Dewas

This article is about the city in Madhya Pradesh, India. For its namesake district, see Dewas district.

For other uses, see Dewas (disambiguation).

Dewas is a city in the Malwa region of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The municipality was formerly the seat of two 15-Gun Salute state princely states during the British Raj, Dewas Junior state and Dewas Senior state, ruled by the Pawar clan of the Marathas.^[3] The city is the administrative capital of Dewas district. Dewas is an industrialised city and houses a government bank note press.^[4][5]

Dewas
City
Sayaji-Dwar, Dewas Dewas City View From Tekri Hilltop
Dewas Show map of Madhya Pradesh Dewas Show map of India
Coordinates: 22.96°N 76.06°E / 22.96; 76.06
Country	India
State	Madhya Pradesh
District	Dewas
Tehsil	Dewas
Government
• Type	Municipal Corporation
• Body	Dewas Municipal Corporation
Area
• Total	50 km2 (19 sq mi)
• Rank	900th
Elevation	535 m (1,755 ft)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	289,550
• Rank	6th (in Madhya Pradesh)
• Density	5,800/km2 (15,000/sq mi)
Demonym	Dewasi[citation needed]
Language
• Official	Hindi[2]
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	455001 to 455005
Telephone code	91-(0)727
ISO 3166 code	MP-IN
Vehicle registration	MP-41
Website	dewas.nic.in

Etymology

An old photograph of Goddess Chamunda Mata's Temple on Dewas Tekri (Hill).

The name Dewas is derived from the Devi Vashini hill in the city, commonly known as Tekri.^[6] The hill has a temple of the deities Devi Tulja Bhawani, Chamunda Mata and Kalika Mata. The word Dewas is believed to be a sandhi of the words Dev (deity) and Vas (abode in Marathi), so Dewas means abode of the gods. Swami Shivom Tirtha wrote the history of the hill (Tekri ) of Dewas in his book, Sadhan Shikhar. Inspired by the area, E.M. Forster wrote The Hill of Devi in 1953.^[7]

The district takes its name from its headquarters town, Dewas, which is said to be derived from the legend that Dewas rests at the foot of a 300 ft (91 m) conical hill known as Chamunda hill, on whose summit is the shrine of Goddess Chamunda. The image of the goddess is cut into the wall of a cave, known as Devi Vashini or the goddess's residence. From this, the name Dewas (dev-vas) seems to have been derived.^[8]

History

Main article: Dewas State

See also: Dewas Junior, Dewas Senior, Dhar State, Indore State, and Gwalior State

Dewas was formerly the capital of two princely states of British India. The original state was founded in the first half of the 18th century by the brothers Tukaji Rao (senior) and Jivaji Rao (junior), from the Pawar clan of the Marathas. They had advanced into Malwa with the Maratha Peshwa, Baji Rao, in 1728. The brothers divided the territory among themselves; their descendants ruled as the senior and junior branches of the family. After 1841, each branch ruled its own portion as a separate state, though the lands belonging to each were intimately entangled; in Dewas, the capital town, the two sides of the main street were under different administrations and had different arrangements water supply and lighting.

In 1901, the senior branch had an area of 446 sq mi (1,160 km²) and a population of 62,312, while the area of the junior branch was 440 sq mi (1,100 km²) and had a population of 54,904.^[9] Both Dewas states were in the Malwa Agency of the Central India Agency.

Dewas Junior and Dewas Senior durbars (courts) were composed of Sardars, Mankaris, Istamuradars, Thakurs and Jagirdars.^[10][11]

• 
  The Old Palace (Rajwada) of Dewas Junior.
• 
  The Durga Bagh Palace, Dewas Junior State.
• 
  Shree Lakshmi Narayan Bhawan Club, Dewas Junior State.
• 
  Shree Narayan Tower, Dewas Junior State. The Clock Tower is named after HH Raja Srimant Narayanrao (Dada Sahib) Puar of Dewas Junior State.
• 
  The Gate at Shree Malhar, The Residence of His Holiness Shri Shilnath Maharaj.
• 
  The Law Courts, Dewas Junior State.
• 
  HH Raja Narayan Rao Pawar with Dewas Junior Nobility (Sardars, Mankaris, Thakurs and Jagirdars).

