city, east-central Madhya Pradesh state, central India, just south of the Katni River, a tributary of the Mahanadi (Mahanadi River). Sometimes called Katni, the city is a rail junction and a leading trade centre. Major industries include rice and flour milling, fuller's-earth processing, and various manufactures. Important bauxite and limestone works are nearby. Murwara was constituted a municipality in 1874 and has an industrial school. Murwara was the property of a wealthy Brahman family. The city's name is derived from mund (“head”) to commemorate the fact that an ancestor of the family lost his head in battle. Pop. (2001) 187,029.