India Travel

Eating of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh

Related Properties from Gurgaon

The City of Ujjain in Western Madhya Pradesh

The Western Railway cuts straight through the centre of the city, forming a neat divide between the spacious and affluent residential suburbs to the south, and the more interesting, densely packed streets northwest of the station. Unless you spend all day wandering through the bazaar, sightseeing in Ujjain usually means treading the temple trail, with a brief foray south of the ghats to visit theVedha Shala observatory.

Ujjain in Western Madhya Pradesh

Down at the ghats, women flap wet sari's dry whilst their soapy children splash in the water, and sleepy pujaris ply their trade beneath the rows of orange and whitewashed riverside shrines. A mini-Varanasi this is not, but the temples rising behind the ghats are majestic at dusk, and with the ringing of bells and incense drifting around, this atmospheric place can feel timeless. Situated on the banks of the sacred River Shipra, UJJAIN, 55km north of Indore, is one of India's seven holiest cities. Like Haridwar, Nasik and Prayag (near Allahabad), it plays host every twelve years to the

Some history of Ujjain in Western Madhya Pradesh

Excavations north of Ujjain have yielded traces of settlement as far back as the eighth century BC. The ancient city was a major regional capital under the[vlaurvans (Ashok was governor here for a time during the reign of his father), when it was known as Avantika and lay on the main trade route that linked northern India with Mesopotamia and Egypt. According to Hindu mythology, Shiva later changed its name to Ujjaiyini, "He Who Conquers With Pride". to mark his victory over the demon king of Tripuri. Chandra Gupta II, renowned for his patronage of the arts, also ruled from

The Vedha Shalaof Ujjain in Western Madhya Pradesh

In addition to being a major religious centre, Ujjain was the birthplace of mathematical astronomy in India, research into the motion of the stars and planets having been carried out here since the time of Ashok. Later, Hindu astronomers fixed both the first meridian of longitude and the Tropic of Cancer here - the reason why Raja jai Singh of Jaipur, governor of Malwa under the Moghul emperor Mohammad Shah, chose it as the site for another of his surreal open-air observatories. Built in 1725, the Vedha Shala (daily mnrise-sunset; free) lies 1km southwest of the railway station, overlooking a

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.

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

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

The Gopal Mandir of Ujjain in Western Madhya Pradesh

Standing at the end of a chaotic market square, in the heart of the bazaar, the picturesque Gopal Mandir was erected by one of the Scindia ranis in the early nineteenth century. With its distinctive blend of Moghul domes, Moorish arches and lofty Hindu sanctuary tower, the temple makes a fine example of late Maratha architecture. Inside, the sanctum's silver-plated doors were placed here by Mahaji Scindia, who rescued them from Lahore after they had been carried off by Muslim looters. The shrine room itself, lined with marble, silver and Mother-of-pearl, contains icons of the presiding deity, Gopal (Ganesh), together

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

Travel details from Madhya Pradesh

Trains Bhopal to: Agra (16-20 daily; 5hr 30min-10hr); Chennai (3-5 daily; 23-32hr); Delhi (18-22 daily: 7hr 45min-15hr): Goa (1 daily; 30hr): Gwalior (17-22 daily: 4hr 15min-7hr); Indore (4-6 daily;5hr-8hr 15 min): Jabalpur (3-4 daily; 6-7hr); Jalgaon (2-3 daily; 7-9hr); Jhansi (22-26 daily: 3hr-5hr 40min); Manmad (lor Aurangabad; 7-10 daily; 9br-11hr30min); Mumbai (4 daily 14hr 55min-18hr); Nagpur (12-15 daily; 5hr 30min-9hr 30min); Pune (2-3 daily; 16-17hr|: Sanchi (2 daily; 45-55min): Ujjain (4-6 daily; 3hr-5hr|; Vidisha (3-4 daily; 40-50min). Gwalior to: Agra (23-26 daily; 1 hr 10min-2hr 20mm); Bhopal (19-24 daily; 3hr 40min-7hr); Calcutta (4 weekly; 22hr 30min-24hr 30min); Chennai (2-1 daily; 28-40hr]; Delhi

Eating of Madhya Pradesh

Restaurants in Bhopal's larger hotels serve uniformly spicy north Indian food with a few Continental and Chinese dishes thrown in for good measure; the strip-light-and-formica cafes opposite the bus stand do thalis and hot platefuls of siibzi, rice and dhal for next to nothing. For breakfast try the state's favourite food, poha — a light steamed rice dish served piping hot in newspaper from every street corner, followed by their famous katchor is (a tried snack stuffed with lentils) and a chai. Stalls in New Market serve big glasses of frothy fresh juice, and there are lots oi cheap fruit

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

Indore and around in Western Madhya Pradesh

INDORE, the second largest city- in Madhya Pradesh, is huge, modern, heavily industrialized, and generally dull. If you find yourself with time to kill en route to or from Mandu, 98km southwest, however, a couple of worthwhile sights he hidden among its tangle of ferroconcrete flyovers, expressways and crowded bazaars. Situated at the confluence of the Kham and Saraswati rivers, the city was for centuries merely an insignificant stopover on the pilgrimage trails to Omkareshwar and Ujjain. 55km north. In the eighteenth century, however, it became the capital of the Holkar dynasty, whose chief, Malhar Rao, had previously managed to scrounge

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,

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

Eating in Mumbai

In keeping with its cosmopolitan credentials, Mumbai (and Colaba above all) is crammed with interesting eating places, whether you fancy splashing out on a buffet lunch-with-a-view from a flashy five-star revolving restaurant, or simply tucking into piping-hot roti kebab by gaslight in the street.

Central Madhya Pradesh Arrival, information and city transport

Most of Bhopal's principal places of interest are so far apart that the best way of getting around has to be by metered auto-rickshaws, all of which sport smart interior upholstery and uniformed drivers (perhaps the reason for their slightly above average fares). Taxis can be found outside all of the top hotels, or else arranged through MPTDC. There's also a prepaid taxi and auto-rickshaw booth outside the station on Hamidia Road. MPTDC has helpful tourist information counters in the arrivals hall at the station (platform 1 exit), and on the fourth floor of the Gangotri Building on TT Nagar, New

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

The Mahakaleshwar Mandir and the Harsiddhi Mandir of Ujjain in Western Madhya Pradesh

Ujjain's chief landmark, the Mahakaleshwar Mandir, crowns a rise above the river, and is the logical place to start a tour of the town. Its gigantic saffron-painted sanctuary tower, a modern replacement for the one destroyed by Iltutmish in 1234, soars high above a complex of marble courtyards, water tanks and fountains, advertising the presence below of one of India's most powerful shivalingams. From the Mahakaleshwar Mandir, head west down the hill past the Rudra Sagar tank to another auspicious temple. Hindu mythology identifies the Harsiddhi Mandir as the spot where Parvati's elbow fell to earth while Shiva was carrying her

Eating in Western Madhya Pradesh

Eating out is popular among Indore's middle classes, so there are plenty of quality restaurants around the city centre to choose from. Most are located in the larger hotels, such as the Shreemaya and President, and serve the usual Indian and Chinese dishes. Thanks to the current "health food" craze, there are a couple of excellent pure-veg places as well, the classiest being Woodlands in the President. Cheaper food is available at the dingy dhabas and canteens around Sarawate bus stand. Stick to the ones doing a brisk trade, and you shouldn't go far wrong. Apsara, RNT Road. Popular, inexpensive family