Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Imagine living in a village that’s completely surrounded by one state but officially belongs to another. Sounds confusing, right?
Well, that’s exactly the story of Sajanpur — a small village nestled inside Gujarat but actually part of Madhya Pradesh!
Sajanpur is located in the Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh, just about 3 kilometers from the Gujarat border. Around 1,200 people call this unique place home.
But how did this happen?
The village was once part of the princely state of Alirajpur, ruled by the Rajput Bhilala dynasty. When India reorganised its states in 1956, Alirajpur became part of Madhya Pradesh. However, Sajanpur was accidentally left out of this merger and ended up on Gujarat’s map for a while.
This little mix-up was sorted by the Supreme Court in 1960, which ruled that Sajanpur should be part of Madhya Pradesh after all.
So, officially, the village belongs to MP. The villagers still speak Gujarati and follow much of Gujarat’s culture. Signboards are mostly in Hindi, but if you listen carefully, you’ll hear Gujarati being spoken everywhere!
The people of Sajanpur say they have no complaints with the Madhya Pradesh government. They feel they’re treated fairly and have access to the same benefits as others in the state.
But life here isn’t always simple. Since the village is surrounded by Gujarat, residents have to travel through Gujarat to reach their district headquarters in Alirajpur, which can be tricky sometimes.
According to information, politicians from Gujarat don’t even visit Sajanpur during elections. “Sajanpur is a unique village that is geographically surrounded by Gujarat but administratively under MP. So, politicians from Gujarat rarely visit our village, not even during elections,” says Gamji Hiraliya, former sarpanch of the village. “But we do go to nearby Gujarat villages to watch their campaigns — just out of curiosity,” he adds.
Despite this unusual setup, the villagers say they are quite content. They receive all essential services and government benefits from Madhya Pradesh — including electricity, healthcare, education, and other public services. The Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board (MPEB) is responsible for the village’s power supply, and residents feel the administration supports them well.
Most people in Sajanpur are farmers, growing wheat, rice, and soybeans. The village also has its own school and hospital, which helps it stay fairly self-reliant despite its unique location.
If you ever get the chance to visit, you’ll see a place that’s as unique as it is interesting!
