Sunday, November 10, 2019

Bhopal - Sanchi - Khajuraho Trip 2019


A visit to Khajuraho was in our minds’ radar for about ten years now, since the first travel magazines in Malayalam started appearing. It was scheduled for end-2018 but had to be cancelled on account of examinations of our daughter. Floods in North India had dampened our spirits in end-September 2019 but the weather improved by the first week of October.

Day 1, October 2, 2019

Our Spice Jet SG 6475 took off from Kochi airport at the right time of 5:45 am and landed at Mumbai at 7:35 am. Since we could not find the transfer gate and had to do the security check again, precious time was lost for boarding our connecting flight to Bhopal at 8:45 am. After a frantic rush to the boarding gate and a telephone call from the airline, we finally boarded the SG 6479 flight to Bhopal just ten minutes before departure. We landed at Raja Bhoj airport in Bhopal at 10:20 am. A prepaid taxi was engaged to reach the hotel.

Panoramic view of Bhopal city from Manuabhan Tekri
Bhopal is a city of lakes. In the afternoon, we made some local sightseeing. Our first visit was to the boat club area where a fine specimen of a steam locomotive was prominently on display. The afternoon heat was somewhat offset by the gentle breeze wafting over the shining ripples on water. There were no crowds and some migratory white geese where having some moments of peaceful rest on board the paddle boats moored at the pier.

Our first point of visit was the Taj ul-Masajid. This is claimed to be the largest mosque in India. Masajid is the plural of masjid and the epithet means ‘the crown among mosques’. The princely state of Bhopal was ruled by female Muslim sovereigns who began construction of this grand edifice in the middle of the nineteenth century but couldn’t complete it. The construction was finished only in 1985 with the help of petrodollars. Our driver, even though a native of Bhopal, claimed that he had never visited the place and was even averse to the idea of us going there! The disconnect between the Hindu and Muslim communities was near total when we reached there. There were no other visitors apart from us and all the people were worshippers. The men and a few women wore attire that was totally different from the locals and spoke a language that was distinctly separate from the local dialect. Coming from Kerala, where Muslims share the language and costumes with local Hindus, we found this dichotomy disturbing. The real background of Jinnah’s ‘Two-Nation theory’ was unfolding before us. A friendly purdah-clad woman approached us, seeing our confusion and explained the facts related to the mosque in good English. This presumably well-educated lady was the wife of a mosque official and her two young sons were playing nearby. After about 15 minutes, we returned to the car and our driver seemed relieved at leaving the site at last.

On our way to Manuabhan Tekri, we briefly halted at the magnificent statue of Raja Bhoj on the north shore. Years of neglect had cast a shade of dark on the great king’s coppery hue. For the time being he was watching over his beloved city, with his drawn sword’stip resting near his right foot. Raja Bhoj is a historical person who has a considerable halo of legend around him. He lived in the eleventh century CE, and the city’s name itself is said to have derived from Bhoj-pal, the realm of Bhoj.

We drove to Manuabhan Tekri, which is a low hill overlooking the city with a Jain temple having intricate carvings at the top. A ropeway is available which will take you to the top in about five minutes. There are only two cars, which can hold six passengers each. So, if there is a long queue in front, it would be better to walk up the stone steps.The panoramic view of Bhopal from the top is worth the effort. There was nobody at the ropeway by the time we reached there and had an enjoyable half an hour at the top.
We crossed the Tropic of Cancer on the way to Sanchi

Our driver took us to People's Mall, claiming it to be very attractive. Unlike other malls, this one have a section named People’s World where world-famous monuments are erected in replica. You can see Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower, and Statue of Liberty here. Professional cameras are not allowed and there is an entry fee of Rs. 50.

Day 2, October 3, 2019

Remains of Ashokan Pillar with edict near southern gateway

We went straight to Sanchi in the morning. Madhya Pradesh’s roads were nothing to write home about. They were potholed at many places and to compound the difficulty, herds of cows and bulls have made it a habit to have sunbath in the middle of the road. While vehicles veered around them, the lucky animals continued to enjoy the morning warmth. Of course, these animals are sacred to the local folk, but the dangers they might face from speeding vehicles should be a cause for concern to their owners and devotees. You normally don't expect them to handle sacred objects in such a careless fashion.

