NERBUDDA DISTRICT. 183 



§ 7. Mahadeva Series, 



(a) Lameta Group. 

 In the foregoing pages allusion has more than once been made to a fre- 

 quently observed and remarkable group of rocks, 

 General remarks. 



under the name of Mahadeva sandstones. The 



range of hills which forms the south side of the Nerbudda valley is formed 

 of these; and along much of that part of the valley which extends from 

 Jubbulpore to Hindia and Seoni, (see map) they form a series of escarp- 

 ments quite as remarkable, and more picturesque, since less regular, than 

 do those of the Vindhyan range on the north. In the central portion of 

 this range they attain their greatest development, and form the fine 

 masses of the Puchmurri or Mahadeva hills from which their name has 

 been taken. Here they present a thickness of at least 2000 feet ; and 

 many miles away from this central culminating mass they still attain 

 very considerable development. At Jamghur hill on the south west, and 

 in Chatur Doria to the north east, from 800 to 1200 feet of these rocks 

 are seen, and still farther in the latter direction Nimbnagur hill exposes 

 not less than 1 400 feet. From this towards the east, however, they com- 

 mence to die out, and east of the meridian of the Sher river (see map) 

 little more is seen of them. This last remark however applies to the 

 lower part of the group, or that which is here called Mahadevas, as dis- 

 tinguished from the upper, or as we have named it Lameta group : the 

 beds of the latter stretch away far to the east and cover large areas in the 

 Johilla valley, (see map.) 



Lithologically considered, the Mahadeva group consists of sandstones 



; Lithological descrip- and £ rits > with a few «ceptiona hereafter to be de- 

 tlon - scribed. In their typical localities these grits (thick 



and thin bedded) make up the whole thickness of the formation as seen 

 in the Mahadeva hills, and are characterized throughout, but more espe- 

 cially near the top, by hard earthy ferruginous partings. A very prominent 

 characteristic of the Mahadeva area is the way in which these great sand- 



