India Travel
Gorakhpur north of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh
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.
Related Properties from Gurgaon
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
Practicalities of Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh
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
Faizabad southwest of Ayodhya in the Uttar Pradesh
During the reign of Shuja-ud-Daula (1756-75), as the Moghul empire disintegrated. FAIZABAD, 6km southwest of Ayodhya, attracted craftsmen, artists and musicians from Delhi. However, the first capital of Avadh declined in tandem with the rise of Lucknow. Among the few monuments to survive is the lofty white marble Tomb of Bahu Begum, widow of Shuja-ud-Daula, close to the the nawab's own mausoleum. Faizabad's cantonment area is a legacy of British rule - caught up in the rebellion of 1857, it was thankfully spared the bloodshed seen in Kanpur and Lucknow. Cheap central accommodation can be found near the chowk in the
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
Travel details for Uttar Pradesh
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;
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
Practicalities to Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh
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
Sarnath, 10km north of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh
SARNATH, 10km north of Varanasi, is a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists, and has also become popular with day-trippers 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 and eating to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh
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
Moving on from Lucknow in the Central UP
Indian Airlines flights from Lucknow include daily flights to Varanasi, Mumbai and Calcutta via Patna, and several to Delhi. Indian Airlines have offices at Hotel Clarks Avadh, 8 Mahatma Gandhi Marg, and at the airport at Amausi (information). Sahara India Airlines, Sahara India Tower, 7 Kapoorthala Complex also fly to Mumbai, Varanasi and Delhi. By rail, the excellent all a/c Shatabdi Express #2003 goes to Delhi (Daily 3.20pm; 7hr); cheaper alternatives include the Gomti Express #2419 (daily except Tues; 5.25am, 8hr), and the slower overnight Lucknow Mail #4229 (10pm; 9hr 45min). The best choice to Agra is the Avadh Express #5063
Arrival, information and transport to the Lucknow in Central UP
From Amausi Airport, 16km south on the Kanpur Road, a taxi to the centre of Lucknow costs around Rsl50. Airport buses connect with flights. Lucknow s main Charbagh Railway Station (for computerized reservations), 4km southwest of the central hub of Hazratganj, is itself a remarkable building, with prominent chhatris above the entrance arcade and a roof inspired by chess pieces. Most buses, including those from Varanasi, Allahabad, Agra, Jhansi and Kanpur, arrive at the main Charbagh Bus Stand alongside, while some buses from the Nepal border at Sonauh and from Gorakhpur, Faizabad and Ayodhya pull in at the Kaisarbagh stand, near
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
Travel details in Delhi
Trains To Rajasthan: Abu Road (3-4 daily; 11hr 10min-14hr 15min); Ajmer (5-6 daily; 7hr 1 Omin-11 hr 5min); Bharatpur (5 daily; 2hr 50min-4hr 15min): Bikaner (3 daily; 1Ohr 20min-11hr 4Dmin): Chittaurgarti (2 daily: 16hr 30min); Jaipur (10-12 daily; 4hr 25min-11hr 35min); Jodfipur (2 daily; 10hr 55min-13hr 40min); Kota (7-9 daily; 4hr 40min-10hr 45min); Sawai Madhopur (7 daily; 5hr 15min-8hr 15min); Udaipur (2 daily: 15hr 10min-21hr 15min). To Uttar Pradesh: Agra (18-20 daily: Itir 55min-4br 40min); Allahabad (10-12 daily; 7-14tir), Delira Dun (2-3 daily; 5hr 25min-10hr 20min); GoraKhpur (4-5 daily; 13hr 30min-22hr 5fnin); Kanpur (18-22 daily; 4tir 25min-8hr 20min); Lucknow (5-6 daily;
Kushinagar west of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh
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
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
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
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.
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
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