Narmada Udgam Temple and Kund

Narmada Udgam Temple and Kund is the revered origin point of the Narmada River located in Amarkantak, Anuppur district, Madhya Pradesh, at the Maikal Hills where the Vindhya and Satpura ranges meet. The site features a sacred kund (stone tank) marking the river's source, surrounded by a temple complex with shrines dedicated to Goddess Narmada, Shiva and other deities. Originally dating to the Kalchuri period and rebuilt in the 15th century, it is a major pilgrimage centre and starting point of the Narmada Parikrama.

Visitors can expect a compact, enclosed temple courtyard centered on a shallow, rectangular kund with stone steps and a small shrine marking the origin of the Narmada River. The kund is surrounded by white marble temples, pillared verandas, and statues of deities including Shiva, with clear water flowing from the source. The complex is paved and busy with pilgrims performing prayers, aarti and symbolic holy dips, with shops and ghats around the perimeter and forested hills in the surroundings.

The kund and temples at the Narmada source are associated with the Kalchuri period (10th-11th century) and were later rebuilt in the 15th century by Maharaja Gulab Singh of Rewa and subsequently renovated by various rulers. The site has long been revered as the origin of the Narmada, one of India's seven sacred rivers, and retains historic stone architecture, inscriptions and shrines reflecting its continuous religious importance.

The site is highly sacred in Hindu tradition as the birthplace of the Narmada River, worshipped as Goddess Narmada. It is the starting and ending point of the Narmada Parikrama, a circumambulation pilgrimage around the river. Festivals such as Narmada Jayanti and Mahashivratri draw large gatherings, and daily worship, aarti and offerings are central to the visitor experience.