We crossed the Tropic of Cancer on the way to Sanchi. Tropic of Cancer is an imaginary line with immense significance to climate. It separates the tropics from the North Temperate Zone. The sun won't come perpendicularly overhead beyond this line and that too only on a single day in a year, the June Solstice, on June 20. Tropic of Cancer passes through eight states in India. There are slight shifts in the line and it moves a few meters each year. This shift is accurately displayed at Carretera 83 in Mexico where the Tropic of Cancer’s movement each year is marked. In Bhopal, we follow a more conventional approach and the line is marked with two thick yellow lines on the road and two small pedestals on its sides. It provided a good photo op.

Remains of Monastery 51 on the western side
A short drive took us to Sanchi, where the Great Stupa is located on top of a small hill. The main railway line from Bhopal to Delhi passes a short distance away from the hill. People travelling to Delhi can see the Stupa at the top of the hill on the right side of their speeding train while they get near the railway station at Sanchi. The ticket counter is at the foot of the hill. With the same ticket you can visit the Archaeological Museum too. The entry fee is Rs. 40 only, but ASI has put in force a ridiculously complicated system to prevent multiple entries.The ticket comes printed with a QR code which will be scanned at the entrance through a mobile app. All this sophistication is just to replace a small tear on the ticket by the supervisor at the gate!

Stupa 2: a short walk away from the Great Stupa
Sanchi has three large stupas. The Great Stupa at the centre of attraction stands no comparison to the other two, of which Stupa 2 is about 350 meters to the west and not visible from the top. The Great Stupa was built by Ashoka in the third century BCE and is a grand hemispherical brick structure. It is believed that it once contained a relic of Buddha himself. These stupas usually contain pieces of bones collected from the burnt funeral pyres of great teachers of Buddhism. Sanchi flourished for nearly a millennium as attested by the remains of many temples and monasteries in the premises. A great attraction is the elaborately carved toranas (arched gateways) at the four cardinal directions. This was added four centuries after the Stupa was erected. The gateway depicts stories from the life of Buddha and jatakas. The bottom stub of an Ashokan pillar is visible near the southern gateway. This should not be missed as it contains a minor pillar edict of Ashoka in Brahmi script. Also called Schism Edict, Ashoka warns against any person trying to cause dissension in the Sangha. The pillar was topped by the Lion capital, which is now displayed in the museum.

A trek to Stupa2 down the hill through a solitary walkway among the woods is an energizing prospect and couples should not miss it. Though small, the stupa’s railings contain carvings of floral figures and royal motives. The four-lion emblem of Ashoka is clearly visible at many places. On the way to Stupa 2, you can see the remains of a monastery and a rock formation in the shape of a water bowl.

Remains of Buddhist Temple 18
A group of pilgrims from Sri Lanka was visiting the monuments on the day we were there. This team of middle- to very aged members in pristine white garments provided a visually harmonious contrast against the earthen hues of the monuments. The torana gateways show symbolism of the early Hinayana sect in which the Buddha is depicted as an empty throne, a tree or footsteps. But on the eastern side, a monastery and a temple of a later period can be seen. A full size idol of a sitting Buddha is visible here.

We spent nearly 2½ hours at the stupas.

Our next destination was the Heliodorus pillar situated about 7 km away from Sanchi. Our driver had no idea about the place and its whereabouts. It gives me immense pleasure to watch local drivers confused about the location I am intending to go and then resolving to get there with the help of Google Maps. This blind reliance on Google was to land us in peril later in the day, which will be described in due course.

After about 15 minutes, we reached the site, known locally as Khamb Baba, because the natives venerate the pillar as an embodiment of divinity. It was erected in the second century BCE by Heliodorus, a Greek noble sent as ambassador to Vidisha by the Greek king Antialcidas ruling over Taxila (now in Pakistan). This Heliodorus was a devotee of Vasudeva Krishna and the column is dedicated to Vasudeva and Garuda. The text is still visible in Brahmi characters. Locals do pooja there and embrace the column at the end of worship. The pillar is the reminder of a time when invaders to India fell for her charms rather than forcefully conquering her. We spent about 15 minutes there.
Panoramic view of Halali Dam countryside from Udaigiri

