[car4me]

Hello Fauji,

Just finished reading the entire thread. Well written TL. Brought back some of my memories of Mandu, Indore and Maheshwar. The Khajurao pictures are very good. I feel like taking my Xylo out and going on another road trip.

Keep up friend!

[pravdr]

Originally Posted by Fauji

Day 2 - 25 Sep 2011 - Blessings and Bad roads!! (Pune - Shirdi - Manmad - Dhule -Maheshwar - Dhar)

Total Distance - 600 KMs
Departure time -6.30 AM
Arrival time - 9.30 PM
Road condition - Mixed
Breaks -Two hours in Shirdi. Half hour in Maheshwar.
Max speed - 130 KMPH (I never crossed this limit throughout the trip)
Best stretches - Yeola - Malegaon, Malegaon - Dhule, Sendhwa - Gujri

Attachment 829946

After good sleep, we got up early and wanted to get out of Pune before the traffic picks up on the road. We were able to leave the hotel by 6.30 AM. The hotel guys had arranged to clean the car at night. But the heavy overnight mist had drenched the car and I had to wipe the wind screen again in the morning.

HVK had recommended us to take the university road and then straight on to Nagar road and then to Shirdi. Being Sunday, there wasn’t much traffic in the morning. Even morning joggers were very few and reluctant to get up from their beds. Pune looked nice early in the morning with tree lined roads. We could easily get onto Ahmed Nagar road – some parts of which is still getting done up.

Leaving early, we hoped to reach Shirdi in three hours and that wasn’t to be. Traffic increased dramatically on the highway – trucks to Industries in Pune –Nagar belt who latch on to the right side of the road , pilgrims going to Shirdi on weekend and two wheelers – all delaying the drive.

Maneuvering the traffic and crossing Nagar took time. We heave a sigh of relief as we leave behind Nagar. But our joy is short-lived as we reach Rahuri beyond which the road is bad with many potholes – some of them quite deep – which reduce our speed drastically. We reached Shirdi at 10.30 AM and went to our regular parking slot in front of Gate No 4.

I had stuck “ARMY” sticker on the car after lot of deliberation and after hearing the views of fellow BHPians on a thread. I have never done this on any cars so far. After reading HVK’s story of getting detained by cops during his trip to Gwalior a year back, I felt this may be useful. The first instance of its utility was in Shirdi.

I park the car and the attendant comes close.

“Saab, aap fauji hai”

“haan”

“saab, apke liye, special entrance hai, usme jayiye, zaldi darshan hojayega”

“Sach?” I couldn't believe my ears as we were expecting to spend at least two hours in the queue being Sunday and I had never used this privilege in the last three visits.

“Haan, saab. Aap ka ID dikhayiye aur special entrance me jayiye”

" "

For the first time I was using my Fauji privilege in my life. Fortunately, I was carrying my ID.

We took Puja materials and joined the special darshan queue meant for NRIs – I don’t know why NRIs should get this benefit -, Faujis, Senior citizens etc. I showed my ID and bought the special darshan ticket by paying Rs 100 each.

We were ushered in from the special darshan gate and were also fortunate to enter the temple before 11.30 as the darshan gets closed during Aarthi around 12 Noon. We had good darshan of Baba and my wife was thrilled. We came out of the temple around 11.30.

Since we had not had any breakfast and had survived on Varrier biscuits and tea, “our stomachs were on E”. We decide to have early lunch in Shirdi and then proceed.

“Why not have Italian lunch”, my wife asks

“What? Italian in Shirdi??”

“Yeah, you remember there is Little Italy in Sun-N-Sand hotel we stayed last time?”

You have to grant to our wives to remember these kind of stuff!!

“OK” I agree (Can I say NO??)

We go to the hotel – a familiar place having stayed twice there – and get the chef to cook for us as we are the first customers. Food was excellent and now we start our long journey to Dhar.

We leave Shirdi around 12.30 PM and proceed towards Manmad. We check the road condition to Manmad in the hotel and the guys say it is good (I have not understood what they mean by “Good”). I take it with a pinch of salt and my fears come true as we leave Shirdi behind. Till Yeola toll gate, the road is bad after which it turns out to be good.

The monsoon has transformed these places lovely. We drive with green hills flanked on either sides at a distance. There is a rail track running parallel and we notice a goods train passing by. The bogies are painted in blue – thanks to railways to get rid of dull rusty colors – it presents a lovely scene with the hill in background. We stop and click.

The train and the hill

Attachment 829446

The hills of are different hues and shapes. Suddenly we see this unusual hill at a distance. It is stunning and looks like a huge Buddhist stupa. I am not sure what is this named. Even the locals were not of much help.

Is this a Hill or an ancient Stupa?

