Jabalpur: See, seek and enjoy the silence

Experiences in one’s life are in tandem with one’s own self-realisation. My two-day visit to Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh made me grasp the depth of this verity. From Gondwana to Vinoba Bhave’s ‘Sanskardhani’ to the Anglicised ‘Jubblepore’, the region of Jabalpur is ensconced in theology, history, geological marvels and rich culture. The district of Jabalpur is among the 14 tehsils in Madhya Pradesh through which the Tropic of Cancer passes.

Once famous for its 132 taals (ponds), out which only 32 remain, the Jabalpur cantonment is one of India’s largest military headquarters that includes the central gun-carriage factory, an ordnance factory and an ammunition depot. The H.Q. 1 Signal training centre at Jabalpur is one the most famous and best-suited institutes for students pursuing technical education.

Determined to make the most of my stay, I began exploring the city from within. My first stop was the balancing rock located near Madan Mahal. Believed to have resulted from volcanic eruptions millions of years back, this geological wonder defies the laws of gravity. Forming the base is an enormously large rock and balanced on top is a smaller egg-shaped boulder, appearing to touch the base rather precariously, with the point of contact estimated to be only six square inches! Natural corrosion over time has given the mystifying balancing rock its present-day appearance. Awestruck and desperately trying to capture the visual in a single photo shot, I heard my sarathi (taxi driver) quip elatedly, “Madam ji, dekha ho aisa chamatkaar duniya ke kissi sehar mein? Siddhon ki bhoomi hai hamaar Jabalpur” (Ma’am, have you see such a magical wonder in any city of the world. Our Jabalpur is a land of siddhas). Aside from drawing tourists, the locals treat the site as a sacred place, especially during the festivals.

According to Britannica, Jabalpur was the capital of the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories, which was part of the British North-Western Province. During the mid-19th century, the region was known for the ‘Thuggee’ murders/movement that proved to be a significant nuisance for the British administration. John Masters’ popular novel, The Deceivers pivots on the historic menace and Colonel Sleeman who put an end to it.

Modern-day Jabalpur owes a great deal to landlord, trader, banker and industrialist Gokuldas, also known as Raja Sahib. Originally from Rajasthan, it was Gokuldas’ grandfather Sewa Ram from Malpani clan, who settled in Jabalpur in the early 19th century and transformed the city from being a small market and administrative centre to ‘the largest commercial and administrative town in northern Central Provinces’ by 1910. Ahead of his times, Gokuldas contributed lavishly and unflinchingly towards Jabalpur’s public works development executed by the British, defying the then prevalent nationalist mood and movement. My tour around the city’s waterworks at Khandari, Victoria hall, Lady Elgin hospital, region’s first women hospice made it evident that nagar seth Gokuldas continues to be remembered and revered in Jabalpur even today.

Jabalpur also enjoys the distinction of being situated on the banks of Narmada, India’s fifth longest river. Interestingly, the river is the only one flowing in the opposite direction before joining the Arabian Sea, travelling a distance of 1,300 km. Meandering through the mountain ranges of Vindhya and Satpura, Narmada’s magnificence can be captured best at Bhedaghat, a township 20 km from Jabalpur where the river plummets and creates a mass of mist (dhuan). Catching the grandiose of the river at Dhuandhar falls during sunrise was truly spectacular for me. My next stop in Bhedaghat was the Yogini temple, or locally referred to as the Golaki Math. Famed as the largest, “most imposing and, perhaps, the best-known” among the yogini shrines of India with a diameter of approximately 124 feet, the exquisite temple sits above the Narmada river atop a hill. Also, it is unique because of the number of sculpted yoginis is 81 and not the usual 64. The 11th century place of worship has a covered walkway with 81 cells showcasing the “regal presence” yoginis around the inside of its circular wall. According to scholars, ‘the yoginis are either acolytes or directly aspects of the Great Goddess/Devi’. The centre of the courtyard houses a later shrine with a rare idol of Shiva and Parvati seated sideways on Nandi in its garbha-griha (sanctum sanctorum).

Another fascinating and must-see place when in Jabalpur are the Marble Rocks. It’s a gorge where the Narmada has sculpted soft marble, creating towering cliffs that rise up to 100 feet. These rocks are not only famous for their breathtaking beauty but also historical and geological significance. For me, seeing the rocks was more of a compulsion. Being a cinema enthusiast, I was eager to see the place where a host of popular songs/scenes Hindi films had been shot since 1960; Raj Kapoor’s ‘Jiss desh mein Ganga behtee hai’, SRK’s ‘Asoka’, ‘Dil Se’ and ‘Dunki’, Hrithik Roshan’s ‘Mohenjo-daro’ and tele-serial ‘Mahabharat’ are some of the more prominent ones.

The two-day visit to Jabalpur was a re-affirmation that travels and places encourage one to see, seek and enjoy silence without hesitation and inhibition.