Ajay Kumar at 23:01, 29 August 2023

2023-08-29T23:01:33Z

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{{Use Indian English|date=February 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Amarkantak
| other_name = Amrakuta
| settlement_type = Hill station
| image_skyline = A Hindu temple, Amarkantak Madhya Pradesh India.jpg
| image_alt = Amarkantal Photo
| image_caption = Amarkantak is a Hindu [[Tirtha (Hinduism)|Tirtha]] place, a site where three rivers including the [[Narmada]], [[Son River]] start
| nickname = Maikal
| pushpin_map = India#India Madhya Pradesh
| pushpin_relief = yes
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Madhya Pradesh, India
| coordinates = {{coord|22.822|N|81.7532|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and union territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts in India|District]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Madhya Pradesh]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Anuppur District|Anuppur]]
| established_title =
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =
| government_type = Local Government
| governing_body = Nagar Panchayat
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 = 47
| area_rank =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m = 1048
| population_total = 8416
| population_as_of = 2011
| population_footnotes =
| population_density_km2 = 181
| population_rank =
| population_demonym =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code = [http://www.citypincode.in/PinCodeOf.jsp?area=Amarkantak%20&district=Anuppur 484886]
| iso_code = [[ISO 3166-2:IN|IN-MP]]
| registration_plate =
| footnotes =
| demographics1_info1 = [[Hindi]]
| [[File:20160704- DSC2824-Edit.jpgthumbYantra Mandir, Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh]] =
}}
'''Amarkantak''' ([[National Library at Kolkata romanization|NLK]] ''Amarakaṇṭaka'') is a pilgrim town and a [[Nagar Panchayat]] in [[Anuppur]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], India. The Amarkantak region is a unique [[natural heritage]] area and is the meeting point of the [[Vindhya Range|Vindhya]] and the [[Satpura Range]]s, with the [[Maikal Hills]] being the fulcrum. This is where the [[Narmada River]], the [[Son River]] and [[Johilla River]] (tributary of Son) originate.

15th-century Indian mystic and poet [[Kabir]] is said to have meditated on ''Kabir Chabutra'', located in the town of Amarkantak, and is also called the platform of Kabir.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kabir Chabutra|url=http://www.cpreecenvis.nic.in/Database/Kabirchabutra_1987.aspx|website=C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre}}</ref>

==Etymology==
Amarakantaka is a combination of two [[Sanskrit]] words, ''amara'' (immortal) and ''kantaka'' (obstruction or thorn). The poet [[Kālidāsa|Kalidas]] has mentioned it as ''Amarakuta'', which later became ''Amarakantaka''.<ref name="carvings">{{Citation | last = Bhattacharyya | first = P.K. | title = Historical Geography of Madhya Pradesh from Earlier Records | page = 76 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=njYpsvmr2dsC&q=kalidasa%20amrakuta&pg=PA76 | publisher = Motilal Banarsidass | year = 1977| isbn = 9788120833944 }}</ref>

==Location==
[[File:Amarkantak.jpg|thumb|left|150px|<small>Narmada Kund temples, the origin of Narmada River</small>]]
Amarkantak is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India at {{coord|22.67|N|81.75|E|}}. It has an average elevation of {{cvt|1,048|metres}}. Roads running through [[Rewa, India|Rewa]], [[Shahdol]], Anuppur, [[Jabalpur]], [[Katni]], [[Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh|Bilaspur]] and Gaurella connect it. The nearest railway stations are Pendra road and [[Anuppur]]. The nearest airport is [[Bilaspur Airport]] (120 km).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.spicejet.com/newspage.aspx?strNews=Flights_Jabalpur |title=SpiceJet News |access-date=12 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714192533/http://www.spicejet.com/newspage.aspx?strNews=Flights_Jabalpur |archive-date=14 July 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Amarkantak PinCode |url=http://www.citypincode.in/PinCodeOf.jsp?area=Amarkantak%20&district=Anuppur |access-date=2014-03-10 |publisher=citypincode.in}}</ref>

==Demographics==

Per the 2011 India census, Amarkantak has a population of 8,416 of which 4,514 are males and 3,902 are females.<ref name=":0" /> The female sex ratio is 864 against a state average of 931. Moreover, the child sex ratio in Amarkantak is around 931 compared to Madhya Pradesh's state average of 918.<ref name=":0" /> Literacy rate of Amarkantak city is 80.20%, higher than the state average of 69.32%. Male literacy is around 88.06% and the female literacy rate is 71.02%.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.census2011.co.in/data/town/802421-amarkantak.html|title=Amarkantak Nagar Panchayat City Population Census 2011-2021 | Madhya Pradesh}}</ref> 95.51% of the population follow [[Hinduism]].<ref name=":0" />

