingdom reigned by BANASURA, the demon king who was a devotee of Shiva He dueled with Lord Krishna and was killed and got moksha. Every year, the famous Mahashivratri mela is organized here with great pomp and show. Sohagpur, though being a small town, has many beautiful and famous places, and has given the world many great persons, sages and nobles. There is an ancient Shiv Temple at Hanuman naka, The temple is famous for the beautiful stone statue of Lord Shiva and Parvati .In front of shiv mandir an ancient statue is placed which looks like that of mahatma buddha, but people call it to be that of BANASURA, The devil who is believed to have ruled the town. It is an ancient heritage of Sohagpur, besides being a centre of worship by inhabitants. Another famous place in Sohagpur is the famous JAMNI sarovar. It is believed that the daughter of Banasura, Usha used to go for a bath there and the pond contained the holy water from all major rivers of India . She was later married to Pradyumna, son of Krishna. Besides this, the town is famous for beetle leaves (paan) Farming, better known in the region as "Sohagpuri paan", surahi (water pots) beautiful water storing mud pots which keep water cool in the summers also supplied throughout the state. A unique festival called Dol Gyaras is also widely associated with the town and is a major attraction. Nanak Tekri is a religious place of this town, it has got its name since the Nanak Guru stayed at this place for a while and blessed the people. The town also has a square in the main market area called "Gandhi chowk" where mahatma Gandhi once visited and addressed the crowd during the famous "Indian freedom Struggle", The area is now often used for small public gatherings and functions.

Schools

• St. Patrick's Higher Secondary School
• Govt Girls Higher Secondary School
• Govt S.J.L. Higher Secondary School
• Saraswati Higher Secondary School
• Gyan Sagar School
• Friends Higher Secondary School
• Shri Guru Kripa Gyanarjen Vidhya Mandir

How to Reach

Sohagpur is well connected by rail route as well as roadways. It has a station about 50 km from Itarsi Junction. Many trains stop here. To reach by bus or taxi, you need to travel on state highway 22. This lies at distance of 50 km from Hoshangabad and 125 km from Bhopal. If you are traveling by air then, Bhopal is the nearest airport.

Places to Visit Nearby

The places of interest near Sohagpur are Madai,a wildlife sanctuary, which is about 20 km and Pachmarhi, a well known hill station, which is about 72 km,there are many hotels in pachmarhi which runs by private and goverment bodies.mp tourism hotels and 2 private resort/cottages are situated away from hooch pouch market area.chunmun cottage pachmarhi 9424434599 is one of them. Anhonee a warm water estury, some 50 km away.there are 6 or 7 private hotel in madai.

References