India Travel

Trains

Note that most important trains to Varanasi stop at Moghul Sarai, requiring a change of trains or a connecting bus or taxi.

Agra to: Ahmedabad (1 weekly; 27hr 30min); Alwar (1 dally; 4hr); Btiopal (16-19 daily; 5hr 30min-9hr): Bhubaneshwar (1 daily; 39hr); Chennai (1-2 daily; 34hr-42hr); Delhi (15 daily; 2hr-4hr 15min); Gwalior (15-19 daily; 1hr 15min-2hr); Indore (1 daily; 14hr 25min); Jaipur (3 daily; 7hr); Jalgaon (3-4 daily; 14hr 20min-19hr); Jhansi (15-19 daily; 2hr 25min-5hr); Jodhpur (3 daily; 13hr); Kanpur (4 daily; 7hr): Kolkota (Calcutta) (1 daily; 30hr); Lucknow (3 daily: 7hr-8hr 30min); Mathura (12 daily; 1hr 30min-2hr); Mumbai (2 daily; 23hr 30min-27hr); Nainital (1 daily; 11 hi); Puri (1 daily; 40hr); Thimvananthapuram (1-2 daily; 50hr 30min-52hr 40min); Ujjain (2 daily; 14hr 30min-17hr 30mm); Varanasi (2 daily; 13hr 45min-16hr).

Varanasi to: Agra (2 daily; 15hr); Allahabad (6-8 daily; 2hr 30min-4hr); Ahmedabad (4 weekly; 43hr); Bhubaneshwar (3 weekly; 23hr; Calcutta (5-8 daily; 11-1 Bhr); Chennai (2 weekly; 36-42hr); Dehra Dun (2 daily; 20hr); Delhi (10 daily; 14-16hr); Gaya (6-8 daily; 3hr 30min-5hr]; Gorakhpur (4 daily; 5-1 ohr); Gwalior (1 daily;19hr); Haridwar (2 daily; 19hr); Jabalpur (7 daily; 8hr 30min-11 hr); Jalgaon (4 daily; 18-22hr); Jhansi (2 daily; 17-19hr); Kanpur (4 daily; 8-9hr): Lucknow (8 daily; 5-7hr); Mumbai (3 weekly; 30-33hr); New Jalpaiguri (3 daily; 12-17hr; Patna (2 daily, 5hr); Puri (3 weekly; 24hr); Ujjain (1 daily; 33hr).

Jhansi to: Agra (2 daily; 15hr); Calcutta (4 weekly; 23hr 25min); Chennai (5 daily; 28-38hr); Delhi (16-20 daily; 4hr 25min-9hr); Goa (1 daily; 35hr); Indore (1 daily; 10hr 45min); Khajuraho (4 daily; 7-8hr); Mumbai (4 daily; 19-23hr); Orchha (3 daily; 15mirt); Ujjain (2-3 daily; 8-Uhr). Lucknow to: Agra (3 daily; 8hr); Calcutta (5-6 daily; 21 hr 45min-28hr); Dehra Dun (2 daily; 14-18hr); Delhi (17 daily; 6hr 30min-9hr 45min); Gorakhpur (13 daily; 5hr); Haridwar (3 daily; 10-12hr); Kanpur (15 daily; Ihr); Mumbai (2 daily: 26hr 30min-30hr); Kulu (1 daily; 3hr 15min); Kathgodam for Nainital (1 daily: 9hr 15min); Patna (4 daily; 9hr); Sonauli (for Nepal; 8 daily; 10-12hr); Varanasi (2 daily; 13hr 45min-16hn.

Buses

Agra to: Delhi (hourly; 5-6hr); Fatehpur Sikri (every 25min; 1 hr—1 hr 30min); Gwalior (3 daily: 3hr 30min); Haridwar (2 daily; 10hr); Jaipur (every 15min; 5-6hr); Kanpur (1 daily; 10hr); Khajuraho (1 daily; 12hr); Lucknow (4 daily; 9hr 30min); Mathura (hourly; Ihr 30min); Nainital (1 daily; 10tir); Pushkar (2 daily;10hr).

Varanasi to: Allahabad (every 30mm; 2hr 30min);Delhi (1 nightly; 18hr); Gaya (4 daiiy; 6hr); Kanpur (7 daily; 10hr); Lucknow (frequent; 8hr); Patna (7 daily; 6hr); Varanasi (every 30min; 8hr). Jhansi to: Orchha (hourly; 30min). Lucknow to: Agra (2 daiiy; 10hr): Delhi (2 daily; 9hr); Haridwar (4 daily; 1Ghr); Kanpur (hourly; Ihr 15min); Nainital (4 daily; 10br).

