Tuesday, 9 May 2017

MP Trip April 2017 Part 5: Indore



The intention of this blog is to facilitate aspiring travelers to plan their trip around these areas. Hence some links and photographs are added here. This blog does not promote any shop, hotel or any other establishment mentioned here in. 

12/04/2017 Back To Indore via Omkareshwar

Left Hanumantiya with a promise to return again.

Distance from Hanumantiya to Indore is about 160 km. It is not a very pleasant drive. Enroute to Indore a halt is must at Omkareshwar! It is about 80 km drive from Hanumantiya. Omkareshwar and Mamleshwar both together constitute one of the 12 JYOTIRLINGA. The temple of Shree Omkareshwar, is on an island called Mandhata or Shivapuri in the Narmada river; the shape of the island is said to be like the symbol. 


You can walk across the suspension bridge to to reach the temple or take a boat ride. 


Suspension bridge walk way

Suspension bridge walk way
Suspension bridge walk way

Omkareshwar Hydro-electric Power Project
For the boat ride you has to climb down lot many steps to reach the water level and climb equal number of steps up across the river, to reach the temple. It is better to walk across the suspension bridge. Again, it has a Q management system but it is not as effective as the one at Mahankaleshwar.

 
Boat ride across river Narmada


There is a petrol pump if your car is feeling hungry!

You cross river Narmada again and come to the North bank to go to Indore. Hotel Panchwati is the place to quench your thirst, stuff your tummy and ease out. Good quality food at reasonable prices is available here at hotel Panchwati.

The road is through Barwaha, the same town we went through while driving from Maheshwar to Hanumantiya. Metre Gauge railway line accompanies you through a major part of the route. You have to negotiate another Ghat road some 20 km ahead. This one has many blind curves with steep slopes. In India you generally drive from the left side of the road. However, in one section of this ghat, you have to drive from right side while climbing up since this section has little flatter slope. If you wish, spend some time at Choral Picnic Spot which is on the banks of Choral River and near Choral Railway station. The river is not a perennial river it is not safe to swim in it. Leave a left which goes to MHOW.

After a 4 hour long tiring journey to Indore, it is must to relax a bit before proceeding for some shopping and eating in Indore. Hotel Paradise (hotelparadise.co.in)  at Vijaynagar is a ok types hotel for one or two days worth of stay stay. Hotel Shreemaya (www.shreemaya.com) is one nice hotel. Since our tour operator had arranged our accommodations in all the towns in the hotels by M. P. Tourism, we had to stick to the same.


13/04 In Indore

A few major places to visit in Indore are a Jain Temple called Kanch Mandir, Khajarana Ganesh Mandir, Annapurna Mandir and two palaces of Holkars’. They are called Lalbagh Palace and Rajwada Palace.

Lalbagh Palace was being used by the descendants of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar and was converted to a museum in 1988. All the antique furniture of the Holkar family is preserved there. One must visit the palace to experience it. Photography and videography is not allowed inside this Palace. One has to deposit cameras and mobile phones and take a token for the same.

Lalbagh Palace

Kanch Mandir, as the name suggests, has interiors of glass and paintings created using coloured pieces of glass. These paintings depicts​ events in the life of Shree Paigambar. Though you can carry your camera and phones in here, photography and videography is prohibited. A video DVD showcasing the artifacts in the this Kaanch Mahal is available at nominal cost of INR 60.

Building housing Kanch Mandir

Veer Savarkar Market is another place bearing the name of a famous Maharashtriy personality,

Veer Savarkar Market




Rajwada Palace has entry fee INR 10 per person and INR 25 per camera or phone are the charges you have to pay for carrying your devices in the museum. So click pictures the way you like. 

Darbar Hall
Palace has six floors


This Rajwada houses a museum of some artifacts and weapons used by Holkars along with​ some photographs of the Descendants of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar. 

Guns


Bullets
Cannon

Swords


Designs on dinner plate

Actor Vijayendra Ghatge belongs to this Royal Family.



Indore is famous for the variety of silk sarees manufactured in and around here. Mahalaxmi Vastra Bhandar on Jail road is where we did our shopping. The owner of this shop also owns one at Maheshwar, having the same name.

Sarafa Bazar is a place where there are many jewellery shops and street food joints. JoshiDahi Bada House is famous for it’s Dahi Wada and Batale ki Kachori.

56 Dukan is another place for yummy street food and sweets. As the name suggests, there are 56 shops of sweetmeats and street food. On one side of this patch of road, there are a lot many street food joints and on the opposite side there is a mall named One Centre. Nothing interesting here as most of the shops are not occupied and are empty. It is difficult to be satisfied with only one visit to 56 Dukan, the shopping and eat out area. 

Nafees Bakery is a shop you must visit. All sorts of bakery items, sweetmeats, smoothies, chocolates and many more are available here to tickle your taste buds. Options of outdoor seating and takeaway are available. Whatever you choose, your pocket will get moderately empty. Good place to spend some time. It was nicely breezy in the evening even in summer.


Inside Nafees Bakery

Inside Nafees Bakery
Cafe Mocha is a franchise shop. It is a chic place to hangout. Nice cool ambience. All sorts of chilled and chilling mocktails and cocktails served here. Continental and Italian food served here is a nice break from Punjabi food! 
Interiors of Cafe Mocha

Interiors of Cafe Mocha

Scissor Salad

Cool Minty Drink

Yummy Sandwich

MHOW pronounced as Mahoo is kind of cantonment area and the birthplace of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. MHOW stands for Military Headquarters Of War. It is some 25 - 30 km from Indore on South. There an exit from the Indore bypass of NH3 which leads to MHOW. One has to pay a nominal toll of INR 10. It is called as USER FEE here, rather than toll. If you have booked a package tour, make sure it is included in the package.

