Seoni District, Madhya Pradesh :

Seoni district is one of the districts of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The Seoni town is headquarters of the district of Seoni. According to the 2001 Census, the district had a population of 1,166,608, out of which 1045921 is rural population and 120687 is urban population. The scheduled tribe population is 429104. The Seoni district forms a part of the Satpura tableland, containing the headwaters of the Wainganga and is largely covered with forest. This district is primarily a tribal dominated district formed on the first of November 1956. The name of the district has its origin from the word 'Seona' or gudina arborea, a species of tree which belongs to the verbanaleal family which was commonly found in this area. The wood of this tree is used in the manufacture of 'Dholak', a musical instrument.

Geography :

The district of Seoni is situated between 21 degrees 36 minutes and 22 degrees 57 minutes North Latitudes and 79 degrees 19 minutes and 80 degrees 17 minutes East Longitudes. The headquarters of this district is situated on the Nagpur-Varanasi National Highway number twenty seven and is in between Jabalpur and Nagpur. The total geographical area of the district of Seoni is 8758 square kilometres. The district has an average elevation of 111 meters. This district lies 2043 feet above sea-level. The total forest area in this district is 30881.01 square kilometres. There are two territorial divisions, two production divisions, one social forestry division and one forest development corporation division in the district of Seoni. In addition to these, there is also one National park called 'Pench National Park'.

Administration :

The district administration includes the Collector as the head of the district. The district collector is aided by several subordinate officers in the general work of administration. For administrative convenience, the district of Seoni has been divided into five revenue sub divisions namely Seoni, Barghat, Lakhnadon, Keolari and Ghansore and seven tahsils.

Economy :

Agriculture is the primary occupation of local populace. There are one thousand six hundred and twelve villages in the district of Seoni out which one thousand three hundred and seventy five villages are either in forest areas or within a distance of five kilometres from the forest boundary. The district is located on a narrow, North-South section of Satpura plateau in the South of Jabalpur Division. Seoni district is rich in timber resources. Teak is the most important tree growing in and around this district. Wainganga River is the lifeline of the district of Seoni. It originates at Mundara village in Seoni district. The largest mud dam in Asia has been constructed on this river at Bhimgarh village in Chhapara block of the district.

Places to visit :

Tourism in Seoni district offers various options including Amodagarh which is regarded as the work place of Mougli of 'Jungle Book' written by Rudyard Kipling. This place is located on the Seoni-Mandla State Highway at Amodagarh where remains of Sona Rani's Palace can be seen still today. It is situated at a distance of about thirty two kilometres from the district of Seoni and ten kilometers from Chhui. There are various beautiful places in the forest. Some of the other attractions in this district are Bhimgarh Sanjay Sarovar Dam and the Pench National Park and Tiger Reserve.

Bhimgarh Sanjay Sarovar Dam : The Bhimgarh Sanjay Sarovar Dam has been constructed on Wainganga River at Chhapara. It is the largest dam of soil in Asia. Facility for irrigation has been extended considerably after the construction of this dam. This place is being developed as a tourist destination with boating facility also available for the visiting tourists. Recently, electricity production has been started from this dam in the Seoni district.

Pench National Park : Another major attraction in the district of Seoni is the Pench National Park and Tiger Reserve. It is named after the Pench River, which flows from north to south through the Reserve. This Tiger Reserve is situated in the southern reaches of the Satpura Mountain Range in the Seoni district and the Chhindwara district in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India. The terrain is undulating, with a majority of the area covered by small hill ranges, steeply sloping on the sides. The Reserve is located in an area which holds a significant place in the natural history of central India. The description of its natural beauty, richness in fauna and flora has appeared in numerous wildlife books dating back to seventeenth century. Books written in the nineteenth and early twentieth century by famous naturalists like Captain J. Forsyth and Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book explicitly present the detailed panorama of the abundance of nature.

Since the prey concentration is high along the Pench River, tigers usually inhabit this belt. Leopard, though, mostly operate in the peripheral areas, are occasionally seen in deep forests also. Commonly seen are the Jungle cats. Leopard cats, Palm Civets and Small Indian Civets are common but seen very rarely. Wild dogs are commonly noticed in packs of twelve to fifteen near Chhedia, Bodanala, Jamtara and Pyorthadi areas of this Reserve. Wild Boar is ubiquitous in this reserve. Sloth bear occupy hilly, rocky out crops and favour mahul bel infested forest. Chinkara is present in small numbers and is found in open areas around Telia, Turia and Dudhgaon villages. Jackals are also seen but occasionally in near Alikatta, Tekadi and Chhindimatta villages.

These are some of the major attractions in the district of Seoni which draw a large number of tourists from different parts of the state as well as from various other corners of India and also from outside.