Located at the junction of
Vindhya and Satpura hills at an altitude of 1075 m, Amarkantak has been revered
as a Hindu pilgrimage center for years and popularly known as ‘Teerthraj’ –
‘The King of Pilgrimages. The source of the holy rivers Narmada and Sone is
Amarkantak. Surrounded by the blessings of the Goddess of Nature, this place is
rich in sacred lakes, rivers, dense forests, scenic waterfalls, creepy caves,
and ancient temples. The forest is a rich source of medical plants. So this
place is also important from an ecological point of view. In fact, the cultural
significance of Amarkantak is due to the strange combination of nature,
history, and religion.
This place has become as much a
center of attraction for nature lovers as a Hindu pilgrimage site. The
greatness and beauty of Amarkantak are described in the poetry of the great
poet Kalidasa and in various myths. It is heard that Narmada became
“Sarvapapahar” (the ability to take away all sin) in the presence of Lord
Shiva. If a devotee wants to free himself from the curse, he has to dive once
in the holy Ganges, pray for seven days on the banks of the Jamuna and three
days on the banks of the Saraswati. But in the case of Narmada, it is unique.
One dive into the holy water of Narmada is enough to purify a devotee. This
place is the field of worship of many esteemed sages. People have been
attracted to this land of gods for ages with its beautiful natural beauty and
spirituality.
Did You Know: Where is
Kalpavriksha?
Amarkantak Trip Begins....
Pendra Road is the nearest
railway station to Amarkantak - distance only 43 km. A small station, as soon as
we came out we realized that the place was not very big. There are various
arrangements to go to Amarkantak from here. Pressing the luggage on the head of
the car, our car started moving on the hilly road. Although it was a pleasure
to read the various travel stories of Amarkantak before, the joy of seeing with
one's own eyes and one's own feelings while traveling could not be compared to
anything like that.
After a short drive, we were immersed
in the beauty of the mountain road. In some places the road was uneven but the
road to the next was really beautiful. Green forest on both sides, smooth road
like a black ribbon in the middle. On the way, we came to a place where we could
not ignore the beauty of nature and get out of the car. The road can be
seen from both sides from far away. Absolutely empty, no people or vehicles.
Green forests on either side of the path, wherein some places the setting sun
rays touched the ground like a laser beam, finding gaps in the dense forests.
That was a wonderful sight! We were all trying to capture that scene on camera.
Then when our car arrived in front of the hotel in the evening.
From our hotel the view was
marvelous. In front of us were mountains and behind us Narmada river with green plains, the height of which had gradually increased. As soon as the sun
went down, I felt that the winter bite here was very intense. Unlike other
tourist centers, there were not many hotels or lodges here. Accommodation in
temples, hospices, or ashrams was more. So it was better not to expect the
comfort or luxury of a hotel like other places. It was also customary to eat
vegetarian food here.
Early the next morning a few of
us went out for a walk. We were enjoying the morning biting cold. All the roads
were empty. The two were just starting to light a fire in a tea shop. It took a
long time to get tea. Turning around we came to the source of Narmada. After a
little light, a local middle-aged woman asked us to touch the tin shade of a
house. As I touched it, I removed my hand like an electric shock. My companions
looked at me with surprised eyes. I said - cold as ice! Later I realized to
give a good hand really ice lining! But like a thin film. I found out from the
woman in the tea shop that the temperature here goes below freezing at night.
Then the frozen dew does not get rid of, it also had to turn to ice.
Did You Know: Where
is the largest Lord Shiva temple in World?
Visiting of Amarkantak Tourist Places......
We had no such planning today. We
enjoy this holy land of our own. We went to Narmada Udgam Kendra. The source of
the river Narmada and the water body created from it. It is in the middle of a
huge place surrounded by walls. It is surrounded by twenty-seven white temples
of various shapes and sizes. We bought worship materials outside the temple and
entered inside. The idol of Goddess Narmada is made of black rare stone. After
finishing the worship there, we went outside. This time we went in front of the
source of Narmada. From that ancient time, the water of tenderness has been
flowing from the tank to Gomukhnala to millions of pilgrims. The river Narmada
flows from here. Any other river is narrow and fasts flowing at the source
but Narmada at source is like choked,
currentness, motionless still water body. However, it is customary to worship
by bathing in this holy water.
