PANNA

city, northern Madhya Pradesh state, central India. The city grew in importance when Chhatrasal, ruler of Bundelkhand, made it his capital in 1675. It is a trade centre for agricultural products, timber, and cloth fabrics; handloom weaving is the major industry. Buildings of historical importance include the marble-domed Swami Pran Nath Temple (1795) and Shri Baldeoji Temple. Constituted a municipality in 1921, Panna has colleges affiliated with Awadesh Pratap Singh University. The surrounding region comprises much of the former princely states of Panna and Ajaigarh. It consists of a hilly region known as the Panna Range, a branch of the Vindhya Range. There are important diamond mines located in Panna, which have been worked since the 17th century and are India's only producing diamond mines. Rice, wheat, sorghum, and oilseeds are the chief crops; there are several fisheries. Pop. (1991 prelim.) city, 38,073; metropolitan area, 42,510.