India Travel
Around the island Omkareshwar in Western Madhya Pradesh
Traditionally, the parikrama (circular tour) of Omkareshwar begins at the ghats below Shri Mandhata and proceeds clockwise around the island. The walk takes at least a couple of hours, so carry plenty of water if you plan to do the whole thing in one go.
The first section of the trail is a leisurely half-hour stroll from the footbridge to the pebble-strewn western tip of the island, where you’ll find a small chai stall and a couple of insignificant shrines. The Trivendi Sangam, or “Three-rivers Confluence", is an especially propitious bathing place, where the Narmada forks as it merges with the Kaven. From here, the path climbs above the fringe of fine white sand lining the northern shore until it reaches level ground. The ruins of the Gaudi Somnath temple stand in the middle of the plateau, surrounded by a sizeable collection of sculpture mounted on concrete plinths. The sanctuary bouses a colossal shivalingam, attended by an equally huge Nandi bull. At this point, drop down a steep flight of steps to the village, or continue east towards the old fortified town that crowned the top of the island before it was ransacked by Muslims in the medieval era.
Numerous chunks of temple sculpture, lying discarded among the rubble, include a couple of finely-carved gods and goddesses, used for shade by families of black-faced langur monkeys.
After scaling the sides of a gully, the trail leads under the large ornamental archway of the Surajkund Gate, flanked by three-metre figures of Arjun and Bheema, two of the illustrious Pandava brothers. The tenth-century Siddhesvara temple stands five-minutes’ walk away to the south, on a patch of flat ground overlooking the river. Raised on a large plinth decorated with rampaging elephants, it has some fine apsatas, or female fertility figures, carved over its southern doorway, and a donatory Sanskrit inscription.
Of the two possible routes back to the village, one takes you along the top of the plateau before dropping sharply down, via another ruined temple and the “Maharaja’s palace, to the Shri Mandhata temple. The other follows a flight sceps to the river-bank, and then heads past a group of sadhus’ caves to the main ghats.
Related Properties from Gurgaon
Omkareshwar in Western Madhya Pradesh
East of the main river crossing of Barhawa, the Narmada dips southwards, sweeps north again to form a wide bend, and then forks around a two-kilo-metre-long wedge-shaped outcrop of sandstone. Seen from above, the island, cut by several deep ravines, bears an uncanny resemblance to the "Om" symbol. This, coupled with the presence on its sheer south-facing side of a revered shivalingam, has made OMKARESHWAR. 77km south of lndore, one of the most sacred Hindu sites in central India. Since ancient times, pilgrims have flocked here for darshan and a holy dip i11 the river. In recent years, it has also
Western Madhya Pradesh
The geography of western Madhya Pradesh is dominated by the River IVnmada. which drains westwards through a wide alluvial valley, bounded in the south by the Satpura hills and the Maharashtran border, and in the north by the rugged Vindhya Range. Forming the major trade corridor between the Ganges plains and the west coast, the region - known as Malwa - was for nearly a thousand years an independent princely state ruled from the sprawling hilltop fort complex at Mandu. The former capital, now deserted, is the area's outstanding tourist attraction, with its ruined mosques, tanks and palaces, and its
Practicalities of Omkareshwar in Western Madhya Pradesh
Omkareshwar is connected by state bus to Khandwa (4 daily; 2hr 30min) and Indore (3 daily: 4—6hr).You can also get here by catching the Indore to Khandwa bus as far as Omkareshwar Road, a junction and chai stop on NH-3, from where a beaten-up local bus runs the remaining 15km. Omkareshwar Road is also the nearest railhead, but only slow passenger services stop here. Barhawa, on the north bank of the Narmada, is the closest main-line railway station. The nearest bank with a foreign exchange counter is at Indore. A small post office on the mam street, however, offers reliable poste
Willingdon Island in Kerala
Fort Cochin, Casino Hotel, Willingdon Island 0484/668 8421. This seafood restaurant is considered to be one of the best in India. You choose from the catch of the day and then you choose the style of cooking, which is all done in front of you-Delicious maybe, but it's very expensive, claustrophobic, and the decor is dull. Taj Malabar, Willingdon Island £0484/666811-Two restaurants: the Jade Pavilion for Chinese, and Rice Boats serving Western, north Indian and Keralan dishes in a beautiful waterside location. The food is excellent and prices reflect this; the Rs200 lunchtime buffet is varied and good value.
