Physical Divisions
The district extends over three physiographic divisions. They are the Malwa in the north,
the Vindhyachal range in central zone and the Narmada valley along the southern boundary.
However, the valley is again closed up by the hills in the south-western part.
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The Vindhyachal range
A part of the range extends in the district in a crescentic belt generally from south-east
to north-west. The range is represented by a strip of hilly area 5 to 20 kilometres in
width. It is about 5 km wide near village Dhani near the south-eastern boundary. Near
Mograbav in the centre, it is about 10 km further widening to 20 km west of Tanda. To the
west of Bagh and Kukshi the range stands disconnected by the valleys of the Mahi and
Hatni.
It restarts along the Narmada in the south-west. The northern spur (peak 543.76 metres)
froms the boundary between the Sardarpur tahsil and Jhabua district. It extends
from the peak of Gomanpura (556.26 metres) to Bajrangarh in Jhabua. Another spur extends
to wards Jhabua in the north-west. The great Vindhyachal range extends generally from west
to east and scarps at most of its length towards the south. In Dhar also the south-ward
escarps are well marked, the wall rising from 400 to 600 metres. However, in the western
part their faces have been eroded back into long and deep rugged valleys of the tributary
hills of the Narmada. In fact the strong currents of the small strems on the steep
southern side have cut back at their heads. The numerous streams of the Narmada valley
find their sources on the Malwa plateau. The main line of the highest peaks has been left
to the south of their present courses.
In the eastern and central parts of the Vindhyachal in Dhar the main hill
range is continuous but in the west it is dissected by deep channels of the rivulets. The
range slopes towards the north and gradually meets the Malwa plateau. Numerous spurs also
extend over the Malwa plateau in the north. But in the western half in the district one
may also find a series of denuded ridges alternating with the parallel stream-channels and
running for some kilometres from local confusion, unless one tries to trace the line of
the main peaks.
The hightest peak of the district, Mograba (751.03 metres) lies in the central part.
Nilkanth (702.26 metres) lies further east and the Shikarpura hill rises up to 698.91
metres. The famous historical fort of Mandugarh towers the flat-topped hill about 600
metres, from the mean sea level.
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The Malwa Plateau
The northern half of the district lies on the Malwa plateau. It covers the northern parts
of Dhar, Sardarpur and Badnawar tahsils. The average elevation of the plateau is
500 metres above the mean sea level. The land is undulation with a few scattered flat
topped hills roughly aligned between the valleys from south to north. The general slope is
towards the north. The valleys are covered with black cotton soil of varying thickness,
mostly adapted for cultivation. The mounds may bear gravels or the underlaying sandstone
rocks may have been exposed. The plateau covers an area of about 466,196 hectares in the
district.
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The Narmada Valley
Below the Vindhyachal scarps lies the narrow valley of the Narmada. It occupies the
sourthern part of the district in Manawar tahsil and the south-eastern part of
Kukshi tahsil. The width of the valley is 15 to 30 kilometres. The elavation varies
from 275 metres in the northern part of Manawar tahsil to 150 metres in the low plain of
Nisarpur in the south-west. To the east between Khalghat and Bakaner the valley is
undulation wider, more open and fertile with alluvial cover. Proceeding westwards the
valley is studded with hills alternatively cut up by numerous streams which join the
Narmada along the southern boundary of the district. The result is that there are few
stretches and pockets of alluvium along the streams.
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River System
The southern part of the district lies in the catchment area of the Narmada which forms
the southern boundary. The north-eastern part is drained by the Chambal and its
tributaries. It forms the catchment area of the Ganga. The north-western part drains into
the Mahi. The water-dividing line between the Narmada and the Chambal and the Mahi are
separated by the off-shoot range which runs along the Sardarpur-Jhabua boundary.
The Narmada river flows along the southern boundary of the district in a rift valley from
east to west with a southerly inclination. It rises from the Amarkantak plateau of the
Satpura range in Shahdol district. Flowing to the west it touches the district at
Lasangaon at the confluence with the Karametre It forms the southern boundary of the
district along with that of the West Nimar for about 107 Kilometres. It receives the Boad,
Dob, Mahali and Goi on its left while the Karam, the Man, and the Bagh join its right
bank.
The river has been mentioned by Ptolemy and the author of the Periplus. The Ramayana,
the Mahabharat and Puranas refer to it frequently. The Rewa Khand of Vayu
Puran and the Rewa Khand of Skand Puran are entirely devoted to the
story of the birth and the importance of the River. It is said to have sprung from the
body of Lord Shiva. It was created in the form of a lovely damsel who enamoured
gods and hence named by the Lord as Narmada, delight giving.
It is also said to have been in love with the Sonbhadra, another river flowing on
the Chhota Nagpur plateau. According to the Puranas the Narmada is also called the
Rewa, from its leaping motion (from the root rev) through its rocky bed.
To Shiva the river is specially sacred on account of its origin, and it is often
called Shankari, i.e., daughter of Shankar. All the pebbles rolling on its bed are said to
take the shape of his emblem with the saying. Narmada Ke Kanker utte Sankar. These lingam
(phallus) shaped stones, called Banalinga are much sought after for daily worship by the
Hindus.
