Post moved to One Of The Road
One Of The Road is an exclusive travel blog written and maintained by me. Thanks :)
One Of The Road is an exclusive travel blog written and maintained by me. Thanks :)
Showing posts with label MADHYA PRADESH. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MADHYA PRADESH. Show all posts
Sunday, 13 December 2015
Sunday, 1 November 2015
Exploring Bhopal
Bhopal was my second trip in MP - second in the space of a month after Omkareshwar and Maheshwar. The motivation - none, except for the kicks of travelling and exploring a new place (probably the way Kerouac would put it).
The plan was to start from Mumbai after the Dussehra lunch, reach Bhopal by early Friday morning, explore the city through the day, then Saturday dedicated to surrounds - Sanchi, Vidisha, Bimbhetka - then Bhopal again on Sunday till noon and then return to Mumbai. I'll cover the surrounds in another post, and restrict this one to cover Bhopal through my eyes.
-x-x-x-
I arrived in Bhopal early on Friday morning, checked in with my host - Airbnb this time - and got out to explore. The local bus network in Bhopal is quite efficient by the way, and much much cheaper on the pocket compared to the exorbitant rates of the rickshaws. I took a bus to the New Market, and then a connecting one to Moti Masjid in Old Bhopal. That was my first stop for the day.
Old Bhopal, by the way, is inundated with mosques and for a newcomer it may seem like every other building is some kind of a mosque. The major mosques are the Moti Masjid and the Taj-ul-Masajid (note the extra a, more on that later). Moti Masjid is an imposing structure in all its right and looks over a busy junction. The structure is mostly stone, with a small bit of marble embellishments.
After the Moti Masjid, I went through a series of buildings from the days of the Bhopal Sultanate - all of them well past their glory days. The first one was Shaukat Mahal, one of the early residencies of the royalty. This building is a mix of indo-islamic and burboun (french) architecture. The Bhopal royalty had a thread connecting it to the French Burboun royalty - more info on wikipedia. Now-a-days, the building is used as any normal residential building and is slowly crumbling away.
Next up was Moti Mahal. The scale of the outer structure betrays the utter ruins that one sees inside. This place till a while ago housed the Bhopal Post Office. Now, only ruins.Sadar Manzil, the erstwhile court of the Sultanate was converted to Bhopal Municipal Corporation office and was systematically deprived of its glory. The offices have now been shifted, but the damage has been done. Its gonna be a long restoration process, that is if someone is actually willing.
I had a quick tea-n-samosa break at the world famous (in Bhopal) Raju Tea Stall. The place was itself in the middle of a face-lift, but the main attraction - the tea - was perfect! Then came the weirdest quest I've ever found me in - searching a restroom in the middle of a busy city. The suggestions of the locals were even weirder - use the wall, the corner of the garden next to a blood bank, and similar ideas. I finally found one in the campus of the sprawling Hamidia Hospital.
Relieved of my misery, I visited the Taj-ul-Masajid. The name literally translates to 'The Crown Of All Mosques' - masjid = mosque, masajid = mosques -and befitting its name it is also the world's third largest mosque. The sprawling building is a bit bland when it comes to artwork, but nevertheless it showcases the grand ambitions of the Bhopal Royalty.
Next up, I'd planned the Gauhar Mahal but it was closed till 3pm. So a walk by the Upper Lake ensued, followed by a quick nap in Kamla Park. Another long walk took me to the Indian Coffee House in the New Market Area. An old establishment of the Coffee Board from Jabalpur, the place is famous among Bhopalites for its coffee and dosas. I had a sampler of both as a light lunch. Worth a visit.
A Rs100 rickshaw ride from here took me to the museum area near the Shyamala Hills area. There are three museums here, the State Museum, the Tribal Museum and the Musum of Man. I did the three in the same order. These places are simply amazing - especially the tribal museum. I made a mistake of not opting to take the pics; make sure you don't.
I was halfway through the Museum of Man, when is was closing time - 5:30pm. I hitchhiked on a milk-man's moped and then took a bus to the New Market to just while my time away there. A bit of riding around the town was followed by dinner at the 'Winds and Waves' restaurant by the Upper Lake.
