Madhya Pradesh
In Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior is the state’s
northernmost city and a convenient entry point.
Gwalior’s landmark is its hilltop fort
which contains a fine museum and an ancient
temple, among, other monuments. 120 km from
Gwalior is the medieval city of Orchha with
exquisite palaces and cenotaphs. Built by an
11th century king of the Bundela dynasty, Orchha
is now a ghost city containing the remains of
what must have been once spectacularly lovely
monuments, and which combine Hindu and Muslim
architectural. traditions. Shivpuri, atop a
plateau, contains two picturesque lakes and
a national park that abounds in species of deer
and antelope. Khajuraho, an obscure village,
no more than a clearing in the jungle, now captures
world attention for its 22 temples built by
rulers of the Chandela dynasty. Each temple,
built of stone, is distinguished by carved spires
and walls, where the subjects range from aesthetic
depictions of major and minor deities and celestial
beings to a variety of erotic sculptures.
Bhopal
Bhopal, the capital of the state of Madhya
Pradesh, has grown around a large lake, the
ornamental newer part of the city being roughly
opposite the labyrinthine lanes of the old
town. Craft – notably velvet handbags
studded with stones, and lacy silverwork –
is practised in narrow alleyways that lead
off from domed mosques in the old city. Bharat
Bhavan is a showcase of Indian art, folk traditions,
sculpture and a centre for the performing
arts as well.
Bhimbetka, a few hours drive from Bhopal,
is the site for spectacular cave paintings.
Udaygiri, another excursion from Bhopal,
has notable cave sculptures of religious themes.
Sanchi is an unmatched repository of Buddhist
art and architecture. Located on a secluded
hill crowned by a group of stupas and gateways,
it occupies a unique position in the history
of Buddhism. Its stupas, chaityas, temples,
monasteries and gateways are embellished by
the most delicate carvings that depict various
incidents in the Buddha’s life as well
as important teachings. Good guide services,
an essential part of sightseeing in Sanchi,
are available here.
A 90 km drive from Indore takes one across
a narrow gorge, after the horizon widens abruptly,
to reveal the deserted city of Mandu. Built
as a testament of love by a Muslim ruler for
his Hindu queen, Mandu’s air of, serenity
and spaciousness offsets to perfection its
palaces, temple and mosque which lie scattered
over the 75 km of Mandu’s fortified
area. Most interesting of all is the imaginative
use that has been made of the surroundings.
Thus Jahaz Mahal or Ship Palace is actually
built in a pond on which it appears to float,
and Hindola Mahal or Swing Palace gives every
appearance of living up to its name.
Altitude: 572 metres.
Temperature (°C):
Summer: Max 47.7, Min 24.9
Winter: Max 24.5, Min 9.1
Best Season: October to March.
How to get there
Air: Indian Airlines connect Bhopal with
Bombay,Delhi,Gwalior,Indore & Raipur
Rail: Bhopal on the main line is connected
by rail to major cities in India.
Road: Good motorable roads connect Bhopal
to Bombay-789 km, Aurangabad-588 km, Ahmedabad-571
km, Agra-523 km, Delhi-728 km, Gwalior-422
km, Indore-187 km, Ujjain-189 km, Sanchi-46
km, Khajuraho-387 km, Mandu-290 km, Pachmarhi-210
km etc.
Bus Services: Regular bus services connect
Bhopal with Sanchi, Indore, Ujjain, Mandu
and Pachmarhi.
Places of interest
Taj-ul-Masjid (3 km)
Juma Masjid (5.5 km)
Moti Masjid (4.5 km)
Shaukat Mahal (4 km)
Bharat Bhawan and Roopankar
Shamla and Idgah Hills.
Chowk, Upper and Lower Lake (5.5 km)
Gandhi Bhavan, Van Vihar
Museums:
Birla Museum 0900 - 1700 Hrs. Closed on Mondays.
Central museum 1030 - 1700 Hrs. Closed on
Sundays.
State museum 1000 - 1700 Hrs. Closed on Mondays.
Tribal Research & Development Institute
1030 - 1700 Hrs. Closed on Sundays & Second
Saturdays.
