Vidisha (formerly known as Bhelsa, Besnagar and Bhaddalpur in ancient times) is a city in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is a Jain pilgrimage center and the administrative headquarters of Vidisha district. It is located 62.5km northeast of the state capital, Bhopal. The name "Vidisha" is derived from the nearby river "Bais", mentioned in the Puranas. "Vidisha" also finds its historic reference in ancient epic Ramayana, under the rule of Rama's youngest brother Shatrughna, later on under the rule of Shatrughna's younger son Shatrughati.
History
Ancient History
Vidishā was the administrative headquarters of Bhelsa, or Bhilsa, during the Medieval period. It was renamed Vidisha in 1956. Vidisha is also amongst the 112 Aspirational District in the Aspirational District Programme launched by NITI Aayog in 2018.
Towards the seventh or eighth century, Bhadravati was raised from its ruins by a Bheel chieftain, who surrounded it with walls, and gave it the name of Bhilsa. When, in the year 1230, the Emperor Altamsh took possession of it, it was the seat of a Rajpoot prince of the Chohan clan. It was not, however, finally wrested from the Hindus until the year 1570, under Akbar.
The town is situated east of the Betwa River, in the fork of the Betwa and Bes rivers, 9km from Sanchi. The town of Besnagar, 3km from present-day Vidisha on the west side of the river, became an important trade centre in the 6th and 5th centuries BCE, under the Shungas, Nagas, Satavahanas, and Guptas, and was mentioned in the Pali scriptures. The Emperor Ashoka was the governor of Vidisha during his father's lifetime. His Buddhist Empress Vidisha Devi who was also his first wife, was brought up in Vidisha. It finds mention in Kalidasa's Meghaduta.
The ruins of Besnagar were inspected by Alexander Cunningham in 1874–1875. Remains of a large defensive wall were found on the western side of the city. Ancient Buddhist railings were also found just outside of the city, which had probably adorned a stupa. Numerous coins were found, including nine coins of the Western Satraps.
The Heliodorus Pillar is a stone column, which was constructed in about 150 BCE. This stone column was erected by the Greek ambassador of the Indo-Greek King Antialcidas, who came to the court of Bhagabhadra, a possible Sunga king. Dedicated to Lord Vāsudeva, this column was constructed in front of the temple of Vāsudeva. The pillar is situated about four kilometers away from the city on Vidisha-Ganj Basoda SH-14, located on the northern bank of the Vais River. It is a 20 feet and 7 inches tall stone pillar, commonly called Kham Baba. The script used in the inscription is Brahmi but the language is Prakrit, recording that Heliodorus erected the pillar as a Garuda Stambha to pay homage to Lord Vasudeva, who was later integrated as a manifestation of Lord Vishnu.
Archaeological plan of the old city of Besnagar
Archaeological layers at Besnagar: the Temple of Vāsudeva in the forefront, and the Heliodorus pillar in the back
The inscription 𑀯𑁂𑀤𑀺𑀲Vedisa (for the city of Vidisha) at Sanchi, Brahmi script, 1st century BCE.
Besnagar was known as Bhelsa during the medieval period.[citation needed] It became famous for the temple of Sun god Bhillasvamin. It was ruled by the Later Gupta king Devagupta of Malwa and Rashtrakuta king Krishna III. The name is first noted in an inscription of 878 CE by a merchant Hatiaka of Paravada community. The 12th-century Tri-shashthi-shalaka-purusha-charitra mentions an image of Bhillasvamin at Vidisa, along with a copy of Jivant Swami buried in the sand. Minhajuddin's Tabaqat-i-Nusiri states that the temple was destroyed by Iltutmish in 1233–34 CE.
During the British colonial period up to India's independence, the region of Vidisha—then widely known as Bhilsa or Bhelsa—functioned primarily as a strategic administrative territory under the princely state of Gwalior.
The Quit India Movement in Madhya Pradesh was started from Vidisha in August 1942.
Geography
Vidisha is situated at 23.53°N latitude and 77.82°E longitude. Nestled in the eastern Malwa region at an average elevation of 424 meters, it is bordered by the Betwa and Bes rivers, featuring highly fertile black soil, an agricultural economy, and surrounding low hills.
Climate
Climate data for Vidisha (1981–2010, extremes 1970–2003)
Census data of 2001 and 2011, 2026 data is expected.
As of the 2011 Census of India, Vidisha had a population of 155,951 a 24.3% increase from 2001 (125,453 in 2001 census). Males constitute 53.21% of the population and females 46.79%. Vidisha has an average literacy rate of 86.88%, higher than the national average of 74.04%: male literacy is 92.29%, and female literacy is 80.98%. In Vidisha, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age.
As per the 2011 Census, Hinduism was the major religion with nearly 88.09% of the adherents, followed by Islam (6.47%), Jainism (4.73%), Sikhism (0.33%), Christianity (0.23%) and Buddhism (0.07%).