Another post-dinner exploration of the Old Bhopal followed, this time with my host for company. The Upper Lake looks gorgeous by night, and so does the Tal-ul-Masajid with its lighted towers. Most of the corners of the old city are dotted with people indulging in their pass times - chess, cards and the likes. We were also lucky to witness a procession related to Muharram next day (not the actual Muharram procession). We returned by midnight.
The next day was spent in Sanchi and Vidisha, so didnt see anything in Bhopal. Again on my last day, time crunch dictated that I could only see the Van Vihar park. The place is like a zoo with larger cages - but not a sanctuary. The best way to see the park is to cycle through it - cycles can be rented at the gate.
I ended my spree in Bhopal with a quick shopping round at the New Market. Then on to the railway station for my train back to Mumbai.
© Kapil Pilankar
The plan was to start from Mumbai after the Dussehra lunch, reach Bhopal by early Friday morning, explore the city through the day, then Saturday dedicated to surrounds - Sanchi, Vidisha, Bimbhetka - then Bhopal again on Sunday till noon and then return to Mumbai. I'll cover the surrounds in another post, and restrict this one to cover Bhopal through my eyes.
-x-x-x-
An empty train - Paradise!!!
I arrived in Bhopal early on Friday morning, checked in with my host - Airbnb this time - and got out to explore. The local bus network in Bhopal is quite efficient by the way, and much much cheaper on the pocket compared to the exorbitant rates of the rickshaws. I took a bus to the New Market, and then a connecting one to Moti Masjid in Old Bhopal. That was my first stop for the day.
Old Bhopal, by the way, is inundated with mosques and for a newcomer it may seem like every other building is some kind of a mosque. The major mosques are the Moti Masjid and the Taj-ul-Masajid (note the extra a, more on that later). Moti Masjid is an imposing structure in all its right and looks over a busy junction. The structure is mostly stone, with a small bit of marble embellishments.
The minimal marble work in the masjid
A reflection of the corner spires in the masjid pool
After the Moti Masjid, I went through a series of buildings from the days of the Bhopal Sultanate - all of them well past their glory days. The first one was Shaukat Mahal, one of the early residencies of the royalty. This building is a mix of indo-islamic and burboun (french) architecture. The Bhopal royalty had a thread connecting it to the French Burboun royalty - more info on wikipedia. Now-a-days, the building is used as any normal residential building and is slowly crumbling away.
Next up was Moti Mahal. The scale of the outer structure betrays the utter ruins that one sees inside. This place till a while ago housed the Bhopal Post Office. Now, only ruins.Sadar Manzil, the erstwhile court of the Sultanate was converted to Bhopal Municipal Corporation office and was systematically deprived of its glory. The offices have now been shifted, but the damage has been done. Its gonna be a long restoration process, that is if someone is actually willing.
The Iqbal Maidan, the centre of Old Bhopal
Overlooked by the Moti Mahal (pink) and Shaukat Mahal (white)
Pic taken from Moti Masjid
The old Peer Darwaza connecting the Moti Mahal and the Shaukat Mahal
There are many such old jeeps dotting the landscape near the Moti Masjid
The inner artwork in Sadar Manzil
Sadar Manzil artwork
Sadar Manzil lawn and entrance.
Upper Lake in the background
I had a quick tea-n-samosa break at the world famous (in Bhopal) Raju Tea Stall. The place was itself in the middle of a face-lift, but the main attraction - the tea - was perfect! Then came the weirdest quest I've ever found me in - searching a restroom in the middle of a busy city. The suggestions of the locals were even weirder - use the wall, the corner of the garden next to a blood bank, and similar ideas. I finally found one in the campus of the sprawling Hamidia Hospital.
Relieved of my misery, I visited the Taj-ul-Masajid. The name literally translates to 'The Crown Of All Mosques' - masjid = mosque, masajid = mosques -and befitting its name it is also the world's third largest mosque. The sprawling building is a bit bland when it comes to artwork, but nevertheless it showcases the grand ambitions of the Bhopal Royalty.
