Trip members: Karthik, TP
Trip date: 14, 15 and 16 Apr 2017
Trip Plan : Chennai - New Delhi - (Gwalior) - Khajuraho - Dhubela - Orchha - Jhansi - New Delhi - Chennai
New Delhi – Gwalior – 330 kms
Gwalior – Orchha – 125 kms
Khajurah– Orchha (near Jhansi) – 173 kms
Orchha – New Delhi – 477 kms
Khajurah– Jhansi – 175 kms
Khajurah– Gwalior – 282 kms
Orchha – Jhansi – 17 kms
Day 1Started from Chennai by flight to New Delhi and then on to connecting flight from New Delhi to Khajuraho. Looks like there are only 2 flights to Khajuraho; one from Delhi around 15:35 and one from Mumbai in the morning around 7 am. From New Delhi airport, I called the place where we booked rooms, Marble palace for confirmation, and he said he will arrange an auto-rickshaw for me for Rs.100. After arriving, I found that it was important to have the vehicle pre-booked as there was almost no vehicles in the airport - cab or autos, apart from those waiting for pick-up.
Hotel Marble palace was just 300m from the Western group of monuments. The elder person who took care of the place was very nice and walked me through the rooms and let me choose it. The rooms are quite spacious, clean and simple. The bathrooms were also clean, though not modern. The air conditioning was quite good.
After check-in, I went the Western group of monuments. I stayed in Marble palace, which was only 2 minutes walk. They charge Rs.30 for Indian adults and allow people in until 6:30. It was 5:30 pm when I entered. No tickets for still cameras.
Khajuraho has mainly three group of temples - Western, Eastern and Jain group of monuments. All are open from sunrise to sunset. The ticket is common ticket for all monuments - one needs to show the ticket at every entrance.
Western group of monuments has the following temples - Viswanath Temple, Lakshmi Temple, Kandariya Mahadev Temple (biggest of all) and most popular, Chitragupta Temple, Varaha Temple, Lakshmana Temple, Devi Jagdamba Temple, Parvati Temple and Nandi temple. All these are in single premises and easily takes 1.5 to 2 hours. I visited once in the evening for the sunset view and it was amazing. They ask everyone to go out by 6:30 PM.
On entering the premises, the Lakshmi temple, Lakshmana temple, Varaha temple are on the left and Nandi, Vishwanath temples on the right side. Rest of them just ahead across all sides of the premises. The Lakshmi temple is just a small temple and closed. It is first temple on the left side of the monuments. It is before the Varaha temple. The Varaha temple hosts a colossal monolithic sculpture of Varaha (boar). The Varaha is quite artistic and with a pyramidal roof, opposite to the Lakshmana temple.
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| Lakshmi temple |
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| Varaha temple |
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| Varaha |
Lakshmana temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and one is allowed after removing slippers/shoes. Various incarnations of Lord Vishnu can seen in the artistic sculptures with other God/Goddess. The sculptures are so well carved resembling real muscles and bone like structures. The sunset gave a golden glow to the greatly and uniquely sculpted towers.
Adjacent to the Lakshmana temple, is a currently active Shiva temple - Matangeshwara Temple. The Matangeshwara Temple is gardened out with fences and has a narrow entrance just next to the premises. The temple hosts a huge linga, which is 8 foot tall and said that the same size is beneath the ground as well.
The Kandariya Mahadev Temple is the biggest of all and most popular. The entrance level porch is very artistic. The multi-level towers are massive and uniquely architected. This temple is THE well known temple of Khajuraho and is on a lofty pedestal. This temple has elegant curves as a whole and great sculptures of Hinduism, elephants, ornamented people and much more. One can spend quite some time here admiring each of the carvings and the architecture. The grand views from distance and near are of great admiration.
Next, is the Devi Jagadambi temple. The temple is on a high platform as like the Kandariya temple and hosts Goddess Parvati. This temple also hosts excellent sculptures.
The Chitragupta Temple is the most talked about for obvious reasons across the world and is situated at the extreme diagonal of the premises. This temple walls are carved one of the finest sculptures and is dedicated to Lord Surya.
