|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pachmarhi - A Retreat Silent and Serene |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
October 1959
It was a day of festivity in Port Blair.
|
|
|
Chatham Jetty was decorated with buntings and flags and the whole township had flags and the whole township had gathered to welcome 'M.V. Andamans'.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
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 Pachmarhi is 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.
Pachmarhi 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 Mahadeo 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, (Lrene 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 Shiva 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 ambience 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 centres here. Development has come by way of government-aided projects, which are geared more towards cottage industries. There are several vocational study centres and there is also the silkworm breeding farm and horticultural centre that make interesting breaks during walks. But essentially Pachmarhi remains slow-paced and peaceful, allowing for leisurely observation and reflection. It promises 'a laidback relaxed holiday… isn't that what you came looking for?
GETTING THERE
By Air
The nearest airport is Bhopal (120 kilometers) connected by regular flights with Delhi, Gwalior, Indore, Mumbai, Raipur and Jabalpur.
By Rail
Pipariya (47 kilometers), on the Mumbai-Howrah mainline via Allahabad is the most convenient railhead.
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 scalings 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.
Courtesy : Discover India
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Not One Size Fits all |
| We Offer tailor-made India tour Packages. |
| Ask us to CUSTOMIZE your holiday |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Largest Collection Of |
|
| India Tour Packages |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