There is a shortcut from Heliodorus pillar to Udaygiri caves and we reached there rather quickly, again with the help of Google Maps. These are rock-cut caves of the fifth century CE and contain some of the oldest Hindu shrines in the country. There are about twenty cave temples here, but all of them are locked. Except for the impressive Varaha sculpture on the outer wall of Cave 5, there is nothing to interest the traveler. The caves are carved out of a huge rock having a length of several hundred metres. At the other end of the rock, there is a view point on top of the boulder, from which you can have a breath-taking view of the beautiful Madhya Pradesh countryside. You see a flat disc of green, yellow and brown, interspersed by the thin blue ribbon of the Halali River. Udaygiri dam is also visible on one side. Apart from this, which requires getting on top of the rock, Udaygiri is a disappointment.

Our next destination was Satdhara stupa. As usual, our driver had no idea about this lesser known place. We decided to use Google again, which showed a distance of 20 km from Udaygiri. More importantly, it displayed a road through the countryside, without touching Sanchi, which was the conventional way. The road passed through captivating countryside, but on reaching the village of Murli Khedi, the road suddenly narrowed and disappeared in a pool of mud. Google had let us down here! The maddening part was that the point was only two kilometres or so away from Satdhara. We had no other option other than to go back 20 km to Sanchi main road and then travel about 13 km. The time was already 4:30 pm and the stupa will close by sunset at around 6:00 pm. Anyway, we decided to take a chance. There is a level cross just before the road joins the main highway at Sanchi which was closed. The railway line is a trunk route and we had to wait for the passage of four trains one after the other before we could cross after about 15 minutes. We intimated Google about the mistake on our return home and received a confirmation from them that the error has been corrected. So we hope future travellers won’t face this problem.
Satdhara Stupa as the day fades into night

The next surprise awaited us on the road to Satdhara diverging from the Bhopal highway near Salamatpur. There is a prominent display board showing the deviation you must take. However, the road is very narrow and goes through the side of a canal. For about two km, there is no free space to give side to another oncoming vehicle, should one happen to arrive. Local lads used to play on the road as it is not busy. When at last we reached Satdhara, it was ten minutes to six, and what the caretaker first did upon seeing us was to glance at his watch!

Satdhara has a large main stupa probably having the dimensions of Sanchi, several smaller stupas and monasteries. Bricks are stacked loose and are clearly restored by ASI in recent times. The site was discovered by Alexander Cunningham in the nineteenth century, who had a wicked pastime of digging into the central reliquary of the stupas, recover the relics and cart them off to England’s museums. The main stupa along with a shade tree in the enclosure presents an excellent photo opportunity. We had the place to ourselves as the sun slowly set. After about twenty minutes, we returned to our hotel in Bhopal.

On the way back, we stopped for refreshment at Halali road junction in Tigra village. Roadside dhabas were doing brisk business selling tea and snacks to weary travellers. We spotted a small boy selling apples in a corner. He smartly told that the apples stood at Rs. 80 a kilo. He didn't have the weight for one kg, but carefully weighed it twice with 500g weights. A sudden pang of unnecessary guilt made me hope that he was selling fruit in his spare time after coming back from his studies at school.

Day 3, October 4, 2019

Yesterday we went to the north of Bhopal and today we decided to move south. This was our last day of sightseeing in Bhopal. We quickly merged into the heavy traffic going south through NH 46. We were prepared for bad roads but to our horror, found the sector hellish. A long stretch of coarse earth is heaped in the middle and traffic was diverted through dirt tracks on both sides. Obviously, a new road is under construction through the middle, but we could find no labourers or earth-moving equipment along the way while the traffic inched forward, raising a huge cloud of dust.

The entrance gate to Bhimbetka is situated around 2 km away from the caves. Here you have two options –either pay Rs. 300 onwards (for entry of car) or pay Rs. 25 per person and walk the distance. The second option is ideal for college groups as the walk is through fascinating terrain. For the others I would suggest the first.
Rock paintings at Bhimbetka

Bhimbetka is a cluster of 750 rock shelters spread at a distance of 10 km. The time period of the inhabitation in the caves stretches to the Mesolithic era and cave art extending back to 8000BCE are visible. The site has been in continuous habitation for many thousands of years and we see graffiti showing hunts and communal dances. We employed a guide named Vimal who was very knowledgeable and spoke good English. There are about fifteen caves open for visitors, the largest one is near the entrance and is called Auditorium Cave. The pictures drawn by ancient hands on the walls are preserved in good condition even though only vegetable colours are used. We spent nearly 1½ hours there. A shrine is situated about 100 m up the incline which is good to see on account of the strange rock formations near it. As often seen in India, such magnificent rocks are associated with the legend of the Pandavas. The name Bhimbetka is derived from Bhim Baithika, which means the seat of Bhim, the second of the Pandavas.

