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.
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| 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.
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| We crossed the Tropic of Cancer on the way to Sanchi |
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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
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| Remains of Ashokan Pillar with edict near southern gateway |
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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.
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| 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!
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