After India's independence in 1947, the Maharajas of Dewas (Jr. & Sr.) acceded to India, and their states were integrated into Madhya Bharat, which became a state of India in 1950. Later, in 1956, Madhya Bharat was merged into the state of Madhya Pradesh.^[12]

Geography

Dewas lies northeast of Indore, southeast of Ujjain, and southwest of Shajapur. The city is located on the level plains of the Malwa plateau; to the south, the land rises gently to the Vindhya Range, which is the source of the Chambal and Kali Sindh rivers that flow north through the district on their way to the Ganges. The main river in Dewas is Kshipra.

v t e Climate data for Dewas
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	26.5 (79.7)	29.3 (84.7)	34 (93)	38.1 (100.6)	40.4 (104.7)	36.3 (97.3)	29.7 (85.5)	28.5 (83.3)	29.7 (85.5)	31.7 (89.1)	29.3 (84.7)	27.1 (80.8)	40.4 (104.7)
Daily mean °C (°F)	18.3 (64.9)	20.5 (68.9)	25.1 (77.2)	29.7 (85.5)	33 (91)	30.6 (87.1)	26.3 (79.3)	25.4 (77.7)	25.6 (78.1)	24.7 (76.5)	21 (70)	18.7 (65.7)	24.9 (76.8)
Record low °C (°F)	10.2 (50.4)	11.8 (53.2)	16.2 (61.2)	21.3 (70.3)	25.6 (78.1)	24.9 (76.8)	22.9 (73.2)	22.3 (72.1)	21.5 (70.7)	17.7 (63.9)	12.7 (54.9)	10.4 (50.7)	10.2 (50.4)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	9 (0.4)	2 (0.1)	7 (0.3)	3 (0.1)	7 (0.3)	122 (4.8)	327 (12.9)	274 (10.8)	240 (9.4)	30 (1.2)	13 (0.5)	5 (0.2)	1,039 (41)
Source: climate-data.org [13]

Demographics

See also: List of cities in Madhya Pradesh

^{[needs update]} As of the census, Dewas had a total population of 289,550, of which 150,081 were males and 139,469 were females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 35,437. The total number of literates in Dewas was 215,088, which constituted 74.3% of the population with male literacy of 79.9% and female literacy of 68.3%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Dewas was 84.6%, of which male literacy rate was 91.1% and female literacy rate was 77.7%. The Scheduled Castes population was 56,366, while the Scheduled Tribes population was 9,861. Dewas had 57,397 households in 2011.^[1]

Administration

Dewas Collectorate (originally known as Lakshmi Niwas Palace of Dewas Junior. This was illegally demolished by the local administration in March 2023, despite an ongoing case and strong opposition by the citizens of Dewas.)

The Member of Parliament from Dewas is Mahendra Singh Solanki of BJP who was elected in the Lok Sabha Election 2019.^[14] As of the 2018 Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, the member of the Legislative Assembly for Dewas is Gayatri Raje Pawar.^[15]

Industry

Dewas was known for being a production centre of retail opium in the 1800s, as noted in the 1895 first report of the Royal Commission on Opium.^[16] Rapid industrialisation took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but due to inadequate infrastructure, the pace has slowed since the late 1980s. In recent years, some industries have closed their operations due to a shortage of sufficient infrastructure to support growth; there is a shortage of water due to excessive usage in previous decades.^{[citation needed]}

The city has many industrial units providing employment to thousands of workers. The largest companies include Tata International, Kirloskar, John Deere, Eicher Motors, Gajra Gears,^[17] Cummins Turbo Technologies, STI Sanoh Steel Tubes Plant and Coparo Steel Tubes Unit. Dewas is known as the "Soy Capital of India" and is a major part of the soybean processing industry in the country with major soybean product brands like Kriti Nutrients, Prestige Agro-Tech, Mittal Soya Protein and Adani Agri Logistics.^{[citation needed]}

Dewas is also one of the prominent pharmaceutical hubs of Madhya Pradesh and India, with many manufacturing facilities and labs of companies like in its industrial areas. The industrial manufacturing units of Ranbaxy Laboratories and Sun Pharma Industries are also situated here.

