Things to do

Pachmarhi was once the Summer Capital of the Central Provinces and served as a place for the British Officers and Troops to recluse to, escaping the harsh central Indian summers. It was also a sanatorium for the British posted in India, where they found semblance of home. Pachmarhi remained the Summer Capital for the Central Provinces, well after independence. Till the early 1980’s the Cabinet of the unified State of Madhya Pradesh used to shift to Pachmarhi, during the summer months.

Sightseeing: Pachmarhi offers its guests a variety of options for sightseeing, by vehicles, open gypsies, which take the guests to various points of natural beauty. From deep caves, to spectacular views, to scintillating sunsets, to the lovely waterfalls, crystal clear pools and meandering streams, gushing down the Satpura Hillsides. There is something for everyone. 

Heritage: Pachmarhi is full of Colonial Architecture, dating back to the Victorian era of the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s, during the time of the Raj. Purely from the architectural perspective, the entire old settlement area of the Pachmarhi Town, is like a heritage walk. The Pachmarhi Church, the Twynhams Memorial, The Commonwealth Cemetery and the Bison Lodge, built around the year 1890 are amongst some of the many beautiful buildings and monuments from the bygone era.

Religious: The Satpura Hills, were originally known as the Mahadeo Hills, with virtually the entire Satpura and Pachmarhi landscape, associated with Lord Shiva. The famous Nagpanchmi mela, an annual pilgrimage wherein the local tribals from the plains, from hundred of km’s, walk up the Satpura Hills and congregate at the Mahadeo Caves and the Chauragarh Hills, finds mention in the British journals and the Gazetteers, as also the writings of Captain James Forsythe, as a part of the history of the area, for centuries. Among the many places of religious interests, the Mahadeo Caves, the Jatashankar Caves, the Chouragarh Hills, the Chota Mahadeo, the Gupt Mahadeo and the Madadeo Caves are just some of the many places which remains full of mythological and religious beliefs and folklore.

Trekking: Pachmarhi, to those who have explored the valleys, on foot, have in their words, been full of unparalleled beauty and surprise, with flora and fauna like the best of the rain forests. Ferns of all kinds and a diverse treeline and exotic plants, unmatched in beauty and also their medicinal qualities, fill the mountainside. It is believed in the local folklore that lord Hanumaan, when he was flying back from the Himalayas with the Sanjeewani herb hill, lost his balance midair leading to a lot of the herbs getting scattered across the hillside. The beautiful sandstone hills of Satpura are a source to hundreds of small streams and rivulets which flow downhill and merge into the river Denwa and river Tawa. Pachmarhi hills offers a myriad of trails to the trekking enthusiasts, which even during the summer months remain cool and pleasant and offer spectacularly beautiful views of the hills, meadows and the valleys.

Wildlife: Pachmarhi lies in the middle of the Satpura Tiger Reserve, The Satpura hills are home to a variety of wildlife, in opulence and abundance. The guests from Pachmarhi can enjoy Morning and Evening Wildlife / Tiger Safari from Pachmarhi, on perhaps the most beautiful wilderness trail, starting from Panarpani, also known as the Butterfly Pool, up till the beautiful forest outpost of Neemghan, a lovely grassland about 20 km away, created after a village was relocated out of the reserve, some years ago. The drive takes you through the towering Satpura Mountains and through valleys with rivulets almost at every corner and through a beautiful coffee plantation. The views one encounters during the drives are stunning, to say the least. And then, of course there is the Wildlife. Herbivores like the Bison, Sambhar and Bluebull, Cheetal and numerous other antelopes can be seen grazing across the hillsides and the valleys. As you approach Neemghan, the landscape turns into a plateau grassland and that is where the Big Cats await you. The Tiger sightings Neemghan are regular exciting.

Birding: Satpura is also a Biosphere Reserve, notified by the UNESCO. It is home to over 300 species of exotic and beautiful birds and a delight for any birding enthusiast. The excellent foliage and the cool temperatures draws all kinds of birds to the Pachmarhi plateau, especially during the spring and summers, as it provides an ideal nesting habitat. Among the rare species found in the area are the Black-crested Bulbul, Rufous Woodpecker, White-browed Bulbul, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Spangled Drongo, Spotted Creeper, the Indian Paradise Flycatcher, Lesser Adjutant Stork, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Racket-tailed Drongo, and Indian Pitta, the Honey Buzzard, Brown Fish Owl, Indian Roller, White Browed Wagtail, Crested Serpent Eagle, Bar-headed Goose, Great Cormorants, Nightjar, Peacock, Besra, Brahminy Starling, White-bellied Drongo, Great Tit, White-eyed Buzzard, Tickle’s Blue Flycatcher, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Scarlet Minivet, Indian Spot-billed Duck, Grey Heron, River Lapwing, Lesser-whistling Duck, Common-Hoopoe, Black-headed Oriole, Black Drongo, Eurasian-collared Dove, Green Bee-eater, Long-tailed Shrike, Rufous Treepie, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon amongst many other variety of birds. Additionally over 50 documented different varieties of Butterflies can also be found in and around Pachmarhi.

Night Safari: Night Safari in the many trails around the Pachmarhi plateau can be an exciting experience. Everyone has seen the jungle by day, it is quite a different experience to be able to see the jungle at night. Few of us would remember the glow worms, from our childhood, the kids in fact may not have seen them much, at all. Pachmarhi offers the opportunity to see virtually trees full of glow worms, scattered across the forest. Add to this, the opportunity to see the many nocturnal creatures, small and big, which roam the forests, in the dark of the night. The fragrant cool breeze and the excitement and anticipation to be able to see the creatures of the night, will leave a lasting memory, for all those who experience this.

Star Gazing: Experience the night sky in three dimensions. See the various constellations and the galaxies like never before in the clear night sky. For those who love to capture startrails in their camera, Pachmarhi is a real delight, with absolutely dust free night sky, with minimal lights to obstruct the view. 

Camping: Overnight camping in the valleys of Satpuras, alongside the many streams which flow downhill can be a sheer delight for all those who experience it. Camping would be experienced along with trained guides who would carry the necessary camping equipment and lead you on the trails to the camp sites, where the overnight camping tents would be set up for the guests. The camping expeditions generally extend to one or two nights, with the daytime spent either relaxing or moving to the next or new camping location, as the guests may so desire. The rations are carried along with the group and all the consumables and used up material etc is carried back in sacks, leaving a zero footprint or waste. Plastic and Polybags are strictly prohibited.