There is sound and light show at the premises are in Hindi and English. The charges for Indian is Rs.200/- quite costly! English version is at 19:30-20:25 and Hindi version - 20:40-21:35. The tickets are given closer to the gate for Sound and light show. The entrance for this is at the end of the front compound of the Western group of monuments. The show was ok with respect to history but it was very lengthy and looked like intentionally dragged for 55 minutes. The lights were quite less for photography, but I think it might have been intentionally kept less.
TP joined me at Khajuraho at around 20:45 after he completed Gwalior; and we had dinner at Hotel Blue Sky - just opposite to the Western group. The rotis and sabji was quite good. They have 2 levels of open sky restaurant; it would be great dining experience in winter.
Day-2Around 6:30, we visited the Western group of monuments, this time with TP. Sunrise views were quite appealing for photography and admire the temples. We went across all the temples.
We continued to see all temples in Western group of monuments. The Parvati temple is a small temple and one of the oldest. The Viswantha temple is the oldest of all along with the Nandi temple. The Nandi shrine is part of the Viswanatha temple. The Nandi is a monolithic statue.
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| Parvati Temple |
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| Vishwanatha temple |
The Viswanatha temple was the first built of the Western group of temples in the Chandela dynasty. This has some great sculptures, ornamental ceilings and hangings.
We came out by 08:30 and had breakfast at a local restaurant - Aloo parathas. The shops are open only by 08:30. So, plan your day accordingly.
We then, checked out and planned 2 things - Eastern and Jain group of monuments and Raneh falls. We booked a cab to goto Orchha for afternoon and hired an auto for the local siteseeing of Khajuraho.
Raneh falls is 30-40 minutes drive by auto from Khajuraho - around 17 kms. The mercury was soaring, definitely around 45 degrees. The roads to Raneh were very good and narrow. We reached the entrance by 10 AM - the Ken Gharial Sanctuary. Vehicles are allowed inside with a charge of Rs.200 for autos, compulsory guide for Rs.75 and Rs.50 per person. There are 3 items to do here - the Raneh falls, Gharial view and a natural trial. We were allowed around 3-4 kms inside the sanctuary by auto with the guide to see the Ken river and the great rocks around. The whole place is a outcome of a burst volcano millions of years ago. The natural trial is done during winters as the sanctuary will be overflowing with water and not allowed to enter all places.
The bumpy ride was very eventful and we sighted deer (Nilgais), jackals, monkeys and lots of colourful birds. The dry forests were of a different gene all together and the rocks made it a grand view. The Ken river view was excellent. We also climbed the watch tower to have a great panoramic view. We could not spend more than 15 minutes as it was very hot. We cited a Gharial in the stagnant water.
The Raneh falls view with small crater like formation was amazing to see. The crater like formation is said to be the eye of volcano that gave out lava few million years ago. The place has well laid platforms and watch towers to view the canyons. The deep canyons have varying colours of granite and dolomite - red, green, blue, black and brown. It is also said few of these rocks are glow rocks and glow in the nights. Do take lots of water with you when you go here.
We then started back to Khajuraho. We had to complete the Eastern group of monuments and Jain group of monuments. The Jain group of monuments has 3 temples - one new - Shantinath temple and 2 historical - Parsvanath and Adinath temples. The Shantinath temple is a new temple and all temples are open from Sunrise to Sunset. The Shantinath temple is an active temple too.
The Adinath and Parsvanath temples depict the architectures of the Khajuraho temples that are in Western group. There are quite small temples and all within the same premises.These are around 700m from the Eastern group of temples.
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| Shantinath Temple |
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| Shantinath Temple |
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| Parsvanath Temple |
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| Adinath Temple |
Eastern Group of monuments are around 1.3 kms from the Western Group of monuments. These temples are quite distributed across the town unlike the Western group in a single mega premises.
We visited the Dulhadev temple first - dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple is octagonal and different sculptures like Makara (crocodile) and bull. It also has sculptures of Yama, The temple looks like got ruined and heavily restored. Even the main facet looks to be restored so are many sculptures.
