India 2023-Back to India-Camels, Mustard, Safaris and Living like a Maharaja.

[RB]

Around Khajuraho
Khajuraho Group of Monuments - Wikipedia

Despite having a population of around 25,000, there is plenty of development to support the ancient monuments. Coming into town we passed an impressive modern airport that has connections to Delhi. Agra, Varanasi & Mumbai.
This incredible complex of Hindu and Jain Temples built from individual blocks, was lost to the forest after it was destroyed by the Moghuls. It was rediscovered by British surveys in the 1800's. There were over 85 temples in the complex built between 950 and 1050 AD by the Chandela dynasty and 25 remain.
We visited all three of the main groups of temples- The Western, Eastern and Southern. As with the rest of town there was some frantic cleaning up & preparing the Western temples for a visit by Modhi/G20 Culture Working Group later in the week.
Our guide was another long term associate of Magan. He supplemented his guide work with part-time teaching and was an excellent communicator (tourism is very seasonal because of the harsh climate). There didn’t seem to be a lot of non-Indian tourists and it was very easy to move around the temples.
Sandstone dominates although granite is also found in some temples. There are plenty of carvings/sculptures with scenes of music & dance dominant. There is also erotic imagery with the Kama Sutra scenes acknowledging the human life cycle of fertility & happiness. The insides & exteriors of the temples are carved, all are on a platform.These temples were the first that I noticed had lightning straps/arresters fitted.
Our planned visit to the night light & sound show did not eventuate- planning for the G20 took the place of the regular display.

View of Western Complex from carpark












Part of preparations for G20

 

[RB]

Khajuraho continued










One of the lightning straps

 

[RB]

Khajuraho continued
















Not everyone around town had all the modern conveniences

 

[RB]

Khajuraho Ramada
A solid choice for a hotel-comfortable without being outstanding. The front desk staff missed the mark for customer service and the food servers were also a little haphazard. There certainly were plenty of cleaning staff throughout the corridors and they were very attentive. We had a spacious ground floor room with an excellent bed and all the room functioned- the shower was a very convoluted system of changing the water flow from bath to shower and I really don’t like the system of shower over tub. I suspect our room had avoided the bathroom update that is shown in promotional photos. The layout of the hotel also means long walks back to the centre all the time. Food was Ok (we ordered off menu instead of dinner banquet) and the breakfast was ok but more skewed to catering to the mostly Indian clientele. A very secure hotel with a gate at the road and front door staff all day.







Another wedding happening




As mentioned previously there was a lot of tidying up for the G20 Culture Group


While in Khajuraho we had a couple of meals at Raja Cafe- another escape for tourists. Two storey with rooftop having nice views looking over the western temples


Nice to have a change. There were also pizzas although some feedback of them wasn't flattering

 

[Pushka]

Ive read on a cruise FB page that people currently in Goa, then Mumbai have mentioned that India has initiated a ban on single use plastics, eg water bottles. Which is great and does this gel with your experience RB?

 

[RB]

Ive read on a cruise FB page that people currently in Goa, then Mumbai have mentioned that India has initiated a ban on single use plastics, eg water bottles. Which is great and does this gel with your experience RB?

No not where we were. I think the Delhi hotel had non-plastic straws. I understand there is some promotion/competition in areas where cities/towns that improve their pollution receive grants for further initiatives. Unfortunately I would have to say the general countryside pollution was no better that our previous trips

 

[Pushka]

No not where we were. I think the Delhi hotel had non-plastic straws. I understand there is some promotion/competition in areas where cities/towns that improve their pollution receive grants for further initiatives. Unfortunately I would have to say the general countryside pollution was no better that our previous trips

I did wonder if that was the case. People have berthed in Cochin and Goa and today Mumbai. I wonder if its something the cruise line has to undertake with India Govt directly. The ship would normally hand out bottles at each excursion but have given people refillable ones instead. Guess I'll know in a month. They've also posted photos of Cochin which looks very polluted. Goa less so.

 

[RB]

Khajuraho to Orchha via Alipura Palace
A cup of tea with a Maharaja, lunch in a Palace and a look around beautiful Orcha with its fort, temples and riverside setting - just another day on the road!
Our 1st stop was Alipura Palace where Magan renewed his acquaintance with the owner Rao Bahadur Raja Manvendra Singh Judeo, the Raja Saheb of Alipura, who still lives here. An interesting catch up and the host was interested in getting some background of our life in Australia. Plenty of staff to show us around and also give us some background on the restoration work of the neighbouring Dhanushdhari temple- old bricks being crushed down by hand to get the right colour render seemed to be overkill but I guess labour is cheap.