Attachment 829448

It turns out to be a pleasant drive as we reach Manmad and then to Malegaon. At Malegaon, we join NH 3 at the bye pass.

its not a stupa but its a volcanic plug very commonly seen in thane and nashik districts. they formed as the volcano was still simmering and was about to close. so you are seeing a geological wonder spanning many millenia. once upon a time the sahyadri ranges were active volcanoes and many such vents had lava flowing out.

nice to see fauji in action on this trip.

regards

praveen

[pravdr]

Originally Posted by Fauji

Finely sculptured balcony In Hindola Mahal
Attachment 830286

On the way back, we visit the Jami Masjid. A beautiful mosque with an interesting architecture. Unlike many mosques in India, this does not have any minarets and have domes like those in the Middle East countries. The symmetry of architectural elements makes this mosque elegant.

The elegant Jami Masjid - Notice the domes

Attachment 830357

Interior architecture of masjid

Attachment 830358

Eastern corner of Masjid

Attachment 830359

We miss out Hoshang Shah’s tomb and make a quick round of Ashrafi Mahal or Tower of victory. Another interesting story is that the sultan used to make his fat queens walk up the Mahal many times everyday to make them slim. Since the steps of the Mahal are slightly inclined, they had to put in extra effort which made them sweat. Interesting story indeed by our guide. So the original “Stepper” we all use in Gyms was invented in Mandu!!!

The Ashrafi Mahal - Notice the inclined steps

Attachment 830360

As we get into the car, i notice these huge fruits not seen anywhere before. I ask the guide what it is. He says it is Mandu Imli found in the forests!! I dare not experiment with it.

Mandu Imli

Attachment 830361

We now bid good bye to Mandu though there is many more monuments to see. We now head to Maheshwar through a different road via Dharmapur as directed by Mr. Suryawanshi and confirmed by our guide. Surprisingly, it is a newly laid cement road and goes on the edge of the hill providing us beautiful vistas of the valley. The last two KMs of the ghat road are bad but manageable after which we go through small village roads – excellent condition – to reach highway.

This is where the Google maps fail us and local knowledge comes to help. These village roads are not seen on google map at all.

Valley views as we go down the hill

Attachment 830362

Attachment 830363

Attachment 830364

Attachment 830365

For us Mandu was a refreshing change. Mandu in a way resembles Hampi without its boulders and fine temples. The ruins spread across large area requires many days for some one really serious in exploration. A minimum half day or atleast one day will help cover all the places.

Mandu is extremely beautiful during rains and immediately after the rains. The Malwa plateau is blessed with lot of greenery which is fortunately still intact. For those who want to stay in Mandu, there are two resorts by MP tourism. Summers will be really hot and the landscape turns brown. Staying for a night either in mandu or Dhar will also give a chance to see beautiful sunset from the Sunset point.

the fruit is called mandu ki imli its the fruit of baobab trees introduced to mandu by arb traders. it is dry like power but tastes like tamarind.

[Fauji]

Total Distance - 435 KMs
Departure time -9.15 AM (Khajuraho)
Arrival time - 8.45 PM (Banaras)
Road condition - Mixed
Breaks - After Rewa for tea (15 Mins)
Max speed - 110 KMPH on NH 75
Best stretches - Panna - Rewa and Katra - Allahabad and of course on NH 2
Worst - 15 KMs between Garh and Katra



We could not get up early today and thereby went our plans to see the eastern and southern group of temples. The previous day was quite tiring as we had left Sagar very early and had negotiated some bad roads. Then we were roaming around in afternoon sun – winter had still not set in – which possibly tired us out.

We bid good bye to Khajuraho after a good breakfast in Taj. The first signs of the road as we turn towards Rewa are positive. The condition of NH 75 is good and there is not much of traffic. Twenty KMs into the drive, we cross Ken river and start climbing the small ghat section of Panna reserve forest.

Panna national park with Ken river as lifeline



Bountiful rains has turned the forest green and we are hoping to see some animals on the road. The only animals we could spot were these langurs that were playing in water and sun bathing. The langurs were having a ball in water. One of them actually was sun bathing!! (this is a zoomed and cropped image and may not be very clear)

Langurs having ball in Ken river





We hear the sound of cascading water and see the board directing to Pandav falls. We had a long drive to go and did not want to waste time going into the forest to reach the falls. The stream which plunges 150 feet looks very serene in the middle of the greenery.

Waters from Ken about to drop off from the cliff



The road through the ghats was patchy but not bad at all. Once we cross the national park area, the road condition improves. We bye pass Rewa and enter the toll road. So far we have been enjoying reasonably good roads. It is around 11 and time to stop for a cup of tea. There is hardly any decent place to eat or drink on this road. However, as we cross Rewa, we notice a signage of “Kadamabari Resorts”. The building look good and freshly painted. I don’t see anything to justify “resort” as such. Brinda ask me to first check how good it is. I get down and is pleased to see a neat restaurant and clean toilet. We order tea.