Flights

Agra to: Delhi (4 weekly; 40min); Khajuraho (4 weekly; 40min); Varanasi (4 weekly; 2hr).

Varanasi to: Delhi (2 daily; 1 hr 15min-2hr 55min): Kathmandu (daily; 1 hr 10min); Khajuraho (daily; 40min); Patna (3 weekly; 45min).

Lucknow to; Calcutta (9 weekly; 2hr 20min-3hr 40min); Delhi (2-4 daily; Ihr); Mumbai (1-2 daily; 2hr-3hr 30mirt); Patna (3 weekly; 1 hr).

Regular buses link Kushinagar with Gorakhpur (2hr) and Varanasi (8hr). Shared taxis and Jeeps also travel to and from Gorakhpur, but are a lot less comfortable. The airport is closed to commercial flights. UP Tourism maintains a low-key office and information desk at the tourist bungalow, Pathik Niwas. Both the Government of India and UP Tourism run comprehensive tours of the whole “Buddhist Circuit” ofUttar Pradesh, which can be booked either at che tourist office in Kushinagar or in Delhi.

Accommodation is available in rooms for visiting pilgrims at some of the temples such as the Myanmar Buddhist emple (as donation) the Birla Dhammshala opposite, is similarly basic while the International Buddhist Guest House, opposite the Tibetan gompa, is poorly maintained but otherwise quiet and pleasant. The relatively expensive state-run tourist bungalow. Pathik Niuxts, has a/c rooms, luxury cottages called “American Huts” and a canteen-like restaurant. Food stalls at the Kasia crossing provide inexpensive snacks.

Set against a pastoral landscape, the small hamlet of KUSHINAGAR, 53km west of Gorakhpur, is revered as the site of Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana, his death and cremation that marked his final liberation from the cycles of death and rebirth. During the Buddha’s lifetime, Kushinara, as it was then called, was a small kingdom of the Mallas, surrounded by forest. It remained forgotten until the late nineteenth century when archeologists rediscovered the site, and began excavations - based on the writings of the seventh-century Chinese pilgrims, including Xuan Zhang.

Set in a leafy park in the heart of Kushinagar, the Nirvana Stupa, dated to the reign of Kumaragupta I (413-455 AD), was extensively rebuilt by Burmese Buddhists in 1927. Within the accompanying shrine lies a large gilded reclining Buddha, reconstructed from the remains of an earlier Malla image, and the surrounding area is strewn with stupas erected by pious pilgrims, as well as the ruins of four monasteries. At a crossing immediately southwest, excavations continue at the Mathakunwar shrine, where a stunning tenth-century blue schist Buddha has been unearthed. About 1.5km southeast of the main site -surrounded by fields of rice, wheat and cane - the crumbling bricks of the Ramabhar Stupa are thought to be the original Mukutabandhana Stupa erected to mark the spot of the Buddha’s cremation.

Today Kushinagar is rediscovering its roots as a centre of international Buddhism, and is home to many viharas (monasteries), including a Tibetan gompa devoted to Shakyamuni (the historical Buddha), a Burmese vihara, and temples from China and Japan. The strikingly simple Japanese Temple, built by Atago Isshin World Buddhist Cultural Association, consists of a single circular chamber housing a great golden image of the Buddha, softly lit through small, stained-glass windows. In May an annual festival - the Bukkha Mahotsav - is held in Kushinagar to celebrate the occasion of the Buddha Purnima.

Gorakhpur has a wide range of hotels from the budget-type near the station to the mid-range in the dull commercial hub around Golghar, lkm southwest. During the hot months, air-cooled or the more expensive a/c rooms are welcome, especially if you have just come down from the mountains. Cheap dhabos can be found in the vicinity of the station; a row of them stand outside the station gates. Elsewhere, the best eating new multi-cuisine Bobos restaurant in Golghar.

Bobina, Nepal Road. About 2km from the station: a tacky pastel-coloured and uniquely depressing museum of kitsch that may the familiar from your nightmares. Visit the lobby out of curiosity, then leave. Facilities include foreign exchange, a garden, restaurant and bar.

Elolra, opposite the railway station. One of the best of the station hotels, with a range of rooms including a/c and air-cooled. The best rooms are at the back, away from the station.

