city, southwestern Madhya Pradesh state, central India. Located on the major roads leading from northern India to the Deccan region, it is identified with the Kognabanda of the Greek geographer Ptolemy and is traditionally said to have been surrounded by the Khandava forests that were described in the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. In the 12th century CE the city was an important seat of Jaina (Jainism) worship. A major road and rail junction, Khandwa is engaged in cotton, timber, and grain trade; cotton ginning, oilseed milling, and sawmilling are important industries. Constituted a municipality in 1867, it has an experimental sericulture farm and several government colleges affiliated with the Doctor Harisingh Gour University in Sagar. Pop. (2001) 172,242.