Excursions:
Bhimbetka (40 km)
Bhojpur (28 km)
Chiklod (45 km)
Dhelwadi (62 km)
Islamnagar (11 km)
Neori (6 km)
Raisen (47 km)
Sanchi (46 km)
Vidisha (56 kms)
Ginnorgarh Fort (61 km)
Sanchi
Sanchi has the singular distinction of having
specimens of almost all kinds of Buddhist
architectural forms, stupas, chaityas, temples
and monasteries - the finest examples of Buddhist
creative art and sculpture in the country.
The architectural pieces and sculptures displayed
here include the Ashoka pillar and images
of Buddha and Kushan.
Altitude: 427 metres
Temparature (deg C):
Summer: Max 45, Min 25
Winter: Max 22.5, Min 10
Best season: October to March
How to get there
Air: Nearest airport is Bhopal (46 kms).
Rail: Sanchi lies on the Jhansi-Itarsi section
of the Central Railway. First class passengers
on mail and express trains can request for
a halt at Sanchi. However Bhopal is convenient
railhead.
Road: Good motorable roads connect Sanchi
to Bhopal (46 kms), Vidisha (10 kms) Indore
(232 kms) etc.
Local Transport: Taxis, Tongas & bicycles
are available for local sightseeing and excursion.
Places of Interest
Great Stupa No.1
Toranas or Gateways
Stupa No. 2
Stupa no. 3
Ashoka Pillar
Buddhist Vihara
Monasteries
Timing for the above monuments : 0900 - 1700
Hrs.
Archaeological Survey of India Museum.
Timing : 0900 - 1700 Hrs.
Excursions:
Andhara and Pipalilya (17.7 and 12 km)
Besnagar (12 km)
Gyaraspur (41 km)
Raisen Fort (23 km)
Sonari and Satdhara (10 km)
Udaigiri (13 km)
Gwalior
Gwalior is named after a legendary Saint Gwalipa
of 8th Century A.D. It is also sacred to the
memory of the heroic queen Rani of Jhansi
and Tatya Tope.
Area: 82 sq. km.
Altitude: 212 mts.
Temparature (°C): Max Min
Summer: Max 46, Min 21
Winter: Max 22, Min 6
Season: October to March
How to get there
Air: Regular Indian Airlines Services connect
Gwalior with Delhi, Bhopal, Indore, Bombay.
Rail: Gwalior is connected to all major cities
in India.
Road: Gwalior is well connected by good roads.
Certain important road distances are Agra
118 km, Bhopal 420 km, Delhi 318 km, Khajuraho
280 km, Sanchi 344 km, Shivpuri 112 km, Indore
486 km, Mumbai 1086 km.
Local Transport: City buses, Autorickshaws,
tongas, taxis.
Places of interest
The Cenotraphs, Man Singh Palace, Man Mandir
Palace, Gujari Mahal, Suraj Kund, Teli ka
Mandir, Sas Bahu ka Mandir, Rani Jhansi Memorial,
Tombs of Tansen and Ghaus Mohammad, Jai Vilas
Palace, Gandhi Park, Zoo Municipal Corporation
Museum, Jivaji Rao Scindia Museum.
Excursions
Tigra's Dam ( 23 km)
Pawaya (68 km)
Datia (68 km)
Orchha (120 km)
Shivpuri (112 km)
Chanderi (209 km)
NARWAR : Narwar 128 km from Gwalior and 56
km from Shivpuri. is the traditional capital
of Raja Nala. The place is mentioned as Nalpura
(Nala's town) in a number of medieval sanskrit
inscriptions. The Narwar Fort is 500 feet
above the surrounding country. Though it is
now in a dilapidated condition, yet judging
from the remains it seems likely that in the
flourishing days it might have been second
to the Gwalior Fort in magnificence. The architecture
of the remains is Rajput in style with flat
ceilings, fluted columns and arches. Near
the fort are the Jai Stambha, Sati monument,
Ladu ungalow, Chhip Mahal, Makardwaj Tal,
Kacheri mahal, Sikandar Lodi's Mosque, Jail
Kambha.
Orchha
Orchha had the distribution of being the capital
of one of the largest and most powerful kingdoms
of Central India. It was founded in the 16th
Century by the Bundela cheiftan Rudra Pratap.
Dotting the landscape are numerous shrines,
memorials and palaces each contributing to
the legend that is Orchha.
