MADHYA PRADESH

In 1956, the states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, and Bhopal were merged into Madhya Pradesh, and the Marathi-speaking southern region Vidarbha, which included Nagpur , was cede to Bombay state. After then Bhopal became the new capital of Madhya Pradesh.  Madhya Pradesh remained as the largest state of the India (Area) from 1956 to 2000.

                                            Madhya Pradesh is a store house for every tourist. Various geographical features give rise to different topographies which lead to formation of various tourist places. The state is laden with a wide range of tourist attractions starting from historic places to wild life sanctuaries. Madhya Pradesh is the state of diversity and culture. The true essence of the place can be seen in the walls of the monuments in the sculpture of the temples and in the ambience of the national park.

Amarkantak

Situated at an altitude of 1065 mt at the meeting point of the Vindhya and the Satpura mountain ranges amongst sylvan surroundings, Amarkantak is a great pilgrim centre for the Hindus, and is the source of the rivers Narmada and Sone. While the Narmada flows Westwards from Amarkantak, the Sone flows towards the East. Amarkantak is indeed blessed by Nature. Holy ponds, lofty hills, forested surroundings, breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls and an ever-pervading air of serenity make Amarkantak a much sought-after destination for the religious-minded as well as for the nature-lover. 

Among all the sacred rivers of India, the Narmada occupies a unique place. Legend has it that Lord Shiva blessed Narmada with unique purifying powers. Whereas to purify himself, a devotee requires to take one dip in the Holy Ganga, seven days' prayers on the banks of Yamuna and three days' prayers on the banks of Saraswati, the mere sight of Narmada is enough. A charming folk tale describes the superiority of Narmada over Ganga. Once every year, after she herself is polluted beyond tolerance, Ganga visits Narmada dressed like a dark woman and takes a cleansing purifying dip in its waters!

    

Temples in Amarkantak

Narmada River site Amarkantak

Bhedaghat

Beauty of Sunset-Bhedaghat

This is the beauty of Sun at Bhedaghat....in Madhya Pradesh..

The Beauty of Bhedaghat

Tourism in Madhya Pradesh is exclusive and distinct from other parts of the culturally rich country. Bhedaghat being one of the most popular holiday destinations in Madhya Pradesh,  tourist attractions in Bhedaghat are in abundance.

Marble Rocks-Bhedagat

Bhedaghat is well connected with the major cities of India. It is accessible from all parts of the country by rail, road and air. The nearest airport to Bhedaghat is Jabalpur which is about 23 kilometers away. Many airlines offer cheap tickets to fly to Jabalpur. Jabalpur is also the nearest railway station. Trains from different parts of India travel to Jabalpur. Bus services are also available to travel to Bhedaghat from Jabalpur.

The Dhuandhar Falls-Bhedaghat

Dhuandhar Falls-Bhedaghat

Chitrakoot

Chitrakoot, 'the hill of many wonders', nestles peacefully in the northern spurs of the Vindhyas. This loveliest of nature's gifts is also hallowed ground, blessed by the gods and sanctified by the faith of pilgrims. A city with more than legendary significance, it was the abode of Lord Ram and Sita for eleven year when in exile, the place where Sage Atri and Sati Anusuya meditated, the divine spot saw the incarnations of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. This holy city is dotted with innumerable temples and shrines today.

Witness the magnificent Chitrakote falls cascading down rock faces and you would never need to cross the seven seas to watch the Niagara falls or watch the 100 ft high Tirathgarh falls. The horse shaped Chitrakote waterfall spawns the river Indravati. Christened the ' Nigara of India' the spary from the tumbling waterfall breaks out into vibrant colours splashed across the sky in the form of a permanent rainbow.

Bhimbetka

Surrounded by the northern fringe of the Vindhyan ranges, Bhimbetka lies 46 km South of Bhopal. In this rocky terrain of dense forest and craggy cliffs, over 600 rock shelters belonging to the Neolithic age were recently discovered.

