Chhindwara District occupies 4% of the state, and ranks first in area in
Madhya Pradesh. It is located in the south-west region of the
Satpura mountain range. Chhindwara has an area of 11,800 sq km and a population around 1.6 million.
Most of the population is tribal. The tribal communities include Gond, Pardhan, Bharia and Korku. The common languages are Hindi,
Marathi, Gondi,
Urdu, Korku, Musai, and Parvari.
It is believed that once upon a time Chhindwara District was full of 'Chhind' (date-palm) trees, and the place was named 'Chhind'-'Wada' (wada means place).
The main festivals are Pola, Bhujalia, Akhadi, and Harijyoti. Mahadev Mela (on
Shivratri) is another famous festival celebrated. Chief tourist destinations are Patalkot, State Tribal Museum,
Chota Mahadev Cave, Deogarh Fort,
Lilahi Waterfall, and
Kukdi Khapa Waterfall.
