From My Eyes - Bharatpur and around

This is a part of my larger trip to Bundelkhand region.

The vehicle was waiting for us at Bharatpur station. The first destination was the guest house at Bharatpur. Saw the rooms and chose a Non A/c double room. That was a big mistake. I did not anticipate the weather to be hot in the month of September. After spending around half an hour in the room I felt that I should have chosen an A/c room. After having a bath and a cup of tea, we left for Deeg Palace at around 10:30. When we informed the driver about our visit to Deeg Palace, he mentioned about the recent riots in Bharatpur and asked Mr. Arun Singh if it would be okay to go to Deeg. Mr. Singh informed that the route to Deeg was free of trouble.

The road was Deeg goes through Kumher Gate and that part of the route was bad. After that the road was bad in parts. We reached Deeg just at around 11:20 at the first gate. This gate is normally closed and the

Deeg Palace

visitors have to go to the second gate which is about 2 minutes drive from the 1st gate. You have to take a right from the circle and go straight till you see the 2nd gate. Here is the ticket counter for Deeg Palace. Entry fee is Rs 5/- per person, no camera charges. The palace was/is famous for its fountains. These fountains are rarely used nowadays. As per the guide these fountains are used during a fair which is held in the month of September. There are quite a few Bhawans inside the palace complex. One of them is Gopal Bhawan which has quite a few artifacts. There is also a Diwan-I-Khaas here. We paid the guide Rs 50/- for showing around the palace. Deeg Palace also has a well maintained garden and two lakes which are used by locals for washing their clothes. Photograpny is not allowed in Gopal Bhawan and Diwan-I-Khaas.

After visiting Deeg Palace we again came back to Bharatpur, had our lunch around 2:00 and then went to see Ganga Temple. The temple was closed and I was informed that it would open at 16:00 pm. Next stop  was Lohagarh fort. Entry fee is Rs 5/- per person, no camera charges. Inside the fort complex there are several residences of public now. The actual fort has been converted to a hospital. You can see the Museum here which is a bit far from the hospital. The museum has a hamam and quite a few artifacts on the ground floor. There is also some more artifacts on the first floor and you get a good view of Bharatpur city from the roof of the museum. After spending around 45 minutes we left for the bird sanctuary.

We reached the sanctuary around 4:00 pm. The migratory birds are seen during the winter months of November, December, January and February. We could see only a few local birds. We hired a cycle rickshaw and a guide to show us around the bird sanctuary. During the off season the tour is till the Keoladeo Temple. Apart from the birds we were able to see a few Nilgai’s, a fox and a monitor lizard. I personally

Painted Storks

thought the visit to the sanctuary was a waste of money. The cycle rickshaw charges Rs 70/- per hour and the guide charges Rs 100/- per hour. Our tour inside the sanctuary was for around 2 ½ hours, so we had to shell Rs 400/- apart from the entry fees to the sanctuary which is Rs 50/- per person, no camera charges but charges for video shooting. There are quite a few cycle rickshaw-wallas who double up as guides also. All the guides carry a binocular with them. I saw a few foreigners who were using the best medium of transport inside the sanctuary, bicycles. They are available for about Rs 50/- for the entire day. Good time to visit the sanctuary is early in the morning or later in the evening. The park is open from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. There is an ITDC Ashok inside the park. Private vehicles are not allowed beyond the check post inside the park and for using the vehicle till here you have to pay Rs 100/-. After this there are only 3 modes of transport walking, cycle rickshawas or cycles. There were a couple of battery operated buses which were under repair. These buses can also be used by tourists.

From My Eyes - Agra

This was a part of my larger trip to Bundelkhand region.

Buland Darwaza

The next day we left Bharatpur towards Agra. The first stop was Fatehpur Sikri. Our driver informed us that tourist cars are not allowed to go up to the fort. So he stopped near the parking which also has different stalls where the guides and autos are arranged for the visit to the fort. The first one who approached us quoted Rs 375/- for to and fro auto and guide. We negotiated for Rs 300/- which was agreed upon (I should have negotiated for lesser than that since it was quite early in the morning). We entered through the Shahi Darwaza from where you can see the Jama Masjid in front of you, the Buland Darwaza towards your left and the Dargah of Salim Chishti on your right. Then we went to the Buland Darwaza, Jama Masjid, to the boundary from where one could see Hiran Minar, the the Dargah of Salim Chishti. We missed seeing the Diwan-e-aam, Diwan-e-khaas and the palaces. To go to the palaces you need to come out from the Shahi Darwaza and you will see the board which shows the direction to the above places. Fatehpur Sikri was supposed to be the capital of the Mughals. Due to water shortage the capital was shifted to Agra. In the Jama masjid there is a madrasa which is still active. The entire complex is made of red sand stone except for the dargah which is made in marble.

