Pachmarhi
Nestled in the verdant hills of Satpura in Central India, Pachmarhi offers nature lovers an exhilarating experience. The name is derived from two hindi words Panch (five) and Marhi (Caves).
It is believed that these caves were built by five Pandava brothers of Mahabharat during their period of exile.
When thinking of Pachmarhi,what comes to mind are the popular tourist destinations.However,I am always interested to go to the unexplored peaceful destinations with lots of birds.The beauty of Pachmarhi was beyond my expectations.The greenery and tranquility of the place makes it an ideal place for a cycling trip,with narrow, empty roads stretching between vast grasslands and trees.the best part of the visit was the Cantonment park situated beside the chhota talab.It was just the place for a bird lover like me.There were birds everywhere! Different kinds of birds at one place and what a peaceful place it was,I wish I could live in such a place I would not have to go anywhere else for bird watching!
As it was beside the lake,there were pied and small blue kingfishers catching fish and lots of other water birds.Another main attraction is the Pandav caves, due to which Pachmarhi has derived it's name, which provides an excellent vantage point of the small town.
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| Pandav Caves view from the top |
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| Park |
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| Myna |
One evening of ours was spent having dinner at Rock End Manor, a beautiful resort of MP tourism, situated on a hill top, 2 km from the main market. It has excellent view of the town with a nice open verandah where one can spend early mornings having a nice cup of tea and listening to the chirping of birds! This place is definitely the perfect staying option...
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| Rock End Manor balcony area |
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| Rock End Manor campus |
There is an old abandoned Catholic church on Mahadeo road with beautiful English architecture and marvelous stained glass windows.
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| Catholic church |
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| Stained windows with beautiful pictures |
The place is pleasant to visit after summer months, with lots of MPTDC hotels as staying options, but among those, I would suggest Rock End Manor for its beautiful location, campus and delicious food! Pachmarhi is 191 km away from Bhopal, the nearest station being Pipariya. Its a nice, peaceful place for a weekend getaway.....
