Places to visit in Pachmarhi What Pachmarhi is famous for

Name: The Golden Woods Resort
Address: Matkuli–Pachmarhi Highway (State Highway 19), beside the lake, Matkuli, Madhya Pradesh, 461775, IN
Telephone: +919244775909
Price range: From ₹4,500 + GST per night

Waterfalls you can stand under, ravines you look into, caves older than memory, and the highest sunset in Madhya Pradesh.

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Known as: Satpura ki Rani
Famous for: Waterfalls, caves, viewpoints
From the resort: 29 km, about an hour
Get around by: Open gypsy

Why people come

A hill station inside a forest

Pachmarhi is the only hill station in Madhya Pradesh: a small, green cantonment town at about 1,067 metres on a plateau of the Satpura range. It was first noted by Captain James Forsyth in 1857, and the British made it a sanatorium and summer retreat. The churches and bungalows they left are still here.

What makes it different from other hill stations is that it sits inside the Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve and next to the Satpura Tiger Reserve. The sights are not shops and viewpoints with railings; they are waterfalls, sandstone gorges, cave shrines and forest roads.

Pachmarhi from above: gardens and buildings among dense green forest

How it works

Seeing the sights

Most of the natural sights lie inside the forest area. Visitors take a day permit, issued at the Bison Lodge in town, and go round by local open gypsy with a driver; outside cars are not allowed on many of the forest routes. Fees and timings change, so check on the day or ask us.

Start early. The popular points fill up by late morning, and several involve steps or a short walk, which is far more pleasant in the cool.

An open safari gypsy driving along a green forest track

The places

Where to go, and why

Roughly in the order most visitors see them. Two days cover the main ones comfortably; three or four let you add the treks.

Sunset and sunrise point
Dhoopgarh
At 1,352 metres, the highest point in Madhya Pradesh and in the Satpura range. People gather on the western edge for the sunset, when the ridges turn to layers of gold and blue. Go a little early for a place at the rail.
Waterfall
Bee Fall
Pachmarhi's best-known waterfall, about 35 metres high, reached by a walk down a long flight of steps. There is a pool at the bottom where you can stand under the water. It is at its best just after the monsoon.
Rock-cut caves
Pandav Caves
Five caves cut into a low sandstone hill, which give Pachmarhi its name (panch marhi, five caves). Legend links them to the Pandavas; they are thought to have been shelters for Buddhist monks. A garden is laid out below.
Cave shrine
Jata Shankar
A Shiva shrine at the bottom of a deep, narrow ravine, where the rock above is said to resemble his matted locks. You walk down between towering boulders to reach it.
Ravine viewpoint
Handi Khoh
A sheer, forest-filled ravine about 300 feet deep, seen from a railed edge. One of the most dramatic views in Pachmarhi, and an easy stop.
Viewpoint
Priyadarshini Point
Also called Forsyth Point: the spot from which Captain Forsyth first looked over this plateau in 1857. A wide view across the hills, good in the late afternoon.
Silver Fall
Rajat Prapat
A single thread of water dropping about 107 metres down a cliff, silver in the sun, which is how it got its name. Seen from a viewpoint reached by a forest walk.
Natural pool
Apsara Vihar
A shallow pool beneath a small waterfall, safe for paddling and a favourite with families. It is on the same walk as Rajat Prapat.
Waterfall trek
Duchess Fall
A waterfall deep in the forest at the end of a steep walk down and a stiff climb back. For the fit, and worth it for the solitude.
Hilltop temple
Chauragarh
A Shiva temple on a peak, reached by a climb of about 1,300 steps. Pilgrims carry tridents up as offerings, and thousands of them stand at the top. Go at dawn, and give it half a day.
Colonial church, 1875
Christ Church
A stone church built by the British in 1875, with a tall spire and stained glass. A quiet stop in the middle of town.
Boating
Pachmarhi Lake
A small lake in town with boats for hire. Pleasant in the evening, and easy with children.
Prehistoric paintings
Rock shelters
The sandstone hills around Pachmarhi hold rock shelters with paintings thousands of years old. Ask a local guide which are open to visit.
Wildlife
Satpura jungle safari
Open-gypsy drives into the tiger reserve. The nearest gate to our resort is about 3 km away.
More about satpura jungle safari

Also worth your time

Cave shrines
Bada Mahadev and Gupt Mahadev
Bada Mahadev is a large cave with water dripping onto a Shiva lingam. Gupt Mahadev, nearby, is reached through a passage in the rock so narrow that people go in one at a time.
Sunset point
Rajendragiri
A hilltop garden named after Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, who stayed in Pachmarhi. A calmer alternative to Dhoopgarh at sunset.
Natural rock cave
Reechgarh
A huge natural cavern among sandstone boulders, cool even at midday, named after the bears once said to shelter here.
Museum
Bison Lodge
The oldest house in Pachmarhi, built in 1862, now a small museum of the forests and wildlife of Satpura. Forest permits for sightseeing are issued here.

Questions

Good to know

What is Pachmarhi famous for?

Pachmarhi is the only hill station in Madhya Pradesh, known as the Queen of Satpura. It is famous for waterfalls such as Bee Fall and Rajat Prapat, the Pandav Caves, cave shrines like Jata Shankar, the Dhoopgarh sunset point, and the forests of the Satpura Tiger Reserve.

Which are the must-see places in Pachmarhi?

Dhoopgarh for sunset, Bee Fall, Pandav Caves, Jata Shankar, Handi Khoh and Priyadarshini Point. With more time add Rajat Prapat, Apsara Vihar, Chauragarh and a jungle safari.

Can I take my own car to the sightseeing points?

Many of the forest points are visited by local open gypsy with a day permit, and outside cars are not allowed on those routes. The points in town can be reached by car.

How many places can be covered in one day?

Six or seven of the main points, if you start by 8 am: typically Pandav Caves, Jata Shankar, Handi Khoh, Priyadarshini Point, Bee Fall and Dhoopgarh for sunset.

Is Pachmarhi suitable for children and older people?

Yes, with a little planning. Handi Khoh, Priyadarshini Point, Pandav Caves, the lake and Dhoopgarh need little walking. Bee Fall, Jata Shankar and especially Chauragarh and Duchess Fall involve steps or a climb.

Plan your trip