[pravdr]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Good travelogue. I have been to MP a few times and it does have a vast historical treasure. And MPTDC resorts are good to stay too. I'm also looking forward to Bhimbetka as I had stayed at the Highway Retreat last year but couldn't go the caves due to paucity of time.


P.S: As already mentioned by Taureanbull, you can caption each picture in a post rather rather than doing multiple post. Once you have uploaded all the pictures, just click the attachment sign and a drop down will come. Click "Attach All" and then you can write caption with each picture. Hope it helps.

@ milecruncher well next time give half a day in morning time to bhimbetka mpstdc resorts are excellent

iam trying new posts by the method mentioned by you

[pravdr]

we started early in the morning after breakfast the morning at maheshwar was beautiful
serene atmosphere in morning at maheshwar narmada river seen


we left maheshwar at 9.30 am
on way to omkareshwar


some banjaras on the way to omkareshwar she was not happy with a tenner handed over to her as a token wanted a 100look at the belongings there are goats and children placed on the camel


omkar maandhaata jyotirlinga temple on the banks of narmada


beautiful vistas of omkareshwar


ghats of onkareshwar


other bank of omkareshwar across narmada


setu(bridge) across narmada its a suspension bridge offering best views of omkareshwar


another view of the setu


dam at omkareshwar

[pravdr]

we started from maheshwar at 9.30am, we passed important small towns of olden times like mandleshwar and reached barwaha(pronounced as badwaha) took a right turn towards omkareshwar on the way noticed the quaint little omkareshwar rd railway station.

a turn later we came to an imposing structure looking like a palace it was a hospital of huge dimensions i cant recollect the name but it was some luminary sardar after whom it was named this place comes just before you cross the narmada.

10.30am we stopped at this point as we were trying to locate the ashram of sriram swami who is a disciple of gondavalekar maharaj.this area was navaghat after locating the beautiful ashram some pics later we proceeded towards omkareshwar.we reached omkareshwar 11am paid the entry tax and proceeded towards the temple.

we crosssed the narmada over the older bridge which is closer towards the temple and exited over the newly built setu.darshan was excellent with very few people and completed just before the temple closes for 30mins in afternoon. it was my second visit to omkar mandhaata.

we exited over the newly built setu now you dont have to cross through the rock cut pathway but a new ultramodern ramp is built connectiong the temple to the setu. so somebody visiting after a few years will appreciate the new improvements.

we took the darshan of mamaleshwar whose lingam is draped in a sheet of gold gifted by ahilyadevi holkar. it is said that you have top visit mandhaata and mamaleshwar both to complete the darshan of omkareshwar.

at 1 45pm we reached mpstdc omkareshwar for lunch there was ganpati idol installed inside the hotel as it was ganpati festival time. i was surprised to note the fervour of ganpati festival outside maharshtra.we had a peaceful and satisfying lunch as we were the only guests at that time.mpstdc food is well made nonspicy but menu is fixed and predictable.

2.30 pm started towards srirsam math at barwaha. we reached there within no time. it is located at navaghat khedi barwaha. after takinga look inside the samll ashram which housed multiple interesting shrines of diffrerent deities. the whole experience was calming and the location of the ashram on bamks of narmada just next to the meterguage line is dramatic.


ramp connecting temple to the modern setu suspension bridge



birds eye view of omkareshwar from narmada resort



narmada resort



birds of a feather flock together for a lunch at narmada resort



mpstdc namrmada resort should be a good place to stay as well



perched atop opposite hill of omkareshwar a birds eye view



shriram mahaarj sansthan grand location navagaht khedi barwaha



railway meter gauge line navaghat khedi



peaceful and quaint sriram ashram





we had a bit of fun and action at srirsam action as a passenger train chuuged its way over the bridge towards omkareshwar rd railway station it was high drama with whistle blaring diesel loco making its dramatic presence opver the bridge.