Sikandra

The next stop was at Sikandara. Sikandara is on the main National Highway # 2 going towards Mathura. There is not much noise once you enter the complex. Once you purchase the ticket and enter the complex
towards your right is Kanch Mahal, which was used as a resort for the royal ladies during the time of Akbar. This structure is in a state of disrepair and some work was going on. Skipping this structure we entered the main building of the tomb. There were 4 gates to this place out of which only one (the southern gate) is functional. This is also the main gate through which one enters the complex. Apart from Akbar’s tomb there are quite a few other tombs in here which I think is of his daughter and her children. It is quite a huge complex with a couple of gardens where there are a few deers roaming freely.

After Sikandra the next stop was the hotel in Agra. After lunch and a power nap we left for Mehtab Bagh at around 4:45 pm. The road passes through Agra fort, over the river, under the old railway bridge and a slum area. We reached at Mehtab Bagh close to 5:00. There is an entry fee of Rs 5/- per person. After walking for 5 minutes we could see one of the wonders of the world. Wah! Taj. I need not to say anything beyond

Taj Mahal from Mehtab Bagh

that. There were more foreigners than Indians at that time. There is a stone boundary circular in shape which was supposed to be Shah Jahan’s tomb to be made in black granite stone exactly opposite the Taj and he planned to construct a bridge between the two over the river. This information was given by the guide that we had the next day. Could this be true? He was not able to complete his dream project as his son Aurangazeb placed him in house arrest in Agra Fort. The evening setting sun was doing its magic on the Taj. We were there till the guards started to whistle indicating that the viewers/visitors need to leave the garden. After this we retired for the day as we had to wake up early to see the Taj first thing in the morning, if possible before sunrise. I informed the driver to be ready by 5:30 along with the guide who was to be with us for the day till we finish the sight seeing in Agra.

We left the hotel at 5:45 the next morning, reached the parking lot near the ticket counter at around 6:00 at the eastern gate. There was no crowd at the ticket counter. Bought the tickets (Rs 20/- per person, no camera charges, Rs 250/- for video shooting) shoe cover (Rs 10/- per pair), boarded a horse cart (Rs 50/-) and reached the eastern gate in 3 minutes. Once I got the shoe cover I saw the attendant at the counter

Now let me tell you all “why”. I had taken a torch with me. During the security check I was told that the torch would not be allowed inside and I had to deposit it at the cloak room near the ticket counter which is around 750 meters away from the eastern gate. I came outside and asked the security guard if he could keep it. He refused and asked me to request the shop keepers to keep it with them. As I was approaching the

East Gate

shops a guy came and asked if I wanted to keep the torch. I said yes, he took me to the shop (shop having souvenirs), gave me a card and asked me to come to his shop after my visit to the Taj. After this I passed the security check again. My guide asked me the reason for doing the check again. I told him about the incident. He asked me in which shop did I keep the torch, I gave him card of the shop and he went to get the torch. He also informed me that this is a ploy of the shop keeper to force us to buy some thing from them when taking the torch back. He came after some time stating that the shop keeper wanted the person who kept the torch as he would only hand it over to that person. Again I went out with the guide, took the torch from the shop owner and gave it to the guide. The guide gave the torch to a friend of his and again I proceeded towards the gate to be checked a 3rd time. This was an incident to remember.

After waiting for 10 more minutes my wife joined me and we started towards the main entrance. There were quite a few people already in the complex, I think may be closer to 400 of them and more were pouring in. Out of all the gates the Eastern gate was the least crowded, the Western gate was more crowded and the

Taj Mahal

Southern gate was closed. Most of the foreigners enter the Taj through the eastern gate. We spent close to 90 minutes in the Taj Mahal complex. When you enter from the main gate you see the Taj in front of you, towards the left you see the Masjid and towards the right you see the guest house. From the guest house the Taj looks yellowish due to the sunlight falling on it. While coming back to the ticket counter, we boarded the battery operated golf cart (Rs 10/- per person, free for Rs 750/- ticket holder), where the car was waiting.