== Religious significance ==
[[File:Amarkantak4.jpg|thumb|Ancient temples, Amarkantak]]Amarkantak is known as the king of pilgrimages, or Tirthraj, because the town has many temples and holy places.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> It is narrated in the Hindu scriptures like the [[Puranas]] that Amarkantak is the place where celestial beings, sages and others obtained spiritual powers.<ref name=":2" />
* '''Ancient temples of Kalachuri period''': The ancient temples of [[Kalachuris of Tripuri|Kalachuri]] period (famously known as Trimukhi Temple) are in the south of Narmada Kund, just behind it.<ref>Chadhar, Mohanlal (2017), Amarakantak kshetra ka puravaibhava, SSDN, Publisher and Distributor, New Delhi, {{ISBN|978-93-8357-509-1}}</ref> These were built by Kalachuri Maharaja [[Lakshmikarna|Karnadeva]] (1041–1073 AD.)<ref name=":1">{{Citation | last = Mitra | first = Swati | title = Templesof Madhya Pradesh – Travel guide | page = 89 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=THW_OkoTuE4C&q=amarkantak&pg=PA89 | publisher = Thomson Press, New Delhi on behalf of Eicher Goodreads Pvt Ltd | year = 2012| isbn = 9789380262499 }}</ref>
* '''[[Sarvodaya Jain temple]]'''
* The Shri Yantra Mandir in Amarkantak is in the form of a Maha Meru which is a three-dimensional representation of the Shree Yantra or Shri Chakra. This temple is located on the hallowed land that is the birthplace of the sacred Narmada River in Amarkantak, Annupur District, Madhya Pradesh.

==Flora and fauna==
[[File:Pinus caribaea at Amarkantak.jpg|thumb|''[[Pinus caribaea]]'' plantation at Amarkantak, India]]
There are greater than 600 species of flora found in Amarkantak. It also has many medicinal flora and some of which include ''[[Boswellia serrata]]'', ''[[Terminalia chebula]]'', ''[[Hedychium coronarium]]'', and ''[[Curcuma caesia]]''.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Warrier |first=Shrikala |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qNhiCAAAQBAJ&dq=Amarkantak&pg=PA148 |title=Kamandalu: The Seven Sacred Rivers of Hinduism |publisher=Mayur University |year=2014}}</ref> The [[Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary]], is located at a distance of no more than 40 km from the town of Amarkantak in the state of Chhattisgarh on the road to [[Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh|Bilaspur]].<ref>{{cite news|title=The Hindu|date=30 July 2006|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/article3232362.ece}}</ref> The forest belt in Amarkantak is a part of [[Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve]]. The forests of Amarkantak are linked with the forests of [[Kanha National Park]]. Amarkantak falls on the Kanha-Achanakmar Corridor, a hilly region covered with dense forests. Kanha and Achanakmar are both conserved wildlife parks in India famous for [[Bengal tiger]]s.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kanha-Achanakmar|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/article3232362.ece|website=The Hindu|date=30 July 2006}}</ref>

''[[Pinus caribaea]]'', known as [[tropical pine]], was planted in Amarkantak in 1968 on advice of [[Forest Research Institute (India)|Forest Research Institute]], [[Dehradun]] on the recommendations of [[National Commission on Agriculture]] looking to the future demand of quality pulpwood. This work was undertaken under a [[World Bank]] Technical Assistance Project by clearing natural sal forests. The naturalists and environmentalists in India raised controversy over it; ultimately the project of tropical pine plantation was abolished.<ref>Yugdharm, Raipur, Forest Wealth Special Issue, 1979</ref>

==Educational institutions==

The [[Indira Gandhi National Tribal University]] was established in Amarkantak by an Act of Parliament in 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://igntu.nic.in/act.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=28 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061838/http://igntu.nic.in/act.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was created to promote and provide higher education and research in various aspects of tribal communities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IGNTU Amarkantak: The University |url=https://www.igntu.ac.in/theuniversity.aspx |access-date=2023-03-12 |website=www.igntu.ac.in}}</ref> The [[Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya]] was established in 1987 to provide education for the rural young.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.jnvamk.in/aboutus.html |title=About us :: Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Amarkantak, Anuppur, Madhya Pradesh - 484886 |access-date=18 July 2018 |archive-date=18 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718234649/http://www.jnvamk.in/aboutus.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Amarkantak}}
* [http://www.shaktipeethas.org/amarkantak-map-t208.html Amarkantak : Map]{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190820030255/https://anuppur.nic.in/ Anuppur : Official]

{{Shahdol Division}}

[[Category:Geography of Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Hindu pilgrimage sites in India]]
[[Category:Hindu holy cities]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Anuppur district]]
[[Category:Tourism in Madhya Pradesh]]

Amarkantak - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 23:01, 29 August 2023