Satna District, Madhya Pradesh :

Satna district is one of the districts in Madhya Pradesh. It is rich in historical aspects. The district is an important distribution centre for agricultural products and cloth fabrics. Formed in the year 1948, Satna district has an area of 7,502 square kilometers.

History :

Satna district is part of the Baghelkhand region. The rulers of the Rewa District ruled a large portion of Satna District. The feudatory chiefs under the British East India Company and later the British government ruled a small portion of the western region. In the early phase of Indian history, the historians pointed out that the Baghelkhand tract gained significant importance in Indian art and architecture when the Haihaya, Kalachuris or Chedi clan ruled this area. In the third and the fourth century BC that is during the rule of Gupta Empire, Satna District reached at its height in art and architecture. Later the Delhi Sultans and the Mughal Emperors of India upto 1707 (death of Aurangzeb) ruled this district. In 1803, after the Treaty of Bassein, the British East India Company made the proposals of alliance to the ruler of Rewa District. However, the rulers of Rewa of that time rejected the proposal of British Government. After the Sepoy Mutiny 1857, the Satna District came under the hands of British Government.

Geography :

On the north of Satna district lies Uttar Pradesh; on its east is the Rewa District, on the south Umaria District and Katni districts, and on the west Panna District.The district is part of Rewa Division. It is located at 80"21' and 81"23' East longitude and 23" 58' and 25"12' north latitude. Tons River, Son River and Paisuni River are the important rivers of the district draining it into the Bay of Bengal through the Ganga River. During summer, the maximum temperature is 45 degree Celcius and minimum is 22-degree celcius. In winter, the temperature is 24-degree celcius and minimum is 4-degree celcius.

Demography :

Satna district had a population of 2,228,619. This was revealed according to the population Census of India in 2011. Out of which the male and female were 1,156,734 and 1,071,885 respectively. The data released by Census India 2011 illustrates that density of Satna district is 297 people per sq. km.

Culture :

Satna district is proud to have two major religious tourist places- Chitrakootand Maihar. Another popular place of attraction is the ancient Buddhist city of "Bharhut" (Bharhut Stupa), whose archeological remains have been gifted to the major museums in the country and the world. Tulsi Archaeological Museum at Ram Van has many unique artistic sculptures of ancient times that were found in this area. Lord Shiva Temple at Birsinghpur is also a famous and old temple in the region. Satna District has few festivals, which are part of Madhya Pradesh culture. Festivals like Kalidasa festival, Nimar Utsav, Tansen Samaroh, Lok rang festivals are the important ones.

Education :

The average literacy rate of Satna was 73.79 according to the Census 2011. The important schools and colleges of Satna District are I.T.I School, A.H. High school, Araya Kanya High School, Booti Bai School, C.M.A School, Girvan School, Government Venkat No1 High School, VIP Champion High School, Janta School, Sindhu School, Government College, Kamala Nehru College and Law College.

Economy :

The economy of the Satna District is dependent on the cement manufacturing, handloom weaving, flour, oilseed milling, and the distribution of agricultural and fabric products.

Tourist attractions : 

Satna district has major sites of archaeological, religious and tourist interest.

Chitrakoot : Chitrakuta is a town of religious, cultural, historical and archaeological importance, situated in the Satna district in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh; bordering the Chitrakoot district is Uttar Pradesh, India. It is known for numerous temples and sites mentioned in Hindu mythology. Chitrakuta’s spiritual legacy stretches back to legendary ages. It was in these deep forests that Rama, Sita and his brother Lakshmana spent eleven and half years of their fourteen years of exile. The great sage Atri, Sati Anusuya, Dattatreya, Maharshi Markandeya, Sarbhanga, Sutikshna and various other sages, seers, devotees and thinkers meditated here. The principal trinity of the Hindu pantheon, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, took their incarnations here.

Maihar : Maihar has a temple by the name of Sharda Devi situated on the top of Trikuta hill about 5 km from the center of the town. This temple is known for its stairway of more than 1,000 steps. Millions of devotees throng to the temple throughout the year. There is a 3.1 mn tn cement factory near Maihar (Maihar Cement Factory) which provides an industrial touch to the holy place. The factory complex and the township are situated at Sarlanagar about 8 km away from Maihar town on the Maihar-Dhanwahi Road. Two new cement factories, KJS Cement and Reliance Cement, are also setting up their cement factories here.

Birsinghpur : Birsinghpur has a temple by the name of old shiv temple situated in main market 0.5 km from Satna Birsinghpur road. Millions of devotees throng to the temple throughout the year.

Griddhraj Parvat : Griddhraj Parvat, is a hill of religious, archeological and ecological importance situated in Devrajnagar village of tehsil Ramnagar in Satna district. It is located 8 km from the town of Ramnagar. Griddhraj Parvat is of great religious importance in Hindu mythology. It was mentioned in Skanda Purana as ‘Griddhanchal Parvat’.[citation needed] It is believed to be the birthplace of ‘Sampati’, the brother of Griddhraj ‘Jatayu’ mentioned in Ramayana. The poet Kalidas mentions this place as the most sacred in his book ‘Griddharaj Mahatmya’ (Narad Uvach). He wrote that a dip in the Manasi Ganga River originating from Griddhraj Parvat, at an altitude of 2,354 feet, absolves all kinds of sins. Sons of Brahma and then goddess Parvati first saw this hill. It is also mentioned in Shiva Samhita. Chinese traveller Fa-hien visited this place and mentioned it.

Bharhut : Also in Satna district is the ancient city of Bharhut, a center of Buddhist culture, whose archeological treasures have been gifted to the major museums in the country and the world. The Bharhut stupa may have been established by the Maurya king Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE, but many works of art were apparently added during the Shunga period, with many friezes from the 2nd century BCE.