Welcome to Pachmarhi
With the mercury rising every year, travelling to hill stations or mountains to escape the heat has become a yearly ritual for most urbanites. Luckily India, with its god-gifted natural beauty has no dearth of such picturesque locations. Pachmarhi, or Panchmarhi as some call it, is one such quaint hill station situated in the Satpura mountain ranges.
Pachmarhi is known as the Queen of Satpura not only due to its rich bio-diversity, but also because its a Wildlife Sanctuary, is a part of UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and has the highest peak – Dhoopgarh, in Central India. Located at a height of approximately 3500 feet above the sea level in the state of Madhya Pradesh, this place is the epitome of serenity and mesmerises you with the breathtaking views of lush green forests and tall mountain cliffs that are naturally sculpted to perfection!
Along with natural beauty, Pachmarhi also has a mystical aura around the place. Surrounded with deep ravines and dark, hollow caves naturally carved within tall, rocky cliffs give out vibes of something mysterious brewing inside.
Irrespective, you just can’t help being awestruck at the sheer magnificence of the nature’s stunning creation!
How To Reach From Mumbai
I travelled to Pachmarhi from Mumbai, hence the heading. You can reach Pachmarhi from Mumbai via road, rail or air, though by road it is quite exhausting.
By Road
The distance by road is a little more 1000 kms and is not a recommended option. However, if you still wish to travel by road, the best route is via Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway with a night stay at Aurangabad. There are 3 routes post Aurangabad – via Akola, via Amravati and via Vardha. Though the route via Vardha is the longest, it is still the fastest and will take you to destination within 16 hours and 13 mins if your drive non-stop (source: Google Maps).
By Rail
The nearest railway station to Pachmarhi is Pipariya. The train takes anywhere between 13 to 16 hours from Dadar or Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) stations in Mumbai depending on the train you choose. Though there are multiple trains plying to Pipariya, we had booked our seats on the LTT-Gorakhpur Kashi Express (Train No. 15017) train and it took us around 14 hours to reach Pipariya since we boarded at Kalyan station.
From Pipariya, you can get a private taxi to Pachmarhi at the cost of INR 1000 to 1200.
By Air
The nearest airport to Pachmarhi is the Raja Bhoj International Airport at Bhopal. There are plenty of flights from Mumbai to Bhopal on a daily basis and the trip takes around 1 hr. 20 mins. Once you get out of the airport, you can book a private taxi from the airport to Pachmarhi and takes around 4 – 4.5 hours to reach the destination. The taxi costs around INR 4500 to INR 6000, depending upon the choice between non-AC and AC cabs.
The other option is to take a bus from Bhopal to Pachmarhi. However, there are no State run buses to Pachmarhi. There are a few private buses that ply to the destination and all of them have different boarding points. Hence, you will need to plan in advance for the bus you plan to board else you may end up going to the boarding point only to find out that they are full, especially during the holiday season. Also all the buses leave early in the morning and there are no trips to Pachmarhi during the rest of the day.
I strongly recommend you hire a private taxi if you wish to save time and hassles.
Accommodation at Pachmarhi
Since Pachmarhi is the most popular hill station in Central India, there are plenty of options for a good stay. From budget hotels in the middle of the bustling market to decently priced resorts at quiet, serene locations to premium stays with all the modern amenities and picturesque views, you can choose the one that best suits your taste.
We chose a hotel that is located around a kilometer away from the market and has one of the best tranquil locations in Pachmarhi. The property is an old world charm and hosts only 8 cottage rooms. However, the peace and the privacy that you get here, that too with a colonial feel, is priceless! You can check out the details of the hotel here.
Places to see
Pachmarhi is a UNESCO designated biosphere reserve. The total forest area is divided into core and buffer zones, with most of the area falling under buffer zone. The Satpura National Park constitutes the core zone where you can find most of the wildlife.
However, a forest reserve comes with restrictions on the free movement of tourists around the place. The tourist spots are divided into two categories here. One where you can travel by your own vehicle, rent a private vehicle or rent a Gypsy car authorized by Madhya Pradesh Tourism (MPT). The other category falls under the forest area where only MPT authorized Gypsy cars are allowed. You have no option but to rent them to visit those spots.
To visit the spots in the first category you will have shell out INR 1500. You may have pay extra if you wish to hire a guide for this tour.
To visit the spots that are in the reserved forest area, you need to visit the Forest Department office in the premises of the Bison Lodge, and pay INR 2000 for the Gypsy with a Guide and another INR 1210 for the tourist permit. All Gypsy cars are numbered, so that you can easily locate your vehicle amongst hundred others at any tourist spot.