On our return, our driver was very enthusiastically urging us to try the sweet ‘Mawo Bati’, which is a local delicacy. Upon his insistence we decided to have a bite of the famed dish. There is a local dhaba in Obaidullaganj that sells this item. In taste, it is somewhat indistinguishable from Gulab Jamun, but there are some subtle differences that became evident upon calm recollections made later.

We were traveling to Bhojpur to visit the magnificent incomplete temple of Bhojeswara. Due to the pathetic state of NH 46, our driver suggested a detour through Ashapuri via village roads. This was worse than the main road and we laboriously drove to Bhojpur at a snail's pace in the harsh afternoon sun.

We were surprised to find the Bhojeshwar temple crowded with a large flock of pilgrims at noon. The temple is located on top of a low hillock and built with red sandstone. Only the sanctum was built, with a 5.5mtall shivalinga inside, having a diameter of 80 cm that is said to be the biggest of its kind in India. The outer parts of the temple were never built, but even without these, the splendour radiating out of the garbh griha was magnificent. The throng of pilgrims met the priest sitting on a pedestal on which the linga is fixed and circumambulated it. The place is excellent for good photographs. However, the rock was blistering hot in the noon sun and we had to remove footwear at the temple entrance. A perfect time to visit the temple is after 4:00 p.m., when the heat would have subsided and the temple would be awash in the reddish yellow rays of the sun. We spent nearly half an hour here.
Bhojeshwara Temple at Bhojpur

After lunch, we went to Remember Bhopal museum. Our driver had no idea where this was, and Google again came to our rescue. This is nothing but a small three-storey building in an affluent housing colony. The caretakers seem to live on the premises. It displays gruesome pictures of the industrial disaster that struck Bhopal on the night of 3rd December 1984 when a tank full of the deadly poisonous methyl isocyanate gas leaked out due to an operational mistake.About 3800 people died a horrible death and unofficial estimates are many times this figure. Even with the official death tally, it is the world's worst industrial disaster.

We examined the images and memorial artifacts displayed there with a mix of emotions. Sound recordings of the experiences of rescuers and victims can be heard from the telephone handsets kept near the pictures. The exhibits are distributed in two floors. On the second floor, references to some of the contemporary environmental issues can also be seen, with a slight hint of environmental militancy. Disasters like Bhopal shall never be repeated and the compensation shall be handsome for the survivors, but industry should not be singled out and castigated on a permanent basis on account of this.

After spending half an hour at the museum and offering a voluntary contribution to the initiative (the entry is free), we returned to the hotel. On the way, we did get a glimpse of the Union Carbide factory from a distance. Jungle has claimed much of the land. Old administrative buildings and rusted factory equipment lay abandoned under the creepers that is a gory reminder of the terrible incident that happened 35 years ago which ensured the death of thousands of innocent men, women and children.

Day 4, October 5, 2019

We checked out of the hotel at 5:30 am and hailed an Uber ride to the railway station. The train to Khajuraho leaves from platform 5 and it would be easier if you direct the cabbie to the gate near it or else you have to carry the luggage through the foot over bridge spanning the entire width of the yard from platform 1 at the other end.

22163 Mahamana Express departed at the right time of 6:50 am on its journey to Khajuraho, 367km away. We did not have breakfast before boarding the train and there were no on-board catering. The intermediate halts were of 2 to 5 minutes duration only and food could not be obtained at such short notice from platforms. Most of the passengers got off the train at the penultimate station at Chhattarpur. The train arrived at Khajuraho, mostly empty, at 1:10 pm,twenty minutes earlier than the scheduled time.
The famed Khajuraho sculptures

Khajuraho town is eight kilometres away from the railway station and a person called Baba accosted us with an incredible offer of Rs. 100 for the ride in a taxi. Naturally, we engaged him for other local rides as well and he compensated for the loss in other trips. We checked in to the hotel and had a sumptuous lunch.

