India Travel
Arrival, information and city transport of Puri in Orissa
Trains arriving at Puri’s end-of-line station, in the north of town, are greeted by fired-up cycle rickshaw-wallahs sprinting alongside in the race to catch a foreigner. You’ll encounter similar “rickshaw rage” at the main bus station I and the Jagannath temple, caused by competition for the commission offered by the aggressively touting hotels. The bus stand is further in the north of the city, a ten-minute rickshaw ride from the centre through the bumpy back- I streets.
The OTDC tourist office on Station Road (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, closed 2nd Sat of the month; 06752/22664) is friendly and helpful; the 24-hour counter at the railway station is a waste of rime. Train travel arrangements are best made or checked directly with the station itself or else through a travel agent.
Pun is fairly spread out but flat, so bicycles (approximately Rsl5 per day) are ideal for getting around and exploring the maze of streets around the Jagannath temple. There are several places to rent them on Chakra Tirtha (CT) Road, in the travellers’ enclave. Auto-rickshaws are thin on the ground, though one or two are always hanging around the railway station. Mopeds (Rsl50 per day) and Enneld motorbikes (Rs250 per day) are rented out by a couple of travel agents and shops along CT Road for full or half-days and are useful for trips up the coast to Konarak. In-house travel agents at the larger hotels can help with all transport arrangements, though the most reliable all- round place for ticket booking, flights and car/motorcycle/bike rental is Heritage Tours, based at the Mayfair Beach Resort (©06752/23656).
Related Properties from Gurgaon
Around Puri in Orissa
Back inland among the coconut palms, rice paddies, muddy lakes and rivers, are many traditional brahmin villages, most of them Vaishnavite. Two such places, about 12km from Puri just off the main Bhubaneshwar road, are BIRAPRATAPUR and GANGANARAYANPUR, where you can see thatched houses of baked clay and wood, many painted with bright designs, and small temples fronted by stone frames used for suspending the deity during festivals. You may even chance upon the house of an astrologer and have your fortune told. For those not quite up to puffing around the area by bike, Heritage Tours (06752/23656) in Pun
Arrival, information and city transport to Amritsar in Haryana and Punjab
Amritsar's airport, serving Indian Airlines flights from Delhi and Chandigarh, lies 12km northwest of the city. Taxis (around Rs200) and auto-rickshaws (RslOO) run to the town centre, while buses pull into the huge, frenetic bus stand off GT Road on the eastern edge of the city centre. The railway station lies on the northern edge of the centre, 2km west of the interstate bus stand. PTDC's tourist office, Youth Hostel, Mall Mandi. GT Road (Mon-Sat 9am-5pm: ©0183/231452) is friendly, helpful and has useful information on bus and other travel connections. Amritsar is too large and labyrinthine to negotiate on foot. If
Travel details of Southern Orissa
Trains Bhubaneswar to: Agra (1-2 daily; 29-37hr 30min); Balasore (10 daily; 4hr); Bangalore (2 weekly; 31lir); Berliampur (7 daily; 2hr 30min-3hr); Calcutta (6-3 daily; 8-13hr); Chennai (2-4 daily; 20hr 45min-26hr); Cochin (4 weekly: 36-38hr); Cuttack (11 daily; 30-55min); Delhi (3-4 daily; 25-43hr); Hyderabad (3 daily; 20-24hr): Mumbai (1 daily; 38hr); Puri (7 daily; 2-3hr); Varartasi (3 weekly; 23hr). Puri to: Agra (1 daily; 38hr 40min}; Balasore (5-6 daily; 4hr 30min-6rir); Bhubaneswar (5-6 daily; 1 hr 3Qmin-2hr); Calcutta (2 daily: 11hr 30min); Delhi (3 daily; 32-44hr); Varanasi (3 weekly; 22hr). Balasore to: Bhubaneswar (7-9 daily; 3hr 45min-6hr); Calcutta (6-8 daily; 4-Shr); Puri
Accommodation of Puri in Orissa
Virtually all Puri's hotels stand on or near the beach, where a strict distinction is observed: the hotels pitched at domestic tourists are lined up behind Marine Drive, the promenade on the west end of the beach, while budget-conscious Westerners are sandwiched further east between the high-rise, upmarket resort hotels and the fishing village. This latter district around CT Road, known as Pentakunta, has become a real backpacker enclave, with numerous identikit hotels offering dorms, simple doubles, hot water and midget verandas. The less expensive hotels are quiet during the summer months, but the pricier accommodation tends to be booked
Arrival, city transport and information to Ujjain in Western Madhy Pradesh
Trains arriving in Ujjain on both broad-gauge branches of the Western Railway pull-in at the station in the centre of town; Ujjain is on a link line between Indore and Bhopal, with regular intercity trains shunting between the three. Two minutes' walk northeast of the station is the Dewas Gate bus stand, where buses for Gwalior, Agra, Rajasthan and Bhopal depart. The inconvenient P.D.V. Bus Stand, next to the MPTDC Yatri Niwas, serves Indore, Bhopal and Mandu. The city is fairly spread out, so you'll need to get around by auto-rickshaw or by renting a bicycle from the shop opposite
