09 May 2012

Jabalpur City - A `badaa Gaun', as the localites call it......

Jabalpur, an important administrative town and commercial centre, has not grown physically as it should have. Once a pleasure resort and the capital of various ruling dynasties like the Gonds, the Kalachuri and the Marathas, and then established as a spacious cantt with colonial residences by the British, the city today, gives an impression of a rural area with ill-maintained roads and barely-there traffic discipline. The roads are in such a deteriorated condition as if these were never built. Because of this rawness in the look of the city, the local people like to (or find it hard not to) call it a badaa gaun or a big village !
I found the people of Jabalpur simple and warm to the visitors. Jabalpur itself has few attractions for the tourists but it definitely gives an opportunity to see some wonderful places around it--
Bedaghat  -
The famous marble rocks of Bedaghat rise upto 100ft on either sides of the river Narmada and glitter like silver when showered by sunlight or moonlight. A boat-ride (available from Nov. to May) on the serene waters of Narmada gradually unravels the beauty of the multi-hued rocks and takes one through the narrowest point, Bunder Kudani or the `monkey's leap' where the rocks on the two sides are the closest and only a few feet away. 
`Brahma Vishnu Mahesh'
Beautiful peaks
Nandi Rock
The narrowest point between the rocks on two sides- `Bunder Kudani or Monkey Leap'

The guide in the boat will keep you further entertained by pointing out rocks where various films have been shot, or by telling you some of the locally-ascribed rock names based on perceived shapes like, Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh, Nandi Bull, a saint being pushed by a disciple or a crocodile's den etc.; or by his funny, poetic style of narration.
As you climb back to the street, some 100 yards away is a wonderful place known as the Chaunsath Yogini Temple. Situated atop a hillock, this temple can be reached by climbing a flight of 108 steps (I did not count but the little kid who followed me to the temple was more than 100% sure and his confidence and knowledge about the place made me consider him my guide ). I wanted to know more about him than the place. He is a school-going kid and during his free time he does this part-time amateur guide service. He told me that he wanted to be a `big guide in a bigger city' when he grew up.......so sweet!
The 11thC Shiva temple

Chaunsath Yoginis corridor


Some of the 64-yogini statues are quite intact

The 10thC Shiva temple has sixty-four exquisitely carved statues of different forms of the goddess Durga installed in a circular corridor surrounding the main temple. Though mostly damaged with time, some of the statues are in a relatively good condition.
The temple gives a beautiful view of the Narmada passing amidst jagged marble rocks.
The legend says that the temple is connected to the Gond queen Durgavati's palace through an underground passage. 
The Narmada making its way through the marble rocks, narrows down and plunges into a waterfall. Surprisingly, the height of the fall is not much, but the force with which it falls makes such a loud sound that its roar can be heard from quite a distance.The splash of the water gives it an all white, misty look, hence they are called the dhuandhar waterfalls or  the smokey cascade! The water at the fall looks extremely foamy and the stone present there is called soapstone due to its softness.

Dhuandhar Falls behind us

One must stop a while to admire the artistic hands working on the stone there and turning it into beautiful artefacts.
Bargi Dam On Narmada---
Serene Narmada in Bargi


To view the Narmada at its best, one must visit Bargi, 40km from Jabalpur, where a dam has been built over the expansive river. The boat cruise `Narmada Queen' by MPSTDC is available in the evenings. It also makes a scenic picnic spot.

Jabalpur Local--

Shree Mahadev Temple--

The people of Jabalpur are very proud of this recent possession of a Shiva temple, which is distinct in having a huge statue of lord Shiva and not the usual Linga; the statue is placed on a high podium in an open courtyard and not under a roof in a shrine. There is an equally big Nandi bull in front of the murti. This distinction is currently getting more tourists than the devotees to the place.
Balancing Rock--
Balancing Rock


In a rocky terrain, there are massive boulders lying precariously on  other rocks and have been balancing like this for centuries. One  such rock just sits  with a very narrow contact with the base rock and gives an eerie may-tumble-down-anytime-soon feeling  and mocks  man's vulnerability to natural calamities.
Rani Durgavati Memorial--
Queen Durgavati Memorial


This memorial is dedicated to the great queen Durgavati considered even more valorous than the Rani of Jhansi and the museum closeby exhibits a fine collection of sculptures and pre-historic relics.
Peesanhari Jain Madhiya(Temple)-- The following couplet best describes this 650 years old Nandishwar temple-
पीसनहारी  पीस-पीस कर बना गयी एक मढ़िया
इस मढ़िया में नन्दीश्वर की रचना इतनी बढ़िया . 
The legend says that an aged mother, who lived here, used to grind flour by a hand grinder (haath ki Chakki ) to earn her livelihood and got this temple made from her savings. The design at the top represent the slabs of a chakki and is a symbol of respect to labour and hard work.  
It has a massive Nandeeshwar's Jainalaya in its premises with a large number of mini Jainalayas in the main hall.
Shree Nandeeshwar Jainalaya looks like an open air temple because of the starry-blue ceiling!

Small Jainalayas in the central hall

Peesanhari Temple on the hill-top


It has an unusual design for a temple. The main temple is upon a hillock and can be accessed by  stairs. 
I did not know that a small city like Jabalpur, which I had merely considered  a stop-over   in my journey,  had so much to offer to a tourist.
Some more photos here-

7 comments:

  1. Good post. I have been to Jabalpur but have never seen these places. Maybe some day.

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  2. I have been to Jabalpur & remember my visit to dhuandhar waterfalls.It was worth visiting. I always found your pictures very informative & this blog post makes them even more interesting.Very precise & informative.

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  3. @ Unknown,`Thanks for the appreciation.I like to share info about the places I visit, through my photographs.Plz tell me which of my other blogs you have read and how do you like those?Also, tell me something about yourself,plz.

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  4. Thanks a lot for your blog...enjoyed reading :) keep up the good work

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    1. Thanks ,Neha Thukral for the appreciation.

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