Central India · Madhya Pradesh
Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh
Sources: wikimedia
Before you go
The Narmada's source on the Maikal hills; also a Jain site (the Adinath temple) and a cool, forested plateau.
About Amarkantak
- Hills
- Forest
Where it is
Amarkantak is a small pilgrimage town on a forested plateau of the Maikal hills, where the Vindhya and Satpura ranges meet, in Anuppur district of eastern Madhya Pradesh near the Chhattisgarh border, at about 1,000 m.
History
Revered as the source of the Narmada, Amarkantak has drawn pilgrims for many centuries. The Kalachuri kings of Tripuri built temples here in the 11th and 12th centuries, and the mystic Kabir is said to have meditated at the spot now called Kabir Chabutra.
People
The Amarkantak hills are home to Gond and Baiga adivasi communities alongside Hindi-speaking townsfolk, and the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University was founded here in 2007. Narmada Jayanti brings pilgrims to the source, and walkers on the Narmada parikrama pass through the town.
Known for
- The Narmada Udgam, source of the Narmada
- The Kalachuri-era temples
- Kapil Dhara falls
- Sonmuda, the source of the Son
- Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve
Did you know?
The Narmada and the Son rise within a few kilometres of each other here, yet the Narmada flows west to the Arabian Sea while the Son runs north and east to join the Ganga.
Shrines and sites
- Narmada Udgam
- Narmada Temple complex
- Kapil Dhara falls
- Sonmuda
Traditions
- Hindu
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.