Vidisha is considered to be Puranakshetras Jain tirtha. Bhaddalpur (now Vidisha) is also believed to be the birthplace of Shitalanatha, the tenth tirthankar. There are 14 temples in Vidisha district, among which Bada Mandir, Bajramath Jain temple, Maladevi temple, Gadarmal temple and Pathari Jain temple, built between 9th-10th centuries CE, are the most prominent. These temples are rich in architecture.
Language
Hindi is the most widely spoken language, with Bundeli as its major dialect.
Culture
Ravana has been worshipped in Vidisha for centuries by the Kanyakubja Brahmins.
During Vijayadashami, Thousands of local Brahmins of Vidisha i.e. the Kanyakubja Brahmins and people of other castes worship him as their reigning deity.
Historic places and monuments
Inside the city
Pillar in the Bijamaṇḍal, Vidisha, with an inscription of King Naravarman (ruled c. 1094 – c. 1130 CE).
Bijamaṇḍal (historically Vijay Mandir) located near the eastern edge of the old town are the remains of a large temple of the late Paramara period. The building was probably started in the second half of the 11th century. That it was never finished is evidenced by the unfinished carved niches and architectural pieces found round the base of the temple plinth. On top of the plinth is a small mosque made using pillars, one of which has an inscription dating probably from the time of king Naravarman (circa 1094–1134). It is a devotional inscription revering Carccikā (i.e. Cāmuṇḍā), of whom he was a devotee. The miḥrāb suggests the mosque was constructed in the late 14th century. To one side of the Bijamaṇḍal is a store house of the Archaeological Survey of India containing many sculptures collected in the neighbourhood. A step-well of the 7th century is in the same campus and has, beside the entrance, two tall pillars with Kṛṣṇa scenes. These are the earliest Kṛṣṇa scenes in the art of central India. The dimensions of Bijamandal Temple at Vidisha are comparable to those of Konark in Orissa.
Heliodorus pillar, in northern part of Vidisha.
Heliodorus pillar as known as Kham Baba is a stone column that was erected around 113 BCE. The pillar is commonly named after Heliodorus (Greek: Ηλιόδωρος) (identified by him as a Garuda-standard), who was an ambassador of the Indo-Greek king Antialcidas from Taxila, and was sent to the Indian ruler Bhagabhadra. A dedication written in Brahmi script was inscribed on the pillar, venerating Vāsudeva (Krishna), the Deva deva the "God of Gods" and the Supreme Deity. The pillar also glorifies the Indian ruler as "Bhagabhadra the savior". The pillar is a stambha which symbolizes joining earth, space and heaven, and is thought to connote the "cosmic axis" and express the cosmic totality of the Deity. The Heliodorus pillar site is located near the confluence of two rivers, about 60 kilometres (37mi) northeast from Bhopal, 11 kilometres (6.8mi) from the Buddhist stupa of Sanchi, and 4 kilometres (2.5mi) from the Hindu Udayagiri site. The pillar was discovered by Alexander Cunningham in 1877. Two major archaeological excavations in the 20th-century have revealed the pillar to be a part of an ancient Vāsudeva temple site. Aside from religious scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita, the epigraphical inscriptions on the Heliodorus pillar and the Hathibada Ghosundi Inscriptions contain some of the earliest known writings of Vāsudeva-Krishna devotion and early Vaishnavism and are considered the first archeological evidence of its existence. The pillar has been called one of the earliest surviving records of a foreign convert into Vaishnavism. An alternative interpretation is that making dedications to foreign gods was only a logical practice for the Greeks, intended to appropriate their local power and cannot be regarded as a "conversion" to Hinduism.
Lohangi Pir is a rock formation in Vidisha District that derives its name from Shaykh Jalal Chishti, a saint who was locally known as Lohangi Pir. This small domed building is a tomb, which has two Persian inscriptions on it. One of the inscriptions dates back to 1460 CE, while the other is from 1583 CE. The tank and a large bell-capital dating back to the 1st century BCE can be seen on the nearby hill. Near the tomb are the remains of a medieval temple that survived as a pillared crypt. These are dedicated to Goddess Annapurna. Lohangi is a large rock right in the heart of Vidisha, within walking distance of the railway station, is of religious and historical significance in the region.
Udaygiri is less than 10km from Vidisha town. It is a series of at least 20 caves, containing both Hindu and Jain sculptures from the Gupta Era, sometime between the 4th and 5th century CE. According to Jain texts, Tirthankara Sheetal Nath attained nirvana here. It is basically a small hill where intricate sculptures have been cut out of the rocks.
Maladevi temple is a grand Portal of ninth century CE, situated on the eastern slope of a hill and built on a huge platform cut out of the hillside and strengthened by a massive retaining wall, Maladevi temple's imposing structure provides a panoramic valley view, in Gyaraspur, about 40km from Vidisha along NH-86.
Hindola Torana - Hindola means a swing and Torana is an arched gate - is a magnificent artwork of the 9th century or medieval period, situated in Gyaraspur. It is a developed, ornamental and decorated arched gate made of sandstone. On both of its pillars, Lord Vishnu's ten incarnations are engraved. Near it, four carved and sculpted pillars and beams seem to be the ruins of Trimurthy temple set on one raised platform, as Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha, Goddess Parvati and their servants are sculpted on these pillars and beams. The gate may be an entrance gate for a temple for Vishnu, Shiva or Thirumurthy.
