India Travel

Ashoka’s Rock Edict in South Delhi

Related Properties from Gurgaon

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

Dhauli of Bhubaneswar in Orissa

The gleaming, white Vishwa Shanti Stupa on Dhauli Hill. 8km south of Bhubaneswar on the Pipli road, was built by Japanese Buddhists in 1972. It] overlooks the spot where the Mauryan emperor Ashoka defeated the Kalingas in the decisive battle of 265 BC. and slightly eclipses the older memorial stupa. Apart from bringing the prosperous Orissan kingdom to its knees, the victory also led the emperor, allegedly overcome by remorse at having slain 150,000 people, to renounce the path of violent conquest in favour of the spiritual path preached by Gautama Buddha. Ever since, there has been a unique tradition

Sports and outdoor activities in Delhi

The recreational activity most likely to appeal to visitors in the prenionsoon months has to be a dip in one ot Delhi's swimming pools. Other local diversions include bowling, golf, and even rock climbing, on crags on the outskirts of the city, during the cooler months. Bowling Alley, Outb Hotel, off Sri Aurobmdo Marg; Xanadu Bowling Lanes, South Delhi Club, Greater Kailash 1. Delhi Flying Club, Safdarjang Airport. Temporary membership available. Delhi Gliding Club, Safdarjang Airport. Call for details of a day's flying. Delhi Goli Club, DrZakir Hussein Marg. Busy and beautiful 220-acre golf course on the fifteenth-century estate of the

The Rock Fort of Tiruchirapalli in Central Tamil Nadu

Trichy's Rock Fort (daily 6am-8pm; Rs1; Rs10 extra with camera), looming incongruously above the bazaars in the north of town, is best reached by bus (#1) from outside the railway station, or from Dindigul Road: rickshaws will try to charge you Rs50 or more for the five-minute ride. The massive sand-coloured rock on which the fort rests towers to a height of more than 80m, its irregular sides smoothed by wind and rain. The Pallavas were the first to cut into it, but it was the Nayaks who grasped the site's potential as a fort, adding only a few walls and

The City in South Delhi

Delhi is both daunting and alluring, a sprawling metropolis with a stunning backdrop of ancient architecture. Once you've found your feet and got over the initial impact of the commotion, noise, pollution and sheer scale of the place, the city's geography slowly slips into focus. Monuments in sandstone and marble, which stand in assorted states of repair, make Delhi a veritable museum of Indo-Islamic architecture, seen at its best in the frenetic streets of Old Delhi and the venerable sites of South Delhi. Delhi today, however, as experienced by its many thousands of visitors, centres very much around the imperial

Delhi Zoo in South Delhi

Below the southern ramparts of the Purana Qila. the open-air enclosures and cages of Delhi Zoo (daily except Fri: April-Oct 8am-6pm; Nov-March 'Jam-.Spin; Rs40 [Rs5], Rs50 extra for video camera) cover an extensive area. A little toy train chugs through the grounds, stopping regularly so you can hop on and off as you like. The white tigers are the longstanding attraction but animal-lovers will be disappointed by the conditions m which the big cats are kept.

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.

Moving on from Delhi

Delhi has good domestic and international travel connections. Anyone heading from the south to the western Himalayas (Himachal Pradesh, Kullu. Manali, Ladakh) will pass through Delhi; it seldom takes more than a day to arrange the onward journey. Scores of travel agents sell bus and air tickets, and many hotels (budget or otherwise) will hook private buses for you; touts, concentrated at the top of Janpath, waylay tourists with promises of cheap fares, but can't always be trusted.

Delhi scams in Delhi

Delhi can prove a headache for the first-time visitor, with several scams to entrap the unwary. Arrival is always the most difficult, but for those arriving at New Delhi railway station a special word of warning is to avoid all touts and the false tourist offices opposite the Paharganj entrance to the New Delhi railway station, which have brought grief to many an unsuspecting traveller. Similarly, steer clear of those along Janpath that claim to be "government authorized" - there is no such authorization and you're likely to end up paying well over the odds for any services. Shoe-shine boys

By bus in Delhi

State buses pull in at the Inter-state Bus Terminal (ISBT), north of the railway station in Old Delhi. Auto-rickshaws to New Delhi or Paharganj take about fifteen minutes {around Rs50), cycle rickshaws twice that (around Rs30). Private buses from all over India terminate outside New Delhi railway station; some will drop passengers in Connaught Place if they pass that way.

Little Mount Caves in Tamil Nadu

St Thomas is said to have sought refuge from persecution in the Little Mount Caves, 8km south of the city centre (bus #18A, #18B, or #52C from Anna Salai), now 200m off the road between the Maraimalai Adigal Bridge and the residence of the governor of Tamil Nadu. Entrance to the caves is beside steps leading to a statue of Our Lady of Good Health. Inside, next to a small natural window in the rock, are impressions of what are believed to be St Thomas' handprints, created when he made his escape through this tiny opening. Behind the new circular church

Some history of Uttaranchal

The first known inhabitants of the UP Hills were the Kuninda in the second century BC, who seem to have had a close affinity with contemporary Indo-Greek civilization. Essentially a central Himalayan tribal people, practising an early form of Shaivism, they traded in salt with Tibet. A second-century Ashokan edict at Kalsi in western Garhwal shows that Buddhism made some inroads in the region, but Garhwal and Kumaon remained Brahmanical. The Kuninda eventually succumbed to the Guptas around the fourth century AD, who despite controlling much of the north Indian plains failed to make a lasting impact in the hills.

