Being in inbound tourism for so many years, catering to Hispanic world I always wondered I have sent thousands of people to Khajuraho & Varanasi. What is the big deal about these cities apart from Kama sutra & intensity that attract so many visitors and is must go in the list of almost every firsttime traveller to India.
The opportunity to travel came in the form of a query from BERTHA DOLORES GUDIÑO RESENDIZ from the city of León, Guanajuato in Mexico. Initially she wanted to travel as a bag packer however she agreed to book a tour with us with a condition that she wanted an experience of travelling in a night train like a common Indian middle class person. Since the language was bit of an issue as she spoke little English me and my colleagues were apprehensive about her comfort. Then came the idea of accompanying her from Khajuraho to Varanasi in the night train. She was joining us in Khajuraho after completing her tour of Agra and Orchha.
On 30th of March me and Jay we boarded the train to Khajuraho from Nizamudin. Nothing eventful the train was on time.
Next day we reached on time and my god we were surprised by the cleanliness of the station. The information displayed is very helpful like the entire population is 17000 only which came as a surprise and we felt like as if we were in some European suburb. There is also the information about the charges of Taxi, auto and Rickshaw which is very handy for the visitor.
We fixed with a Tuk-Tuk guy to take us to a good hotel for 100 rupee but before that we wanted to eat breakfast so we stopped in a Dhaba just before the city.
Meanwhile we ate our colleagues from Delhi has already informed the local office of our visit hence Mr. Lalit our local contact and his deputy Mr. Nitin came to meet us. In the evening as scheduled we met our guest in the hotel Clarks and fixed a time for the next day tour of the temples of Khajuraho.
Next morning we met our guest and started exploring the town which is actually as small as Dwarka or Rohini of Delhi may be in 20 km of radius. There is a main market which leads to group of temples which consist of 25 left of 85 originals.
WESTERN GROUPS OF TEMPLES:
Western temples consist of Kandaria Mahadev, Viswanath, Devi Jagdambi & Devi Mandap.The architecture and the intricacy of their designs shut you in a silence and adoration for the sculptures & the Chandela rulers.
Before visiting the temples I thought this would only be an experience of watching complicated Kama sutra acts but in reality the Kama sutra is just the 10% of the entire stone carvings which are mainly divine or about elephants, horseback riders, court scenes, musicians, dancers, children, courtiers, and mythical creatures that are half-human-half-beast are engaged with human beings performing the most mindboggling sexual activities. Could human hands have wrought these wondrous spectacles or, were they, as myth and legend tell us, crafted by divinely-inspired master craftsmen? Only the God or the sculptures of such beauty can tell.
Light & Sound show or Dance spectacle:
In Light & sound show we do get the answers why the female beauty is carved on the walls of the temples. I don’t think for a non-English speaker it is much of a fun unless you have the audio aid to understand the narration. Instead its better watching the dance show consisting of Bhangra, Garba, Kathak, Bhopuri and some other folk dance forms of India.
Eastern Temples:
A kilometer away from Western group of temples is Jain or eastern group of temples. The Jain community during the Chandela rule lived on the eastern side of the city. These temples consist of Parsavnath temple, Adinath & the Ghanti temple.
Then once you cross the old village there are some more temples for example Javari Temple, Vamana Temple, and Dula-Deo temple where the newly wed visit seeking the blessing of god Vishnu for a happy married life.
The other places of interest in Khajuraho:
The other places of interest could be Rehane falls which is beautiful however check beforehand if there is water in the fall, Crocodile sanctuary and if you have two nights you can also opt for one safari in the Panna National park, the tiger sighting has vastly improved in last couple of years.
Excavation still goes on:
We were lucky to visit a recently excavated sight where we have the remains of the other ancient temple and a Shiva lingam. It could be another Khajuraho Marvel in the future.
Where to Stay in Khajuraho?:
There are many good hotels in the town actually quite close to each other. The best isThe Lalit Temple View if you have a luxury budget, then Radisson, Taj Chandela, The Clarks and Ramada. Usha Bundela used to be a good option however it is shut down for renovation. The other option in the budget class could be Isabel Palace.
Where to eat in Khajuraho?:
The best restaurant where you can have a chilled beer, decent lunch or dinner is Raja Cafe close to Western group of temples or it is best to eat at your hotel. Other interesting somewhat local place is a Chai and Samosa wala at the very beginning of the market who makes awesome tea. Samosa could be somewhat spicy for a westerner.
How to get there?:
Khajuraho is well connected by air from Delhi, Varanasi & in high season from Agra. Khajuraho airport is about 5-6 kms from the city. By train Khajuraho is connected with Delhi, Agra, and Jhansi. The railway station is about 7-8 kms from the city.
In the night our local office prepared a dinner for us and the Mexican guest. The menu consisted of a local fish caught from the Ken River, one of the cleanest rivers in India, Biryani, mixed vegetable, Roti & for drinks we had Vodka and beer. Simple food yet tasty served with lots of love and affection.
With our bellies full and contented heart we headed to Khajuraho station for boarding the night train to Varanasi. This was the experience our guest was waiting for. As we entered our wagon we discovered that couple of ladies was stationed there after showing our tickets they moved on reluctantly. In such a situation if a guest is non-English speaker there could be a slight problem although Indians generally are gracious towards foreigners. The night was uneventful with guest sleeping all the way and in the morning it was bit of challenge for her to use the washroom as in spite of the best class available in the train the trip to the bathroom could be a nightmare for a western traveller in a train. It is best to opt for the expensive breakfast about 250 rupee per person which is a nice packed breakfast with a juice rather than a cheaper version of 100 rupee which consisted of two boiled eggs, two breads & local Jam pouches. As we were not aware of the better version we opted for the latter and were left with a bad taste and above all the guest did not eat her breakfast as probably she didn’t like the idea of being served in an old newspaper. When we confronted the pantry guy he told us he did not gave the option of better one as it was sold out. We passed time by discussing about the Maya, Azteca and some of the ancient tribes of Mexico, Peru & Columbia etc. the pre-Hispanic era.
