The Pench
National Park on the border of Madhya Pradesh and
Maharashtra in the Seoni district of southern Madhya
Pradesh and runs in continuation with Pench National
Park of Maharashtra. It has been known through the
ages for its rich flora and fauna. Many writers like
Captain Forsyth, A.A.D. Brander, R.A. Strendale, and
Rudyard Kipling have all mentioned Pench in their
books as the place with rich and beautiful flora and
fauna.
Named after the river that flows nearby, Pench was
declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1983, though it had
been declared a notified area in 1972. Today, the
park is the 19th Tiger Reserve in the country and
takes pride in its tigers and other wildlife. The
total area under the Pench Tiger Reserve comes to
about 758 km, out of which a core area of 299 sq km
is the National Park and 464 km the buffer area.
Tourist Attraction
Flora
It is blessed with forests spread in all the
direction. As per general physiognomy, the forest
type here is southern tropical dry deciduous teak and
southern tropical mixed deciduous forest with other
species of shrubs, trees, and climbers. There are
many rare varieties of herbs and grasses in this
region that are known to be of medicinal use.
Fauna
The park is very rich in fauna and a number of
endangered species have made it their habitat. There
is high density of the wild pig, nilgai, chital,
muntjac, gaur and four horned antelope. Sighting a
tiger is as difficult here as in the other national
parks in the country and it needs a lot of patience
and luck to sight one.
Apart from mammals and other land-based wildlife, the
park is also rich in bird life. According to an
estimation of the wildlife authorities, the bird
population in the park stands at over 125 species
like barbets, bulbuls, minivets orioles, wagtails,
munias, mynas, waterfowls, and blue kingfishers. The
Pench River, water streams, and nallahs provide the
best playground for the water birds of this region.
They are also the habitat for crocodiles and fresh
water turtles.
Seoni to Pench
BY RAIL - Railway Station - Seoni Railway Station (30
km from Pench National Park)
BY ROAD - The nearest bus stand is at Seoni from
where one can take buses or jeeps to the Pench
National Park. Seoni is connected to almost all the
places in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra by good road
and rail networks.
Best time to visit
The climate of this region is tropical with hot
summers and cold winters. Monsoon touches the region
in early July and remain there for the next two
months. Winters are the most comfortable months
though it is very difficult to view any exclusive
wildlife during this season.
The best time to visit this park is summer as many
wildlife varieties come outside their natural habitat
in search of water and waterholes in the park provide
good views of the denizens of park.
Kanha Tiger Reserve
Kanha Tiger Reserve, comprising parts of the
Mandla & Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh, and
located in the "Maikal" hills of the Satpuras, is
internationally renowned for its rich floral and
faunal attributes.
The Reserve is an excellent interspersion of the
Dadars (flat hill tops), grassy expanses, dense
forests and riverine forests. It is very rich in
flora, largely due to the combination of landforms
and soil types, apart from the moist character of the
region
The rich habitat diversity of the Reserve supports a
wide range of wildlife species along with innumerable
lesser life forms, and is the sanctum sanctorum of
many typical Central Indian fauna.
Besides harbouring a viable population of the tiger,
Kanha has distinguished itself in saving the
endangered hard ground barasingha from extinction,
and supporting the last world population of this deer
species
Forest Lodge managed by MPSTDC, forest rest
houses, Baghira log huts of Madhya Pradesh (no
self-catering required). Khatia has manY private
lodges, among them Kipling Camp, Krishna and Mowgli.
Self-drive permissible with guide; jeep tours and
elephant-back rides into Kanha. Khatia has an
Interpretation Centre with displays and a sound and
light show. Accommodation should be booked in
advance. For general information, write to.~ The
Field Director, Project Tiger, PO Mandla, Madhya
Pradesh.
Seoni to Kanha
Kanha can be reached only by road, Seoni to Kanha
is 145 kms. From
Seoni one can take buses or jeeps to the Kanha
National Park.
Best time to visit
Best time to visit is March to June. Park closed
during monsoon from beginning July to end October.
Also closed midday to give respite to wildlife.
Summer temperatures are very high (maximum 43°C;
10goF) and Winter is extremely cold (minimum 2°C;
36°F).