Arrival, information and city transport in Haryana and Punjab
Served by flights to and from Delhi, Amritsar and Leh, Chandigarh's airport lies 11km south of the city centre. Facilities include an Indian Airlines office (0172/704539), a branch of the State Bank of Patiala and a taxi stand. The railway station lies 8km southeast of the centre, connected by half-hourly buses or auto-rickshaws and taxis. The prepaid rickshaw counter is worth queuing for as rates are fixed. There's a useful Current Reservations ticket office, although Northern Railway's main computerized reservation counter is at the bus terminal (Mon-Sat 8am—8pm). All state transport buses pull in to the main transport and information hub -
Around Bhubaneswar in Orissa
A number ot places around Bhubaneswar are worth combining with a day-trip to the city. Fifteen minutes by auto-rickshaw out of the centre, ehe second-century BC caves at Khandagiri and Udaigiri offer a glimpse of the region's history prior to the rise ot Hinduism, Dhauli,just off the mam road to Puri, boasts an even older monument: a rock edict dating from the Mauryan era, commemorating the battle of c.260 BC that gave the emperor Ashoka control of the eastern seaports, and thus enabled his missionaries to export the state religion across Asia. Pipli, 20km south, is famous for its applique
Arrival and information in Himachal Pradesh
State-ran buses from Manali, Mandi, Pathankot, Kangra and Delhi pull into the bus stand in the very south of the lower town, though some continue after a short stop all the way up to McLeod Ganj - the usual arrival point for private and deluxe buses from Delhi and Manali. The nearest point of arrival for trains from Delhi, Punjab and Jammu Tawi is Pathankot - the narrow-gauge train linking Pathankot to Jogindernagar also stops at Kangra and at Nagrota. Dharamsala's airport, 11km to the south at Gaggal, has three Indian Airlines' flights a week to Delhi. The tourist office (Mon-Sat
Moving on from Calcutta
By air For information about flights from Calcutta Airport; otherwise call the individual airlines listed on pp.954-955 to confirm departure and arrival. Remember that return flights must be confirmed at least 72 hours in advance. Besides a good network of domestic flights, Calcutta is served by several short- and long-haul international flights. Major domestic routes from Calcutta are summarized in the Travel Details on p.990. For details on getting to the Andaman islands from Calcutta, see opposite. By rail Information on train connections is available around the clock:. Making reservations to leave Calcutta by train is easy, with computerized booking offices throughout the
Some history of Puri in Orissa
The early history of Puri, before its rise to prominence as a Hindu religious centre, is rather obscure. It's known that the surrounding forests were once the territory of the Sabaras, a pre-Aryan group, and that the sacred Buddhist site of Dantapura ("'town of the tooth"), where one of the Buddha's teeth was enshrined, may also have been here, but few traces of these ancient times have survived. Until the seventh and eighth centuries, Puri was little more than a provincial outpost along the coastal trade route linking eastern India with the south. Then, thanks to its association with the Hindu
Arrival, information and city transport in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad's international airport (079/642 5633) is linked to the city, 10km south, by prepaid taxi (Rs200-250), auto-rickshaw (Rs80-100) and city bus #101, which terminates at Lai Darwaja, the station for local buses in the west of the old city, near most of the hotels. Long-distance buses arrive at the ST Bus Stand in the southeast of the old city, lkm from the hotels, while the railway station is to the east, at the far end of Relief Road and MG Road. City buses to Lai Darwaja run from both the railway station (#48. #122 and #133) and the bus stand
Puri and around in Orissa
A true-hearted pilgrim does not fear to measure kingdoms with his feeble footsteps. Old Hindu saying As the state's premier temple town, PURI is swathed in an aura of mysticism and frenetic pilgrim activity. It is the site of the famous Jagannath temple -which soars out of the narrow packed streets and colonial suburbs like some kind of misplaced space rocket — as well as the location of one of India's most spectacular religious festivals, the annual Rath Yatra. Puri is engaging outside festival times too, with the fanatical devotion to the daily needs of Lord Jagannath and the mass of
Arrival and information in Delhi
Delhi is India's main point of arrival for overseas visitors, and has two airports, one domestic and one international. State buses from all over the country pull into the Inter-state Bus Terminal in Old Delhi, while private buses stop in the more central location close to New Delhi railway station. Trains arrive at the railheads in Old or New Delhi, both well connected to Connaught Place, the commercial centre of the city, by rickshaw and taxi. For a summary of the kinds of accommodation available in different areas of the city, which may well determine where you head first, see p.