How to get there
Air: Nearest airport is Gwalior (120 km)
Rail: Nearest railhead is Jhansi (19 km)
Road: Orchha lies on the Jhansi - Khajuraho
road, Regular bus services connect Orchha
with Jhansi.
Places of interest
Jehangir Mahal
Raj Mahal
Raj Praveen Mahal
Ram Raja Temple
Chaturbhuj Temple
Laxmi Narayan Temple
Phool Bagh
Dinman Hardaul's Palace
Sunder Mahal
Cenotraphs
Shahid Smarak
Khajuraho
The capital of the Chandela Kings, Khajuraho
is famous for its magnificent temples dedicated
to Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and the Jain Tirthankaras.
These temples are built between 950 A.D. and
1050 A.D. The temples of Khajuraho represent
some of the most exquisite specimens in medieval
India, only 22 temples out of 85 now survive.
Temparature (°C)
Summer: Max 47 Min 21
Winter: Max 32 Min 4
Rainfall: 114 cm. (July-September)
Best Season: October to March.
How to get there
Air: Indian Airlines services connect Khajuraho
with Delhi.
Rail : Jhansi (175 Km.) and Satna (117 Km.)
are the two convinient railheads to visit
Khajuraho from Bombay, Delhi & Madras.
However Harpalpur (110 Km,) is the nearest
railhead to visit Khajuraho.
Road : Khajuraho is connected with major
tourist centres by good motorable roads. Some
important distances from Khajuraho are: Agra
(395 km), Allahabad (285 km), Bandhavgarh
(237 km), Bhopal (372 km) Chitrakoot (176
km), Delhi (590 km), Jabalpur (296 km) Lucknow
(267 km) and Varanasi (415 km)
Bus service : Direct bus services connect
Khajuraho with Panna, Satna, Rewa, Jabalpur,
Jhansi, Harpalpur, Mahoba, Bhopal, Indore
and Agra.
Places of Interest
The temples of Khajuraho are divided into
three geographical groups viz, Western, Eastern,
and Southern groups.
Western Group of Temples
Chausath Yogini Temple
Kandariya Mahadeo Temple
Devi Jagdamba Temple
Chitragupta Temple
Vishwanath Temple
Parvati Temple
Lakshmana Temple
Matangeshwara Temple
Eastern Group of Temples
Brahma Temple
Vamana Temple
Parsvanath Temple
Ghantai Temple
Southern Group of Temples
Dulhadeo Temple
Chaturbhuj Temple
Archaeological Museum
The museum has a collection of sculpture,
inscriptions and architectural objects
Timings: 1000-1700 hrs. Closed on Fridays
Excursions
Dhubela Museum : 64 km. Located on the bank
of the lake, the museum houses a wide variety
of Shakti Cult Sculpture. There are different
sections on garments, weapons and paintings.Timings
: 1000 -1700 hrs. Closed on Mondays and Gazetted
holidays.
Beni Sagar 11 km
Panna Diamond Mines 56 km
Panna National Park 60 km
Pandav Falls 35 km
Raigarh Palace 25 km
Raneh Falls 20 km
Ranguan Lake 25 km
Ajaygarh Fort 80 km
Kalingar Fort 125 km
Nachana 100 km
Indore
Situated on the banks of the river Saraswati
and Khan. Indore was planned and founded by
Rani Ahilyabai Holkar and derives its name
from the 18th century Indreshwar Temple. Indore
is a flourishing industrial city with a proud
past. Chief attraction is the Kanch Mandir
or Glass Temple of the Digamber Jains the
walls, floor and ceiling of which are lavishly
inlaid with glass and mother of pearl. Palaces
and cenotaphs of the former rulers are other
attractions.
Temperature (°C):
Summer: Max 40.5, Min 27
Winter: Max 30.4, Min 15
Rainfall: 110 cms (July to September)
Best Season: September to March.
How to get there
Air: Indore is linked directly with Ahmedabad,
Bhopal, Bombay, Delhi, Gwalior by Indian Airlines.
Vayudoot connects Indore to Bombay & Pune.
Continental Airlines operates flights from
Indore to Bhopal, Bombay and Raipur.
Rail: Indore is on Western Railway and is
connected to major cities of India.
