Amarkantak

Amarkantak[1] (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 and the Satpura Ranges, with the Maikal Hills being the fulcrum. This is where the Narmada River, the Son River and Johila River (Tributary of Son) emerge.

Popular 15th-century Indian mystic and poet Kabir is said to have meditated on Kabir Chabutra, also called the platform of Kabir situated in the town of Amarkantak.[2

Etymology

Amarakantaka is a combination of two Sanskrit words, amara (immortal) and kantaka (obstruction or thorn). The poet Kalidas has mentioned it as Amarakuta, which later became Amarakantaka.[3]

Location
Narmada Kund temples, the origin of Narmada River

Amarkantak is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India at 22.67°N 81.75°E. It has an average elevation of 1,048 m (3,438 ft). Roads running through Rewa, Shahdol, Anuppur, Jabalpur, Katni, Bilaspur and Gaurela, Pendra Road connect it. The nearest railway stations are Pendra road and Anuppur, Pendra road is 43 km (27 mi) via Keonchi and only 28 km (17 mi) via Jwaleshwar. The nearest airport is Bilaspur Airport (120 km).[4] [5]
Demographics

The Amarkantak Nagar Panchayat has a population of 8,416 of which 4,514 are males while 3,902 are females as per report released by Census India 2011.

The population of children with age of 0-6 is 921 which is 10.94% of the total population of Amarkantak (NP). In Amarkantak Nagar Panchayat, 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. Literacy rate of Amarkantak city is 80.20%, higher than the state average of 69.32%. In Amarkantak, male literacy is around 88.06% while the female literacy rate is 71.02%.[6]

95.51% of the population, or 8,038 people, follow Hinduism.

Educational institutions

The Indira Gandhi National Tribal University was established in Amarkantak by an Act of Parliament[12] in 2007, to promote education and research in various aspects of tribal communities and provide higher education to the tribal population. It has 28 departments which offer undergraduate, post-graduation, and PhD programs.

The Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya was established here with the aim of nourishing and fostering the rural young. Jawahar Navodya Vidyalaya, Anuppur started in the year 1987.[13]