Week End Getaways From Delhi

Mathura

One of the seven sacred cities of Hinduism, the ancient town odf Mathura, on the banks of the Yamuna, lies 146 km southeast of Delhi en route to Agra. It is birthplace of Lord Krishna and the miracles associated with his life continue to give the surrounding villages a magical air of rural devotion, especially during the festival of Holi, Janamashthami and Dussehra. To the west before reaching Mathura is Barsana, a village on a rocky hillock, where Krishna’s consort Radha was born. Snaking through country lanes towards Yamuna you come to Brindavan, where the medieval saint from Bengal, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,, established his Vaishnavite cult of devotion for Radha-Krishna, which is practiced to this day, with the addition of foreign devotees. The ghats on the banks of Yamuna, perpetually thronged with pilgrims from all over India, have witnessed the building and razing of Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim structures over the centuries. Mathura Museum run by Archaeological Survey of India has a superb collection of ancient masterpieces which makes Mathura’s name famous in the world of art as well as religion. Visit Kesava Deo Temple and Vishram Ghat.

On the way to Brindavan is Gita Mandir, and the ambitious ISKCON spiritual campus is in Brindavan. Accommodation in the Mathura environs is designed for the devotional. For material comforts Agra is a more inviting choice.

Agra
One of the world’s most sought after tourist destinations (56 kms from Mathura, 200 km from Delhi), it is vital for the visitor to approach Agra with eyes open to its treasures, but firmly shut to its less salubrious manifestations. Go by train, either the Shatabdi or Taj Express (both leave early morning), and earmark a good hotel near Taj Mahal. The Taj is closed on Mondays. If you have to go by road to Agra, choose a Sunday when there are fewer trucks. Agra does not lack accommodation to suit every pocket.














Entry fees for Taj Mahal
7 am - 10 am and 5 pm – 7 pm is Rs 100
10 am to 4 pm is Rs 20
Foreigners Rs 500 + $ 5
Night viewing: Two days before and
After full moon night
8.30 pm -12.30 pm
Entry Indians – Rs 510
Foreigners – Rs 750

Fatehpur Sikri
Every inch an imperial capital, Fatehpur Sikri (38 km west of Agra) is built proudly on a ridge that yielded enduring stone. This dream city of Akbar that became a ghost town within two decades of its investiture, speaks of that rare moment in architecture when a ruler has the means and energy to fulfill his vision of srandeur. The strength and quality of Fatehpur Sikri’s remarkable unified layout has been able to withstand the arid hands of time and scorching weather. Akbar conceived Fatehpur Sikri in 1571 as a thanks-offering to the Sufi saint, Sheikh Salim Chishti, who predicted male successors to the Mughal line. Massive in parts and tenderly evocative in places, the layout reflects Akbar’s attempt to reconcile his Islamic heritage of central Asia with the cultural seductions of Hinduism’s urge to openmindedness. Less likely than the call to business in a warring age, was the suggestion that Fatehpur Sikri failed because of its water supply. (Travel the road westward to Bharatpur and you pass a huge reservoir).

Bharatpur
Keoladeo Ghana National Park in Bharatpur provides marvelous exposure to more than 350 species of birds. Bharatpur is the only wintering ground in India of the endangered Siberian Crane. Despite the droves of tourists, the birds continue to steal the show. The setting is so lovely that it induces a hush even amongst those for whom no picnic is complete without a transistor. The finest way to explore the sanctuary is on a cycle, which can be hired from the entrance gate, or on a cycle rickshaw. The local rickshawalas are experts on birds and are often the best guides. Bharatpur is about 120 km from Delhi and 17 km from Fatehpur Sikri. It is linked to Agra and Jaipur by train. Reasonable accommodation is easily available in Bharatpur.














Deeg
Deeg is 36 km north of Bharatpur and 90 km from Agra. A market town, it boasts the distinguished Gopal Bhawan of Maharaja Suraj Mal (1750), an architectural treat with the added attraction of still-furnished royal apartments. Ask at the local desi theka (country liquor vendor) for a bottle of Kesar Kasturi. Though this retail outlet is very downmarket, the drink makes an excellent tonic unique to this region. Having driven from Delhi via Mathura on the main road, the tourist can return through the Aravalli Hills via Alwar (Deeg is 38 km west of Mathura and Alwar lies another 90 km west). Many small fortified villages can be discovered as compensation for wandering off the main road, a few of which have been converted into motels. However, be careful about driving late at night, unless you are very sure of the locality.

