India Travel

Practicalities Jasidih and Deogarh

Related Properties from Gurgaon

Jasidih and Deogarh

JASIDIH, a small industrial town 220km southeast of Patna on the main line to Calcutta, has started to attract travellers due to the international popularity of the ascetic Swarni Satyananda and his Rikhya Yoga Ashram, 12km from the centre. Note, however, that the ashram is open to the public only a few select days every year; visitors are expected to donate clothing and medicine. Yoga courses are run b his disciple Niranjan within the walls of the old fort at Monghyr, 60km to the north (nearest train station, Jamalpur) and 180km east of Patna. For information, write to Bihar Yoga

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

Ranchi and around

RANCHI, at the heart of the Chotanagpur plateau, is ugly and poor and it's hard to believe that it was once the summer capital of Bihar, full of tea-gardens. The only reason to come here is to visit one of its ashrams such as the extensive Yogoda Math Ashram. Several major trains - connecting with, among other places, Calcutta. Delhi Patna, Daltonganj, Dhanbad.Jasidih and Jamshedpur - either call at Ranchi station, near the southern end of the Main Road, or terminate at Hatia, 7km away. Indian Airlines has daily flights between Ranchi and Delhi, while there are twice-weekly flights (Tues &

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

Amaravati Practicalities

Amaravati Practicalities Theoretically buses run hourly from Vijayawada to Amaravati but the service seems to be unreliable, so it's best to take a bus to Guntur (every 15min; 45min-lhr), where you can pick up a connection to Amaravati (l hr-l hr 30min). Buses return to Guntur every half-hour. Organized boat tours run from the APTDC Knshnaveni Motel, next to the main bridge, on the south bank of the Krishna in Vijiyawada, to Amaravati and back for Rs50 when the river is high enough, not often in recent years. The excavated site and museum are roughly 1km from the bus stand. Trishaws

Practicalities in North Bengal

Bagdogra airport, 12km west of Siliguri and served by flights from Delhi, Calcutta and Guwahati, is connected not only with Siliguri itself, but also directly to Darjeeling as well as to Gangtok in Sikkim by helicopter.

Bhimbetka Practicalities in Madhya Pradesh

The only way of getting to the caves at Bhimbetka is by private vehicle or taxi. From Bhopal, take NH-12, and 7km after the market town of Obaidullaganj, take a left when you see a sign in Hindi with "3.2" written on it. Cross the railway line and the caves are 3km further on along the road. There's nowhere to eat or drink for miles around Bhimbetka, so bring a day's supply of food and water with you.

Practicalities to Kata East of Udaipur in Rajasthan

Kota's railway station is in the north of town, a few kilometres from the central bus stand. The tourist office (Mon-Sat 8am-6pm) is in the RTDC Chambal Hotel, Nayarpura, not far from the bus stand. Changing money is a time-consuming process. The State Bank of India on Aerodrome Circle will change travellers' cheques: other banks do not. The post office is on Station Road (Mon-Sat 6am-6pm).

Practicalities Khauldabad in Maharashtra

MSRTC buses pull in every half-hour or so at Rauza's small bus stand, a short walk west of the walls, en route between Aurangabad and the Ellora caves just down the hill. There is no accommodation in Khauldabad, so you should press on to Ellora or Aurangabad. If the prospect of eating in one of the sweet shops and chai stalls in Rauza's main bazaar doesn't appeal, you'll have to wait until you get to Ellora.

Practicalities to Ayodhya in the Uttar Pradesh

Though Ayodhya has a small railway station of its own, most visitors come for the day from busy Faizabad, on buses and auto-rickshaws from the station there. If you want to stay in Ayodhya, the tourist bungalow Hotel Saket, next to the station, has a dorm (Rs50) and a wide range of rooms, as well as a poorly managed restaurant. Alternatively, the Birla Dhararnsala, on the main road, has very decent and cheap accommodation in its "VIP" rooms. Ayodhya is a vegetarian town.

Practicalities to Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu

Tiruvannamalai is served by regular buses from Vellore, and by eleven daily services from Pondicherry. Coming from the coast, it's easiest to make your way there on one of the numerous buses from Tindivandum. The town bus stand is 2km north of the temple on the main road to Gingee. Haifa kilometre north of there, the railway station is on the line between Tirupati and Madurai, with a daily service in each direction. Amazingly, you can access the internet from Tiruvannamalai, at the Image Computer Centre, 52 Car St (daily 10am-10pm).

