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Wanting to get away from
it all is common enough but more often than not ‘it all’
follows you to the very place you seek refuge in. This is
particularly true of hill stations where the attraction lies to a
large extent in the beautiful natural surroundings. But more
significantly it is for the silence, serenity and solitude that hill
stations offer that they are places of retreat and get away from the
crowds and confusion of a city. Today, few such remain.
Commercialism and hard sell having eroded all but the natural beauty,
at times sparing not even that.
Among the few exceptions
is Panchmarhi in Madhya Pradesh. It is not on the usual beat of hill
station buffs and therefore, thankfully, not over-developed. Though
considered the state’s hill station it does not offer the
predictable mountain fare of awesome heights and spectacular scenery,
for the Satpuras are low lying weathered hills. Pachmarhi’s
appeal is low key. Peace, seclusion and a quiet unobtrusive beauty
are its prime attractions.
There’s something
for everyone in Pachmarhi. The rocks which have eroded into
fascinating shapes and sizes attract rock climbers, while a wildlife
enthusiast can, if he is lucky, spot a variety of deer and birds in
the dense deep forests of sal, mahua, jamun and bamboo. He is
more likely to encounter the tribals, the Gonds and the Korkus, busy
gathering firewood. These are the native in-habitants of the area
who live in small huts or in almost primeval rock shelters. They are
a happy people content with a simple lifestyle, fond of song, dance
and the local brew mahua. Their distinct lifestyle manifests
itself in a number of quaint customs like the memorial blocks they
carve for their dead which are rather like wooden slates, each with a
figure carved in relief representing the dead person riding a horse.
This is surprising because horses are hardly visible in the area.
Perhaps the horses signify a journey to the other world. It would be
interesting if one had the time, to study these customs in depth.
Panchmarhi is a place for
walks along the short or long chakkars along the predictable
way or along lesser known routes where one can come across rock
shelters such as those in the Maradeo hill covered with paintings
depicting warfare, food gathering and hunting, some dating as far
back as 1000 B.C. Walks take you through forests and meadows, to hill
tops such as Dhoopgarh the highest point in the Satpuras where the
sunsets are quite spectacular, or down gorges and valleys where water
and shade have led to a luxuriant growth of vegetation in every
conceivable shade of green. Few sounds are head other than the
chirping of birds or that of water trickling, flowing or thunderously
cascading into falls that end in large azure pools.
Of these the Apsara Vihar
(Fairy Pool), is perhaps the most beautiful. The descent is easy,
the location ideal for a picnic and the pool shallow enough for a
paddle. Some distance away the Rajat Parbat, (the Big Falls), true
to their name gush down from a height of over three hundred feet.
Close to the Ramaya Kund, (Lorene Pool), are the Duchess Falls ideal
for swimming which are not quite so spectacular but the setting makes
them one of Pachmarhi’s most beautiful and picturesque
waterfalls.
Perhaps the beauty and
seclusion led people to believe that Pachmarhi was a preferred place
of the gods, for the area around abounds in pilgrim spots. The Chota
Mahadev, a narrow point in the hills; Maradeo the second highest
point in the Satpuras which comes alive during the annual shivratri
celebrations; Chauragarh, where a pilgrim path leads to a sacred
summit with several images of shiva and the Jata Shankar cave where
Shvia is believed to have hidden himself from the demon king
Bhasmasur. There’s more to the legend than this, but that would
from another story. Handi Khoh, today a deep ravine, was believed to
be a huge lake which was guarded by a snake who terrorized all who
came to visit the sacred spots in the vicinity. Shiva came to the
rescue and succeeded in imprisoning him in solid rock. The flames of
wrath ensuing from this divine battle dried up the waters of the lake
and the empty space assumed the saucer-like shape of a handi
or pot. Recently, botanists examining the area have reported the
evidence of the existence of plants normally found beside large
expanses of water. This gives part of the myth credence. As for the
rest, who can say?
A derelict church and
houses with a perceptible colonial ambiance are vestiges of the
British Raj. It was in fact Colonel Forsyth, a Bengal Lancer, who
discovered Pachmarhi in 1857 and the point where he first sighted and
fell in love with the area was named after him and earlier called
Forsyth Point. Today this has been renamed Priyadarshini. Point,
Enthralled by the beauty he wrote, “Everywhere the massive
groups of trees and park-like scenery strikes the eye and the
greenery of glade and wild flowers unseen at lower elevations,
maintains the illusion that the scene is a bit out of our temperate
zone.” This feeling was echoed by other Englishmen who, finding
the town pleasant throughout the year, settled here and developed
Pachmarhi into a cantonment which it still is today. The Army
Education Corps and the music school still have their training
centers here. Development has come by way of government aided
projects which are geared more towards cottage industries. There are
several vocational study centers and there is also the silkworm
breeding farm and horti-cultural centre that make interesting breaks
during walks. But essentially Pachmarhi remains slowpaced and
peaceful, allowing for leisurely observation and reflection. It
promises ‘a laid-back relaxed holiday… isn’t that what
you came looking for?
VISITING PACHMARHI
Getting There
By Air
The nearest airport is
Bhopal (120 kilometers) connected by regular flights with Delhi,
Gwalior, Indore, Bombay, Raipur and Jabalpur.
By Rail
Pipariya (47 kilometers),
on the Bombay-Howrah mainline via allahabad is the most convenient
railhead.
By Road
Pachmarhi is connected by
regular bus services with Bhopal, Hashangabad, Nagpur, Pipariya and
Chhindwara. Taxis are available at Pipariya
Places to see
Priyadarshini Point This
is the point from where captain Forsyth, a Bengal Lancer first caught
a glimpse of the beautiful site of Pachmarhi.
Lanjee Giri
This place is of interest
to rock-climbers as it offers some easy scaling near the summit.
Jalwataran (Duchess
Falls): You can trek to this pictures-que water-fall which falls in
three distinct cascades.
Jata Shankar
This is a sacred cave
under a mass of loose boulders which resemble the matted locks of
Lord Shiva, hence the name,
Pandav Caves
The Pandav brothers are
believed to the spent a part of their exile in these famous caves
from which Pachmarhi takes its name.
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