Pachmarhi, Queen of Satpura: Places to visit and its historical importance

Pachmarhi is called the Queen of Satpura and not without a reason, as this cantonment town is immersed in the biosphere reserve which engulfs its environment with a richly covered green canopy thereby creating a wide range of biodiversity which seems like a paradise to travelers.

Silence has a language, and to feel its reverberations deep inside the innermost recesses of our souls, one needs a place where Mother Nature has graced her children with a bountiful spread of flora and fauna together with a quietness that will refresh any spirit who has sought to visit its Eden after a hard day’s toil. Pachmarhi is one such place. Located in Central India in the state of Madhya Pradesh amidst the Satpura range, this place is everything that a weary traveler seeking for some solace will desire.

Geologically speaking, this region is also very important in the context of the history of the earth. One of the biggest tribes here are the Gond people who have given their name to the erstwhile super-continent of ‘Gondwanaland’ which existed from the Neoproterozoic era until it went through several mutations to give the current form of continents that existed today. True to its scientific spirit, Pachmarhi has numerous cave formations which speak about a time when the earth probably was in a state of transmutation to reach on its long odyssey to its present mould.

Pachmarhi is called the Queen of Satpura and not without a reason, as this cantonment town is immersed in the biosphere reserve which engulfs its environment with a richly covered green canopy thereby creating a wide range of biodiversity which seems like a paradise to travelers. Not only geologically or ecologically important, this place also has a rich history to boast which is quite evident from the resilient and brave spirit of the local people here. Once this entire region was ruled by the brave Indian Queen Rani Durgavati.

The tribes here are also noted for their bravery against the British under their then ruler Raja Bhabhut Singh. Pachmarhi is also home to the Korku tribe who speaks a certain language belonging to the Austro-Asiatic family. The name Pachmarhi is believed to have been derived from the five caves, which as per the local belief was set up by the Pandavas from The Mahabharata during their long exile. Captain James Forsyth, a British officer turned this place into a sanatorium and a hill station in the 19th century. Madhya Pradesh Tourism department has done an excellent work to preserve its beauty. Let us now explore some of the best places of Pachmarhi.

Reechgarh: Imagine yourself slowly hiking up towards a hill through some thick forest and a rocky pathway, where silence reigns in all its glory, suddenly you come up to this giant amphitheatre of rocks forming itself into a cave and looks eerily like a pre-historic site, Reechgarh is one of the most exciting places in Pachmarhi. As per the local belief, this cave was once inhabited by bears which are called Reech in one of the local languages and hence the name. Once you cross it, on the other side is a never ending beautiful valley which can be traversed only with a proper local guide.

Dhoopgarh: Dhoopgarh is the highest point in the Satpura range and true to its name, the Sun dances here all the time on a cloudless day with all its rays in the surrounding peaks creating a myriad hue of colors enchanting to human eyes. A weary traveler can spend the entire day here in the viewing enclosure created by the tourism department while the wind blowing through its ravine will calm the spirit.

Handi Khoh: One of the must visit places of Pachmarhi is the Handi Khoh gorge, not only because of its excellent foliage and eerily beautiful surrounding, this place also has a very interesting legend. As per mythology, it was a lake before where an evil serpent resided, who was finally destroyed by the fury of Lord Shiva and in the process the water too dried up and now it looks like a Handi (local term for a Pot). Interestingly, the biodiversity found here have remnants of being part of greenery which are generally found near a water body.

Bada Mahadev, Gupt Mahadev and Jatashankar Caves: These three cave temples are extremely important for any devotee and visiting them should be a part of any itinerary. Bada Mahadev and Gupt Mahadev are in the same locality while Jatashankar is in a different direction. The Gupt Mahadev cave is extremely narrow and one has to walk sideways for quite some time to reach its centre. Visiting this shrine is quite an adventure. Close to it is the beautiful Bada Mahadev cave where the giant rock formation inspires awe and admiration and the place is the spot where (as per mythology) the evil Bhasmasura was tricked into killing himself by Lord Vishnu. Jatashankar shrine is also very sacred and covered in mythology. Lord Shiva supposedly concealed himself here. The place is beautiful with its amazing rock formations.

Other places: Some other places of interest in and around Pachmarhi are Denwa View Point – for its amazing view of the Denwa river flowing through its green valley, Bee Falls – an adventurous waterfall where one has to get down around 400 meters to reach its core, Patalkot Valley – around 2 hrs drive from Pachmarhi, this is a beautiful viewpoint, Rajendragiri – named after our first President, this is another beautiful viewpoint, and of course the Pandava Caves which have given the place its etymology. Pachmarhi indeed is one of the most beautiful hill stations of India.

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