Ravi Mishra in front of Kadamabari resorts




We are now in “Baghelkhand” and locals are speaking in Bagheli, a dialect of Hindi. I start talking to the manager of the “resort” Ravi Mishra who seems to be very polite.

“Aap yaha ka nahi lagte ho”

“Nahi, hum log Bangalore se hai”

“Kaha jaa rahe ho”

“Allahabad. Rasta kaisa hai”

“Teek hito hai Lekin kahi jagah karab hai”

“Lekin yeh to national highway hai”

“Arre saab, yeh to national highway nahi “NASHAAN HIGHWAY” hai!!! (“Nashaan” in Bagheli means “destroyed”)

i like the sense of humour of these guys!

I am skeptical of the road condition as I had heard of bad roads from Mangawan to Allahabad. Anyway, we do not have a choice. We continue and are relived that road has some pot holes was not that bad. We easily drive at good speed. Suddenly we see red colored leaves and dust all over. OMG, I am praying that the road is not bad again. We are now to drive through a stretch which is getting re-laid. Though there are no pot holes, we drive next fifteen KMs through undulating terrain with full of dust. This was between Garh and Katra. After Katra, the road turns good. We leave MP behind as we climbed down a small ghat on Kaimur ranges and onto the Gangetic plains of UP crossing Son River a major tributary of Ganga.

We reach Allahabad by 3.30 PM. Crossing Naini Bridge - one of the biggest cable stayed bridge - over Yamuna brings us into the city. We are hungry and think of eating something. The only place I remember from my first visit to Allahabad in early eighties – I was selected in the Services Selection Board here – is Civil lines.

Naini bridge over Yamuna







The agenda in Allahabad is to visit Prayag, Anand Bhavan and the famous Cathedral. We could now foresee what was in store as far as traffic is concerned. Narrow roads with all kinds of vehicles jostling for space with no discipline whatsoever seems to be the norm. I have to ask someone for direction and not prepared to take the Scorp on the road which is not wide enough.

I pull the vehicle onto the side on seeing someone who can answer my question. I get down from the car and go near him. He looks a pucca “Allahabadi”. Here is how the conversation goes – my first experience with eastern Uttar Pradesh

“Bhai Saab, civil line kaisa jana hai”

“Seedha jaake dhaine mudiye”

“Shukriya, Anand Bhavan ka rasta kaunsi hai”

“Kya hum ko gayide smajthye hai kya?”

“ Aisa nahi bhai saab, hum log naye hai….is liye”

“jaayiye jaayiye, ek gayide rakhlijiye!!”

Encounters of Eastern UP kind!!

Looking at the traffic and the chaos on the roads, we drop the idea of going anywhere except Prayag and Anand Bhavan. We have some biscuits and cup of tea and head to Prayag.

Prayag or Triveni sangam is one of the holiest places for Hindus. This is the place where Hindus come to immerse the ashes of the dead and perform “Shradh” or simply to take holy dips. The sacred Kumbha mela is held every 12 years on the banks of the Sangam.

The Kumbha mela grounds are vast. Due to rains, we could see collection of water at different places. As we drive towards the ghats we could see dirt all around. This place just stinks with no one caring for the cleanliness of the place. This in anyway do not stop the devout come in hordes for conducting rituals or to take holy dip. We could see bus loads of people from nearby or faraway villages getting down and moving towards the river. Some of them for immersing the ashes and do “Shradh” and others to take “holy bath”. Religion thrives in India whatever the liberals or rationalists say. We park the car and walk to the ghats. There are no steps here like in Banaras or possibly they are submerged. The ghats are nothing but a mess of mud.

The river is wide and we could actually see confluence of two rivers due to colour difference – Yamuna is gray and Ganga is lighter. The boat boys come running to us asking us whether we want to for boating in the river and see “sangam”. We book a boat and hop on to see what happens at sangam. You can see it in the pictures that follow.

Quiet flows the Gangamayya!!



A sadhu - a fake one - posing for pictures. You see many such fake ones who pose for pictures and take tip specially by the foriegners. We gave Rs 10 to this guy for posing for us! Look at the filth behind him on the ghat and the slush.



The afternoon sun in full glow. You can see Naini bridge in the background.



The rays of sun caressing the waters



The ghat with Allahabad fort in the background



Close up of fort - Built by Akbar but presently occupied by Army



This is the place where the confluence of rivers takes place and considered as the holiest of all places. Pandas are permanently stationed in these boats to facilitate rituals





Closer look at the piligrims performing rituals.





An young man is getting ready even as an old man completes his "Shradh" ceremony and holy dip. Beilief of generations! The government has built platform in the middle of river with safety handles to help the piligrims to stand safely and perform the rituals.



