India Travel

City transport and tours of Khajuraho in Madhy Pradesh

Related Properties from Gurgaon

Park practicalities: Madia at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh

The village of MAD LA, 24km southeast of Khajuraho near bridge across the picturesque River Ken, is the most convenient point of access to the park, and has the nearest accommodation. Giles' Tree House, booked through the Raja Cafe in Khajuraho, is a fairly professional operation and serves meais (order all food at least 4hr before leaving Khajuraho). You can sleep on the beautiful opal platform of the branches or camp by the riverbank below. Car hire (alsorom Raja Cafe) for the roundabout trip to the Tree House is Rs500. Madias more upmarket Ken River Lodge consists of comfortable modern mud

City transport and guided tours to the Lucknow in Central UP

Multi-seater tempos and Vikrams, their diesel engines sounding like hundreds of loud rattles, have more or less taken over from city buses, plying regular routes such as from Charbagh to the GPO, with depots at Janpath Market, Clarks Avadh Crossing and the Chowk. Adding to the chaos are legions of reasonably priced cycle rickshaws, more common than auto-rickshaws and charging around Rs5 from the station to Hazratganj. Cars can be rented from various operators, including Hotel Clarks Avadh, UP Tours at the Hotel Gomti, 6 Sapru Marg, and Aliza Tours Ltd, 4-A Saran Chambers, 5 Park Rd. Comprehensive daily city tours,

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

Satna at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh

Although the busy market town of SATNA, 125km east df Khajuraho, holds little or no interest for the traveller, its strategic position as the nearest railhead to Khajuraho and the awkwardness of some of the connections make it very likely that you will end up staying the night here. Adequate accommodation can be found in the vicinity of the railway station and the bus stand, 2km apart. Turn right onto the main road in front of the railway stationra reach the small, clean and friendly Hotel Paradise, five minutes' walk away cm Pannilal Chowk (07672/23666), and the nearby Hotel Pavan

City transport of Udaipur in Rajasthan

Rickshaws and taxis are the usual means of transport. Rickshaw prices are relatively high and it's worth renting a bicycle; try Heera Cycle Store, at 86 Gangaur Ghat Rd. whose rates are the lowest at Rs25 per day.The same firm also has a fleet of well-maintained Scooty 50cc mopeds (Rs200/day) and a couple of 150cc Vespa-style motorcycles (Rs250/day) - ideal for trips outside the city. RTDC, based at the tourist office, offers car rental and tours around the city (daily 8am-lpm; Rs74), and to Haldighati, Nathdwara and Eklingji (daily 2-7pm; RslO5). In addition, some of Udaipur's travel agencies - mostly located

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

Andhra Pradesh Guided tours

India Touring operates a number of guided tours. All times quoted below are when the tours set off from the Secunderabad office; pick-up time in Hyderabad is 45 min later. The better of the two city tours (daily 8am-5.15pm; Rs130) includes Husain Sagar, the Birla temple and planetarium, Qutb Shahi tombs (not Fri), Salar Jung Museum (not Fri), Charminar and Golconda. There are also shorter morning and afternoon city tours and one to Golconda Fort's sound and light show (daily 4.15-9.15pm); Rs 100 including entrance fee), which also drives past Hi-Tech City. Ramoji Film City, 35km south, also has its own

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

Arrival and information of Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh

The easiest way to get to Khajuraho is on one of the daily flights with Indian Airlines from Delhi (via Agra), or Varanasi. The local airport is 5km south of the main square of Khajuraho town; the taxi ride in costs Rs80. The two nearest railheads are at Jhansi to the northwest (see p.335), and Satna to the southeast; both are connected by bus. All buses terminate less than 1km southeast at the bus stand, within walking distance of most central hotels, or a cycle rickshaw will set you back Rs10, an auto-rickshaw Rsl5. Money can be changed at the State

Practicalities to the Jhansi Southern UP

Trains on both of the Central Railway branches that converge on Jhansi pull in at the station on the west side of town, near the Civil Lines area. Both of the two state tourist information kiosks on platform one are useless but MP Tourism's does give out leaflets on the .most up-to-date methods of transport on to Khajuraho. In town, the Regional Tourist Office, Hotel Veerangana, provides literature and information on Bundelkhand and the route to Khajuraho (Mon-Sat 10aim-5pm. closed every 2nd Sat). Jhansi is the most convenient main railway station for Khajuratio, Orchha and Deogarh. From the railway station, the

