Sightseeing

Bee Falls: Amongst the many waterfalls in Pachmarhi, Bee Falls is perhaps the best known, more on account of its accessibility for everyone. The waterfall is about 35 meters in height and like all the other waterfalls of Pachmarhi, has a perennial water source. The falls are accessible by the hired Gypsy, till almost the last mile and thereafter pathways and the stairways will take you right down to the foot of the falls. A good place to be able to sight the Malabar Giant Squirrel.

Dhoopgarh: Dhoopgarh is the highest point of the Satpuras. At an elevation of 1352 meters above the sea level, it is also the highest point of the Central India. Accessible only by 4x4 Gypsies, it holds the best vantage for the most spectacular sunsets one can imagine, with an unobstructed view of the rolling Satpura Hills for miles away. Better known as the sunset point at Pachmarhi, the climb up the hilltop offers the guests spectacular views of the Pachmarhi, below. At he foothill, there is a narrow gorge, hardly a few meters in width, known as the Jalgali, which, as held by the local folklore, was created by Lord Shiva, as he led the Bhasmasur towards the Mahadeo Caves. 

Mahadeo: As the name suggests, is a beautiful cave, almost a hundred feed in length, with a pool in its centre, with fresh water gushing out from the pores below. The Mahadeo caves are almost 10 km from the Pachmarhi town and are believed in the local folklore to be the place where Lord Shiva killed the Bhasmasur. The place is opulent in natural beauty and the drive up to Mahadeo is a spectacularly beautiful drive through arguably the most beautiful Saal forests of India. Along the way are ome other view points like the Haandi Khoo and the Priyadarshni etc, which offer scintillating and panoramic views of the valleys below. Mahadeo is also the point of origination of the trek up the Chauragarh Hills. The famous annual Naagpanchmi pilgrimage also culminates at the MAhadeo and Chauragarh Hills.

Jatashankar: Jatashankar Caves are also considered as the abode of Lord Shiva. The cave temple is hardly a few km from the cantonment area of Pachmarhi. Among the towering hills surrounding the caves, is a hill, with a peculiar shape, resembling the mythological hundred headed serpent, the Shesh Naag. The temperature in the enclosed valley drops many a degrees, on account of the water oozing out of the sandstone hills surrounding the hills, which also block the sunlight from reaching the valley bed, for most part of the day. 

Pandav Caves: The Pandava Caves, as the name would suggest are associated with the Pandava brothers, who during the time of their exile, are said to have spent a substantial time here. Historically, it is believed that the caves were made chiselled out of the hill by the Buddhist Monks, for a monastery, sometime between the 6th to 10th century AD. The caves have been chiselled crudely, however, the enormity of the structure is magnificent. The cave structure has rooms, presumably for various functions, including teaching, meditation etc, with one of the chambers offering a resonating and reverberating sound, presumably for chanting. It is believed that the caves were full of rock paintings, however, none remain visible to the naked eye anymore.

Handi Khoh: Handi Khoh, is a steep precipice, with steep drop of over 300 to 500 feet, offering a spectacular view of a enormous valley. The valley, surrounded from all sides by steep cliffs and high mountains, resemble a pot or a Handi and hence the nomenclature. The valley, once upon a time believed to have had a huge lake, which was home to a serpent demon. As the folklore go on, the demon was subsequently admonished by Lord Shiva and in the war that ensued, the lake was destroyed. 

Apsara Vihar: Also referred to as the Fairies Pool, this is a small waterfall of crystal clear water, emanating from a cave, with a gentle fall, finally opening ito a shallow pool, wherein one can splash about and swim. The waters are crystal clear and cool. The pool is in a vally with about 300 feet descent, which is now a very convenient walk as a stairway has been built to facilitate the descent and ascent. The name of the pool came to be, as once it was favourite with the British, who loved day picnics at the spot. The British ladies used to swim about in the pool and to the natives the fair skinned ladies appeared to be fairies and thus came about the name Apsara Vihar. The valley is home to a wide variety of Ferns, growing all across the hill face and also many medicinal herbs. As one walks down, the abundance of the plant variety, as also the birds and the butterflies, would pleasantly surprise you. The valley remains shaded from sunlight for most part of the day and hence remains cool and pleasant even during the summer afternoons. 

Silver Falls: Amongst the tallest waterfalls in the region, the beautiful Rajat Prapat is well over 350 feet in height , with crystal clear water falling into a beautiful valley and thereafter flowing downhill. The valley would require a descent of over 500 feet, which is not an easy trek for many, and therefore, would require you to be in your walking shoes and carrying drinking water and some nourishment with you. However, once you do begin the trek downhill, the sheer beauty of the valley as if unfolds and the majestic waterfall, as it appears before you, would make it more than worth your while to have undertaken the trek. Again the sunlight remains only for a few hours in the valley below, owing to the tall mountains surrounding the valley. As the sunlight reflects off the falling water, it shimmers in bright silver, reflecting the sunlight in the most beautiful optical display. Thus came the about the name, 

Rajat Prapat. A single sheer drop of over 110 meters makes it a spectacular display of shining silver. As with all the valleys in Pachmarhi, the descent would take you through no less than a botanical garden, with rare and exotic plants and birds giving you company, all along. A good place to be able to sight the Malabar Giant Squirrel.

