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History of Singrauli

Singrauli is the 50th district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, which covers a region comprising of the eastern part of the Sidhi district in Madhya Pradesh and the adjoining region in Sonebhadra district in Uttar Pradesh. Historically Singrauli belonged to the princely state of Rewa, a part of the Baghelkhad region. Singrauli has a history spanning from the emergence of pre-historic man to the present age of industrialization.

History of Singrauli

It is a region with abundance of natural & mineral resources Due to abundance of mineral resources and thermal power plants it is nicknamed as Urjanchal- the land of energy. While modern industries dominate the region today, the history of Singrauli is as colorful and interesting as is the promising future.

Origin of the name

Singrauli was originally called Shringavalli, named after the sage Shringi. Sage Shringi was the legendary Hindu saint of the Ramayan era of ancient India.Singrauli in the pre-independence period belonged to the princely Rewa estate. It was the most treacherous region in the state, covered with dense forests and inhospitable terrain, which made it almost impossible to traverse. It was due to this that the kings of the Rewa estate used Singrauli as an open-air prison to detain errant civilians and officers.

Singrauli during Ancient Periods

The history of Singrauli can be traced back to the early man who inhabited the dense jungles of the region. At Dholagiri and Goura pahad of Chitrangi tehsil of Singrauli you can find painted rock shelters belong to the Mesolithic age of Microlithic implements culture.These rock paintings depicts the early beliefs of the prehistoric human beings. Made of red Ochre they reflect the evolution of Indian art in the subcontinent. Besides painted rock shelters you can find centuries old beautiful rock caves. At Mada which is 32 km from waidhan you can find artistically carved Rock cut caves dating back to 7-8th century A.D.Famous caves include Ganesh Mada, Vivah Mada, Shankar mada, Jaljalia and Ravan Mada.These caves are beautiful examples of rock cut archutecture.

Singrauli during Medieval Periods

In the early 6th -12th century, Singrauli came under the Sidhi district and had three separate rulers ruling three different regions of the district, of which Singrauli was ruled by Rajasahab of Kalachuri dynasty.Later on the region came under the Rajput Baghelas of Kasauta, Rewa. They continued to rule over the region till independence in 1947.

Rock carvings of deities

Singrauli during the British Rule

Though Singrauli remained under the princely state of Rewa and had slight autonomy in governance, most of the administrative rule was carried over by the British. During British Rule, Rewa came under the Baghelkhand agency which was merged with the Bundelkhand agency in 1931. During the British rule, the area gained commercial importance due to the presence of timber. The dense forests of the region had abundance of the resource, which was in heavy demand for construction in the railway and locomotive industry. This was Singrauli’s first tryst with the outside world. Later, Captain Rabthan, invented the possibility of mining in the region when he found deposits of coal in the region. He opened the first open cast mine in Singrauli at Kotav in 1857. It was an ideal region for mining with the abundance of coal resources, river Son for transportation of timber and coal and a well laid out Railway network.

Archeological history of Singrauli

Archeological evidences from the region point out to the ancient origins of this city. For a very long period of its known history this was a land lost in time, nestled among the jungles and treacherous terrain. The painted rock shelters of Chitrangi go way back into the 7th- 8th century. The rock caves of Mada are rock cut caves most of single rock and are devoted to various gods. Some of the rock caves also are rich source of knowledge about our cultural heritage like the Vivah Mada, famed to be the place where the wedding of Lord Rama and Sita took place. Other rock caves like the Ganesh Mada, Ravan Mada etc. so important from the scope of iconography that it has been declared as protected monuments by the State government.

In modern times, the city has grown as an important centre of mining and industry. And with the onset of industrialization the famed ‘temples of Modern India’- the dams like the Rihand dam, inaugurated by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962 etc have completely changed the look of the city. On 24th May 2008 Singrauli became the 50th district of Madhya Pradesh. With its headquarters at Waidhan it was formed after dividing it from Sidhi district. With three districts Singrauli, Deosar and Chitrangi it is one of the fastest growing economic regions in Madhya Pradesh.


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