A family getting ready for rituals



A family going in a boat to "sangam" for immersion of ashes - old bridge in the background



After finishing Prayag, we rush to Anand Bhavan. We do not go around in detail but do whirlwind tour as it is already 5 PM and we do not want to get stuck in traffic. This is a beautiful and historic building and well maintained.

Anand Bhavan



We bid good bye to Allahabad. Now we have to reach NH 2 for which we drive 30 KMs through narrow roads - longest bye connection from a city to NH i think. The peak hour traffic has started to pick up. We make it to NH 2 as the sun has set in the horizon.

to be continued.....Banaras where death is celebration!!

[ninjatalli]

@Fauji Sir,
Beautiful travelougue, and an excellent narration style of yours. That is an extraordinary route to take to reach Banaras from Bangalore, and kudos to your wife to be able to give you company for such a strenous trip.

Awaiting your next leg eagerly. 5 stars don't do justice to this thread

Just one request - where is all the food info that was available only till Indore? MP & UP would have more delights for a foodie right?

[Fauji]

I missed out adding these pictures in my previous post

The rail bridge on Ganga




The confluence of Ganga and Yamuna with mythical Saraswathi not visible - This picture was taken from the bridge on the way out to Banaras

[Fauji]

Originally Posted by harimakesh

Fauji great photos of Khajureho temple complexes. What a civilization. What a rich heritage we as indians inherited. What a open minded society then it was?

Thanks Hari. You are correct. The society then was more open and as i mentioned somewhere Kama was never considered a taboo but a need - a purushartha. More than the erotic sculptures - which in anyway are there - the refinement of these sculptures are amazing.

Originally Posted by car4me

Hello Fauji,

Just finished reading the entire thread. Well written TL. Brought back some of my memories of Mandu, Indore and Maheshwar. The Khajurao pictures are very good. I feel like taking my Xylo out and going on another road trip.

Keep up friend!

Thank you sir. You should. But go either in Monsoon or immediately after it when Mandu is at its best.

Originally Posted by pravdr

the fruit is called mandu ki imli its the fruit of baobab trees introduced to mandu by arb traders. it is dry like power but tastes like tamarind.

Thanks Pravin bhai. Your TL in this area was also helpful to me. Yes, i got the same answer from the hawker. I dint dare to taste it though!! I am not sure any one has clicked the pictures of these trees in this area.

I got this information from web as well

Fichier:Mandu ki Imli.JPG - Wikipédia

Rural Development of India: Baobab: a Billion dollar tree to change the lives of rural India

Originally Posted by pravdr

its not a stupa but its a volcanic plug very commonly seen in thane and nashik districts. they formed as the volcano was still simmering and was about to close. so you are seeing a geological wonder spanning many millenia. once upon a time the sahyadri ranges were active volcanoes and many such vents had lava flowing out.

nice to see fauji in action on this trip.

regards

praveen

Thanks again. But the point is, being a geological wonder, it is still not a tourist attarction. can anyone trek to these places?

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

@Fauji Sir,
Beautiful travelougue, and an excellent narration style of yours. That is an extraordinary route to take to reach Banaras from Bangalore, and kudos to your wife to be able to give you company for such a strenous trip.

Awaiting your next leg eagerly. 5 stars don't do justice to this thread

Just one request - where is all the food info that was available only till Indore? MP & UP would have more delights for a foodie right?

Thank you sir.

In Khajuraho/Allahabad, we did not stop for longer time to explore. Yes, you will see lot of mouth watering stuff in Banaras including the famous pan

[Fauji]

The last 80 KMs on NH 2 or the historical GT Road was of mixed feeling. This was one of the longest roads in Asia once upon a time stretching all the way from Dacca to Kabul. At present, NH 2 is one of the busiest stretches of GQ. The road condition is good except for the last fifteen KMs before Banaras wherein the road is patchy.

What is irritating to drive on this road is the humongous traffic at the time we rode on. It was 6.15 PM when we hit the highway and we could see hordes of two wheelers occupying the left side of the road and the right side is the monopoly of the truckers. So we are left to maneuver between the two. In between you have “gai” and “bains” to take care of. We slowed down whenever we reached a town or village as the whole village seemed to be on the highway. Talk about population density and you have to see it in eastern UP.

We reach the start of the bye pass road to city around 7.45 PM. We are immediately greeted by a big pot hole. From there to go to our hotel which is in Assi ghat takes us another 45 minutes of driving through the worst traffic and narrow lanes.

We get a river facing room and drop dead after an excellent dinner. We want to take it leiseurely next day and get up late. We are to spend three days in Banaras instead of two as we had planned earlier as we skipped Lucknow at this stage. Fortunately, we could get the room for another day in the same hotel we had booked.

Looking at the chaotic traffic, I decide not to take out the Scorp for next three days while in City and go around either Cycle rickshaw or Auto rickshaw. The first thing is to get a guide. The hotel folks arrange one and Mukesh Tripathi joins us in our exploration of Banaras for next three days.

