PACHMARHI
Verdant
Jewel of the Satpuras
Pachmarhi
is Madhya Pradesh's most verdant jewel, a place where
nature has found exquisite expression in myriad
enchanting ways. Green shades embrace the mountains, and
everywhere is heard the gentle murmur of flowing water.
Bridle paths lead into tranquil forest glades, groves of
wild bamboo and jamun, dense sal forests and delicate
bamboo thickets.
Complementing
the magnificence of nature are the works of man;
Pachmarhi is also an archaeological treasure-house. In
cave shelters in the Mahadeo Hills is an astonishing
richness in rock paintings. Most of these have been
placed in the period 500-800 AD, but the earliest
paintings are an estimated 10,000 years old.
The
year was 1857 when Captain James Forsyth of the Bengal
Lancers was galloping hard up the Satpura ranges. He
chanced upon this saucer -shaped valley and recommended
its development as a sanatorium. Churches and cemeteries
bring back memories of the colonial past of Pachmarhi
which has managed to escape reckless plunder suffered by
other hill stations of India.
