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Backed by his
experience of driving solo for two lakh kilometres in nearly ten
years on national highways, state highways and off the beaten track,
N. Shiva Kumar sets off on a drive from Delhi to Khauraho.
No man is worth his salt
if he has not travelled the Grand Trunk Road… at least in part.
“Such a river of life as nowhere else exists in the world,”
wrote Rudyard Kipling nearly a century ago of this glorious highway.
This thought was deeply etched in my mind and a trip to Khajuraho in
Madhya Pradesh was an ambitious goal. I got my reliable Maruti Gypsy
ready.
I had earlier visited the
temple town of Khajuraho ten year ago by air. I was transported from
the hustle and bustle of India’s capital to the ancient capital
of Chandela dynasty. Now I was eager to see the halcyon historic site
once again but this time by road and relish the classic Indian
temples on their 1000th birthday. To make it a
soul-stirring sojourn I subjected my vehicle to an alluring travel of
three days and 1400 km of romancing the road.
We, a group of four
adults and two kids, departed from Delhi at daybreak and drove down
the 150 km Grand Trunk to Mathura at accelerating speed of 100 km per
hour. With very little movement on the road in the early hours the
going was smooth as silk. Having travelled this stretch of road a
number of times I was familiar with all the dhabas (wayside
eateries), and land marks and had keenly followed its evolution for
nearly five years. Today it is a spectacular four lane road that is
ideal for motorists. Constructed by IRCON, a subsidiary of the Indian
Railway, the road has been thoroughly researched and reconstructed
close to international standards. We stopped to have breakfast in the
lush green campus of Indian Oil’s Mathura Refinery Township,
which is bang on the Grand Trunk Road.
For the religious,
Mathura offers the Shri Krishna Janambhoomi temple complex revered by
the Hindus as the birthplace of Lord Krishna. He was supposed to have
been born here 3500 years ago. Alternately take a short drive of 25
km to Govardhan, the hillock that young Krishna lifted with his
little finger to save the town from deluge. Krishna’s wife,
Radha, was from Barsana 50 km from Mathura. During the festival of
Holi (held in March) this sleepy village wakes up to hold a festival
of colors that is unique to this area and famous for its lathmar
Holi. En route stop to see the Kusum Sarovar an architectural
monument set amidst a large tank with a well-laid garden. Part of it
is in ruins but the visit is worth the effort. The Kans Qila, a
ramshackle fort on the Yamuna River bank, is my favorite for its
panoramic views. Vrindavan and Gokul, also associated with Krishna,
are further ahead.
Another 50 km of driving
on the Grand Trunk Road took us to Agra, the city of Taj Mahal. Even
before we approached the crowded city there was a whiff of leather in
the air as there are numerous tanneries which manufacture some of the
well-known brands of foot wear in the country. Buy a few pairs as
they come very cheap. Ten kilometres short of Agra City we stopped to
take a peep at Sikandra, the magnificent tomb of Emperor Akbar. We
purchased some peanut packets for the friendly troop of langur
monkeys that reside in the spacious Moghul garden. The monkeys will
even pose for a photo-shoot. I sometimes wonder if they are aware of
our common evolution traits. Anyway say cheese!
If peda a sugar
sprinkled, soft, brown, golf ball sized sweet is considered a
delicacy of Mathura, petha is a crusty sugar drenched
sweetmeat of Agra. Like the Taj Mahal it is white and looks like
pieces of marble. We bought three packets from the reliable Panchi
Petha shop. They are good to savour even after a sumptuous dinner. We
decided to skip seeing the Taj Mahal, instead we took a short trip to
Itimad-ud-Daulah, a pretty jewel-box like structure on the other bank
of River Yamuna. The tomb is constructed entirely of marble and is a
forerunner of the Taj Mahal. The massive Agra fort and the recent
Dayal Bagh temple, currently under construction, are worth seeing.
Fatehpur Sikri 40 km west of Agra is the antiquated and abandoned
Moghul city of Emperor Akbar that has been perfectly preserved over
the years. A brisk excursion to the site is rewarding.
The interesting drive of
200 km so far is but a fraction of the 2,400 km long Grand Trunk Road
which is the first and oldest highway of India. Now it is known as
NH-2. Wriggling out of the congested city of Agra, we leave NH-2 to
take on NH-3. We drove to Gwalior via Dholpur, which happens to be in
Rajasthan and is once again, a pleasant drive with very few
bottlenecks. The quality of the road varies as you experience the
difference in road construction by the authorities of Uttar Pradesh,
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. This stretch is 120 km long with
interesting ravines and undulating roads as we cross the meandering
Chambal River.
