Candles in Madhya Pradesh (State)

Madhya Pradesh is a state of India located in the central region of the country, being the second largest state by area and the sixth most populous with about 75 million inhabitants. Currently its capital is Bohpal and its largest city is Indore while its territory has been historically dominated by the Mahajanapada empire and important dynasties as the Mauryans, the Mughals and the Marathas before being conquered by the British Empire. The state was established after Indian independence with Nagpur as capital, changing to the current in 1956, while up to the year 2000 was the largest state in the country until its reorganization that allowed Rajasthan to take its place.

Madhya Pradesh is an unique destination for tourism because its huge number of unique attractions. First, the state has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi, the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka and the Khajuraho Group of Monuments. But the state also offers visitors authentic natural paradise including nine national parks like Bandhavgarh National Park, Sanjay National Park or Mandla Plant Fossils National Park, numerous nature reserves such as the Bagh Caves, the Bori Natural Reserve, Kuno Palpur or Tamia and three biosphere reserves as Pachmarhi, Amarkantak and Panna National Park. In its vast territory tourism can also enjoy significant cultural heritage like the palaces of Badal Mahal in Chanderi, Dinman Hardol in Orchha or Gauhar Mahal in Bhopal, forts such as Asigarh in Burhanpur, Ater in Bhind or Chauragarh in Jabalpur, museums such as the Birla Archaeological of Bhopal, the Baghela dinasty's in Rewa or Central antique Museum at Indore. The religious buildings include the Bada Ganesh ka Mandir Temple in Ujjain, the Baneshwar water shrine Temple in Maheshwar or the Karna Math Mandir Temple in Amarkantak, to name just a few examples.

With such a wide territory, Madhya Pradesh's cuisine can vary greatly from one region to the other, with predominance of meat and wheat in the north and west, and rice and fish in the south and east. Traditional dishes include rogan josh, korma and biryani of Bhopal, and Dal bafla and poha of Indore. The state's economy is based mainly on agriculture, with important productions of wheat, sugarcane, rice, cotton and mustard, among others, while also has significant mineral reserves of diamond, copper, coal and manganese.