Shot during a boat ride on the River NarmadaMarble Rocks, Bhedaghat
The ‘Narmada’ means
The one who endows with bliss
That’s the River's name
Originating
At Amarkantak Plateau
From Narmada Kund
Sacred to Hindus
Worshipped as mother goddess
Flows through rift valley
Meanders through hills
River flows in rapid streams
Slows its pace on rocks
Through hilly forests
Passes through fertile basin
Gains speed in valleys
Bhedaghat river
Plunges as mighty falls, and
Calms at Marble Rocks
With cool breeze at dusk
Narmada’s poise and beauty
Offers peace and joy
The one who endows with bliss
That’s the River's name
Originating
At Amarkantak Plateau
From Narmada Kund
Sacred to Hindus
Worshipped as mother goddess
Flows through rift valley
Meanders through hills
River flows in rapid streams
Slows its pace on rocks
Through hilly forests
Passes through fertile basin
Gains speed in valleys
Bhedaghat river
Plunges as mighty falls, and
Calms at Marble Rocks
With cool breeze at dusk
Narmada’s poise and beauty
Offers peace and joy
~~~
The river looks very still. Makes me think of Guilin in China a bit. I love these cliffs...
ReplyDeleteLovely lines, Celine!
ReplyDeleteRead over this sacred hymn praising the holy river !
ReplyDeleteAnother name that Lord Shiva gave her is Reva. Mythologically, the source was a cascading stream that flowed down the meditating Lord as His sacred perspiration. Another version says she was Bhavani ( a form of Parvati ). She is also revered as Maikal-kanya (for being originated from Maikal range ). Incidentally, river Shone also originates from nearby spot and there are mythological reference about Shone, a demi-god and Narmada.
Apart from all mythological anecdotes, it is undoubtedly one of the oldest river courses in the world and its fascinating description in your poetic contribution will certainly inspire many to explore her beauty and the places residing on both the banks for miles of its travel to central India to the west.
Thanks for the image portraying its tranquil flow through dazzling marble gorge too !
Best wishes,
I am in awe of the Haiku!!!
ReplyDeleteHow beautifully you have described her,from origin to conclusion.
*Applause*
There is a song dedicated to this river by a group called 'Indian Ocean' , its not a very popular group but you should be able to find a MP3. The number is called
ReplyDelete"...Reva, tera paani Amrit
JhaR JhaR bahta Jaaye Re.."
The album is called "Jheeni" or something like that.
Lovely words and even a more lovely picture!
ReplyDeleteWhat an Ode to the river..soothing ..
ReplyDeleteBeautiful- both words and the image.
ReplyDeleteZhu,
ReplyDeleteThanks to you, I just checked some pictures of Guilin and they are awesome. I can understand now why Narmada reminded you of it.
Those cliff rocks at Bhedaghat is, in fact, marble!
Indrani,
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Thank you for your visit, kind words and the wealth of information that you have provided here on the Narmada.
ReplyDeleteThe Narmada is indeed worthy of all praise!
Sameera,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much. You make me smile.:)
Nandan,
ReplyDeleteI do listen to Indian Ocean and had heard the particular track earlier. Nevertheless enjoyed 'Jhini' again. Thank you for reminding me about it.
Mridula,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much. Glad you find it so!
Lakshmi,
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Sujata,
ReplyDeleteThank you.
I cant wait to read about this !
ReplyDeletePriyank,
ReplyDeleteI shall resume writing my travel posts on rest of MP after I return from my holidays. It's time to trek again in the Himalayas! ;)
"ma Rewa, taro paani nirmal, khalakhala beheto jayo re..."
ReplyDeletegoes the Indian Ocean song "Ma Rewa". Do listen to it, one of my eternal favorites.
Priyank,
ReplyDeleteI love that song, and I like Indian Ocean in general.:)
:) Aah, I see Indian Ocean has been mentioned already. :D
ReplyDeleteThe boat trip is a very unique experience, with "commentary" from the guide (which never changes, so it gets boring the next time you go there). But most importantly, it's the walls of marble and the river's struggle against them that makes this place such a treat to be in.
I've lived in Jabalpur for 5 years and have visited this place many times, and it never fails to be interesting, especially a trip to "Dhuandar", watching the water rise up in "smoke", falling, frothing, and swirling at the bottom. :)
Yea, the boat trip at the Marble Rocks' serene waters is fabulous and unique too, because I insisted on wearing a life jacket much to the amusement of the locals..lol
ReplyDeleteRe the commentary..lol
What can I say? There's a touch of humor in it too. The poor guys do their best, both to keep us entertained and with the synchronous rowing, so I got to appreciate it rather than laugh.:P
Dhuandar Falls is fabulous and in fact, in the first place, I planned the whole trip to MP because of Dhuandar Falls and kept adding other places later on. Btw, in those 2 days in Bhedaghat, I made 4 trips to the Falls and that perhaps explains my love for waterfalls.;)