Jabalpur

Jabalpur is the gateway to the Narmada river's most dramatic passage — the Marble Rocks at Bhedaghat, where the river narrows between walls of white and grey dolomite that rise 30 metres from the water and catch the light at a quality that changes by the hour.

The Narmada at Bhedaghat, eight kilometres from Jabalpur, has been carving its way through the marble rock of the Vindhya range for millennia, and the gorge it has created is the most striking piece of river geology in central India. The marble walls are so close together in the narrowest section that they exclude direct sunlight for most of the day, giving the gorge an underwater quality of illumination that British painters came to document in the 19th century.

The Dhuandhar Falls, where the Narmada drops 15 metres over a basalt shelf producing a permanent mist that justifies the name ('smoke cascade'), is the most photographed natural feature in central India east of the tiger parks. Jabalpur is also the most convenient base for the western sectors of Kanha and Pench national parks, making it a practical staging point for wildlife itineraries that want to combine river landscape with forest safaris.

Places to Visit in Jabalpur

• Bhedaghat Marble Rocks
• Dhuandhar Falls
• Madan Mahal Fort

Things to Do in Jabalpur

• Boat ride through the marble gorge
• Dhuandhar Falls viewing
• Sunset cruise on the Narmada