Amarkantak 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 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. The nearest railway stations are Anuppur and Pendra Road 43 km via Keonchi and only 28 km via Jwaleshwar. The nearest airport is Dumna Jabalpur (Jabalpur Airport) in the city of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh (240 km) which has daily flight service to Delhi and Mumbai. The town of Amarkantak is surrounded by a rich variety of flora with medicinal properties. 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. The enchanting lush green 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. Pinus caribaea, known as tropical pine, was planted in Amarkntak in 1968 on advice of Forest Research Institute, Dehradun on the recommendations of National Commission on Agriculture looking to the future demand of quality pulp wood. This work was undertaken under a World Bank Technical Assistance Project by clearing natural sal forests. The naturalists and environmentalists in India raised a controversy over it; ultimately the project of tropical pine plantation was abolished.