Chota Mahadev

It is not necessary for a place to be far from home when you want to break away from the toiling urban life and find solace in the lap of nature. Madhya Pradesh is blessed with such beauty that one gets a sense of being away from the world at a very small distance from any of its major cities. During my recent travels to Tamia I encountered one such artistry of nature.

Tamia is about 60 KM away towards north west from the district headquarters of Chhindwara. It is situated at the edge of Satpura hills that hosts the Tultula peak on one side and a huge cliff ending at the deepest gorges of a rift valley at the other side. High flying Eagles and vultures appeared too small in front of those straight and huge rocky hills. The depth seen from the top of the cliff inspires awe and fear at the same time. The vehicles meandering through the curves of the road distracts the satisfying view of the infinity. Tamia has few of the best kept secrets of nature.

The view from the cliff was heartwarming, as I looked at the vast expanse of greens down the hills towards the valley. Few houses appeared like white ships sailing in the vast green ocean. Tourists have two places to witness the magical eternal beauty of that wholeness of the place. One is a PWD Rest House and the other is Forest Rest House. Both are located strategically at the edge of the cliff. I meditated appreciating the beauty facing the infinite green jungle and blue sky. I was immersed deep in the endlessness of the universe.  

Tamia is famous for Patalkot village, which derives its name from the Hindi word “Pataal Lok” that means a world deep inside the earth. The inhabitants of this village were living a kind of nomadic life till a few years back when road, and electricity reached them. 

Another fascinating place in Tamia is Chota Mahadev. The whole place reminds one of Jurassic world. Chota Mahadev is about half a kilometer from Forest Rest House and it takes 30 minutes for a normal person to reach there. As I descended through rough rocky terrain, some steps provided relief and security from walking on a rapid decline. The journey to Chota Mahadev was exciting and amusing. The view from every step one takes down is refreshing with a new perspective of beauty and hues and colours of nature. 

As I climbed further down trees of various kinds aroused my curiosity and imparted knowledge and I got the clue about the sources of many herbs being sold by the native people of that magical land. The landscape fills everyone with the inspiration to get drunk with the pleasure of a unique ecosystem. When I reached near the hills, the sound of flowing water in the background appeared before my eyes mysteriously and quenched the aesthetical thirst of my heart with immense pleasure. I witnessed the eternal beauty of a small waterfall that appeared before my eyes in no time. Seeing the sudden appearance of the waterfall I wondered for a moment as if it was a dream or reality. How could such beauty sprung so fast when it appeared so far away.

The water everywhere takes the traveller to a dreamland. Omnipresent moisture produced a cooling effect over my body immersed in the sweat of hardship. Water was seen everywhere with every new step I took. The bald rocks with water peeping out from everywhere looked green with algae covering its darkness. The cliff appeared more pronounced with every heavy breath I took and when looked up to gauge the depth I had reached. The land became flush with more water and I had to be more careful as I took more steps to tread further safely. 

The beauty soaked my thoughts in the mystic of the place and I forgot the tiredness arousing out of the physical effort. The spaces between the trees and the leaves of small shrubs provided the window of opportunity to witness the charm of the place from different angles. Finally, after crossing small streams I encountered steep steps that took me to my destination - Chota Mahadev, a small cave that houses a dark shiv ling. The cave was filled with pictures of Hindu gods and goddesses. A cushion indicated the place for the priest in his absence. From above the cave comes a stream of water making another waterfall, thus painting the place with its mystic elegance. 

I sat there for sometime and became the spectator of that delightful experience that filled my heart with a kind of completeness which we hardly encounter in our everyday life. The return journey was more tough but the divine experience provided the fuel to climb with great vigour and I was on my way back to Bhopal. While I was riding back, the thoughts about the necessity to conserve nature were lingering in my mind and I promised myself to sensitise as many people towards sustainable living.