A guide to heritage trips in Madhya Pradesh HERITAGE H eritage MADHYA M adhya PRADESH P TOP SIGHTS • FOOD • SHOPPING radesh All you need to know about Madhya Pradesh • Top historic destinations of Madhya Pradesh • Options for staying, eating and shopping • Everything you need to know while planning a trip • Tips on music, art, cuisine and festivals of the state WHY YOU CAN TRUST US... World’s Our job is to make amazing travel Leading experiences happen. We visit the places Travel we write about each and every edition. We Expert never take freebies for positive coverage, so 1ST EDITION Published January 2018 you can always rely on us to tell it like it is. Not for sale HERITAGE MADHYA PRADESH TOP SIGHTS • FOOD • SHOPPING This guide is researched and written by Supriya Sehgal Contents Need to Know ............................................................ 04 Best Trips Gwalior ............................................................................. 06 Orchha .............................................................................. 12 Khajuraho ......................................................................... 18 Bhopal ...............................................................................28 Sanchi ...............................................................................34 Mandu ...............................................................................38 Burhanpur ........................................................................44 Index ............................................................................48 Acknowledgements ....................................................50 4 PLAN YOUR TRIP NEED TO KNOW 5 Need to Know Quick Facts LANGUAGES has ample information. Brochures Hindi, English of all popular sightseeing places are available at MP Tourism counters MONEY at the airport and all private and ATMs of both nationalised and MPSTDC-run properties throughout private banks are available in all the state. major tourist towns. PRICE RaNGES PhoNE CONNEctIVITY Throughout this book, reviews use BSNL numbers do work in remote the price ranges given below. Rates areas where connectivity can drop. quoted don’t include seasonal Get a pre-paid SIM if you must stay pricing, taxes, unless otherwise connected. specified. INTERNET AccESS KEY to RatES Wi-fi is mostly available at hotels AccommoDatION & EatING in Bhopal, Indore, Khajuraho and Winter and the festive months offer the best time to visit MP ``` Above 5000 other major tourist cities. In some cases, wi-fi may be available only in `` 2000–5000 WHEN TO GO the lobby area or if paid for. ` below 2000 Oct–Feb The plains of Madhya Pradesh are best to travel during the winter. TOURIST INFORmatION ``` over 500 The head office of the Madhya Mar–Jun The four major national parks are best seen in the hotter months `` 200–500 of March–May. Wildlife enthusiasts often extend their visits until June end to Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation Ltd ` below 500 explore the ‘tiger hotspots’. (MPSTDC) is in Bhopal (Paryatan ABBREVIatIONS Bhawan, Bhadbhada Road; 9am– FIRST TIME IN MADHYA PRADESH 5pm; closed on Sundays, 2nd and s single rooms Advance Planning: Book air and train tickets in advance to avail of better 3rd Saturday and state holidays). d double rooms prices. Draw up a rough itinerary according to your travel interests, be it Their website www.mptourism.com ste suites safaris, pilgrimages or heritage tourism. Booking accommodation during peak season beforehand is sensible. Avail of good discounts during the non- Madhya Pradesh is safe to travel alone, but, as a peak period. Travelling Alone: precaution, arrive at your accommodation by 8pm (later for Bhopal HEALTH & SAFETY and Indore). The areas bordering Uttar Pradesh should be traversed before sunset. Hospitals: Carry your own specific medication if needed. Bhopal and Indore have good medical facilities, but the smaller towns may not be able to WHAT TO PACK handle complicated medical issues. In Bhopal there is the Bhopal Memorial Hospital & Research Centre (%755 2742212 – 16; Raisen Bypass Road, Expect hot and dry summers (40–420C) and intense winters (touching a Bhanpur). Bombay Hospital (%731 2558866; www.bombayhospitalindore. low of 10–150C), so plan clothing accordingly. Essentials should include com; Indore Ring Road) is Indore’s best general hospital. sunscreen, hats, caps and walking shoes that will withstand long treks through forts, a tryst with the jungles and quick trips to temples. 