One of the shop for Smocking Type Dresses

Like Maheshwar, lot many choices for buying clothes and dress materials for women and unlike Maheshwar, a few good shops for men’s clothing as well. Make sure you have enough bank balance if you happen to be here. Some of these shops are cash only but most of them accept electronic modes of payment.

Push back at Indore to depart to Mumbai
We traveled about 600 km in and around Indore in that week’s time but we never felt tired in the car. It was very much energising road trip. Our return flight to Mumbai, scheduled at 7.35 am on 14/04/2017 and along with increased number of bags due to shopping, we carried lot many memories in mind and in camera…….!




Sunday, 7 May 2017

MP Trip April 2017 Part 4: Hanumantiya Resort

The intention of this blog is to facilitate aspiring travelers to plan their trip around these areas. Hence some links and photographs are added here. This blog does not promote any shop, hotel or any other establishment mentioned here in. 


11/04/2017 To Hanumantiya

It is the same route up to Maheshwar from Mandavgad. However instead of turning right to Maheshwar fort, continue straight without existing SH38. Distance of Hanumantiya Resort from Maheshwar is about 150 km and there is only one petrol station in Maheshwar. So make sure to tank up your car before leaving! There is Y a junction at Katargaon where you have to turn right, i.e. continue on SH38 for Hanumantiya. This state highway passes through many villages so one has to drive carefully.

Some 25 to 26 km ahead on this SH38 there is a “T” junction at Barvaha village where in you have to drive through heavy local traffic consisting of bikes, tractors, mini buses et al. There are bank ATMs in this village. The road across is Indore Khandva road which leads to Aurangabad in Maharashtra via Burhanpur at the border of MP and Maharashtra.

You have to cross Indore Khandwa Metre Gauge Railway Line through an un-manned gate. Then turn right at T junction to Khandva Road.  All this time you are on the North side of river Narmada. You have to cross it after Barwaha. Hotel Gopal Midway on the South bank of Narmada is a good place for a well deserved hault. This restaurant offers take away service and also has partially closed dining area. 

View of Narmada from Gopal Midway

About a km ahead is Omkareshwar​ Road railway station. The Omkareshwar temple is some 12 km away off Khandwa road. You have to cross the railway line here again, this time on a bridge.

You have to take a left turn at Village Sanavad near Sanavad Post Office on Mundi Sanawad Road for going to Hanumantiya. INR 35 worth of toll for cars. This road is all barren with very less vegetation. Scene may be a bit different in and after monsoon. However the road surface is fairly smooth. You have to continue on Mundi road leaving Sanawad Omkareshwar Road on your left. There is a petrol station on this road, just in case of any emergency. The road passes around a village called Sulgaon. Some 6 7 km ahead you come across a Y junction where you have to take the road at right. Town Mundi is some 19 km after this place where you have to turn left at Sector 018.  Take right turn after Sant Bokhardas Sant Gulabdas Dham on Bir Mundi Bypass followed by right turn at Thermal Power Square. This thermal power station is known as Shree Singaji Super Thermal Power Plant and its huge chimneys are visible from even before Mundi.


Chimneys of thermal power plant
There are proper direction boards leading to Hanumantiya. Road suddenly narrows down due to a small habitat, turns right and widens a bit again. And voila! You are at the gates of Hanumantiya!! Nice arched entrance welcomes you. Show your booking receipt at the gate and you can drive in for checking in.

There are informative boards about MP Tourism near the entrance of Hanumantiya Resort.

Back-lit informative boards near entrance

Back-lit informative boards near entrance

Back-lit informative boards near entrance

Back-lit informative boards near entrance

Back-lit informative boards near entrance

Back-lit informative boards near entrance
Hanumantiya (www.hanumantiyatapu.com) is a unique waterfront resort at the heart of India! The accommodation is of cottage type with luxurious rooms. These cottages have big glass windows offering a magnificent views of the lake and they are placed such that direct sunlight will not enter the room. 

Back waters of Indira Sagar Dam seen from cottage in Hanumantiya Resort
One thing different than all earlier hotels is that there is a facility of having your own tea or coffee in the room itself. There is an electric kettle with tea bags, coffee pouches, sugar and creamer.

The resort is at the southern bank of Indira Sagar Dam on river Narmada. It is one of the biggest dam in India with 390 sq km of submergence. This resort is a great place to relax and rejuvenate. Ample scope for your camera. 

Covered outdoor Seating

Cottages

Speedboat creating a big wake
There are three different types of boat rides, speed boat of capacity 6, smaller cruise boat of capacity 13 and bigger cruise boat of capacity 22. Life jackets are provided to all the tourists taking any of these rides. The charges for these boat rides are much reasonable. However, the the cruise boats are available only when at least 80% of the number of passengers are there. 

White one is cruise boat and brown one is house boat

Resort seen from the lake
Cottages seen from lake
It was full moon night when we were there

Two viewing galleries offer majestic views of the lake. Carry your digital camera with all the gears, if you are a photography geek!

One of the two viewing galleries
 There is a cafeteria with open seating and is a good place for evening snacks. 

Outdoor seating of cafeteria

Some play equipments also are there for kids up to 13 years of age.

Play equipments
A big central lawn and conference rooms, are a few more facilities available here. If you are visiting the place in a group, you can have your own activities on this lawn.

Central lawn and entrance gate seen from near cottages
These are just the glimpses. You have to visit this place to experience the grandeur! Every year Jal Mahotsav is organised here wherein lot of interesting activities are conducted. 

We left the next day for Indore with a promise to come again..............