India Travel
Practicalities of Southern Orissa
The best place to stay on the lake is the excellent value Yatri Micas at Satapada on the coastal side, just 45km from Pun and linked by several daily buses. Some rooms have private balconies and the well-tended gardens run down to the lake; the restaurant prepares delicious thalis and fresh seafood if given advance notice. Rooms can be booked from Pun’s tourist office. There’s a cheap and accessible OTDC Panthaniwas (06810/57346), near the railway station at Rambha, 135km from Bhubaneswar, but it’s lacklustre and best avoided. The only plus is that it’s well placed for walks around the more scenic southern corner of the lake. The OTDC Panthaniwas (06756/20488) at Barkul, 34km north of Rambha, is a collection of shabby pink chalets, but rooms come with bath and mosquito nets (you won’t get a wink of sleep without one) and the food is reasonable. If you plan to visit between September and March, it is best to book ahead in the Bubaneswar OTDC tourist office. To get there, take a bus from Puri or Bhubaneswar cowards Berhampur and get off at Balugaon, where you can get an auto-rickshaw for the remaining 7km to Barkul.Alternatively, Gandhara Travels in Puri runs day-trips to Chilika on Mondays and Fridays for Rs100 per head.
OTDC motor launches, and rowing boats manned by local villagers, operate boat trips from Barkul and Satapada; prices are about Rs450 per hour for a seven-seater motor launch, or Rs650 ‘for a place in a twenty-seater boat if you don’t mind noisy crowds. The round trip to Kalijai island, the most popular option with domestic tourists, takes around two hours, while the bird sanctuary of Nalabana island takes four.The manager at the Barkul Panthaniwas can arrange scats. Rowing boats also depart from Rambha, though the fishermen who run them seem to be more intent on attending to their nets than ferrying passengers to the islands.
Related Properties from Gurgaon
Southern Orissa
Long stretches of dishevelled roadside settlements and rural stations along the National Highway do not inspire much excitement about the stretch of coast between Puri and Andhara Pradesh. However, there are a couple of scenic detours that may tempt you to break a long journey. Three hours south of the capital, at the foot of a barren, sea-facing spur of the Eastern Ghats - which creep up to the coast here - is India's largest salt-water lake. Chilika's main attractions are the one million or so migratory birds that nest here in winter, and leisurely boat trips to its islands.
The southern area in Madhya Pradesh
The southern area of the enclosure harbours some of Sanchi's most interesting temples. Pieces of burnt wood dug from the foundations of Temple 40 prove that the present apsicial-cnded chaitya was built on top of an earlier structure contemporary with the Mauryan Stupa 1. Temple 17 is a fine example of early Gupta architecture and the precursor of the classical Hindu design developed later in Orissa and Khajuraho. Its small, flat-roofed sanctum is entered via an open-sided porch held up by four finely carved pillars with lion capitals. Nearby, directly opposite the Great Stupa's southern entrance, the talislender pillars of
Baripada Practicalities in Orissa
Arriving in Baripada, buses pass the temple at the bottom of the broad main stfeet and then head up the hill to the bus stand and market. From here it's a five-minute walk to the most central hotels: the simple Bishram (06792/53535) and the HotelAmbika (06792/52557) are both shabby but adequate places with variously priced rooms, all with attached baths and frames for the much-needed mosquito nets. Baripada's best restaurant is on the ground floor of the Ambika. The surroundings look none too salubrious but they serve a good selection of Indian veg and non-veg and above-avei age Chinese dishes.
