India Travel
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 Express #5004 (10.10pm). Station facilities include pleasant retiring rooms, a basic restaurant and a tourist information booth (theoretically Mon-Sat 9am-5pm but usually closed).
Rickshaws are the main means of transport, with few hotels more than lkm from the station. Car rental can be arranged through India Tours and Travels in the EUora Building, opposite the railway station; beware of ticket touts and poor service from most of the travel agents around here. The main GPO is in Golghar, to the southwest. The State Bank of India is on Bank Road; foreign-exchange facilities can also be found at some of the more expensive hotels.
Related Properties from Gurgaon
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
Practicalities of Vrindavan in the Uttar Pradesh
Buses, shared tempos, and taxis run out to Vrindavan from Mathura for about Rs70 per head one way. Three local trains also cover the same route, leaving from Mathura Junction (6.30am, 3.40pm & 7.40pm) for the station in the south of Vrindavan (they return at 7.30am, 4.35pm & 8.05pm). Besides the numerous dhammshalas, several ashrams offer good-value accommodation at fixed rates, as well as food. Some are, however, open only to Indian pilgrims. Away from the centre, the Krishna Sadhak Seva Ashram on Gurukul Road, set in extensive grounds, is quiet and has comfortable suites; more central is the large,
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
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
Around Mathura of the Braj in the Uttar Pradesh
At the very heart of Braj, Mathura is the obvious base for peregrinations into the pastoral landscape associated with the adolescent Krishna, where the sacred temple-crowned hills of Govardhan, Barsana and Nandagaon stand in striking contrast to the prevailing flatness. Very little survives of its idyllic legendary forests, and only serious pilgrims would choose to walk rather than catch one of the numerous local buses.
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;
Practicalities of the Mathura in the Uttar Pradesh
The city's principal railway station lies southwest of the centre, around 4km from Holi Gate and the old city. It's on the main Delhi—Agra line, 1hr 45min from Delhi Nizamuddin on the fast Taj Express #2180, and only 50min short of Agra; Mathura is also served by several Delhi-Mumbai trains such as the Punjab Mail #2138 via Agra and the fast Kerala Express #2626; the Fashchim Express #2926 stops at Sawai Madhopur (for the wildlife park of Ranthambore) and Kota. Mathura has two bus stands; the Old Bus Stand, near Holi Gate, has hourly connections to Agra and serves Govardhan, 25km
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
Kanpur and around in the Central UP
The teeming metropolis of KANPUR, 438km east of Delhi and 190km west of Allahabad, is among the most polluted cities in the world, and most visitors are there solely for business. Kanpur has been a textile-manufacturing centre since its cotton mills were established in 1869, and together with its twin city, Lucknow, 76km northeast, it dominates the industrial heartland of Uttar Pradesh. Unlike other points along the Ganges, the riverside is of little significance; its ghats are run down, and only those at Bithur, 20km upstream, are worth exploring.
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
Chaukhandi Stupa in Sarnath at Uttar Pradesh
The dilapidated brick remains of the Chaukhandi Stupa, 1km south of the main site, date from the Gupta period (300-700 AD), and are said to mark the spot where the Buddha was reunited with the Panchavargiya Bikshus, his five ascetic companions who had previously deserted him. Standing on a terraced rectangular plinth, the stupa is capped by an incongruous octagonal Moghul tower, built by Akbar m 1589 AD to commemorate his father's visit to the site.
Crafts in Hyderabad
Crafts Leepakshi The AP state government emporium at Gun foundry on MG Road, stocks a wide range of handicrafts, including Bidri metalwork, jewellery and silks. Utkalika (Government of Orissa handicrafts), House no. 60-1 -67, between the Ravindra Bharati building and Hotel Ashoka, has a modest selection of silver filigree jewellery, hand-loom cloth, ikhattie-dye, Jagannath papier-mache. Figures and buffalo bore carvings. Cheneta Bhavan is a modem shopping complex a little south of the railway station, stuffed with hand-loom cloth shops from various states, including Tamil Nadu. Uttar Pradesh. Rajasthan. Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. For silks and saris, try Meena Bazaar. Pocfiampally
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 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;
Information of the Agra in the Uttar Pradesh
Agra has two tourist offices, one run by the Government of India, at 191 The Mall (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat 9am-1pm), and one run by UF Tourism, close to the darks Shimz, at 64 Taj Rd (same hours); there is also an information booth at Cantonment station. The Government of India office is better organized and provides information about other destinations, though both supply information on hotels and local sights, and details of tours that start and end at Agra Cantonment railway station.