Banaras is an awesome city – captivating, challenging and endlessly fascinating. It overwhelms you. I am using the word Banaras instead of official name of Varanasi as this is what locals still call the city. Banaras was the reason for this whole road trip and we wanted to do it leiseurely at our own pace exploring ghats, mandirs, gullies, ruins, sarees, carpets and of course the cuisine.

This is one of the oldest living cities in the world – as old as Jerusalem, Athens and Beijing. It is the holiest of holy places for Hindus. I happened to read this quote from Padma Purana in a book on Banaras which symbolizes the city aptly.

“Making a pilgrimage in Banaras every day for a whole year, still she did not reach all sacred places. For in Banaras, there is a sacred place in every step”

Here are some glimpses of the city as we start our exploration!!

Chaos on the roads. You just live with it!



The narrow lanes or gullies which are a fascinating world in itself!!



People enjoying the morning cruise in Ganga



A typical morning scene on the ghats



Yoga by the river side!!



There are many babas in Banaras. Here is the Mouni baba!!



Vishwanath temple in Banaras Hindu University



Eternal flame at Mani Karnika Ghat



Salutation to Ganga mayya – Spectacular Gang Arati!!



Floating diyas on river



Ruins @ Sanchi




To be continued.....Sunset cruise on Ganga and spectacular Ganga Arati!

[pravdr]

Originally Posted by Fauji

Thanks Hari. You are correct. The society then was more open and as i mentioned somewhere Kama was never considered a taboo but a need - a purushartha. More than the erotic sculptures - which in anyway are there - the refinement of these sculptures are amazing.



Thank you sir. You should. But go either in Monsoon or immediately after it when Mandu is at its best.



Thanks Pravin bhai. Your TL in this area was also helpful to me. Yes, i got the same answer from the hawker. I dint dare to taste it though!! I am not sure any one has clicked the pictures of these trees in this area.

I got this information from web as well

Fichier:Mandu ki Imli.JPG - Wikipédia

Rural Development of India: Baobab: a Billion dollar tree to change the lives of rural India



Thanks again. But the point is, being a geological wonder, it is still not a tourist attarction. can anyone trek to these places?

well many wonders in india go unnoticed.if it was in europe they would have marketed it and made a mountain out of a molehill pun intended

praveen



Thank you sir.

In Khajuraho/Allahabad, we did not stop for longer time to explore. Yes, you will see lot of mouth watering stuff in Banaras including the famous pan

Originally Posted by pravdr

its not a stupa but its a volcanic plug very commonly seen in thane and nashik districts. they formed as the volcano was still simmering and was about to close. so you are seeing a geological wonder spanning many millenia. once upon a time the sahyadri ranges were active volcanoes and many such vents had lava flowing out.

nice to see fauji in action on this trip.

regards

praveen

well many wonders in india go unnoticed. if it was in europe they would have created a big marvel out of these volcanic plugs. literarily making mountain out of a molehill.

most of these plugs have never been summited.a few of them have been at great risk.lot of beehives in the last part.

a famous award winning movie featuring these mythical mountains was made starring smita patil and mohan agashe named "jait re jait" in marathi. translated means victory is finally ours.

you can also see these famous plugs in nagar district malshej ghat area.other famous plugs are those at karnala panvel maharshtra.

at the base of vindhya mountains in dhule after palasner before sendhwa ghat begins is the resident dity of vindhya mountains known as vindhyawasini i hope you noticed thatvtemple before sendhwa.

there are many mountaintop shrines in dhule district.some are really high.

before indore at mhow there is a shrine to parshuram which i have not been able to locate so far di you?

regards

praveen

[pravdr]

Originally Posted by Fauji

Day 3 - 26 Sep 2011 - Magical Mandu and Marvellous Maheshwar (Dhar - Mandu - Maheshwar - Indore)

Total Distance - 210 KMs
Departure time -10.30 AM (Dhar)
Arrival time - 6.30 PM (Indore)
Road condition - Very good expect for few Kms on Mandu ghat and before Dhamnod.
Breaks -Only for sight seeing in Mandu and Maheswar. No lunch break.
Max speed - 130 KMPH (I never crossed this limit throughout the trip)
Best stretches - Dhamnod - Rau (NH 3), Dhamnod - Maheshwar

This Google map does not show the road we took from Mandu to Maheshwar via Dharmapur

Attachment 830283

This was to be a leiseurely day as we planned to cover Mandu, Maheshwar and Omkareshwar. We left the palace after breakfast and were on the road at 10.30 AM.