3.30 pm started from ashram and took a left at barwaha and proceeded uneventfully towards maheshwra reached maheshwar at 4.30pm total mileage 140kms

[pravdr]

THE beautiful morning at maheshwar is indescribable the peace is broken by gentle chants in nearby temples blowing of conch shells and chirping of birds. the variety of flora was fascinating.various ashrams with their quaint little lifestyles of sadhus and sadhvis. one really wonders how do these people manage with minimalistic belongings.



some macro shots of flowers that greeted us in the morning







the narmada in full flow at this time of the year the sashastradhara falls are converted into white water rapids and the roar can be heard for a km



view of the narmada river and our boatman arriving as per IST



vast expanse of narmada river



view from the front deck




is it a spaceship from outerspace is it an alien invasion?the baneshwar temple bang in centre of narmada river considered to be the centre of universe maheshwar was known as mahishmati in the puranas



baneshwar temple with narmada full upto its brim

[pravdr]

after crossing the baneshwar temple where people even now worship we came close to the ghats

TIP the best way to see the maheshwar ghat line is by the boat.the boatman parks at the ghats and allows you 10 mins to go to the beautifully sculptured temple. architects from all over the wqorld come here to admire the architectural legacy left behind by ahilyadevi.

the three ghats phanse peshwa and ahilya ghat remind you of times gone by when these quaint towns had a lot of importance.

the fort is itself converted into a luxury heritage resort you can use the restaurant here.it is run by the descendant of the holkars richard holkar.
it offers the best views of narmada.

for us it was back to mpstdc for breakfast as we had to leave and reach sanchi by evening the overcast skies made the weather very pleasant.


the ghats coming into view



ghats



maheshwar fort and holkar royal residence now a hotel



hotel offers unparalleled views of narmada



maheshwar temple



maheshwar temple with ahilya ghat in foreground



beautiful architecture of maheshwar temple











getting ready to leave maheshwar

[TaureanBull]

Nice pics.

The location of the resort is excellent. Can you throw some light on the price, services and food aspect? I had good experience at MPTDC Payal in Khajuraho. The location did not have any great views but it was right in the centre and good food + swimming pool. A good VFM. This one too looks like one!

[pravdr]

we started from maheshwar at 11.05 with heavy hearts. it was an overcast sky that gave us company but the good road between maheshwar and dhamnod cheered us up and we reched dhamnod within no time.

as i have already written before dhamnod has lost all its hustle and bustle due to the bypass and has almost become a ghost town with empty main street which was flowing with traffic just a year before.

we took a right turn at the junction and proceeded towards nh3 bypass which was very inviting.

in 2008 what was a road reduced to a rubble is now an undulating double black ribbons cutting across the vindhyas.we tore across the starights and turns were taken at 100kmph top speed touched was 160kmph.the nh3 does not enter mhow but bypasses it.

we encountered some civilian traffic of passenger cars when we approached indore maybe originating from pithampur. till this time it was freight trucks all the way.

we came to the doorstep of indore where a nice and bold indicator told us the way to dewas and bhopal which skirts the entire indore city.


good road from maheshwar to dhamnod notice that the lakes are full upto the brim the rainfall has been good this year

Attachment 449522

the junction at which you turn right onto the new nh3 bypass

Attachment 449523

overcast skies gave us company all along making the journey pleasant

Attachment 449524

it had rained overnight but as i have remarked earlier the drainage of nh3 is excellent so no potholes


Attachment 449525

overtaking is easy so you dont lose speed.

