Vidisha

Vidisha (formerly known as Bhelsa, Besnagar and Bhaddalpur in ancient times) is a city in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is a Jain pilgrimage center and the administrative headquarters of Vidisha district. It is located 62.5 km northeast of the state capital, Bhopal. The name "Vidisha" is derived from the nearby river "Bais", mentioned in the Puranas. "Vidisha" also finds its historic reference in ancient epic Ramayana, under the rule of Rama's youngest brother Shatrughna, later on under the rule of Shatrughna's younger son Shatrughati. Vidishā was the administrative headquarters of Bhelsa, or Bhilsa, during the Medieval period. It was renamed Vidisha in 1956. Vidisha is also amongst the 112 Aspirational District in the Aspirational District Programme launched by NITI Aayog in 2018. Towards the seventh or eighth century, Bhadravati was raised from its ruins by a Bheel chieftain, who surrounded it with walls, and gave it the name of Bhilsa.