We spent our Day 1 of the tour by hiring the same vehicle that dropped us at Pachmarhi from Pipariya the earlier night. The driver doubled up as a Guide too, without charging us extra. We set out to visit all the spots outside the forest area on that day.
Gupt Mahadeo and Bada Mahadeo
In the Hindu culture, lord Shiva is also known as Mahadeo (meaning God of Gods). Pachmarhi owes its significance partially to the places of worship dedicated to lord Shiva, whom the locals worship a lot. There are four such temples in Pachmarhi – Gupt Mahadeo, Bada Mahadeo, Chouragarh and Jatashankar. There are other temples dedicated to other deities as well. However, these four temples dedicated to Lord Shiva are one of the most visited places in Pachmarhi.
Gupt Mahadeo, or Chhota Mahadeo is located on the way to Chouragarh and is around 200 meters from the parking lot that is common for Gupt Mahadeo, Bada Mahadeo and Chouragarh. It is a small cave with just enough space to accomodate 6 to 7 persons at a time. Even the way to reach the cave is through a small crevice, which is so narrow that only one person can pass through it at a time.
Outside the cave, there is a statue of lord Hanuman, standing tall and guarding the caves for hundreds of years.
At the other end of the parking lot, is Bada Mahadeo, another temple of lord Shiva inside inside a cave that is quite bigger than Gupt Mahadeo. There are actually two caves next to each other, one with the Shiv Lingam, and the other with a small clay idol of Goddess Parvati. You need to climb a few staircases to reach each one of them.
It was cooler inside the cave and the floor was wet due to the water dripping from the ceiling. It was quite a surreal feeling. With lord Shiva’s blessings with us, we turned towards the other cave.
A short descend from the Bada Mahadeo and a couple of stairs thereafter, will take you to the other cave that houses a small idol (most probably made of clay) of Goddess Parvati. Nothing much to do there except seeking the blessings of her holiness.
We decided to give Chouragarh a pass this time, since it entailed a kilometer trail till the base and then an ascend of around 1365 steps to reach the temple. Our guide and driver for the day, suggested we spare one whole day for Chouragarh since it can be pretty exhausting.
Priyadarshini (Echo Point)
Next stop was Priyadarshini or The Echo Point. No marks for guessing why is it called Echo Point. Probably every hill station has one Echo Point. Yes, its a place on a mountain facing a valley where your voice echoes through it.
One peculiar thing about Pachmarhi is that from most of the hill tops, you get a view of Chouragarh, a lord Shiva shrine located atop Chouragarh hill. There is a small telescope mounted on all the hill tops from where you can get a closer view of the temple. You have to pay 10 rupees for the telescopic view. Again, quite typical of a hill station.
One more interesting facts of Pachmarhi is that it has a green forest cover throughout most of the year! This is attributed to the richness in the bio-diversity and the conservation efforts by the Government of India with the help of the locals for generations.
That also means that as a tourist you get spectacular views of the lush green valleys throughout the year! You can see for yourself –
Jatashankar
This is the fourth and the most beautiful shrine of lord Shiva. The way to the place is through narrow gorges surrounded by tall cliffs that will leave you spellbound! The shrine itself is located inside a cave in a deep ravine surrounded by heavy boulders. The location is so pristine, you can actually hear the sound of peace! You get a feeling of timelessness as you enter the cave, a feeling of having risen above all the four dimensions! Truly out of the world! I can’t help but share some of the mesmerizing pictures of the place.
Legend says the lord Shiva had concealed himself in this cave in order to save himself from the wrath of Bhasmasura, who had turned against Shiva after being blessed by Shiva himself. You can see stalagmites that are revered to be Shiva Lingams by the locals, inside the caves. The structure of the cave resembles head of Sheshanag (the ten-headed serpent mount of Lord Vishnu). The place is just divine!!
To reach the caves, you have to park your vehicle around 1.5 kms away from the caves in the parking area. From the parking, you need to trek till the caves. Along the way you will also come across lord Hanuman temple and a few idols of lord Shiva.
You will also see small shops dotted on the sides that sell Ayurvedic products. Our driver-cum-guide asked us to refrain from buying them as they were supposedly not genuine and suggested we should buy them from the MPT authorized Ayurvedic outlets in Pachmarhi. However, the shopkeepers claimed that the products are 100% genuine and organic, made of natural herbs and also that the same products are sold at a higher price at the shops in Pachmarhi market.
Since this was our first time, we trusted the shopkeepers and bought a few of them. However, when we enquired at the shops as suggested by our driver, the same products were priced a tad higher. It is up to you to decide. Since I’m yet to try those products at the time of writing this post, I would not be able to tell which ones are more effective.
