As a child, I found it easy to solve Algebra, create fictitious answers, solve equations & imagine borders & atmospheric gases. What really baffled and hooked me was the Television. For years, I watched a minimum of one movie everyday. And like many of us, movies left a long lasting impact on me. Not the pack-your-bags-and-leave-for-Bombay kind of impact. But the kind that makes you curious about the places where the movie was shot. Even today, when I visit a place that’s figured in movies or songs, it makes me really happy. The same kind of happy when you receive your first salary, go on a date with your crush, see love for yourself in someone else’s eyes, steal money from your brother, or devour the delicious sooji ka halwa that your sister makes exclusively for you.

Enter: Marble rocks of Bhedaghat

Situated in Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), Bhedaghat is a town popular for its marble rocks formation. Through the valley made by the marble rocks on either side, river Narmada flows in – and this becomes a spectacular view so much so that many movies were shot here. Remember Ashoka (the song: raat ka nasha abhi), the crocodile fight in the movie Mohenjo Daro, and the climax of the popular movie Bobby. This list doesn’t end here by the way.

These marble rock formations rise up as high as 100 ft in some places creating an illusion of mountains through which Narmada river flows. You can go for a boat ride and enjoy these formations. Depending upon the time of the day, these rocks reflect different colours as if reflecting the mood of the sky. The slow boat ride gives you enough time to absorb the magnificence of the place, find different shapes of animals and birds on the rocks and enjoy the local tourist spots such as Bandar Kudani – this is the spot where the marble rocks have grown so close to each other that monkeys can jump from one side to another. 😀😀😀

Boat ride at Bhedaghat

If you visit Bhedaghat, you have to go for a boat ride. They take you to the marble formations, and show you around for about 45 mins. or so. You can either book a seat in a group boat ride where it might cost you INR 50 or INR 100 per person. Or you can take the whole boat to yourself and go for a solo ride that costs approx. INR 1200 to INR 1500 for a ride.

What’s fun about these boat rides is that the boat owner often tells you jokes and stories about the place in a manner that everything rhymes! In Hindi, of course. Ours told the fellow boat riders this:

Ye dekho ye akeli ja rahi hamari boat

Kyunki in dono ne diye hain note

🤓 meaning we were just the two of us in the boat because we had spent money for a solo boat ride. Not every joke will be funny. Some sound downright cringey. 😄😄 But it’s really entertaining. And free humour along with the boat ride.

Travel Guide: Bhedaghat

Best time to visit is between November to March when the temperature comes down, and you won’t get burnt.

You can reach Bhedaghat either by flight to Jabalpur (and then hire a taxi from there), or by train. Like us, you can also drive down to Bhedaghat, but you would have to build a whole itinerary around it. We had visited Kanha National Park just a day back and visited Bhedaghat on our way back home (Delhi).

Things to see in Bhedaghat: Marble rocks formation (of course), enjoy the evening aarti at Narmada Ghats, visit the Dhuandhar falls & pay your respects at Chausath Yogini temple. And if you are a fan of Tiger Reserves like us, here’s a quick list of forests nearby:

Places to stay: I recommend MPT Marble rocks. We stayed there, loved it. Loved the view and food! Approx. 6k – 8k per day!

There are other good hotels too. You can take your pick. But I recommend MP Tourism hotels if you are in Madhya Pradesh. They have this old charm of guest houses, and I absolutely love that!

Things to buy: You are in Bhedaghat, Jabalpur. The trip would be a waste if you don’t buy handicraft or marble souvenirs. You can also buy handmade pickle barnis and salt and pepper sets. Just walk up to any shop and find your favourite souvenirs. Should you bargain?! Well, I am not a fan of bargaining at local shops. But take your call!