Gwalior
The landscape at Gwalior (320 km from Delhi, 120km from Agra) is irresistibly royal, the fortifications a gift of nature. The palaces of the Scindias are magnificent and contain exotic trifles mixed with priceless antiques. Visit Man Singh and Jai Vilas Palaces and the archaeological Museum. The Scindias managed to maintain loyality both to Indian inspiration (Chhatrapati Shivaji, the scourge of Aurangzeb) and to the paramountey of the British Raj. The state became famous in an age of conservative Maharajas who resisted the coming of the railways by setting up comprehensive network of narrow gauge lines. The Maharaja not only had a line laid up to his palace gate but the railway engineers who built his fabulous engines also designed a silver line for his dining table that served the replete Maharaja with brandy and cigars. The Usha Kiran Palace Hotel transports the visitor to the mood of the 1930s.

Shivpuri
The picturesque Madhav National Park in Shivpuri is set on a salubrious plateau, 114 km south of Gwalior. The spectacular royal hunting lodge of the Scindias is situated within the park. Stay in the Madhya Pradesh Government Tourist Lodge, amongst the finest of its kind. One can travel 94 km east to Jhansi, or about 200 km west to Ranthambhor through delightful forested tracts. But passage over the Chambal River is by a leaky tin tub that claims to be a municipal ferry.

Jhansi
Jhansi, 415 km southeast of Delhi, 215km southeast of Agra, makes an excellent base for nearby Orchha and Datia, and connects with India’s finest temple encounter, Khajuraho, another 200 km east into the interior. Shatabdi Express to Bhopal gets you to Jhansi from Delhi in a little over four hours.

Datia
This tiny former state, 74 km south of Gwalior and 27 km north of Jhansi, has the seven-storied palace of Raja Bir Singh Deo (called Gobind Mandir) which is brilliant in its strength and harmony. But be careful you do not get lost in its eerie echoing labyrinth. The cluster of Jain shrines at Songir, 60 km south of Gwalior on the road approached by crossing the main railway line.

Orchha
One of the last unspoilt jewels of Bundelkhand culture, Orchha, lies 20 km south of Jhansi. This atmospheric, abandoned city with dreaming spires reflected in the blue Betwa River, is Raja Bir Singh Deo’s creation. You can stay in a palace hotel run by Madhya Pradesh Government and breath in the beautifully relaxed pace of Madhya Bharat. Nothing quite like Orchha for a getaway far from tourist touts.

Bhopal
Although a hefty 700 km south of Delhi, Bhopal, the attractive capital of Madhya Pradesh, is worth visiting. Bhopal also makes a good base for three fabulous ancient sites in Madhya Pradesh – Sanchi, Vidisha and Bhimbetka. Vidisha, 9 km north of Sanchi, has column erected by Heliodorus, a Greek devotee of Lord Vishnu, dated between 1st and 2nd century BC. A few kilometers from Vidisha are the caves of Udaygiri containing superb reliefs of Gupta period. The prehistoric cave paintings at Bhimbetka. 45 km south, are remarkably well preserved because of the nature of pigments used. The oldest paintings are believed to be 12,000 years old. For accommodation, Bhopal is a good bet for the discriminating tourist. Jehan Numa Palace hotel evokes the past, and Hotel Lake View Ashok, the present. With hired transport and a sober driver, the visitor can fit in all three sites over a long weekend.

Khajuraho
See Khajuraho and you have glimpsed the essence of India. The Taj is a mausoleum to love, the Kandariya Mahadev Temple a living ode. It is the architectural inspiration rather than the erotic details that bewitch the visitor to this hideway village. Few temples in the world excude the spiritual serenity that infuses this scattered array of buildings. The temples of Khajuraho have uplifting lines that move the viewer as a range of mountain does, the design being borrowed from the perspective of receding ranges leading to the climax of Mount Kailash. Khajuraho enjoys the infrastructure of comfortable hotels. If the five hour road journey from Jhansi to Khajuraho seems an avoidable extra, recall that but for its inaccessibility, Khajuraho would not have survived the centuries with iconoclasts, graffitists and moralists seeking to downplay one of the richest examples of wholeness in the world of art, the natural interplay of flesh and spirit. Khajuraho is a useful base for exploring the Bundelkhand region. Panna, 40 km away, has diamond mines and some bizarre palaces. Panna National Park with the famous forts of Ajaigarh and Kalinjar are not too far away.

