Mandsaur

Mandsaur or Mandsour is a city in the Malwa region and district of Madhya Pradesh state of central India. It is the administrative headquarters of Mandsaur District. Mandsaur is rich in archaeological and historical heritage But what makes it famous is the temple of Lord Pashupatinath located on the bank of Shivna river. Its idol has parallel only in Nepal. The most common language is Malvi (Rajasthani and Hindi Mixed).It is also famous for large production of Opium around the world. The slate pencil industry is the main industry of the district.Origin of nameThe name Mandsaur evolved from Marhsaur, which originated from Marh and Saur, two of the villages which merged in the town. The town was known as Dashapura in ancient times. The city consists of ten 'puras', which gave it the name Dashpura .It is also believed that this place was once the maternal residence of Mandodari, the wife of Ravana. In old city areas, people worship the idol of Ravana and avoid participating in the 'Ravana Dahan' ritual on Vijayadashami as they regard Ravana their son-in-law. A 35-feet ten headed sitting idol of Ravana can be seen in the Khanpura area of the city.