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

Devi Jagadambi at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh

North of Kandariya Mahadeva along the platform, the earlier Devi Jagadambi temple is a simpler structure, whose outer walls lack projecting balconies- Originally dedicated to Vishnu, its prominent mandapa is capped by a massive pyramidal roof. Three bhandas (belts) bind the jangha (body), adorned with exquisite and sensuous carvings; the erotica on the third is arguably the finest in Khajuraho. Vishnu appears throughout the panels, all decorated with sinuous figures of nymphs, gods and goddesses, some in amorous embrace. Some consider the image in the temple sanctum to be a standing Parvati, others argue that it is the black goddess

Varaha at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh

Just inside the complex is a small open mandapa pavilion built between the tenth and eleventh centuries, housing a huge, highly polished sandstone image of Vishnu as the boar - Varaha. Carved in low relief on its body, 674 figures in neat rows represent the major gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. Lord of the earth, water and heaven, the alert boar straddles Shesha the serpent, accompanied by what T. S. Burt conjectured must have been the most beautiful form of Prithvi, the earth goddess - all that remains are her feet, and a hand on the neck of

City transport in Delhi

In the absence of the underground metro system promised for 2004, Delhi's public transport remains ill-equipped to cope with the city's size and ever-increasing complexity. Roads have to support diverse and conflicting forms of transport and there aren't any motorways to connect the satellite communities that keep cropping up around the metropolis. A mammoth new road-building project to conscruct 34 new flyovers by 2004 to help ease the horrendous traffic jams has in the meantime caused further misery, especially ac rush hour. Buses and a few suburban trains carry most of the burden of public transport, though many visitots prefer

Packages and organized tours

Wrapping India up into a tidy package makes it less daunting and more comprehensible to many first-time tourists. A tour company can also shield you from the subcontinent's many little frustrations, enabling you to cover more ground than if you were going it alone. Of course, you'll have to be prebared to forgo independence and spontaneity, and accept that there will be only fleeting and predominantly mercenary encounters with local people. Tours of India work best when they focus on one region of the country, or when based on an activity or a special interest. A fairly standard bestseller list is

Around Jaipur in Rajasthan

Forts, palaces, temples and ruins from a thousand years of Kuchwaha history adorn the hills and valleys near Jaipur. The superb palaces of Amber provide the most obvious destination for a day-trip, but you can also visit Amber Fort - or Jaigarh - which crowns the hills to the north of the city, or travel south to search out the traditional potters, block printers and dyers of Sanganer. Organized tours visit Amber and Jaigarh in a day; Amber is accessible by public transport, and minibuses run to Sanganer.

Vishvanatha in the northeast corner of the enclosure at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh

Laid out along the same lines as Lakshmana, Vishvanatha, in the northeast corner of the enclosure - the third of the three main Western Group shrines – can be precisely dated to 1002 AD, as the work of the ruler Dhangadeva. Unlike some other temples at Khajuraho, which may have changed their presiding deities, Vishvanatha is most definitely a Shiva temple, as confirmed by the open mandapa pavilion in front of the main temple, where a monolithic seated Nandi waits obediently. Hundreds of small shikharas resembling miniature temples decorate the mandapa roof, sweeping up towards the climax of the main

Reaching Patna

Patna has three stations but all main-line train services arrive at Patna Junction, in the west of the city. Fraser Road (now Mazharul-Raq Path), immediately north of the station, is the main drag, with as much glamour as the state can muster - though even here you'll see rag pickers living on the pavement. Patna's airport lies 5km to the west, linked to town by taxis and indian Airlines buses. A few hundred meters west of the station, the chaotic Harding Park bus stand runs services to and from Gaya, Varanasi, and the Nepal border at Raxaul (gate 6). North

Practicalities of Dehra Dun in Uttaranchal

The railway station is on Gandhi Road, just south of the City Bus Stand and the post office, which is next to the Clock Tower in the centre of town. The State Bank of India, Convent Road (Mon-Fri 10am—2pm, Sat 10am-noon) changes travellers' cheques, as do several of the state banks that line Rajpur Road. Dehra Dun is the best place in the state for internet access as the region's only server is here; there's a cybercafe in the mall at 17 Rajpur Rd (daily 7.30am-11pm; Rs50/hr). The helpful Regional Tourist Office, at the GMVN Hotel Drona, 4 Gandhi Rd (Mon-Sat

Packages and organized tours

Wrapping India up into a tidy package makes it less daunting and more comprehensible for many first-time tourists. A tour company can also shield you from the subcontinent's many little frustrations, enabling you to cover more ground than if you were going it alone. Of course, you'll have to be prepared to forgo independence and spontaneity, and accept that there will be only fleeting and predominantly mercenary encounters with local people, " Tours of India work best when they focus on one region of the country, or when based on an activity or a special interest, A fairly