Our hotel on the shore of the Premsagar lake was only 10 minutes’ walk from the Western Group of temples’ entry gate. We set out at 4:00 pm for a visit. As is standard practice by now, ASI sells QR coded tickets which are priced at Rs. 40 for Indians and Rs. 600 for foreigners. No identity checks are done and foreigners are presumably distinguished by their skin colour. Isn't this racism? How can you find out whether the visitor is from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh or Pakistan as you can’t differentiate them from Indians by looks alone? Leaving apart questions of racism, what is the logic behind charging an entry fee that is fifteen times higher from foreign visitors? And that too, in a society which supposedly treats its guests as gods!

Khajuraho’s temples are beautiful in the extreme. The royal Chandelas have left nothing to mediocrity. In the Western group, there are three great temples that are representative of all that is there to see. They are the Vishwanath,Lakshmana and Kandariya Mahadev temples. We first walked to the Vishwanath which shone like a dull brown mountain in the slanting rays of the sun. The temple, in fact all temples in Khajuraho, is built on a platform that is nearly three metres high. There is a Nandi pavilion facing the Vishwanath. All temples in Khajuraho are facing east. There is a simple, single-spired Parvati shrine on the west side. Immediately to the south is a comparatively modern temple called the Harmony Temple which stands out from the rest because of its ugliness. After admiring the intricately carved sculptures, we moved to the Lakshmana Temple.
The Lakshmana and Matangeshwar temples at dusk

Lakshmana Temple is a Vishnu temple located on a high platform with a shrine of Varaha (boar) facing it. The boar is one of the incarnations of Vishnu. This temple also carries fine sculptures on its walls. As time was already nearing six in the evening, we went out of the enclosure. Another temple of the Chandela period, the Matangeshwar Temple, is outside the southern wall of the Western group enclosure and is open for worship by the local people. This is the only temple that is still having active worship by devotees. One can only marvel at the unbroken chain of spiritual continuity that has transcended ten centuries. You can go inside the temple and touch the shivalinga that is being worshipped.
Another day bids farewell to the Kandariya Mahadev

A light and sound show is being held inside the Western group enclosure every evening after sunset.Two sessions in English and Hindi, each lasting for about 50 minutes is held daily. The entry fee is Rs. 250 per person and video cameras are not allowed. Unfortunately we had one and had had to deposit it in a locker at the gate. Plastic chairs are laid in the lawn which provided a very fine panoramic view of the temples. We attended the English session which was a fascinating mix of legend, historical fiction and pure history. We should grant some allowance to the organisers who want to impart a greater historical significance to the Chandela monarchs whose representation was larger than life every time they are mentioned in the narrative. Photography of the event is allowed without flash. However, some of the spectators irritated others with flashes from their mobile phone cameras and ringtones. After the show, we headed straight to the hotel.

Day 5, October 6, 2019

Majesty of the Kandariya Mahadev temple is undescribable
This was a busy day since we wanted to finish all sightseeing today itself. We went to Western group once again and visited the Kandariya Mahadev temple. This is undoubtedly the biggest of the Khajuraho temples and its spire rises sharply to a height of 31 m – the size of a ten-storeyed building. Elaborately carved sculptures are visible here too. One would notice a very large number of repetitions in the themes of sculptures.

A circumambulation on the platform around the temple is a feast to eyes. Other magnificent buildings in the compound evoke a feeling of mountain ranges. Kandariya Mahadev shares its platform with the Jagadambi temple and a small shrine in between. On the vertices of the platform, the Chandela crust is cast in stone. This is the scene of a man, presumably a prince, having a duel with a lion. Many tourists take a selfie with the royal insignia. The surprising similarity of the emblem with that of the Hoysalas of Karnataka is noteworthy even though the latter rose to prominence about two centuries later than the Chandelas. The sculpture near Kandariya Mahadev temple in Khajuraho is strikingly reminiscent of that near the entrance to the Chennakesava temple in Belur, Karnataka.
A comparison of the Chandela (left) and Hoysala crests

