| Amarkantak | |
| Other Name: | Amrakuta |
| Settlement Type: | Hill station |
| Image Alt: | Amarkantal Photo |
| Nickname: | Maikal |
| Pushpin Map: | India#India Madhya Pradesh |
| Pushpin Relief: | yes |
| Pushpin Label Position: | left |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Madhya Pradesh, India |
| Coordinates: | 22.822°N 81.7532°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  India |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name1: | Madhya Pradesh |
| Subdivision Name2: | Anuppur |
| Government Type: | Local Government |
| Governing Body: | Nagar Panchayat |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 47 |
| Elevation M: | 1048 |
| Population Total: | 8416 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | 181 |
| Demographics Type1: | Languages |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Official |
| Timezone1: | IST |
| Utc Offset1: | +5:30 |
| Postal Code Type: | PIN |
| Postal Code: | 484886 |
| Iso Code: | IN-MP |
| Demographics1 Info1: | Hindi |
Amarkantak (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 Johilla River (tributary of Son) originate.[1]
15th-century Indian mystic and poet Kabir is said to have meditated in Amarkantak, and the place is now known as Kabir Chabutra.[2]
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.
Amarkantak is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India at 22.67°N 81.75°W. It has an average elevation of . Roads running through Rewa, Shahdol, Anuppur, Jabalpur, Katni, Bilaspur and Gaurella connect it. The nearest railway stations are Pendra road and Anuppur. The nearest airport is Bilaspur Airport (120 km).[3] [4]
Per the 2011 India census, Amarkantak has a population of 8,416 of which 4,514 are males and 3,902 are females. The 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%. Male literacy is around 88.06% and the female literacy rate is 71.02%.[5] 95.51% of the population follow Hinduism.
Amarkantak is known as the king of pilgrimages, or Tirthraj, because the town has many temples and holy places. It is narrated in the Hindu scriptures like the Puranas that Amarkantak is the place where celestial beings, sages and others obtained spiritual powers. There are many ancient temples of the Kalachuri period in Amarkantak[6] Which were built by different Kalachuri Kings, indicating it was a prominent site for the Kalchuris. Some of those temples were:
There are greater than 600 species of flora found in Amarkantak. It also has many medicinal flora and some of which include Boswellia serrata, Terminalia chebula, Hedychium coronarium, and Curcuma caesia.[9] The Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary, is located at a distance of no more than 40 km from the town of Amarkantak in the state of Chhattisgarh on the road to Bilaspur.[10] The forest belt in Amarkantak is a part of Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve. The forests of Amarkantak are linked with the forests of Kanha National Park. Amarkantak falls on the Kanha-Achanakmar Corridor, a hilly region covered with dense forests. Kanha and Achanakmar are both conserved wildlife parks in India famous for Bengal tigers.[11]
Pinus caribaea, known as tropical pine, was planted in Amarkantak in 1968 on advice of Forest Research Institute, Dehradun on the recommendations of National Commission on Agriculture looking to the future demand of quality pulpwood. This work was undertaken under a World Bank Technical Assistance Project by clearing natural sal forests. The naturalists and environmentalists in India raised controversy over it; ultimately the project of tropical pine plantation was abolished.[12]
The Indira Gandhi National Tribal University was established in Amarkantak by an Act of Parliament in 2007.[13] It was created to promote and provide higher education and research in various aspects of tribal communities.[14] The Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya was established in 1987 to provide education for the rural young.[15]