Khajuraho
The Chandellas, the descendants of the moon-god
the ambitious builders and great connoisseur of arts, embellished
their cities and towns with palaces. pools and temples, but the
complex of sunshine’s at Khajuraho (900 AD. to 14th century
AD) represents the climax of the art of Hindu temple architecture
during the medieval times. The temples at Khajuraho can be divided
into three distinct groups: southern, eastern and western. They
roughly cover 12 sq. km. of area. The western group comprises
the famous Kandariya Mahadev Temple with its spectacular tower,
the Lakshmana temple the only one to retain its complete form,
the Chitragupta Temple, the Devi Jagdamba Temple, and the oldest
Chausath Yogini Temple. The eastern group, close to the village
contains Hindu and Jam temples including a shrine of monkey-god
Lord Hanuman, of relatively recent origin. The southern group,
about 4 km. from Khajuraho contains the well-known Duladeo and
Chaturbhuj Temples, Khajuraho is well-connected by air with Delhi,
Agra and Varanasi. A daily air service links Khajuraho to these
major cities. Mahoba is the nearest railhead on Jhansi-Manakpur
line ol Central Railway. Direct bus service links it to Jabalpur
(296 km.) Jhansi (170 km.) and Bhopal (372 km.). There arc good
hotels—both Indian and Western style Dharamshalas and various
tourist lodges bungalow for the visitor’s stay.
Sanchi
Sanchi, a serene and sleepy place atop a
hill has the singular distinction of telling an uninterrupted
Buddhist history of over 2,000 years in stone. It has stupas.
chaityas, temples, torana gateways, pillars and monasteries the
best and perfect examples of Buddhist architectural and creative
art in India. Situated near Bhopal (72 km. away) on the main Railway
line Delhi-Madras, Sanchi was almost lost to us but for a British
officer who rediscovered it in 1818 and the Archaeological Department
finally restored and repaired in phases to the present state.
The Great Stupa, The Four Toranas, Eastern Gateway, Western Gateway,
Northern Gateway; Southern Gateway, Ashoka Pillar, the Great Bowl
and the Museum are the spots deserving the visit.
Bhopal is the nearest airport which is linked with Delhi and many
other major cities. Since it being a small station, many mail
and express trains do not stop at Sanchi, but first class passengers
can request for a halt at Sanchi. The request should be made well
in advance to the concerned Railway section. By road Sanchi is
connected with Bhopal, Indore, Sagar, Gwalior and Vidisha. Bhooal
is 46 km. via Divanganj and 72 km. via Raisen. There are regular
buses for Sanchi and taxis are also available. The accommodation
available at Sanchi includes ITDC Traveler’s Lodge, Circuit
House, PWD Rest House and Buddhist Guest House.
There are also some old caves and monuments, etc., nearby Sanchi.
They are Udaigiri, (18 Hindu and 2 Jam Caves), Udaypur (Neelkantha
Temple), Sonari and Satdhara (eight stupas); Raisen huge medieval
Hindu fort built around 200 AD and Gyaraspur ( a fort, a temple
and a tank).
Panchamarhi
Situated at an altitude of 1,067 meters,
Panchamarhi is a fine hill resort. The town is on a plateau surrounded
by wooden hills of Satpura ranges. The landscape is characterized
by rugged hills, forests and ravines. Its scenic beauty becomes
more enchanting in the evening when its red hills reflect the
sun rays into beautiful shades of blues, reds and purples. It’s
Dhupgarh and Mahadeo peaks offer excellent views of the sun rise
and the valley across the river Narmada. The best season to visit
Panchmarhi is from October to June. Bhopal (210 km.) and Nagpur
(262 km.) are the nearest airports. Piparia is the nearest railhead
on the Bombay Howrah main line. It is well connected by regular
buses with Bhopal, Nagpur, Hoshangabad, Piparia and Chhindwara.
There are good hotels, retreats and Dharamshalas for visitors’
comfortable stay.
