After yesterday’s 915-kilometer-long journey, we were extremely exhausted, so we slept very well at night. In the morning, we woke up at 6:00 a.m., feeling refreshed, and planned to head to Mandla, which is 105 kilometers from here.
On our way to the destination, we had tea in the morning and set off for Mandla at 7:00 a.m. The route from Jabalpur to Mandla is very good; highway work is still ongoing, and the morning weather was extremely pleasant.
The cool, fresh air of the morning felt wonderful. As we traveled through forests toward Mandla, after about 40–50 kilometers, we also came alongside the Narmada River.
Our route continued through forests, hills, and rivers. The road was so scenic that our vehicle slowed down, and we began to drive leisurely, enjoying the journey. The morning air was fresh, the road was excellent, and as we looked around, we noticed that many of the trees along the way on both sides were full of honeycombs.
At 10:00 a.m., we reached Mandla district and had breakfast, consisting of tea and poha. After that, we went to meet Dr. M. Y. Khokhar. During our meeting with the doctor, we learned that the weather at the location where we were supposed to do the honey harvesting had been very bad for the past two days.
Today, we decided to stay in Mandla. Later, we went to a nearby place called Sahastradhara. At this ghat of the Narmada River, both banks are lined with beautiful black stone cliffs. According to history, it is said that a king named Sahasrabahu once tried to stop the Narmada River with his own hands, but he failed. Since then, the river has split into multiple streams at this location.
There is also an ancient temple here. The rocks in this area are very unique, unlike anything we’ve seen elsewhere. A little further from here, we found a hot water spring, which is said to flow all year round. Locals believe that bathing in this water cures many ailments, such as skin diseases, itching, bacterial infections, and acne. Scientifically, the reason is that sulfur-rich rocks lie beneath this spot, keeping the water naturally warm.
In Mandla, we also visited the District Archaeological Association. There, we saw copper plates and ancient statues dating from the 8th to 11th centuries CE, an 18th-century Pandava idol, a Hukumnama of Tatya Tope, documents offering a reward of one lakh in 1857 for capturing Nana Saheb, and many other historic manuscripts. We also saw a glass bottle from 1760 depicting Lord Ganesha, and evidence of ancient craftsmanship estimated to be six million years old. Many such remarkable artifacts were on display.
In the city itself, we saw a banyan tree where, during the 1857 freedom movement, the Deputy Commissioner hanged 21 tribal people, including Umrao Singh. This banyan tree is located in the Elevated Chowk.
After spending the entire day exploring Mandla, in the evening, while talking to some locals, we learned that ever since Mandla district was declared a “confluence region,” alcohol has been completely prohibited here. We didn’t even see a single egg shop until the evening, and knowing this made us feel very good.
Today, we spent the entire day touring various places in Mandla district. In the evening, we had dinner and then went to our guest house room to sleep, waiting for the morning.
