Last College Autumn Break and what do we the self-proclaimed 'explorers' do-we go to another hill station, this time in Madhya Pradesh. In the heart of the state lies a magical town named Pachmarhi. It is a large plateau, ringed by the lofty hills of the Satpura range
. The landscape is characterised by rugged hills, forests and deep ravines. Known as the verdant jewel of the hills, the all - pervading greenery of the region is what strikes the observer. Various hues of green greet the eye - tranquil emerald pools, the green shades that embrace the hills, and the thick, impenetrable forest cover that dominates the region.One of its main attractions, is the splendid view it offers at dusk, when the red sandstone scarp takes on the colour of the sky, in various shades of purple and violet, as the glorious sun sets on Pachmarhi. This small, secluded place is slowly gaining popularity. Our friend from Bhopal had been here before and with her recommendation we decided we needed this break - not from a hectic schedule at college, but a time-off from the everyday monotony and dearth of the "unexplored" in Delhi ;)
The closest Railhead to Pachmarhi is at Pipariya. However, we took the Tamil Nadu express so that we could spend some time at our friend's place in Bhopal and binge on ghar ka khanna which we as hostelers were always excited about! So, we started early in the morning for the approximately 6 hours long drive from Bhopal. The view on the way is equally breath-taking. We stopped at Pipariya for lunch. The place was called Hotel Alka -wasn't the general dhaba food that we are so accustomed to while traveling but was yum nonetheless and hence worth a mention. Just before we reached Pachmarhi, there was a place called Echo point. Not many people stop here but it was an interesting thing to do for m
e, especially after witnessing so many "echoes" in the Hindi movies - it was fascinating to try it out for myself. One thing i realized after was that you ought to be LOUD for the echo to linger on for a while! :)
When we reached Pachmarhi..there was an amazing calm that descended upon us - maybe it was because we had been traveling for almost 15 odd hours but I think it was more the serenity of the town. The first place we visited was Jatashankar. It is on the entrance road t
o Pachmarhi. It is one of the nearest & most beautiful spots. Its quite a steep climb down and into a gorge. If you hire a guide, he will tell you how some of the rocks on your climb down are forms of different Gods and naturally so. For example - there is one that looks like Hanumanji, ganesha and a few others. He even showed us - India's map outlined mid-air between the gorge. The temperature in the cave is around 2-3 degrees lower than the town. Shivalingam under the shade of huge rock formation of Naga is the place of worship as well main attraction here. Huge rock hanging precariously between the rocky walls of the cave is a memorable scene- some would say that this miracle of nature reminds us all of the powers of The Almighty.
The name of Pachmarhi is said to have genesis to “Panchmathi” (five huts) & is derived from ancient caves situated in a small hill known as Pandava gufa -the caves where the Pandava brothers are said to have spent a part of their exile. Archeologically these caves are said to be carved by Buddhist monks in the 9th or 10th Century AD, but the popular myth & belief associate them with Agyatavasa of Pandavas. The scenic beauty from the hilltop of the town and the satpura range-which resemble t
he humps of a camel are reason enough to visit. However, the beautiful garden/nursery surrounding it increases the charm.
We headed for Dhoopgarh after that. It is also known as the Sunset point - one of the more popular places that people visit. Its a arduous drive up this hill but once up there - it was astonishing. Expert driving on hills is essentially required to reach the top. Hill hikers can prefer route from foothill after taking permission from forest authorities, obviou
sly it is only recommended for youngsters & adventurous persons. The highest peak is known as “Elephant Peak” or “Hathi Shikhar” .This is a place from where one can see views of valleys,depthness of nature, greenery of dense saal forest, view of serpent shaped jungle paths sleeping like huge dragon & lucky 
ones may have a frontage with herds of “Bison” roaming in bamboo forests. Elephant peak covers almost whole of the Pachmarhi on its canvas. From the eastern side of the Dhoopgarh Sunrise & from western side Sunset is seen. Towards east the Pachmarhi town seems to lie sleepy & the view to the west gives a look of Bori Jungle,Betul hills & distant look of Tawa reservoir. We sat on the stairs made for tourists and were enamored by the sun set-from an orange ball of fire to a mere speck in the clouds within a span of 3-5 minutes. The cool breeze with fragrance in its purest form... Two hours stay in the evening shows so many shades of nature, which are beyond description in words & can only be felt...
