If you hail from Madhya Pradesh or from somewhere around the Kanha region, you would have definitely heard about the popular Jabalpur Marble Rocks. If not, you will know a great deal about them by the end of this article! Read on…

When I looked up places to be visited in Madhya Pradesh, Bhedaghat was among the top options. A quick Google search highlighted the Marble rocks and the Dhuandhar falls as must-visit places. The pictures of the marble rocks looked stunning. But then something struck me! “Wait a minute; I know this place! It looks familiar.” ー I thought to myself. Turns out it is where the famous song “Raat Ka Nasha Abhi” from Ashoka was shot! 

It has always been one of my favourite songs. Kareena’s purple outfit against those white rocks was just breath-taking! I now realised that I loved the song more because of those glittering marble rocks and the marvellous gorge! The moment you step into Bhedaghat, every boatman is gonna say the same too.

My trip to Jabalpur was mainly because I was on my way to Kanha National Park. Bandhavgarh National Park was my next stop. Jabalpur is right in between the two places. So I thought of exploring it as well.

Jabalpur has the charms of a ‘big city. I found myself a hotel right in the middle of the town square. This made it easier to navigate the places around. I had only the noon to explore Jabalpur Since I had to set out for Bandhavgarh the next day itself. So I hired a cab without wasting even a second and set off to Bhedaghat.

Also Read – Go on a trip to Bandhavgarh National Park – Details here 

Marble Rocks at Bhedaghat

Here we begin! 

Bhedaghat is only about 30 km from Jabalpur. The cab guy took us straight to the marble rocks. He stopped at a road from where the steps took us down to the Narmada river’s boating area.

The boatmen promptly approach you to hire their boats. You can either hire a boat entirely for yourself or share it with fellow passengers.

My friend and I quickly decided to get into the boat with other people as it was cheaper. Honestly, I was scared that the boat would sink owing to the weight of the passengers! I am dead scared of boats and water. Remember how Shahrukh Khan sat in a jam-packed boat in the movie Swades? Such was our condition too. The moment the boat moved, I regretted not having hired a boat only for ourselves! Nonetheless, it was equally memorable too!

The rocks are not visible from the boating area. The boatman rowed down along the river, from where the rocks, the gorge, and the cliffs are visible in plain sight. The Marble Rocks are grand and are an extension of the mountain ranges, and are white in colour.

Down around the rocks, you would only see hills for a long time. There were also a few birds and small shrubs too. The river was calm and gentle; the sun gave out a bright red tinge since it was the time for the sunset now. The water flows in little streams here. People pause here to take a bath and cool themselves. They enjoy the water activities.

But guess what the highlight of the place was? Our boatman!

He narrated the most unbelievable of stories in a typical Bollywood style! He sang, talked of silly life incidents, recalled rib-tickling anecdotes from the hills, and entertained us through and through. We laughed all the way long.

He called the hills ーBandar Kudni ーsince the cliffs used to be so close that monkeys would jump from one side to another. But now the river has changed its course, and the cliffs have been drawn apart from each other. Monkeys’ bad!

The white marbles look spectacular. Over the course of time, they have been smoothened and polished by the river. Funnily, they look like white vanilla frosting on a cake. I wanted to touch them to get a ‘taste’ of them, but one could only see them. Our excitement knew no bounds!

We rowed further down and came to a deeper gorge. This is the prettiest spot of our whole trip. The towering marble cliffs on either side of you are simply breath-taking. People throng in large numbers here only to see this beauty.

Our hilarious boatman continued talking about Kareena’s visit. He stopped at various points and told us their respective names. One place was called Suicide Point; another one was Chausath Yogini Temple, and so on. 

A fun fact: the Jabalpur Marble Rocks are in the shape of India. If you happen to fly your drone over here, you should be able to see India’s image. They do have such photographs sold in the souvenir stores nearby.

Our ride must have lasted about an hour, and then we were back to where we had started from. It was an unforgettable ride. I have heard that this boat ride on a full moon day is a marvellous spectacle. The marble rocks sparkle in the moonlit night. It is mind-blowingly picturesque and a must-do.

Dhuandhar Falls

Having had a wholesome experience at the Rocks, we both wanted to catch a glimpse of Dhuandhar falls. 

The falls were not far away. The driver boasted of being able to drive close to it and drove straight into a closed gate! Maybe the parking place would have changed. Maybe, it just wasn’t his day. He had to stop at another place nearby, and we walked down to the Falls. My, oh my! The view was astounding! I completely give it to Madhya Pradesh tourism for it. 

They have well-maintained walkways and viewpoints to watch the falls from. There is also a ropeway, and we decided to go for it. The Dhuandhar Falls are visible in their full glory from the cable car, even though only for some time only.

A high cliff in the middle of the river splits the Narmada river into two and creates gorges on either side. The view is for just about a few seconds. But it’s so splendid to see it. On the other side of the falls, there are a couple of tea shops. You can take a much-deserved tea break and enjoy the magnificent falls. You can also walk down a little and watch the waterfalls from different angles. I realised, for whatever reason, not many people were opting for the cable-car. There were just a couple of us up for it. 

After a while, we went back to the main side. True to its name, in the Dhuandhar falls, the water of the falls comes down with such a great force that the mist rises up, and the water is sprinkled all over you. This was December. Just imagine how it would appear in the monsoon season. Sadly but also keeping in mind the safety issues, boating is prohibited during the monsoon time.

A lot more shops selling tea and snacks can be found here. Other shops include those selling souvenirs of marbles, geological rocks, and a lot of such stuff.

As the sun went down gradually, the lights were lit. People began leaving the place, and it was just me and my friend left behind. Here we took a moment for ourselves and stood there, listening to the sounds of the waterfalls and gazing at the lustrous moon. The view held us captivated. We stood there for so long that the driver came looking for us in worry! Looking back, I reminiscence that day very fondly. Had I been on a solo trip, I wouldn’t be loitering around in the dark. These are only some of the perks of travelling with friends.

Also read: Visit Kanha National Park which is close to Jabalpur – Click Here 

How to Reach Bhedaghat Marble Rocks

Jabalpur is a well-connected city and thus provides ample transport facilities to reach Bhedaght. The city has an airport, bus station, and a railway station. So you are all sorted, and no excuse would work here! From Jabalpur, you can simply catch a bus to Bhedaghat or Dhuandhar falls. The place is very fairly low, and thus you will not regret being here!

Book your stay at Jabalpur here – Click here

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