Parasumaresvara Mandir in Orissa
The best preserved and most beautiful of Bhubaneswar's early temples, the lavishly decorated Parasumaresvara Mandir stands in the shade of a large banyan tree just beyond the square, and was built around 650 AD. Art historians rave about this temple, which, with its plain, rectangular assembly hall (jagamohana), simple stepped roof and squat beehive-shaped tower (deul), typifies the predominant style of late seventh-century Orissa. Tn addition to the sheer quality of its exterior sculpture, Parasumaresvara is significant in marking the then-recent transition from Buddhism to Hinduism. The brahmin may point out panels depicting Lakulisha, the proselytizing Shaivite whose sect was
Chilika Lake in Southern Orissa
Were it not for its glass-like surface, CHILIKA LAKE, Asia's largest lagoon, could easily be mistaken for the sea. From its mud-fringed foreshore you can barely make out the narrow strip of marshy islands and sand-flats that separate the 1100-square-kilometre expanse of brackish water from the Bay of Bengal. Come here between December and February, though, and you'll see dozens of migratory bird species from as far afield as Siberia and Iran, including avocets, ruffs, pelicans, ospreys, flamingoes and rare cranes. Chital and black buck can also sometimes be spotted on the shore, and schools of Hide dolphins surround the
Around the town in Orissa
Capital Market, situated m a residential area along Janpath, is the place to buy typical Orissan handlooms, handicrafts and jewellery. All the material shops claim to be the official government outlet, so the prices for lengths of beautifully woven cloth and ready-made garments are very competitive. Tucked in a corner of Unit Two East, next to a large fast-food joint, is a treasure-trove of tribal and village crafts and jewellery and materials, all at bargain prices. Ask to look in the dusty cupboards and you may well stumble across an antique mask or two. Hidden away on the northwestern edge of
Cuttack Practicalities in Orissa
Cuttack's railway station lies east of the city centre, in the middle of the island. Buses in both directions turn west off NH5, which runs parallel with the railway line, towards the city bus stand. 2km further up Link Road. Hallway between the two, the run-down Arunodhya Market building houses the met- fectual OTDC tourist office (daily 10am-5pm; 0671/61225), which also has a counter at the railway station. The majority of the cheap hotels are near the silver bazaar in Choudury Bazaar but for a little more money you can get a much better deal. The OTDC Panthaniwas (0671/621867) on Buxi
Guruvayur Practicalities
Buses from Thrissur (40min) arrive at the main bus stand at the top end of E Nada Street, five minutes east of the temple. Accommodation is concentrated along this street; it's often packed to the gills with pilgrims, but the two KTDC hotels are usually good bets. The pilgrim-oriented KTDC Anjanam, near the entrance of the Krishna temple (0487/552408) has basic double rooms and a devotional atmosphere. The one-star deluxe, KTDC Nandanam, near the railway station (0487/556266), offers creature comforts and some rooms have a/c. The town is crammed with pure veg "meals" restaurants, and there's an Indian Coffee House
Practicalities Between of Kota and Bundi in Rajasthan
Buses run between Kota and Bundi (1hr) every half-hour, and cover the journey to Chittaurgarh (5hr) three times a day, two of them continuing to Udalpur; better still, jump on the 8.10am train from the station on the southern edge of town (only 3hr 30min). Coming from Chittaurgarh, you can avoid a long and tedious road journey by catching the 2.30pm train, which gets you in here at 6pm. Bundi is also connected by hourly buses to Ajmer (165km; 4hr),Jaipur (210km; 8hr) andjodhpur (11hr). For Pushkar, there are three daily direct buses (7hr 30min): Sawai Madhopur (for Ranthambore National Park)
Berhampur in Southern Orissa
BERHAMPUR is the last major Orissan town before Andhra Pradesh. There is little of tourist interest except perhaps the weavers' quarter around thetemple where the town's famous silk sans are still produced using traditional hand looms. Moving on is most people's priority. The mam bus routes from Berhampur are north to Bhubaneswar (4hr; the OTDC luxury bus leaves at 2.30pm); west past Taptapani (every 15min: Rsl5) towards Rayagada and Koraput; and east to Gopalpur-on-Sea. Private buses leave from the new bus stand, some way across town, while the state transport company works out of the more central bus stand in the
Simlipal National Park Accommodation in Orissa
Advance booking is officially required for all but one lodge, the Aranya Niwas, through the Field Director of Project Tiger, Banpada 757002, Mayurbhunj district, Orissa 06792/52593. It is not possible to pay for any accommodation using foreign currency or traveller's cheques. Where to go in Simlipal is largely dictated by the location of the lodges. There are six dotted around the park, but the best from the point of view of spotting wildlife is Chahala (83km from Banpada) - one of the maharaja's former hunting lodges, just inside the core zone near a salt-lick where animals congregate in the evemngs. As
Southern torana in Madhya Pradesh
Opening directly onto the ceremonial staircase, the southern torana was the Great Stupa's principal entrance, as is borne out by the proximity of the stump of Ashoka's original stone pillar. Over the years, some of the panels with the best sculpture have dropped off the gateway (and are now housed in the site museum), but those that remain on the three crossbeams are still in reasonable condition. A carved frieze on the middle architrave shows Ashoka, complete with royal retinue, visiting a stupa in a traditional show of veneration. On the reverse side, the scene switches to one of the
Practicalities to the Manipur in the Northeast
State buses arrive at the stand next to the Polo Ground and private buses at their individual offices, most of which are along MG Avenue, 200m north of Khwairamband Bazaar. Manipur's tourist office (Mon-Sat 9.30am—5pm, Oct-March 4.30pm; closed 2nd Sat of month is based at Hotel Imphal north of the palace on the main Dimapur road. The ITDC tourist office, on Jail Road (Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm), provides information and maps. The GPO (Mon-Sat 9am—5pm) is on Secretariat Road, at the southern end of the palace complex. Individual travellers can get permits endorsed at the Foreigners Registration Office, along from the GPO.
