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Madhya Pradesh: Unhurried, Unspoilt, Undiscovered
Madhya Pradesh: Unhurried, Unspoilt, Undiscovered
Madhya Pradesh: Unhurried, Unspoilt, Undiscovered
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Madhya Pradesh: Unhurried, Unspoilt, Undiscovered

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Madhya Pradesh: Unhurried, Unspoilt, Undiscovered describes exactly what makes the state special.
Unlike other states, the mention of Madhya Pradesh does not evoke a single image; this is because the immensity and astonishing variety of its attractions do not permit its confinement to a stereotype.
This is not a ‘guide book’ - it is an attempt to introduce readers to the essence and flavours of destinations in Madhya Pradesh, which include majestic monuments, the finest forests and wildlife sanctuaries of the country and unspoilt retreats.
It is hoped that readers would be tempted not only to visit the areas, but explore and find out more about the people and this unique state, which so richly deserves its epithet of being the ‘Heart of India,’ in more ways than one.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 3, 2011
ISBN9788183282208
Madhya Pradesh: Unhurried, Unspoilt, Undiscovered
Author

Probir Sen

Probir Sen studied history at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and Kings College, Cambridge. He joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1967 in the Madhya Pradesh cadre.

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Madhya Pradesh - Probir Sen

Unhurried   Unspoilt   Undiscovered

Unhurried   Unspoilt   Undiscovered

Probir Sen

wisdom Madhya Pradesh Tourism

tree

First published in 2009 by

Wisdom Tree

4779/23

Ansari Road

Darya Ganj

New Delhi - 110002

Phone: 91 - 11 - 23247966/ 67/ 68

wisdomtreebooks@gmail.com

The project has been supported by Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation Limited.

Printed in India.

Text © Probir Sen

Photographs © Madhya Pradesh Tourism; Madhyam (p. 18, 32, 34, 66, 72, 75, 79, 80); Bhalu Mondhe (p. 64-65); Shobit Arya (p. 33); Hari Mahidhar/Dinodia Images (p. 82).

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of the author and the publisher.

ISBN 978-81-8328-151-5

Design: tiffinbox

Front cover: Spectacular reflections from the past — Jahaz Mahal, Mandu.

Back cover: The verdant glory of Pachmarhi.

CONTENTS

Preface                                   -------------------       7

Gwalior – Shivpuri – Orchha                   ----------------------   11

Bhopal – Bhojpur – Bhimbetka – Sanchi –

Udaigiri – Udaypur – Pachmarhi                ----------------------   27

Jabalpur – Kanha                            ----------------------   41

Khajuraho – Bandhavgarh                     ----------------------   51

Indore – Mandu – Omkareshwar –

Maheshwar – Ujjain                          ----------------------   65 Hotel Listings                             ----------------------   90

PREFACE

Why, it may well be asked, should there be yet

another volume on places of tourist attractions in

Madhya Pradesh when, in fact a number of excellent

guide books on these places exist, published by the

Archaeological Survey of India and the M.P. State

Tourism Development Corporation.

The only explanation I can offer for this attempt is

that it is not a guide book. These essays are

intended to provide an introduction to the places

covered, something that will hopefully persuade

tourists to visit, stay, and imbibe more about these

places by reading and interacting with the people

living there.

Unlike many other states in India Madhya Pradesh

does not evoke one single image. This is partly

because it does not possess typical attractions such

as the mountains or the sea, and partly because its

immensity and the astonishing variety of what it

does have to offer do not permit its confinement to

a stereotype.

LEFT

Early morning view of Shri Omkar Mandhata

Temple, Omkareshwar, on the banks of River

Narmada.

Preface

-------------------------------------------

Geographically, Madhya Pradesh is located in the                 with all parts of India, it was fortunately just south

heart of India. It is also true that India’s ancient                of the region that suffered constant invasions.

and eternal spirit resides here. Spending time in                 This rare combination of wealth and absence

the state is, therefore, not just seeing places, but               of depredations has left the state with over one

experiencing the essence of India — the pristine                  thousand monuments and many more antiquities,

magic of its forests, the restrained magnificence                in an almost perfect state of preservation, ranging

of its monuments, the exuberance of crowds in                     in time from the prehistoric to the modern.

festivals, and the great peace the solitude and

silence bring.                                              Not being fortunate enough to have been born or

brought up in Madhya Pradesh, I nevertheless have

Madhya Pradesh is the second largest state in the                  had the excitement of having lived and worked in

country, sprawling over 3,08,000 square kilometres.             the state for over a decade. I was, and remain, totally

It has a very large proportion of India’s forests and               captivated by its attractions; the state for me being

hence numerous natural parks and sanctuaries,                   an enormous retreat from the tumult and turmoil

including Kanha and Bandhavgarh, which are                      of living in the national capital, never failing

amongst the finest in the country. Apart from                     to provide solace, inspiration and invigoration.

forests, there is also the vast plateau, the hill ranges            Madhya Pradesh remains for me unhurried,

of the Vindhyas and Satpuras and the great rivers                  unspoilt, and to a great extent, undiscovered. It

flowing across it: the Narmada, Tapti, Chambal,                  is hoped that these essays would serve as an hors

Sone, Betwa and Ken. Its climate is by and large                    d’oeuvre to what I am sure would be a continuous

moderate, and its people warm and gentle, with a                   and rewarding experience for any visitor to the state.

tolerance that has enabled all the major faiths to

exist and flourish — Hinduism, Islam, Jainism and                 I have, for factual material, drawn from the fine

Buddhism. Vast tracts of the state are also enriched               guidebooks of the Archaeological Survey of

by the unique and precious culture of its tribes.                  India and the M.P. State Tourism Development

Corporation Eicher guide on Madhya Pradesh,

Close to Nature, sometimes surrounded by it, and                  something which I would like to gratefully

often competing with it in magnificence, are the                  acknowledge.

monuments of Madhya Pradesh. Being located

in the centre of India, all trade routes across the                 I would also like to express my gratitude to Shri

country, from north to south, had to pass through                  B. M. Pande the distinguished archaeologist, who

Madhya Pradesh. The resultant commerce, together                was with the Archaeological Survey of India, for

with the wealth of its soil and the rivers, brought                 having spared the time to go through my text; to

great prosperity to the area. While it had contact                 Ashok and Rahul Noronha and Dr Faiqa Saulat

8           Madhya Pradesh: Unhurried, Unspoilt, Undiscovered

Preface

-----------------------------------------

gwalior

shivpuri     orchha

khajuraho

udaypur                 bandhavgarh

udaigiri

sanchi

ujjain           bhopal    bhojpur           jabalpur

indore bhimbetka

pachmarhi          kanha

mandu

maheshwar          omkareshwar

Map not to scale.

For representational purposes only.

Khan, eminent and knowledgeable citizens of Bhopal who pointed out factual errors

after going through my pieces; to my colleagues Shri Sudesh Gupta and Shri S.C.

Kumar who assisted me in the task of preparing the manuscript, without which it

would have never emerged; and finally, and most importantly, to Shri Shobit Arya and

his colleagues of Wisdom Tree publication, and Shri Ashwini Lohani, Managing

Director of the M.P. State Tourism Development Corporation, who have given me the

opportunity to write this book.

I would like to end by stating that it was for me a great pleasure to mentally revisit

these places that I cherish in Madhya Pradesh, even though time did not permit me

the joy of going to them physically; however this is something I will continue to do

for the rest of my life.

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