The Taj-ul-Masajid - human for scale at right bottom
The main 3 domes of the Taj
The more-or-less bland inners of the Taj
Next up, I'd planned the Gauhar Mahal but it was closed till 3pm. So a walk by the Upper Lake ensued, followed by a quick nap in Kamla Park. Another long walk took me to the Indian Coffee House in the New Market Area. An old establishment of the Coffee Board from Jabalpur, the place is famous among Bhopalites for its coffee and dosas. I had a sampler of both as a light lunch. Worth a visit.
The Gauhar Mahal
The Upper Lake
My lunch at the Indian Coffee House
A Rs100 rickshaw ride from here took me to the museum area near the Shyamala Hills area. There are three museums here, the State Museum, the Tribal Museum and the Musum of Man. I did the three in the same order. These places are simply amazing - especially the tribal museum. I made a mistake of not opting to take the pics; make sure you don't.
The gate of the Tribal Museum
A deepmaal at the Museum of Man
I was halfway through the Museum of Man, when is was closing time - 5:30pm. I hitchhiked on a milk-man's moped and then took a bus to the New Market to just while my time away there. A bit of riding around the town was followed by dinner at the 'Winds and Waves' restaurant by the Upper Lake.
Another post-dinner exploration of the Old Bhopal followed, this time with my host for company. The Upper Lake looks gorgeous by night, and so does the Tal-ul-Masajid with its lighted towers. Most of the corners of the old city are dotted with people indulging in their pass times - chess, cards and the likes. We were also lucky to witness a procession related to Muharram next day (not the actual Muharram procession). We returned by midnight.
The next day was spent in Sanchi and Vidisha, so didnt see anything in Bhopal. Again on my last day, time crunch dictated that I could only see the Van Vihar park. The place is like a zoo with larger cages - but not a sanctuary. The best way to see the park is to cycle through it - cycles can be rented at the gate.
Ride of the day
This hyena seemed to derive some pleasure just going round and round in circles
The bear at Van Vihar
Tiger ... Van Vihar has 17 in all
The lake by the Van Vihar cafeteria
I ended my spree in Bhopal with a quick shopping round at the New Market. Then on to the railway station for my train back to Mumbai.
© Kapil Pilankar
Saturday, 31 October 2015
Along The Narmada At Maheshwar & Mandleshwar
The distance from Omkareshwar to Maheshwar is 81kms. Covering this distance in the MP state transport bus, with its numerous halts takes a time equivalent of watching a standard length Hindi movie - the Amitabh Bacchan and Vinod Khanna starer Parvarish as in my case.
Arrving at Maheshwar at about 1:30pm, my first task was too find a place to eat. The only thing I'd eaten in Omkareshwar the day before was the spicy khichadi helped down with loads of curd. I was in better health today, and so I decided to have a better meal, but was quite apprehensive for the quality. Right next to the Maheshwar bus stop is the Gurukripa Bhojanalay. The sight of a Sikh sitting behind the counter was one of the most reassuring things I've ever seen in my life!!!
The next thing after the delicious thali at Gurukripa was to find a place to crash. There were a few places around the bus stand, but I decided to venture near the fort and the Ghats for a better location. I found one to my liking and budget just outside the fort. Maheshwar, being a seat of erstwhile royalty, has quite a few top-end places as well. There's loads of choice.
I set out to explore the place - mostly the fort and the ghats - after a nap at around 5pm, still taking swigs of the ORS. I'd simply say, I love the place. The ghats at Maheshwar are majestic and coupled with the facade of the fort and palace, present a magnificent view. I just casually strolled about the place, taking in the views and noting the splendid pre-modern Hindu architecture.
It was then, as I stepped out to the ghats when I saw the most splendid post-sunset light play I've ever seen in my life.
Dinner followed at Gurukripa again - I was in love with that place. I slept early. I took a round of the ghats again early morning, and followed it up with a breakfast at the Mediterranean themed Labboos Cafe inside the fort. It looked like a good place to chill. These guys also offer accommodation in restored guard rooms of the fort. Should be fun to try some day.
