Hills of Pachmarhi :

Pachmarhi is a hill station in Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh state of central India. It has been the location of a cantonment (Pachmarhi Cantonment) since British Raj. It is widely known as Satpura ki Rani ("Queen of Satpura"), situated at a height of 1067 m in a valley of the Satpura Range in Hoshangabad district. Dhupgarh, the highest point (1,352 m) in Madhya Pradesh and the Satpura range, is located here. It is a part of Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve.

History :

The name Pachmarhi is believed to be derived from the Hindi words Panch ("five") and Marhi ("caves"). According to a legend, these caves were built by five Pandava brothers of Mahabharatha era during their thirteen years of exile. The caves are situated on a hilltop and provide an excellent vantage point. Before British the Pachmarhi region came under the kingdom of the Gond king Bhawut Singh, although it was not a populated village or town at that time. Captain James Forsyth of the British Army along with Subhedar Major Nathoo Ramji Powar who was later made the Kotwal (Incharge of the armoury (Koth)of Pachmarhi, spotted the plateau in the Pachmarhi region in 1857, while leading his troops on the way to Jhansi. It quickly developed into hill station and sanatorium for British troops in the Central Provinces of India. The population in 1901 was 3,020, rising to double that number in the hot summer months. Pachmarhi also served as the summer capital for the Central Provinces.

The forest around the town is home to many rare varieties of plants. UNESCO added Pachmarhi park to its list of Biosphere Reserves in May 2009. The total area of Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve is 4981.72 km2. It is located at longitude 22° 11’ to 22° 50’N and latitude 77° 47’ to 78° 52’E. It covers parts of three civil districts, viz., Hoshangabad (59.55%), Chhindwara (29.19%) and Betul (11.26%). It includes three wildlife conservation units viz., Bori Sanctuary 485.72 km2), Satpura National Park (524.37 km2) and Pachmarhi Sanctuary (491.63 km2).

Tourism in Pachmarhi :

Pachmarhi is a popular tourist retreat. Tourists visit Pachmarhi throughout the year. Pachmarhi has a lot of cave paintings in the forests, some of which have been estimated to be as much as 10,000 years old. Shown in the picture is the garden at the base of a tourist attraction called Pandava Caves. The caves are Buddhist in origin but the name persists. The place has rich timber reserves including teak, but being a part of a reserve no new construction or felling of trees is allowed. Having a rich and rare flora as well as fauna, Pachmarhi needs central and state government approval for any new construction outside the town area.

Wildlife : Large mammal species include tiger, leopard, wild boar, gaur (Bos gaurus), chital deer (Axis axis), muntjac deer, sambar deer (Cervus unicolor), and rhesus macaques. The endemic fauna includes chinkara, nilgai, wild dogs, the Indian wolf, bison, Indian giant squirrels, and flying squirrels.

Rich biosphere : The forests of Pachmarhi, particularly in summer, are full of fruit trees such as mangoes, jamun, custard fruit and lesser-known but very delicious local fruits such khatua, tendu, chunna, khinni and chaar. The forest is also known for its richness in medicinal plants and herbs. The forest of Pachmari is also having thick oak and blue pine forests.

Dhupgarh : Highest point of Satpura ranges at 1352 m. It is known for sunrise and sunset view point. At night one can see the lights of the neighboring towns such as Itarsi. At the day time the view of the lush green valley offers a captivating view. One can reach the top either by road or by trekking.

Chauragarh : This is the third highest peak. It is a pilgrimage site with Lord Siva's temple at the top. There is a Chauragarh fort there built by the king Sangram Shah of Gond dynasty It is also a very well known spot for sunrise viewing. The sunrising scene seen here is breathtaking and climbing 1365 steps to reach the point makes it worth.During the festivity of Nagpanchami and Mahashivratri, devotees flock to chauragarh temple in large numbers, heaving up massive near about 2 lakh trishuls as offerings which are kept in front of the temple and also in the way of the temple.

Bee Hills and Bee Falls : This is a waterfall in Pachmarhi. It is named as such because from a distance the waterfall sounds like a bee.

Duchess Fall : This waterfall is the most remote as well as the most beautiful. There are Doctor Fish in the pool made by the waterfall. The road to this waterfall is extreme, with very steep inclinations. There is straight downward trekking of 1 km.

PanarPani : Panarpani has a natural fresh water lake with forest around.

Sangam : This is a conflux of mountain streams behind Dhupgarh. The water in these streams is crystal clear in all seasons except of course autumn.

Jatashankar and Mahadev caves : These are mountain caves with fresh water dripping from them. One can witness ecosystem at work out here with mountains feeding the streams with fresh water, the water that they soak-in during autumn. As the name suggests, these caves and many others like these are the abode of lord Siva.

Silver Falls : Also called Rajat Prapat/Big Fall. The falls comes 2800+ feet roaring down the gorge creating a silver streak that gives its name. The view of dense, serene, virgin forest and stream is simply mesmerizing.

Apsara Vihar : This is a mountain stream that creates a beautiful natural water pool, cascades and waterfall in its course.