It was time to get some rest, had been a long day so then we went back to the guest house. The guest house that we were staying in was more like a cottage - a British vintage house. There is a army cantonment here, so the horses tamed by the Army grazing around is a normal sight- though I was stunned at first to see these beauties galloping around without reigns. We had d
inner and then while some of dozed off, I ventured out for a walk around the guest house. The night sky was clear, the stars twinkling bright I walked into wide open meadows and just lay on the grass looking out for constellations.
Early next morning, we went back to Dhoopgarh to watch the sunrise. It was chilly and we were sleepy but the early morning rays of the sun and the fresh country
side air was a refreshing change. I would say its best to visit during sunset and sunrise-reflects how one place can be viewed in myriad lights. In the evening, one is enthralled by the variation in the shades of the sky..while, in the morning, the depth of the vast forests in the rugged hills and the distance of the
horizon captivates you and has you spellbound!
From there we then moved to the market at Pachmarhi, which comprises of just a few lanes from a central place - the Bus Stand and small tea stalls - where we had poha and jalebis for breakfast. After lazing around for a while, we went to Bees Fall. There is a jungle road towards Bees falls for
which we took a Gypsy. After a short walk down hill, from there is a beautiful water stream which is usually used as a bathing pool by the visitors. This water stream flows & jumps into the
valley to make one of the most beautiful waterfalls of Pachmarhi. The fall makes a buzzing sound as if thousand of bees are singing & accordingly is called Bees fall. This spectacular fall leaves long lasting memory when one stays under its cold, fresh & pure water which falls directly from the height of 200 ft & the soothing feeling of its stroke on ones back 
and head is an unforgettable experience. The road that leads to Bee Fall actually leads to the top of the cliff from where the water falls. A rather tricky descent later, you shall find a massive column of water falling into a stream making a loud noise to your left. The noise this waterfall makes muffles the usual roar that the crowd makes, yet in it’s own way, calms your mind and relaxes you. 
Yes nature is funny, isn’t it? After a tiring climb up the cliff and a bumpy ride on the gypsy we then were ready to head back to Bhopal. We stopped once again at the Echo point - just to "yell out" a final good-bye..
Interesting Fact: Surprisingly and i wonder if it was only with us-when we were heading up to Dhoopgarh in the morning, the air was chilly at the base, but warm at the top - those of u reading this and who have traveled to Pachmarhi, let me know if you felt the same and if there is any reason for such difference -I'm still bummed!! :)
. The landscape is characterised by rugged hills, forests and deep ravines. Known as the verdant jewel of the hills, the all - pervading greenery of the region is what strikes the observer. Various hues of green greet the eye - tranquil emerald pools, the green shades that embrace the hills, and the thick, impenetrable forest cover that dominates the region.One of its main attractions, is the splendid view it offers at dusk, when the red sandstone scarp takes on the colour of the sky, in various shades of purple and violet, as the glorious sun sets on Pachmarhi. This small, secluded place is slowly gaining popularity. Our friend from Bhopal had been here before and with her recommendation we decided we needed this break - not from a hectic schedule at college, but a time-off from the everyday monotony and dearth of the "unexplored" in Delhi ;)
The closest Railhead to Pachmarhi is at Pipariya. However, we took the Tamil Nadu express so that we could spend some time at our friend's place in Bhopal and binge on ghar ka khanna which we as hostelers were always excited about! So, we started early in the morning for the approximately 6 hours long drive from Bhopal. The view on the way is equally breath-taking. We stopped at Pipariya for lunch. The place was called Hotel Alka -wasn't the general dhaba food that we are so accustomed to while traveling but was yum nonetheless and hence worth a mention. Just before we reached Pachmarhi, there was a place called Echo point. Not many people stop here but it was an interesting thing to do for m
e, especially after witnessing so many "echoes" in the Hindi movies - it was fascinating to try it out for myself. One thing i realized after was that you ought to be LOUD for the echo to linger on for a while! :)When we reached Pachmarhi..there was an amazing calm that descended upon us - maybe it was because we had been traveling for almost 15 odd hours but I think it was more the serenity of the town. The first place we visited was Jatashankar. It is on the entrance road t
o Pachmarhi. It is one of the nearest & most beautiful spots. Its quite a steep climb down and into a gorge. If you hire a guide, he will tell you how some of the rocks on your climb down are forms of different Gods and naturally so. For example - there is one that looks like Hanumanji, ganesha and a few others. He even showed us - India's map outlined mid-air between the gorge. The temperature in the cave is around 2-3 degrees lower than the town. Shivalingam under the shade of huge rock formation of Naga is the place of worship as well main attraction here. Huge rock hanging precariously between the rocky walls of the cave is a memorable scene- some would say that this miracle of nature reminds us all of the powers of The Almighty.