Ashokan edicts in Gujarat

Two kilometres east of town on the road to Girnar, a rock engraved with the Buddhist edicts of Ashoka (daily except Wed 8.30-1 lam & 2-6pm; $5, junagadh's most famous monarch, remains where it was placed in the third century BC, its impact somewhat marred by a modern shelter and concrete platform. Written in the Prakrit dialect, the worn verses etched into the granite encourage the practice o£ dharma and equality and beseech different religious sects to live in harmony and repent the evils of war. Situated on the route taken by pilgrims to the sacred hill of Girnar,

By train in Delhi

Delhi's main railhead. New Delhi Station at the eastern end of Paharganj. less than ikm north of Connaught Place, has regular departures to all corners of India, and a very efficient booking office (Mon-Sat 8am-5pm) for foreign tourists, on the first floor of the main departure building. They'll give you advice on the fastest trains, and you should have little difficulty finding a seat or berth: women travelling alone in second class may prefer to ask for a berth in the ladies' carriage. Foreigners must show passports, and pay in foreign currency or in rupees backed up by exchange certificates.

City and regional tours in Delhi

The Government of India tourist office, 88 Janpath, organizes a/c bus tours of New Delhi (daily 8am-1pm; Rs147) and Old Delhi (daily 2.15pm-5pm; Rs126), and a combined tour of Old and New Delhi (8am-5pm; Rs231). All start at ITDC Indraprastha, Janpath (see p.108); their tailor-made packages including a guide cost Rs950 for a whole day. Tours are also available to Agra, Jaipur and Haridwar/Rishikesh. Similarly, along with long-distance tours, the DTTDC, Bombay Life Building, Middle Circle also offer city tours: their half-day tour costs Rs95 and Rs110 while the whole-day tour option is Rs180/Rs210. The Metropolis Hotel in Paharganj, amongst

Old Delhi and north of Connaught Place in Delhi

If you find Paharganj too much of a travellers' hang-out, or Connaught Place too impersonal, head for Old Delhi, where foreign tourists seldom stay. Here you'll find yourself swamped by the noise and smells of the least modernized area of the capital. Prices are low and standards not very high, but the hotels are well sited for visits to the Red Fort and Jami Masjid, and you can guarantee constant activity on the crowded streets, excellent food at long-established restaurants and superb sweets from roadside stalls. If the noise of Chandni Chowk proves too much, you could opt for a

Travel details for Uttaranchal

Trains Haridwar to: Calcutta (1 daily; 33hr); Dehra Dun (8 daily; 2hr); Delhi (4 daily: 4hr 30min-8hr); Mumbai (1 daily; 40hr); Katfigodam (3 daily: 4lir 30min-8hr); Rishikesh (2 daily; 30min). Kathgodam (railhead 3hr from Naimtal) to: Calcutta (1 daily; 4Dhr); Delhi (2 daily: 8hrl. Buses Almora to: Nainital (4 daily; 3hr); Delhi (2 daily;11hr). Dehra Dun to: Delhi (6 daily; 8hr); Kullu/Manali (1daily; 14hr): Mussoorie (every 30min; 1hr): Nainital(1 daily; 11hr); Rishikesh (every 30min; Ihr 30mm) Haridwar to: Dehra Dun (hourly: 1hr 15min); Delhi (4-6 daily; 5-6hr); Rishikesh (20 daily; 30min). Mussoorie to: Dehra Dun (every 30min; 1hr); Delhi (2 daily; 9hr); Haridwar (every 30min;

Straddling the main Delhi-Mumbai tram line Gwalior

Straddling the main Delhi-Mumbai tram line, GWALIOR is the largest city in northern Madhya Pradesh and the site of India's most spectacular hilltop fort. The old sandstone citadel, with its temples and palaces, peers down from the edge of a sheer-sided plateau above a haze of petrol fumes, busy streets and cubic concrete houses. Once you've checked out the archeological museum, and the rock-cut Jain colossi at the foot of the cliff, the city's other unmissable attraction is the supremely kitsch Jai Vilas palace belonging to the local ruling family, the Scindias. Their personalities and influence are everywhere, from the

Firoz Shah Kotla in Central New Delhi

The prosperous fifth city of Delhi, Firozabad, founded in 1354, stretched from the north ridge to Hauz Khas in the south; today few traces survive save the remains of the palace of Firoz Shah Kotla, set amid ornamental gardens 500m east of Delhi Gate. Its most incongruous and yet distinctive element is the single polished sandstone Ashokan Column (third century BC). carried down the Yamuna by raft from Ambala to grace a palace that is now a crumbling ruin. The 14m-high column, the second brought to Delhi, continues to protrude above the surroundings, withstanding the ravages of time and dominating

South Delhi

Most of the accommodation south of Connaught Place lies firmly in the luxury category, although there are a few guesthouses in Sundernagar, the odd mid-range hotel tucked away in a residential area and a modern youth hostel near the exclusive diplomatic enclave. The five-star hotels provide Delhi's best restaurants, bars, health centres, nightclubs and most exclusive discos. As a result, the city's high society uses them to entertain, be seen in and hold lavish weddings, cocooned from the outside world. Prices here are some of the highest m India; those in this section encompass a range from $16 to over