Visitors to Khajuraho are curious to view the erotic sculptures created on the outer walls of temples. This is just a small portion, probably not more than five per cent of the total, but the representation is unusually bold for Indian sensibilities of any period. There are nationalists who claim that all the inventions of the modern world were taken at some time or other from India. This is of course, open to argument and denial, but as far as the porn industry is concerned, they can't catch up with what is in Khajuraho even now. Erotic sculptures are not placed randomly on the temple walls. Look on the outer walls of the vestibules, between the two transepts of the three great temples. There are also some on the southern plinth of the Lakshmana temple platform. The place is a paradise of visual imagery, but if these are what you are looking for, don't waste your time scouring about the place and limit the search to those locations.
The Kandariya Mahadev (left) and Devi Jagadambi temples

After completing the Chitragupta temple, we walked out of the Western group enclosure. We were very particular to visit two lesser known shrines in the neighbourhood which are left out by most travelers. The Chausath Yogini Temple (64 yoginis or nuns) is a line of 64 niches with a rectangular courtyard in front of them. All rooms except the central one is vacant. This is the oldest extant temple in Khajuraho and built using granite. The stones are plain and coarse and there are no sculptures or embellishments. Local people do worship in the central niche. It is a nice walk from the Western group entrance along the edge of the Shivsagar lake.
Chausath Yogini (spire of Kandariya Mahadev visible in the distance)

After visiting the yoginis, we walked back to the main road. Our next destination was the Lalguan Mahadev temple which is situated only 600 m away, but there is no path, even a foot track, connecting them. We tried to hire an auto rickshaw, but the driver tried to dissuade us by telling that the temple was situated in the middle of a thorny wilderness and there was nothing interesting to see. We answered him that it is precisely because of that that we wanted to go there. Luckily, another man agreed to carry us.

The trip to Lalguan Mahadev temple was much more adventurous then we imagined. The narrow road wound itself among village huts and ended in the middle of nowhere. A large tamarind tree was nearby at the foot of which a few village elders were sitting cross-legged, enjoying a joke among them. We hoped we were not at the receiving end of it. They pointed to us a rickety gate fastened with creepers, leading to a field. There was a small walkway that was full of mud caused by a herd of buffaloes grazing nearby. With great care, we tiptoed through the mud towards the small shrine rearing its spire above the foliage on the far side. The walk is only about 100 m, but the mud makes it a tightrope walk.
Lalguan Mahadev is a small, isolated temple in the wilderness

The Lalguan Mahadev was built around 900 CE and is the second oldest after the Chausath Yogini. It also is built with granite. Sandstone became popular as a building material only after this period. The great temples of Khajuraho are built using sandstone. The Lalguan Mahadev is a crumbling shrine with a Nandi sitting forlorn in front of the sanctum. The images available on Internet don't convey the isolation of the place. We would suggest to go there only as a group.

After spending some ten minutes at the site, we went to the Archaeological Museum. The artifacts are kept in the halls and corridors of an impressive single storey building. Tickets purchased at the Western group are valid here. If you have misplaced the tickets, fresh ones are to be purchased here. Photography is not permitted, but you can carry the cameras inside. There are enough guards and CCTV cameras, so don't try to sneak a pic on the sly! The display is not very impressive. Many idols and sculptures are kept along the walls with a notice of its antiquity and provenance. Many halls are sealed and closed to the public. The Shaiva and Sakta gallery is also closed. Good, cool drinking water is available here and after sipping a mouthful, we moved to our next destination.

The Tribal Art Museum is nearby and considerably bigger and more impressive than the first. Paintings, sculptures, handicrafts and metallic artifacts created by tribal people in Madhya Pradesh are displayed here in three or four halls. You can observe geometrical continuity of the figure of the horse from wall paintings at Bhimbetka. Some models are very sophisticated while a few others hark back to a distant past.

Raneh Falls
After lunch and a brief rest, we proceeded to Raneh Falls in a hired taxi by about 2pm. The Ken River (Karnavati in Hindi) flows through to a narrow gorge rich in igneous rocks like granite and dolomite. The rock walls extend to about five kilometres and up to thirty metres high. It is called the Grand Canyon of India and is situated 20 km north east of Khajuraho. The road to the falls goes through some of Madhya Pradesh’s quaint villages that seem to have got stuck in the past. The road is good, but narrow. There is an entry fee of Rs. 600 for car and another Rs. 75 for engaging a guide which is mandatory. The irritating part is that you are expected to carry the guide in your vehicle. Our car was already full and there was no way we could accommodate him inside. After some awkward moments looking at the car and the guide, we asked him to come in his own vehicle and offered Rs.100 extra for the trouble. He agreed and we drove to the waterfall which is about three km from the gate.

