| Topical term or geographic name as entry element |
Amarkantak is a origin place for three major rivers such as Narmada, Sone, and Johilla attracting pilgrim tourists from different parts of India. It is located on Maikal hills of Vindhya Satpura range in the plateau regions of Anuppur district of Madhya Pradesh. Out of three rivers, Narmada is a most revered one since it is considered as daughter of Lord Shiva as well as lifeline to three States such as Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. It is one of the west flowing rivers in India originated in central India and join Arabian sea at the Gulf of Kambhat. Location of these three rivers made Amarkantak as one of the prominent Hindu pilgrimage centre which in due course developed as a sacred complex attracting specialists i.e., pandas, sadhus, and sants from different parts of India. Interestingly Amarkantak is situated in tribal dominated area i.e., Baiga, Gond, Panika, Agaria, Kol, etc. Majority of them visit Amarkantak and offer worship to goddess Narmada and Lord Shiva during Makarsankranti, Mahashivaratri, Dusserah, Narmada Jayanti along with Hindu pilgrims. Various cultural performances such as recitation of pravachan from puranas, Ramayana, Bhagavatkatha, Narmadautsav, and mela (market) witness mass gatherings facilitating continuous interaction of great and little traditions that made inroad into interior tribal villages of Amarkantak. Due to its reference in Hindu mythology, Amarkantak emerged as sacred place with the development of new temples, ashrams, monasteries, and other devotional centres surrounding to Narmada khund. It further led to urbanisation in the form of developed infrastructure such as roads, amusement parks, hotels, resorts, etc., and catalytic in creation of livelihoods to the local people throughout the year on the service of pilgrimage.- Reproduced |
