FACTS
& FIGURES
Population : 1,065,025
Languages : Hindi
Best Time to Visit : Winters October to March
STD Codes : 0761
CAPITAL OF THE GONDS
The city of Jabalpur was the capital
of the erstwhile medieval Gond rulers. It is not only
an important historical place, but it is also famous
for the Marble Rocks gorge on Narmada River, near it.
It is an administrative and educational center and is
the gateway to important wildlife sanctuaries around
it. It is one of the largest cities in the Indian state
of Madhya Pradesh.
LOCATION
Jabalpur is located in central part
of the state of Madhya Pradesh, in the central region
of India. It is located just north of the Narmada River,
in a rocky basin surrounded by low hills and dotted
with lakes. Jabalpur is 336 km from Bhopal. The weather
in Jabalpur is temperate but hot. Summers (April–June)
are hot and winters are cool (November–February)
and pleasant. It experiences southwestern monsoon rains
in July–September.
VISITING TIME
The best time to visit Jabalpur is winters,
between the months of October and March.
THE PAST
The origin of Jabalpur goes back to
ancient times. It was then known as Tripuri and was
governed by Hayahaya rulers. The ancient Indian epic
of Mahabharata has references to his city. It became
a part of the great Mauryan and the Gupta Empires. In
ad 875, it was taken over by the Kalchuri dynasty who
made Jabalpur their capital. In the 13th century, the
Gonds seized it and made it their capital. By the early
16th century, it had become the powerful kingdom of
Gondwana. From time to time, the Mughal rulers tried
to overrun it. The legendary Gond Queen Rani Durgavati
died fighting the Mughal forces led by the great Mughal
Emperor Akbar. It finally fell to the Marathas in 1789
and was taken over by the British in 1817, when they
defeated the Marathas. The British made Jabalpur the
commission headquarters of the Narmada territories and
established a cantonment here.
TOURIST SPOTS
The Rani Durgavati Museum located next
to the tempo stand, south of the bazaar, is an important
place to visit. The museum has a good collection of
artifacts. It also has a section dedicated to artifacts
and photos related to Mahatma Gandhi. Another place
to visit in Jabalpur is the Old Bazaar area. On the
outskirts of the city and en route to the Marble Rocks,
one can visit the Madan Mahal. It is a Gond fortress
built in 1116 and located on a rocky hill, overlooking
the city. The hill, on which this fort is built, provides
a panoramic view of Jabalpur city and its environs.
SITES NEARBY
The Marble Rocks, a gorge on the River
Narmada, 22 km from Jabalpur, is an important tourist
spot. The different colored cliffs dotting the gorge
offer an impressive sight. Travelers often visit the
gorge at night to see the cliffs under moonlight. Tourists
can enjoy the sight of these sheer cliffs on both side
of the Narmada River on a shared rowboat, which takes
the awestruck traveler through the 2-km-long gorge.
One can see Dhuandhar waterfall near the gorge.
Kanha National Park, 160 km southeast of Jabalpur,
is famous for tigers and leopards. One can also see
sambhar, chital, barasingha (different species of deer)
and gaur (Indian bison). It is also famous for wildlife
safaris and for bird watching.
Bandhavgarh National park, 197 km northeast of Jabalpur,
is located amidst the Vindhya ranges. Though it is much
smaller than Kanha, it has a higher density of wild
cats.
SHOPPING
Travelers interested in shopping can
explore the markets and shops in the Old Bazaar area.
HOW TO REACH
The main bus stand is located near the
Indian Coffee House, west of Napier town. Jabalpur is
well connected by bus with Bhopal (8 hours), Indore,
Satna, Raipur and Nagpur. Jabalpur railway station is
located north of the Civil Lines area. It has direct
trains to Satna (189 km, 3 hours), Varanasi (505 km,
13 hours) and Bhopal (336 km, 7½ hours).
PLACES TO STAY
Jabalpur is a gateway to the Kanha National
park (160 km south east of Jabalpur) and Bandhavgarh
National park (197 km north east of Jabalpur) and most
of the travelers use it as a base to travel to these
natural habitats. One can find a range of accommodation
in Jabalpur, ranging from low-end to top- end hotels.
Most of the economy hotels are located near the main
bus stand. Most of the mid- and high-end hotels are
located on Station Road, Civil Lines and Russell Chowk
areas.
Tempos can be used for traveling to the Marble Rocks.
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