Sagar takes its name from the Hindi word for sea and refers to the Lakha Banjara, a vast centrally located lake in the city. Simple and rustic, populated by hard-working farmers, herders and miners, Sagar will lend you a glimpse into the lives of the millions of Indians who plough fields, mine the earth and toil away tirelessly in factories and industrial units to keep the country running. Situated on a vast plain, near a spur of the Vindhyas mountain range in Madhya Pradesh, the Hindi-speaking heartland of India, Sagar may not have many forts and forests, but it does have character in spades.
Sagar town was established in 1660 AD by Udan Shah. Later, a fort and settlement, that still exists, was founded by Govind Rao Pandit, a Peshwa officer. The lake at the core of the city is a microcosm of small-town life, dotted with many ghats and piers, and ringed by an ancient stone wall. It would not be wrong to say that this lake is the center of the townspeople’s universe, as it is used for everything from washing, bathing cattle, praying, boating, travelling and cultivating aquatic crops.
The people are warm and friendly and it is easy to lose sense of time wandering through the town’s many streets populated by small merchants selling rustic local items. A rich heritage of song and dance makes festivals in this town an unforgettable experience. Witness folk-dances such as the baredi, performed by cattle herders during Diwali, or moni, which is a dance performed in the evenings after maintaining silence all through the day. The martially-inspired Saira dance is performed with sticks in hand to the tune of melodious songs.
Rahatgarh is a town situated around 40 km away from Sagar town. It has a beautiful waterfall on the River Bina that is awe-inspiring when the river is in full spate during the monsoons. There is also an old fort, temples, ruins of mosques and dargahs in Rahatgarh making it the ideal destination for a day picnic. The nearby Garhphra Mountains are ideal for trekking, day picnics or simply driving through to enjoy the natural beauty of these low-lying hills. The Khimlasa Fort is a 17th century fort that is now in ruins, but archaeologically important for its architecture and engravings. The ruins of Eran are also important and are worth a visit from an archeological standpoint.
Sagar is an old township with well-connected roads and railways. All the usual suspects like auto-rickshaws, larger sized tuk-tuks, state transport buses and small private vans can be relied on to convey you to your chosen destinations within and around Sagar city.
On a daily basis there are approximately 10 flights that operate at Jabalpur Airport.Air India and SpiceJet are the most popular airline brands that fly frequently to this airport.
Besides flying you can also reach Sagar through train.Saugoris one of the most popular train stations in Sagar.On an average about 74 trains pass through Sagar on a daily basis.Damoh to Sagar, Katni to Sagar, Khurai to Sagarare some of the most popular routes to Sagar with 90, 61, 45 trains weekly respectively.
By road Sagar is surrounded by Damoh, Vidisha, Lalitpur which are 44.92 km, 62.02 km, 62.81 km away respectively. These places are ideal spots for people to plan their short weekend break.