This again is a long Review, but I feel I could not have done proper justification without spilling the details. So please endure the Herculean effort.
The Place:
When Captain James Forsyth of the Bengal Lancers found himself exploring the Satpura ranges, he saw the Pachmarhi valley. He was enchanted by this saucer shaped abode of adivasis. Pachmarhi is a cute little valley surrounded by forest-covered hills comprising of wild Bamboo, Jamun and Sal trees. The forests provide a tranquility and peace disturbed only by the sounds of gushing water. Plenty of waterfalls, caves and deep gorges decorate the landscape of this pretty hill town.
Before the Trip:
My cousin Ruchira announced two weeks before Dussehra’’ This Dussehra I want to go somewhere good, so you guys come up with something fast or else...” I personally like completed threats better than the unfinished ones. The ’’u guys’’ comprised primarily of yours truly. Soon panicking like a terrorized travel agent I was punching numbers on my Cell... ’’Hello Sarang (my other cousin), Could u work up some misses at work around Dussehra. Planning on going to Pachmarhi...’’ ... ’’Hello Anurag (my another cousin) Are u free around Dussehra. So can u bear me on a trip to Pachmarhi at that time...’’What all this punching numbers and doing the blah-blah stuff did was that seven cousins (7 kids from four families) who were very non-colonial were bunched up to take on Pachmarhi in two weeks.
On to Pachmarhi
Four of us reached from Bhilai to Nagpur by bus. Picking up the other three and stuffing us all on a comfortable Tata Sumo, we were off to Pachmarhi. We stopped in between whenever the scene started to resemble something like Yash Chopra movies. Armed with a newly purchased video camera I was more than happy to shoot the crazy behaviour displayed by the other six. One of the lot who goes by the name Sarang intended on catching Dragonflies at every possible place. In his famous hedonic moods, he also had a new meaning for the word Wildlife while hunting for these unsuspecting creatures ’’ Wild Apan Honge Aur Life Inki Jayegi.’’ In the end we managed to reach Pachmarhi with minimal damage done to the flora and fauna.
First Day: Of Caves, Hair Locks, Imaginative Guides and Gorges.
After finding our way to the ’’New Hotel’’ where we had booked our rooms in advance, we had a below average lunch at the hotel before beginning our endeavour of exploring Pachmarhi. First we visited the Pandava caves, which are said to have been inhabited by the five legendary princes of Mahabharata with their wife at some time or other during their Vanavaas. Next we ventured into the Jatashankar caves, the name comes from the myth that hair locks of Lord Shiva (Jatas) form the rock formations inside the cave. As if this hard to digest mythical story was not enough we employed a guide who had ’’some’’ imagination power, It was just amazing the way he could make out all the million gods of Hindu mythology in the various rocky formations with expert ease.
As the horizons changed colors to welcome dusk we were looking down the deep gorge of Handi Kho. After half an hour of a brilliant stone throwing contest and gulping down Nimbupani, we moved on to PriyaDarshini point (Forsyth Point). This site provides another view of the spectacular valley and the ChauraGarh temple.
Second Day: Of great food, gushing waterfalls, rocking gypsy and steep hills.
We woke up next day to find that we had friends visiting us. Yes, the hotel is frequently visited by local monkeys who have never heard the word ’fear’. For the day we booked a Maruti Gypsy with a very adventurous driver. We first went to see the Apsara Vihar and Rajat Prapat. Again hooked up with a boring guide we were relieved to find some solace at a pond near Apsara Vihar. The Apsara Vihar was named so by the local adivasis, when they saw the British ladies (Apsaras) having a bath at these pools. Before moving on to the next spot, we had an excellent lunch at a Dhaba Restaurant called Rasoi. Moving on we had a steep trek of 2 km to reach to the Duchess falls. The water is very cold here and we enjoyed a relaxing bath. The day belonged to Waterfalls and after quickly visiting some bear caves we moved on to see the famous Bee falls with the dusk falling. the excursion for the day was over but what remained in our memories were the fast gypsy rides and the steep roads.
Third Day: Of the Great Ascent, the Goodbye and Tired Seven
Already a bit tired by the schedule of previous day, we took on the great hill of Chauragrah the second highest hill of the place. Half of the way on steps and trekking the other half we reached a Shiva Temple surrounded by thousands of Tridents (Trishuls). After the descent we packed our things and it was time to say goodbye to Pachmarhi. The return journey was marked by six sleeping cousins, while yours truly was quite awake along with the driver.
What’s Good
The best part of Pachmarhi is its lack of tourists. This helps in getting a calm atmosphere all around. Moreover since this place is not that much hyped, the little market of Pachmarhi doesn’t seem like some big fair, with traders almost jumping on you. Some of the waterfalls are really good and if you enjoy light treks, there is enough of it here. What I personally felt was that this place could be better explored on a bicycle. As for accommodation, the place offers a lot of range and the food is cheap and excellent. The people are friendly and easygoing.
What’s Bad
Not going as far as calling anything bad, but what can disappoint many tourists is the fact that it is an average place. The waterfalls, gorges temples, treks can easily be found at any other hill station. If you are looking for some amazing sights, this is certainly not the place. But yes, overall the whole place makes you feel relaxed and you find yourself in song with the nature.
A Few Tips
We didn’t see Dhoopgarh because it didn’t fit our schedule but one must visit it to see an amazing sunset from the highest peak on Satpura range..
If you have time do visit the Satpura national park and the Tamia valley.
Be sure you employ a sane guide!