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Situated in the fork of the Betwa and Bes rivers,
Vidisha, 10 km from Sanchi, occupies an important place amongst the ancient cities in India. In the 6th and 5th centuries BC, it rose to become an important trade centre and a bustling city under the
Sungas, Nagas, Satvahanas and Guptas. The Emperor Ashoka was governor of
Vidisha, and it finds mention in Kalidasa's immortal
Meghdoot. Deserted for three centuries after the 6th century, it was renamed Bhilsa by the Muslims who built the now ruined Bija
Mandal, a mosque constructed from the remains of Hindu temples. It later passed on to the Malwa Sultans, the
Mughals, and the Scindias
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