Boat Club Lake
Located at approx. 3 kms from the main bus stand, near to Bison Lodge Museum, is the Boat Club lake. This is a small lake, compared to the likes of Nainital or Ooty, where you can enjoy boat rides, either in pedal boats or speed boats. There are a few other activities too that you can go for, like zip-lining and ATV rides. Apart from that and a few other restaurants at the lake-side, there is nothing much to do at this place.
You can chill out in the evening in one of the cafes over there though.
Rajendragiri Sunset Point
This was our last spot for the day. Rajendragiri is a Sunset point and has a sprawling flower garden lush with spectacular flora. It has been named after the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad and also has a tree planted by the President himself. The natural beauty of the place is so stunning and photogenic, we couldn’t help clicking pictures of the place and few selfies as well!
We did not wait for the sunset since we were quite tired and wanted to head back to the hotel as soon as possible. However, just as we were enjoying the much needed evening tea at a Tea Stall just outside the garden on our way back, I happened to come across this beautiful sight and I just couldn’t resist capturing it in my camera!
That concluded day 1 of our sight seeing!
Local Bus Stand and The Market
We had a lazy start to the Day 2 and decided to skip sight seeing for a day. Instead we chose to spend some relaxing moments at the resort itself and take a short stroll to the local bus stand. Following a fresh morning tea, a hot shower and a sumptuous breakfast, we set out on foot to explore the market area around the local bus stand.
The warm sunny morning, with a mild breeze of cool air and occasional rustling of dry leaves on the quiet streets of Pachmarhi made our stroll worthwhile and enjoyable. On the way, my photographer instincts tingled and I pulled out my phone for some street photography.
Apart from the casual exploration of the place and a lunch at a restaurant, we tried something interesting. We went to an ice-cream parlor that served Tawa Ice-cream. Only in this case the tawa (pan) was not hot, but freezing cold. We just had to select the flavor and the person preparing the ice-cream would roll it out (literally!) for us. For those interested, you can check out the recipe for Tawa Ice-cream here. It was fun!
The area around the bus stand is like any other small town markets, dotted with shops and restaurants and a section dedicated to street food, named Chowpatty! Unless you are interested in shopping for Ayurvedic herbs and medicines, there’s nothing much to do around.
Pachmarhi Catholic Church
The Pachmarhi Catholic Church, also called as Protestant Church of Pachmarhi, was built by the British around 1875 and is a beautiful blend of Irish, French and British architectures. Had heard a lot of the beautiful interiors, that also boast tainted glasses above the altar that were imported from Belgium. However, since there are not too many catholic families in Pachmarhi, the church opens only on Sundays for mass. And since our day 2 was a Wednesday, alas, we could not see the beautiful structure from the inside!
Pancharanya (Hatt Bazaar)
Pancharanya or Hatt Bazaar, as it is known locally, is a perfect place to spend a nice leisurely evening in Pachmarhi. Popular for folk music and local handicraft products, it is a beautiful recreation park that offers a myriad of recreational activities. It also has a children’s play area where kids can spend some quality time while you shop. The entry fee to the park is INR 50 per person
You should definitely not miss the laser show which is the main attraction at the Hatt Bazaar. The show is a bit towards the end of the day at around 7:30 p.m. It is conducted in the amphitheater, starting with a brief video introduction to the history and the rich bio-diversity of Pachmarhi. The entry fee to the show is around INR 150 per person.
And how can I miss to mention about the delicious French Fries and the Paneer Sandwich at The Banyan Roots cafe inside the park! Tantalized our taste buds!
We wrapped up our evening with some batting practice inside the nets and some archery as well. It was surely an evening well spent!
Bison Lodge Museum
Day 3 was reserved for visiting all the attractions that come under reserved forest area and require a tourist permit from the Madhya Pradesh Tourism department, whose office is located in the premises of what is known as the Bison Lodge Museum.
The museum was built in 1862 by Captain James Forsyth, who came to Pachmarhi while leading his troops to Jhansi in 1857 and then settled down here. In fact, he is also credited for discovering Pachmarhi as a hill station. The lodge was his residence then and is now converted into a museum.
You have to pay for the Gypsy car and the Guide at a booking window near the entrance, where you will get a receipt with the registration number of the vehicle and the name of the Guide assigned to you. Then you need to show the same at the second window where you will pay for the permit. Once the permit is issued, the Guide assigned to you will take over and escort you throughout the tour.
Tip: The Gypsy car accommodates six people. If you are a group of less than four, then you can save some money by splitting the Gypsy car charges with other tourists who are willing to tour along with you in the same vehicle. You just have to ensure that the total number of passengers in the vehicle do not exceed six.
