From Amritsar to Indore by Jayant Doshi A Tour by Bhagini with a Touch of Compassion

India is a vast country – a sub-continent – and one can never see much of it in one trip. Having made lots of trips to different parts of India, for me this trip was a mixture of what I had visited before and some totally new areas. After an overnight flight, traditional Bhagini pack meal at the airport, our group of forty reached Delhi on the morning of 20th March 2010. But collecting all luggage and getting everything into the coach took us to lunch time. We had our lunch and then we checked into the hotel. Our sight seeing began immediately as we

were to visit the world famous Swaminarayan Temple of Akshar Dham, a modern wonder created in a short span of 5 years in the heart of Delhi on 90 acres of land. We reached there at 4.30 and because of prior arrangements we were taken inside and guided through the huge complex. The huge buildings have exhibits, illustrations and running commentary on Hindu religion, culture and history. We kept moving from one hall to the other gasping at the wonder created by modern technology. There were screen shows and a boat ride. In the evening we show the breathtaking fountains with lights and music. We had dinner at the temple restaurant, and on reaching the hotel we all collapsed in our beds after a very long day.

Delhi sight seeing was the theme of the second day. We saw Lal Quila (Red Fort) and Juma Masjid from the outside. We could not go inside Juma Masjid because of heavy traffic in the area, which was a disappointment. We were taken to Raj Ghat, the memorial for Mahatma Gandhi, where we had a walk around the memorial. A visit to Laxminarayan Temple was followed by a drive past the President’s palace, India gate, Parliament buildings, Lotus temple. Our next stop was at Kutub Minar where the guide gave a very good insight into the intricate carvings on the remains of some of the structures – and pointed out the Hindu influence in the carvings. The guide was very convincing and knowledgeable in whatever information he imparted. When one is travelling vast distances, and when the travel is in India, then travel time takes up lots of time. We had a very early wake up next day as we were to catch a train to Amritsar. Our luggage was taken on coach otherwise to get on the train with all the luggage would have been a nightmare. We had a pleasant and comfortable train journey, reached Amritsar at 2.00 in the afternoon, and after lunch went straight to Wagha border. India and Pakistan opened up the border in a very limited way to allow some people to travel into the other country, and Wagha border is the point of crossing. It has become a symbolic and an important attraction on similar basis as the changing of guards at Buckingham Palace. At Wagha border, both countries are

divided by barbed wire fence with automatic doors with about ten yards of land in between as no man’s land. There are flags of both countries on posts next to the gates. Both side of the gate have public sitting areas. Tourists, and some locals, come to watch spectacle of each country doing march-past, raising the flag in the morning and lowering the flag in the evening. There were a lot of people on the Indian side compared to the Pakistani side. While waiting for the flag lowering ceremony, there was music and dancing by the spectators, and it seemed each side was trying to out do the other. Whenever some patriotic words or songs were said on one side, the other side booed to drown that. It was all done in quite friendly and jovial way. At sun set both the flags were lowered with each flag coming down inch by inch precisely at the same time as the other one. The parade, the singing and shouting and booing was fun to watch. It had been a long day, and we had hardly recovered from the jet lag of our flight from London. As we had a wake up call set for 3.00 I went to bed hoping to catch up with my sleep.

When the phone rang at mid night, I woke up from deep slumber and instinctively said good morning. But it was just mid-night. It was one of the passengers who informed me that one person

was not well and had to be taken to hospital. I got ready and we rushed to the hospital. The doctor treated him, and as he was feeling well we came back to the hotel to get one hour of sleep. Next day we woke up early to go to the Golden Temple of Amritsar, the holiest place for Sikhs. Surrounded by water, and the glistening golden minarets of the temple were a sight to be seen at sun rise. Due to prohibition on photography, we could not capture the scene on the camera but our minds had the pleasure of eschewing the scene. After attending the prayers, and

walking around the temple, we saw many devotees dipping in the ice cold water.

