Pachmarhi Hill Station Tour

Pachmarhi Hill Station: the queen of Satpura ranges

Captain James Forsyth discovered the saucer shaped valley in 1857. Tour to Pachmarhi; is a plateau, which is surrounded by evergreen hills, and the Satpura ranges. This small hill station is at height of 3550 feet and is situated in the Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh. It is known as the queen of Satpura due to its location and its mesmerizing beauty. The name is derived from Panch-Marhi, which means five caves also known as the Pandava caves and is backed by the legend of the Pandavas and the Mahabharata. It is believed that the Pandavas stayed in these caves while there 12 years exile period. This is very important tourist destination not only due to its scenic beauty but also because of lord Shiva and his temples. This place is home to many deep ravines, pools, dense forests and gliding waterfalls make Pachmarhi a perfect tourist place. The lustrous greenery beautiful sunsets and eye-catching scenery is what it offers to tourists. Pachmarhi has some cave painting in the forests, which are about 10000 years old. The population of Pachmarhi is about 10000 people and they are mostly connected to the army installations over there. The language used for communication by the local people is Hindi. Pachmarhi also has an airstrip in Dhupgarh, which generally is covered with grass and is rarely used. A small bazaar, a golf course, movie halls and clubs are also available in the small town.

Pachmarhi Hotel Accommodations

This place being a famous hill station and also a religious spot there is huge tourist traffic throughout the year and in the peak seasons the reservations become a difficult task. It is always better to have prior bookings to avoid any unwelcoming situations. There are many good hotels with excellent service and facilities developed for the tourists. The most renowned hotels are the Golf View, the Misty Meadow Resort, Satpura Retreat, Rock-End Manor, Hotel Paradise, Hotel Panchvati, Hotel Indraprastha, Hotel Pandav and many more. The hotels give facilities of live kitchen; air conditioned facilities, WI fi connectivity, mini bars, coffee makers and an unforgettable hospitality experience.

Best Time to Visit Pachmarhi

Pachmarhi can be visited by tourists throughout the year due to its favorable climatic conditions. The summers from May to June are highly welcoming; the climate is pleasant with the highest temperature being 350 C. The winters however, can be icy cold stretching from November to February with the minimum temperature crossing 40 C. The calm and moderate rains in Pachmarhi leave the place clean and fresh. The best time however to visit the place could be October to June.

How to Reach Pachmarhi

Pachmarhi is 271 km from Nagpur, 703 km from Hyderabad, 748 km from Ahmedabad, 768 km from Pune, and 746 km from Delhi. The place being a famous hill station it is well connected through railways, roadways and private tourist buses.

Pachmarhi is a very small hill station and it can be traveled on foot easily. Hiring a car is the most expensive means of travel and will cause an expense of around 1000 to 1500 rupees per day. The government buses are very cheap and well connected. Bicycles can also prove to be very effective for travel and will cost about 100 to120 rupees per day.

Pachmarhi: Places to See

Tour to Jatasankar: It is an attractive spot for spiritual reasons and abiding sanctity, which is one and a half kilometers away from the Pachmarhi bus stand. The name 'Jatasankar' comes from the name of lord Shiva due the naturally occurring formations of rock depicting lord Shiva and the giant serpent. An amazing artwork of nature can be viewed at this place. Half the distance to the cave can be traveled on a vehicle and the rest has to be covered on foot. The cave is also the source of the Jambu Dwip stream. The Harper cave and the hanuman temple are also located near this cave. The hanuman temple has a huge rock carved statue of lord Hanuman that can be visited on the way to Jatasankar. The Harper cave is named after the painting of a man inside the cave, playing a harp. This is a tourist spot with serenity and sanctity as the main attractions.

Must to see Pandava Caves: These five caves carved out of rocks are believed to be the place abode by the Pandavas during their twelve years exile period. The name Pachmarhi comes from these caves Panch- Marhi meaning five caves, which can be traced back to the times of the Mahabharata. One of the caves is called the 'Draupadi kuti' and a dark cave is known as the 'Bhim kothari'. The archeologists however claim that the Buddhists built these caves during the Gupta period.

Apsara Vihar (Fairy Pool): The Apsara Vihar, which is also called the fairy fool, is situated at a short distance on foot from the Pandava Caves. This place is a waterfall and a pool full of fun and enjoyment. The waterfall is about twenty feet high and for a swimmer it is an easy task to swim across the small pool and reach under the waterfall. The pool is quiet deep at the centre but those who do not know how to swim can still have fun at the shallow ends of the pool.

Rajat Prapat: This is a very big waterfall located half a kilometer away from the Apsara Vihar. It is three hundred and fifty feet high and a beauty so mesmerizing that it seems like silver is pouring from the top of the fall. It a place full of adventurous activities for trekkers and adventure lovers. It is nearly three kilometers and an arduous task to reach near the fall. Only trekkers can make it to the fall.

Rajendra Giri: This is a hill named after the late Dr. Rajendra Prasad the first president of free India. He visited this place many times and a comfortable residence for him was built over here, known as the Ravi Shankar Bhavan. From the top of this hill a glimpse of the beautiful residence can be had. The enchanting beauty of the three most prominent peaks of the south- western crest, which can also be viewed from the hilltop, is also an important tourist attraction.

Priyadarshini Point Trip: Priyadarshini Point was earlier known as the Forsyth point because Captain James Forsyth discovered this valley from this point in 1857. The view from this point is a spell casting. The three peaks Chauradeo to the left, Mahadeo in the center and the Dhupgarh can be seen from this point and at the sunset they become glowing red in the purple background of the sky. This point is an attraction due to its spectacular scenic beauty.

Handi Kho Tour: Handi Kho is a ravine and the deepest in Pachmarhi. It is almost three hundred feet deep, densely wooded and the gush of water can be heard from quiet a distance. According to the mythology lord Shiva incarcerated an evil snake over here and buried him deep inside the ravine. The natives called it Andhi Kho due to which later it came to be known as Handi Kho. The kho can be viewed from a clearing with a railing.

Visit to Mahadeo: This is a place for worship and a holy centre for the Hindus. The way to this place is ten kilometers away from the town through the dense sal forests which is a rough travel. Inside the cave shrine a distance of hundred meters is to be covered to reach the entrance that has a large shivling. Drops of water that trickle from the roof of the cave form a pool of cool and fresh water where the devotees take a dip. The legend that exists over the existence of this shrine says that Bhasmasur a demon worshipped lord Shiva and earned a boon due to which he could burn anything to ashes just by keeping his hand over its head. The demon wanted to test the boon over Lord Shiva and he had to hide in these caves until lord Vishnu in the form of a damsel came for his rescue. The demon is believed to have burnt outside the cave where there is a pond, which is known as the Bhasmasur Kund. This place is of great religious value and devotees in lakhs of numbers visit this place during Shiva Ratri.

Visit to Chauragarh: The Chauragarh is a four-kilometer climb of nearly thirteen hundred steps. This is a place for devotees of lord Shiva who carry Triscends on their shoulders to the rectangular top which has an idol of lord Shiva. It is a very difficult climb and there is a rush at the time of Shiva ratri. They have a Dharmashala for the devotees to relax.

Travel to Satpura National Park: The Satpura wildlife National Park was formed in 1981 and stretches over 524 square kilometers. This park is home to dense forests of teak, evergreen sal, and bamboo. A large variety of animals and birds reside in these forests, which include tiger, bison, bear, four horned deer, leopard and blue bull.