Barren Island in North Andaman
The most intriguing island open to tourists in the Andaman group has to be Barren Island, twenty hours' sea voyage east of Port Blair. India's only active volcano, the arid brown mountain blew its top in May 1991 after lying dormant for 188 years, and has done so on two occasions since in 1994 and 1995. The only living creatures on Cinque are a herd of goats, released in 1891 by the British to provide sustenance for any shipwrecked sailors. There are no ferries to the island, but diving expeditions regularly make the trip as the seas around Barren are
The City of Ujjain in Western Madhya Pradesh
The Western Railway cuts straight through the centre of the city, forming a neat divide between the spacious and affluent residential suburbs to the south, and the more interesting, densely packed streets northwest of the station. Unless you spend all day wandering through the bazaar, sightseeing in Ujjain usually means treading the temple trail, with a brief foray south of the ghats to visit theVedha Shala observatory.
Practicalities in Western Madhya Pradesh
Trains arriving in Indore on the Central Railway pull in at the main-line station in the middle of the city. The principal bus stand, "Sarawate" (0731/465688), is a short walk south from platform 1, beyond the overpass. Buses for Mandu use the less convenient "Gangawal" bus stand (0731/480688), a three-kilometre auto-rickshaw ride west towards the domestic airport, 10km out of town. MPTDC's helpful information office (daily 10am-5pm; closed 2nd and 3rd Sat of the month; 0731/528653), in the MPTDC Tourist Bungalow behind the R.N.Tagore Natya Griha Exhibition Hall on Rabidranath Tagore Road (RNT Road), hands out the usual glossy leaflets and
Indore and around in Western Madhya Pradesh
INDORE, the second largest city- in Madhya Pradesh, is huge, modern, heavily industrialized, and generally dull. If you find yourself with time to kill en route to or from Mandu, 98km southwest, however, a couple of worthwhile sights he hidden among its tangle of ferroconcrete flyovers, expressways and crowded bazaars. Situated at the confluence of the Kham and Saraswati rivers, the city was for centuries merely an insignificant stopover on the pilgrimage trails to Omkareshwar and Ujjain. 55km north. In the eighteenth century, however, it became the capital of the Holkar dynasty, whose chief, Malhar Rao, had previously managed to scrounge
The Raj Wada in Western Madhya Pradesh
The Holkars' old palace, the Raj Wada. is Indore's principal landmark, presiding over a palm-fringed square in the heart of the city. Built in the style of a western Indian town house, the eighteenth-century mansions most prominent feature is a lofty, seven-storey gateway. Its upper four floors were originally made of wood, which made it particularly prone to fire; most of the palace collapsed after the last one, in 1984. Only the facade and the family temple, immediately inside the main courtyard, survive.
Geography around Hyderabad
As you head north from Hyderabad towards the borders of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, the landscape becomes greener and more hilly, sporadically punctuated by attractive black-granite rock formations.There is little to detain visitors here except the small town of Warangal, conveniently situated on the main railway line as it loops across to the east, which warrants a stop to visit the nearby medieval fort and Shiva temple. South of the capital, vast swathes of flat farmland stretch into the centre of the state, where the Nagarjuna Sagar dam has created a major lake with the important Buddhist site of Nagarjunakonda,
The Nil Kanth Palace in Western Madhya Pradesh
Another idyllic spot for watching the sun set over the plains is the Nil Kanth Palace, an old Shiva temple converted by the Moghuls into a water pavilion. It clings to the top of a steep cliff at the head of a rugged ravine on the western edge of the plateau, and was used by Akbar as a royal retreat. Persian verses on the walls of one room record the emperor's military exploits in die Deccan and, in a more philosophical vein, remind readers of the transience and futility of worldly achievement. It can be reached along a track that
Visiting Madhya Pradesh
In addition to its historic sites, Madhya Pradesh boasts a number of wildlife reserves, of which two are amongst the finest on the subcontinent. In the sparsely populated east, remote savannah grasslands are an ideal habitat for deer and bison, while the shady sal forests and tarai swamplands that surround the maidans provide perfect cover for larger predators such as the tiger. Of the national parks hidden away in this area, Kanha is deservedly popular, though tiger sightings here are on the decline. For the big cats, trek out to Bandhavgarh national park to the north. Getting around Madhya Pradesh without
