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Dewas

Coordinates: 22°58′N 76°04′E / 22.96°N 76.06°E / 22.96; 76.06
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This article is about the city in Madhya Pradesh, India. For its namesake district, see Dewas district.
For other uses, see Dewas (disambiguation).

Dewas
City
Dewas is located in Madhya Pradesh
Dewas
Dewas
Dewas is located in India
Dewas
Dewas
Coordinates: 22°58′N 76°04′E / 22.96°N 76.06°E / 22.96; 76.06
Country India
State Madhya Pradesh
DistrictDewas
TehsilDewas
Government
 • TypeMunicipal Corporation
 • BodyDewas Municipal Corporation
Area
 • Total
50 km2 (20 sq mi)
 • Rank900th
Elevation
535 m (1,755 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total
289,550
 • Rank6th (in Madhya Pradesh)
 • Density5,800/km2 (15,000/sq mi)
DemonymDewasi[citation needed]
Language
 • OfficialHindi[2]
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
455001 to 455005
Telephone code91-(0)727
ISO 3166 codeMP-IN
Vehicle registrationMP-41
Websitedewas.nic.in
Sayaji-Dwar, Dewas
Sayaji-Dwar, Dewas
Dewas City View From Tekri Hilltop
Dewas City View From Tekri Hilltop

Dewas is a city in the Malwa region of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The municipality was formerly the seat of two 15-Gun Salute state princely states during the British Raj, Dewas Junior state and Dewas Senior state, ruled by the Pawar clan of the Marathas.[3] The city is the administrative capital of Dewas district. Dewas is an industrialised city and houses a government bank note press.[4][5]

Etymology

An old photograph of Goddess Chamunda Mata's Temple on Dewas Tekri (Hill).

The name Dewas is derived from the Devi Vaishini hill in the city, commonly known as Tekri.[6] The hill has a temple of the deities Devi Tulja Bhawani, Chamunda Mata and Kalika Mata. The word Dewas is believed to be a sandhi of the words Dev (deity) and Vas (abode in Marathi), so Dewas means house of the god. Swami Shivom Tirtha wrote the history of the hill (Tekri ) of Dewas in his book, Sadhan Shikhar. Inspired by the area, E.M. Forster wrote The Hill of Devi in 1953.[7]

The district takes its name from its headquarters town, Dewas, which is said to be derived from the legend that Dewas rests at the foot of a 300-foot (91 m) conical hill known as Chamunda hill on whose summit is the shrine of Goddess Chamunda. The image of the goddess is cut into the wall of a cave, known as Devi Vashini or the goddess's residence. From this, the name Dewas (dev-vas) seems to have been derived.[8]

History

Main article: Dewas State
See also: Dewas Junior, Dewas Senior, Dhar State, Indore State, and Gwalior State

Dewas was formerly the capital of two princely states of British India. The original state was founded in the first half of the 18th century by the brothers Tukaji Rao (Senior) and Jivaji Rao (Junior), from the Pawar clan of the Marathas. They had advanced into Malwa with the Maratha Peshwa, Baji Rao, in 1728. The brothers divided the territory among themselves; their descendants ruled as the senior and junior branches of the family. After 1841, each branch ruled its own portion as a separate state, though the lands belonging to each were intimately entangled; in Dewas, the capital town, the two sides of the main street were under different administrations and had different arrangements water supply and lighting.

The senior branch had an area of 446 sq mi (1,160 km2) and a population of in 62,312 in 1901, while the area of the junior branch was 440 sq mi (1,100 km2) and had a population of 54,904 that same year.[9] Both Dewas states were in the Malwa Agency of the Central India Agency.

Dewas Junior and Dewas Senior Darbars (Courts) was composed of Sardars, Mankaris, Istamuradars, Thakurs and Jagirdars.[10][11]

