A Serendipitous Adventure

by Reetu Chowdhury (India)

I didn't expect to find India

Being associated with the Bharat Scouts & Guides movement since 2010 which has given me an opportunity to travel many places in India as they organize camps every year . One such unforgettable camp was Panchmarhi in Madhya Pradesh. Panchmarhi, situated in the Satpura Range is known as the 'Queen of Satpura'. The climate temperate and the best time to visit is from October to June. We boarded on train from Howrah station at Kolkata and reached Pirpariya station after two days , from there we rented a Jeep . We drove along the circuitous hilly road with the tree tops bathing in the gentle morning light, cool breeze filled with birds' chirping greeted us and we reached our campsite . After getting refreshed in the afternoon we decided to explore our 52 acre huge campsite. The place was filled with Gerbera daisies , thick oak trees and many fruit bearing trees. The next day we went to Rajendra Giri to watch the sunset,which was at a walking distance from our campsite. On our way there we came across a blue pine Forest. We saw the sun setting slowly in the horizon , the sky changing colors from rosy to violet all in the span of few minutes. The next day we visited Jatshankar cave by a rented jeep . The cave is a shrine of Lord Shiva , consists of naturally formed stalagmites which are revered as lingams. It is said that Lord Shiva hid in this cave from the demon Mahisashura . The place was calm and spiritual . The next place on our itinerary was Bee Falls . To witness the 150 feet high waterfall we had to trek down the steep and uneven stairs , half way through the trek we came across a grand stair waterfall and could hear the tranquilizing sound of the beefall. The waterfall was in a forest filled with wild bees . The water was very cool and refreshing, sitting there with my feet dipped in the pool listening to the bees buzzing and the stream falling was very revitalising and serene. Next day we travelled to the mythic place which is said to be the abode of the Pandava brothers of Mahabharata during their exile. There were five caves carved by latter , situated at a low height with a beautiful garden at base. The view from top was very picturesque , of the Jeep traveling down circuitous roads and lush green forests. After having lunch at a nearby restaurant we travelled to the last place on our itinerary list i.e the Satpura National Park. The park consists of sandstone peaks, narrow gorges , dense forests inhabited by tigers, wild boars, black buck, nilgai, four horned antelopes, leopard. The entry is paid and jeeps are allowed for safari , we came across a pair of fresh tiger paw prints near the River Denwa which flows through the Park and due to safety reasons we had to return. Besides the rich diversity of fauna , the forest is filled with decidious trees & medicinal plants. We had cut short our safari and trek towards the highest peak of Satpura Range , Dhoopgarh which is 1,352 metres high . The view from the peak was quite majestic as we saw Panchmarhi from the summit surrounded by four other hills. As the sun was setting dark shadows were casted by the surrounding hills on the nearby forests giving it a foreboding and quaint beauty , filled with the cacophony of the birds created a fascinating sight. I wanted to stay there for few more hours to admire the spectacle before my eyes. But as the day came to an end we had to return back. The last day of my camp was exciting and tiring as we participated in various obstacle bases like Russian wall, Monkey bridge, Rope bridge and many others. Our camp came to an end with a grand campfire in the evening associated with dancing, singing and sharing our experiences of the trip. After that we hurried along to pack our bags to leave the very next morning. So the trip to the ethereal abode of Panchmarhi came to an end.