Narmada Udgam Temple

About Narmada Udgam Temple

Amarkantak is a small village in the mountain range formed by the Vindhya and Satpura hills, and the Narmada begins here, emerging from a hill shaped like the mouth of a cow. The village is remembered as a place of meditation for saints such as Maikal and Vyas and sages such as Brighu, and the temple at the source is the centre of that association.

No firm record survives of when the Narmada Mandir was first built. The historical evidence points to construction by the Kalachuri, written in older accounts as Kadchuli, around the twelfth century. The Narmada Udgam Kund, the birthplace of the river itself, was built by Rewa Nayak, and his idol at the site is the clue to that. Much later the temple was given its present shape by Bhonsle, the king of Nagpur, and it was then renovated by Maharani Devi Ahilya. What stands today is therefore the work of several hands spread across centuries.

Inside the complex

Narmada Udgam Kund

The kund marks the birthplace of the Narmada, where the water comes out of the cow mouth hill. It was built by Rewa Nayak, and an idol of him stands at the site, which is the main evidence for who built it. This is the point most visitors come to see first.

The surrounding temples

A large complex of temples with idols of gods and goddesses is built around the main shrine, so the visit is a walk from one small temple to the next rather than a single building. The layers of later work by Bhonsle and by Maharani Devi Ahilya are part of what you are looking at.

The elephant and horse idols

An idol of an elephant and one of a horse stand in the complex, carrying statues of Lakhan and Uddal. These figures are understood to have been damaged during the Aurangzeb period, and the damage is still visible on them.

Planning your visit

This is an active place of worship as well as a historical site, so dress and behave as you would at any working temple. The complex is walkable end to end and most visitors give it an hour or two, often on the same morning as Kapil Dhara about 6 km away.

• Remove footwear where it is indicated and carry socks if the stone is likely to be hot or cold.
• Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered.
• Ask before photographing inside shrines or near people at prayer.
• Go early if you want to see the kund without crowds, since this is the busiest point in the complex.

Best time to visit

The cooler months are the most comfortable for walking the complex, since almost all of the visit is on foot and in the open. Amarkantak sits high in the Vindhya and Satpura hills, so mornings are cool for much of the year. During the rains the stone underfoot stays wet and the complex is slower to move around, though the village itself is at its greenest.