Chaturbhuj Temple – this is a temple - looks to be built only for religious purpose unlike rest of the temples which has sculptures replicating the popularity of Khajuraho. The main idol is almost 7-8 foot tall and quite artistic, mounted on a pedestal. The entrance is well ornamented.
The Brahma temple is just on the road and quite not used at all - on the banks of the lake. There is no stop required for this, just seen from the vehicle as you go to Vamana and Javari temple.
The Vamana and Javari temples are located nearby (200-300m). The Vamana temple is dedicated to the Vamana incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The temple is decorated with lots of garlands, mithuna and dancers.
The Javari temple is mounted on a very high pedestal when compared to most of the temples. The torana - entrance is very artistic and so are many sculptures on the walls of the temple.
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| Vamana Temple |
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| Vamana Temple |
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| Javari Temple |
We took our bags and shifted to the car, that was waiting for us to bid bye to Khajuraho. We had excellent lunch - rotis, jeera rice, dhall and bindi masala at hotel Badriseth - Marwadi Bhojnalaya. The food was cooked fresh and served and was very good in flavours.
The car driver had told us that he would take us to Dhubela Museum. We got to know about King Chatrasal as we arrived to Dhubela. Dhubela is located around 62 kms from Khajuraho enroute to Orchha. It is around 2 kms from the national highway. This was not a part of our plan, and that extra came in, which is a LIKE in our trips.
The Dhubela lake is surrounded by several ruined palaces, chatris and mahals. We visited the Maharaj Chatrasal museum - a proud place for Bundelkhand. The museum is open from 10 AM to 5 PM and closed on Mondays. The place of Dhubela invites a whole day trip to see all the ruins around. The entry fees is Rs,10 per person and Rs.50 for still camera. The museum has lots of sculptures collected from the surrounding regions - mainly Lalitpur, Rewa and also about Bajirao, The museum comprises 8 galleries - inscriptions, copper plates, garments, weapons and paintings of the Bundela kings.
We reached Orchha by 19:00 hours after a tiring ride on the so called National Highways - mostly single road filled with cattle and small villages. We had booked rooms and checked into hotel Aditya - walkable distance and behind the Ram Raja temple. The rooms were ok and clean. The bed was quite big and hosted us a great sleep. We refreshed and walked around to know what is what. The sound and light show in English was in progress (19:30) and the Hindi was at 20:45. We planned to attend it and had dinner at Hotel Betwa Tarang. The roof top restaurant served quick rotis and sabji upon special request as dont want miss the sound and light show.
Sound and light show at Raja mahal of Orchha fort - entry fees is Rs.100 and free for still cameras. The show lasted for 45 minutes and it was much information and better than the one at Khajuraho. The history was explained well and the light/sound effects were enjoyable. The lights were enough for some good photography too.
Day-3The places are open for visitors only by 07:30 in the morning. We started our day by 06:30 went around and located the Orchha fort, Ram Raja mandir and the massive Chaturbhuj mandir. We took some Sunrise photos and entered the Orchha fort by 07:30. No food was available in any of the shops until then,
Orchha fort - It is located on island of Betwa river and was a prominent building in Orchha. The premises has the most important monuments and buildings associated with Bundela dynasty. Orchha fort is also known as Jehangir fort, is erected in honor of Mughal Emperor Jahangir when he was on a visit to Bundelkhand region. Fort is setup using both Muslim and Hindu building architecture.
The Orchha Fort Complex hosts Raja Mahal and Jahangir Mahal. We hired a guide for Rs.470 (as per the fee structure) and the guide explained us quite a lot about the Raja Mahal and Jahangir mahal. He was not very detailed, but ok. The cost is quite high, but, that is all they get for their living.
We went around and around each of the levels of Raja mahal - 3 levels above ground and admired the grandness of the palace. Moreover, each level gave a great view of the Chaturbhuj temple, the Chatris and the ruined town of Orchha, The mahal had great paintings of Ramayana, incarnations of Lord Vishnu and somehow felt that they have not been preserved properly. The palace is quite massive it took almost an hour - all by ourself to see it.
