Visit the Virgin Hill Station of Panchmarhi in the State of Madhya Pradesh in India

There are many hill stations in India due to various mountains ranges present all around the country. Panchmarhi is one such beautiful hill station, situated in the State of Madhya Pradesh in India amongst the most beautiful Satpuda Mountain range. The red stone mountains, the pure water lakes, the lush green forests full of bamboo trees and the natural environment here attracts thousands of tourists to this almost virgin hill station of Panchmarhi.

Panchmarhi can be easily reached by air, train, or road. The nearest airport is Bhopal, which is 78 miles away from this lovely hill station. If you prefer to come by train, the nearest railway station is Piparia, situated on Mumbai-Jabalpur/ Bhopal railway line, which is only 12 miles away from Panchmarhi. It can also be reached by road through State Transport buses or hired cars or taxis from the cities like Bhopal, Indore, and Ujjain. The Foursyth point is the first place to be seen here. This hill station was invented by British captain Forsyth in the year 1857 from this point. The famous Jatashankar caves, which are in the shape of the jata of Lord Shiva is the next spot to be seen. The tourists need to get down around 160 steps to see and feel the natural coolness of these holy caves. These caves are situated around 2 miles away from the town center. The water falls of Apsara Vihar is a great picnic point for the family. The water is not very deep here and hence, it is safe to take bath for the entire family. One can reach here easily by walking the distance of around 3 miles. The Rajat water falls are located around one mile ahead of Apsara Vihar falls. The adventure lovers would like to reach this place as it offers the hiking in the middle of the forest and the valley. The water falls here from the height of around 150 feet and the reservoir is quiet deep here.

Dhoopgarh is the tallest peak of entire Satpuda Mountain, situated around 4 miles from the town center. You need to climb around 8000 steps to reach to the top. This is quiet difficult climb and is not suitable for the elders and sick persons. However, if you can reach to the top, the entire view of Panchmarhi is really breathtaking from this point. The Pandava cave is the next tourist attraction. These caves are engraved in the red stones and it is said that the Pandava brothers were staying here for 2 years during their stay in the forest in the Mahabharata times. Satpuda National Park, established in the year 1981 is also worth visiting due to the most beautiful flowers, high mountains, water falls, and the beautiful lake. There is a boating facility here in this lake. The Mahadev Mountain is the next place of tourist's interest. There is a famous Lord Shiva temple here, which can be reached by passing through a very narrow cave. It is said that Lord Shiva hided himself here in this cave to save himself from the attack of danavas. Chauragarh is also having famous temple of Lord Shiva and is situated at around 3 miles from Mahadev cave. The famous Jamuna falls are also worth visiting. This fall is located at around 2 miles away from city center. The reservoir formed at the base of this fall supplies the drinking water to the town of Panchmarhi. There are many such interesting places for the tourists. However, the main aspect would be your capacity to walk large distances. If you are not capable to walk long distances, you may not be able to enjoy Panchmarhi to its full glory.

There are many good hotels available here for stay. Hotel Pandava, Hotel Nandnavan, Hotel Nilamber, Hotel Panchvati, and the State government holiday home are some of the most recomended hotels. Most of these hotels offer 3 star accommodation at the rates of around Rs.2000 ($50) to Rs.3000 ($75) per day for a nice double room. However, it would be essential to book your hotel room in advance during the peak season of summer. The stay of around 4 days can be sufficient here to cover all the sites seeing places.

I have myself visited this beautiful hill station and stayed for one full week to enjoy the natural beauty of this hill station. I hope this article shall encourage many of my AC friends to visit this lovely hill station during their next visit to India.