Dindori district, Madhya Pradesh :

Dindori District is located in the eastern part of Madhya Pradesh. Dindori District is mainly dominated by tribal communities of the state. It covers an area of 571883 hectares with 37.32 percent of the area covered by forests and 41.68 percent as agricultural area. Presently, the tribal population of Dindori district is around 60 percent of the total population and is dominantly rural. Gond tribe, Baiga tribe, Koal, Pradhan, Dhuliya, Bhumia tribe and Agaria tribe are the main tribes of the region.

Location :

Situated on the bank of the Narmada River, Dindori District is surrounded by the Satpura Mountain range and Jabalpur, Mandla, Shahdol and Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh and Bilaspur District and Kawardha district of Chhattisgarh. It is located at 81 degree 34 minutes longitude and 21 degree 16 minutes latitude. Narmada River passes through the district. Dindori District is situated at a height of 1100 metres above sea level.

Demography :

As per the Census 2011, total population of Dindori district is about 704,524 persons with 351,913  Males and 352,611 Females. The sex ratio is 1002 females to every thousand males which is quite impressive as compared to Bhind, Datia and other Northern districts of Madhya Pradesh. The overall population density is 94 persons per square kilometer. There is a small population living in the urban centers as compared to the rural areas with urban population of about 32,318 and that of rural is 672,206. According to the 2011 census, the scheduled tribe population is 64.69% of the total population. The scheduled caste population in the district is just 5.64% of the total district population.

History :

In the past the region was ruled by the Lodhi and Gond dynasty and during the Gond rule the region was named as Gondwana. District. It was carved out from Mandla District and came into existence in the year 1998. It was created on 25th of May, 1998 with total 927 villages. Dindori District is covered in seven development blocks namely Dindori, Shahpura, Mehandwani, Amarpur, Bajag, Karanjiya and Samnapur.

Economy :

The economy of Dindori district depends on forest products and agriculture as the district is covered by mainly Sal and Sagoun trees. Tendu patta, mahlon patta, and char are the small forest products that are collected each year. Both Rabi and Kharif crops are grown in the district.

Culture of Dindori District :

Culture of Dindori District is mainly influenced by the tribal traditions, as it is mostly inhabited by various tribal communities. Many folk dances are performed in Dindori District. The Baiga tribe and Gond tribe are considered to be fond of dances and music. For them music is a gift from God. Their dances are divided into two categories namely social and religious dances. The religious dances are performed to get blessings from God, to get rid of problems like flood and diseases.

In the religious dances there are Sua, Dussehra, Doha and Sumran whereas in the social dances Karma, Reena, Saila, Bilma, Jharpad and Tapadi are very popular among the tribes. Sua dance is performed widely on Goura Marriage in the month of October and November. The specialty of this dance is that only the female artists perform it. Dashera is the foremost dance of the Baiga tribe. This dance is performed during the festive season of Dussehra and Diwali.

Karma dance is a hereditary and social relevance dance. This dance is performed during Vijayadashmi towards the end of the year. Reena is a dance performed by the female artists only. This is a competitive dance among different villages during the festive season of Diwali. Saila dance is a male dominated dance. This dance is also a competitive dance like Reena. Bilma literally means 'separation'. This dance is performed on the occasion of marriage. Jharpat dance is performed while playing a game of asking and replying between two groups. Parghoni dance is performed at the time of marriage by a combined group of boys and girls. In this dance an effigy of an elephant is made which is used for dance purposes.

Tourist Places :

Karopani Natural Deer Park : Village Karopani is a classic example of mutual co-existence of humans and wildlife. Rare species of black bucks and spotted deer can be easily seen in Karopani which is just 4kms from the state Highway No. 22 going towards Amarkantak.

National Fossil Park, Ghughwa : Ghughwa National fossils Park is situated 70km from Dindori in village Ghughwa. It is nestled in an area of 75 acres of land where attractive and rare fossils of leaves and trees are waiting to be explored. This National Park has plants in fossil form that existed in India anywhere between 40 million and 150 million years ago. Petrified trunks of trees have been identified as gymnosperms and Angiosperms Monocotyledons and palms. There are certain Bryophytes also. Depending on the age in which the Pangaea split into Laurasia and Gondwana land occurred, the fossils belong to either Jurassic or Cretaceous Age.

Kukarramath Temple :  It is one of the important historical sites in Dindori located from just 7 kms away from State Highway no 22. Unlike other Lord Shiva temples, this temple is westwards facing. There was a cluster of five temples but only one remains today and according to a legend this temple was built in a night and the Shikhar could not be completed because of the onset of the morning. This temple is declared as the protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India. This temple is also known as Rinmukteshwar Temple.

Patangarh Paintings : Patangarh is a small village in Dindori which is famous for a rich tradition of producing world class painters depicting tribal culture and heritage in their paintings.  It is a speciality of the Gond tribe, which is relatively a new art form, and its roots can be traced far down in history. The Gond Paintings is a hidden treasure that is passed on from generation to generation in Patangarh. Mostly found in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the Gond tribe is one of the largest Adivasi communities. Legend has it that ages ago there was a beautiful symbiotic relationship between the Pardhans (Priests and Storytellers) and the Gond tribe. The Pardhans would appeal to the God Bada Dev by playing a musical instrument, Bana and through this; immortalize the Gond patrons’ Genealogy. However, time and societal changes have affected the relationship between the Gonds and the Pradhans but today, they are far more likely to be found doing odd jobs for farmers than recording history.