Posted 17 November 2022 in Travel wanderlust

Everything worth doing when you travel to Jabalpur, in Madhya Pradesh

Famous for its ‘khoye ki jalebi’ and ‘gakkad-bharta’, the city of Jabalpur - situated at the heart of Madhya Pradesh - is a very popular place amongst tourists. This city is surrounded by low hills and lies north of the River Narmada. Starting from temples and historical architecture to enormous waterfalls and world-famous natural parks, Jabalpur has everything that one would wish to visit during a trip.

Located on the Varanasi-Nagpur highway (NH-7), Jabalpur is an ancient historic city filled with scenic beauty that attracts lots of tourists every year.

Reasons to Visit Jabalpur

Given below are a few reasons why you should plan your next trip to Jabalpur.

1. Art and culture

The city is also known as the cultural capital of Madhya Pradesh. Durry designing is one of the most prominent arts practised by women in Jabalpur. The rich culture of this place and its people are depicted by the art and craft of Jabalpur. This city also hosts a wide variety of cultural festivals, among which Tarang is one of the most famous ones that this city enjoys. These festivals not only act as major tourist attractions but also aim at making the future and younger generations aware of the heritage art forms.

2. Shopping

The city has also been a one-stop shopping centre for shopaholics all across the country. Starting from the variety of handicrafts and ethnic collections of all sorts of things found in the old bazaars to the high-end shopping malls and luxury brands, Jabalpur truly is a perfect place for some retail therapy. Here, the noisy bazaars and chowks offer cheap and local goods. When in Jabalpur, the Mrignayani government emporium is a must-visit. Jabalpur has everything that one could wish to buy. Jute crafts, stuffed toys, Maheswari and chanderi silk, or dress materials with Zardozi embroidery, Jabalpur has it all.

3. Festivals

This city is known for its diversity. Jabalpur is a place where people are very religious and actively celebrate all the festivals with exuberance.Apart from Tarang, their cultural festival, the people of Jabalpur also celebrate Diwali, Ram Navami, Christmas, Eid, and Dussehra with full vigour. The city of Jabalpur comes to life with its numerous festivals, and one must definitely visit this city during one of the ongoing festivals to experience the raw, unfiltered beauty of this place. The Kanjars and Banjaras, who are the nomadic ethnic groups of this city, often celebrate these festivals with various dance forms such as Giridaand, Gond, Matki, and Phulpati. The Gond dance form, also known as Karma, is associated with fertility and is performed in August.

Places to visit in Jabalpur

Jabalpur has everything that a city needs to qualify as a tourist destination. From its historical wonders to the beautiful free-flowing waterfalls, everyone who visits this city is in awe of everything this small city has to offer you. Here is a list of some of the places that you have to visit during your trip to Jabalpur.

Dhuandhar Falls: Commonly known as ‘Smoke Cascade’, this is a 30m high waterfall that plunges so powerfully that it creates mist that seems like smoke, or ‘dhuan’ from which the name Dhuandhar has been derived. People from all over the world come to this spot to experience the majestic view of this waterfall that is so loud that its roar can be heard from far-off places as well.

Bhedaghat: Famous for the combination of river and marble mountains, Bhedaghat in Jabalpur is quite a tourist attraction with its 100 ft high marble mountains on either side of the river Narmada, giving the most spectacular landscape to the people visiting this place. The best time to visit this place is from November to May, during which boating takes place in this area. When in Bhedaghat, you can also visit Chausath Yogini Temple that is close by and is dedicated to Goddess Durga.

Marble rocks: This place offers breathtaking views of the River Narmada flowing between enormous white marble rocks. You can go boating and get an even better look at the scenery. The view, along with the soothing sound of slow running water makes this place a must-visit.

Dumna Nature Reserve Park: This is a famous ecotourism spot in Jabalpur and covers a huge forest area that is home to a variety of animals. The park also offers a toy train service inside the reserve that is specially meant for children. The entrance fee per person is ₹20 and it is ₹25 if you are availing the toy train. You can indulge in several activities such as bird watching, fishing, and even boating on the dam located here. Wild boars, leopards, jackals, monkeys, deer, porcupines, and chitals can be spotted in the forest area of this park. This place offers an intriguing place to spend your holidays with your family.