  • The Old Palace (Rajwada) of Dewas Junior.
    The Old Palace (Rajwada) of Dewas Junior.
  • The Durga Bagh Palace, Dewas Junior State.
    The Durga Bagh Palace, Dewas Junior State.
  • Shree Lakshmi Narayan Bhawan Club, Dewas Junior State.
    Shree Lakshmi Narayan Bhawan Club, Dewas Junior State.
  • Shree Narayan Tower, Dewas Junior State. The Clock Tower is named after HH Raja Srimant Narayanrao (Dada Sahib) Puar of Dewas Junior State.
    Shree Narayan Tower, Dewas Junior State. The Clock Tower is named after HH Raja Srimant Narayanrao (Dada Sahib) Puar of Dewas Junior State.
  • The Gate at Shree Malhar, The Residence of His Holiness Shri Shilnath Maharaj.
    The Gate at Shree Malhar, The Residence of His Holiness Shri Shilnath Maharaj.
  • The Law Courts, Dewas Junior State.
    The Law Courts, Dewas Junior State.
  • HH Raja Narayan Rao Pawar with Dewas Junior Nobility (Sardars, Mankaris, Thakurs and Jagirdars).
    HH Raja Narayan Rao Pawar with Dewas Junior Nobility (Sardars, Mankaris, Thakurs and Jagirdars).

After India's independence in 1947, the Maharajas of Dewas (Jr. & Sr.) acceded to India, and their states were integrated into Madhya Bharat, which became a state of India in 1950. Later, in 1956, Madhya Bharat was merged into Madhya Pradesh state.[12]

Geography

Dewas lies northeast of Indore, southeast of Ujjain, and southwest of Shajapur. The city is located on the level plains of the Malwa plateau; to the south, the land rises gently to the Vindhya Range, which is the source of the Chambal and Kali Sindh rivers that flow north through the district on their way to the Ganges. The main river in Dewas is Kshipra.

Climate data for Dewas
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 26.5
(79.7) 		29.3
(84.7) 		34
(93) 		38.1
(100.6) 		40.4
(104.7) 		36.3
(97.3) 		29.7
(85.5) 		28.5
(83.3) 		29.7
(85.5) 		31.7
(89.1) 		29.3
(84.7) 		27.1
(80.8) 		40.4
(104.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 18.3
(64.9) 		20.5
(68.9) 		25.1
(77.2) 		29.7
(85.5) 		33
(91) 		30.6
(87.1) 		26.3
(79.3) 		25.4
(77.7) 		25.6
(78.1) 		24.7
(76.5) 		21
(70) 		18.7
(65.7) 		24.9
(76.8)
Record low °C (°F) 10.2
(50.4) 		11.8
(53.2) 		16.2
(61.2) 		21.3
(70.3) 		25.6
(78.1) 		24.9
(76.8) 		22.9
(73.2) 		22.3
(72.1) 		21.5
(70.7) 		17.7
(63.9) 		12.7
(54.9) 		10.4
(50.7) 		10.2
(50.4)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 9
(0.4) 		2
(0.1) 		7
(0.3) 		3
(0.1) 		7
(0.3) 		122
(4.8) 		327
(12.9) 		274
(10.8) 		240
(9.4) 		30
(1.2) 		13
(0.5) 		5
(0.2) 		1,039
(41)
Source: climate-data.org [13]

Dewas has been ranked 15th best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 3 population under 3 lakhs cities) in India.[14]

Demographics

See also: List of cities in Madhya Pradesh

[needs update] As of the census, Dewas had a total population of 289,550, of which 150,081 were males and 139,469 were females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 35,437. The total number of literates in Dewas was 215,088, which constituted 74.3% of the population with male literacy of 79.9% and female literacy of 68.3%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Dewas was 84.6%, of which male literacy rate was 91.1% and female literacy rate was 77.7%. The Scheduled Castes population was 56,366, while the Scheduled Tribes population was 9,861. Dewas had 57,397 households in 2011.[1]

Administration

Dewas Collectorate (originally known as Lakshmi Niwas Palace of Dewas Junior. This was illegally demolished by the local administration in March 2023, despite an ongoing case and strong opposition by the citizens of Dewas.)

[15] The Member of Parliament from Dewas is Mahendra Singh Solanki of BJP who was elected in the Lok Sabha Election 2019.[16] As of the 2018 Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, the member of the Legislative Assembly for Dewas is Gayatri Raje Pawar.[17]

Industry

Dewas was known for being a production centre of retail opium in the 1800s, as noted in the 1895 first report of the Royal Commission on Opium.[18] Rapid industrialisation took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but due to inadequate infrastructure, the pace has slowed since the late 1980s. In recent years, some industries have closed their operations due to a shortage of sufficient infrastructure to support growth; there is a shortage of water due to excessive usage in previous decades.[citation needed]

The city has many industrial units providing employment to thousands of workers. The largest companies include Tata International, Kirloskar, John Deere, Eicher Motors, Gajra Gears,[19] Cummins Turbo Technologies, STI Sanoh Steel Tubes Plant and Coparo Steel Tubes Unit. Dewas is known as the Soy Capital of India and is a major part of the soy bean processing industry in the country with major Soyabean Products brands like Kriti Nutrients, Prestige Agro-Tech, Mittal Soya Protein, Adani Agri Logistics etc.[citation needed]

Dewas is also one of the prominent Pharmaceutical Hubs of Madhya Pradesh and India as well with many pharmaceutical products manufacturing facilities and labs in Industrial areas of Dewas. Industrial Manufacturing Units of Ranbaxy Laboratories and Sun Pharma Industries are also situated here.