Paunar Practicalities in Maharashtra

Paunar can be reached by bus from either Nagpur (67km) or Wardha by jumping off at the old stone bridge near the ashram. Alternatively, you can walk the 3km from Sevagram. The path, a cart track that runs over the hill opposite the hospital crossroads, comes out in the roadside village lkm west of the Paunar ashram. As with Sevagram, it is possible to stay at Paunar in one of the visitors' rooms or dorms (donation). These are frequently booked up during conferences or seminars, so check when you arrive. Women are given preference if space is short. Meals, made from

Practicalities of Kausani in Uttaranchal

Kausani is well connected by bus to Almora and Ranikhet, and Bageshwar and Gwaldam further north. The tourist scene is growing and a number of new hotels and restaurants have sprung up in recent years to cater for the very seasonal demand. The fanciest place to eat is the Hill Queen, a mid-priced but very good-value multi-cuisine restaurant below the Anashakti Ashram. The owner also serves as the unofficial tourist officer and is a mine of information about the area. The new Ashok and Sunrise restaurants nearby serve inexpensive multi-cuisine dishes.

North of Leh: Nubra Valley Practicalities in Ladakh

Buses return to Leh from Diskit (Tues.Thurs, Fri & Sun; 6hr). Make sure you buy a ticket from the bus driver when he arrives from Leh the previous day otherwise you're unlikely to be let on. Buses stop on the main road by the prayer wheel where the road descends through the old quarter to the bazaar and once again on the new road to the bazaar. There's a bus to Sumur and Panamik on Thursday and Sunday. If you're not alone, hitching is a good alternative. You can usually get a lift with one of the slow military vehicles

Practicalities of Aizawl in the Northeast

Of the minibuses that run between central Aizawl and the suburbs, the most useful head from the top of town near the GPO and Zodin Square to Chandmari in the north - otherwise a tiring two-kilometre walk. The friendly and hospitable staff of the state tourist office, in the Chandmari district (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm), provide advice, information and transport, and can book tourist lodges throughout Mizoram - including the one here in Aizawl. The landmark post office is on Treasury Square. The State Bank of India has a foreign exchange counter but is somewhat reticent. Don't bank on ir.

Lonar Practicalities in Maharashtra

The easiest way to get to Lonar is by taxi from Aurangabad or jalgaon which from either costs around Rsl500 return for a day-trip or Rs2000 overnight. Otherwise, take the state bus either from Aurangabad to Jalna, then on to Sindkund Raja, and lastly change onto a bus for Lonar - though this takes five to eight hours. You can also go direct from Fardapur to Lonar on an early-morning bus. The only accommodation at Lonar itself is at the PWD Bungalow (O), where die MTDC rents out three rooms, though it may close down when their new resort opens -

Practicalities in Goa

Buses to and from Panjim stop every ten minutes or so at the stand opposite the Casa Sea Shell, in the middle of Candolim. A few head south here to the Fort Aguada Beach Resort terminus, from where services depart every thirty minutes for the capital via Nerul village; the rest all go direct to Panjim via Nerul bridge, immediately east of the junction, or else hasten north along the main drag to Calangute. Taxis can be located outside any of the major resort hotels listed below, or flagged down on the road. During the season, there is often a

Practicalities of Kumbakonam in Central Tamil Nadu

Kumbakonam's small railway station, in the southeast, 2km from the main bazaar, is well served by trains both north and south, and has a left-luggage office (24hr) and decent retiring rooms (Rs100). The hectic Moffussil (local) and Aringannar (long-distance) bus stands are opposite each other in the southeast of town, between the railway station and the Mahamakham tank. All the timetables are in Tamil, but there's a 24-hour enquiry office. Buses leave for Gangaikondacholapuram, Pondicherry, and Thanjavur every five to ten minutes, many via Darasuram. Frequent services run to Chennai, Trichy and several daily to Bangalore.

Practicalities for Daulatabad (Deogiri) in Maharashtra

If you're not on a guided tour, it's recommended that you hire a guide (Rs80) as the passages of the fort are pitch-black and hopelessly confusing otherwise. Although Daulatabad features on the MTDC guided tour of Ellora from Aurangabad (see p.796), you'll have more time to enjoy it by travelling there on one of the hourly shuttle buses between Aurangabad and the caves. From Daulatabad, it is easy to catch another bus onto Khuldabad and Ellora. The stop is directly opposite the main entrance to the fort, beside the string of chai and souvenir stalls and the good, small MTDC-run

Practicalities in Haryana and Punjab

The infrastructure of Anandpur Sahib underwent rapid development to cope with the high number ot visitors attending the tricentenary celebrations of the Khalsa in 1999 but accommodation is limited to the gurudwam, ITDC's new luxury hotel and further afield at the nearest town, Ropar. there's Puikcassia Tourist Complex, the Boat Club, (01881/22097), in pleasant riverside grounds 45km south on the Chandigarh-Mandi highway. Local buses run between Ropar and Anandpur Sahib, but there are plans for a new high-speed railway line between Anandpur Sahib, New Delhi and Chandigarh.