Satna is a beautiful district located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, which is popular for its congregation of large number of devotional places. The ancient temples with rich glorious past and attractive architectural grandeur allure the devotees from far and wide.
It is believed that during the era of Ramayana, Lord Rama resided in the Chitrakoot region, one of which is on the outskirts of the district of Satna while the other half falls in Uttar Pradesh. Satna was also a part of the Baghelkhand division, a major part of which was ruled by the Rewa and the rest was ruled by several feudal lords. According to the Mahabharata, the region was ruled by the Haihaya, Chedi or Kalchuri clans. Remains of a Buddhist stupa belonging to the 2nd century have been found at Bharhut by Alexander Cunningham, a great archaeologist. The leaders of the Rewa clan, descending from the Baghel Rajputs, who descended from the Solanki clan, ruled the area of Baghelkhand. The Bandhogarh Fort that ruler Karandeo received as dowry for marrying the princess of Mandla served as the capital of Baghelkhand until Emperor Akbar destroyed it in 1597. During the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, Maharaja Raghuraj Singh aided the British to suppress uprisings in Mandla and Jabalpur districts and also the Nagod district. The district is now a part of the Satna district for which he was awarded 11 villages. After the independence of India, Satna became a part of the state of Madhya Pradesh.
The district of Satna lies at close proximities to an antique city called Bharhut, which is famed for its Buddhist culture and whose artifacts and inscriptions are displayed in many parts of the world. The world-class Khajuraho temples are located near-by Satna.
Apart from the temples within the city there are plenty of temples located on the outskirts which are spectacularly placed on the natural setting and gives the pilgrims calm and relaxing ambiance. Venktesh Mandir, Pranami Mandir which is one of the prime Jain temples, Pashupati Nath and Dali Baba Mandir are a few temples to name. A devout centre dedicated to Lord Maheshwar proudly standing on the banks of Jagatdev Talab boasts of flawless natural beauty. Maihar, Ramvan and Chitrakoot are some of the surrounding places which are popular for its religious centres.
Besides being a prime devotional centre, Satna is one of the best-planned districts which provide its residents with all the necessary basic amenities. Mukhtyarganj, Kotwali Chowk and Rajendra Nagar are the developed places. Pannilal Chowk is one of the busiest areas which bustles away with a series of shopping complex, restaurants and hotels.