Pachmarhi is a beautiful hill station situated in Madhya Pradesh. At a height of 1100 m, this picturesque place is located in the Satpura range. Dense forests of sal, bamboo and jamun give the place a mesmerizing beauty. Waterfalls, streams, cave shelters, wild flower beds and much more…the hill station has endless beauty!
Also known as Satpura ki Rani, the name of the place is derived from two words – Panch meaning five and Marhi meaning cave. And as the name suggests, there are five caves in Pachmarhi believed to have been built by the five Pandav brothers during the time when they were in exile. All North India tour packages to Pachmarhi cover the Pandav Caves. Some popular tourist attraction in the area include:
Pandav Caves: These are man made caves believed to have been built by the Pandav brothers by cutting rock. They have a number of cave paintings, some of which are about 10,000 years old. The caves are surrounded by gardens and give a beautiful view from the top. One of the caves is used for meditation.
Dhupgarh: This is the highest point of the Satpura range. Also known as the sunrise and sunset point, it gives a breathtaking view of the greenery and forest all around. At night one can see the lights of the neighboring town from here. Those who love trekking will enjoy the trek up to Dhupgarh. One can also reach the place by road.
Chauragarh Temple: The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is a pilgrimage for Shiva devotees. A steep climb of 1300 steps has to be covered to reach the temple. Before you start the climb, don’t forget to buy a Trishul as offering to the Lord. There is a dharamshala in the Chauragarh Temple which is open for all devotees.
Gupt Mahadev: Gupta Mahadev is a cave temple that has an idol of Lord Ganesha and a Shiva Lingam. The 40 feet long cave is an adventure which you cannot forget. Only eight people can pass through the narrow cave at a time.
Jata Shankar: This natural cave is also dedicated to Lord Shiva. There are two ponds here that are fed by natural water springs – a hot water pond and a cold water pond. Take a guide and he will help you make out where all the rock has been cut to give it the shape of animal heads.
Rajat Prapat Falls: The huge waterfall is the 30th highest fall in India. When the sun rays fall on the water, it shines like silver. The fall therefore is also popularly known as the Silver Falls.
Other attractions include Handi Kho, Apsara Falls, Crumps Crag, etc. North India tour packages to the hill station cover almost all major tourist attractions. Southern Travels are reputed tour operators in India and they have a package that covers Kanha, Bhedaghat and Pachmarhi. For those who are not visiting the place with one of the tour operators in India,Panchmari is easily approachable by road from Bhopal and Chhindwara. The nearest railway station is Pipariya.