Electricity Generating Dewas Wind Hills
Electricity Generating Dewas Wind Hills

Due to its location above sea level at one corner of the Malwa plateau, constant wind flows in the region are suitable for harvesting wind energy. There are more than 100 wind mills on a series of hills 13 km (8.1 mi) from Dewas, generating around 60 megawatts (MW) of power. These were financed by a few private companies (mainly Suzlon Energy) which sought a reliable power supply.[20][21][22]

Main Gate of Bank Note Press
Main Gate of Bank Note Press Dewas

A unit of Indian Currency Printing of Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL) is situated in Dewas. Also known as Bank Note Press Dewas (BNP). It is an industrial unit of SPMCIL, established in the year 1974 is wholly owned by Government of India, Ministry of Finance and Department of Economic Affairs. Bank Note Press Dewas prints Indian Currency Notes (known as Indian Rupee or INR; Symbol: '₹') of denominations ₹50, ₹100, ₹500 and ₹2000 and is capable of printing Bank Notes of any denomination. The bank notes are printed with high security features which are necessary to impede forgery and to meet the essential standards of Reserve Bank of India. The unit has skilled and trained manpower totaling around 1400 employees in production. BNP campus is spread over an area of 185 hectares of land. In addition to the high security printing complex, there is a specialized Ink factory unit which produces Security Inks for BNP Dewas and other units of SPMCIL for the printing of other government documents. There is also a residential complex with nearly 1400 quarters for employees to reside. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) provides security and fire coverage for the printing complex and transportation of bank note consignments.

Media

In terms of print media, Satyakaar a daily evening newspaper is published from Dewas. Along with this, newspapers like Dainik Bhaskar, Naidunia, Patrika etc. published from Indore are also circulated here.

Transportation

Rail

Dewas Junction (station code: DWX) is the main railway junction of Dewas city. It is a 'B' Grade Railway Junction, under the Ratlam division of the Western Railways zone. It is well connected to nearby junctions such as Indore Junction (INDB) to the north-west and Ujjain Junction (UJN) south-west, via an electrified rail line. It is situated on Indore–Gwalior line rail line.

Road

Dewas is well connected to major cities across the state and country, via both National and State level highways. NH-47 and NH-52 connects Dewas to Indore and other cities of Madhya Pradesh. MP SH-18 connects Dewas to Bhopal, Ujjain and Ahmedabad.

Air

Dewas does not have an airport or an airstrip of its own. The nearest airport is Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport in Indore, which is about 40 km (25 mi) away by road. An airport is proposed to be built in Dewas district at Chapda village. Construction of the airport is stated to begin soon as of 2022.[23]

Places of interest

See also: Dewas district § Places of interest

Dewas is known for the Devi Chamunda temple and the Devi Tulaja Bhavani temple situated on a 300-foot (91 m) hilltop (Tekri). A broad flight of stone steps leads to two shrines to the goddesses, Choti Mata (Chamunda Mata) and Badi Mata (Tulja Bhavani Mata). Numerous other temples spread over the Tekri can be explored on foot.[24][25]

