- Location: Madhya Pradesh
- Languages: Hindi, Gondi
- Climate: Subtropical
- Temperature: In summers, it varies between 33 and 44 degree Celsius; in winter it fluctuates between 10 and 27 degree Celsius
- Altitude: 424 meters
- Major Attractions: Udyagiri Cave, Vijay Mandir
- Best Visiting Time: Months between September and March
Vidisha, the capital city of Sunga dynasty and carrying historical importance, is ideally located near the banks of rivers Beas and Betwa. In its hey days, it was a significant commercial center and was consequently ruled by dynasties like Guptas, Nagas, and Satavahanas. Kalidasa, the famous Sanskrit poet, has mentioned the city in his famous book Meghdoot. The city is a part of east Malwa region and is flanked by districts Guna, Sagar, and Raisen.
Down the Lane
The city found its mention in epic Ramayana where is stated that Shatrughati, son of Shatrughna was in charge of the city. The place is referred to as “Bhadravati” in the Brahmanical context. Emperor Ashoka arrived here while from Patliputra and met Devi who lived at Vidisha. The two married later on. After Maurya kingdom declined, the city remained under the rule of dynasty of the other, Apart from those mentioned above, Vakatakas, Parmars, Chalukyas, and Kanvas kept under their control. Later on, Mughal rulers made it a part of their territory. In 1904, it was bestowed the status of a district and apart from Vidisha, Basoda tehsil was also added to it. The other parts that were added later on were Kurwai, Sironj, and Piklone.
Economy
The city has agrarian economy even today. The main occupation is farming here and the waters of river Betwa is used as a source of irrigation. The main agricultural produce includes wheat, soybean, gram etc.
Cultural Festivals
The festivals that are important to the people of Vidisha are Shivaratri, Ramnavami. Tribals have their own set of festivals and celebrate every occasion with zeal and enthusiasm. Other important festivities that are part of city’s culture are Tansen festival, Ustad Allauddin Festival, Galois Samaroh, Kalidasa Samaroh, Maihar, and Ujjain Samaroh.
Attractions
Udayagiri Cave
These rock-cut caves are carved out of sandstone hill and are located at short distance from the city. The archeological excavations done at this place have brought into limelight numerous rock-cut temples and Buddhist sites that lie in its vicinity. The hill site is extended to about a kilometers and carry an elevation of about 110 meters from ground. At the premises of some of these ancient temples, you will see important inscriptions; while some of these are dated, the others carry no date on them. As you look at them, caves are constructed in the form of chambers that enshrine images of deities. Notice the significant influence of religions like Buddhism and Jainism over the architecture of these caves. Many of these were constructed during Gupta period and are adorned with embellished capitals and ornate gateways.
As you enter Cave 1, all structures of the cave including portico, roof cella, and frontage have been carved out of a piece of rock. The pillars here follow the exclusive pattern “vase & foliage”, a unique feature of Gupta art. The caves are characterized by carved facades and spaciousness.
Vijay Mandir Temple
Also called Bijamandal, this temple of 11th century, thus temple is dedicated to deity Charchika. A pillar here caries an inscription indicating that the deity revered here was goddess Charchika, who was also known as Vijaya. In later 17th century, the temple was ruined by the forces of Mughal king Aurangzeb. At the ransacked site, a mosque was erected.
Khamba Baba
This distinctive pillar was erected to the exalt the deity Vasudeva. The pillar was erected by Heliodorus who arrived in India during the rule of Bhagabhadra. The structure is the testimonial of the Indo-Greek relations that existed at that time.
Udayapur
This exclusive tourist destination lies at 90 kilometers from the city of Bhopal. Here, you can see Paramara architecture at its full bloom. The main highlight of the place is Neelkantheswar temple in the premises of which Sabha Mandapa, Garbhagriha, and entrance mandapa. Other attractions that are the highlight of Udayapur include Sher Khan Masjid, Sahi Masjid, and a few other temples.
Shalbhanjika
One of the other tourist attractions that will allure you by its rarity is sculpture of Vrishaka. This stone piece dates back to 8th century and is a priced possession of an archeological museum at Gwalior. The image is shown to be depicting its tribhanga pose; the face carries an expression of anxiety.
Sola-Kambi
This open temple has asset of 16 pillars in its interior. Located in Badoh, the temple has a plain roof and is a nice piece of ancient architecture.
Other Attractions
There are several other temples and monuments that adorn Vidisha. Gadarmal Temple is known for its towering height and is visible from a distance. It is situated in Badoh where a plethora of temples were erected. Another significant attraction that you can pay a visit to is Udayeshwara Temple. Bajramath temple is an important center of pilgrimage. Old temples of Mahamaya and Jatashankar are considered sacred to the devotees. Chandranath idol is yet another piece of attraction that will catch your attention while visiting Vidisha. Considered as the oldest one, the image is important from historical point of view; an inscription is present here and indicates that the image belongs to 155 AD.
Accommodation
A number of cheap accommodations are available at Vidisha and surrounding areas.
Vidisha’s beauty lies in its rock-cut temples and ancient architecture.