Pachmarhi
The hill resort of Pachmarhi lies in the Satpura
ranges, central state of India, Madhya Pradesh, at an
altitude of 1,100m. At Pachmarhi there are tranquil
forests along with deep ponds and lava hills. Formed
of red sandstone, the valley, ravines and the maze of
gorges at Pachmarhi are attractive. The hill resort
derives its name from the five Pandav caves it is
home to.
Captain Forsyth of Bengal Lancers discovered the hill
resort of Pachmarhi in 1857. The hill resort had a
colonial past. The churches and cemeteries of
Pachmarhi reveal the same. Besides being a hill
resort Pachmarhi was a military sanatorium of the
British.
Sites to Visit
Besides enjoying natural beauty you may visit the
several places of tourist interest in Pachmarhi
India.
One of the must visits at Pachmarhi is the Pandav
Caves. As the name indicates there five rock cut
caves are associated with the Pandavas. The Pandavas
are believed to have resided in these thousand year
old caves during their exile. Besides the Pandavas
even the Buddhists monks are believed to have taken
shelter here in the first century B.C. Now the caves
are protected monuments.
To catch the sight of the hill resort and spectacular
surroundings you may visit move on to the
Priyadarshini Point. The vintage point was earlier
known as Forsyth Point. Named after Captain Forsyth
who discovered the beauty of Pachmarhi. The point
offers a commanding view of the town and the region.
One of the eye-catching sights is that of the Handi
Khoh ravine. There are steep sides and a drop of
three hundred feet!
The other landmark in Pachmarhi associated with
Captain Forsyth is the Bison Lodge. The forest lodge
of 1862 is now a museum. You may visit the museum for
an insight into the flora and fauna of the Satpura
region. At the Bison Lodge you may watch a film on
wildlife in the open-air theatre.
There is more for the nature lovers in Pachmarhi. The
waterfall of Jamuna Prapat or the Bee Fall supplies
potable water to the hill resort. Plus there are
bathing pools over the fall that attracts several
tourists.
Then there is the "Big Fall" of Rajat Prapat. The
hundred and ten meters high fall is a must visit for
the adventurers in Pachmarhi India.
The hill resort of Pachmarhi also has natural bathing
pool in Apsara Vihar. This tourist attraction is
popular especially with the kids.
The hill resort of Pachmarhi is paradise for the
adventure seekers. You may trek for four kilometers
and be at the base of the first cascade of Jalwataran
or the Duchess Fall.
By trekking for less than an hour you may reach the
sacred Jata Shankar cave. The cave has a Siva lingam
inside the cave, which resembles the matted locks of
Lord Shiva. Thus gets its name. The Jambu Dwip stream
originates from this very cave.
The Catholic Church and the Christ Church are the
architectural marvels worth seeing in Pachmarhi.
Seoni to Pachmarhi
Panchmahi is about 208 kms from Seoni. There is an
excellent road network to the hill resort of
Pachmarhi from Seoni. Madhya Pradesh Tourism
Department and bus services from private operators
link Pachmarhi with Seoni or you could hire your own
vehicle at Seoni.
You could also travel to Pachmarhi via the nearest
rail by catching a train from Seoni to Pipariya. The
railway station at Pipariya caters to train
transportation to Pachmarhi. Pipariya is the nearest
railhead to the hill station at a distance of forty
seven km.
Best Time to Visit
You may plan your visit to Pachmarhi any time of the
year. Pachmarhi experiences, cool and pleasant
weather. The pure and fresh air of Pachmarhi
refreshes the tired souls. As the temperature soars
the heat in the plains makes Pachmarhi a pleasant
place to be in. Accommodation is easily
available in the hill resort of Pachmarhi.
Marble Rocks
Just 21 km west of Jabalpur, is a small village called Bhedaghat. The village is
world famous for splendid Marble Rocks on the banks of Narmada River. Covered
with dark volcanic seams of green and black, they tower to almost 100 ft above
the soft flowing Narmada on either side. They are fabulous to look at during the
daytime when sun sparkles on the pure white surfaces of these rocks. During the
night as well, they give you a mesmerizing view under the moonlit skies. The
Marble Rocks have been considered as one of the thousand places that you should
see before you die. The best way to enjoy the sheer charm of these rocks is by
taking a boat ride in Narmada.
Seoni to Marble Rocks
Marble Rocks is about 125 kms from Seoni on the
way to Jabalpur.
