City guide

Amarkantak

The town of Amarkantak is popularly known as teerathraj, or the 'king of pilgrimages' is situated at an altitude of 1065 m at the meeting point of the Vindhya and the Satpura mountain ran...

Destination overview

Amarkantak Travel Guide

The town of Amarkantak is popularly known as teerathraj, or the 'king of pilgrimages' is situated at an altitude of 1065 m at the meeting point of the Vindhya and the Satpura mountain ranges amongst sylvan surroundings. There are several stories about the origin of Amarkantak’s name. The famous Sanskrit poet Kalidas named the place Amrakoot, as the place contained lots of mango (amra) trees. Later Amrakoot became Amarkoot. Amarkantak is a great pilgrim center for the Hindus, and is the source of two great rivers of India, the Narmada and the Sone. While the Narmada flows Westwards from Amarkantak, the Sone flows towards the East. Among all the sacred rivers of India, the Narmada occupies a unique place. Legend has it that Lord Shiva blessed Narmada with unique purifying powers. This small town with its innumerable temples and holy ponds and bordered with lofty hills and dense forests, is a sought-after destination both with spiritually inclined as well as nature-lovers.

Madhya PradeshState Western & Central IndiaRegion 0+Stays

Population 8,416

Geo Location

Average Climate

Summer 25° C – 45° C Winter 06° C – 22° C

Best Time To Visit October to March

Highlights

Tourist Attractions in Amarkantak

Narmada Udgam

It is a temple built to mark the source of the Narmada and is considered the holiest place in the town. The Narmada Udgam complex houses many small shrines and is considered to be a sacred place for Hindus. The primary shrine is that of the Goddess Narmada herself, where a blackstone Narmada with large silver eyes is ensconced. Right opposite her chamber is important chamber of the Amarkanteshwar Shiva linga, locally said to be a swayambhu (selfoccurring) linga, accompanied by a white stone image of Parvati as Sati. Devotees can be seen bathing, washing or performing rites and rituals in the complex. It is a pious place where one can easily get the mythical stories.

Sonmuda

It is the prime source of the river Sone. It flows from here to join the Ganga near Patna. It is situated at a distance of 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. The location is awesome with its scenic beauty and is famous as a 'sunrise' point.

Kapildhara (Kapil waterfall)

It is at a distance of 8 km from the origin of river Narmada in Amarkantak. The holy waters of the River Narmada plunge from a height of about 100 feet, from the ground level. This cascade gets its name from the famous sage Kapil, who had resided at this place and performed severe religious austerities. Kapildhara is an eye catching waterfall, famous for its heavenly feeling.