After this we went to the hotel to freshen up and have breakfast. We left the hotel at 9:30. Our guide took us to a factory where marble artifacts are made. He claimed that these workers are the descendants of the workers who worked during the making of the Taj. The person in charge of the shop showed how the work is done and then started showing us the artifacts.


After this we started our journey towards the fort. The entry fees for the fort was Rs 20/- per person. 75% of the fort is occupied by the Indian army and in spite of 25% open for public it took us around 90 minutes to see the complex. The most interesting structure inside the fort for me was the grave of John Russell Colvin, which is in front of the Diwan-I-Aam. As per wiki John Colvin died due to Cholera during the 1857 Indian mutiny but as per my guide he died of heart attack. Do not know which version is true. It was really strange to see a Britisher’s grave in a fort which was dominated by Mughals for a long time. Visitors are now not allowed to see the place (Musamman Burj) were Shah Jahan was kept under house arrest. It has been

Agra Fort

barricaded. It is said that Shah Jahan spent his last days looking at the Taj from a window here. Apart from these we also saw Jehangiri Mahal where he spent his childhood, Diwan-I-Khaas, the palaces of Shah Jahan’s two daughters which is shaped like a palanquin, the Khas Mahal, Nagina Masjid, Anguri Bagh and the Mina Bazaar. There is also a black platform in an open area near the Diwan-I-Khaas where Jehangir used to sit and a white platform made in marble in front of it where his prime minister used to sit. Our guide told us that when Shah Jahan became the king he used to sit in the white platform and his prime minister used to sit on the black platform, such was his admiration of marble.

After this the next stop was Itmad-ud-Daula's Tomb (entry fee Rs 10/- per person) the first know marble structure in Agra (also known as Baby Taj). This was built by Noor Jahan, wife of Jehangir in remembrance of her father. This structure is visible from across the river while you are going towards Mehtab Bagh. The

Itmad-ud-Daula

next stop was Chini Ka Rauza. There is no entry fee for this structure and it is in state of disrepair. This tomb is the prime minister of Jehangir. Both Itmad-ud-Daula and Chini Ka Rauza lie on the banks of the Yamuna river. Next stop was Dayal Bagh. When I posted my itinerary for suggestions, Vaibhav mentioned that he had visited this place 20 years ago and it was under construction. It is still under construction. This temple is being built by the followers of the Radha Soami faith. Photography is not allowed here, bags and eatables are also not allowed here. Here as Vaibhav mentioned was spectacular carvings on pillar and carving work was being done in the temple itself. I think it will take a long time before the construction of this temple is complete. This temple is funded by the followers of Radha Soami. After having lunch we reached the hotel for an afternoon siesta at around 3:00. I paid the guide Rs 500/- for the time he spent with us. In the evening around 5:30 we left to see the Shah Jahan garden. This leads to the western gate of Taj Mahal. As soon as we entered the garden a guy rushed and said horse cart for Taj Mahal. When I informed him that we saw the Taj in the morning he asked us then what were we doing there. Not many people were there in the garden. A few elder men were sitting and chatting, a group of children were playing. Apart from that no one was in the garden. We walked around for some time, saw the road leading to the western gate and returned back to the vehicle. I informed the driver that I intended to see Bateshwar and then move to Gwalior.

From My Eyes : Gwalior

This was a part of my trip to Bundelkhand region.

The next day we left for Bateshwar at 8:30 in the morning. Bateshwar is around 70 kms from Agra on Fatehabad road. The vehicles’ driver did not know the route so he asked his acquaintance to act as a guide. We reached Bateshwar at around 10:00, a drive of around 1 ½ hours. Bateshwar is a temple complex which is completely devoted to Lord Shiva. There are numerous temples small and big and each of them have a Shivling of various shapes. It is next to river Yamuna and it is said that Yamuna flows upstream here. Beware of the priests who tie sacred threads on your wrist and put a tikka on your forehead. They do this expecting some thing in return. After visiting the main temple when we came out, there were 3 people sitting. One

Bateshwar Temple Ghat

applied tikka, gave him 10 Rs/-, the second tied the sacred thread, gave him 10 Rs/- and the third did not do anything. The second guy said that he is the main priest so something should be given to him also. So he also earned Rs 10/- just by sitting there. It is quite serene place where you could spend around an hour looking at the different temples and enjoying the breeze. We did not spend much time there, around 20 minutes and left since we had to reach Gwalior and do some sight seeing. We left at 10:25 and crossed Agra at around 11:45, dropped the guide and continued our onward journey to Gwalior.