Reechgarh: Reechgarh are amongst the most beautiful rock formations one may come across, forming a huge cavern with tall and massive openings on both sides. As the early British settlers referred to it as the Ridge, the name localised into Reechgarh. However, also as per some local folklores, a massive Bear inhabited the cave once and therefrom, originated the name Reechgarh. Whatever the true origins as regards the name, the cavern does offer an ideal habitat and shelter for Bears, with numerous small tunnels, from which cool breeze blows in, keeping the cavern cool and fresh. The cavern extends well over 400 feet in length with over a 100 to 200 feet tall ceilings, which opens out on both ends. There is also an echo point at Reechgarh, with a beautiful view of the Dhoopgarh hills and the valleys below, with lovely Sal forests.

Sangam: Sangam, is a dream like place, tucked away deep in the Satpuras, about a 8 km trek (to-n-fro) through the folding hills, a descent of about 750 ft, where one reaches a confluence of three lovely streams emanating from the hills above. This is like a lost Jurassic world, still some semblance to what Captain James Forsyth would have seen, when he rode up the plateau in 1862. Not on the mainstream tourist map, this completely untouched paradise is absolutely unmatched in beauty. The trek winds its way downhill, steep at some points, however comfortable for the most and one walks along biodiversity like none other. Nowhere would one see a canopy and foliage as pretty as the one you would walk under, with the hillsides covered with ferns and moss and a myriad of flowering plants and water trickling out of the rocks every few hundred meters, forming a small stream, gently flowing downhill. And as one approached the bottom of the saucer shaped valley, one would be amazed to come across a fern forest like none other and a variety of exotic birds and butterflies, residing therein. Towering mountains on all sides, virtually blinding out the sun, streams flowing down hill and eventually forming a confluence into a single flow which forms a waterfall, further up ahead, Sangam has to be seen and experienced to be believed, that a place this magnificent actually exists.

Rajendra Giri Gardens: Rajendra Giri is a beautiful garden, developed atop a hill, offering panaromic views of Pachmarhi and the Dhoopgarh, Chouragarh and Mahadeo hills. It is also a famous sunset point, where people love to spend their evenings. The Garden was developed under the instructions of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, who visited Pachmarhi frequently and loved to spend a lot of time at Rajendra Giri. Just across the valley, atop the adjacent hill, Ravishankar Bhavan was constructed to house him during his frequent visits to Pachmarhi. A tree planted by him, still stands guard at the beautiful Rajendra Giri gardens. The place offers scintillating views which would most certainly keep the camera busy.

The Polo Gardens: When the British were settling in Pachmarhi, they required the settlement of a fairly large number of local population, in order to manage the cantonment. They also wanted a royal touch to be instilled into Pachmarhi for Social and Political reasons. Therefore, selected royalties from across India were invited to set up estates in Pachmarhi. Amongst them was also the Maharaja of Jodhpur. It is believed that the Maharaja brought with him the game of Horse Polo, which was enjoyed by the Royals and the British alike. With this came up the Polo Grounds of Pachmarhi. However, during the early 1900’s the grounds were converted into botanical gardens, to take care of the requirements of fruits and vegetable supplies for the settlement area. To this day, the Polo Gardens house rare and exotic variety of plants and trees, including many grafted mango trees with up to five varieties in one tree. One can see trees of all variety with Orchids growing over them. A place to enjoy a lovely walk and even buy some rare and exotic saplings. At the peak of the British settlement, over 16 Royal Houses from across the British India, had their estates at Pachmarhi. The Kennel Club, perhaps the Central Indian, reportedly even had a annual Dog Show, at Pachmarhi, reportedly till the late 1960’s and 1970’s.

The Silk Farm: Pachmarhi is also known for its Mulberry Silk Farming. Adjacent to the Polo Gardens, is a large Silk Farm, now also a referred to as the Silk Route walk, which produces arguably the best silk. It is a good way to learn and understand the various stages of the Silk Production.

The Club Hill: Also known as the Pachmarhi Hill, this is a small hillock, perched directly behind the Old Hotel Circuit House. The hill is about 400 feet in elevation and has a pathway going up, which at some places requires a degree of caution and care, as one ascends or descends. Pachmarhi Hill offers a panoramic view of the Pachmarhi Town as also the Jambu Dweep valley below, for miles and miles. It offers, as believed by some, to be the most beautiful sunset of Pachmarhi. The view one gets to see from Pachmarhi are spectacular and cover the entire Pachmarhi town in a panorama. One can see the entire golf course, the Raj Bhawan and the cantonment area and almost all the hills of Pachmarhi, including the Dhoopgarh, Chauragarh and the Mahadeo Hills. A mesmerizingly beautiful place, with an exciting walk up and down the hill, with due caution and care.