Sharad Purnima Cruise

About the Sharad Purnima cruise

Bhedaghat's cliffs are visited all year, but the night that regulars talk about is Sharad Purnima, the full moon of the month of Ashwin, which falls at the close of the rains. The attraction is simple physics put to good use: the gorge is lined with pale marble, the moon is at its fullest and highest of the season, and the rock faces hold the light while the Narmada carries it on the surface of the water. Boating through that at night is a different proposition altogether from the same trip made in daylight.

The night has become an occasion in its own right. Crowds come out from Jabalpur and well beyond, the bank gets busy, and demand for places on the water runs far ahead of the number of boats available. Whether night boating operates, and on what terms, depends on the river level and on the operators, so this is a night to arrange in advance rather than to turn up for. When it comes off it is the single most atmospheric thing Bhedaghat offers.

What the night is like

Moonlight on the marble

The pale cliff faces take the light and hold it, and the river carries the reflection. This is the whole reason the night exists as an occasion.

The gorge after dark

The same canyon the day boats run through reads completely differently in the dark, with shape and silhouette replacing colour and detail.

The crowd on the bank

Sharad Purnima at Bhedaghat is a gathering as much as a boat ride, with people out on the ghats and the bank well into the night.

The water itself

The Narmada at the close of the monsoon is fuller than it is for most of the dry season, which affects both the look of the gorge and whether the boats run.

Planning your visit

This is the busiest night of the Bhedaghat calendar, so the planning matters more here than for any other visit.

• Arrange the boat well in advance; places are limited and the demand on the night is heavy.
• Confirm with the operators that night boating is running, since it depends on the river level.
• Book a room nearby or in Jabalpur early, and expect slow traffic and parking on the approach.
• Carry a light layer, because it gets cool on the water after dark at that time of year.

Best time to visit

Sharad Purnima is a single full moon night in the month of Ashwin, at the end of the monsoon, so the date moves year to year with the lunar calendar and should be checked before you plan around it. Arriving in the late afternoon gives you time to settle before the crowd builds and the moon comes up. Cloud cover at that point in the season can take the moon out of the equation entirely, which is the one risk the night carries.