Amarkantak

Amarkantak  is a pilgrim town and a nagar panchayat in Anuppur District in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Also called "Teerthraj" (the king of pilgrimages), Amarkantak region is a unique natural heritage area and is the meeting point of the Vindhyas and the Satpuras, with the Maikal Hills being the fulcrum. This is where the Narmada River, the Son River and Johila River emerge.
Amarkantak is in Madhya Pradesh in India at 22.67°N 81.75°E. It has an average elevation of 1048 metres (3438 ft). Roads running through Rewa, Shahdol, Anuppur, Jabalpur, Katni and Pendra connect it. The nearest railway stations are Anuppur and Pendra Road 43 km via Keonchi and only 28 km via Jwaleshwar. The nearest airport is Dumna Jabalpur (Jabalpur Airport) in the city of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh (240 km). Delhi and Mumbai have daily flight service.
As well as the Narmada, the Son River, initially referred to as Jwalawanti of Johila, the Narmada and the Amadoh, which is a major early tributary of the Godavari, all rise from the Amarkantak plateau. The beauty of the plateau can well be gauged from the fact that it lies 1000 metres a.m.s.l. in the midst of a moist sal and mixed forest. A little distance from Gaumukh, the source of the Narmada, is Kapildhara, where the Narmada leaves Anuppur District and enters Dindori District by cascading more than 20 metres down a sheer basalt rock. Four kilometres from Amarkantak is Kabir Chabutara, the exact junction point of Dindori, Bilaspur and Anuppur districts. As the source of the Narmada, which is more than 150 million years older than the Ganges and is considered by many Hindus to be the most sacred of all the rivers of India, Amarkantak itself is sacred to the Hindus and is deemed to be a doorway to ‘nirwana’.
In these hills dwell some of the most primitive of the Madhya Pradesh tribals, the Hill Korwas and Pandavas. Even today the Pandavas run away if they see any strangers approaching their village.
Geologically the Amarkantak Hills have underlying basalt (Deccan Traps). The overburden consists of bauxite and laterite, making the soil ferruginous and clayey, with an acidic or neutral reaction. There is schist and gneiss, which is why sal is to be found here despite underlying trap. Climatically Amarkantak is temperate.
July, August and September are the monsoon months, and there is some winter rain. February is about the only month which is dry.
 Places of tourist importance

Ancient temples, Amarkantak

Sonemuda, origin of Sone River

Kabir chabutra Amarkantak

Amarkantak being a unique natural heritage is very rich in biodiversity. It has many places of scenic beauty. Apart from this, it is source of origin of three important rivers. It is a great pilgrim center for Hindus. It is thus a great, unexplored tourism destination.

Narmadakund and temples

At the place of origin of Narmada River there is an open pool known as Narmadakund. Around this kund there are number of temples such as Narmada and Shiva temple, Kartikey temple, Shri Ram Janki temple, Annapurna temple, Guru Gorakhnath temple, Sri Shuryanarayan temple, Vangeshwar Mahadev temple, Durga temple, Shiv Pariwar, Siddheswar Mahadev temple, Sri Radha Krishna temple, Eleven Rudra temple, etc.

Narmada Kund, Amarkantak

Ancient temples of Kalachuri period

The ancient temples of Kalachuri period are in the south of Narmadakund, just behind it. These were built by Kalachuri Maharaja Karnadeva (1042–1072 AD). The Machhendranath and Pataleshwar temples are excellent examples of architecture. There is also Keshav Narayan temple built by the Bhonsle ruler of Nagpur in the 18th century.

Sonemuda

Sonemuda is the place of origin of the Sone River. It is 1.5 km from Narmadakund at the very edge of Maikal Mountain. The Sone River cascades from the mountain in a waterfall hundreds of feet long. From the viewing platform facing east, there is a panorama of forested hills and valleys. According to Megasthanes and other Aryan writers the river Sone gets its name from gold as gold dust is found in the water of Sone.

