India Travel

Bhimbetka Practicalities in Madhya Pradesh

Related Properties from Gurgaon

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

Around Bhopal Madhya Pradesh

Within a couple ot hours' journey from Bhopal lie a wealth ot ancient monuments, all ot which are generally more impressive than the state capital's own historic sights.To the northeast, die third-century BC stupas at Sanchi can be seen in an easy day-trip from Bhopal, or as a stopover as you head north on the Central Railway. Sanchi's peaceful setting and good facilities make it an ideal base for visits to more stupas at Satdhara, or to Udaigiri's rock-cut caves and die nearby Column of Heliodorus at Besnagar.Avid templo-philes with the luxury of dieir own vehicle may also be enticed

Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh

Shortly after NH-12 peels away from the main Bhopal—Hoshangabad road, 45km southeast of the state capital, a long line of boulders appears high on a scrub-covered ridge to the west. The hollows, overhangs and crevices eroded over the millennia from the crags of this malleable sandstone outcrop harbour one of the world's largest collections of prehistoric rock art. Discovered in 1957 by the archeologist Dr VS. Wankaner, BHIMBETKA (sunrise-sunset; free) is South Asia's equivalent of the cave complexes at Lascaux in southwest France and Altamira in Spain, or the rock paintings of aboriginal Australia. If you have your own

Practicalities at Datia in Madhya Pradesh

Datia, on the main Delhi-Murnbai train line, is most often visited as a day-trip from Jhansi, or as a break in the journey to Gwahor, 71km to the north west. Buses run from both cities every half hour and there are ten trains daily. If you're coming from Shivpuri, 97km west, you'll have to change buses at Karera. Tongas and cycle rickshaws ferry passengers into town from the small railway station, 2km southwest, while buses pull in at a lot on the south side of the centre. Bicycles can be hired at minimal cost from a shop on the corner

Detials of Madhya Pradesh

Hot, dusty MADHYA PRADESH is a vast landlocked expanse of scrub-covered hills, sun-parched plains and dense tree cover that accounts for one third of India's forests. Stretching from beyond the headwaters of the mighty River Narmada, at the borders of Orissa and Bihar, to the fringes of the Western Ghats, it's a transitional zone between (fre Gangetic lowlands in the north and the high dry Deccan plateau to the south. '. Despite its diverse array of exceptional attractions, ranging from ancient itemples and hilltop forts to superb, isolated wildlife reserves, Madhya Pradesh receives only a fraction of the tourist traffic that

Details of Southern UP: Bundelkhand

BUNDELKHAND - the area defined by the craggy Vindhya Mountains, which stretch across southern UP - was carved by the ninth-century Chandella Rajputs into a mighty kingdom that included Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh (see p.468).Today, it abounds in relics of the past - the colossal astrologically aligned fortress at Kalinjar that was the Chandella capital of Mahoba, the Vaishnavite pilgrimage centre of Chitrakut, and the fortified town of Jhansi, scene of epic nineteenth-century resistance to the British. However, the sheer harshness of the terrain, and the all but unbearable heat in the summer, make this the most difficult, if intriguing,

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

Details of Jhansi in Southern UP

Unless you harbour a passion for seventeenth-century forts, you'll find the rail-and road-junction town of JHANSI. located in an anomalous promontory of UP that thrusts south into Madhya Pradesh, unremittingly dull. Most visitors only stop long enough to catch a connecting bus to Khajuraho, 175km further southeast in Madhya Pradesh. Until 1742, Jhansi was a sleepy satellite village of the Bundela capital at nearby Orchha, 18km southeast. When the local raja died without a male heir in 1853, the British enacted the controversial Principle of Lapse to wrest control of the town from his widow. Four years later, resentment at this

Practicalities of Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh

Shivpuri can be reached by hourly buses from both Gwalior and Jhansi, 84km east, as well as from Datia (with a change at Karera). Tongas and more expensive unmetered auto-rickshaws are on hand at the bus stand in the middle of town to ferry visitors out to Shivpuri's hotels. The lakeside MPTDC Tourist Village (07492/23760), 3km from the bus stand, is peaceful with spacious and modern chalets decorated with aiwasi art, with attached bathrooms and a/c on request. Ideally, you should reserve at least five days in advance (through any MPTDC office). Vanasthali (17492/33(157) is the best of the basic

Practicalities to the Chitrakut in Uttar Pradesh

For, the few tourists in this region, Chitrakut serves as a centre for catching connecting buses and trains between Allahabad, Kalingar and Khajuraho. Long-distance transport connections are best made via Karbi. From the main Karbi Bus Stand numerous daily buses run to Allahabad (3-4hr), passing through Serai Akil, 15km from the Buddhist ruins of Kausambi, and also to historic Mahoba, a possible stopoff en route to Khajuraho. The railway station at Karbi has services to Allahabad and Mahoba, as well as Varanasi, 374km northeast (9hr). From the Satna Bus Stand in Chitrakut, buses head south into Madhya Pradesh; connecting buses