Electricity Generating Dewas Wind Hills

Due to its location above sea level at one corner of the Malwa plateau, constant wind flows in the region are suitable for harvesting wind energy. There are more than 100 wind mills on a series of hills 13 km (8.1 mi) from Dewas, generating around 60 megawatts (MW) of power. These were financed by a few private companies (mainly Suzlon Energy) which sought a reliable power supply.^[18][19][20]

Main Gate of Bank Note Press Dewas

A currency printing unit of the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL), also known as the Bank Note Press Dewas (BNP), is located in Dewas. Established in the year 1974, it is wholly owned by the Government of India, Ministry of Finance and Department of Economic Affairs. Bank Note Press Dewas prints Indian currency notes (known as Indian Rupee or INR; Symbol: '₹') of denominations ₹50, ₹100, ₹500 and ₹2000 and is capable of printing bank notes of any denomination. The bank notes are printed with high security features necessary to impede forgery and to meet the essential standards of the Reserve Bank of India. The unit has skilled and trained manpower totaling around 1400 employees in production. The BNP campus is spread over an area of 185 hectares (1,850,000 m²) of land. In addition to the high security printing complex, there is a specialized ink factory unit which produces security inks for BNP Dewas and other units of SPMCIL for the printing of other government documents. The campus also includes also a residential complex with nearly 1400 quarters for employees to reside. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) provides security and fire coverage for the printing complex and transportation of bank note consignments.

Awards

Dewas placed first nationwide out of 820 cities in the Swachh Survekshan 2024-2025 cleanliness rankings, in the category of Medium Cities (population of 50,000–300,000) and won the Presidential Award for it.^[21] The city had placed 25th during previous Swachh Survekshan rankings of 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Media

In terms of print media, Satyakaar, a daily evening newspaper, is published from Dewas. Along with this, newspapers like Dainik Bhaskar, Naidunia, and Patrika published from Indore are also circulated here.

Transportation

Rail

Dewas Junction (station code: DWX) is the main railway junction of Dewas city. It is a 'B' Grade Railway Junction, under the Ratlam division of the Western Railways zone. It is situated on the Indore–Gwalior rail line and connected to nearby junctions such as Indore Junction (INDB) in the north-west and Ujjain Junction (UJN) in the south-west via an electrified rail line.

Road

Dewas is connected to major cities across the state and country, via both national and state-level highways. NH-47 and NH-52 connects Dewas to Indore and other cities of Madhya Pradesh. MP SH-18 connects Dewas to Bhopal, Ujjain and Ahmedabad.

Air

Dewas does not have an airport or an airstrip of its own. The nearest airport is Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport in Indore, which is about 40 km (25 mi) away by road. In 2022, a greenfield airport in Dewas district was initially proposed as part of the state's plans to expand its aviation infrastructure;^[22] this airport is now planned to be built on the Datana-Matana airstrip between Ujjain and Dewas.^[23]

Places of interest

See also: Dewas district § Places of interest

Dewas is known for the Devi Chamunda temple and the Devi Tulaja Bhavani temple situated on a 300 ft (91 m) hilltop (Tekri). A broad flight of stone steps leads to two shrines to the goddesses, Choti Mata (Chamunda Mata) and Badi Mata (Tulja Bhavani Mata). Numerous other temples spread over the Tekri can be explored on foot.^[24][25]

