Madhya Pradesh Foundation Day - 1 November :

1. Madhya Pradesh is celebrating the 64th Foundation Day of the state this year. The largest state in central India and second largest state by area, Madhya Pradesh is also known as the ‘heart of India’.

2. Madhya Pradesh is the fifth-largest state by population in India. Located as the center of Indian geography, MP is surrounded by Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

3. Home to famous rules in Indian history, MP has always been an area of interest for dynasties because of its rich geography. However, after the independence of India, Madhya Pradesh was created in 1950. It was formed from the former British Central Provinces and Berar and the princely states of Makrai and Chhattisgarh, with Nagpur as the capital of the state.

4. Out of the Central India Agency, the states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, and Bhopal were formed. However, in the year 1956, all three states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, and Bhopal were merged into a single state to form Madhya Pradesh. Meanwhile, the Marathi-speaking southern region Vidarbha, which included Nagpur, was ceded to Bombay state.

5. At the time, Jabalpur was chosen to be the capital of the state. However, at the last moment, Bhopal was made the state capital. 19 years back, in November 2000, as part of the Madhya Pradesh Reorganization Act, the southeastern portion of the state was split to form the state of Chhattisgarh.

About Madhya Pradesh :

After the independence of India, Madhya Pradesh was created in 1950 from the former British Central Provinces and Berar and the princely states of Makrai and Chhattisgarh, with Nagpur as the capital of the state. The new states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, and Bhopal were formed out of the Central India Agency. In 1956, the states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, and Bhopal were merged into Madhya Pradesh, and the Marathi-speaking southern region Vidarbha, which included Nagpur, was ceded to Bombay state. Jabalpur was chosen to be the capital of the state but at the last moment, due to some political pressure, Bhopal was made the state capital. In November 2000, as part of the Madhya Pradesh Reorganization Act, the southeastern portion of the state split off to form the new state of Chhattisgarh.

Madhya Pradesh literally means "Central Province", and is located in the geographic heart of India in between the latitude of 21.6°N-26.30°N and longitude of 74°9'E-82°48'E. The state straddles the Narmada River, which runs east and west between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges; these ranges and the Narmada are the traditional boundaries between the north and south of India. The highest point in Madhya Pradesh is Dhupgarh, with an elevation of 1,350 m (4,429 ft).

The state is bordered on the west by Gujarat, on the northwest by Rajasthan, on the northeast by Uttar Pradesh, on the east by Chhattisgarh, and on the south by Maharashtra.