A Stone’s Throw Away

Dhauj with its imposing red cliffs and reservoir is the nearest of Delhi’s weekend getaways, around 40 km south, off the road from Faridabad to Sohna. It nestles hidden in the lee if the Aravalli ranges providing opportunities for rock climbing and bird watching. The craggy outcrops of the Aravallis and the wide expanse of the Damdama Lake offer an ideal setting for boating and rock climbing. A Haryana Tourism motel caters to the leisure-bent. It is 8 km east of Sohna, which with its hot springs, is another popular destination for picnickers from Delhi. Only 55 km southwest of Delhi, Beyond Gurgaon, the lake at Sultanpur has a rich variety of migratory birds in winter. Accomodation in huts and rooms is available. The area is also rich in railway history. Nearby is the very first meter gauge passenger line laid in the world (to Farrukhabad).

Alwar
This quaint and dramatic capital of a former Rajput state is 160 km from Delhi. The palaces live up to exotic expectation, as does the city palace Museum. Alwar offers a reasonable range of accommodation and lies along the railway route to Jaipur (150 km). Share royal lifestyle at the discount end, at the Palace Hotel in Silser, some 20 km away. Sariska National Park is 35 km southwest of Alwar and 200 km from Delhi. Unfortunately, the once viewable tiger has become rather rare. Evening at a hide-out overlooking a water hole is the best time to view the wildlife. Hotel sariska Palace offers accommodation within the park.

Jaipur
Connected to Delhi by a good but crowded road and excellent railway, Jaipur (250 km), with its broad streets and grid plan invites easy inspection. Maharaja Jai Singh’s observatory, Jantar Mantar dates to 1728 and Hawa Mahal, the five storey palace with a façade of extensive lattice work in stone, to 1799. Inside the elaborated city palace is located the fabulous Maharaja Swai Man Singh Museum. For a great view of Jaipur go to the fort of Nahagarh overlooking the town.
The grandeur of the palaces and the wealth of the museums can overwhelm the indiscriminate victim of guided tours. While shopping in the bazaars beware of manufacturers of instant antiques, but do spend some time in the jewellery shops. Jaipur is a major center for precious and semi-precious stones. The range of accommodation available is excellent. Rambagh Palace Hotel retains discreet references to past opulence and the sybaritic lifestyle. Amber Fort, situated 11 km outside Jaipur, exudes the flamboyance of Rajput warrior traditions. It is stunningly positioned on a hilltop which overlooks a lake. The fort is a 15 minute walk from the road, though it is de rigeur to ascend on elephant back.

Ranthambhor National Park
Ranthambhor National Park is the scenic sanctuary near the Chambal gorge, ideal cover for the tiger. It is 160 km southeast of Jaipur via Sawai Madhopur. Poaching has diminished the number of tigers, in spite of the efforts of honest environmentalists. There are good lodges at the park gate, with jeep hire arrangements. The best time to visit is from November to May.

Shekhawati
The Shekhawati region in the semi-arid triangle between Delhi, Jaipur and Bikaner has spectacular art treasures adorning the walls of its havelis (mansions). The mansions in the small market towns of Shekhawati are deserted and crumbling inhabited by Chowkidars or squatters. Their owners have to big cities but those mansions with their painted walls are not to be missed. The havelis belong to Marwaris, India’s most successful merchant community. Every available inch of space, inside and out, is covered with vibrant paintings, astonishing not just for the quantity but for the quality. Jhunjhunu is the nearest of the Shekhawati painted towns from Delhi (about 220 km via Narmaul). It makes a good base for study tours of the cluster of smaller towns that boasts of painted havelies, Fatehpur, Mandawa, Ramgarh and Sikar. The walled city of Mandawa, 27 km west of Jhunjhunu, is built around the Maharaja’s palace which has been turned into a hotel where the royal families are well informed hosts. The havelis are tall, narrow buildings where the artist was commissioned to fill every available space with bright blues, deep reds and yellows to give a primary impact that announces to one’s neighbours that your family has arrived in the pecking order of Marwaris eths. The local textiles are superb in colour and design, and wear well. Fatehpur, 8 km west of Mandawa, also boasts a medieval baoli (step well). Fatehpur has a Rajasthan State Tourism bungalow which is well-run and reasonably priced. It makes a good base to see Ramgarh, 15 km to the north, perhaps the ultimate Sekhawati painted town.

