Madhya Pradesh foundation day is celebrated every year on November 1. This year, Madhya Pradesh will celebrate its 65th foundation day on Sunday.  The state is located in the centre of the country. Due to its location, Madhya Pradesh is also known as the “heart of India”. It is the second-largest state of India with an area of three lakh eight thousand sq. km. Madhya Pradesh was the largest state of India until Chhattisgarh was carved out of it in November 2000.

Madhya Pradesh was founded on November 1, 1956, and it was reorganised on November 1, 2000, to create a new Chhattisgarh state. As its name implies—Madhya means “central” and Pradesh means “region” or “state”—it is situated in the heart of the country. The state boasts of rich heritage, culture and is one of the popular tourist destinations of our country. November 1 is State Formation Day for Seven Indian States: Know Why and How Karnataka, Kerala, MP, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh Formed.

Bhopal is the capital city of Madhya Pradesh. Indore is its largest city. In terms of population, Madhya Pradesh if the fifth largest state of India. The state is bordered on the west by Gujarat, on the northwest by Rajasthan, on the northeast by Uttar Pradesh, on the east by Chhattisgarh, and on the south by Maharashtra.

Madhya Pradesh is home to a varied range of flora and fauna. There are ten national parks, including Bandhavgarh National Park, Kanha National Park and Satpura National Park in the state. There are also a number of nature reserves, including Amarkantak, Bagh Caves, Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh. It is also called "Tiger State" of India

To celebrate this day, a gala event is planned every year. However, in 2020, celebrations will be scaled down due to COVID-19 pandemic. Other than MP, November 1 also marks the foundation day of other Indian states, namely Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, and Haryana.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 31, 2020 06:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).