In Part I and Part II of this series I shared how this was our first trip to Amarkantak which is a unique choice for travel destinations. In the end I loved how the trip went overall.
Next we went to Kapil Dhara another waterfall destination. The water level here was less compared to after monsoon rains. We were probably the only tourist at the place but there were other people there too which made me feel better because the place is so full of trees and green area you almost feel like you’re always in the middle of the jungle. But thankfully there’s a big market with a lot of people walking around. You’ll need to walk a lot here so be prepared for a long trek.
I love the colorful gate. Unfortunately I noticed it only in pictures when I returned home.
After walking about 200-300 meters you come across a small bridge which basically starts the trek.
The trek as per my estimation was about 1 to 1.5kms long and went deep into the forest. There are marked paths but some places I was more concerned about wild animals.
In the end we reached Kapil Dhara. We probably were going towards the bottom of the waterfall as I could see people at the top too. We were just following the trail. On our way back there was path to another small waterfall. I forgot the name of this one. There was a cave here which is said to be where our ancient sages used to meditate. There was a pujari and a small mandir there. We sat there for a few mintues. The inside of the cave was surprisingly clean, calm and cold.
Everyone was feeling exhausted with all the walking so stopped for a lemonade break.
In the afternoon we stopped for lunch. The food here was ok. I won’t call them great but after a bit of search you can find decent place.
In the evening we went to our favorite spot on the banks of the river Narmada. The family loved the place.
Watching the sunset here was so beautiful and peaceful.
In this temple we could hear someone chanting Ram name continuously. Loved it.
I like the small town vibes of Bharat (India). It’s just something special. I hope it doesn’t change as most of the towns which have “developed” have turned into ugly urban slums. Here although the shops were small but they were still decent..
This samosa shot near our hotel seemed pretty popular with locals. What I loved most about the place is the way it was being cooked and the way it was being served as you can see below. Reminds you that we have always been eco friendly people until the plastics arrived.
In the end, my thoughts about MP and Chhatishgarh are that I was pleasantly surprised by its beauty and I’m also a bit scared at the same time. The kind of development we start doing it starts destroying the core look of the place. There’s nothing wrong with development but why does everyone have to wear a suit? Can’t they be rich and happy and still be wearing their ancient cultures on their sleeves?
Next will be final post in the series where I’ll cover how we spent the last couple of days where we visited some ancient temples located in some remote areas of the jungle.
Ved Upadhyay 