Rewa, Madhya Pradesh

Geography

Rewa is located on . It has an average elevation of 259 metres (853 feet). Rewa is situated on the banks of Bihad and Bichhiya river, it's on Rewa plateau surrounded by Vindhya and Kaimur ranges.

History

The district of Rewa derives its name from the town of Rewa, the district headquarters, which is another name for the Narmada River.

Present day Rewa was part of the Baghelkhand region which extended from the present day Prayagraj in the North to Ratanpur in the South, Jabalpur in the West to Surajpur in the East.

Baghel Dynasty

Baghel Dynasty was founded by Bhimaldev (son of Vyaghradev, the chieftain of Vyaghrapalli) in 1236 CE. Baghelas are basically Chalukyans of Anhilwara (Gujarat).

The region was earlier governed by Lodhi and Sengar chieftains of Rajgond Dynasty. Lodhi's Diwan Tiwari conspired with Baghelas and assisted in foundation of Baghela Rule in the Gahora Patti region. In return of this favour, Baghelas granted title of "Singh Tiwari" or "Adhrajiya Tiwari" to the Diwan Tiwari.

Raja Ramchandra shifted capital to Bandhavgarh, and later Raja Vikramjit Singh shifted capital to Rewa in 1605 CE.

Bandhavgarh Fort was sieged by Mughals. Tansen and Birbal (Mahesh Das) were in court of Ramchandra Singh Baghel.

Raghuraj Singh Baghel built Govindgarh Fort, which lies in between Govindgarh lake. Govindgarh is known for its varieties of mangoes.

Raja Gulab Singh was called "social reformer King" of Rewa. Raja Martand Singh was the last Baghela Ruler. Later, the state joined the Union of India, after independence.

Revolt of 1857

During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the princely state of Rewa, located in present-day Madhya Pradesh, witnessed significant yet complex developments. Although the broader uprising was marked by resistance to British colonial authority, Rewa's role in the rebellion was both supportive and suppressive in different contexts.

One of the most prominent figures in the region’s revolt was Thakur Ranmat Singh[1], a Sardar in the service of the Maharaja of Rewa and a native of Mankhari village in the present-day Satna district. Deeply disillusioned with British interference in the princely affairs of Rewa, particularly with the actions of the British Resident Political Agent, Willoughby Osborne, Ranmat Singh emerged as a regional leader of the anti-colonial movement.

Emboldened by the growing wave of rebellion across northern India, Ranmat Singh mobilized a force of approximately 2,000 rebels and launched an attack on Osborne’s bungalow. Although Osborne managed to escape, Ranmat Singh's rebellion continued to gain momentum. His forces engaged in several skirmishes across locations such as Nagod, Bhilsain, Chitrakoot, Nowgong, and Keoti—causing considerable concern to British authorities in the region.

Initially, the Maharaja of Rewa appeared to sympathize with the nationalist cause. However, under mounting pressure from the British administration, the Maharaja eventually turned against the rebellion. Viewing Ranmat Singh as a liability, the Maharaja facilitated his arrest. Thakur Ranmat Singh was charged with the murder of British officials and was ultimately executed by hanging in August 1859.

The episode underscores the internal contradictions faced by princely states during the 1857 rebellion. While figures like Ranmat Singh championed resistance to colonial rule, many ruling elites, including the Maharaja of Rewa, were compelled—or chose—to align with the British for political survival. This duality highlights the complex nature of the 1857 uprising, where local loyalties, colonial pressures, and nationalist sentiments often clashed.

Demographics

As of 2011, Rewa had a population of about 2,35,654 out of which 1,24,012 are males and 1,11,642 are females. Rewa has an average literacy rate of 86.31%, male literacy is 91.67%, and female literacy is 80.40%. In Rewa, 10.76% of the population is under 6 years old.

| other-label = Others | other-color = grey

Hindi, namely its dialect Bagheli, is the dominant spoken language in the city. A few people speak Urdu while there is also a large Sindhi community in the city.

Climate

| Jan record high C = 32.0 | Feb record high C = 36.5 | Mar record high C = 41.2 | Apr record high C = 45.0 | May record high C = 48.2 | Jun record high C = 47.5 | Jul record high C = 43.2 | Aug record high C = 39.4 | Sep record high C = 37.6 | Oct record high C = 38.6 | Nov record high C = 36.2 | Dec record high C = 32.4 |year record high C = | Jan record low C = 0.6 | Feb record low C = 1.6 | Mar record low C = 6.4 | Apr record low C = 11.6 | May record low C = 16.5 | Jun record low C = 20.1 | Jul record low C = 15.2 | Aug record low C = 20.3 | Sep record low C = 10.2 | Oct record low C = 9.0 | Nov record low C = 4.4 | Dec record low C = 1.9 |year record low C = 0.6 | access-date = April 8, 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200205040301/http://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/1981-2010%20CLIM%20NORMALS%20%28STATWISE%29.pdf | archive-date = 5 February 2020 | access-date = 28 December 2020}} | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200205042509/http://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/EXTREMES%20OF%20TEMPERATURE%20and%20RAINFALL%20upto%202012.pdf | archive-date = 5 February 2020 | access-date = 28 December 2020}}

Government And Administration

Government

Rewa city is part of Rewa assembly constituency, Rajendra Shukla is the MLA from here, He is from Bhartiy Janta Party . Rewa contributes one member to the Lok Sabha. The entire rewa Assembly is part of the Rewa Lok Sabha, Janardan Mishra Is an MP from Rewa, Bharatiya Janata Party had been elected as the Member of Parliament in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

Administration

Rewa is a Municipal Corporation city in district of Rewa, Madhya Pradesh. The Rewa city is divided into 45 wards for which elections are held every 5 years.