Practicalities to Maheshwar in Western Madhya Pradesh

Accommodation is limited to the Ahilya Trust Guest House, a charitable institution near the palace, and the handful of rudimentary dharamslialas around the small square behind the ghats. This, in part, explains why many visitors prefer to visit as a day-trip. All roads to Maheshwar are in a terrible state, so allow extra time for pothole negotiation if you are in a private car - the journey from Mandu can take up to four hours, and from lndore, ar least three. There is a shady car park in the fort area (Rs10)Just near the entrance to the museum. Buses also

Central Madhya Pradesh Bhopal

With well over a million inhabitants, BHOPAL, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, has a skyline of minarets jutting from tightly packed streets and sprawling from the eastern shores of a huge artificial lake. Yet to the west there are verdant hills hiding nouveau-riche suburbs and the more expensive hotels. Below them on Upper Lake, little fishing boats bob along the shore, while middle-class families get down to some serious pedalo action. In addition to the nineteenth-century mosques that bear witness to Bhopals enduring Muslim legacy, the packed bazaars of the walled old city are well worth a visit. Elsewhere, excellent archeological

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

The state archeological museum in Madhya Pradesh

Hidden away near Raj Bhavan, just south of Lower Lake, the modest, poorly labelled collection of ancient sculpture, bronzes and Moghul miniatures at the state archeological museum, or Rajkiya Satigrahalaya (Tues-Sat l0am-5pm), is only likely to inspire real enthusiasts. It you do end up here, among the more noteworthy exhibits in the main gallery are the second-century BC yakshis (female fertility figures), the standing Buddha in black granite and the fifth-century statue of Karttikeya, the Hindu god of war. The far wall in the last gallery holds a reproduction of the famous - but now badly damaged - Bagh frescoes,

Practicalities in Eastern Madhya Pradesh

Getting to Bheraghat under your own steam from Jabalpur involves picking up a tempo (Rs10). from the bus stand next to the museum. The 45-mmute Stop-and-start trip on a tempo can be excruciating; you need to clamber off when you see a row of cold drink and souvenir stalls lining a sharp left-hand bend in the main street. Auto rickshaws (Rs350 return) can be negotiated anywhere in Jabalpur, or a private taxi can be arranged in any of the hotels, at a rate of Rs500 for up to five people. The only other alternative is a tedious bicycle ride along

Nagpur Practicalities in Maharashtra

Nagpur's busy central mainline railway station, Nagpur junction, is a short auto-rickshaw ride from the main hotel and market districts along Central Ave. MSRTC buses pull in at the State bus stand, a further 1500m southeast of the railway station. Buses to and from Madhya Pradesh use the smaller MPSRTC bus stand, five minutes' walk south down the main road outside the station. The MTDC tourist o6fice (10am-6pm;3)0712/529325) opposite the Hardeo Hotel on Dr Munje Margi Road, can book other MTDC accommodation but will disappoint if you're seeking specific information relating to Nagpur. At the helpful MPTDC tourist office, on the

The chhatris at Orchha in Madhya Pradesh

A solemn row of pale brown weed-choked domes and spires, the riverside chhatris are Orchha's most melancholy ruins and a fitting place to end a tour of the village. The fourteen cenotaphs, memorials to Bundelkhand's former rulers, are best viewed from the narrow road bridge or, better still, from the boulders on the opposite bank, where you get the full effect of their reflection in the still waters of the Betwa.

Accommodation and eating in Eastern Madhya Pradesh

Most of Bandhavgarh s new and established hotels, all of which are in Tala, cater for travellers on a higher budget, and offer "jungle-plan" prices - all-inclusive 24hr deals including meals and two Jeep safaris per person. However, there are also a few budget lodges and mid-priced hotels. The only option for eating outside your hotel is at one of the friendly, cheap dhabas on the main road.

Crafts in Hyderabad

Crafts Leepakshi The AP state government emporium at Gun foundry on MG Road, stocks a wide range of handicrafts, including Bidri metalwork, jewellery and silks. Utkalika (Government of Orissa handicrafts), House no. 60-1 -67, between the Ravindra Bharati building and Hotel Ashoka, has a modest selection of silver filigree jewellery, hand-loom cloth, ikhattie-dye, Jagannath papier-mache. Figures and buffalo bore carvings. Cheneta Bhavan is a modem shopping complex a little south of the railway station, stuffed with hand-loom cloth shops from various states, including Tamil Nadu. Uttar Pradesh. Rajasthan. Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. For silks and saris, try Meena Bazaar. Pocfiampally

Northern Madhya Pradesh

The remoteness of the famous temples at Khajuraho. with their superbly tirved erotic sculptures, means that many visitors find themselves passing ptough a large tract of northern Madhya Pradesh. Few choose to linger in the region, however, preferring to return to the main Delhi-Agra artery or move onto Varanasi, Yet this much-trodden trail passes within striking distance of several other sights which are well worth taking time out to see. Foremost among them is the hill-fort at Gwalior. In addition to the immaculately restored palaces and ancient Hindu temples within the fort itself, the city also boasts, in extravagant European-style