SwapnilJirageTravelPost: Pachmarhi- a quaint pretty hill station

Monday, May 15, 2023

Pachmarhi- a quaint pretty hill station - Travel India through my Eyes

http://travelindiathroughmyeyes.com/pachmarhi-a-quaint-pretty-hill-station/

rameshkabra

5–6 minutes

Perched in the Satpura range at an elevation of 1075 meters (3025 feet), Pachmarhi, the quaint, pretty hill station of Madhya Pradesh in Central India has many delightful surprises in store for the first time visitors.

Beautiful weather, awesome vistas and excellent stay & food at Satpura Retreat. There could not have been a better start to the new year – we had no inkling then of what was in store for humanity at large in the coming months of 2020 !!

After a 6 hours drive from Nagpur with my wife, sister, brother-in-law and dad, we entered Pachmarhi almost as the evening was setting in. The air had turned clear & crisp as we checked in at Satpura Retreat Resort under management of MP tourism, where we were booked for 3 nights. It is an old colonial Bungalow that had been expanded later to add 4 rooms to the existing 6 sprawling rooms for the guests. The rooms had very high ceiling and a box room and a bathroom (the size of a room in a decent hotel in a metro !). The Khansama prepared the dinner to our bidding & taste and the bearers were at our beck & call offering excellent hospitality. After a sumptuous meal we retired early in anticipation of the exciting two & half days ahead !!

Places visited in Pachmarhi

Bada Mahadev
The mountains & caves around Pachmarhi are steeped in mythological stories. One such cave high up in the mountains that houses an ancient Shiv Ling is known as Bada Mahadev.

As per mythology, Bhasmasura did severe penance and got the boon from Lord Shiva that he can turn anyone into ashes by placing his hand on their head. He wanted to test it by trying to keep his hand on Lord Shiva’s head. Lord Shiva escaped and took refuge in this cave. Bhasmasura followed him. Lord Vishnu took the form of beautiful Mohini and tricked & induced Bhasmasura to place his hand on his own head that made him turn into ashes.

There is a sculpture of Bhasmasura and Bhasmasura kund outside the Bada Mahadev cave. There is also another cave known as Parvati cave and another cave temple of Bhairav. Bada Mahadev cave has an height of 60 feet and has natural springs. Monkeys can be found in great numbers around the caves.

Jatashankar

Jatashankar, the naturally formed cave temple of Shiva in deep ravine amidst cliffs & boulders has unparalleled beauty. If not for religious angle, this place is a nature lover’s delight. The cave contains stalagmites which are revered as naturally formed lingas. There are fresh water springs too.

**Trishul depicting Shiv Parvati & Ganesh**

**Cliff resembling the open mouth & face of Hanuman**

Dhupgarh

Dhupgarh or Dhoopgarh in Pachmarhi at an altitude of 4450 feet is the highest peak of the Satpura range. The drive up the mountain in a 4-wheel drive is wonderful as it offers beautiful panoramic vistas all along the route. This place has sunrise and sunset viewing points.

The Church

The Protestant Church of Pachmarhi also known as the Christ Church was built in 1883 during the British era. It is a beautiful church built in the Gothic style of architecture with amazing stained glass work.