Attachment 449526

some butter smooth sections

Attachment 449527

mhow ghat has many bends but easily manageable at cruise speeds

Attachment 449528

some tarred over patches god knows when the nhai will improve on this front

Attachment 449529

some beautiful curves after mhow

Attachment 449530

closing in on indore

Attachment 449531

[pravdr]

the explanation to these pics is in the previous post. im really bugged by this tbhp editing feature it is not user friendly or i am not aware of its features it interrupts your flow of thoughts and you get no chance to rectify once your time is up.

i do not know how the pictures went missing after everything was in place maybe i shdve clicked the lower preview button.

beautiful road from maheshwar to dhamnod look at the full waterbodies good rains will lead to a bumper crop this year



once busy now deserted dhamnod main street



dhamnod joins nh3 bypass



clouds kept the temperatures cool



overcast skies keep us company



overtaking is easy



some bad tarred patchwork nhai has to improve

some good curves



some good curves



roller coaster on the vindhyas look at the efficient drainage



roller coaster on the vindhyas



beautiful curves after mhow



after mhow



dream stretch



nearing indore

[pravdr]

we soon came to a junction which indicated bhopal towards right and could easily figure out that this was the bypass.

the indore bypass is unmarked concretized and with new developments coming up on both sides.in future this road too will get clogged and then next what are we building another bypass/flyover. the townplanning in inida is so faulty. part of it has to do with greed of townplanners and developers.

at many points we could see camle caravans on the bypass at times sheep blocked one of the lanes making it a "sheepway"

the bypass continues and joins nh3 for some time till the dewas "tekri"(hillock)comes into view. then again the dewas bypass bifurcates to right towards bhopal and joins the dewas bhopal toll road.

some good sections of indore bypass notice the lane separation but no markings heavy low clouds made the day cool








highway or "sheepway"the ususal suspects who made their entry were sheep and camels and an occasional jaywalking dog







some photos of new developments on indore bypass. the cardinal mistake would be to mix city traffic and highway traffic!!!!why did they build the bypass!!!









we have entered onto nh3 before dewas agra 591 kms looks enticing maybe a 12 hour drive?can some indorean tell me how they do agra



just as the dewas tekdi appears in the distance you take a right towards dewas bypass which will take you to the junction of dewas bhopal toll expressway. on the dewas bypass this huge haniman murti caught our attention

[pravdr]

as instructed by teambhp members i was looking forward to taking a halt at dodi where some amazing food was available according to reports posted by previous members.

we took right towards the dewas bhopal toll expressway.there were some comments posted on its quality.

i think it is a high quality road with its own unique features. the two lanes are completely separated, the quality of roadlaying is excellent,the intersections and banking are excellent. however there are too many junctions and interconnecting passages from where the tractors amobikes and cycles make a sudden appearance so you have to be careful in between the intersections this distracts you.however on the whole i enjoyed this section of the road to the hilt with top speeds of 160kmph.
the intersections somehwhat slow you down but traffic is sparse so no complaints.

signages as you enter bhopal on correct way to go to sanchi are lacking so we actually entered bhopal but were quickly diverted out by a petrol bunk assistant who told us that the quickest way towards sanchi was to follow bypass from airport and it will take you to sanchi road.


start of the dewas bhopal expressway it is modest to start with and the high speed sections start after dodi





windmills at sonkatch loacted atop a hill



dead straight sections allow you to enjoy the drive ideal for cruise control







some sections are lined with silver oak trees





beautiful sections this road opens up central india with its sheer connectivity.







dodi mpstdc the first iso certified highway dhaba lived up to its reputation for good food which is priced adequately.it really is "HIGHWAY TREAT"

[pravdr]

food was good at dodi. i personally liked the open ambience. toilets were good with handwash soap available.

i personally liked tea at this outlet. the usual indian tea is a burnt out and highly concocted mixture aptly called as sugar syrup by a teambhpian.but here tea was well made served in a glass which i like and it somewhat tastes good in a glass rather than porcelain cup.the main point was that it was not made of milk but milk was added to the tea which makes it mumbai style refreshing.

we left dodi and some of the best sections of dewas bhopal expressway are after dodi. the road loses its openness as you come close to bhopal.we followed the signages and wrongly enetered bhopal for a brief moment but was directed away towards the bypass again by a hp outlet serviceman who tole us to join bypass near airport and keep going till sanchi diversion.

the bhopal bypass had broken down in some sections near and after the airport.however we soon reached the diversion towards sanchi where the road was excellent.

