Rewa is a city and the administrative headquarters of Rewa district in the Vindhya region of the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Located in the north-eastern part of the state, it lies between the Vindhya and Kaimur ranges and serves as the divisional headquarters of Rewa Division, which also includes the districts of Satna, Sidhi and Singrauli. The city takes its name from an alternative name of the Narmada River, although it actually stands on the banks of the Bichhiya river, a tributary of the Tons.
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Madhya Pradesh |
| Division | Rewa |
| District | Rewa |
| Region | Vindhya Pradesh / Bagelkhand |
| Languages | Hindi, Bagheli |
| Vehicle registration | MP-17 |
Rewa is situated on the Rewa Plateau, a part of the larger Vindhya Plateau, at an elevation of around 300 metres above sea level. The terrain is marked by sandstone escarpments and several waterfalls, including the well-known Keoti Falls, Chachai Falls and Purwa Falls, formed where tributary rivers plunge from the plateau. The Bichhiya and Bihar rivers flow through the city. The climate is subtropical, with hot summers, a monsoon season from June to September, and cool winters.
Rewa was the capital of the princely state of Rewa, ruled by the Baghela Rajput dynasty, which traced its origin to Vyaghra Deva in the 14th century. The dynasty established its seat at Bandhavgarh and later shifted the capital to Rewa in the early 17th century during the reign of Maharaja Vikramaditya Singh. The state acceded to the Union of India in 1947 and was subsequently merged into the state of Vindhya Pradesh in 1948, which itself was incorporated into Madhya Pradesh on 1 November 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act.
The city is historically associated with the white tigers of Rewa. The first known white tiger, named Mohan, was captured by Maharaja Martand Singh in 1951 in the forests of the former Rewa state and bred in captivity at the Govindgarh palace; descendants of Mohan are found in zoos across the world.
Rewa is administered by the Rewa Municipal Corporation (Nagar Nigam Rewa). The city is the headquarters of Rewa district and Rewa Division. The population is predominantly Hindi-speaking, with Bagheli being the principal regional dialect. The city has a mixed Hindu and Muslim population, along with smaller Jain and Christian communities.
The economy of Rewa is largely agrarian, supported by trade in agricultural produce, limestone and cement. The region is rich in mineral resources, with significant deposits of limestone supporting cement plants in and around the district. The Rewa Ultra Mega Solar power project, located in Gurh tehsil of Rewa district, is one of the largest single-site solar power plants in India and supplies electricity to the Delhi Metro among other consumers.
Rewa is an educational centre for the Vindhya region. Notable institutions include:
Rewa is connected by National Highway 30 (formerly NH-7) and National Highway 39, linking it with Allahabad (Prayagraj), Sidhi and Jabalpur. The city has a railway station, Rewa (REWA), which is the terminus of a branch line of the West Central Railway connecting to Satna, a major junction on the Mumbai–Howrah main line. The nearest major airport is at Jabalpur, and a domestic airport at Rewa has been developed in recent years.