Southern Orissa
Long stretches of dishevelled roadside settlements and rural stations along the National Highway do not inspire much excitement about the stretch of coast between Puri and Andhara Pradesh. However, there are a couple of scenic detours that may tempt you to break a long journey. Three hours south of the capital, at the foot of a barren, sea-facing spur of the Eastern Ghats - which creep up to the coast here - is India's largest salt-water lake. Chilika's main attractions are the one million or so migratory birds that nest here in winter, and leisurely boat trips to its islands.
Arrival and information in Gujarat
Arriving in Junagadh by bus or train, you're within easy walking distance of nearly all the hotels. From the long distance bus stand, turn right, then left at the main road and straight on across the railway tracks into the town centre; from the railway station, take a right down Station Road and a left at the end, by the petrol station. Local transport is provided by auto-rickshaws, though bicycles are great for getting around; with a bit of leg-work you can even cycle to the foot of Mount Girnar. Run-of-the-mill bikes can be had from 3 shop just west
Simlipal National Park practicalities in Orissa
The park is open from November to mid-June (daily 6am-noon; visits extended to 2pm on prior arrangement 06792/52593), but the ideal visiting season ends in February. The majority of the ninety-odd tigers are supposed to hang out in the 845-acre "core zone" which is mostly out of bounds. There are two main entrances: one at joshipur in the west (convenient if you're driving from Calcutta, and close to most of the lodges), and one at Pithabata near Banpada on the eastern side. You have to pay a daily entry fee (Rs100 [RS10)]) plus Rs100 per vehicle and Rs100 camera charge).
Arrival, information and city transport of Guwahati in the Northeast
The railway station lies in the centre of town, with the state bus stand. which operates a left-luggage service (4.30am-10.30pm), right behind. The back of the railway station leads into the hectic Pakan Bazaar area, from which most of the private bus companies operate. Guwahati airport, 18km east of the centre, is served by taxis (from outside the Nandan Hotel) and airport buses, including those run by Indian Airlines. The Assam government tourist office in the Tourist Lodge on Station Road (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; closed 2nd & 4th Sat of month) organizes day-trips and longer tours; their day- and overnight-packages to Kaziranga
Arrival, information and local transport in Goa
European charter planes and domestic flights arrive at Goa's Dabolim ait-port, 29km south of Panjim on the outskirts ofVasco da Gama, Goa's second city. Prepaid taxis into town (45min; Rs475), booked at the counter in the forecourt, can be shared by up to four people. Long-distance and local buses pull into Panjim at the towns busy Kadamba bus terminal, lkm east of the centre in the district of Pato.Ten minutes'walk from here, across Ourem Creek to Fontainhas, brings you to several budget hotels. If you plan to stay in the more modern west end of town, flag down a motorcycle taxi
Arrival, information and city transport in Orissa
There's no regular bus service from Bhubaneswar domestic airport into town but taxis and auto-rickshaws cover the 2—3km journey to the centre. Long-distance buses terminate at the inconveniently situated Barainunda bus stand, 5km out on the western edge of town, though not before making a whistle-stop tour of the centre. Ask to be dropped at Station Square (look for a statue of a horse in the middle of a large roundabout), which is near most hotels. If you miss the stop, frequent buses run along Raj Path and Mahatma Gandhi Marg towards the railway station in the centre of town,
Information in Delhi
There are reasonably helpful tourist offices at the inCernational and domestic air por Cs, railway stations and bus tetminals, and the Government of India tourist office at 88 Janpath, just south of Connaught Place (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-4.30pm), is a good place to pick up information on Delhi's sites, city tours, shopping, cultural events and accommodation. They also provide free maps of che city; you'll find the same ones sold in the streets at negotiable prices.The information counter at the less busy DTTDC (Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation) office, Bombay Life Building, Middle Circle (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-lpm; )