There have been abundant rains in the area the previous month, but we were not prepared for the majesty of the falls that lay before our eyes. The Ken River roars down from a gorge which shone in resplendent colours from the pink to red to black. These are said to be remnants of an ancient lava flow. Seams of quartz are visible among some rocks. Our guide meanwhile reached there by traveling in the driver’s seat of an auto rickshaw. He gave a detailed description of the place which was very informative. We had decided to visit this place to break the monotony of temples, but once we reached there, realized that we would’ve regretted the decision had we not made the trip.
Mineral-rich multi-coloured rocks in the Raneh Canyon

On the return from Raneh Falls, we visited the Eastern Group of temples in Khajuraho. This is not exactly a close-knit group as the temples are scattered among rural homes and fields. The Brahma temple does not even have an enclosure and stands on the side of the village road. There are no sculptures on this building.

The Vamana temple stands elegantly in the middle of fields a short distance away from Brahma temple. This is much smaller in size to the three great temples in the Western Group, but the carvings and figurines claim parity with them in class. Javari temple is also close by. It is not so exquisite as the Vamana, but well worth a visit.

The Jain temples dedicated to Adinath and Parshwanath make up the Eastern Group. They are under active worship by the Jain devotees. Footwear is to be removed at a distance from the structures and even handbags made of leather are not permitted. Fortunately, no one was keeping a watch on the material of the bags. Both the temples are adorned with fine sculptures which also include many tirthankaras. You may confuse them with images of the Buddha as the portrayal in stone is virtually identical.

We quickly moved to the Dhuladev temple in the South-Eastern Group as it was nearing closing time. Dhuladev is comparable to the Javari, but not to the Vamana. After spending ten minutes here, we drove to the Chaturbhuj temple, which was the final item on the day’s itinerary. This is very near to Khajuraho’s airport, and is claimed to be an ideal place for enjoying sunset. The sky was overcast at that time and a good angle to get the temple in front of the sun was difficult to come by. Just before the closing time of 6 pm, we left and reached the hotel.

Day 6, October 7, 2019

We had completed visiting all the major attractions in Khajuraho and could have returned yesterday itself with a little more attention to schedules. So today was a reserve day. Moreover, we believe that you have to stay at least two nights in a place to get a feel of it.

So, in the morning we went again to the Western Group, in fact, our third visit in so many days. This time we went with a 70-300 mm zoom lens instead of the usual 18-55 mm so as to get some good quality zoomed photos of the sculptures. We made a thorough sweep of the three great temples in the group and returned satisfied to the hotel two hours later.
A depiction of musicians from Lakshmana temple

After lunch, we again walked to the shopping area in front of the Western Group entrance. All kinds of souvenirs can be bought here, weather it is of stone, metal works or textiles. Detailed instruction booklets on Kamasutra are available at a cheap price and the peddler promotes them in a way that can be embarrassing for sensitive individuals.

We reached Khajuraho railway station that presents a good view of sunset among the surrounding fields. The 22448 Uttar Pradesh Sampark Kranti Express left Khajuraho at the scheduled time of 6:20 pm. This is a slip train which links to the 12448 UP Sampark Kranti at Mahoba. There is no on-board catering and we had to manage with local food available at Mahoba platform. The train reached Hazrat Nizamuddinten minutes earlier then the appointed time of 5:15 am.

Day 7, October 8, 2019

We checked in to the company guest house a short distance away. After refreshing ourselves off the overnight journey, we went to Humayun's Tomb. Some travelers get confused with the ticket counter of Sundar Nursery situated very close to the drop off point. ASI maintains a sleek entry gate equipped to deal with RFID tags issued along with tickets. It looked very cool, but its utility remained doubtful. You have to keep the tag during the entire visit and deposit it back while going out.