Visiting Bateshwar was a big mistake. Since I had already lost close to 3 and ½ hours and had to pass Agra to go to Gwalior. On the way we halted at a road side for having tea. There were a few birds in the dhaba. My son tried to go near a few of them but they flew away. The road to Gwalior from Agra passes through the famed Chambal Ravines, Dholpur and Morena. Dholpur and Morena are a good day trip option if you stay either at Agra or Bharatpur. We also saw an ancient bridge built during the time of the Mughals at Noorabad near Morena. The road conditions were bad near Morena. There was an over bridge being constructed due to which the existing road (was it a road) was badly damaged and traffic caused the vehicles to move at a snail’s pace. This bad stretch of the road is for around 10-15 kilometers. By the time we

Noorabad Bridge

reached Gwalior it was already 3:30. We were frantically searching for a place to stay. We passed by Gwalior station did not find a suitable place to stay. Before leaving I read that there are quite a few budget hotels near Lashkar area in Gwalior. At that time I remembered it as Lakkar Bazaar. I asked the driver to speak to some one and take me to Lakkar Bazaar. No one was able to recollect any place named Lakkar Bazaar. We spent around an hour searching for a place. I decided to move to Orchha that day itself. As a last ditch effort we again went near the station to see if I get a place to stay. When we stopped the car to look at a hotel, an auto fellow came and asked if we were looking for a room. We said yes and we followed him. Following him we reached Shinde Ki Chawani. We got the best hotel of our trip here, Gulmohar Residency. It is situated on the 3rd floor of a shopping complex. The rooms are clean, room service is good and in the near future the restaurant would also be open. We got a room for Rs 880/- inclusive of tax. We had lunch and relaxed in the hotel for the entire day.

Jain Statues On The Way

The next morning we checked out and started our Gwalior sight seeing at 8:00 in the morning. First stop was Gwalior fort. The ascent to the Gwalior fort is through a narrow road and is good enough for only one vehicle. So if some is descending then who want to ascend will have to wait and vice versa. The gate keeper’s communicate with each other via telephone and give a go ahead once the route is clear. Every vehicle has to pay an amount of 20 paise for using the road. Since 20 paise is not in circulation I had to pay
Re 1/-. Here at the base when our vehicle was waiting for the go ahead a person approached saying that he would act as our guide for Rs 200/-. We negotiated for Rs 100/- and started the climb towards the fort. There are numerous Jain statues of various sizes carved on the rocks in the hill on both the sides. Entry Fees: Rs 5/- per person (India), Rs 100/- per person (Foreign Nationals), free entry for children under 15 years. Photography fee, Video Filming Rs 25/-. The entry ticket here enables you to visit the Man Mandir Palace, Teli ka Mandir and the Saas Bahu Mandir.

Manmandir Palace

The Scindia School is still active in the fort complex. In the Man Mandir palace is India’s one and only underground tunnel which is open for tourists. Here is the place where Aurangazeb imprisoned his brother, Dara Shuko, and then later hanged him. Keep a torch handy while visiting the Man Mandir Palace. From here you have a good view of the city and you can also see the cricket stadium which has hosted a few international matches. There is also a small open air auditorium where the regular Light and Sound show takes place. After this we moved to Teli ka Mandir. There is no statue inside the temple. The surroundings are not well kept and is a mini mini forest. The temple is quite tall. You can see bats inside the temple. After this we went to the Saas Bahu temple. Original it was named the Sahastrabahu Temple which later got modified to Saas Bahu temple. This temple also does not have any statues inside. Remember to keep the ticket issued at the Man Mandir palace since the gate keepers at both the temples would check them and stamp them. This ended the tour of Gwalior fort.

Scindia Palace

From here we moved on to the Scindia Palace. Entry fee Rs 40/- per person (Indian including children), Rs 300/- per person (Foreign Nationals including children). Photography Rs 60/- (Still Camera / Mobile Camera), Video Rs 120/-. This palace has been now converted to a museum and some part is still used for special occasions. Here there are quite a few articles which were used by Madhavrao Scindia. After this we moved onto Gurjari Mahal which is a part of the fort now converted to a museum. Entry fee is Rs 10/- per person (Indian), Rs 100/- per person (Foreign National), Camera Rs 50/-, Video Rs 200/-. Children under 15 free entry. Closed on Monday’s and National Holidays. The museum is open from 10:00 to 17:00. I did not visit this and just had a view from outside. You can reach the Gwalior fort from here also. There is also a mosque outside the Mahal. Next stop was Muhammad Ghouse’s Tomb which also has the tomb of Tansen, one of the Navratan’s of Akbar’s court. This complex is not properly maintained and is located on a very busy part of the city.