In the central parts of India the river is held to be far more sacred than any other
stream in India. Even Ganga herself is obliged to come and dip in these waters once a
year. She comes in the form of a coal-black cow and dip in these waters once a year. She
comes in the form of a coal-black cow and returns home pure white, free from all sins. A
sighting of the Narmada is considered equivalent to a bath in the Ganga. At numerous
places along its course there are temples, and fairs are held. Pilgrims perform Pradakshina,
i.e, walking along the southern bank from its source to the mouth and going back along the
northern bank. The performance is regarded to be of the highest religious efficacy.
The river is crossed by roads at Khalghat and Chikhalda in the district. Otherwise ferries
are managed by the local administration at important crossings.
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Dry Teak Forests
The edaphic sub-type 1 dry teak is found on the middle and lower slopes of the Vindhya
scarp on the mixed black and sandy granite soil. It occurs extensively on the eastern and
northen slopes of Bagh, Sardarpur, Dhamnod and Manawar ranges. They occupy about 331 sq.
km in the alluivial parts of valleys of the Khuj, the Man, the Karam, the Bagh and the
Keshawi. This is the climax vegetation of the area stabilised by the reduction of other
varities due to grazing and fires. Over the rich and deeper alluvial mantle and sandy loam
with minimum biotic interferene a more moist type is found in the sheltered valleys of
Kalghati, Kheri, Kuan, Khirkiyan, Anjnai and Parbatpura. In such areas the top canopy is
usually filled up by teak well with an increased number of associate species.
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Very Dry Teak Forests
Under very dry conditions, scanty cover of infertile and crystalline rock soils very poor
quality of teak forests is found on the upper contours of the Vindhyan scarps. The
percentage of take decreases with the increase of dry deciduous species like, salai,
dhava, saja, aonla, reunjha, moyan, etc. An increase in the shrubs, herbs, grasses and
climbers is clearly marked.
Mixed Forests
The Mixed forests vary from the general type. The admixtue of a large number of species to
dry types like that of salai and the maltreated areas of scrubs and grasses. These occur
over very undulating toporgraphy over Nimar sandstone and quartzites. They occupy the
south-western part of the district and stray hills south of the scarps. Mostly in degraded
conditions of the overwood and underwood are hardly distinguishable. Among the associates salai,
anjun, rohan, dhaora, saj and chloroxylon swietenia are most widespread. The
general compostition of the cover is given below-
Top Canopy
Top canopy is found in the best of these forests. Like those in the teak forests, they
consist of the following species. Teak, sadar, moyan, dhava, tendu, kari, bija, rohan,
kalam, kasai, bel, lendia, salai, shisham and kareya-saja.
Second Storey.
Sadar, dhava, mokha, anjan, achar, rendu, aonla, bel, palas, bhirya, kulu, babool,
khair, moyan and ghandrali.
Shrubs Soharn, Kronda,
mahandhi, muwali, bharati, vasuka, biagan, nirgundi and dudhi.
Herbs Tarota, aghada,
tiperi, bajna and bantulsi.
Grasses Guniar, phulera,
musel, paoni, sukri, lamphera and bhurbhsi.
Climbers
Gumchi, arail, chaudhari, arail, piwar bel, irni, gurbel, keoti, kalidudhi, chilati
(Millettia auriculata) and chilati (Clasamples perier).
Salari Forests
The edaphic subtype of the Dry Decidous Mixed forest is found over the dry hills and
ridges of Ramgarh, Jamli, Neemkeda, Manasamal and Mian pahad forest blocks.
Salai occurs to over 50 persent of the crop on the limestone corralline limestone, and
quartz. It is seen sometimes over shales. The regeneration is plentiful by root-suckers
but the trees are not very well grown. They grow to about 10 metres in height and one
metre in girth. At places it has very clearly come up as the residual form of vegetation
after the general maltreatment by men and selective exloitation of other species. Repeated
fires have added to this trend. The common associates in the edaphic sub-type are salar,
moyan, dhava, khair, gadhu and in stunted form, teak.
Anjan Forests
Anjan forests are found in some of the maltreated areas of Dry Deciduous forests.
They occupy the western portion of Vindhyan scarps and area between the Narmada and Bagh.
The country is typified by poor soil on hard murram and laterite, aeration and
drainage. Anjan is seen in green leaves all the year round. Its leaves are also used as
cattle feed. This together with problematic regeneration has left it in to poor conditons.
The forest is open with dimensions of trees 10 metre height and one metre in girth.
Dry Deciduous Scrub Forests
The scrub forests are confined to the immediate slopes of Malwa Plateau from Mandu to
Bamanpuri and Panara blocks and compartments no. 325 to 326 and 341 to 379. The denuded
ground and dry and shallow soil under the stemmed and crooked stock of babul, pilu
chandar, bel, hingan, sindi, etc. indicate that these have been converted to the
present stage from Dry teak forests. The soil is generally lateritic invaded by thorny
species, like ber, thuar, nagphani, reunjha, etc
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Source : Madhya Pradesh district Gazetteer, Dhar published
by Directorate of Gazetteers, Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal
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