Humayun was the son of Babar, who was the first Mughal emperor. He was a weak prince and the vassals turned against him. Tribal passions also played a prominent part as the Turkish Mughals had displaced the Afghans in Delhi. They grouped together under the able leadership of Sher Shah Suri and defeated Humayun. Unable to stand up to the invaders, Humayun fled to Persia. After Sher Shah's death, he returned to India with the military help of the Persians. It is whispered in history that Humayun had to secretly convert to Shiism, the sect of the Shah. He regained the Delhi throne and died in his library when he slipped and fell from a staircase. His tomb was built in 1570 CE by his principal wife Haji Begum. This was the first use of red sandstone for a building of this scale. It is built like a garden tomb such as the Taj Mahal.
Humayun's tomb reflected in the stagnant pool

Visitors are filled with awe at the first glimpse of the imposing building which fills the eye. The building stands on a platform about three metres high. It is amusing to see the Star of David on the top and sides of the vaulted archways of the structure. Humayun's sarcophagus stands at the geometrical centre of the building and is very simple for the power he had wielded while alive. There are other tombs in various rooms and the platform so that it is also called the ‘Mughal dormitory’. There is a small tomb called the ‘Barbers Tomb’ on the southern side and a structure called ‘Neela Gumbaj’. The eastern wall of the premises coincides with the western wall of Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station.

We returned to the guest house and trekked to an Ashokan Edict at the centre of a garden east of Kailash. The garden is located right in the middle of the city. There is an outcrop of granite boulders in its middle and Brahmi characters are visible on one of them. A protective shed is now built around the edict covered on all sides by iron grills. Local people apparently worship the scripture as seen by marigold flowers and vermilion strewn on the floor. Just as we were leaving, a group of Sri Lankan pilgrims came there under the guidance of a maroon-coloured monk.

We went to the Palam airport and boarded the Vistara flight to Kochi at 3:15 pm for an uneventful journey back home. Our week-long trip ended at 7:00 pm.

Local travel

We engaged local taxis. The rate in Bhopal was Rs. 1300 for eight hours for Tata Indigo, with Rs. 100per additional hour and Rs. 9 per additional km. These rates are very competitive.

In Khajuraho, the rates are higher as can be expected in a tourist location with a clear visiting season. For an afternoon ride of about 45 km and 4 hours, Rs.1500 was charged. The 8-kilometre trip from hotel to the railway station cost Rs. 400. There is no Uber service in Khajuraho.

For other short trips in Bhopal and Delhi, we used Uber, which offered excellent service in Delhi. We used it three times and never had to wait for more than five minutes.

Food

We are somewhat particular for South Indian food, but had to adapt to local circumstances. In Bhopal, the Indian Coffee House offers tasty masala dosa at all times. Kerala rice is not available, even though the restaurant is manned only by Keralites. We generally used non-vegetarian food and stayed put to tawa roti and chicken curry most of the time because we were used to that taste even at home.

Accommodation

We stayed in OYO 10515 Vishnu Vilas hotel near New Market in Bhopal. This hotel was selected for its close proximity to the Indian Coffee House where South Indian food is available. The hotel is a very small one, but room amenities are commendable, except for the room’s small size. AC, TV, telephone and a decent bed was available for Rs. 1400 a day. The sanitary fittings were new and 24-hour hot water was available. Free Wi-Fi was fast. Concierge was present on the floor for attending problems. On the whole, we had nothing to complain about, but we didn’t like the ambience of the hotel as well as the rooms. It is great value for money, but there is something that detracts families from staying there. The staff is not very professional. They loudly played music on their mobile phones in the corridors.

In Khajuraho, we stayed in Hotel Khajuraho Temple View on the shore of Premsagar lake. The spire of Vishwanath temple is visible from here. The rooms are spacious and elegantly fitted. The restaurant caters to all needs. Tea-making facility is available in rooms. Breakfast and lunch/dinner is complementary on the tariff of Rs. 3125 per day. The staff is very friendly and helpful. On the downside, hot water is not always available. Whenever you get it, it could only be called warm, rather than hot. Moreover, there is no latch on the room door that can be securely fastened from the inside. You can lock the door with its key, but anyone with a duplicate one can open it from the outside. This same issue was noticed in both rooms we occupied. The hotel is very safe and the staff very gentlemanly, but still, this problem must be given some serious thought by the management.

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