Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh which is called the ‘Heart of India’ is celebrating its foundation day today along with Chhattisgarh and five other states of India. This year is the 66th foundation day of Madhya Pradesh. It is the second-largest state of India with an area of three lakh eight thousand square km. Madhya Pradesh was the largest state in India until the separation of Chhattisgarh in November 2000.
Madhya Pradesh is the fifth-largest state of India with Bhopal as its capital. Indore is its largest city. The state is bordered by Gujarat in the west, Rajasthan in the north-west, Uttar Pradesh in the north-east, Chhattisgarh in the east, and Maharashtra in the south.
Madhya Pradesh was formed on 1 November 1956 and was reorganized to form a new Chhattisgarh state on 1 November 2000. As its name implies – Madhya means “central” and Pradesh means “region” or “state” – it is located in the middle of the country. This state is known for its rich heritage, culture and is one of the popular tourist destinations of our country. Chhattisgarh was officially declared as an independent state on 1 November 2000 by the Government of India. This year is the 20th year to emerge as a separate state.
In ancient times it was known as Dakshin Kosala. The name Chhattisgarh became popular during the time of the Maratha Empire and was first used in an official document in 1795. The Chhattisgarh region was part of the Chedi dynasty of Kalinga. From the medieval period until 1803, a large part of present-day eastern Chhattisgarh was part of the Sambalpur Kingdom of Odisha.
The structure of government in Madhya Pradesh, like most other states in India, is determined by the national constitution of 1950. The head of the state is the Governor, who is appointed by the President of India. The governor is assisted and advised by a council of ministers, headed by a chief minister and responsible to the elected, unicameral legislative assembly (Vidhan Sabha). Madhya Pradesh is like a shining lamp in the culture of India, there is a beautiful bouquet-like unity in the diversity of different cultures, nature has decorated Madhya Pradesh with its own hands on the altar of the nation, whose variegated beauty and the lovely fragrance is spread all around.
On the other hand, Madhya Pradesh is celebrating its 66th foundation day today. To commemorate which ‘Madhya Pradesh Utsav’ is being organized in the state. Where today, November 1, from 6:30 pm, a program of culture and traditions of Madhya Pradesh has also been organized at Lal Parade Ground, Bhopal.
Madhya Pradesh since the independence of India
When India became independent in 1947, the new states of Central India and Vindhya Pradesh were separated from the old Central India Agency. Three years later in 1950, the name of the Central Provinces and Berar was changed to Madhya Pradesh. With the States Reorganization Act of 1956, Madhya Pradesh was redistributed on linguistic lines. The act transferred the southern Marathi-speaking districts of Madhya Pradesh to Bombay State (now in Maharashtra) and merged several Hindi-speaking regions—the states of Bhopal and Vindhya Pradesh as well as much of central India—with Madhya Pradesh. In 2000 its eastern provinces became the state of Chhattisgarh. At present, there is a 230-seat state assembly in Madhya Pradesh. The current governor is Anandiben Patel, and the chief minister is Shivraj Singh Chouhan of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Also called ‘Tiger State’
Madhya Pradesh is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. There are ten national parks in the state including Bandhavgarh National Park, Kanha National Park, and Satpura National Park. Madhya Pradesh also has many nature reserves including Amarkantak, Bagh Caves, Balaghat. India is also known as ‘Tiger State’. The gala event is planned every year to celebrate the state foundation day, however, in 2020, the celebrations were cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
