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Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh

Includes  Why Go? Gwalior...... 623 The spotlight doesn’t hit (MP) with quite Orchha...... 630 the same brilliance as it shines on more celebrated neigh- Khajuraho . . . . . 635 bouring states, so you can experience travel riches ranking Bhopal...... 645 with the best without that feeling of just following a tourist trail. Sanchi ...... 650 Khajuraho’s temples bristle with some of the finest stone ...... 659 carving in , their exquisite erotic sculptures a mere slice Mandu ...... 665 of the architectural wonders of a region exceedingly well ...... 673 endowed with palaces, forts, temples, mosques and stupas, Bandhavgarh most gloriously in the villages of Orchha and Mandu. Tigers Tiger Reserve. . . . 678 are the other big news here, and your chances of spotting a wild Royal Bengal in MP are as good as anywhere in India. Jagdalpur...... 683 Pilgrimage-cum-traveller havens such as and Omkareshwar on the are infused with the spiritual and chill-out vibes for which India is renowned, while the adventurous can foray into the tribal zones of Best Places to Eat Chhattisgarh, fascinatingly far removed from mainstream ¨¨Under the Mango Tree Indian culture. (p649) ¨¨Ahilya Fort (p671) When to Go ¨¨Sarafa Bazar (p661) Bhopal ¨¨Mediterra (p661) °C/°F Te mp Rainfall inches/mm 40/104 20/500 ¨¨Baghvan (p681) 16/400 ¨¨Silver Saloon (p627) 30/86 12/300 20/68 8/200 10/50 Best Places to 4/100 Sleep 0/32 0 J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨¨Kipling Camp (p677) ¨¨Orchha Home-Stay (p634) Nov–Feb The Apr–Jun Hot, but Jul–Sep Monsoon ¨¨Sarai at Toria (p645) most pleasant best chance of time, but places time to visit cen- spotting tigers; such as Chhattis- ¨¨Baghvan (p681) tral India, despite thin vegetation garh are at their ¨¨Salban (p677) chilly mornings. and few water most beautiful. sources. #\ #\ l a r i a r r n r e a d u y e y o a g a n e r e v i p r k l f p r t n r a n l s r i u # ÷ a a a l e a a u a a a s p t r l t d g d w i N V K P i i #\ r l e c a ) i # ÷ a a a r i S # ä t B H #\ n R - b a S n N

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