  • Shri Sheelnath Dhuni at the Tekri foothills is a place of worship for followers of Saint Sheelnath Maharaj's of Gorakh Nath Sumpradaya. Sheelnath Maharaj belonged to a royal family of Jaipur and later became a Yogi of Gorakh Nath Sumpradaya, who lived in Dewas in his old age.[26]
  • The Pawar Chatries near the Meetha talab of Dewas are examples of Maratha architecture in the area.[27]
  • Kailadevi temple at Dewas is the largest in the state. It is situated at Mishri Lal Nagar (Agra Bombay Road). It was established in December 1995 by businessman Mannulal Garg. This modern temple was built by South Indian artists; it houses a 51-foot (16 m) statue of Lord Hanuman. The original Kaila Devi Temple is located on the banks of the Kalisil river in Karauli district of Rajasthan. The temple is devoted to the tutelary deity of the former princely rulers of the Karauli state, Kaila.[28][29]
  • Mahadev mandir is a temple in Shankar Gadh built by the Dewas ruler Shrimant Sadashive Rao Maharaja (Khase Saheb) in 1942. The temple is located on a small hill south of the city.[30]
  • Mahakaleshwar temple, Bilwali - Bilavali village is situated 3 km north of Dewas.[30]
  • Night-view of Dewas City from Tekri Hilltop
    Night-view of Dewas City from Tekri Hilltop
  • Maa Chamunda at Tekri, Dewas
    Maa Chamunda at Tekri, Dewas
  • Maa Tulja Bhawani at Terki Dewas
    Maa Tulja Bhawani at Terki Dewas
  • Maa Tulja Bhawani Temple, Tekri Dewas
    Maa Tulja Bhawani Temple, Tekri Dewas
  • Maa Chamunda Mata Temple, Tekri Dewas
    Maa Chamunda Mata Temple, Tekri Dewas

Notable people

  • A rare photograph of the 3 successive Maharajas of Dewas Junior State. (L to R - HH Maharaja Sadashiv Rao Puar, HH Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Puar and HH Maharaja Malhar Rao Puar)
    A rare photograph of the 3 successive Maharajas of Dewas Junior State. (L to R - HH Maharaja Sadashiv Rao Puar, HH Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Puar and HH Maharaja Malhar Rao Puar)
  • Maharaja Tukoji Rao III Puar of Dewas Senior
    Maharaja Tukoji Rao III Puar of Dewas Senior

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Census of India: Dewas". www.censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  2. ^ "52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India" (PDF). nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  3. ^ Meyer, William Stevenson, Sir; Burn, Richard, Sir; Cotton, James Sutherland; Risley, Sir Herbert Hope. Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 11. p. 278.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "Bank Note Press (BNP) Dewas". SPMCIL. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  5. ^ "Amid cash crisis, Bank Note Press ropes in retired employees". 11 December 2016.
  6. ^ "Dewas : The Dream City - About Us". Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  7. ^ Forster, Edward Morgan (1 January 1953). The Hill of Devi. Harcourt, Brace. ISBN 9780156402651.
  8. ^ "Geography". dic.mp.nic.in. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  9. ^  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Dewas". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 137.
  10. ^ Madan, T.N. (1988). Way of Life: King, Householder, Renouncer : Essays in Honour of Louis Dumont. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 129. ISBN 9788120805279. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  11. ^ Russell, Robert Vane (1916). "Pt. II. Descriptive articles on the principal castes and tribes of the Central Provinces".
  12. ^ "History Of Dewas". dic.mp.nic.in. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  13. ^ "Dewas climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Dewas weather averages - Climate-Data.org". Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  14. ^ "Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2024" (PDF). Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2024. 7 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Madhya Pradesh: Maratha community protests demolition of collector office building in Dewas". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  16. ^ "Dewas Lok Sabha Election Results 2019: Dewas Election Result 2019 | Dewas Winning MP & Party | Dewas Lok Sabha Seat". Business Standard. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  17. ^ "DEWAS Election Result 2018, Winner, DEWAS MLA, Madhya Pradesh". Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  18. ^ First Report of the Royal Commission on Opium: With Minutes of Evidence and Appendices... H.M. Stationery Office. 1894. p. 149. dewas city.
  19. ^ "Transmission and Differential Gears, Gearboxes - Gajra Gears Pvt. Limited - A Gajra Group Company, Indore Indiaes". www.gajra.com.
  20. ^ "Handy Craft". dic.mp.nic.in. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  21. ^ "Wind Energy". dic.mp.nic.in. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  22. ^ "BANKS". dic.mp.nic.in. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  23. ^ "Plan for construction of green field airport to be implemented". Daily Pioneer. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  24. ^ "जिला प्रशासन देवास, मध्य प्रदेश शासन | उद्योगों का शहर". dewas.nic.in (in Hindi). Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  25. ^ "Dewas Mata Tekari". indoremerijaan.in. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017.
  26. ^ "Ashram Center for Shaktipat". Narayan Kuti Sanyas Ashram. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  27. ^ "Meetha Talab - Improvement and beautification" (PDF) (in Hindi). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  28. ^ "DEWAS : The city of goddess". Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  29. ^ "Dewas - Ghumakkar - Inspiring travel experiences". Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  30. ^ a b "Religious places of Dewas". Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
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