Mai ki Bagiya (Goddess garden)

A grove of trees in dense forests 1 km from Narmadakund is named "Mai ki Bagiya" in honour of the goddess Narmada. In this natural garden there are mango, banana and other fruit trees along with Gulbakavli, roses and other flower plants.

Kapildhara (Kapil waterfall)

Six km northwest of Narmadakund is the Kapildhara waterfall with a fall of about hundred feet. According to scriptures, Kapil Muni lived here. There is a scene of natural beauty with mountains and dense forest down hills. According to ‘Vindhya Vaibhav’ Kapil Muni performed severe austerities here and received divine light. He also wrote ‘sankhya philosophy’ (an advanced treatise on mathematics) at this place. The Kapileshwar temple is also situated nearby. The surrounding mountains are full of caves where saints have been performing their spiritual practices.

Kabir chabutra (the platform of saint Kabir)

It is an old belief that the great saint Kabir performed austerities here and achieved spiritual powers. It is therefore a holy place for the Kabir panth sect. The local people, the Panikas, consider Kabir Chabutara as one of the holiest places of the Kabirpanthis because Sant Kabir spent many years here in meditation. At this very place Kabir and Nanak met and discussed spiritual matters and introduced the way of better living for human beings. It is the meeting point of three districts, Anuppur and Dindori districts of Madhya Pradesh and Bilaspur district of Chhatisgarh. There is a Kabir waterfall.

Shri Jwaleshwar Mahadev (the temple of Shiva)

The Jwaleshwar temple and the source of origin of the third river Juhila River is 8 km from Amarkantak on Shahdol road. According to ‘Vindhya Vaibhav’ Lord Shiva established a Shivling here and scattered crores of other Shivlings over Maikal Mountain. According to puranic traditions, a rectangular area containing crores of Shivlings is known as ‘Maha Rudra Meru’ and is the abode of Lord Shiva. There are only two ‘Maha Rudra Meru’ places: Varanasi and Amarkantak. Lord Shiva and Parvati live here because of this special spiritual quality.

Shri Sarvodaya Digamber Jain Temple

Shri Sarvodaya Jain Temple

The new Shri Sarvodaya Digamber Jain Temple is being built at Amarkantak, similar to the Aksharadhama temple of Gujarat. About more that Rs. 20 crores is expected to be spent on this mega project which is spread over an area of 4 acres (16,000 m²). The temple is designed and constructed by more than 300 artists for two years under the guidance of Sri C.B.Somapura the chief architect. The ashtadathu idol of Bhagawan Adinatha measuring about 24 ft (7.3 m) in height and weighing 28,000 kilograms will be installed on the Kamala Simhasan made of ashtadathu weighing around 24,000 kilograms. It is the world's biggest ashtadathu Jain idol of Bhagawan Adinatha. The foundations are being worked out with advanced engineering skills so that the temple survives for centuries to come. The temple measuring around 144 feet (44 m) height, 424 feet (129 m) length and 111 feet (34 m) width will be constructed here.

Shree Sarvoday Digamber Jain Mandir, Amarkantak is situated at a hill station of Madhya Pradesh from where the largest river of western India Narmada gets started. Param Pujya Aacharya Shree Vidyasagarji Maharajaji's one of the important "Atishay Kshetra" Temple is gating its shape at Amatkantak. It is made with 225,000 cubic feet (6,400 m³) of Bansipahadpur's pink sand stone.

Shree Kalyan Seva Ashram Trust

Shree Kalyan Seva Ashram Trust is one of the big ashrams of Shri Mahant Tapaswi Baba Shree Kalyan Das ji Maharaj. It is an ashram of Udasin Sampraday. Acharya Shri Shri Chandra Dev Ji is the Main Acharya of this dynasty. He was the elder son of Guru Nanak Dev ji.
The manager is Shri Himadri muni ji. This ashram runs social work. It ashram runs a school (KKSN) and the Shree Chandracharya charitable hospital.
Gur udwara (Sikh Temple) at Amarkantak: First Guru of Sikhs Guru Nanak Dev Ji visited Amarkantak, and Gurudwara is on the right bank of the Narmada river in Amarkantak city.