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Jabalpur Tourism

Marble Rock - Jabalpur

Jabalpur - Nowhere Else On Earth

Situated in the heart of Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur is one of the largest and most important cities in the state. It is located on the banks of Holy River of Narmada and is around 336 km from Bhopal. Jabalpur has served as a capital to many ruling dynasties like Kalchuri and Gond. After 1817, Jabalpur was under the control of British who made it the commission headquarters of Narmada territory. The city is covered with mountains from all sides thus deriving its name from an Arab word ‘Jabal’, which means mountain. This shows that there should have been a trade link between Arabs and the city. You will also find many graves of Arab that further strengthens this. Another belief goes that a famous Sage named 'Jabali' lived here giving it the name Jabalpur. Jabalpur covers an area of 154 sq. km. The city has become world famous due to the presence of Marble Rocks on the outskirts. Jabalpur is also the closest to Kanha National Park and Bandhavgarh National Park that give the city an extra edge over other parts of Madhya Pradesh.

The temperature here in summers in the high thirties making travel in the city a bit uncomfortable for unprepared tourist. However monsoon season and winters are extremely pleasant for exploring the many attractions in the city. Shopping in the city is really an unforgettable experience as you get to buy things that you will probably not get anywhere else in India. The market places in the city have an olden time charm about them. Shop for locally made jute crafts, dress material with stunning zadosi embroidery and silver wares.

Attractions - As Varied As It Gets

Attractions in Jabalpur literally cover everything from natural splendors to imposing monuments, from museums to historically important places. Marble Rocks in the Bhedaghat village turn out to be the biggest tourist puller along with Madan Mahal Fort. Jabalpur is a complete tourist package that mesmerizes one and all who come to this unique city.

Marble Rocks

Just 21 km west of Jabalpur, is a small village called Bhedaghat. The village is world famous for splendid Marble Rocks on the banks of Narmada River. Covered with dark volcanic seams of green and black, they tower to almost 100 ft above the soft flowing Narmada on either side. They are fabulous to look at during the daytime when sun sparkles on the pure white surfaces of these rocks. During the night as well, they give you a mesmerizing view under the moonlit skies. The Marble Rocks have been considered as one of the thousand places that you should see before you die. The best way to enjoy the sheer charm of these rocks is by taking a boat ride in Narmada.

Madan Mahal Fort

Sitting pretty on top of a rocky hill, this 900 year old fort dominates the landscape. A view of the low-lying areas from the fort is scintillating and makes it worth your visit. Madan Mahal fort does not have any fancy artwork or ornamented sculptures, but the location and the simplicity of the fort is spellbinding. The fort was built by Gond king Madan Shah in the year 1116 and since then has become a landmark for Jabalpur City.

Rani Durgavati Memorial and Museum

Rani Durgavati Memorial and Museum was built as a tribute to the legendary Queen Durgavati in the year 1964. The museum houses impressive collection of ancient sculptures, rare manuscripts. There are 10th century statues of Gods and Goddesses in the museum. There is a separate section in the museum that is completely dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. You can see many photos and portraits related to Mahatma Gandhi.

Tilwara Ghat

The Tilwara Ghat holds a special position in Indian History and in the hearts of followers of Mahatma Gandhi. This is the place from where Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were immersed in Narmada River. This is also the venue of the open session of the Tripuri Congress in 1939.

Accommodations

Jabalpur has fair number of luxury hotels along with numerous budget hotels. The city is fast growing into one of the most developed parts of Madhya Pradesh and is visited by many business travelers. And to meet their needs, hotels of Jabalpur provide all modern facilities coupled with unmatched service. The best-known hotels here are The Samdariya, Hotel Satya Ashoka, and Hotel Rishi Regency.

Getting There

By Air

Jabalpur has its own domestic airport and receives regular flights from Delhi, Bhopal and other major cities of India.

By Rail

Jabalpur railhead is situated on the main Mumbai-Howrah line and most trains on this line have a stop here. There are overnight trains running from Kolkata, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi.

By Road

Transport Buses from almost all cities of Madhya Pradesh frequent to Jabalpur. Some private transport operators also have their luxury and semi-luxury coaches plying in and out of the city.

Local Transport

There are good number of buses running inside the city. You can also hire taxis and three wheeler autos to roam around and explore the city.