Pitambhari Peeth

We had completed the tour by around 12:00 in the afternoon and started for Datia. In Datia I saw the Pithambari Peeth. Photography is not allowed inside the temple complex. Then we had lunch in a small lunch
home. The food was good but the service was slow. The chappatis were being freshly made and served. By the time we left Datia it was already 2:00. After this we directly moved towards Orchha.

From My Eyes - Orchha

 This was a part of my trip to Bundelkhand region.

Chattris From Across The Bridge

After seeing a few places in Gwalior and the Pitambari Peeth in Datia, we left for Orchha. We reached Orchha around 3:30 in the afternoon and started looking for rooms. First stop was at Ganpati Guest House, very near the market place. Here I was quoted a room for Rs 850/- with A/C, without TV. I asked for a room with TV to which the owner said none of the rooms have TV as the other guests (foreigners) tend to sleep early and do not want to be disturbed by the noise of the TV. Since I had my son with me and he is a big fan of cartoons on TV, we moved ahead. We went to Hotel Sunrise near Betwa river. Here we were again quoted Rs 850/- with A/C and TV. We then checked out Bhandari Guest House which is next to Sunrise. Here we were quoted Rs 700 for a room with Air Cooler. So after some deliberation we decided to stay in Sunrise. We opted for a room on the first floor. There are also rooms on the second floor which are far better and costlier than the ones on the first floor. After settling down and refreshing ourselves we went towards the Betwa river. There were many people near the river bathing, sitting and chatting. We walked on the bridge and had a good view of the Chattris across the river. The night was spent in the hotel.

The next day we left for Jhansi and came back to Orchha again at around 3:30 in the evening. After refreshing our selves we went to see the Chattris from close range. We wanted to see the garden inside the complex since it was recommended by the hotel guy. He informed us that the garden was renovated for

Garden Inside Chattri Complex

some Hollywood movie shooting. Unfortunately it was closed and I could see just a part of the garden from a small opening in the wall. This scene which was captured in the camera will never be forgotten by a tough cookie, (I think) when it was posted in Where Was This Photo Taken thread here. The chattris are quite huge when you see them from close. I have seen other snaps where I could see vultures sitting on top of the structures. We were unfortunate not to see them. After seeing all the Chattris up close we again moved towards the river. We crossed the bridge and went near the grassland. We sat there for some time till it was the right time to take a few pictures of the sunset with the Chattris in the foreground. It was quite an amazing view which might not look the same in the snaps.

Raja Mahal

The next morning our driver wanted to be relieved a bit sooner. So we had to alter our plan a bit. We first moved to the Laxmi Narayan temple which is atop a small hill from where you could see most of Orchha and their tourist spots. In this temple there is no idol, which was stolen by some thieves. The temple was also closed and a few cows were grazing there. The next halt was at the palace. Here we bid our driver good bye. After making the final payment for the vehicle the driver did not move. This, as most of you must know by now, was an indication that a tip was expected. I paid him Rs 500/- as tip (some might feel this was a too less) which he accepted hesitantly and drove off. We took the tickets for the entrance and as usual accosted by guides quoting Rs 200/- for a guided tour. We settled on Rs 100/- and our tour started with the Raja Mahal. Here there are a few places where there are excellent frescoes which unfortunately can not be captured on camera since flash photography is not allowed neither tripods are allowed. After spending some time at the Raja Mahal we moved to Jehangir Mahal, which was supposedly constructed by the king for Jehangir. It’s architecture is a mix on Indian and Mughal style. After spending some more time here, we moved on to the Chatturbhuj temple.

