Datia, town (1991 pop. 64,477), Madhya Pradesh state, N central India. It is a district administrative center and a market for food grains and cotton products. Handloom weaving is an important industry. Datia's large square palace (17th cent.) is one of the finest examples of Hindu architecture in N India.

Datia is a city and a municipality in Datia district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the administrative center of Datia District. It was formerly the seat of the eponymous princely state in the British Raj. Datia is situated near Gwalior and on the border with Uttar Pradesh (U.P); the town of Jhansi in U.P. is only about 25 km away.

The old town is surrounded by a stone wall, enclosing handsome palaces and gardens; the 17th century palace of Bir Singh Deo is one of the finest examples of Hindu domestic architecture available in north India.

History

Datia had formerly been a state in the bundelkhand region.The ruling family were Rajputs of the Bundela clan; they descended from a younger son of a former raja of Orchha. The state was administered as part of the Bundelkhand agency of Central India. It lay in the extreme north-west of Bundelkhand, near Gwalior, and was surrounded on all sides by other princely states of Central India, except on the east where it bordered upon the United Provinces. It was second highest in the rank of all the Bundela states after Orchha, with a 15-gun salute, and its Maharajas bore the hereditary title of Second of the Princes of Bundelkhand. The land area of the state was 2130 mi² its population in 1901 was 1759. It enjoyed an estimated revenue of £2,00,000/. The state suffered from famine in 1896-97, and again to a lesser extent in 1899-1900.

After India's independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Datia acceded unto the dominion of India; it later merged with the union of India. Datia, together with the rest of the Bundelkhand agency, became part of the new state of Vindhya Pradesh in 1950. In 1956, Vindhya Pradesh state was merged with certain other areas to form the state of Madhya Pradesh within the Union of India.

Geography

Datia is located at . It has an average elevation of 302 metres (990 feet).

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Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Datia had a population of 82,742. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Datia has an average literacy rate of 68%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 75% and, female literacy is 60%. In Datia, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Culture

Datia is best known for the Pitambara Peeth, temple of the goddess Peetaambara Bagalamukhi. and Jain Temples(Sonagir)

External links

• Government website on Datia district
• Genealogy of the ruling chiefs of Datia

References