Alipura Palace







District Views from upstairs




Sheltered courtyard

 

[RB]

Dhanushdhari Temple




Getting the right render colour


Now retired, the Raj received praise for pushing for this nearby project


Something different






And the winner of the worst pollution we saw was the hamlet of Laxmanpura- seemed to be a concrete dust that covered the horizon

 

[RB]

Around Orchha
Lunch was in the Sheesh Mahal restaurant (Orchha) within the heritage hotel next to the fort. Ok food with a couple of other small groups of tourists dining here.
After a short spell at our hotel we lined up for a visit through Raja Mahal (King’s Palace) and Jahangir Mahal (another palace). We were expecting to use the audio guide but the indifferent workers explained none were charged & would not be ready before closing time. We relied on the signage & were generally happy to set our own pace and enjoy the plentiful views from the vast complex. Orchha Fort complex - Wikipedia













View to Chaturbhuj Temple

 

[RB]

More Orchha








Just lying around near the King's Palace

 

[RB]

Next stop was a viewing of the Royal Chhatris down by the Betwa River.-beautiful garden areas and buildings of varying styles. The river is a beautiful setting & some locals hire small boats or go on short boat rides in the quick flowing water. There are also a couple of food outlets, some crafts, horse rides & some kids rides.

 

[RB]

Betwa River Orchha




Old bridge on the left-still in use so we drove over it!






Boat Club

 

[RB]

Laxmi Temple was a final viewing spot for the day- a little rushed as the worker was hustling to get home but also a great spot to catch the finish of the sunset. Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Orchha - Timings, History, Best time to visit




Looking back to town

 

[RB]

Amar Mahal Orchha
This was a wonderful spot. The drone shots at the start of this link give a good idea of the building Amar Mahal Orchha
So a former palace built in the 18th century, now transformed to a resort, there are still glimpses of wood art and gold work in the rooms and there are manicured gardens. The pool was an excellent background for the planned wedding and there are plenty of quiet sitting spots for guests to spread out. The included breakfast was excellent and we enjoyed the outdoor dining experience for our night meal. Staff here were excellent ( one exception on the check-in counter who was curt & missed the mark).











Small courtyard outside room




Breakfast/dining room

 

[RB]

I understand that on the day we were booking out, the wedding families had the whole hotel booked out










Great to see people getting together






We were bid farewell in style

 

[RB]

Next morning we retraced our steps a little to capture some views in the different light.











Just another traffic challenge as we left town!

 

[RB]

Orchha to Gwalior
First stop was near Datia, famous for the seven-story palace built by Raja Vir Singh Deo in 1614.
On this day we encountered more sugar cane growing and its associated small enterprises. Again there was plenty to see from the vehicle















Didn't look like a very comfortable ride




There are readings on the diesel pumps that indicate the purity/water content-quite often not working/inaccurate. I read that there are around 58,000 fuel pumps in India with around 95% belonging to the Indian Oil Corporation

 

[RB]

Gwalior
First stop at Jai Vilas Palace. Jai Vilas Mahal - Wikipedia
I saw this written in a Govt tourist promotion and thought it gave a good summary “A splendor of a different kind exists in the Jai Vilas Palace, current residence of the Scindia family. Some 25 rooms have been turned into the Jivaji Rao Scindia Museum, and in these rooms , so evocative of a regal lifestyle, the past comes alive. Jai Vilas is an Italianate structure which combines the Tuscan and Corinthian architectural modes. The imposing Darbar Hall has two central chandeliers weighing a couple of tonnes, and hung only after ten elephants had tested the strength of the roof. Ceilings picked out in gilt, heavy draperies and tapestries , fine Persian carpets and antique furniture from France and Italy are the features of these spacious rooms. Eye catching treasures include : a silver train with cutglass wagons which served guests as it chugged around the table on miniature rails; a glass cradle from Italy used for the baby Krishna each Janmashtami, silver dinner services and swords that were once worn by Aurangzeb and Shah Jahan. These are ,besides, personal momentoes of past members of the Scindia family : the jeweled slippers that belonged to Chinkoo Rani , four-poster beds, gifts from practically every country in the world, hunting trophies and portraits. The Scindia Museum offers an unparalled glimpse into the rich culture and lifestyle of princely India”.
Another brochure mentioned “The huge, plush carpet adorning the Durbar Hall, which is one of the largest in the world, was fabricated by the prisoners of the Gwalior Fort. They took 12 long years to weave this”.

 

[RB]

Each person got an ink well & multiple pen holders