Panchmadhi Tour: This place was named after the five Pandava caves. However, Buddhist paintings have been done in these. These caves located on the peak are said to be ten thousand years old. Jatashankar is also a cave, which is situated in a deep valley. There are natural pillars and Shivalinga here. There are two small ponds at this place dedicated to Lord Shiva, in which water comes from springs.
Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh has now been named Narmadapuram district. Pachmarhi is situated here in a valley between the Satpura hills. The beauty of nature is spread here in such abundance at every step that it is called the ‘Queen of Satpura’. This place has been attracting people for more than 150 years. Every year a large number of domestic and foreign tourists come here and take away the immense natural beauty of this place in their hearts and cameras. Stories say that during their exile in the Mahabharata period, the Pandavas came here and built five (Panch) caves (Madhi) to live in.
These caves are still a big attraction for tourists. However, geologists believe that these caves are even before the Mahabharata period. Caves of Buddhist period are also found here. In modern times, the credit for discovering Pachmarhi and bringing it into its present form goes to the British officer Colonel James Forsyth, who was fascinated by this place while on his way from Bengal to Jhansi in 1857.
It was only at the behest of Colonel James that the British government started developing this place as a hill station, sanatorium and cantonment for its army. During the British rule, this place also became their summer capital. Even today this place is better known as an army cantonment. Bungalows, cottages etc. of the British era are still present in abundance here.
Panchmarhi has scattered such pearls of beauty from its treasury.
Everywhere in Panchmarhi, nature has scattered such pearls of beauty from its treasury that you will get tired of picking them. There is a dense forest around here in which many types of wild animals like leopard, leopard, deer, sambar, chinkara, nilgai, wild dogs, flying squirrels are found. There are such varieties of trees and plants in Pachmarhi Park that UNESCO has included it in the list of biosphere reserves. Spread over about 5000 square kilometers, this forest covers the land of Narmadapuram, Chhindwara and Betul districts and includes Bori Sanctuary, Satpura National Park and Pachmarhi Sanctuary.
Chaudagarh is the second highest place here
Dhupgarh is the highest place here. Situated at an altitude of about 1350 meters above sea level, this place comes alive at the time of sunrise and sunset. At night, the twinkling lights of the nearby cities and towns fascinate the mind. Chaudagarh is the second highest place here. Here there is Chaudagarh Fort built by Gond king Sangram Shah and also a temple of Lord Mahadev on the peak.
This place is considered to be the most spectacular place to watch the sunrise and when tourists reach here by climbing 1300 stairs, they are stunned to see the view here. Silver Falls is a big attraction here. Counted among the highest waterfalls of India, this is a unique waterfall which falls directly from a height of 351 feet. When the sun’s rays fall on its water, it starts shining like silver. That is why it is called Silver Falls.
The caves here are said to be ten thousand years old.
This place was named after the five Pandava caves. However, Buddhist paintings have been done in these. These caves located on the peak are said to be ten thousand years old. Jatashankar is also a cave, which is situated in a deep valley. There are natural pillars and Shivalinga here. There are two small ponds at this place dedicated to Lord Shiva, in which water comes from springs.
The weather of this hill station remains pleasant almost throughout the year.
One has cold water and the other has hot water. Apart from these, there are many places like B-Fall, Apsara Vihar and Kund, Duchess Fall, Mount Roza, Handi Khoh, Gupt Mahadev, Draupadi Kund, Catholic Church, Reech Garh, which can be seen. Due to its location at an altitude of 1100 meters above sea level, the weather of this hill station remains pleasant almost throughout the year.
how to reach
Pachmarhi is about 210 kilometers away from Bhopal where the airport is. It is connected by road to Bhopal, Nagpur, Indore, Jabalpur. The nearest railway station is Pipariya at a distance of 55 km. The nearest major station is Itarsi Junction.
Deepak Dua
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