Before we started, I had a detailed discussion with Mr. Suryawanshi on the route to be taken to Maheshwar from Mandu. I did not want to drive on the same road we did on the previous day, though it is supposed to be very picturesque after rains. He suggested taking another road from Mandu, the road which goes down the hill from the other side joining the Highway. He said except for two – three KMs of bad stretch, rest is fine. That was good information and it is easier to manage three KMs of bad road than 60 KMs.

We also keep Omkareshwar "Tentative" depending on the time we get aftre Maheshwar which should also leave us to explore the famous food streets of Indore!

The palace being on the highway and on the outskirts of Dhar helped. We did not have to go through the town. The road from palace to Mandu was surprisingly good as this must be the route taken by most tourists coming from Indore.

After fifteen KMs we see a sort of picnic spot with some locals. I could see a huge gorge. I asked the local guy and he said it is called “SUSIDE POINT”. I get down to see what it is all about. I get zapped to see fantastic valley and a nice waterfall. I ask my wife to get out of the car and get her Nikon. The valley looks beautiful and the gorge really deep. There wasn’t much of water in falls – must be a beautiful sight when it rains – but still looked charming. I can now understand why the locals call this SUSIDE POINT!!

VAlley view @ suside point

Attachment 830229

The water falls @ Suside point

Attachment 830230

As we climbed to Mandu, we could see the whole place turn green. I have pleasant memories of Mandu when I visited after rains in year 1986 while posted in MHOW. I always loved to go to the place after rains as it turns magical. Greenery is soothing and with broken fort walls and gates thrown in between it gives a magical look.

Mandu or MANDAVA as it was known in medieval times was the largest fortified city in the country those days. Mandu is a huge, crumbling collection of old buildings from the 15th and 16th centuries, sitting on top of a large, flat mountain, surrounded on all sides by steep sloping sides and rugged hairpin roads. It is steeped in atmosphere and history.

Without giving too much of history – which one can get from Wiki – the place today is well preserved by Archeological survey of India. In fact ASI has published an excellent monograph on the place. One can comfortably spend a day exploring the various monuments in the place. The place still retains its rustic rural charm and is not crowded unlike many of our monuments.

We take a guide as soon as we reached the town. Though the town is well signaged, I always feel it is good to have a guide with you so that do don’t have to struggle for directions. Also important is to set expectation clear to guides how much time you can spare to see the place. Guides are garrulous and we need to keep a check on them.

Our first stop is at the Echo point. There are two buildings opposite to each other very far from the road at the dge of the hill. . Echo Point is named so because, situated next to a steep hill, the scenic place gets this name from the natural echo phenomenon here.

You stand on the road at a designated point and shout and it gets echoed in it building on the right!! We shout and it works….like the way it does in Golconda or Bijapur. More than the echo part, we loved the setting of these mausoleums in the middle of greenery.

The mausoleaum @ Echo point

Attachment 830231

We drive along the road watching many ruins at distance. Then this vast expanse of water set amidst greenery – Sagar Talab. The good monsoon has filled the tank to the brim. It looks lovely and the tank is also used for boating and we could see some honeymooning couples paddling away in the waters!!

The serene Sagar talab

Attachment 830241

Roopmati pavilion look imposing from a distance. Built on the highest point of Mandu, with "Open to sky cupolas" it has excellent views of the valley in all directions. Rani Roopmati, the consort of Baz Bahadur lived here and balladeers of Malwa have many stories of romance between them. It is a simple construction with cupolas in the corners.

Roopmati Pavillion from a distance

Attachment 830232

Roopmati Pavillion
Attachment 830237

Esatern cupola - Roopmati pavillion
Attachment 830250

Archway in the pavillion
Attachment 830234

Valley views from the pavillion
Attachment 830236

What was interesting was the concept of rain water harvesting which was in place during those days. Rain water collected was directed through different channels and collected in the tank.

Rainwater storage tank in the pavillion - notice reflections of archway in water
Attachment 830235

Baz Bahadur palace looks beautiful from the top of the pavilion.
Attachment 830233

We get down and drive to Baz Bahadur palace. The palace in its heydays must be grand but what remains now looks simple and nice. There is a central pool and one can see steps leading to water from all sides. This is the place from where Baz bahadur used to conduct his activities. There is couryard inside the palace which were used for song and dance programmes. Large rooms in the palace were meant for private concerts.

Arches at the entrance of Baz Bahadur palace
Attachment 830238

The Tank in the palace
Attachment 830239

On the way to the main attraction of Mandu, Jahaj Mahal, we stop at the Rewa kund which supplied water to Roopmati pavilion which also had quarters possibly for Baz Bahadur's troops on its banks.

Rewa Kund

Attachment 830240

We reach Jahaj Mahal. The first look of the place looks magical. With the water bodies full, you feel as if the Mahal is floating in the water. Built in the design of a huge ship, with water bodies around this is the “Main attraction” of Mandu. You have to give it to our kings and queens of yesteryears for their amazing vision in building these structures. Building in the middle of water bodies naturally kept the palace cool in the scorching summer heat.

