About Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh, which literally means the central land, acquired its name primarily because of its location – it is situated in the heart of India. It is also the largest state in India in terms of area, sprawling across a massive 443,450sq km, which makes it twice as big as the United Kingdom and that, mind you, is just a single state in India. Hills, plateaus, plains, rivers, forest – you name it and this state has it.