6 BEST TRIPS GWALIOR 7 1 Sights first Tirthankara, Adinath. Enter via the fort Gwalior Fort Man Singh Palace This majestic 8th-century hilltop fort overlooks Gwalior. Much of the This palace inside the fort has fort is now occupied by the Scindia unusually decorated monuments: School, established by Maharaja the outer walls include a frieze Madhavrao Scindia in 1897. A sound of yellow ducks, mosaic tiling of and light show is held nightly in elephants, tigers and crocodiles the amphitheatre. From the east, a in blue, yellow and green. Built by series of gates lead up to the fort. Tomar ruler Man Singh between At the bottom, the first gate is the 1486 and 1516, this is a fine example 17th-century Gwalior Gate (Alamgiri of early Hindu architecture. The Gate) that leads to the State counter has tickets for the ruins of Archaeological Museum. The next is Shah Jahan Palace, Karan Palace, GwalIOR Badalgarh, named after Badal Singh, and palaces northwest of the fort. Man Singh’s uncle. Further up is the Indian/foreigner `5/100, video `25; 15th-century Ganesh Gate. Nearby dawn–dusk is Kabutar Khana, a small pigeon Why Go? house, and a small Hindu temple Jai Vilas Palace & Museum Famous for its medieval hilltop fort described by Mughal emperor to the hermit Gwalipa, after whom The museum occupies some 35 Babur as ‘the pearl amongst fortresses in India’, Gwalior makes an both the fort and town are named. rooms of the Scindias’ opulent Chaturbhuj Mandir, a 9th-century Jai Vilas Palace, built by Maharaja interesting stop in Madhya Pradesh. The city also houses Jai Vilas Vishnu shrine comes before the Jayajirao in 1874 with the help of Palace, the historic seat of the Scindias, one of the famous royal next gate Hathiya Paur (Elephant prisoners from the fort. The convicts Gate) that is now the entrance to the were rewarded with the 12-year families of the region. palace grounds. job of weaving the hall carpet, one %751 2234557 Sound and light show of the largest in Asia. The Durbar Quick Facts English, Indian/foreigner, children Hall ceiling has two 12.5m-high, `130/300/60; English 7.30pm, Hindi 3.5-tonne chandeliers, each with GettiNG there & AROUND minimum 250km, plus `200 per day 6.30pm winter timings are an hour later 250 light bulbs. The rooms are filled driver allowance) and auto rickshaws Road: Road travel to Gwalior from Jain Rock Sculptures the northern cities is convenient. are available for hire. Ola cabs can An impressive set of sculptures Top Tip: City tour The Taj Express Highway up to be hired by downloading the app for (mid-15th century) are carved into commuting around the city. Gwalior Darshan: MP Tourism’s Agra has greatly reduced time for the rock between Urvai Gate and little yellow bus, Gwalior Darshan, travellers from Delhi. WheN TO visit the inner fort walls. They represent takes passengers on a full-day city the Tirthankaras (the 24 great Jain Within the city, cabs (`9–11 per km, Oct–Feb tour taking in all the main sights. teachers). There are more than %751 2340370; MP Tourism, Tansen 30 images, including a splendid Residency; adult/child `155/80 Top The 8th-century fort is Gwalior’s prime landmark 17m-high standing sculpture of the 8 BEST TRIPS DHARAMSALA & MCLEODGWALIOR GANJ 9 with cut-glass furniture, stuffed Sahastrabahu (Sas-Bahu) tigers and a ladies-only swimming Temples Top Tip: Mitawali-Padawali-Bateshwar temples pool with its own boat. The Mayan-like Sas-Bahu (a Use the village of Morena as the base to see the exquisite temples of Note: You have to enter the palace corruption of Sahastrabahu or Mitawali-Padawali-Bateshwar. The Bateshwar Temples are a group of 200 from the west. thousand-armed one) Temples, date temples dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu, possibly built between the 8th and Indian/foreigner `75/450, camera/video from the 9th to 11th centuries. The 10th centuries. Spread over 25 acres, the complex is a jigsaw of spires and `70/50; 10am–5.30pm Tue–Sun bigger temple is dedicated to Vishnu, sanctums. While many of the temples have stood the test of time, it is not and the smaller one is dedicated to difficult to spot ones that are ruined and fallen. It is no wonder that the site State Shiva. was once used by dacoits as a hideout as well. Archaeological Museum Entry free; dawn–dusk Drive a few kilometres ahead to see the towering bastions of the Padawali fortress, at the base of which stand a pair of lion sculptures as guards. This museum is within Gujari Teli ka Mandir A steep flight of steps takes you to the entrance of a Lord Shiva temple. Mahal, just through Gwalior Gate. Used as a drinks factory and coffee Turn your attention to the intricate carvings themed after the Ramayana, Built in the 15th century by Man shop by the British after the First Mahabharata and the Puranas – the details are stunning. Singh for his favourite rani, there’s War of Independence in 1857, this Mitawali, 40km from Gwalior, is home to the Chausath Yogini Temple and a large collection of Hindu and Jain 30m-high, 8th-century temple is the an inscription pegs it back to the 8th century AD. The moment you set eyes sculptures, including the famed oldest monument in the compound on it, the image of Delhi’s circular Sansad Bhawan (Parliament House) Salabhanjika (an exceptionally and makes for an interesting stop. comes to mind. Climb 100 steps to reach the temple, built in a circular style carved female figure), plus copies of Entry free; dawn–dusk with 64 (chausath) chambers and the main shrine dedicated to Shiva. the Bagh caves frescoes. Dawn–dusk Indian/foreigner `10/100, camera/video The villages near Morena are full of temples `50/200; 10am–5pm and architectural marvels Tomb of Tansen of Independence.