THE CITY is surrounded by low, rocky and barren hillocks, which geologists and archaeologists can feast upon. When you are in Jabalpur you should visit Madan Mahal, a fort built by Gond Raja Madan Shah, on a top of a rocky hill. This fort dominates the skyline and provides a panoramic view of the town and the open countryside around it. One can see numerous rock formations around Madan Mahal but the one which catches your attention is at one of the exits of the Madan Mahal, atop the mountain. It is called ‘balancing rock’. Balancing rock is an independent rock balancing itself over another rock. Wikipedia puts it as an eroded volcanic rock formation. But it is a rock formation, perfectly balanced over another rock formation, for years - a good opportunity for professional photographers to click.

A few kilometres away from Jabalpur is the Tilwara Ghats, on the banks of the Narmada. It was amongst the several spots were Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were immersed. It houses an old Mahadev (Tilwadeshwar) temple. It is soothing to take a boat ride on the Narmada River here and the cool breeze that embraces you when the boatman takes you a bit farther is indescribable. Well, if the boatman takes you under the bridge, you see number of ‘mud nests’ beneath the bridge.

At the Ghat, you will also see boats quarrying sand and trucks quarrying mud and sand for construction and other purposes. It is a matter of concern of course. And the way Narmada is polluted here, with people taking bath, cleaning utensils, immersing flowers and scattering poly bags all over the river, the bank of the river looks a complete mess. Unless the authorities wake up immediately, the pollution level may go out of control.

Jabalpur is known for its marble rocks. The marble rocks have been captured in many movies. For example ‘Asoka’, featuring Shahrukh and Kareena Kapoor, features these marble rocks. On the bank of the river Bhedaghat, Narmada, lie these marble rocks, in all their splendour, adding name and fame to Jabalpur. On either side of the Narmada are white saccharine limestone rocks intertwined with dark green and black volcanic rocks. These marble-white pinnacles sparkle in the sunlight and cast dappled shadows on the pellucid waters – a glorious spectacle indeed! People here say that on a full moon-lit night, it is even more enticing although I did not get a chance to view it on a full moon-lit night.

The only precaution one should take here is to hire a boat for exclusive use although more money is to be spent for the purpose. Sharing the boat with others may prove risky since the boats are invariably overloaded, although they may be cheaper (it may cost just Rs 25 per head, as it did in my case). Life jackets are not provided by the boatman! It is surprising that the administration has not looked into the safety aspect. Perhaps the administration will wake up only after a disaster strikes.

Another site worth watching is the Dhuandhar water fall (’Dhuan’ is the Hindi word for smoke). It is called Dhuandhar because the water droplets rise in a concentrated mass and create an illusion of vapour. It is against this backdrop many visitors to Jabalpur get themselves photographed! No doubt, it is a great a place for dating; the evenings are great but crowded. Here you can get some local youngsters to jump into the falls for a dare; of course, it will cost you – it is Rs 100 or so! Well, a few of them have been covered by a TV serial which showcased it as a demonstration of the youngsters’ bravado!

Jabalpur also has a Chausat Yogini, situated atop a hill. One can have a great view of the Narmada from there and experience the nice, cool breeze which blows across. This 10th century temple has carved stone figures of deities belonging to the Kalchuri period. Tripur Sundari Temple, Rani Durgavati Memorial and Museum, Pisanhari ki Madiya are some of the other places to see.

The Bargi Dam across the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh is a great tourist site. It is near Jabalpur and one can have a breathtaking view of the Narmada. But unfortunately Bargi area also has stone-crushing units that provide concrete for the construction industry of the city. These units employ child labour, since they listen, work hard and are easy to hire and fire. Rural poverty, lack of employment opportunities and illiteracy have forced many children to work in stone-crushing units. More than 300 children continue to suffer here; they work in tough conditions; the work is painful and the children need urgent attention. I immediately referred the matter to higher authorities but things don’t change easily in India; more efforts are needed here.