There is an amazing story related to this temple which was told to us by our guide. Thus goes the story. It was said that the queen was a big devotee of Lord Rama. It is said that once Lord Rama appeared in her dream and instructed her to carry an idol of him from Ayodhya to Orchha without setting it down. If she kept the idol down it would not budge from the spot. On waking up she informed the king about the dream. The king started building the Chatturbhuj temple while the queen herself went to Ayodhya to get a statue of him so that it could be installed in the Chatturbhuj temple. When she reached Orchha the temple was undergoing finishing touches and the queen being tired kept the idol at the palace kitchen. Once the temple was complete when the statue did not budge, it was decided to convert the kitchen to a temple. Thus that temple came to

Chatturbhuj Temple

be known as the Ram Raja temple, the only one of its kind where Lord Rama is revered as a king. He also informed us that if we look at the Chatturbhuj temple we have to climb some stairs. The reason behind that was to keep the place where the idol was to be installed at the same height as the queen’s room so that the queen would be able to see the statue once she gets up in the morning. Another reason as to why the idol did not budge from the place where it was kept down is that Lord Rama knew that he would be placed in such a way that the queen could see him without her making an effort to come to the temple. If the idol did not budge from the resting place then the queen would have no option but to take some effort and come and see him daily. I do not know how much truth is there in this story. But the locals also vouch that story. We Indians do know how to tell a story and relate it to an incident.

The Chatturbhuj temple is a huge building with a huge area. There was no crowd inside the temple. Only a couple of men were sitting at an open space, the pujari and us. I did not know that one could climb up the temple and have an good view of the surroundings. We were unfortunate to miss that also. Since the temple could not be kept without an idol, the king installed an idol of Lord Vishnu with 4 hands, hence the name of the temple. After the Chatturbhuj temple the next halt was the Ram Raja temple. No camera and leather belts allowed inside the temple. You are inspected at the place where you leave your shoes. Even if you request the shoe mender to let you pass, there are security guards at the temple entrance who literally check the belts before allowing you to pass. I had a tough time since I was wearing a loose jean. I had to literally

Ram Raja Temple

hold my jeans and walk around in the temple. It is said that the last aarti at the temple is not to be missed which normally happens around 10:00 every day. When we were there it was some special day hence I avoided going to see the aarti and also I had some mixed reviews of the aarti at IM. Again the evening was spent at the river side. I saw a rafting boat being kept in the shed. I do not remember the rates now. I think it was Rs 800/- for a trip from the Chattris to Bundelkand Resort and back. It starts in the morning at around 11:00 till evening 5:00. It is for a duration of around 45 minutes.

The next day was spent leisurely since we were doing some souvenir hunting at the shops in and around the temple complex. During this time I also took the opportunity to see the sawan badhon (wind catchers). We had asked the hotel guy to arrange for an auto to take us to Jhansi Station from where we took our train back home. The journey was around 45 minutes and cost us Rs 150/-

From My Eyes - Jhansi

This was a part of my larger trip to the Bundelkhand region.

We left on our second day at Orchha for Jhansi. On the way one of the car’s tyre got punctured. This happened on the way from Bharatpur to Deeg also. The same tyre was punctured. Spent around 45 minutes out of which 30 minutes were spent between the driver and the mechanic negotiating on the price for the tube to be replaced. While we were waiting there, I could see quite a few vehicles carrying the Samajwadi Party’s flag going on the route to Jhansi. There was some meeting somewhere. After all this we were on the way to Jhansi.

Ganesh Idol

The first stop in Jhansi was the fort. The entry fee to the fort is Rs 5/- per person. For foreign nationals I think it it Rs 100/- per person. I missed taking a snap of the entry fees board as I normally do. Here also we negotiated with the guide to show around for Rs 100/- from Rs 200/-. This fort was built by the king of Orchha. At the entrance of the fort there is a machine gun which was used by the British for protecting the fort. There are quite a few places to see inside the fort. Some of the places inside the fort were modified by the Britishers as per their needs. At the entrance of the gate there is plaque where the famous poem “Khoob Ladi Mardani Who Toh Jhansi Wali Rani Thi” is inscribed. It is said that Rani Laxmibai constructed 2 temples (one for Ganesha and the second for Shiva) inside the fort and she used to personally gather flowers from Amod Garden daily for worship. There is also a spot which marks the place from where Rani Laxmibai jumped from the fort on a horse with her son on her back.

Rani Mahal

After the fort the next stop was Rani Mahal. After the death of the king, Rani Laxmibai ruled over Jhansi from here. There are quite a few artifacts inside the mahal and some beautiful frescoes also. When we were there there were no tourists inside the Mahal. We just saw a couple of locals inside maintaining the complex. The next stop was Laxmi Tal, a lake named after Rani Laxmibai. We had a tough time reaching this place and had to ask locals direction to reach there. This is supposed to be the place where an attempt to assassinate Gangadhar Rao was made. We were also supposed to see Gangadhar Rao’s chattri but were not able to identify it. It is situated near Laxmi Tal.