Ganges, Tarang Cinema crossing, towards Gorakhnath Temple. Pronounced gang-ez. one of Gorakhpur’s better hotels. All the mod cons, including two good restaurants and friendly staff. Shame about the decor but it’s no is in the more expensive hotels or the Golghar, worse than anywhere else in town.

Ganges Deluxe, Cinema Road. Golghar. Newish with all a/c rooms at same price.

Marina, Golghar. Tucked away behind the President Hotel in the same compound, this place is older, less ostentatious and more pleasant. Room service but no restaurant.

Retiring Rooms, railway station. Good value with a cheap dorm, ordinary and a/c rooms; recommended if you need to catch an early train.

Standard, Station Road. Reminiscent of station retiring rooms but good-value. Opposite the station gates.

Yark Inn, MP Building, Golghar. One of several similarly and reasonably priced establishments along this stretch.

There are three bus stands - the main Railway bus stand, 1km north of the centre, for buses from the Nepalese border at Sonauli and Kushinagar; the Kacheri bus stand, lkm southwest of the station, for services from Allahabad, Lucknow and Varanasi; and the main bus stand for Varanasi (6hr) and Nepal-Varanasi buses, at Pedleyganj, 2km southeast of the station.

Major daily trains servicing Gorakhpur include the fast Vaishali Express #2553 to Lucknow and Delhi (5.10pm) and the Gorakhpur-Dadar Express #1028 for Mumbai via Varanasi (5am); among trains to Varanasi (6hr) are the fast Kashi Express #1028 (5am) and the Chauri-Chaura Express #5004 (10.10pm). Station facilities include pleasant retiring rooms, a basic restaurant and a tourist information booth (theoretically Mon-Sat 9am-5pm but usually closed).

Rickshaws are the main means of transport, with few hotels more than lkm from the station. Car rental can be arranged through India Tours and Travels in the EUora Building, opposite the railway station; beware of ticket touts and poor service from most of the travel agents around here. The main GPO is in Golghar, to the southwest. The State Bank of India is on Bank Road; foreign-exchange facilities can also be found at some of the more expensive hotels.

GORAKHPUR. 230km north ofVaranasi, which rose to prominence as a way-station on a pilgrim route linking Kushinagar (the place of Buddha’s enlightenment) and Lumbini (his birthplace, across the border in Nepal), is now known primarily as a gateway to Nepal. It was named after the Shaivite yogi Gorakhnath. and holds a large ashram and temple dedicated to him. Tourists and pilgrims tend to hurry through, their departure hastened by the towns infamous flies and mosquitoes; if you do get stranded, there’s a bustling bazaar, adequate amenities and a few passable hotels.

From their vantage point at the northern extremity of the Kaimur Hills, the impressive sandstone battlements of CHUNAR overlook a bend in the Ganges before the river curves north to Varanasi, 22km away. Evidence of the earliest occupation of the site dates it from Vikramaditya of Ujjain in 56 BC. Chunar sandstone has been used for centuries, most famously in Ashokan pillars - highly polished for sheen and longevity - and is still quarried, leaving the surrounding hills ravaged in places.

The almost impregnable citadel, protected by massive Moghul ramparts, looks down onto the river, graced by a beautiful beach of silver sand during the dry season; the views at sunset are stunning. Akbar stormed the fortress in 1575. and it was presided over by the nawabs of Avadh until the British took it in 1764. Chunar is also associated with Warren Hastings, who took refuge here from a11 uprising in 1781; a large British graveyard lies near the western gate bv the river. The ramparts and huge gates aside, the buildings themselves are unremarkable, except for a picturesque pavilion, built as a gatehouse and now a pWD bungalow, it makes an atmospheric and inexpensive stopover (O-0), bookable through the PWD at Mizrapur or by a private arrangement with the choukidar (caretaker) who may also be able to arrange food.

The best way to get to Chunar is by local bus from, Godaulia to Chunar Ghat, 22km south, from where a pontoon bridge crosses to Balu Ghat, at the base o£ the fortress. During the rainy season, the bridge is dismantled and a ferry takes its place.

Few tourists visit the large dusty town of JAUNPUR, 65km northwest of Varanasi, and founded by Feroz Shah in 1360.The city flourished until a ruthless onslaught by Sikander Lodi spared only its remarkable mosques - built in a unique hybrid style, using the remains of previous Hindu and Buddhist structures - and later returned to prominence under the Moghuls.

