Sunday, June 10, 2001		Adventure

LORD Shiva runs for his life, trying to save himself from Bhasmasur, who, with the grace of the deity, has acquired the power to burn anyone to death by simply putting his hand on the intended victim's head. Now Bhasmasur wants to try this power on Lord Shiva himself. The chase takes them over the Himalayas, to the plains and then to the low ranges of Central India. Meanwhile, Lord Vishnu is persuaded by the denizens of heaven to intervene. He assumes the form of an attractive damsel, draws Bhasmasur's attention to "herself’’ and finally tricks him into putting his hand on his own head. Up goes the demon in flames and Lord Shiva heaves a sigh of relief.

This is believed to be the legend surrounding the Satpura Hills near Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh. The 30-feet-long cave where the episode took place is known as the Mahadeo Cave. A marble idol of Lord Shiva stands at the mouth of the cave and it has a pool of refreshing, cool water fed by a hill stream. On Shivratri, a fair is held at the Mahadeo Cave.

The Pandavas, during their 12-year exile, found this hill range attractive and spent some time here, carving out caves for themselves. The darkest one is known as Bhim Kothi and the most beautiful one as Draupadi Kutir. A garden has now been laid out in front of these caves. Pachmarhi is believed to have derived its name from these caves.

Aeons later, in 1857, Capt Forsyth, riding at the head of a column of Bengal Lancers, "discovered" the beautiful plateau of Pachmarhi. So impressed was he by the tranquil forests of bamboo, sal, vamon, amla and gulnar, and the pools and streams that criss-cross the region that he advised the British authorities to develop Pachmarhi as a sanatorium and summer resort. In 1870, an Army centre was set up here and seven years later, it became a full-fledged cantonment. At that time Indians were not allowed to enter this town without permission. Even the Nawab of Bhopal, who visited Pachmarhi often for a game of polo, was not allowed to build a castle inside the prohibited area and he had to choose a site outside the town.

Today, Bison Lodge, built by Capt Forsyth, is a museum and the sanatorium has been converted into the Army’s family quarters. Another hallmark of the present-day Pachmarhi cantonment is the Army Teachers' Training College where Army teachers get training up to the M.Ed level.

India's first President, Dr Rajendra Prasad, developed a liking for Pachmarhi and became a frequent visitor. The hill range is thus known as Rajendra Giri.

Mythology, history and nature mingle at Pachmarhi to make it an admirable tourist spot. Its salubrious surroundings with their waterfalls, pools and trekking routes should, with a little effort, attract far more tourists than they do today.

The Mahadeo Hills contain an astonishing wealth of rock paintings. Some have also been found in Pachmarhi itself. Gardon, who studied these paintings between 1935 and 1958, was reluctant to give them a Stone Age date, but later studies suggest that the oldest among these may belong to the Mesolithic Age. Aurobindo Ghosh, who visited Pachmarhi in 1940, mentions a Gilgamesh figure subduing two wild animals at Monte Rose and a scene of rare humour in which a monkey, standing on its hind legs, plays a flute while a man, lying on a cot too small for his size, has his arms raised as if keeping time with the music. Aurobindo discovered two caves which he named Bansia Beria and Dhauladhar. The Bansia Beria cave contains a painting depicting what looks like a large cross and a group of men holding in their hands something like umbrellas. The cross can be a part of a swastika. In the same cave there is another painted cross composed of small triangles, as if made with a stencil. Most of these cave paintings have been dated between 500 AD and 800 AD, but the oldest one is believed to be 10,000 years old.

Pachmarhi, the only hill station of Madhya Pradesh, is an ideal place to escape from the heat of central India and to recharge one's exhausted body and mind. Amidst it mesmerising beauty you can spend some time free of tension and in peace away from the skyrises of polluted cities.

Moreover, unlike other hill stations in the country, the temperature here is more stable. Even at the peak of summer, the temperature does not exceed 37 °C. Cool winds keep blowing all the time. During the winter, the temperature stays between 5°C and 7°C, making Pachmarhi a tourist attraction throughout the year.

To visit the tourist spots of Pachmarhi jeeps are the most suitable means of transport and are available in large numbers. However, if you are a fitness freak and enjoy walking, you can visit most of these places on foot. You can start your outing from Jata Shankar, a beautiful religious spot 1.5 km from the bus stand. Half the distance can be covered in a vehicle, while the remaining half has to be walked. Here you can see nature in its various artistic forms. Between two peaks lies a dark cave with small naturally formed shivalingams on which water keeps dripping from the overhead rocks. Inside the cave is a pool of cold water. On the way is a Hanuman temple which has a huge idol of Lord Hanuman carved out of a single rock.

From Rajendra Giri you get a clear view of the Dhupgarh and Chauragarh ranges . About 1,300 steps take you to the top of the picturesque Chauragarh where rests a huge idol of Lord Shiva. It is believed that a wish made in front of this idol is fulfilled. Those whose wishes are fulfilled, return with the offering of a trishul. You find innumerable trishuls lying around, some of which weigh up to 3 quintal.

Dhupgarh, situated at a height of 4,429 ft, is the highest peak of the Satpura range.Before the British came here this peak was known as Harwats Kot. The peak provides a panoramic view of the area and the sight of the setting sun is simply captivating.

A must-see for nature lovers is Beefall, 3 km from the town,where amidst the greenery water falling from a height of 150 ft leaves you wonderstruck. The road leading to the waterfall is very steep and one has to drive carefully. The spot can also be reached on foot. Standing against the railing on top you can enjoy the view of the waterfall below. However, if you feel like having a bath in the cold water, you can go down under the waterfall. It is a nice place to spend some time with your family.

A part of the Satpura forest area has been declared as the Satpura National Park which is home to different kinds of wildlife.

Though Pachmarhi may not figure on the all-India tourist map, yet many revered Indian leaders have visited this place to relax. They include Dr Rajendra Prasad, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, Jayprakash Narayan, Acharya Kripalani and Asoka Mehta. India's first Commander-in-Chief, Gen K.M. Cariappa, served a posting here. Hockey legend Dhyan Chand was also a havaldar here. Dr Rajendra Prasad planted a sapling at Rajendra Giri which has now grown into a big tree. A bhavan was also constructed for his stay which is known as Ravishankar Bhavan or VIP Bhavan.

Apart from its tourism potential, the Satpura range is also known for various rare medicinal plants . These herbs are found around Mahadeo, Jambhudweep, Panarpani, Belkhandar,etc. Tribesmen of the area have a good knowledge of these herbs but they rarely interact with outsiders. They know exactly which part of the plant should be touched to pluck it. A layman trying to collect these plants may end up with severe allergy.

Mr Radhey Shyam Shukla, who has contacts with these tribesmen and treats patients with herbal medicines, claims to have remedies for diseases like cancer and AIDS. He proudly shows you a file listing patients declared hopeless by premier medical institutes and, who, he claims, have benefited from his herb-based medicines .

So, next time you decide to visit Pachmarhi, you may also check out on these rare herbs.