Sagar district


Sagar district is a district of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The town of Sagar serves as its administrative center. Sagar district is called the heart district of India. The Tropic of Cancer passes through Rangir Tiraha on NH26 present NH44 in Sagar district.
The district has an area of 10,252 km², and a population of 2,378,458, an increase of 45% or by 732,260 inhabitants from its 1991 population of 1,646,198. Sagar district is dominated by Sonis, Jains and Yadavs.
As of 2011, it is the third most populous district of Madhya Pradesh, after Indore and Jabalpur.
Sagar is the largest city of the Sagar district. Bina Sagar is the second largest city and important industrial city of the district. Bina has Bina Thermal Power Plant, Bina Refinery, Railway MEMU shed and a major railway junction of Madhya Pradesh state.

History

Ancient history

The old capital, Garhpahrā, 7 miles north of the present city, is supposed to have been founded by a Gond dynasty. The Gonds were succeeded by a tribe of Ahīrs called the Faulādia, to whom is attributed the foundation of the fort at Rehli. Some Ahir landowners still claim to be their descendants and bear the title of Rao. About 1023 the Ahīrs were supplanted by one Nihālshā, a Rajput of Jalaun, who took possession of Saugor and the surround-ing country. Nihālsha's descendants retained possession for about
Firstly, Sagar was under the rules of Ahir-Rajas and their capital was at Garhpehra, located 7 miles north of the present city.

Modern history

The history of the town of Sagar dates back to about 1660 AD, when Udan Shah, a descendant of Nihal Shah, built a small fort where the present one sits and founded a village close to it called Parkota Sagar. The present fort and a settlement under its walls were founded by Govind Pant Bundele, an officer of the Peshwa Bajirao I, who controlled Sagar and the surrounding territory after 1735 when it came under the Peshwa's possession. In 1818, the greater part of the district was ceded by the Peshwa Baji Rao II to the British Government, while the remainder of the present district of Sagar came into the possession of the British between 1818 and 1860. Thereafter in 1861, the Saugor and Nerbudda territories formed a Commissioner's Province called Central Provinces.
Sagar was the headquarters of the Sagar Commissionership for a short period until 1863–64 when this district was incorporated with Jabalpur Commissionership. In the year 1932, the district of Damoh was added to the Sagar district and was administered as a Sub-Division. In 1956, however, Damoh Sub-Division was again separated from the district to form a separate district and the Sagar district consisted of four tehsils viz, Sagar, Khurai, Rehli, Banda.

Geography

Sagar district is located in the middle of the state. The Tropic of Cancer passes through Sagar district. It is surrounded by Ashoknagar, Vidisha, Raisen, Narsinghpur, Damoh and Chhatarpur districts. Total area of Sagar district is 10,252 km2. Sagar is situated in the Vindhya mountain range and eastern part of the Malwa Plateau. The Sunar, Dhasan, Bina, and Bewas are the major rivers of the district.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, Sagar district has a population of 2,378,458, This gives it a ranking of 188th in India. The district has a population density of. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 17.62%. Sagar has a sex ratio of 896 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 77.52%. 29.80% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Tribes made up 21.09% and 9.33% of the population respectively.
At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 55.38% of the population in the district spoke Hindi and 42.93% Bundeli as their first language.

Administrative divisions

There are 8 Constituencies in the district.

Places of interest

Neminagar Jain Tirth

[Pateriya Ji]

is a 200 year-old temple dedicated to Parshvantha. The idol is 7 feet in height in Padmasana posture built in black stone with three serpent hoods. This temple was built by Seth Radha Kishanjun Shah in 1782.

Mangalgiri Jain Teerth

is a holy Jain temple and pilgrimage centre located in Sagar. The kshetra situated on the outskirts of Sagar has the distinction of the heaviest idol of Lord Mahavir, weighing 9 MT made of brass and 11.25 feet high.

Beenaji Jain Kshetra">Beenaji">Beenaji Jain Kshetra

Beenaji is an Atishay Jain tirth, located in the rural area of Garhpipariya in Deori. Acharya Vidyasagar, an influential monk, has visited this temple many times for Chaturmas.

Notable sites

Notable sites in Sagar district include: