India Travel
City transport of the Varanasi in the Eastern UP
Cycle rickshaws are the easiest way to get around Varanasi, and often defy death and traffic jams by cycling up the wrong side of the road; a ride from Godaulia to Cantonment railway station costs Rs10-15. Auto-rickshaws should be faster but due to the volume of traffic are rarely quicker for short rides across town. Godaulia to the railway station should be Rs25. Taxis and an inadequate and overcrowded city bus system offer further options. Shared auto-rickshaws or tempos are a cheap and efficient alternative for the trip to Sarnath.
Related Properties from Gurgaon
The rest of the city of Varanasi in the Eastern
Varanasi holds a few other sites of interest, especially in the area south of Godaulia, just beyond Asi Ghat. The Durga Temple here, and the Bharat Kala Bhavan museum of Benares Hindu University (BHU) are easily accessible, while just across the river, Ramnagar and its impressive fort continue to play an important role in the life of the city.
Arrival, information and city transport in the Varanasi at Eastern UP
An airport bus (Rs25) connects with flights landing at Babatpur Airport, 22km northwest of the city, and goes to the Indian Airlines office, via the Government of India Tourist Office, both in the Cantonment area. Taxis charge around Rs20D-250 for the same journey. Varanasi lies on the main east-west axis between Delhi and Calcutta, and is actually served by two stations: Varanasi Cantonment in the town itself, and Mughal Sarai, 17km out of town. Varanasi Cantonment is the most conveniently located, but depending on where you are travelling from, you may find yourself using the Mughal Sarai line. There are retiring
Details of Eastern UP
Flowing beyond Allahabad across the plains of EASTERN UP, the Ganges turns sharply north at Chunar and traces a great arc through ancient Varanasi. Even before the Hindus declared this to be the most sacred spot on earth, it stood at the centre of die Buddhist universe, linked by trading routes from Rajgir in Bihar to Mathura near Delhi. It was on the outskirts of Varanasi, at the deer park at Sarnath, that the Buddha delivered his first sermon. North ofVaranasi, the much-travelled road to Nepal passes through the large administrative town of Gorakhpur, not far from Kushinagar, where the
Ramnagar in Varanasi at the Eastern UP
The residence of the Maharaja of Varanasi, Ramnagar Fort looks down upon the Ganges not far south of the Asi Ghat. The best views of the fortifications -especially impressive in late afternoon - are to be had from the other side of the river, which is reached by a road heading south from the BHU area and over a rickety pontoon bridge. During the monsoon the bridge is dismantled and replaced by a ferry, still preferable to the long main road that crosses the main Malaviya bridge in the north before heading down the eastern bank of the river. It
Eastern Andhra Pradesh
Perhaps India's least visited area, eastern Andhra Pradesh is sandwiched between the Bay of Bengal in the east and the red soil and high peaks of the Eastern Ghats in the north. Its one architectural attraction is the ancient Buddhist site of Amaravati, near the city of Vijayawada, whose sprinkling of historic temples is far overshadowed by impersonal, modern buildings. Some 350 km north, the major port of Vishakhapatnam is not as grim as it first seems, but it's not a place to linger long. For anyone with a strong desire to explore, however, pockets of natural beauty along the
Varanasi in the Eastern UP
The great Hindu city of VARANASI, also known as Banaras or Benares, stretches along the crescent of the River Ganges, its waterfront dominated by long flights of stone steps known as ghats, literally "landings", where thousands of pilgrims and residents come for their daily ritual ablutions. Known to the devout as Kashi, the Luminous - the City of Light, founded by Shiva -Varanasi is one of the oldest living cities in the world. It has maintained its religious life since the sixth century BC in one continuous tradition, in part by remaining outside the mainstream of political activity and historical
Practicalities of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh
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
Ramnagar in Eastern UP
The residence of the Maharaja of Varanasi, Ramnagar Fort looks down upon the Ganges not far south of the Asi Ghat. The best views of the fortifications -especially impressive in late afternoon - are to be had from the other side of the river, which is reached by a road heading south from the BHU area and over a rickety pontoon bridge. During the monsoon the bridge is dismantled and replaced by a ferry, still preferable to the long main road that crosses the main Malaviya bridge in the north before heading down the eastern bank of the river. It
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
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
Sarnath north of Varanasi at the Eastern UP
SARNATH, 10km north of Varanasi, is a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists, and has also become popular with day-tnppers from Varanasi who picnic among its ruins and parklands. It was in a quiet grove here, in the sixth century BC, that Siddhartha Gautama - who came to be known as the Buddha, the "Awakened One" - gave his first sermon, and set in morion die Wheel of Law, the Dhannachaha. During the rainy season, when the Buddha and his followers sought respite from their round of itinerant teaching, they would retire to Sarnath. Also known as Rishipatana, the place of
Accommodation to the Varanasi in the Eastern UP
Most of Varanasi's better and more expensive hotels lie on its peripheries, either in the leafy Cantonment area in the north or around Cantonment Station Road. However, to experience the full ambience of the city, you have to stay close to the ghats and the lanes of the old city. The little guesthouses here were geared towards budget-conscious travellers though increasingly they are offering more comfortable rooms and attracting custom away from the classier places, which have hit back by trying to get all hotels near the riverbank banned for environmental reasons. Generally speaking, the top floors of these buildings,
Moving on from Varanasi to the Eastern UP
Indian Airlines' daily flight to Kathmandu gets very heavily booked in winter; there are two daily flights to Delhi, one via Khajuraho and Agra and two to Mumbai. Sahara India Airlines fly daily from Varanasi to Delhi, and Patna, and from Patna to Lucknow and Mumbai. Allow at least ninety minutes from the Old City to the airport due to gridlock. Most of the super-fast trains on the main east-west line between Delhi and Calcutta such as the Rajdhani, bypass Varanasi but stop at Mughal Sarai, an arduous 45 minutes away by road or a short train ride. Varanasi station has
Moving on from Varanasi in Eastern UP
Indian Airlines' daily flight to Kathmandu gets very heavily booked in winter; there are two daily flights to Delhi, one via Khajuraho and Agra and two to Mumbai. Sahara India Airlines fly daily from Varanasi to Delhi, and Patna, and from Patna to Lucknow and Mumbai. Allow at least ninety minutes from the Old City to the airport due to gridlock. Most of the super-fast trains on the main east-west line between Delhi and Calcutta such as the Rajdhani, bypass Varanasi but stop at Mughal Sarai, an arduous 45 minutes away by road or a short train ride. Varanasi station has
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
Details of Uttar Pradesh
UTTAR PRADESH, "the Northern State", known as UP since the days of the United Provinces, under the Raj, is the heartland of Hinduism and Hindi, dominating the nation in culture, religion, language and politics. A vast steamy plain of the Ganges, its history is very much the history of India, and its temples and monuments - Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim - are among the most impressive in the country. Not far from Delhi, in the west of the state, Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, and deserted Fatehpur Sikri stand as poignant reminders of
Travel details to Bihar and Jharkhand
Trains Gaya to: Allahabad (4 daily; 4hr 20min-6hr 30min); Calcutta (6 daily 6-9hr); Dehra Dun (1 daily; 26hr); Delhi (9 daily; 12-15hr); Haridwar (1 daily; 23hr|; Kalka (1 daily; 27hr); Lucknow (3 daily; 10-13hr); Mughal Sarai (13 daily; 3-5hr); Mumbai (1 daily: 31 hr); Patna (4 daily; 2hr 30min); Puri (3 weekly; 17-40hr); Ranchi (3 daily; 8hr 20min); Sasaram (10 daily; 1-3hr); Varanasi (3 daily; 4hr-5hr 30min). Patna to: Agra (1 daily; 17hr 35min); Allahabad (8 daily; 6-8hr); Calcutta (6 daily; 7hr 30min-12hr); Chennai (2 weekly; 44hr); Delhi (8 daily; 12-24hr); Gaya (4 daily; 2hr 30min); Guwahati (3 daily: 21-26hr); Lucknow (3
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
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
Information of Varanasi in Eastern UP
The main UPTDC tourist office is at their Tourist Bungalow on Parade Komi) though their tourist information counter inside the railway station is far more efficient and on the ball - the boss, Uma Shankar, seems to regard the protection of tourists as a personal crusade. Both book accommodation and provide free maps. The shabby Bihar Government Tourist Office at Englishia Market, Slier Shah Suri Marg. Cantonment, is useful if you're heading east towards the Buddhist centres. The Government of India Tourist Office languishes in the leafy suburbs of the Cantonment, a long way from the main attractions of the old