Rewa Municipal Corporation has total administration over 45,275 houses to which it supplies basic amenities like water and sewerage. It is also authorize to build roads within Municipal Corporation limits and impose taxes on properties coming under its jurisdiction.

Civic Utilities

Rewa is preparing to generate electricity from municipal waste. This work is on the shoulders of the waste management company Re Sustainability Limited (ReSL). This project aims to generate 12 MW of electricity via ReSL’s waste-to-energy plant, ensuring landfill waste reduction.

Culture/cityscape

• Rewa Fort - This fort is the main tourist attractions in Rewa. Behind it there are two rivers. Rewa Fort is the main hub of the city of Rewa, where the Rajpariwar of Rewa resides, the garden, art gallery and many historical buildings can be seen in this fort.
• Govindgarh Palace and Lake - Govindgarh, the summer capital of Mahraja Rewa, is about 18 km from Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, India. The palace complex contained many buildings and temples, and at one time housed Mohan, the first white tiger found in India. The palace remained in use for almost a century, with a museum later established in the building.
• White Tiger Safari & Zoo Mukundpur - It is one of the unique regions where the white tiger was originally found. The main attraction at the zoo is the world's first white tiger safari in which visitors can see white tigers.
• Keoti Waterfalls- Formed by the Mahana River, Keoti Waterfall cascades from a height of 130 meters (427 feet) from the Chitrakoot Hills. Located just 35 km from Rewa, the area around Keoti Fall is ecologically significant, with lush forests teeming with diverse flora and fauna, providing opportunities for wildlife spotting and nature photography.
• Bahuti Waterfall- Recognized as the highest waterfall in Madhya Pradesh, Bahuti Waterfall plunges from 198 meters (650 feet). It is formed by the River Odda (also known as Nihai), which joins the Belan River, a tributary of the Tons River.

Economy

A limestone belt runs through the Rewa, attracting plants like the Jaypee Rewa Cement Plant and Ultratech Cement.

Rewa Ultra Mega Solar is an operational ground mounted, grid-connected photovoltaic solar park spread over an area of 1,590 acres (6.9 km2) in the Gurh tehsil of Rewa district.The 750MW Rewa Ultra Mega Solar plant, one of the largest solar power projects in India was commissioned in July 2018.

Bansagar Dam provides sufficient amount of water for irrigation, due to which progress has been seen in the field of agriculture. The main crops are rice, wheat, and pulses.

The district exports fiber-optic cable, electrical parts, food, and manufactured goods.

The district is also a tourism destination.

Education institutions

There are many universities, colleges and institutes available in the field of education in Rewa, the major ones are :

• Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication, Established in 1990
• Shyam Shah Medical College, Established in 1968
• Rewa Engineering College, Established in 1964
• Sainik School, Rewa, Established in 1962
• Kendriya Vidhyalaya Rewa, Established in 1982
• Government Thakur Ranmat Singh College, Rewa, Established in 1869

Notable people

• Awadhesh Pratap Singh, former politician and Member of the Constituent Assembly
• Sriniwas Tiwari, former Speaker of Legislative assembly of Madhya Pradesh
• Rajendra Shukla, MLA and Deputy CM of Madhya Pradesh
• Ishwar Pandey, former Indian Cricketer
• Kuldeep Sen, Indian Cricketer
• Avani Chaturvedi, India's first female fighter pilot
• Mohena Singh, Indian Television actress
• Kumud Mishra, Indian actor
• Aayush Tiwari, Indian actor and Casting Director

Transportation

Air

Rewa Airport is a domestic airport which serves the city of rewa. It is located at Chorhata, 11 km (6.8 mi) away from city centre. It became operational after inauguration by Prime minister Narendra Modi on 20 October 2024. The airport is well connected by flights to Bhopal and Khajuraho operated by FlyBig. Under PM Paryatan Vayu Seva a 6-seater flight connects Rewa with Jabalpur, Bhopal and Singrauli runs twice a week.

Other major airports close to Rewa are Prayagraj Airport, Khajuraho Airport, Jabalpur Airport and Varanasi Airport.

Rail

Rewa railway station is the main railway station in Rewa city. The station consists of 5 platforms. The station is terminal on Satna-Rewa branch line which is a section of Howrah-Prayagraj-Mumbai line. The city is well connected via direct trains to major Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Vadodara, Bilaspur, Prayagraj, Kanpur, Surat, Rajkot, Nagpur, Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Sagar etc.

About 14 regular trains originate from this station. It consists of 7 superfast trains, 6 mail/express trains and 1 Vande Bharat Express.

Road

Rewa is well enclosed in a ring of National Highways. The highways crossing through the city are NH 7, NH 27, and NH 75 NH 30.

References

References

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