Day 9 Kanha to Bhedaghat
Distance: 150 kms.
Road Condition: Good to Ok.
After spending 8 days in peace and tranquility we piloted to Bhedaghat to get a taste of crazy city life and chaos. Jabalpur, the entry point of Bhedaghat welcomed us with gridlocks, traffic rules are non existent. At snail's speed we crossed Jabalpur and moved towards Bhedaghat which is 25 km away.
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| 10th Century Wonder |
Bhedaghat a sleepy town set on the banks of holy Narmada is home for a cluster of attractions such as colossal marble rocks that rise over 100 ft, 10th century Chaunsath Yogini Temple and invincible Dhuandhar falls. Renowned for marbles the town is beaming with shops selling souvenirs in all shapes and sizes. Despite the temple town attracting hoards of pilgrims, the options to dine are very limited. The only ATM in the town operates from 8 am to 8 pm.
The best way to behold the beauty of marble rocks is to take a boat ride, which in itself is adventurous. The guys paddling the boat act as your guide and keep you entertained for the next 30 mins. One is is charged 50 to 60 rs per head for the ride. However, if you want to hire a boat exclusively your negotiation skills will come in handy and you might be charged a couple of hundreds. Boat rides are offered from November to May. However, the ride could be a risky affair as safety precautions are non existent, no life jackets are offered, boats are over crowed and one is made to wait until the boat is full and this could take up to an hour.
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| Pride Of Bhedaghat |
The breathtaking Dhuandhar falls offers view of Narmada in full throttle, quite an amazing place to witness natures wrath, the white water gushing down with full force creates smoke cascade. The viewing gallery is the place to be to experience this phenomena. One could spend hours there and admire Almighty's magic. One gets to see the calmer side of the river as it takes a small detour resulting in water flowing at gentle pace, it feels pleasant to sit there, soak your feet in ice cold water and be in a state of reverie. There is no shortage of drama, here a guy offers to take 30 ft plunge into the water for mere Rs. 20 -30.
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| Smoke Cascade |
Chaunsath Yogini Mandir - 108 steep rock cut steps lead us to the ruins of 10th Century Chaunsath Yogini Temple. The Garbaghaha portrays the wedding procession of Shiva and Parvati on Nandi, word is this is the only temple in India to depict this moment of their lives.
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| Just Married |
It is indeed a sad site to see all 64 idols of the yoginis ravaged and disfigured. The temple silently paints a picture of the testing times it has seen and withstood the dreadful attacks and plunders of the Mogul forces. If you are looking for calm and serene atmosphere, visit the temple early in the morning.
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| Ruined Yet Stunning |
After sunset, we headed to the river banks to experience divine intervention, here Aarti is offered to Lord Shankar and water Gods. The whole atmosphere is electrifying, the locals play music and sing bhajans to please the river goddess. The beauty of the aarti is that everybody gets a chance to perform the ritual, irrespective of their beliefs. The locals treat the tourist as one among them.
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| Har Har Mahadev |
Since Jabalpur city is only 25 km away, stay options in Bhedaghat are very basic and minimal. We checked into Hotel River View, the perks are- brilliant view of Narmada and marble rocks, a prime location as all the attractions are at walking distance and the hotel offers decent food. Cons: The hotel had poor hygiene standards - the sheets were very dirty and seemed like they had not been washed for eternity. The room had a pungent odor, fan was squeaking and gave us an eerie feel. Service quality was poor. Stay there only if you have no other options.
There are better hotels like the Government run Motel Marble Rocks and Upper rest house. Upper rest house offers only 2 rooms and the reservations need to be done in Jabalpur.
Adios Bhedaghat here we come
Bandhavgarh.