• Shri Sheelnath Dhuni at the Tekri foothills is a place of worship for followers of Saint Sheelnath Maharaj's of Gorakh Nath Sumpradaya. Sheelnath Maharaj belonged to a royal family of Jaipur and later became a Yogi of Gorakh Nath Sumpradaya, who lived in Dewas in his old age.^[26]
• The Pawar Chatries near the Meetha Talab (lake) of Dewas are examples of Maratha architecture in the area.^[27]
• The Kailadevi temple at Dewas is the largest in the state. It is situated at Mishri Lal Nagar (Agra Bombay Road). It was established in December 1995 by businessman Mannulal Garg. This modern temple was built by South Indian artists; it houses a 51 ft (16 m) statue of Lord Hanuman. The original Kaila Devi Temple is located on the banks of the Kalisil river in the Karauli district of Rajasthan. The temple is devoted to the tutelary deity of the former princely rulers of the Karauli state, Kaila.^[28][29]
• Mahadev Mandir is a temple in Shankar Gadh built by the Dewas ruler Shrimant Sadashive Rao Maharaja (Khase Saheb) in 1942. The temple is located on a small hill south of the city.^[30]
• Mahakaleshwar temple, Bilwali - Bilavali village is situated 3 km (1.9 mi) north of Dewas.^[30]

• 
  Night-view of Dewas City from Tekri Hilltop
• 
  Maa Chamunda at Tekri, Dewas
• 
  Maa Tulja Bhawani at Terki Dewas
• 
  Maa Tulja Bhawani Temple, Tekri Dewas
• 
  Maa Chamunda Mata Temple, Tekri Dewas

Notable people

• 
  A rare photograph of the 3 successive Maharajas of Dewas Junior State. (L to R - HH Maharaja Sadashiv Rao Puar, HH Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Puar and HH Maharaja Malhar Rao Puar)
• 
  Maharaja Tukoji Rao III Puar of Dewas Senior

• Tukoji Rao III Puar, (Ruler of Dewas Senior State)
• Vikramsinh Rao I Puar, (Ruler of Dewas Senior State)
• Krishnaji Rao III Puar, (Ruler of Dewas Senior State)
• Tukoji Rao IV Puar, (Politician)
• Vikram Singh Rao II Puar, (Politician)
• Edward Morgan Forster, (English Author based in Dewas Senior State, who wrote 'Hill of Devi')
• Madhav Vinayak Kibe, (Statesman & Dewan of Dewas Junior State)
• Kumar Gandharva, (Indian Classical Singer)
• Digvijay Bhonsale, (Rock/Metal Musician)
• Neha Hinge, (Model & Actress)
• Anant Sadashiv Patwardhan, (Politician)
• Mukul Shivputra, (Indian Classical Singer)
• Kailash Chandra Joshi, (Politician)
• Sajjan Singh Verma, (Politician)
• Deepak Joshi, (Politician)
• Manoj Choudhary, (Politician)
• Tejsingh Sendhav, (Politician)
• Manohar Untwal, (Politician)
• Rajendrasingh Baghel, (Politician)
• Hukam Chand Kachwai, (Politician)
• Mahendra Solanki, (Politician)
• Ashif Shaikh, (Social Worker)
• Mishrilal Gangwal, (Politician)
• Bapulal Kishan, (Politician)

Education

Government Colleges

• Government Polytechnic College, Dewas
• Government New Science College, Dewas
• Government Law College, Dewas
• Maharani Pushpmala Raje Paur Government Girls Degree College, Dewas
• Saheed Jageshwar Nagar Government Polytechnic College, Dewas

Private Colleges

• Prestige Institute of Management Dewas
• Amaltas Institute of Medical Sciences
• Indira Institute of Management Studies, Dewas
• Sandipani Law College, Ujjain
• Arena Animation

Government Schools

• Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Dewas
• Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Dewas
• Government Higher Secondary Model School, Dewas

Private Schools

• St. Mary's Convent School, Dewas
• Academic Heights Public School (APHS) Dewas
• BCM Prominent School
• Bright Star Higher Secondary School
• Shishu Vihar Higher Secondary School
• Central India Academy
• Vindhyachal Academy
• Hello Kids - Little Star
• Little Millennium - Dewas

See also

• Maratha Empire
• List of Maratha dynasties and states