RAIPUR

city, southeastern Madhya Pradesh state, central India. The community was founded in the 14th century by Rai Brahma Deo of the Ratanpur dynasty. It served as headquarters of the former Chhattisgarh princely states division and was constituted a municipality in 1867. A food-processing (rice, wheat, cotton, and oilseeds) and sawmilling centre, it is connected by rail with Vizianagaram and Vishakhapatnam port in Andhra Pradesh state. Raipur contains several musical academies, a museum, a tuberculosis clinic, and rice and sericulture experimental farms. It is the seat of Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University (1964). Pop. (1991 prelim.) 437,887.