                In fact, the place has witnessed a cultural sequence right from the late stone age to the early historic period. The flamboyant paintings that depict the living styles of primeval mankind are definitely a treasure house of information and a precious narrative in the history of man. As the name itself suggests, this historic place is closely related to the legendary figure Bhim, the second in the Pandavas. The popular belief is that, it was here that Bhim took a brief rest during his exile. The word Bimbetka literally means Bim’s lounge. 

The paintings found at Bhimbetka Caves, MP are about 10000 years old. A five or six thousand years old skeleton was also unearthed during the excavation of this site.

It is also said that Pandavas, during theie exile stopped here and made this place their home for some time.

Above: This is the largest cave at Bhimbetka. This is believed to be the assembly hall of the community that lived here and the leader addressed the group from that rock at the end of the hall. All formations here are natural. From the state of the rocks found here, it is thought that this whole area must have been under water for a while.

                                     A marvel in the archaeological perspective, Bimbetka is adorned with the accolade of being the richest depository of prehistoric paintings, in South Asia. It is the twenty second place in India, which is declared as a World heritage site by UNESCO. The Rock Shelters at Bhimbetka exhibit the earliest traces of human life in India. Archeologists are of the opinion that these caves might have been occupied over 10,000 years ago. 

                    

     Various community activities, like birth, burial, dancing, religious rites, hunting scenes, animal fighting and merrymaking, find a place in these paintings. Pictures of animals like rhinoceros, tigers, wild buffalo, bears, antelopes, boars, lions, elephants, lizards etc also find intense depiction. It is quite a marvel that the colors of the paintings at Bhimbetka have skillfully avoided the vagaries of time. Natural red and white pigments are common colors used in these paintings. Often green and yellow are also used.

The colors are a combination of manganese, hematite, wooden coal, soft red stone, plant leaves and animal fats. These chemicals have, over the time, reacted with the rocks and contributed in preserving these precious artworks of Bhimbetka. Scrupulous observation shows differences in patterns, which are archetypal of various periods. Huge linear figures of animals are the trademark of Paleolithic paintings. With the passage of time, paintings became smaller, precise and more delicate.            

Omkareshwar

Sanctified by Faith

Omkareshwar, the sacred island, shaped like the holiest of all Hindu symbols, 'Om', has drawn to it hundreds of generations of pilgrims. Here, at the confluence of the rivers Narmada and Kaveri, the devout gather to kneel before the Jyotirlinga (one of the twelve throughout India) at the temple of Shri Omkar Mandhata. And here, as in so many of Madhya Pradesh's sacred shrines, the works of Nature complement those of man to provide a setting awe-inspiring in its magnificence.

Ujjain

 Modern Ujjain is situated on the banks of the river Shipra, regarded since times immemorial as sacred. The belief in the sacredness of Shipra, has its origins in the ancient Hindu mythological tale of churning of the Ocean by the Gods and the Demons, with Vasuki, the serpent as the rope. The ocean bed first yielded fourteen gems, then Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, and finally the coveted vessel of Nectar. Then began the wild scramble for immortality with the demons chasing the Gods across the skies, and in the process, a few drops were spilt, and fell at Hardwar, Nasik, Prayag, and Ujjayini. Hence the sanctity of the waters of the Shipra. 

 Mahakaleshwar Temple Aarti Entry

The Aarti begins at 4 a.m. and if we are to offer our own puja [prayer] separately, we will have to do it only after the aarti is over and we might have to wait for a couple of hours.  There are two ways to gain entry into the temple to watch this aarti –- one is through the free entry line, where you don’t have to pay except for any offerings that you want to take in. The other is through a “VIP” ticket, which lets you into a shorter line and helps you gain quicker entry to the sanctum. Furthermore, if you’re in the free entry line, you’re allowed to wear what you want, as long as it is appropriate. If you’re in the VIP line, men have to wear the traditional dhoti, and women must wear sarees.