Jahaj Mahal
Attachment 830242

Water bodies around Jahaj Mahal
Attachment 830243

Front Elevation of Jahaj Mahal
Attachment 830244

Side elevation of Jahaj Mahal
Attachment 830245

Tortoise shaped bath in Jahaj Mahal

Attachment 830270

Water channels designed to get the water supply to bath and fountains
Attachment 830252

The ruins of the palace as seen from the top of Jahaj mahal

Attachment 830265

Attachment 830266

Attachment 830271

Eastren elevation of Jahaj mahal

Attachment 830267

Water body as seen from the top of Jahaj mahal
Attachment 830268

Panoramic view of Palace ruins

Attachment 830269

Except for Jahaj Mahal and Hindola Mahal – built like a Jhoola or Swing – other parts of palace is in ruins but looks beautiful after the rains.

Hindola Mahal

Attachment 830246

Attachment 830251

Inside Hindola Mahal

Attachment 830247

the suside point is called "khakra koh" again a geological wonder.all of this area was under sea and when it rose when the tectonic plates clashed.

near to this point is a fossil musuem.did u see it?

regards'

dr praveen

[pravdr]

Originally Posted by lordofgondor

Cool, this is surely a diversified travelogue! Great sights and narration. And tips on the food joints are always useful.



I saw this rock formation atop the hill when our train to Goa stopped in the middle of nowhere and gave us great views all around, way back in 2001. IIRC, it looks a lot like a thumb. In fact, it resembles the gesture of thumbs up. And that's what other passengers in the train had mentioned too. We'd thought that it's a nice piece of nature's artwork via wind erosion but some folks around told that they think it's man made.

as ive already mentioned the thumbs up pinnacle is a geological wonder. it is volcanic plug many million years old.in northern sahyadris you get to see these pinnacles they are very common.

praveen

[pravdr]

Originally Posted by Fauji

Sorry folks.

I had left out some nice pictures of social life and surasundaris which i forgot to attach yesterday. Before we move on to Allahabad and Banaras, i thought of attaching them now.

Take a look.

Musicians

Attachment 842400

Royal processions

Attachment 842401


Attachment 842402

Dikpalaka

Attachment 842403

A rishi - notice the figures surrounding him. Are they his disciples?

Attachment 842404

Surasundari I

Attachment 842405

Surasundari II

Attachment 842406

Surasundari III

Attachment 842407

Surasundari and the mirror - Notice the position of the mirror!!

Attachment 842408

Surasundari scratching her back!!

Attachment 842409

in 2010 road from bhopal to sanchi was good.but it seems the sagar section is still not repaired. i had to drop my plans to visit udayapur 4 kms before. udayapur has a magnificent temple similar to khajuraho. the roa was so bad and with low gc it was not possible so 4 kms before udayapur i turned back. at one place a tractor was placed across the road as it was so bad it was unmotorable and the road was diverted along farm road.

udayapur and gyraspur are hideen gems only if we had roads reaching them

praveen

[Fauji]

After leisurely breakfast, we meet Mukesh, our guide to chalk out the program for the next three days. Winter has not set in and it is pretty hot outside. Exploring a city like Banaras is a challenge and is likely to take days. We have three days to experience the place. We give him our list of things to do

Ghats
Ganga Aarthi
Cremation ghats
Sun set cruise
Sun rise cruise
Temples
Sanchi
Mirzapur for carpets
Banaras Hindu University
Local cuisine, Thandai and Pan
Silk sarees
Aghoras!
Ramnagar fort
Ramlila @ Ramnagar
Ustad Bismillah Khan’s house

Since it is hot, we plan to start the day with shopping silks!! In the evening we are to visit Vishwanatha Temple, go for sun set cruise, watch Ganga Aarthi, drink banarasi chai, blue Lassi followed by eating the Banarasi dinner and pan.

A typical scene on a ghat. This is Assi ghat the farthest ghat in Banaras. This is just opposite our hotel. This year, the water levels had increased submerging the steps leading to the river. Once water recedes and steps are cleaned, one can walk from one ghat to another - there are around 85 ghats on Ganga in Banaras - all along the river over.





Sadhu and his friend. This guy was staying permanently outside the hotel and many times we have noticed the monkey with him. This time it is giving him a service of removing the lice!!



Banaras is a city that should be savoured slowly. It is a city either you like or dislike at one go. You also need loads of patience to explore this city. Yes, like any other UP city, it is not clean, crowded. If you can give margin to the filth and traffic, you will start liking the place. There is energy. There is spirit among the people who call themselves as “Banarasis” whether they are rickshaw pullers, merchants or rich.

