Madhya Pradesh (MP), which literally means the central land, acquired its name primarily because of its location – it is situated in the heart of India. It is also the largest state in India in terms of area, sprawling across a massive 443,450sq km, which makes it twice as big as the United Kingdom. and that, mind you, is just a single state in India. Hills, plateaus, plains, rivers, forest – you name it and this state has it.

To the west and south lies Malwa whose historical roots are traced back to antiquity to the Malwa homeland mentioned in ancient Buddhist literature. Ujjain, Indore and Mandu fall in this region. The present Malwa, particularly its eastern and south-eastern parts became culturally and economically more affluent than the other parts of Madhya Pradesh because of its connection with the north-western main route along which developed historically famous towns of Ahar, Kalibanga and Harrapa.