Ajmer
About 450 km southwest of Delhi by the Shatabdi distance shrinker; this town is famous for the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, a Sufi saint who settled here in 1192. Also worth visiting is the mosque, Adhai Din ka Jhonpra, built from a despoiled Jain college. Accommodation at Pushkar, only 11 km away, is fairly simple, while at Ajmer it is passable. The brilliantly beautiful Pushkar Lake is sacred to Hindus and is irresistible to young western tourists. Pushkar also has one of the only Brahma temples in the country.

Bikaner
This true desert town flaunts the mood of feudal Rajasthan and everything about it is appealing. It is an overnight journey by train from Delhi (460km). Going by the palace size and fittings, the Bikaner motto seems to have been ‘anything other dynasties can do, we can do better’ and the building are not just impressive but overwhelming in their pomp and style. It was Maharaja Ganga Singh (1887-1943) who dragged Bikaner from its medieval status to an invigorating modern style. His rambling Lalgarh Palace is now a hotel. The museums of Bikaner are the last word in exotic memorabilia and inspired upmarket junk (including a soup-strainer for the Walrus-mustachioed Maharaja, Prussian helmets with villainous looking spikes and shot down enemy aircraft in a shot-up condition). Do not fail to see the bed that says it all about these desert princes, forever on guard against treachery. Outside the well laid-out town is the palace of Gajner (32km), once famous for its gargantuan bags of sand grouse and now a hotel. Another famous excursion is to the Karni Mata Mandir at Deshnok (32 km southwest) where rats are allowed religious right of way. Otherwise Bikaner is essentially camel territory and a visit to the Camel Breeding Farm (10km) is a must. The Bikaner royal family cenotaphs at Devi Kund (8km) merit a visit.

Chandigarh
Chandigarh hosts the governments of both Punjab and Haryana. It lies 250 km northeast of Delhi and is extremely well connected by trains and buses. With the lived-in experience of its model layout sobering the original hype of its designer, Le Corbusier, Chandigarh as a city still striving to find its soul. The government buildings in sector I almost bully the landscape. The Rose Garden, the museum and Art Gallery are worth a visit. The latter has a fine collection of Indian miniature paintings. Sukhna Lake relieves the monotony of Le Corbusier’s grid while Nek Chand’s rock garden is a work of sheer landscaping genius. For the rock garden alone, Chandigarh is worth a visit. Accommodation in the city is limited.

Dehradun
Dehradun is now the capital of the new state of Uttaranchal. No longer is a place of sylvan beauty for the retired, Dehradun, like many other towns, badly in need of a bypass. Coming from Delhi (230kms) you can turn west at Clement Town and drive to the Indian Military Academy (IMA), then through the Cantonment to Rajpur Road, missing the patholes and fumes of innumerable three-wheelers. The institutions for which Dehradun has always been famous, IMA, Doon School and the Forest Research Insttute, lie on this route.

Mussoorie
Once the ‘Queen of the Hills’. The 36 km climb from the Doon Valley now introduces the visitor to Mussoorie’s modern claim to fame, the largest number of hotels in any hill resort in India, 350 at the last count. But it is still cool and salubrious if you know where to find the shady walks. Landour Cantonment, for example, remains untouched by the building boom. Mussoorie is an excellent base for treks into the interior of Garhwal. Nag Tibba at 3,000 meters, through dense unspoilt jungle can be done in a weekend. The Mussoorie season only lasts six weeks in Mau and June and for the rest of the year there is the prospect of more reasonable room rates and the likelihood of more reliable drinking water. Mussoorie’s so-called suburban expansion west to Kempty Falls, and east along the great snow view ridge to Dhanolti and Sarkhanda Devi, attracts visitors who come to get away from Delhi’s traffic jams though Mussoorie’s Mall is worse in the tourist season! Taxis and buses ply regularly between Mussoorie and Dehradun. You can drive to Rishikesh along the rodge (via Chamba and Narendranagar) but it takes half the time via Dehradun.