we soon accelerated and reached sanchi at 4.45pm

dodi HIGHWAY TREAT dhaba and joining the expressway again at dodi






some" rampat" sections of the expressway where we touched 160kmph and cruising speeds of 120kmph were normal













nearing bhopal the signages are not too accurate and city traffic starts creeping in.









bhopal bypass with some craters and turn towards sanchi





good roads towards sanchi excellent work by mp govt to keep approach to world heritage sites in excellent conditions

[pravdr]

we reached sanchi at 4.45 pm. the mpstdc gateway retreat sanchi is located just below the hill of sanchi.just behind it runs a major arterial railway line with sanchi station.

the gateway retreat is just the correct place you would like to come after a long and exhausting drive.

the sanchi hill has been a mute witness to history for centuries. in earlier times dating back from paleolithic period to stone age.

the last 2300 years have been well documented as emperor ashoka made besnagar as vidisha was known in earlier times his favored town for preaching buddhism.

it was sunset time as we came out for a supper of sandwiches and fresh pakodas the trademark of mpstdc hotels.

beautiful signages tell us all that sanchi vidisha has to offer the tourist.





the beautiful environs of gateway retreat sanchi







beautiful villas at the gateway retreat sanchi. this place was created when indian pm jawaharlal nehru visited sanchi which was being opened up to modern civilization for almost 150 years. thereafter a slew of vips have stayed at this place. it was initially run by itdc and later on handed over to mpstdc









the sunsets were always glorious at sanchi with the stupas giving a glimpse in the setting sun it was surreal.here we were at a place where ashoka once would have watched sanchi hill and the sunsets.







the supper at gateway retreat sanchi served in the common verandah as we were watching the sunset. the railway line was having some high voltage action with lot of trains passing through on this busy route



after sunset we spent some time at the souvenir shop located at one corner of the agteway retreat there were lot of interesting items we bought a wood carving. but resisted other temptations. afterwards we had an early dinner as we had a hectic next day ahead of us.

[pravdr]

i always wake up early to appreciate the beauty of the place i visit. sanchi was no exception. it was a salubrious climate in early morning as i took a walk outside the gateway retreat. in the early dawn light i could see the stupas once again illuminating.i took a walk down the main road and could see early morning activity in a small village. devotional songs played at pandals erected for ganpati festival adding a relaxed feeling to the whole place time stands still when you are out of mumbai!!!!!!!

some early morning snapshots of sanchi









our program for the day was to see the world heritage site of sanchi in the prelunch session. in post lunch session we had decided to visit udayapur but we had to turn back from almost 3/4 the distance as the last 10kms the road was non existent.

the world heritage site was almost like a private exhibition for us being off season we were the only people around and the lone guide was happy to see our car arrive at the entrance at the top of the hill.

what foillowed next is best shown in pictures

[ambivalent_98]

@pravdr - Excellent photos. Keep them coming.

Just out of curiousity , I had been to Indore a long time ago from Pune and had gone by bus. At that time there was a system of collecting vehicles in convoy on the border of MP and MH and then policmen would accompany the crossing. Is this system still there ? I think with the infrastructure improving this may not be anymore but it was a nightmarish experience. I remember that on our way back from Indore to Pune we missed the usual convoy and had to wait a good 2-3 hours in the pitch darkness for other vehicles to collect and then be part of the second convoy escorted by police across the border from MP to MH.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by ambivalent_98

@pravdr - Excellent photos. Keep them coming.

Just out of curiousity , I had been to Indore a long time ago from Pune and had gone by bus. At that time there was a system of collecting vehicles in convoy on the border of MP and MH and then policmen would accompany the crossing. Is this system still there ? I think with the infrastructure improving this may not be anymore but it was a nightmarish experience. I remember that on our way back from Indore to Pune we missed the usual convoy and had to wait a good 2-3 hours in the pitch darkness for other vehicles to collect and then be part of the second convoy escorted by police across the border from MP to MH.

No such issues any more. I have driven through by night without seeing either cop or dacoit!