Bajramath Temple is situated in Gyaraspur, on NH-146 behind the Sub-Judicial Magistrate and Tehsildar's Office. The temple faces the east, and was a Hindu temple later transformed into a Jain temple. It is just opposite the hill on which Maladevi temple is situated.
Dashavtar Temple is situated on the north of the local lake, where ruins of a group of small Vaishnava shrines can be found. These small Vaishnava shrines are popularly known as Sadhavatara Temple. The temple comprises a large open pillared hall, in which the pillars are dedicated to the ten incarnations of Vishnu. These pillars date back from 8th to 10th century CE. Towards the western bank of the lake lie the ruins of sati pillars that date back to 9th or 10th century CE. One of these pillars is carved with four sculptured faces that depict a seated group of Hara-Gauri.
Girdhari Temple, which is known for its sculptures and fine carvings, is a popular attraction in Sironj. The ancient shrines of Jatashankar and Mahamaya are located close to this temple. Jatashankar Temple is situated 3km towards the south-west of Sironj in the forest area. On the other hand, Mahamaya Temple is situated 5km south-west of Sironj.
Udayeshwara Temple, located in Udaipur village of the Basoda Tehsil, is one of the most prominent Hindu shrines in the region. The inscriptions found in this temple suggest that the Udaipur Town was founded by the Parmara King Udayaditya during the 11th century CE. Other inscriptions found at the temple suggest that Parmara King Udayaditya dedicated it to Lord Shiva.
Vidisha Museum or Vidisha District Museum is the main museum of the district and city of Vidisha. It is situated in the center of the city and about 400 meters away from Samrat Ashok Technological Institute (SATI).
The museum has many sculptures, terracottas and coins, especially from the 9th to the 10th century CE, as well as Harrappan art.
Government and politics
Vidisha is the name of District as well as Tehsil, the district administration is headed by the District Magistrate of Vidisha, who is the chief executive officer for the district and the Tehsil administration is headed by Tehsildar.
Vidisha is administered by the Municipal Council Vidisha (MCV) (also referred to as the Vidisha Municipality).
The MCV is headed by a president or chairperson, who serves for a term of five years, is chosen through an indirect election by the councillors from among themselves. After the 2022 election Preeti Rakesh Sharma is serving as the head of local government.
Economy
Agriculture
Agriculture is the primary economic activity, with most of the population engaged in farming.Major crops include wheat, soybean, maize, pulses, and oilseeds.
Much of the district lies within the Betwa River basin, providing ample irrigation facilities. The majority of the population depends on agriculture.
Industries
The economy includes industries related to agriculture, such as oilseeds processing, Dairy Products and flour mills.The region hosts small-scale industries producing soaps, detergents, chemicals, textiles and engineering (e.g., steel furniture, agricultural implements).
State Highway 19 connects the city to Bhind and Datia in the north, Bhopal (about 57 km) in the south-west and Chhindwara in the south. State Highway 29 starts from the city itself and connects to Garhi (about 42 km) and Gairatganj (about 50 km) in the east.
Rail
View of platform No.1
Vidisha railway station is a railway station on the Delhi-Chennai, Delhi-Mumbai main line of the Central Railway, at a distance of 54km from Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh. Sanchi on the Jhansi-Itarsi section of the West Central Railway and Bhopal to Bina triple electrified broad gauge lines, from Bina to Katni double electrified Lines, Vidisha 102km from Bina, and Vidisha, 9km from Sanchi, are more convenient.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Medical College, a medical college became functional in 2018 and received its first batch of students in the same year. The number of students admitted in 2018 was 150 whereas in 2019 the intake was increased to 180. Students are admitted to the college through NEET-UG examination.
Notable people
Historic
Maharani Devi (wife of Ashoka) – According to the Ceylonese chronicles, Ashoka's first wife was the daughter of a merchant of Vedisagiri (present-day Vidisha), Devi by name, whom Ashoka had married while he was Viceroy at Ujjain.
Atul Shah – He is a social worker and a key figure in multiple Non Governmental Organisations which includes Lions club Vidisha and Red cross Society Vidisha
↑O.P. Mishra, "Bijamaṇḍal and Carccikā: Tutelary Goddess of the Paramāra King Naravarman," Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 22, 1 (2012), pp. 107–113.
↑H. V. Trivedi, Inscriptions of the Paramāras, Chandellas, Kachchhapaghātas and Two Minor Dynasties, Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, volume 7 in 2 parts (New Delhi, 1978–91) 2: 120–122.
↑"Venerating Vāsudeva, as did Heliodor in the time of Antialkidas, should not be regarded as a "conversion" to Hinduism, but rather as the result for a search for the most helpful local powers, upholding own traditions in a foreign garb." in Falk, Harry. Greek style dedications. p.40.
India
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