Rishikesh
The Ganga, free of the Himalayan valley, broadens out at Rishikesh. Loudspeakers on both banks blare out spiritual sustenance from the numerous ashrams lining this athletic river. A footbridge enables the visitor to cross to the opposite bank. Walk up to Lakshman Jhula and return over the much narrower gorge section. This would give an idea why the Ganga is believed to be the releaser from sin. Though Haridwar is known as the ‘gate’ of the abode of Shiva to the plains, it is the swelling of the uncaged river at Rishikesh that arouses the feeling of deliverance. Rishikesh is the starting point of pilgrimages by car or bus, to the Char Dham of Uttarakhand. Twenty-five km upstream near vyasi is Shivpuri, a center for white water rafting which offers short and memorable trips for all ages, the perfect tonic for jaded urban appetites.

Haridwar
The bazaar at Haridwar is beautifully devotional while the ghats tend to be more businesslike. Har ki Paori has the same memerising universal quality as the Dasavamedh Ghat in Varanasi. Some time or the other, all good Hindus must make the rounds of Haridwar and the air is full of the spirit of thankfulness. High-rise ashrams between Rishikesh and Haridwar offer the ultimate ‘best of both worlds’, packaged ancient wisdom with all mod cons. Shatabdi Express from Delhi has now made Haridwar a convient day outing.

Pauri
Thanks to an overnight train to Kotdwar (300 km from Delhi), it is possible to enjoy Pauri over a long weekend. At satpuli, a road diverts to the anglers paradise at vyasi (where the Nayar River meets the Ganga) and a diversion to the west takes you to Lansdowne, a hill station famous as the regimental center of the Garhwal Rifles. Higher still, Pauri is perched in front of the snow peaks of the Great Himalaya, Chaukhamba, Nilkanth, Trishul and others in a marvelous close-up panorama of the inner Himalayas. Accommodation is available in the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam bungalow in Pauri and in the PWD bungalow at Lansdowne. Pauri is 110 km from Kotdwar, 100 km from Rishikesh; Lansdowne is 42 km from Kotdwar, 110 km from Pauri. Najibabad, 20 km from Kotdwar on the road to Bijnor, has the vast and rambling Patthargarh, a mud fort, which was the original home of the famous Robin Hood bandit, sultana.

Sardhana
Fifteen kilometers north of Meerut is the startingly magnificent basilica built by the diminutive Begum Samru who led her own forces to battle. She was spouse to two foreign soldiers of fortune and turned to religion after retirement. This Roman Catholic structure, built in 1819, has some fine furniture and monuments and is an incredible architectural achievement to emerge from an age of freebooting anarchy. The marble gateway was said to be imported from Italy no doubt at the instance of the Begum’s French husband.

Corbett National Park
The oldest of north India’s game sanctuaries, Corbett is situated on the generous flow of the Ramganga, a river that divides Garhwal from Kumaun. The main entrance to the park lies north of Ramnagar some 300 km from Delhi. The facilities are wide enough to satisfy every taste. The mix of sal forest, Blue River and receding hills make it a perfect getaway, in spite of the number of tourists. The main accommodation is at Dhikala, some 50 km fro Ramnagar, but private resorts outside the sanctuary at Ramnagar and Kalagarh offer tempting facilities. Tiger Tops Corbett Lodge on the river Kosi near Ramgarh is top of the range. The best time to visit is between November and May. Corbett offers not-to-missed tours into the interior of Kumaun. The driver to Ranikhet (85 km) follows a breathtakingly beautiful panorama of the snow-capped mountains along a ridge road. An overnight train to Kathgodam now makes the Kumaun hills.

An interesting excursion is a trek to Ramnagar from Nainital by the high ridge route via Binayak (2 days).