town, south-central Madhya Pradesh state, central India. The town lies just east of the Wainganga River and is about 95 miles (155 km) south of Jabalpur. A major road and rail junction, Balaghat is an agricultural-trade and manganese-mining centre. The main mines are at Bharweli and Ukwa, the former being one of the largest manganese mines in Asia. Sugar milling is also an important industry. Jatashankar College and Balaghat Polytechnic, both affiliated with the University of Sagar, are situated here. Balaghat was formerly called Burha and was constituted a municipality in 1877. Rice, millet, and pulses are the chief crops raised in the fertile Wainganga River valley. Pop. (2001) 75,091.