Long before we entered
Gwalior we could see the silhouette of the craggy fort. The massive
fort raised 100 meters above the flat and spacious town dominating
the Gwalior landscape. The ascent to the top of the fort by road is
tricky. Novice drivers please be careful and watch out, your vehicle
could roll back. My Gypsy went thundering up the incline even without
the four-wheel drive. On a clear day the view from the ramparts is
exhilarating and you may as well see the edge of the earth! The sound
and light show at dusk is well articulated and simulated, narrated in
the familiar voice of the movie icon, Amitabh Bachan, tracing the
history of the area.
What a long day! After
twelve hours at the wheel I was glad to take a break at the Madhya
Pradesh Tourism Hotel Tansen which is just a stones throw from the
Gwalior railway station. We were in good fettle though to take a late
walk in the tranquil atmosphere under the soothing moonlight.
Following a good night’s rest, an early morning start was
inevitable. As we left town a signboard warned “DIVORCE SPEED
AND ENJOY JOURNEY”. The 100 km run to Jhansi on the state
highway No. 37 was covered in precisely two hours. The drive was
balmy with a cool and crisp breeze blowing as we passed a few sleepy
hamlets.
Seven forty-five in the
morning was breakfast time but the town of Jhansi wore a near
deserted look as if tomorrow never comes. The winter sun had not yet
penetrated the morning mist but it was enough for us to soak in its
warmth. Jhansi has an old fort, Rani Mahal palace and a museum.
Today, it is just a convenient transit point for Khajuraho, Shivpuri,
Orcha and Deogarh. We headed for Orcha, which was 20 km away. A well
laid breakfast at Hotel Sheesh Mahal run by Madhya Pradesh Tourism
was appetizing and we went on to explore Orcha village.
Basking beside the banks
of Betwa River, ancient Orcha was founded in 1531 and remained the
capital of a mighty Rajput kingdom. Orcha’s inspiring temples
date back to the 17th century but are still in use for
daily pujas and rituals. The cluster of palaces consisting of
Jehangir Mahal, the Raj Mahal, Praveen Mahal, Anand Mahal, the
riverside chattries—the cenotaphs or memorials are
spectacular. The once thriving medieval city is today serene and
soothing and suitable for relaxing. For a peaceful holiday, one must
consider Orcha. Most tourists and travel bugs omit this beautiful
village endowed with open spaces and lush fields, as they are eager
to reach Khajuraho, the tempting world heritage site. We decide to do
the same and made a dash to our destination.
After the Taj Mahal, the
seductive temples of Khajuraho are a major draw for tourists.
Conceived and built a thousand years ago the 22 temples, originally
85, scattered in various directions in the tranquil town still behold
the viewer. Raising high into the azure sky like the Himalayan peaks,
the temple architecture is unique with numerous embellishments.
Everybody Indian life has been depicted in high detail in the
thousands of stone figures that have been carved with great accuracy
and finesse on the outer walls of the temples. Gods and goddesses,
men and women, celestial maidens, voluptuous women performing their
daily rituals, anointing themselves with beauty aids, male and female
servants attending to kings and queens, war scenes, camels, horses,
elephants and erotic figures are all there. It is impossible to
estimate the amount of patience, stamina and intense labour that must
have gone into the making of these fabulous temples coupled with
tenacious stipulations.
Lit up at night, the
temples exude a brilliant exuberance against the inky black night
sky. We stayed at the comfortable Hotel Payal of Madhya Pradesh
Tourism at their Delhi office. The next day, even before the dew
disappeared from the carpet of green grass around the western group
of temples, we visited the 117 feet high Knadariya Mahadev Temple,
the most magnificent of the group. This temple gives the appearance
of a mountain and has a large number of animated sculptures.
Numerous books have been
published on exotic and erotic Khajuraho but one has to actually
visit the place to believe the breathtaking beauty of body contours
etched on granite. The master craftsman’s chisel has chosen a
rock-hard medium to convert stone into sensuous splendor, a marvel
indeed! The return journey from Khajuraho was a long and tough drive
of nearly 12 hours covering 600 km. We reached Delhi by midnight
without any mishap. Whew!
Travel Tips
Don’t try to cover too much
territory in one day, it takes away the joy of driving.
Night driving on highways should
be avoided at all costs to keep mishaps at bay.
When in doubt always ask three or
four different persons for directions to be certain of your
destination.
An extra fuel tank fitted to the
vehicle is useful or carry a can for emergencies and to take you
beyond that extra mile.
Detailed maps and books are a
great help to explore the quaint and unknown.
Night halts should be only at
large towns for availing reliable repair facilities, hygienic
hotels, etc.
Credit cards are useful but carry
adequate cash stacked in different locations.
Handy items like first aid,
medicines, sturdy torch, metallic flasks, folding chairs etc are
helpful.
Travel light and keep a checklist
of petrol bunks, service stations, hotels, restaurants, phone
numbers of friends and colleagues etc.
Eradicate irritants noticed during
the day’s drive and before retiring for the day lock up your
vehicle.
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