The name of Pachmarhi is said to have genesis to “Panchmathi” (five huts) & is derived from ancient caves situated in a small hill known as Pandava gufa -the caves where the Pandava brothers are said to have spent a part of their exile. Archeologically these caves are said to be carved by Buddhist monks in the 9th or 10th Century AD, but the popular myth & belief associate them with Agyatavasa of Pandavas. The scenic beauty from the hilltop of the town and the satpura range-which resemble t
he humps of a camel are reason enough to visit. However, the beautiful garden/nursery surrounding it increases the charm.We headed for Dhoopgarh after that. It is also known as the Sunset point - one of the more popular places that people visit. Its a arduous drive up this hill but once up there - it was astonishing. Expert driving on hills is essentially required to reach the top. Hill hikers can prefer route from foothill after taking permission from forest authorities, obviou
sly it is only recommended for youngsters & adventurous persons. The highest peak is known as “Elephant Peak” or “Hathi Shikhar” .This is a place from where one can see views of valleys,depthness of nature, greenery of dense saal forest, view of serpent shaped jungle paths sleeping like huge dragon & lucky 
ones may have a frontage with herds of “Bison” roaming in bamboo forests. Elephant peak covers almost whole of the Pachmarhi on its canvas. From the eastern side of the Dhoopgarh Sunrise & from western side Sunset is seen. Towards east the Pachmarhi town seems to lie sleepy & the view to the west gives a look of Bori Jungle,Betul hills & distant look of Tawa reservoir. We sat on the stairs made for tourists and were enamored by the sun set-from an orange ball of fire to a mere speck in the clouds within a span of 3-5 minutes. The cool breeze with fragrance in its purest form... Two hours stay in the evening shows so many shades of nature, which are beyond description in words & can only be felt...
It was time to get some rest, had been a long day so then we went back to the guest house. The guest house that we were staying in was more like a cottage - a British vintage house. There is a army cantonment here, so the horses tamed by the Army grazing around is a normal sight- though I was stunned at first to see these beauties galloping around without reigns. We had d
inner and then while some of dozed off, I ventured out for a walk around the guest house. The night sky was clear, the stars twinkling bright I walked into wide open meadows and just lay on the grass looking out for constellations.Early next morning, we went back to Dhoopgarh to watch the sunrise. It was chilly and we were sleepy but the early morning rays of the sun and the fresh country
side air was a refreshing change. I would say its best to visit during sunset and sunrise-reflects how one place can be viewed in myriad lights. In the evening, one is enthralled by the variation in the shades of the sky..while, in the morning, the depth of the vast forests in the rugged hills and the distance of the
horizon captivates you and has you spellbound!From there we then moved to the market at Pachmarhi, which comprises of just a few lanes from a central place - the Bus Stand and small tea stalls - where we had poha and jalebis for breakfast. After lazing around for a while, we went to Bees Fall. There is a jungle road towards Bees falls for
which we took a Gypsy. After a short walk down hill, from there is a beautiful water stream which is usually used as a bathing pool by the visitors. This water stream flows & jumps into the
valley to make one of the most beautiful waterfalls of Pachmarhi. The fall makes a buzzing sound as if thousand of bees are singing & accordingly is called Bees fall. This spectacular fall leaves long lasting memory when one stays under its cold, fresh & pure water which falls directly from the height of 200 ft & the soothing feeling of its stroke on ones back 
and head is an unforgettable experience. The road that leads to Bee Fall actually leads to the top of the cliff from where the water falls. A rather tricky descent later, you shall find a massive column of water falling into a stream making a loud noise to your left. The noise this waterfall makes muffles the usual roar that the crowd makes, yet in it’s own way, calms your mind and relaxes you. 
Yes nature is funny, isn’t it? After a tiring climb up the cliff and a bumpy ride on the gypsy we then were ready to head back to Bhopal. We stopped once again at the Echo point - just to "yell out" a final good-bye.. 
Interesting Fact: Surprisingly and i wonder if it was only with us-when we were heading up to Dhoopgarh in the morning, the air was chilly at the base, but warm at the top - those of u reading this and who have traveled to Pachmarhi, let me know if you felt the same and if there is any reason for such difference -I'm still bummed!! :)
