Vidisha is a city (known as Bhilsa earlier) in the State of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of the Vidisha district. It is an ancient city having a historical past. This was the former capital of the Sunga dynasty. It was a prominent trade center known as Besnagar in the Pali scriptures. The city is situated between two rivers ?Beas and Betwa and it is at a distance of 10 km from Sanchi (known for a Stupa built by Kansishka). Vidisha is at a distance of 36 km from Bhopal. It lies between Delhi-Bombay and Delhi-Madra train route. Vidisha displays ruins of old dynasties. Some places of interest are: ? Udaygiri caves: These are some rock cut caves belonging to the era of the Gupta dynasty. They are at a close distance from Vidisha. The place consists of inscriptions belonging to the Gupta period and is a site belonging to the archeological survey of India now. ? Khamba Baba: It is also called the Heliodor?s pillar. It is a stone pillar erected on ground in commemoration of the Greek ambassador Heliodor?s arrival in India. The inscriptions carved on the pillar confirm it. On the top of the pillar a sculptor of Garuda has been placed. ? Bijamandal: This is a temple belonging to the Paramara period. ? Lohangi Pir: This is a rock named after a Sufi saint (Shayak Jalal Chisthi) who used to live in the area. He was called Lohangi Pir by the local people.