The Jahangir mahal - built as an extension of the Raja mahal is a mix of Mughal and Hindu culture - elephants and typical Mughal carvings at each level - Indo Islamic architecture. The place is like a maze across 3 levels with narrow and steep steps. The Jahangir mahal is very artistic and hosts great paintings. They also have blue and green glazed tiles across the construction - depicting Hinduism and Mughals together. The main entrance of the palace has a grand elevation.
There is also a partially ruined - Camel stable - Oont Khanna. The Sheesh mahal inside the premises of Jahangir mahal and Raja mahal is being used as MPTDC tourism stay. This also is quite grand to see and well maintained.
Rai Parveen mahal outside this premises is quite modern and small. Rai Parveen was an accomplished singer and dancer of the Bundela dynasty. We walked around the fort and also saw Hathi Khanna (elephant stable) and Shyam Daua ki Kothi.
We next visited the Ram Raja Temple. This a recently developed temple and a functioning one. Cameras are not allowed inside. There are queues and it took around 20 mins for us to complete the dharshan. The main deity is Lord Ram with Sita and Lakshman, There is also sanctum of Lord Hanuman inside the temple. It would take only 10 minutes if no crowd. There are lot of sweet and flower shops outside, to offer during the dharshan.
We hired a car to see the rest of the important places and checked-out as it was time for it. Chaturbhuj Temple is one important place - must visit of Orchha. This is a towering temple and can be seen from any part of Orchha. One has to be climb around 20-25 steps to see the temple. The main deity is Lord Vishnu. This was built to host Lord Ram, but as per history, Ram decided to sit nearby as this temple was incomplete and that place became Ram Raja temple. We also managed to sneak through to the top of the Chaturbhuj temple - wow view of the whole of Orchha; mainly the palace. The arches are magnificent.
Betwa River - The fort is on an island on Betwa river. The river is the life line of Orchha. The water can be reached through at the Chhatris Cenotaphs. The Chhatris Cenotaphs are around 1.5 kms from the Fort. There are 15 Chhatris totally in Orchha. Majorly, there are 5 massive Chhatris in this premises by the Betwa river. There are definitely wonderful to see and lets you give a wow factor. The Chhatris are on elevated platforms and has beautifully architect-ed arches. We spent around 20-30 minutes here and also saw views from the Betwa river.
The last destination in Orchha - Lakshmi Narayan temple. This was around 1 km from the Chhatris. The temple was also built by Veer Singh Deo - the most important king of the Bundelas. The temple has great paintings - Vishnu incarnations, Ramayana, war and kings.
We left Orchha by 12:30 and reached Jhansi - 17 kms from Orchha by 1 PM. We got dropped at the Jhansi museum - on the foothills of small hill on which the Jhansi fort is built. The government museum is air conditioned and is open from 10:30 to 16:30, except Mondays. Entry fee is Rs,5 and Rs.20 for cameras. The museum has the history and lot of evidences of Jhansi Bai. It also explains the history around the area and how Jhansi came into bigger picture of Indian revolution against British. It easily takes 1 hour to go through all galleries. If interested, one can spend more time here.
We then had Aloo tikki and sugarcane juice just outside the museum as no restaurants were nearby. We decide to skip lunch and walk - 300m to the Jhansi fort. Jhansi fort is built on top of a small hill and has 5 levels of fortifications. Notable places to see - Panch mahal (only 3 levels are there to see), highest point - where Indian flag is hoisted, walk round the fortifications, a small lawn on top of the fort and the point from where Jhansi Rani fell with her horse and child.
It roughly takes around 2 hours to go around the fort. Most of the places in the fort are either locked or converted into working government offices. Thus ended our trip towards MP expedition.
We had lunch at Hotel Sita - not crowded at all and chilly paneer was very good!
We took the Shatabdi to Delhi - starting at 6 PM; reached around 00:00 and flight back to Chennai by 6 AM. At NDLS, New Delhi railway station, we came out through the Ajmeri Gate and took bus to the Airport. They charge Rs.75 for the AC bus from NDLS to New Delhi IGI airport and it goes through all terminals. Based on time, one can decide to take cab or the bus service.
