Pachmarhi: Rain-washed Rapture

Pachmarhi (3555 ft), the only hill station located in Madhya Pradesh, enjoys pleasant weather throughout the year, but is an especially lovely sight to behold during the monsoon season. The aeons-old hills of the Satpura range seem like dozing dinosaurs silhouetted against the dark rain-bearing clouds. Its lush and dense forests of Sal, teak and Sagwan hold in its belly, numerous ancient secrets of early man’s beginnings, amply depicted in the prehistoric cave paintings and rock shelters that litter the terrain, besides innumerable small and big temples dedicated to lord Shiva. Besides this, this picturesque hill station is also dotted with thick mango and jamun groves and grassy meadows, with silvery cascades that swell into frothy cataracts, and the entire landscape dons a verdant glow when awash with rain. One can watch with fascinating delight,...

Pachmarhi (3555 ft), the only hill station located in Madhya Pradesh, enjoys pleasant weather throughout the year, but is an especially lovely sight to behold during the monsoon season. The aeons-old hills of the Satpura range seem like dozing dinosaurs silhouetted against the dark rain-bearing clouds. Its lush and dense forests of Sal, teak and Sagwan hold in its belly, numerous ancient secrets of early man’s beginnings, amply depicted in the prehistoric cave paintings and rock shelters that litter the terrain, besides innumerable small and big temples dedicated to lord Shiva. Besides this, this picturesque hill station is also dotted with thick mango and jamun groves and grassy meadows, with silvery cascades that swell into frothy cataracts, and the entire landscape dons a verdant glow when awash with rain. One can watch with fascinating delight, as raindrops bathe the robust and bold red and orange Silk Cotton and Flame of the Forest blossoms contrasting with the shy mauve of fragrant Jacarandas and the intoxicating whiteness of the notorious Mahua flower.

With its charming bungalows reminiscent of the English countryside and which bear testimony of its rich colonial heritage, Pachmarhi is replete with things to do and places to see, making it one of the prime travel destinations of India.

Explore Pachmarhi’s famous picnic spot Dhoopgarh which offers a panoramic view of the area, with a rainbow thrown in for good measure during the monsoons. A must visit is Silver Falls (Rajat Prapat) which cascades down 350 ft to meet the base of the quaint horseshoe- shaped ravine (Handi Khoh), and the impressive 150- ft high Bee Falls, the magnificent Duchess Falls, and the sparkling waters of the secluded Fairy Pool (Apsara Kund), makes for incredible treks into the deep jungle, scrambling over craggy rocks, the experience made even more delightful by the gentle pitter-patter of rain.

The Satpura Reserve area is home not merely to tribals who have been subsisting with little change in their lifestyle down the ages, but also to rich flora, fauna and avian life, and an important spot for wildlife tours in India, where one can espy the ever elusive, tiger, leopard, bison (gaur), and sambhar deer, barking deer, Barasingha antler and spotted deer (cheetal). The image of peacocks dancing against the backdrop of rain soaked verdure stays with one forever.