A quaint hill station in the Satpura hills in the Vindhya Range, Panchmarhi was popular during the British rule as a sanatorium and a summer capital of the erstwhile central province. The British having long packed their bags, Panchmarhi is still a popular hill station that mesmerizes the tourists with its cascading waterfalls, ravines, rolling hills and dense vegetation. Shopping in Panchmarhi is also an interesting affair with a huge display of Madhya Pradesh handicrafts in the local shops.
What to Buy while shopping in Panchmarhi in India.
Bamboo work- Crafting bamboo articles for daily as well as decorative use is a popular pastime among the Gond, Baiga, Korku and Basor or Basod communities of Madhya Pradesh. You can buy anything from agricultural implements, fishing traps, hunting tools to baskets at local weekly markets. Apart from Chhattisgarh and Bastar, the main bamboo producing centres are Shahdol, Balaghat, Mandla and Seoni.
Metalwork- The Gadhavs of Bastar, bring forth their own unique view of life, nature and the gods through age-old processes of metalwork. The metalwork of Bastar is world famous. While shopping in Panchmarhi in Madhya Pradesh, you are sure to come across some of the exquisite variety of Bastar metalwork.
Paintings- vegetable dyed paintings, miniatures after the Mughal tradition, paintings with stone crushed colors, etc. are available. The tradition of paintings in Panchmarhi goes back to prehistoric times. The caves in Satpura Hills bear testimony to cave wall paintings that are as old as 1000 BC.
The bazaars in Panchmarhi are like most small town markets in India. There are no glitzy shopping malls or multiplexes but simple looking shops owned by locals that cater to tourists as well as the inhabitants of the area.
While shopping in Panchmarhi keep a few things in mind:
- Do go for bargaining whenever you feel it necessary
- Do not buy extremely expensive items from very small or nondescript shops since you would not have a chance to return to the place if you are not satisfied with the article; you will get the same things in the city.
- It is advisable to enquire about prices from local people.