Road: Indore is connected by good motorable
roads. Some important distances are:- Agra
605 kms, Ahmedabad 456 kms, Bhopal 187 kms,
Bombay 602 kms, Delhi 809 kms, Gwalior 486
kms, Khajuraho 574 kms, Maheshwar 90 kms,
Mandu 105 kms, Ujjain 53 kms etc.
Bus Service: Regular bus services connect
Indore with Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Bhopal,
Bombay, Gwalior, Mandu, Maheshwar, Sanchi,
Ujjain etc.
Places of interest
Chhatri Bagh (3.5 km)
Gita Bhavan (4.5 km)
Lalbaug Palace, Bada Ganapati
Juna Rajwada (1 km)
Kanchi Mandir or Hukumchands Temple (2.5 km)
Annapurna Temple
Kendriya Sangrahalaya (Museum and Art Gallery)
Timings: 1000-1700 hrs. Closed on Fridays
Excursions
Bagh Caves (153 km): There are 9 caves of
which only 5 have survived, Cave No. 4 known
as Rang Mahal is the most magnificent. Ujjain
(53 km): One of the seven sacred cities of
India. Situated on the banks of the river
Kshipra. The Mahakal temple dedicated to Lord
Shiva enshrining a Jyotirlinga is beleived
to be of great antiquity.
Mandu (99 km): Mandu has many historical monuments
like Jahaz Mahal, Hindola Mahal, Jama Masjid,
Asharfi Mahal, Baz Bahadur 's Palace &
Rani Rupmati's Pavilion.
MAHESHWAR (90 km): Situated on the banks of
river Narmada, This town was arlier known
as Maheshmati. It gained importance under
Rani Ahilya Bai Holkar who constructed many
temples and ghats on the banks of the Narmada.
OMKARESHWAR (77 km): It has numerous medieval
temples. Perhaps the most important is the
Shri Omkareshwar Mahadeo temple enshrining
one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of India. Accomodation
Facility available at Indore.
Ujjain
One of the oldest and holiest of Indian cities,
Ujjain is situated on the banks of river Shipra.
It is one of the venues of the Kumbh Mela.
Altitude: 492 mts.
Climate (°C):
Summer- Max. 40, Min. 20
Winter- Max. 28, Min. 10
Rainfall: 101 cms (July to September)
Best Season: September to March.
How to get there
Air: Nearest Airport Indore (53 km) is connected
to Bombay by Indian Airlines Continental Airways
also operates flights from Bombay to Indore.
Rail: Ujjain is a railway station on the
Western Railway.
Road: Good Motorable roads connect Ujjain
with Ahmedabad (402 kms), Bhopal (183 kms),
Bombay (655 kms), Delhi (774 kms), Gwalior
(451 kms), Indore (53 kms) and Khajuraho (570
kms) etc.
Bus Service: Regular bus services connect
Ujjain with Indore, Bhopal, Ratlam, Gwalior,
Mandu, Dhar, Kota and Omkareshwar etc.
Places of interest
Bharatahari Cave
Gopal Mandir, Jantar Mantar, Kailadah Palace,
Mahakali Temple, Sandipani Ashram, Shipra
Ghats.
Vikram University Museum: The museum has a
large collection of sculptures, inscriptions
& coins. Timings: 1100 to 1700 hours.
Dist. Archaeological Museum: The museum has
a collection of sculptures and inscriptions.
Timmings: 0800-1100 hours and 1400-1700 hours.
Excursions
Agar (66 kms) : An ancient archaeological
site.
Devas (37 kms) : Temple of Devji.
Maksi (39 kms) : Famous for Jain Temples.
Nagada (60 kms) : An industrial town with
ancient temples.
Kanha National Park
Kanha National Park in the Mandla District
spreads over 1,945 sq.km of dense sal forests,
interspersed with extensive meadows and trees
and clumps of wild bamboo. This area known
as Kipling Country' is where all the jungle
books of Rudyard Kipling were conceived.
Area: 1,945 sq.kms
Altitude: 600-900 metres
Temperature (deg C):
Summer- Max 40.6, Min 23.9
Winter- Max 23.9, Min 1.1
Rainfall: 152 cms
Best Season : April to June and November
to January
(The park is closed from July to Mid November
during monsoon)
How to get there
Air Nagpur (266 kms) is the nearest Airport
to visit Kanha National Park connected by
Indian Airlines flights with Bombay.