I think Jhansi could be seen as a day trip from Orchha. It could also be skipped if you are short on time. Even the driver was surprised when I told him that we have to go to Jhansi. The big reason to include Jhansi which does not have much sights to see apart from the fort is my 3 year old son. My son was a regular viewer of the TV serial Jhansi Ki Rani. He would take a spoon, give one to me or my wife and say “Jhansi” and start to fight.

This ended our tour to Jhansi. We went back to Orchha to enjoy the evening by the River Betwa.

From My Eyes - South Rajasthan

Trip Duration September 19th to September 26th 2010


We left Mumbai by 4708 Ranakpur Express from Bandra Terminus at 15:00 19th September and reached Abu Road at 04:28 on 20th September (before schedule). We were contemplating about when to leave for Mt. Abu. A taxi wallah approached us and quoted Rs 200/- for Mt. Abu. We decided to wait for some time before leaving to Mt. Abu. Around 05:10 we decided to leave for Mt. Abu. As soon as we left the station complex 2 taxi wallah approached and quoted Rs 250/- and Rs 300/-. In a span of around 35 minutes got 3 quotes from 3 different taxi wallahs. Searched for the first one and was not able to find him. Took the Rs 250/- taxi wallah and started out journey to Mt. Abu. The first bus to Mt. Abu is at 07:00 from Abu Road. On the way a few shops were open and when inquired with the driver, he informed that they are open through out the night. We reached Mt. Abu by 6:00 and reached Hotel Shikar (managed by RTDC), where we had already booked for our accommodation.

Baba Gaadi

20th we took rest at the hotel, had our bath and breakfast. Slept till afternoon, had lunch and rested again. In between I made some inquiries at the hotel about cab for sight seeing in Mt. Abu and our journey to Udaipur at the reception. I was informed that for Mt. Abu sight seeing for 8 hrs the charge is Rs 800/- and for trip to Udaipur the charge is Rs 1650/- per day for a Non-AC Indica (300 kms @ Rs 5.50). I was also advised to see a couple of places on route to Udaipur and keep the vehicle for Udaipur sightseeing and relieve the cab by 15:00. With this information I decided to see 2 places on the first day at Mt. Abu and the remaining places of Mt. Abu on the next day. The cabs are not allowed entry to the sunset point. The view point is around a kilometer away from where the cabs drop you. The available options are a horse ride, a baba gaadi or walking till the point. I took a baba gaadi for my wife, son and mother-in-law. The charges are Rs 30/- per adult and Rs 20/- per child. I saw a lot of crowd at the sunset point. There are many view points from where a person can see the sunset.


21st was a very tiring day for me specially. Most of the temples except Delwara temples are situated on some or the other hill. I had been to all the temples alone except the Dattatreya temple where my family also came. While going to the Acahleshwar Temple you have a pay a toll of Rs 3/- per adult at the Oriya Gram Panchayat. Achaleshwar Temple, Achalgarh Adeshwar Jain Temples around 10 minute steep climb, Gurushikar around 350 steps, Arbuda Devi temple around 360 steps and Ganesh Temple around 50 steps all one way. We had our lunch before going to the Delwara temple at a hotel which had Gujarati Thali for Rs 50/- a plate. Photography is not allowed inside the temples. You will have to submit your cameras and mobile phones with camera in the cloak room before entering the temple. The cloak room fees in Rs 5/-. The security guards check each person before you enter the temple. 

Ranakpur Jain Temples

22nd we left for Udaipur visiting Ranakpur and Haldighati on the way. At this the driver (Inder Singh) informed about the SRP inn at Mt. Abu which has standard rooms for Rs 350/- and suites for Rs 750/- with 24 hour running water and restaurant. There are three tolls on the route to Ranakpur (Banas Bridge Rs 15/-, Swaroopganj Rs 35/-, and Malera Rs 45/-). Most of our journey was on NH-76 and then a diversion around 60 kms ahead of Ranakpur. We left our hotel at 09:45 and reached Ranakpur at 12:45. We had our lunch at the Bhojanshala near the car parking and saw the temple. Photography is allowed in the temple only after 12:00 noon, so keep that in mind when you plan to visit Ranakpur. We left Ranakpur at 14:30 and reached Haldighati at 16:30. There is another toll on route to Haldighati (Jaswant Rs 50/-). Haldighati is the place where Maha Rana Pratap had his famous battle with the army of Akbar. There is a small museum and a sound and light show. Construction work was still going on. Chetak’s memorial is a 5 minute drive from Haldighati. Left Haldighati at 17:45 and reached Udaipur at 18:45. The entry fee Haldighati Adult Rs 30/- Camera Rs 20/-. We checked in at Hotel Kajri (RTDC) pre-booked accommodation.