Travel details of the Andaman Islands
Flights Port Blair to: Calcutta (5 weekly; 2hr); Chennai (1-2 daily; 2hr). Boats Arial Bay to: Port Blair (2 weekly; 12—14hr); Smith Island (1-2 daily; 30min). Havetock to: Long Island (2 weekly; 2-3hr); Neill Island (4 weekly: 1hr-1hr 30min; Port Blair (6 weekly; 4-6hr); Rangat Bay (4 weekly; 4—5hr). Mayabunder to: Kaligtiat (2 daily; 2tir 30min-3hr) Port Blair to: Anal Bay (2 weekly; 12-14hr); Calcutta (1 every 2 weeks; 60hr); Chennai (1 weekly; 60hr); Havelock Island (6 weekly; 4-6hr); Little Andaman (2 weekly; 9-1 Ohr): Long Island (2 weekly; 7hr 30min-9hr); Neill Island (4 weekly; 3-4hr); Rangat Bay (4 weekly; 8-1 Ohr); Vishakapatnam (1
The Island of Diu in Gujarat
Set a little off the southern tip of Saurashtra, the island of DIU, less than 12km long and just 3km wide, was still under Portuguese control only forty years ago.Today, governed as a Union Territory from Delhi along with Daman, it has a relaxed atmosphere quite different from anywhere in central Saurashtra. Though irs smallish beaches are nowhere near as idyllic as Goa's, most visitors stay longer than intended, idling in cafes, cycling around the island or strolling along the cliffs. The leisurely pace is also due in part to the lack of alcohol restrictions: the island's many bars can
The Town in Northern Gujarat
Bhuj is overlooked from the east by the old and crumbling fort on Bhujia Hill, while the vast Hamirsar Tank, with a small park on an island in its centre, stands on the western edge of town.
Smith Island in North Andaman
Over recent years Smith Island has become one the most popular escapes for travellers wishing to live out their Robinson Crusoe fantasies. Although it has not yet been included on the list printed on foreign tourist permits, it has achieved semi-official status and RslO permits are issued at the port authority in Arial Bay because of its proximity to the protected wildlife reserve at Ross Island (not to be confused with the one near Port Blair).The typically densely forested island has a small settlement at the ferry jetty, about thirty minutes' journey from Arial Bay. There are no roads, but a
Long Island in the Southeast of Middle Andaman
Just off the southeast coast of Middle Andaman, Long Island is dominated by an unsightly plywood mill, but don't let this put you off. Served by only two boats per week from the capital (usually Wed & Sat), and two daily lumber launches from Rangat, it sees far fewer visitors than either Neill or Havelock, but boasts a couple of excellent beaches, at Marg Bay and Lalaji Bay, both of which are most easily reached by chartering a fisherman's dinghy from the jetty. The latter beach is earmarked as the site of a new private tented accommodation enterprise, which should
The Central Museum in Western Madhya Pradesh
Indore's Central Museum (Mon-Sac 10am-5pm) is over in the southeast of the city, near the GPO. Its large collection includes finds from nearby prehistoric sites, as well as fine Jain and Hindu sculpture from the ruined eleventh-and twelfth-century temples at Hinlajgarh. The downstairs gallery boasts a handful of priceless Harappan terracottas unearthed at Mohenjo Daro, in southern Pakistan. None of the exhibits is adequately labelled, but the museum attendants are happy to show you around.
Shiv Sagar at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh
A short way south of the complex, a few hundred metres from Matangesvara, the Shiv Sagar tank is surrounded by a motley assortment of buildings and open space. The steps down to it are animated with pilgrims bathing and collecting water from the "Ocean of Shiva". Cunningham's original map of the temples showed a body of water that ran north to divide the Western Group into two sections; crossing it to the temples may have represented a symbolic transition from the finite to the celestial.
Central Madhya Pradesh
All roads through the central regions of Madhya Pradesh lead to the state's capital, and its largest and fastest growing city - Bhopal. The city itself may come as a pleasant surprise; amidst the dust and chaos of a metropolitan centre there are plentj of quiet parks around its two lakes. Bhopal is also a good place to break the long journey between south and north; within a couple of hours reach is the unmissable Buddhist stupa complex at Sanchi.and there arc other lesser monuments in the area. The prehistoric site of Bhimbetka is just 45km south of Bhopal, while