Balancing Rock: Located 6 km away from the Jabalpur railway station near Shaliparna, this is the best place to watch nature play magic tricks. The balancing rock is a rock balancing over another rock. This balancing rock even sustained a 6.2 earthquake on the Richter scale. This place not only acts as a tourist attraction but several geologists travel to this place to understand the science behind the rock that has been balancing itself for ages now.

Madan Mahal Fort: This fort is a must-visit during your stay in Jabalpur. It is located on the south-western side of Jabalpur and offers a beautiful panoramic view of the nearby countryside. This fort was built during the 11th century AD by Raja Madan Singh and bears testimony to all the ancient rulers of Jabalpur. The pleasure chamber of the royal family, war rooms, a small reservoir and stables act as the main attractions of this fort. Recently, Madan Mahal has been named as one of the most ancient monuments in India. Located downhill from this fort is Sangram Sagar Lake, a relaxing spot for picnics and birdwatching amidst the serenity of nature.
Hanumantal Jain Mandir: This temple was built in 1686 and was renovated in the 19th century. This place has great historical and spiritual prominence and is one of the most famous places for Jains to visit in Jabalpur. Every year, several tourists flock to this place in order to witness the beauty of this temple. The biggest attraction of this place is Hanuman Tal, beside which the temple was built. The main temple complex comprises a series of several temples. The Hanuman Tal Jain Mandir is the largest independent Jain temple in the entire country and is also the most important one in Jabalpur.

Rani Durgawati Museum: This museum is a haven for all history lovers as it contains several prehistoric treasures. It also has a letter written by Mahatma Gandhi and contains a great collection of medieval sculptures.

Tips for travelling to Jabalpur

Before you rush into planning your Jabalpur trip, here are some tips that might help your vacation turn into one of the best trips of your lifetime.

Book your accommodation in advance
Always carry a bottle of water with yourself
Hire only licensed guides
Carry basic medicines

From dams and lakes to temples and nature parks, Jabalpur has a lot to offer to all its tourists. Make sure you plan your trip during a pleasant season and experience all of the above things to make your stay in Jabalpur memorable and worthwhile.

How to reach Jabalpur?

By air: Jabalpur Airport is commonly known as Dumna Airport. It is located about 25 km east of Jabalpur. The drive from this airport to the main city is filled with beautiful scenery. IndiGo offers a range of flights to Jabalpur that connect Jabalpur to all the major cities in India

By rail: The headquarters of West Central Railways are situated in Jabalpur, and so, this city is well connected to all other major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata through rail. One can easily avail express trains to Jabalpur and have a hassle-free journey to this beautiful city. The Madan Mahal railway station is the secondary station and serves inter-city connectivity.

By road: People can travel to Jabalpur via a lot of different buses that offer their services to travellers. There are two main National Highways - NH7 and NH12—that pass through the city of Jabalpur and connect it to the rest of the country. There are frequent bus services that run on a daily basis from Indore, Raipur, Varanasi and Bhopal.

Weather and climate of Jabalpur

Jabalpur undoubtedly provides a very picturesque landscape and works as a perfect holiday destination, but this city also offers a favourable climate for tourists to visit all throughout the year. Notably, a humid subtropical climate is mostly prevalent in the city of Jabalpur. The summer season lasts from March to May. June is usually the hottest month when the weather is very humid and dry and the temperatures soar as high as 47^oC.

Then comes the monsoon season, that is from June to September, during which Jabalpur receives heavy rainfall, which makes the city come to life. The monsoon season is also the best time for sightseeing as all the water bodies seem breathtakingly beautiful during the rainy season.

Lastly, in winters, Jabalpur experiences cool and pleasant weather as the temperature is around 29^oC during the day and drops to around 8^oC at night.

Best time to visit Jabalpur

Even though there is an influx of tourists in Jabalpur all throughout the year, the best time to visit this beautiful city is between the months of October and March. The weather is quite pleasant during this time of the year. It is neither too hot nor too cold, thus making it very comfortable for all the people to visit and experience the best of Jabalpur during their stay.