Bhuj Practicalities in Northern Gujarat
Transport connections to Bhuj made a swift recovery in the wake of the earthquake, with timetables resuming as normal. The airport, from where Indian Airlines and Jet Airways have one daily flight each to Mumbai, is 5km north of town and 15min by auto-rickshaw. Trains arrive at the railway station a little over 1 km north of town, from where rickshaws can take you anywhere in town. The conversion of the track from metre to broad gauge is expected to be complete in 2001, so that long-distance trains can reach Bhuj; currently there are only five daily passenger trains to
Simlipal National Park practicalities in Orissa
The park is open from November to mid-June (daily 6am-noon; visits extended to 2pm on prior arrangement 06792/52593), but the ideal visiting season ends in February. The majority of the ninety-odd tigers are supposed to hang out in the 845-acre "core zone" which is mostly out of bounds. There are two main entrances: one at joshipur in the west (convenient if you're driving from Calcutta, and close to most of the lodges), and one at Pithabata near Banpada on the eastern side. You have to pay a daily entry fee (Rs100 [RS10)]) plus Rs100 per vehicle and Rs100 camera charge).
The central group in Orissa
The compact central group, just of Lewis Road, beyond the museum and OTDC Panlhaniwai Hotel, includes some of Bhubaneswar's most celebrated temples. In order to see the oldest first, follow the footpath from the main road past the more recent Muktesvara Mandir and its adjacent water tank, as far as a small square lined with cold-drink stalls and souvenir shops.
Travel details of Southern Orissa
Trains Bhubaneswar to: Agra (1-2 daily; 29-37hr 30min); Balasore (10 daily; 4hr); Bangalore (2 weekly; 31lir); Berliampur (7 daily; 2hr 30min-3hr); Calcutta (6-3 daily; 8-13hr); Chennai (2-4 daily; 20hr 45min-26hr); Cochin (4 weekly: 36-38hr); Cuttack (11 daily; 30-55min); Delhi (3-4 daily; 25-43hr); Hyderabad (3 daily; 20-24hr): Mumbai (1 daily; 38hr); Puri (7 daily; 2-3hr); Varartasi (3 weekly; 23hr). Puri to: Agra (1 daily; 38hr 40min}; Balasore (5-6 daily; 4hr 30min-6rir); Bhubaneswar (5-6 daily; 1 hr 3Qmin-2hr); Calcutta (2 daily: 11hr 30min); Delhi (3 daily; 32-44hr); Varanasi (3 weekly; 22hr). Balasore to: Bhubaneswar (7-9 daily; 3hr 45min-6hr); Calcutta (6-8 daily; 4-Shr); Puri
Southern Andhra Pradesh
The further south you travel from the fertile lands watered by the great Krishna and Godavari rivers, the less hospitable the terrain becomes, especially in the rocky southwest of the state. For Hindus, the main attraction in southern Andhra Pradesh is the tenth-century Venkateshvara temple, outside Tirupati, the most popular Vishnu shrine in India, where several thousand pilgrims come each day to receive darshan. Puttaparthy, the home town of the spiritual leader Sai Baba, is the only other place in the region to attract significant numbers of visitors. Both Tirupati and Puttaparthy are closer to Bangalore in Karnataka and Chennai
Chitragupta Temple at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh
Beyond the platform, and similar to its southern neighbour, Jagadambi, the heavily (and in places clumsily) restored Chitragupta temple is unusual in being dedicated to Surya, the sun god. Once again its design emphasizes the mandapa, which here has large projecting balconies, rather than the main temple. Ornate depictions of hunting scenes, nymphs and dancing girls accompany processional friezes, while on the southern aspect a particularly vigorous ten-headed Vishnu embodies all his ten incarnations. Within the inner chamber, the fiery Surya rides a chariot driven by seven horses. The small and relatively insignificant temple in front of Chitragupta, also heavily restored
Southern Maharashtra
Most tourists heading south from Mumbai skip southern Maharashtra, but if you have a little time you can break up the journey and ease the burden of covering vast distances. Pune retains its Maratha character, in the old quarter at least, and also boasts a unique museum; some may also be attracted by its much-dended Osho Commune. Hill stations such as Matheran provide coolness, wooded walks and fine views, while the Konkan coast has little-visited beaches and forts that make a pleasant journey down to Goa. From Lonavala, you can get to see the earliest Buddhist rock-cut art in the