The River Gomti, which bisects Jaunpur, is spanned by the massive sixteenth-century Akbari Bridge congested with hawkers and choked with traffic. Designed by an Afghan architect, the stone structure’s fifteen arches have withstood floods and earthquakes; at its southern end, a large sculpture of a lion tussling with an elephant doubles as a provincial milestone.

The older sector, north of the river, is the site of Feroz Shah’s original Port, whose stone walls still show traces of coloured and glazed-brick cladding, and the remnants of masonry from an earlier Hindu temple. Little remains of its towers, blown up by the British in 1857. Around 350m north of the bridge, Atala Mosque is the earliest and finest example of the architecture of the independent Sharqi dynasty. Built by Sultan Ibrahim Sharqi in 1408, and incorporating the remains of the temple of Atala Devi, it holds two-storeyed cloisters, large arches and an open-pillared veranda. Along with three handsome gateways, the most impressive feature of the mosque is the three pylons of the prayer hall’s central arch.

Less than lkm north, the ambitious Jami Masjid (Friday Mosque), built by Sultan Hussain Shah Sharqi (1458-79), sits on a high plinth. Approached by steep steps, its prayer hall has an imposing square chamber capped with a lofty dome, with remnants of Hindu structures embedded in the cloisters and walls. Around 6km northwest of Akbari Bridge, the squat Lai Darwaza Mosque, built around 1450 by Bibi Raji, the queen of Sultan Muhammad Shah (1436-58), is a cut-down version of Atala Mosque, with just one dome over its prayer hall and an almost square arch.

What basic accommodation and food is available is concentrated around the Fort. Most visitors come from Varanasi for the day: both trams and buses take two hours.

Sarnath is easily reached by road from Varanasi. Blue buses depart regularly from outside Varanasi Cantonment railway station and cost Rs4 but can get very crowded. Shared auto-rickshaws also run from the station for around Rs8 per person and are quicker and more comfortable. The main sites can be quite easily — and pleasantly - explored on foot; the so-called guides who linger outside the main gates and near the museum aren’t really necessary.

Close to the main gate, the UPTDC Tourist Bungalow has reasonable rooms and a dorm (Rs50). Some of the monasteries, such as the pleasant Burmese Vihara, north of the main site, have basic rooms where visitors can stay, for a donation. Right in front of the Mahabodhi Temple gates, the Birla Dharamsala, is a very central option.There are a few simple cafes and restaurants outside the main gates near the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara, and a rather institutional restaurant serving thalis at the Tourist Bungalow. Also at the Tourist Bungalow is the UP tourist bureau (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm).The main post office is opposite.

To the east of the Dhamekh Stupa, the lofty church-iike Mulagandha Kuti Vihara (free) was built in 1931 with donations from the international Buddhist community. Run bv the Mahabodhi Societv, it drew devotees from all over the world to witness its consecration, and has become one of Sarnath’s greatest attractions for pilgrims and tourists alike. The entrance foyer is dominated by a huge bell - a gift from Japan - and the interior houses a gilded reproduction of the museums famous image of the Buddha, surrounded by fresco-covered walls depicting scenes from his life.

A little way east, shielded by a small enclosure, Sarnath’s bodhi tree is an offshoot of the tree at Bodh Gaya, in Bihar, under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. Songsmith, Emperor Ashoka’s daughter, took a branch from the original tree in 288 BC and planted it in Anuradhapura, in Sri Lanka, where its offshoots have been nurtured through the ages.

Buddhist communities from other parts of the world are well represented in Sarnath. In addition to the long-established Mahabodhi Society, the Central Institute of Tibetan Studies, founded in 1967, offers degree courses in Tibetan philosophy and the ancient language of Pali. Close to the Tourist Bungalow is the traditional-sryle Tibetan Temple with frescoes and a good collection of thangkas (Tibetan Buddhist paintings): its central image is a colossal Shakyamuni, or “Buddha Calling the Earth to Witness” (his enlightenment).The Chinese Temple lies 200m east of the main gates; to the west, the Burmese Temple houses a white marble image of the Buddha flanked by two disciples. Behind the Tourist Bungalow are the Japanese Temple and the Thai Temple, the latter run by the Mrigdayavana Mahavihara Society.

The dilapidated brick remains of the Chaukhandi Stupa, 1km south of the main site, date from the Gupta period (300-700 AD), and are said to mark the spot where the Buddha was reunited with the Panchavargiya Bikshus, his five ascetic companions who had previously deserted him. Standing on a terraced rectangular plinth, the stupa is capped by an incongruous octagonal Moghul tower, built by Akbar m 1589 AD to commemorate his father’s visit to the site.