 Introduction:
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 cemetries
bring back memories of the colonial past of Pachmarhi which has managed
to escape reckless plunder suffered by other hill stations of India.
|
|
