Don't be in a hurry, if you are visiting Pachmarhi

If one is in love with nature and wants to explore more to relish their hunger, they must visit Panchmarhi in Madhya Pradesh. It is a hill station 195 Km from Bhopal Airport and 47 Kms from Pipariya Railway station. It comes under the Administration of the Pachmarhi Cantonment Board, Indian Army. As the name suggests, Pach means Five, and Marhi means Caves, so Pachmarhi. Historically and mythologically, it is believed to have been built by the Pandava Brothers of Mahabharatha. The place has five Pandav cave shelters with the earliest paintings around 10000 years old. This place had added to the list of Biosphere reserves in May 2009 by UNESCO.

So why should one go and visit this place? Apart from the historical significance, there is a plethora of scenic beauty which keeps one enchanted and hooked to its natural adherence. Pachmarhi is the only hill destination in Madhya Pradesh, has an elevation of 1,067 feet in the green valley of Satpura Range. Often referred to as "Satpura ki Rani"

(Queen of Satpura). There are forests, cave shelters, tranquil waterfalls, streams, and it's home to rich biodiversity.

The hilltops of Mahadeo hills where your soul feels the warmth of nature, where your heart feels its every beat, where there's no physical boundary between you and nature, reminds you of the fact that spirituality has an address. If you are here, you just found the correct address, mate.

This place has religious values, as you will find a shrine with an idol of Lord Shiva and a beautiful Shivlinga, which is named JataShankar Temple.

You still are missing out if you haven't been to the Cave shelters in the Mahadeo Hills. A place with archaeological abundance in the form of rock paintings. These rock paintings are believed to be placed in the time band of 500-800 AD. Some of these are around 10000 years old. Dhupgarh is the highest point in the Satpura Ranges and is close to Pachmarhi. Handi Khoh is a clifftop destination that offers valley views, horse rides, lush forests, hiking trails, and waterfalls in the vicinity to lookout. You can visit the Shri Panch Pandav Caves, which has five clifftops caves that are believed to have been carved 10000 years ago. There are Pandav gardens where you can enjoy time with your loved ones.

Greenery, lush green forest, wild bamboo, blackberry plantation, Sal trees, and Delicate bamboo thickets are worth watching and make you feel connected to them. The whole view is appealing to the eyes.

Wait there's not to all of it. If you are a wildlife lover and want to treat yourself with the view of Dense forest, which is covered in mist, have a glimpse of wild animals like bison, leopards, blue bull, tigers, panthers, elephants, etc then do stop by this exotic destination. You can visit Satpura National Park where you can spot a tiger if lucky.

Reechgarh is place famous for being a place for bears. Reech stands for bear and hence this place is named as Reechgarh.

The bison lodge museum is a small museum dedicated to animals and plants featuring life-sized sculptures depicting local wildlife. Trekking and jungle walk can be a good option in the midst of forests at Apsara Vihar till Rajat Pratap. The area has a rich flora and fauna making it a perfect holiday destination with your loved ones.

Do we imagine where does water come from in Pachmarhi? Yes, you can find the place from where Pachmarhi gets its water supply. It's a place called Jamuna Pratap, a spectacular place waterfall. One can visit there and enjoy a bathing experience like we usually do. There's a natural pool also at the bottom of the fall. However, there are a series of waterfalls like Irene Falls, Duchess Falls, Sundar Kand, Silver falls. Which are a perfect delight for tourists.

Then there are BEE falls. In order to visit this fall, you need to use gypsy as here you need to first buy visitor ticket and private cars are allowed only to a certain point due to the challenging geographical location. You can either trek your way or go by a gypsy. The place requires good physical fitness as it involves trekking.

If you are with your family kids, you should never miss the Apsara Vihar, also known as "Fairy Pool". Some pools are human-made, but this one is a natural pool at the fall's base. You can enjoy leisure time with your loved ones here. You can also enjoy boating with your family in the boat club lake.

Not many of us know, but the place had been discovered by Captain Forsyth, who was a famous officer of the British Rule in 1857. Interesting but true, his idea was to enhance this place as a tourist destination. So in his memory, there is a Forsyth Point named Priyadarshini. You will also find beautiful resorts, churches, and colonial buildings, which remind you of British rule. Churches like Christ church and Catholic Church have the intact of archaeological beauty engraved in them. Another place of interest is the Begum Palace ruins.

Owing to the rich biodiversity and archaeological inheritance, the place has been a popular shooting destination for Bollywood