Hin: पीथमपुर pīthamapura
‘Pillar City’ City/Industrial Area, Madhya Pradesh (MP)
From Indra and Skt: pīṭham, ‘seat’, ‘throne’, ‘podium’, ‘pillar’: and pur, ‘village’, ‘city’.
For related place names see Indian Place names and Madhya Pradesh place names.
Pithampur is an industrial city, and is a part of Indore Metropolitan Region. It was constructed in the 1980s and covers an area of over 21 sq km.
It is nicknamed the ‘Detroit of India’ or ‘Detroit of Madhya Pradesh’ and hosts plants of vehicle manufacturers such as MAN trucks, Mahindra & Mahindra, Eicher Motors, Hindustan Motors, TAFE Tractors, Force Motors, CASE Construction and John Deere Tractors. It also has a important pharmaceuticals, engineering and textile companies.
Whatever it was originally, as a village or town, has been lost and it is not clear whether the ‘pillar’ or ‘platform’ or ‘throne’ had a political or religious significance.
For related place names see Indian Place names and Madhya Pradesh place names.
