Jabalpur city, the administrative headquarters of
Jabalpur District and division, is a major regional metropolis in
Madhya Pradesh, with a teeming population.
Jabalpur is steeped in history - references about this city can be found in the epic of
Mahabharata. During the reign of the Hayahaya rulers, the city was known as Tripuri. It was the erstwhile capital of the Kalchuri dynasty and the Gondas since the 13th century. Though the town withstood the
Mughal invasion of the 16th century, it eventually fell to the Marathas in 1739. The city was taken over by the British in 1817. They put up a cantonment there and made Jabalpur the commission headquarters of the Narmada territories.
Now Jabalpur is the center of administration, trade and commerce in the state and is the headquarters of the
West Central Railway Zone and the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The ordinance factory and defense establishments that were set up in the early 20th century boost the economy of the state. There are also a number of small and large scale industries ranging from traditional ones to high profile ventures.
Jabalpur is ideal for visits to the famous Kanha (165 km) and Bandhavgarh (164 km) National Parks. Tourist attractions nearby include the sanctuary of Mala Devi, Marble rocks on river Narmada and Tilwaraghat.
Jabalpur is connected to the cities of Nagpur,
Raipur, Bhopal, Allahabad and Sagar via
National Highway 7. It is also a major rail head on the Allahabad-
Itarsi section of the Howrah-Mumbai main line. Direct trains are available to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Howrah. Dumna Airport is situated 20 km from the city center.
