Pachmarhi

Pachmarhi sits at about 1,070 metres on a saucer of plateau in the Satpura range, discovered as a hill station by a British officer in 1857 and developed as a cantonment, which is why it still has a church, a cemetery and low-rise military land. The plateau is cut by ravines with waterfalls at Bee Falls, Rajat Prapat and Apsara Vihar, and the surrounding Satpura biosphere reserve carries sal and bamboo forest. Rock shelters through the hills hold prehistoric paintings in ochre and white, some many thousands of years old. Dhupgarh, the highest point in Madhya Pradesh, is the sunset viewpoint.

History

The name is believed to come from the Hindi panch, "five", and marhi, "caves", for caves that legend says the five Pandava brothers made during their exile. The region belonged to the Bhonsle kingdom, then to the Marathas in the 18th century and to the Gond kingdom of Bhagvat Singh in the 19th; modern Pachmarhi dates from 1857, when Captain James Forsyth and Subedar Major Nathoo Ramji Powar noticed the plateau, and it grew into a hill station and the summer capital of the Central Provinces, with 3,020 year-round residents in 1901 (Wikipedia, Pachmarhi).

What's there

• The waterfalls - Bee Falls, Rajat Prapat and pools in the ravines.
• The rock shelters - prehistoric paintings in the surrounding hills.
• Dhupgarh - the highest point in the state, used for sunset.
• The cantonment town - church, cemetery and colonial-era buildings.

When to go

October to March for walking; the monsoon fills the waterfalls and greens the plateau but brings leeches and slippery paths. April to June is hot even at altitude.

Practical notes

Many sites lie inside the biosphere reserve with entry fees and gypsy transport required. Some waterfalls are closed after rain. Weekend crowds from Bhopal and Nagpur are heavy.

Nearby

Satpura National Park lies west; Bhopal is northwest.