City Palace Udaipur

23rd we left at 10:30 for local sight seeing. First stop was City Palace. Here we met our guide (a sardar who has spent 35 years as a guide in the City Palace) inside the palace. He showed us around the palace which is a 4 storied building. We completed the tour in 1 ½ hours. City Palace entry fee Adult Rs 50/- Camera Rs 200/- Guide Rs 100/-. If you take a guide outside the entrance of City Palace the charge is Rs 150/-but if you take a guide inside the City Palace the charge is Rs 100/-. The next stop was Rana Pratap Memorial on Moti Magri Hill. We passed by the Fateh Sagar Lake. On top of the hill is a statue of Rana Pratap perched on his horse Chetak. There is also a light and sound show organized which we did not attend. Moti Magri entry fee Adult Rs 50/-, Camera Rs 15/- Car Rs 25/-. If you attend the light and sound show the charges are different. After that we did some shopping and reached Sahilyon ki Bari where we spent around 30 minutes there. This is the place where the princess and her friends used to while their time. Sahilyon ki Bari entry fee Adult Rs 5/- and car parking Rs 15/-. After that we reached Sukhadiya circle and had our lunch in a road side stall. By the time we reached the hotel it was 15:00 and we ended the services of the vehicle taken in Mt. Abu. We paid him a total of Rs 4400/- for his services. (Rs 800 local sight seeing Mt. Abu, Rs 1650 for 2 days (Rs 3300/-), Rs 150/- driver charges and Rs 150/- toll charges). I had booked an auto for 16:30 for Fateh Sagar Lake, shopping and Doodh Talai. We hired a motor boat for 15 minutes charges Rs 300/- for having the boat for your self, did shopping at Hathi pol and went to Doodh Talai. I wanted to go there to catch the sunset but shopping took a lot of time. I had 2 ladies with me so you can think the time spent in shopping. When we reached Doodh Talai the sun had already set and the electricity went off. We sat on the lake front for around 20 minutes and saw the Lake Palace and the Jag Mandir Palace. We reached the hotel at 20:00.

Chittorgarh Fort From Victory Tower

24th booked a non AC Logan for Chittorgarh visit. Left hotel at 08:45 and reached Chittorgarh at 11:15 with a 15 minute halt for tea. There is toll of Rs 85/- at Narayanpur (return). We hired a guide who took us around the fort and explained about the history of different palaces and temples in the fort. Chittorgarh entry fee Car Rs 15/-. Do not remember the charges for Adult and camera. Guide charged us Rs 450/- for showing all the important spots in the fort. He will either travel with you on your vehicle if there is space or will come in ride motorbike along with your vehicle. We spent around 2 hours in the fort and had lunch at RTDC Panna which is in the town. On the way back we checked the royal cenotaph’s at Ahar. Near the cenotaphs there is a notice board which states that photography is not allowed. When I asked the security guard about photography he whispered “Take the snaps discreetly” and asked for “chai pani”. Gave him Rs 20/- as “chai pani”. We reached our hotel at 17:00. We spent the rest of the day in the hotel.

City Palace From Doodh Talai

25th we were to check out at 12:00 and our train was at 21:30 so we decided to have a late checkout at 19:00. We relaxed in the hotel, had our dinner and did some shopping (again) in the hotel complex. I booked the same auto again for visiting Doodh Talai and if time permitted Sukhadiya Circle. We left the hotel at 16:45 and reached Doodh Talai at 17:15. Visited the garden and then went up to take the rope way to the top of the mountain where there is a temple of Karni Mata. There is also a path leading to the top of the mountain for keep who are fitness conscious. The ticket per person is Rs 66/-. There are a total of 4 cars on the ropeway, 2 for going up and 2 for going down. The maximum capacity in each car is for 6 people. It is also possible to book the entire car for yourself by paying for 6 people. I went alone in the rope way took some snaps of the Lake Palace, Jag Mandir Palace and Udaipur city from the top of the mountain and the rope way. This is a good spot to see the setting sun against the back drop of Pichola Lake. Reached hotel at 18:30 and checked out at 19:00. I had asked the hotel for an Indica to leave us at the railway station.
26th reached Mumbai safely.