Amarkantak Tourism And Travel Guide

Amarkaantak is a religious place for the Hindus. However, tourism in Amarkantak is not only related to temples and other places of worship. There are several places of natural beauty in Amarkantak such as waterfalls and forests too. Amarkantak is in the midst of rich flora that has ayurvedic properties of healing. Just 40km away from the town there is a Wildlife Sanctuary named Achanakmar and these forests are also linked to Kanha National Park with its own share of rich wildlife. A travel guide to Amarkantak and places nearby is given in the underlying paragraphs.

Amarkantak in MP is a town which is not well connected by either rail or air although its roads are connected to the rest of the state quite well. It is a good idea to select Jabalpur for the connectivity for your rail or air travel to Amarkantak. 

By Road:

Amarkantak is well connected with Katni, Pendra and Jabalpur. One can drive the distance of about 200km from Jabalpur in 4-5hr. The roads leading out of Amarkantak are scenic and well maintained. Those who have driven to Amarkantak have commented favourably.

By Rail:

Since Amarkantak does not have a railway station it is preferable to catch your train to Jabalpur and then take a taxi for the 200km drive to Amarkantak. Jabalpur is well connected by rail with all the principal cities in India.

By Air:

The Dumna Airport in Jabalpur is the third important airport in MP after Indore and Bhopal. The connectivity of Jabalpur on the air map is fairly all right with three domestic airlines plying on different routes.

Amarkantak has a temperate and warm climate. The summers in this town have far more rains than do the winters. While the average rainfall is around 1364mm, the average temperature of Amarkantak is around 21.7°C.

Summer (March-June):

Summers in Amarkantak are dry and hot with temperatures that shoot up to 38°C and even beyond 40°C. As the day wears on there is need for shade and to keep drinking water. This is not a good time to visit Amarkantak.

Monsoon (June-September):

Due to the hills that are all around the town Amarkantak receives fair amount of rains. This brings down the temperatures to less than 30°C. This makes Amarkantak cool but humid. Since there is a tendency for the roads to flood, navigation is often difficult. Although one can visit Amarkantak during the monsoon it is better to avoid a trip.

Winter (October-February):

Winters are very pleasant in Amarkantak with the temperatures remaining between 8 and 28°C. Touring Amarkantak in winter is most comfortable, especially with the right kind of woollens. Nights are positively cold but bearable. 

Kapil Dhara:

With dense forests and mountains all around, Kapil Waterfall named after Kapil Muni (a sage), is a 100’ tall and beautiful waterfall. The ashram for the sage is near the waterfall, along with a garden. This waterfall is around 6km from the Narmadakund Temples.

Amarkantak Temple:

This is a 11^th century temple with a unique form of architecture that was prevalent in those times. The temple is traditional and very popular among the Hindu devotees.

Narmadakund and Temples:

The Narmadakund is the place from where Narmada River starts its journey. There are some sixteen temples in stone that are of significance in this area. Some of the more prominent ones are the Narmada Temple and the Shiva Temple besides the Radha Krishna Temple and the Annapurna Temple.

Mai Ki Bagiya:

A beautiful garden of fruit-bearing trees, Mai Ki Bagiya, dedicated to the Goddess Narmada, is located around 5km from Narmadakund. This is a fine orchard and there is a good walking trail where one can take an energising walk. Besides fruit-bearing trees one will also find diverse medicinal herbs and plants in this garden.

Ancient Temples of Kalachuri Period:

These temples that are located behind the Narmadakund were constructed between 1042AD-1072AD, during the reign of the Kalachuris. Visitors admire the architecture of these temples which comprise of the Pataleshwar Mahadev Temple and the Machhendranath Temple.

Kabir Chabutra:

Located about 5km from Amarkantak, Kabir Chabutra is on your way to Bilaspur. According to available information, Sant Kabir achieved his deliverance here and therefore the place is considered to be very holy. It is at this Chabutra that Sant Kabir met Guru Nanak and discussed humanitarian issues.

Just like all the other towns and cities in MP there are several food stalls especially in the streets, in Amarkantak. Among the restaurants the Basant Bhojnalaya Restaurant is supposed to be a good place where the food is priced to be easy to the pocket while the standard of food served is good. This one offers Chinese and Mughlai cuisine as well as meals where garlic and onion are not used. Try the Amarkantak, Anuppur inexpensive restaurants which are touted as being good and inexpensive.

Shopping in Amarkantak can be in two extremes. You could go to the City Shopping Centre with its City Mall 36 spread over 4.5 lakh square feet or the Hat Bazaar which is a place that is proving to be a hit for visitors. The latter is good if you are looking for trinkets and the former, well, you must have been to dozens of malls. Try this one out also.