Amarkatank the source of Narmada River
Amarkantak Temple in Anuppur district of Madhay Pradesh india
Situated at an altitude of 1000
mtr. In Anuppur district of Madhay Pradesh, Amarkantak is well frequented Hindu
pilgrimage center that is popularly know as Teerthraj-the king of pilgrimages’.Amarntak
lies at the meeting point of the three central Indian hill
ranges-Vindhyas’Satpuras and Maikal. This small town with its innumerable
temple and holy pound’ and bordered with lofty hill and dense forest,is a
southt-after destination both with spiritually inclined as well as
nature-lovers.
The Amarkantak region has a rich
natural hertiage . Itg is the meeting point of the vindhya and the satpura
Ranges, with the maikal hills being fulcrum. Three rivers-the holy narmada, the
sone and the johila- emerge here.
Narmada is considered one of the
mostsacred rivers of india & pilgrims bathe in its waters to away their
sins. It is believed that the mere sight of river is enough to purity oneself!A
charming folk tale speaks of the holy Ganga, dressed as a beautiful young
woman, visiting Narmada to take a purifying dip in its waters!
There are several stories
regarding the origin of the Narmada ; and river has been bestowed various
name,among them Rewa Shankari and
Maikalsuta.
Amarkantak is a place of worship
for all the three worlds of hindu mythology-the heavents,the earth and the
netherworld.Gods, gandharvas (celestial
beings) asuras (demons) saints and. According to the puranas, the region was
know as Ayodhaya and Hd ashrams of Kapil Muni and rishi markand.It is believed that whoever dies at
Amarkantak is assured aplase in heaven.Mystic poet sent Kabir,Is said to Have
meditated At Kabirchabutra in Amarkantak.
The forest surrounding amarkantak
have a rich veriety of plants with medicinal properties,which make it extremely
significant from an ecological point of view.
Best season to visit :- This destination can be visited throughout
the year.
What to see
Narmada Udgam Temple :- The small town of Amarkantak has as many as
24 temple Narmada Udgam,a temple built
to mark the sorce of the Narmada,is considered the holiest place in the
town.facing the Narmada udgam temple is the Mata Narmada temple a
shaktipeeth.Just in frount of Narmada Udgam is an open pool called the
Narmadakund. South of this kund are ancient temple which were built by the
Kalachuri king, Karnadeva (1042-1072 AD).
Sonmuda :- Situated 1.5 kms from Narmadakund is Sonmuda,
the source of the river sone. From here it flows on to join the Ganga near
patna.
Mai ki Bagiya: Around a kilometer
from Narmadakund is Mai ki Bagiya, an
orched, where it is believed to nature flowers that refuse to blossom
elsewhere.
Kapildhara: 6 kilometers from the
source of the narmada, is kapildhara. It is a spectacular sight as the small
stream of the Narmada plunges down a 24 m high vertical cliff-face into a gorge,transforming
in to a large river It is believed that in he ancient times,the sage Kapil
performed server austerities here.Legend has it that he had ordered Narmada to
stop flowing but river defied him and plunged itself down the chiff. The sacred
Kapileshwar temple is situated nearby.
Dugdhadhara Water Fall :-
Alittele dowenstream from Kapildhara, the Narmada creates another
waterfall,Dugdhadhara. Literally, the milky stream the fall gets Its name from
the frothing waters of the river.
DUGDHADHARA WATER FALL
Bhrigu Kamandal :- One of the
greatest sages of ancient india, bhrigu, chose Amarkantah as his place of
meditation. It has the spot is now known, can be reached after a difficult,
three-hour long trek that passes through dense forests.
Kabir Chabutra :- A small tank
near which the saint Kabir ( 1440-1518 AD) is said to have meditated,known as
Kabir chabutra.
Jwaleshwar Temple :- In Hindu
mythology, when Loard Shiva destroyed Tripura (the three mythical cities ) by
fire some of the ashes accidentally spilt over Mythologically important
jweleshwar Temple is situated 8 kms from Amarkantak. A part from its religious
importance the Amarkantak plateau has great ecological significance. The entire
plateau is carpeted with lush green forest.
How to Reach
By Air :- The nearest airports
are at Jabalpur (228kms) and in Raipur in Chhattisgarh ( 230kms),There is a
airport helipad at Amarkantak .Helicopters can be chartered from Jabalpur,
Bhopal or Raipur.
By Train :- The nearest railway
station is at pendra Road (42kms), in Chhattisgarh.
By Road :- It is 71kms from anuppur,the
district headquarters. Direct buses are available from all near major cities.