The museum gives you a glimpse of the rich bio-diversity of Pachmarhi in the form of pictures spread across the rooms, alongside life-size stuffed animals like Tigers, Lions, Bison and Crocodiles. There is also an open-air theatre in the premises that plays documentaries and presentations on wildlife in Pachmarhi. We spent some time at the museum, clicking some pictures with the stuffed animals and then moved on for the rest of the attractions.
Pandav Caves
The first stop of the guided tour was the famous Pandav Caves also known as Shri Panch Pandav Caves, located at around 1.5 kms from the Bison Lodge. These are ancient cave temples, carved out of a single rock. According to the local legend, the five Pandava Brothers had made these caves their abode during their exile. Pachmarhi also derives its name from these caves. In the local language Pach stands for five and Marhi stands for cave, which means five caves.
Though the popular belief is that the caves were carved as shelters by the Pandavas, some also believe that it is a pure myth and the caves were actually used as a shelter by the Buddhist Monks during 1st Century AD. The caves are well maintained, and are adorned with beautiful sculptures inside.
The place is also graced with a beautiful garden at the base of the caves, that is rich in flora. You can see literally hundreds of varieties of flowers here and makes it one of the most picturesque locations in Pachmarhi.
Bee Falls
From the caves, we moved towards the Bee Falls. This is a waterfall amidst the scenic lush green mountains surrounding the falls. The water stream flows almost 35 meters down the valley and you need to climb down a fleet of around 400 stairs to reach to the base of the falls. The view around the falls is so beautiful that you cannot resist going down to the base and admire the majestic beauty of nature. That’s what makes it the most popular spot amongst the other waterfalls like the Duchess falls, Rajat Prapat and Apsara falls. However, you need strong legs and a strong willpower too, to make it up and down to the falls.
Reechgarh
By the time we came back from an exhausting, yet refreshing affair with the Bee Falls, it was lunch time already. We all took a lunch break before proceeding to our next stop – Reechgarh
Reechgarh is a huge cave that is believed to be inhabited by huge sloth bears (Reech in local language) in past, and hence the name. It is approximately around 3.4 kms from the Bison lodge and will take around 7 to 8 mins from the Gypsy to reach. After reaching the spot, you need to take a small diversion to the right from the main road, where the vehicles need to be parked. From there you need to walk up to the caves for around half a kilometer.
They are actually cave like formations with walls made of huge rocks on both the sides and open to sky. At the other end of the cave is a small gorge that opens up to the valley. We were advised by the guide not to venture beyond the gorge since the place was not very safe and was accident prone.
The place gives a surreal feeling and like I said in the beginning, mystic vibes. Visitors are not allowed to stay back or visit the place after dark, since wild animals like Tigers and Bears are known to show up at night.
There are no entry fees to visit this place.
Dhoopgarh
This is the highest point in Pachmarhi. It is said that when the sun rises in the east, the peak point on this mountain, which is a huge rock, receives the first light of the day and hence the name Dhoopgarh! (Dhoop in Hindi means Sunlight).
The road to reach this point is through the mountains and is completely covered by lush greenery on both the sides. You can also get spectacular views of the rocky cliffs on both the sides as you reach the top. The best part is that you can enjoy the complete 360o view since you are in the open air Gypsy vehicle!
Once you reach the top, there is a parking lot from where you have to walk across a table-land like plateau. Once you reach the edge, you can get a serene view of the valley and the entire town of Pachmarhi. You can also enjoy a beautiful sunset if you stay a bit longer than 6 p.m.
Apart from the valley views and sunset, there is a museum that showcases the bio-diversity of Pachmarhi. Very similar to Bison Lodge Museum.
Dhoopgarh was the last stop of the day before we returned to our base, tired and gratified at the same time. There were other attractions too, that are covered under the fees we paid at the Bison Lodge. However, our body was pleading rest and we had spent enough time at the other attractions to cover almost entire day. So we had to give the other attractions a pass.
The places we couldn’t cover due to time constraint are – Astachal Ramya Kund, Rajat Prapat, Duchess Falls, Panchuli Kund and Apsara Vihar. However, if you are interested in visiting all these places, then you really need to rush yourself enough to cover all of them in a single day, which leaves you very little time on hand at each spot. Its up to you though.
Epilogue
Every hill station as its own charm and its own list of tourist attractions that you can visit. However, for me it all boils down to the experience of the place itself. I was not at all disappointed that we couldn’t cover all the tourist spots. However, the tranquility I experienced here cannot be expressed in words. I could feel a strong emotional connect with the nature and in turn, with the almighty itself!
It was an experience worth adding to my trove of travel experiences. As for the part of Pachmarhi that I could not cover, I’m surely visiting it again soon. And who knows, may be it will be my top go-to destination for leisure and relaxation.