After breakfast we were to visit the famous Jalianwala Bagh, where thousands of unarmed and innocent Indians were killed when the British troops fired indiscriminately at a peaceful crowd who had no chance of escape from the place with walls on every side. This was to be followed by a visit to a temple. However, I had to miss all this as I had to go to the hospital where I spent most of the day. Every time we were told it would take five to ten minutes, but those few minutes turned into hours and our day just passed by. The doctor categorically said that he could finish his trip without any problem, but his family did not want to take that chance. He decided to go to Delhi, where arrangements were made to stay with a friend, and he would decide whether to join us when we returned to Delhi, or to fly back home, after observing his condition in that period. In the evening we drove through small alleyways that gave us an insight into the real Amritsar. Dinner was accompanied by a surprise insight into local culture with a Punjabi night. Not part of the itinerary, the folk dances and music fascinated us all. After very early wake up and early departure, next day provided us the luxury of spending some time in the spa before our breakfast. However the drive to Chandigarh was under estimated, and we were just lucky to reach there to see the world famous Rock Gardens in the nick of time. When the world had not heard of recycling, a street sweeper in Chandigarh undertook this mammoth project in his pare time to create a wonder of the world from recycled waste products. He has created a wonderful garden using broken crockery and glass bangles, hessian cloth and tarmac drums, broken pottery and ceramic tiles – literally every thing we throw away has been utilised to create this wonder. The Rock Garden took seven years to make, and it is still being developed. The creator, Nek Chand, has made this into his passion, written books, has been asked to undertake similar projects in many cities around the world, and is still working at this particular garden. We were fortunate to meet the person and were impressed by his passion for his project. Our drive to Shimla, the summer capital of India during British Raj, and popular hill station for honeymooners in particular, was pleasant going up the Himalayan range through the beauty of nature. We had a free afternoon and took the chance to explore the popular Mall and some historical buildings. After having been through coldest winter in England, the cold in Shimla was pleasant but not for every one. The timings given for certain trips desired much improvement. Our visit to Kufira next day involved some horse riding. Only twelve of us went for that while rest of the group sat in the coach. The trip took much longer then we had been told, and rest of the group might have been better staying at the hotel till lunch time instead of sitting in the coach. Horse riding was tricky with muddy and snowy paths. Because of the delay, horse riders were directed directly to the restaurant for lunch while rest came by

coach and then had to be ferried to the restaurant taking some time doing it. There was a temple next to the restaurant, on top of a hill. The steepness of the slope leading to the temple was daunting but I took the opportunity to walk up bare footed. By the time we finished lunch it was evening. Our visit to the highest golf course was limited by just passing by it. The day was badly planned and most of the group spent the day doing nothing. Next day we had a long drive from Shimla to Delhi, and many were keen to do some shopping in Delhi. As per the time schedule we were told that we will get time for that. However,

as other days, the timing was wrong and we reached too late to Delhi to do anything except have our dinner. My freind and his wife joined us and the good news was that he had decided to join us

for rest of the trip. Early wake up next day to fly to Varanasi did not shake us as we had now got used to it. After lunch in Varanasi, we embarked on sight seeing when we visited some Buddhist monasteries and museums. Varanasi, on the banks of the holy River Ganges, is one of the oldest cities in India, and has immense importance to Hindus. To come and dip in the holy waters of Ganges in Varanasi, and to take part in the famous arti on the Ganges are the dreams of most Hindus. To die and be cremated in Varanasi on the banks of the river would be considered as path to heaven by devout Hindus. Today was Holi, the most colourful and important festival in Hindu calender, and colours are splashed by every one on every one. Going to the arti would be through huge crowds and would involve lot of walking. Some of the group decided to go for it, but I had a dinner invitation and had to forego with that opportunity. After dinner, some of the group planned to go in the city to enjoy Holi bonfires taking place. However, after some advice, the plans were cancelled. Next morning we went early to take a boat ride in the Ganges, to watch arti and the sunrise. After the festivities of Holi previous night, crowds were thin, but devout Hindus were bathing in the Ganges in the chill waters. While walking to the boat some of us had a taste of Holi colours. After breakfast we took a flight to the world famous Khajurao. The ancient temples of Khajurao with amazing sculptures were found by an Englishman in the 19th century. We had a free afternoon. While most decided to catch up their sleep, some of us decided to do some sightseeing. We rented two rickshaws and we had an amazing afternoon. The rickshaw driver was wonderful singer and also took us to some temples which were not on our itinerary. We visited a local house and were offered sherbet. We were shown around the village where stolen statutes from the ruins were used in houses. We also visited a local school. It was a wonderful experience for us all. And as a bonus the driver of the rickshaw entertained us with some lovely melodies. Khajurao temples, built at least 2500 years back, have become the biggest tourist attraction. The intricate sculptures on the walls of the temples depict an age of great knowledge. The temples are spread over a few hundred acres and we visited the most important ones on the west and the Jain temples on the east. For our group, the visit to the Jain temples represented the highlight of the visit. Few of us again called the same rickshaw in the afternoon while others decided to take rest. He took us to Ranesh Falls where we saw distinctive red, green and black rocks. There was not much water but we were told the whole area gets covered after the monsoons. We also visited the Pandav falls and caves. It is believed that Pandav brothers (of Mahabharat fame) spent some time in these caves during their exile. On the cliff where the caves are, there is water dripping from above and no one knows where that water comes from. We were told that the water keeps dripping non stop through out the year. We saw trees whose roots had penetrated huge rocks in search of water. Then we were taken to a tree top

hotel built on the shores of a lake. Being sun set time we had some wonderful views. We were getting late for our evening show of dance and music, but we did not wish to miss this wonderful

spectacle. While we missed the show which rest of the group saw, we were taken to another show of local dances and the show was good enough for us not to regret missing what the rest saw. We had a long drive to Gwalior, the seat of a big empire in the olden days. We saw the palace and the castle that reminded us of the glories of the past empire. They represented the best Hindu architecture of the bygone days when in other places Mogul architecture dominates most historical buildings. We also saw an ancient temple which had similar sculptures and designs as Khajurao temples.