Rail: Jabalpur (169 km) is the convenient
rail head to visit Kanha.
Road: Kanha National Park is connected by
road with Jabalpur 175 km, Khajuraho 445 km,
Nagpur 266 km, Mukki 25 km, Raipur 219 km.
Within the park: Koshi - Kanha (9 kms), Kishi
- Katia (4 kms), Kishi - Mukki (32 kms). S.T.
Bus service: Route Timings Jabalpur-Kanha
0700,1100 hrs Kanha-Jabalpur 0700,1100 hrs
Local Transport: The Madhya Pradesh State
Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC) operates
a Jeep Service for vistors to go around in
the park. Booking can be made through the
Manager, MPSTDC, Log huts, Kisli. Wild Chalet
Resorts at village Mocha, Kanha can also arrange
for local sightseeing.
What to see
Wild life in the park:
The main attractions are Tiger, Bison, Gaur,
Sambar, Chital, Barasingha, Barking Deer,
Black Deer, Black Buck, Chousihgha, Nilgai,
Mouse Deer, Sloth Bear, Jackal Fox, Porcupine,
Hyaena, Jungle Cat, Python, Pea fowl, Hare,
Monkey, Mongoose, Tiger, Leapord etc. can
also be seen here.
Birds species in the park:
Storks, Teals, Pintails, Pond Herons, Egrets,
Peacock, Pea Fowl, Jungle Fowl, Spur Fowl,
Patridges, Quails, Ring Doves, Spotted Parakeets,
Green Pigeons, Rock Pigeons, Cuckoos, Papihas,
Rollers, Bee Eater, Hoopes, Drongos, Warblers,
King Fishers, Wood Peckers, Finches, Orioles,
Owls, Fly Catchers.
Museum (closed on Wednesdays)
There is a museum at kanha depicting attributes
and activities of the park and tribal culture.
TIMINGS FOR PARK EXCURSIONS
15 Nov to 15 Feb. Sunrise to 1200 and 1500
to Sunset
16 Feb to 30 Apr. Sunrise to 1200 and 1600
to Sunset
1 may to 30 June Sunrise to 1100 and 1700
to Sunset
Visitors are advised to reach the gate half
an hour in advance to complete the formalities
for entry into the park.
Bandavgarh-Nationalpark
The Bandhavgarh National Park lies in the
heart of the Vindhyan Mountain Range in central
India. Besides its enchanting landscape formed
by the Sal forest in the valleys and majestic
tree clad hills in the back-drop. It is famous
for a wide variety of wild-life and archaeological
remains of the Kalchuri period.
The park area is hilly and is dominated by
the majestic Bandhavgarh fort, built in 14th
century. The fort and the adjacent hills have
a large number of caves belonging to the pre-historic
period.
Area: 280 sq. kms.
Altitude: 400 to 810 metres.
Climate (°C):
Summer: Max 41.4, Min 26
Winter: Max 21.1, Min 9.6
Rainfall: 1174 mms.
Best Season: March to June.
The park is closed from July to Mid-November.
How to get there
Air : Khajurao (230 kms) is the most convenient
airport connected by Indian Airlines flights
with Agra, Delhi, Varansi.
Rail: The nearest railhead Umaria (30 kms)
is on the Katni-Bilaspur section of South-Eastern
Railway. Another convenient railhead Satna
(117 kms) is on the Bombay-Howrah main line
of the Central Railway. Road: Bandhavgarh
National Park is situated on the Satna-Umaria
& Rewa-Umaria highway. Some of the important
road distances are: Khajuraho (via Satna)
230 kms, Varanasi (via Rewa) 340 kms, Katni
75 kms, Rewa 115 kms, Umaria 30 kms, Kanha
250 kms etc.
Bus : S.T. Bus Services are available from
Rewa, Satna, Katni and Umaria.
What to see
Wildlife in the park
Tiger, Leopard, Bear, Bison, Chital, Sambhar,
Nilgai,Chinkara,Chowsingha,Barking deer, Wild
Pig, Hyaena, Porcupine.
Some of the bird species in the park
Peacock, Paradise fly catchers, Jungle Fowl,
Golden and Black headed Orioles, Yellow Ioras,
Red-vented Bulbuls, Blue Jays, Purple Sunbirds,
Green Barbets and Mynahs.
