From Mumbai
Time
stands still at Pachmarhi, an evergreen plateau in the Mahadeo Hills of Madhya Pradesh.
Pachmarhi’s pristine beauty lies in its innocence and its unspoilt splendour. The
area is a visual treat - red sandstone cliffs and deep gorges cleave the valleys; verdant
forests and flower-filled vales are drenched by numerous streams and brooks. The hills
that surround Pachmarhi are washed in green. Waterfalls cascade down every conceivable
rock face and create pools.
Groves
of jamun and bamboo are scattered about the countryside, while the forests are thick with
sal trees. Many a trail leads you to blissfully secluded forest glens. The Satpura
National Park is home to exotic bird and animal species – the gaur, sambar,
leopard, barking deer, langur and the occasional tiger; spotted pigeons, gold-throated
chiloropsis, great pied hornbills and kingfishers, to name a few.
Beauty
apart, the Mahadeo Hills are a pilgrimage center, with ancient shrines to
Shiva concealed in deep ravines and cliffs. The sacred site of Mahadeo in Chauragarh is
the spot where the God tricked the demon Bhasmasur, and Jata Shankar, as the name
suggests, resembles Shiva’s untamed locks. A dark cave in Jata Shankar
has two naturally formed Shivlingas on which water drips constantly from a pool. The
mythological Pandava kings are said to have spent part of their exile in the Pandava Caves
or Panch Mathi, which lent their name to Pachmarhi.
There
is a colonial side to Pachmarhi, too. Red-roofed bungalows with pretty gardens, jacarandas
and laburnums overhanging pebbled paths, churches with stained glass windows, and a
typical cantonment area complete the picture.
This
sublime landscape is offset by a historical heritage of Stone Age cave paintings, the
oldest of which is 10,000 years. Pachmarhi is a place that has escaped the onslaught of
reckless development – a fate suffered by so many other hill stations in the country
– and the area has been declared a biosphere reserve.
Pachmarhi
extends an open invitation: to wildlife enthusiasts, bird watchers, trekkers, hikers,
bikers, history-buffs, pilgrims and lotus-eaters. What are you waiting for? |