We had a comfortable train journey to Bhopal. Afternoon was free. While most opted

for a rest, some of us went to Van Vihar where we saw many wild animals. Then we had a boat ride in the huge lake. The boat took us up to the fountain in the middle of the lake and enjoyed a splash of cold water to cool us down. Next day, we visited Sanchi which has old Buddhist relics dating from 3rd century BC to 12th century AD. During our visit we saw some great stupas, Ashoka pillar, and some temples. After lunch we visited some caves with statutes of deities. Our evening finished with a musical evening with dancing and puppet show

Next morning we had sightseeing in Bhopal which included visits to a mosque, a temple and a museum. Afternoon was free time and some of us went to visit Manav Sanghralaya (Human Museum) and the place was amazing. Built over 200 acres of land with a huge museum building that houses relics or examples of Indian huts, day to day tools for cooking and living, clothing and head wear, arms etc. It is such a huge collection and would need a few days to do a proper study. In time this would become the most important collection of life style and household tools from each and every part of India. Out in the grounds they have built sample huts from some parts of India, and more work is being done in the place. If any one is visiting this part of India then this museum is a must. Today was celebration of International Women’s Day, and there was a celebration of the same in the museum. The organisers invited us to come in the evening to see the show. It was a wonderful show of traditional dances, and it made our day with what we saw earlier followed by this entertainment. Bhopal got international renown for the great chemical factory explosion, and we were keen to look at the site but it could not be arranged. We moved on to Panchmarhi, a popular hill station and summer holiday place in this part of India. The huge area has hills covered with thick forests, wild animals roaming around, water falls and caves and a paradise for the adventurous trekker, who could walk in this amazing creation of nature for days and days. After lunch some of us walked to the top of a nearby hill while others took a taxi to another hill top. In the evening we walked around the bazaar in the small town. Our tour of Panchmarhi included a visit to a cave with a Shivlinga. The walk to the cave was steep down hill and treacherous but faith and religion gives strength to those who would normally not attempt such a walk. We visited caves reputed to have been dwelled in by Pandav brothers, and a few Shiv temples. After lunch we were taken to a water fall that also involved a steep down hill walk and only a few of us ventured to the base. But we had a wonderful time dipping in the water and having the force of the water coming down the slope and hitting our bodies. It gave a wonderful massage to our backs and we had great fun for an hour or so.

Our trip to the famous temple of Omkareshwar took much longer then anticipated and we were left with just enough time to visit the huge Omkareshwar temple. Next day we drove to Ujjain.

At this point some of the group decided that they needed some rest and took a taxi to Indore while rest of the group proceeded to Ujjain. Ujjain is one of four cities with mystical importance for the Hindus. Naturally this meant lot of temples in the city situated on a river bank. We had the day free after arrival. Most of the group decided to take taxi and travel to the famous Nageshwar temple. This temple is one of the famous temples for the Jains, and the devout in the group did not want to miss this opportunity to see that famous temples. I, with a few others, stayed behind and after some rest, walked around the small town. For those who visit India, with some

exceptions, going to all famous temples gives them the satisfaction of a successful pilgrimage. Madhya Pradesh had lot of Jain influence a few centuries back, and this makes it an important pilgrimage centre for the Jains. While to some visits to temples had reached saturation point, most felt that the visits to all those temples made their visit a very successful pilgrimage. Bhagini tours are known for the compassion shown to all the participants, and especially those who need help most, and they are also known for taking care of the desires and needs of all that join the tour. Our sight seeing included some caves, lots of temples, some palaces and the famous ancient observatory. The ancient observatory shows the depth of astronomical knowledge in ancient India. This observatory is similar to those in Jaipur and Delhi. Our drive to Indore, as usual, took longer then we had anticipated. The free afternoon hardly gave us much time. The day finished with a gala evening with speeches, presentation of tips to the guides, drivers and others. Every one danced away the evening, saying their farewells and preparing to separate and depart the next morning. Success of any such trip depends on the planning and on the manager who executes that planning. Bhagini are well known for their meticulous planning of every small detail. But the manager of the tour plays an important part, and we were lucky to have a manager who listened to our needs and complaints, and who ensured that everything went smoothly. Normally tour manager stick to the written word but this manager was flexible and at times gave us more then was written in the itinerary. Overall it was a good trip with no mishaps, and very adventurous and exciting for few and very satisfying from pilgrimage point of view for most. (your comments to jubhai@aol.com …other travel articles available on www.jayantdoshi.yolasite.com)