We spent the whole day walking
along a beautiful path along the banks of Narmada. On the left, the hill has
risen. The edge of the road is arranged in green. On the other side is the main
place of Amarkantak. The Narmada on one side of the road and the plains on the
other side gradually rose and merged into the hills.
The market sat like a rural market on a flat place on the banks of the Narmada. Looked pretty nice to see. Many people are trading in this market. There were several preserved temples near the Narmada temple complex. These beautifully decorated ancient temples were the Karna Temple, Pataleshwar Mahadev. I did not notice how time passé in this clean and tidy place. We then returned to the lodge.
After a nice tea party in the
afternoon, in the evening we went to see Narmada's mother's prayers. Mother's
prayers are offered in almost all the ashrams of this place. In the bitter cold
of the night, we went to see the Aarti at the ashram of Barfani Dadaji Maharaj.
But since this saint, who is more than 230 years old, is in Allahabad, we are
deprived of his visit. We visit only the monastery, his holy place of worship,
Ashram, subjugation.
The next morning we went out to
see the site in the car. My-Ki-Bagicha (mother’s garden) was on the way. Mother
Narmada had spent some time here. There was a temple of mother Narmada in the
middle of a beautiful garden. Mai-ki-mandapa, a short distance from here. The
wedding of Narmada and Sone was held here. We reached Sonemura. It is difficult
to get out of the car on the forested road on both sides, monkey nuisance gave
us big trouble here. Sonemura is the source of the Sone River. The river Sone
is flowing from the source to the lower canal. There is also a temple of father
Sone here. Everything can be seen from a wonderful viewpoint down the stairs
from the road. On the way up the hill, our car moved forward again. This time
the destination is Kapil Dhara. This is a huge waterfall. Here river Narmada is
jumping from a height of about two hundred feet in a compressed state. Even if
there is a viewpoint, if you want to reach the real beauty, you have to break
the rocky stairs and go down. However, you have to both physical ability and
time in hand. We were satisfied with the vision from a distance, keeping in mind
to go around all day. Our car also moves forward with the flow of Narmada. This
time we saw the river Narmada coming down from above with a white stream of
milk. It is said that Durbasha Muni (Saint) became very weak after a long
period of adoration. Then Narmada flowed like milk and saved the saint’s life.
Then a car came to a halt in the
jungle. We descended the mountain path and visited Bhrigu Kamandalu (a pot for
storing water). The people here have been believing that this pot was used by
great saint Bhrigu. There is only one small hole in a huge rock. When you enter
through it, you can touch the water. Just like a huge vessel. Here one can
enter one side of the natural tunnel and come out the other. The fun of walking
around Amarkantak is different if you have a little time and of course if your
health permit. All the places here are full of hills, jungles, ups, and downs.
While walking in the middle of the forest, we visited Dhunipani, the place of
worship of many devotees. Our driver is our guide in this almost tourist-less
place.
In addition to the old temple,
new temples are being built in Amarkantak. The attraction of this land of God is immense. Still, for the time being, goodbye, Amarkantak. Now we were on the way
to Pachmarhi, a beautiful hill station.
Did You Know: Where
you can't offer Prasad to Lord Shiva temple?
How to get there:
The nearest railway station is Pendra Road in Chhattisgarh (the distance from Amarkantak is 42 km). Various trains including Howrah-Mumbai Mail (Train No. 12610) went to Bilaspur. If you want to reach Amarkantak by road, you can take a direct bus from Allahabad, Raipur, Bilaspur, Katni, and Jabalpur. The nearest airports are Jabalpur (228 km) and Raipur in Chhattisgarh (230 km).
Travelogue and Photo by:(AMITABHA GHOSH)