I checked out early in a bid to cover the ghats of Mandleshwar on my way back to Khandwa for my train to Mumbai; actually, Dhamnod is a mere 13km away from Maheshwar with brilliant bus connectivity with Mumbai via the Mumbai-Agra Highway is a better port of entry-exit. Anyway, the ghats of Mandleshwar resemble more of a promenade, though some work is in progress to make it more attractive. I reached the ghats by noon, and the cool breeze blowing there meant that I absolutely had to sit down and soak it all in. I had company of a band of dhol boys who were chattering in a frenzy - mostly fun.
My return journey to Khandwa via Barwaha was spent again in the drivers cabin where I got some conversation flowing and was treated to complementary tea and some friendly advice.
It was about 4pm by the time I arrived at Khandwa and had almost an hour at my disposal. So I decided to visit the second most visited place in Khandwa after the railway station - Kishore Kumar's birthplace. This now dilapidated structure - Ganguly House, Gowri Kunj - was once privy to the innocence and joy of Kishore Da's childhood. I met the caretaker there - an old man of seventy - who recounted the old days when Kishore Da would frequent the place. I gave him a small tip and returned to the railway station to while my time off till the train arrived.
My first trip to MP was about to come to an end. I'd seen quite a bit, I'd learnt quite a bit - more about myself, than anything else. I'd be back soon, there's a lot to know in MP.
© Kapil Pilankar
Arrving at Maheshwar at about 1:30pm, my first task was too find a place to eat. The only thing I'd eaten in Omkareshwar the day before was the spicy khichadi helped down with loads of curd. I was in better health today, and so I decided to have a better meal, but was quite apprehensive for the quality. Right next to the Maheshwar bus stop is the Gurukripa Bhojanalay. The sight of a Sikh sitting behind the counter was one of the most reassuring things I've ever seen in my life!!!
The next thing after the delicious thali at Gurukripa was to find a place to crash. There were a few places around the bus stand, but I decided to venture near the fort and the Ghats for a better location. I found one to my liking and budget just outside the fort. Maheshwar, being a seat of erstwhile royalty, has quite a few top-end places as well. There's loads of choice.
I set out to explore the place - mostly the fort and the ghats - after a nap at around 5pm, still taking swigs of the ORS. I'd simply say, I love the place. The ghats at Maheshwar are majestic and coupled with the facade of the fort and palace, present a magnificent view. I just casually strolled about the place, taking in the views and noting the splendid pre-modern Hindu architecture.
The cenotaphs by the ghats
The Raj-Rajeshwar Temple
Temple complex of Maheshwar
Temple complex
The statue of Ahilyabai Holkar, Maheshwar is greatly indebted to her
Temple complex views
Guardians
It was then, as I stepped out to the ghats when I saw the most splendid post-sunset light play I've ever seen in my life.
The colours of Maheshwar twilight
I checked out early in a bid to cover the ghats of Mandleshwar on my way back to Khandwa for my train to Mumbai; actually, Dhamnod is a mere 13km away from Maheshwar with brilliant bus connectivity with Mumbai via the Mumbai-Agra Highway is a better port of entry-exit. Anyway, the ghats of Mandleshwar resemble more of a promenade, though some work is in progress to make it more attractive. I reached the ghats by noon, and the cool breeze blowing there meant that I absolutely had to sit down and soak it all in. I had company of a band of dhol boys who were chattering in a frenzy - mostly fun.
The steps and temples of Mandleshwar, with the dhol boys
My return journey to Khandwa via Barwaha was spent again in the drivers cabin where I got some conversation flowing and was treated to complementary tea and some friendly advice.
My bus ride ...
It was about 4pm by the time I arrived at Khandwa and had almost an hour at my disposal. So I decided to visit the second most visited place in Khandwa after the railway station - Kishore Kumar's birthplace. This now dilapidated structure - Ganguly House, Gowri Kunj - was once privy to the innocence and joy of Kishore Da's childhood. I met the caretaker there - an old man of seventy - who recounted the old days when Kishore Da would frequent the place. I gave him a small tip and returned to the railway station to while my time off till the train arrived.
I should've taken a selfie here ... this looks like a mugshot of the poor guy
Ganguly House - Gowri Kunj
© Kapil Pilankar
Friday, 30 October 2015
A Recovery In Omkareshwar
Post moved to One Of The Road - One Of The Road is a proper travel blog maintained by me. Thanks :)
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