It is an art of living, both passionate and carefree. Banarasis call it as “masti”, “mauj” and “Phakkarpan”. It is enjoyment of life without ostentation. Most of the pleasures are simple – morning bath in Ganges, clean and plain clothing, simple Puri and Chole for breakfast. A small parcel of delicate milky sweets, a mouth full of pan, betel nuts and other condiments, wrapped in the tenderest and most succulent green pan leaves. A tall frothy glass of Thandai with a dose of bhang – these are the finest pleasure of the day.

In the evening there will be clang of temple bells and perhaps, later some music. It is an ambience of urbanity, good living and culture all which comes to be synonymous with the word “Banarasi”. Banaras is a place where living and dying is celebrated. A city where death is celebration, where people come to die for in belief of obtaining moksaha.

I will try and capture the essence of the place and our experience chronologically as it is easier that way.

It is mid afternoon when we decide to step out. As said earlier, the Scorp has earned its well deserved rest for next two days at least when we move around the city. Since it is hot afternoon, Mukesh suggests that we go and see silks, carpets and followed by a darshan of Kashi Vishwanatha, sunset cruise and Ganga Aarthi.

We catch hold of an auto rickshaw. The autos in Banaras are six seaters!! There are two Chota seats on either side of the driver and we see five people comfortably travelling in the auto. This is the only place where I saw ingenuity of having seat next to driver – I did not see anywhere else in UP.

The six seater auto of Banaras!!



We hop in and Mukesh takes us to a big shop which has variety of stuff made of silk – sarees, salwar suits, bedspreads, wall hangings etc. The work is exquisite and intricate. The colors blow us off our feet.

Wifey is very pleased and start short listing saris and stoles to start with. Laxman, the owner is an enthusiastic bloke and is willing to show the latest designs woven in the factory. Some saris with zari work and delicate are very expensive. The crowning glory happens to be the beautiful silk bed spreads. They are astonishingly elegant. However, we have to be contented in just looking at them as they are expensive as well. The wall hangings are nice too. Finally wifey picks up saris for her, her mummy, my mummy, her sister, my sister and whole kbhandan!! Don’t ask me on the bill. What are credit cards meant for!!

Silks, Silks Silks everywhere!!


A wall hanging. Notice the intricate design and colour combination



Wifey sorting out stuff!!



Sarees – different hues, vibrant colors



The crowning glory – Silk bedspread. Notice the rich colors and exquisite design





Another design



I ask Laxman to show their factory and he takes us through narrow gullies to the place where the weaving happens. Group of youngsters are busy in weaving an intricate sarees.

Narrow streets of Banaras



The factory where the sarees are manufactured



We bid good bye to Laxman and Mukesh now takes us to a carpet show room. This is disappointing as we enter a huge show room displaying Kashmiri carpets. We were not interested in Kashmiri carpets but the ones woven in Mirzapur. The guy does not have one and we leave the place.

We are now to experience the legendary traffic chaos of traffic in Banaras firsthand. There is absolutely no road discipline as everyone jostles for space. In the bargain, we are stuck like a duck for an hour.

Traffic chaos





The ubiquitous pan shop. You see them everywhere. Pan chewing is a favourite pass time in Banaras and part of Banarasi culture.



The auto driver somehow squeezes past the traffic and brings us to the chowraha close to the Dasashwamedha ghat – the main ghat in Banaras where the Ganga Arathi is performed - where we are to get into a boat and see Aarthi later. We walk a small distance of 300 meters before Mukesh asks us to enter a narrow street.

The chowraha



On the road leading to Dasashwamedha ghat. Not sure what the guy in foreground is doing with his hands!!



Old buildings on the way to Dasashwamedha ghat. You will find many of these possible heritage buildings around ghats. They are either dharmashalas or ashrams





He says we are in Kashi now. The holiest of all places going to have darshan of lord of Kashi!!

to be continued - Sun Set cruise, Ganga Aarathi and Blue lassi!!

[Rajesh1968]

Looks like a catalyst for me to plan for MP - Jyothirling tour, Omkareshwar, Trimabak, Somanath and Srisailam in Septemebr 2012.

Looking forward to next update

[roamingrao]

Fantastic photographs, captivating narration, Exotic locations ( may i add erotic also ! ), mouth watering dishes, colourful benaras... the list goes on. Rated five stars too.

Yella ok, but Udaipur henge ????

I have been following your travelogue right from Bangalore to Shirdi to Bhopal to Khajuraho to Allahabad to Varanasi. At each junction, i've been saying this to myself - Ok, fauji bhai will now take a left turn towards Udaipur. But no, you seem to go more eastwards !!

Now, Iam posting this unable to kill my curiosity ! I know you've mentioned earlier that you would reveal this, but please dont keep the secret for long - start driving towards Udaipur and Bangalore faster.

Swalpa daye thorisi !! Atleast I am sitting on the edge of the seat !!!!


Otherwise, I'm lovin it !