Hin: आगर āgar ‘Agar’s (Town)’ Town/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP). The Bhil chief Agaria Bhil founded the town in the 10th century. It came under the control of Jhak Rajputs in the following century. The town is situated between two lakes: Moti...
Hin: अलीराजपुर alīrājapūr. ‘Anand’s Town’ Town/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP). From Anandaoli/Ali and Rajpur [Skt/Hin: raj, ‘king’; and pur, ‘(fortified) town’, city]. Rajpur was founded in 1500. The capital of the princely...
Hin: अशोकनगर ashokanagar ‘Ashok Town’ [Pachhar] Town/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP) From (Emperor) Ashoka; and Hin: nagar, ‘city’, ‘town’. The suggestion that the name derives from an overnight visit from the famous Mauryan Emperor en route to capture Ujjain is...
Hin: असीरगढ़ asīragaṛh ‘Asa Ahir’s Fort’ Fort, Madhya Pradesh (MP) From Aswatthama (Giri); or Asa Ahir; and Hin: gaṛh, ‘fort’, ‘citadel’ There is a legend that Ashwatthama, the son of the guru Drona in the Mahābhārata, used to come to the Shiva...
Hin: बाघ गुफा bāgh gupha ‘Tiger Caves’ Town/Caves, Madhya Pradesh (MP) Madhya Pradesh has traditionally been a tiger region and the caves, town and local stream all bear the name. The Bagh Caves are nine monuments cut into sandstone rock located 60km west...
Hin: बालाघाट bālāghāṭ ‘Above the Ghat’ [Burha] Town/District Madhya Pradesh (MP) From Hin: bālā, ‘high’, ‘above’; and ghāṭ, ‘path or stairway to the river’; ‘ford or landing-place’. The Wainganga river...
Hin: बांधवगढ़ bāndhavagaṛh ‘Brother Fort’ Fort, National Park Madhya Pradesh (MP) From: Hin: bāndhava, ‘brother’, ‘kinsman’; and gaṛh, ‘fort’ Sitting on a hill 800m above the National Park is Bandhavagarh Fort. Its...
Hin: बडवानी baḍavānī ‘Banyan Forest’ [Badnagar] Town/District Madhya Pradesh (MP) From Hin: baṛa, ‘banyan tree’; and vana ‘wood’, ‘forest’, ‘jungle’ Barwani is an ancient town and former princely state. Nearby lies Chulgiri Hill, a sacred Jain pilgrimage site. On...
Hin: बैतूल baitūla ‘No Cotton (Land)’ [Badnur] City/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP) From Hin: bē, ‘without’, ‘devoid of’; and tūlam, ‘cotton’; and bāzāra, ‘market-place’ The assumption here is that Betul and Betul Bazaar were beyond the main cotton-growing areas of...
Hin: भिण्ड bhiṇḍ ‘Bhindi (Rishi)’ Town/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP) From Hin: bhiṇḍa ’embanked ground (round a tank)’. The town is built around the banks of the ancient Gori Sarowar (Gori/Gauri Lake). The district is named, others say, after...
Hin: भोजपुर bhōjapur ‘Bhoja’s Town’ Town/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP) From (Raja) Bhoj; and Skt: pur, ‘(fortified) town’, ‘city’. King/Raja Bhoja of the Paramara Malwa dynasty built a temple and fort here in the 11thC and two large stone dams to block...
Hin: भोपाल bhopāl ‘Bhoj’s Dam’ [Bhojapala] – Capital/City/District, Madhya Pradesh From (King) Bhoj and Hin: pāla ’embankment (to confine water for irrigation)’, ‘dam’, ‘dike’ Bhojpal or Bhoj’s dam...
Hin: बुरहानपुर burahānapur ‘Burhan’s Town’ City/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP) From Burhan-ud-Din; and Skt: pur, ‘(fortified) town’. Burhanpur is on the banks of the Tapti river. Nasir Khan Faruqi, Sultan of Khandesh, founded Burhanpur...
Hin: छतरपुर chhatarapur ‘Chhatrasal’s Town’ City/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP) From (Maharaja) Chhatrasal; and Skt: pur, ‘(fortified) town’, ‘city’. The town takes its name from Maharaja Chhatrasal of Panna (1671-1731).he...
Hin: छिंदवाड़ा chhindavāṛā ‘Date Place’ City/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP) Hin: chhind, ‘Date palm tree’ [Phoenix sylvestris]; and vāṛā, ‘abode/place with’, ‘settlement’. This tree is known by many names: wild date palm, toddy date palm,...