Varanasi Trip:
When we reached Varanasi about mid-day, we all said OMG. The station was full of people and one could feel the intensity even before reaching the city. Our local contact found us with little bit of difficulty as we said we are heading towards the bridge without knowing that the bridge is on the both sides of the platform. Varanasi station is complete contrast to Khajuraho with commotion of people and luggage being loaded & unloaded.
Soon we came out and boarded the Toyota Innova which took us to the hotel Rivatas by Ideal where due to heavy movement of the groups the check in was delayed. Since the delay was little too much we bargained for a suite for the guest which the hotel people offered us graciously. After the guest was comfortably placed in her suite we opted for visiting some of the rooms of the hotel and the formerly known Ideal towers hotel of the same brand now rechristened as hotel Amaya. Both the hotels Rivatas and Amaya are 4 stars however Rivatas has better ambience.
Where to Stay in Varanasi?:
We opted to see some more hotels located in Assi Ghat, there are about 87 ghats in the city. In the Assi Ghat some of the hotels which we visited are old havelis converted into hotels. Some of the hotels worth staying are Palace on Ganges, Ganges View,Banaras Haveli, temple on Ganges and some more from where the view of Ganges is amazing. These hotels are full of Banarsi art, paintings. Some have their own libraries also. The modern hotels like Taj Gateway, Radisson etc. are all located in Varanasi Cantonment.
Assi Ghat:
Assi Ghat is a great place to sit and relax. Apart from Indian and foreign tourists many localities and elderly people sit in the evening to gossip or with their rosary beads praying Om Namaha Shivaya or Om Hili Hili Mili Mili Ganga Devi Namaha. We had a Masala Nimbu Chai which cost about 10 rupee. It’s worth it for its price. With the new government we can feel that the intent is there to keep the ghats clean with the dustbins close to the benches. Its great sight to see sun going down the holy river and small & medium boats ferrying tourists in the backdrop of mantras and devotional music being played on the loud speakers.
Dashashwamedh Ghat:
From the Assi Ghat we took a Rickshaw to Dashashwamedh ghat which took about 20 minutes in the crowded by lanes. We paid 100 Indian rupees for the same. From the parking of the Ghat it’s about 10 minutes’ walk to the actual Ghat and one has to really jostle in the sea of people to reach the Arti ceremony on time. Our guest was already sitting comfortably in the balcony viewing the Ganges with the local Spanish guide. After greeting her we decided to take a small boat ride and view the Arti from the river sitting in the boat. It is best to see the Arti either from the boat facing the Brahmins or from the crowd in order to feel the intensity. If you are elderly person it is better to view from the Balcony because sometime there could be jostling around because of movement of masses and everybody trying to take selfies and videos. It’s a great experience of about 45 minutes to one hour with devotees chanting “Ganga maiya kee jai” (Hail the mother Ganges). Mainly the Arti consists of prayer to Lord Shiva, Goddess Ganges and Lord Agni (fire). The rhythm of the priests who wear same clothes Dhoti & Kurta and their chanting makes it a great event. It is must watch for every visitor. You can also hear and see similar Artis being performed in nearby ghats also.
Sunrise boat ride at River Ganges, Varanasi:
As Mark Twain rightly said about Varanasi “Older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, And looks twice as old as all of them put together”. It is best to start the next day with morning boat ride, with experience of seeing the death rituals in Manikarnika ghat and Suba- E – Banaras program which is a chanting of vedic mantras.
The places of visit in Varanasi:
Excursion to Sarnath which takes about 3-4 hours. It is about 10 kms from the city center. Here is where the Buddhism was born. The museum contains the carvings from 3rd century BC to 12th century AD. The styles include Mathura school, Gupta and medieval work. The other must to visit places are Benaras Hindu University (BHU), Bharat Mata Mandir, Durga temple or better known as monkey temple and Vishwanath temple, one of the 12 sacred temples of god Shiva. The non-Hindus cannot enter inside however it is great to watch and take photos from the periphery, Kedar Ghat with its beautiful temple Kedareshwar dedicated to lord Shiva. The other to do things could be walking tour, New Viswanath temple, archeological museum etc.
Since we did not have much time we did meet the guest in the evening and went to hotel to wash and change as we had a train to catch from Mughal Sarai at 1015 pm. The worst train between New Delhi and Mughal Sarai is Magadh Express. Please never travel in that as it is perpetually delayed which we found out the hard way by getting delayed by 11 hours.
Where to eat in Varanasi?:
It is best to eat in your hotel if you are vary of street food. Otherwise if you want to taste local foods close to Ghats there are many eateries which serve good food. If you are a local tourist Yadav Dhaba is a good choice.
Other places are Blue Lassi, Open hand Shop & Café, Brown bread bakery, Kashi Chat Bhandar and many more.
How to get there?:
Varanasi is well connected by Air & rail from Delhi, Mumbai and all the cities. The airport is about 25 kms from the city center and the railway station is quite close to Varanasi Cantonment about 2 kms where all the star rated hotels are located like Taj Gateway, Radisson, Rivatas, Ramada etc.
Suggested Tours:
- Classical India Tour – 10 days: http://www.travelastu.com/North-India-Tours-and-Packages/10-Day-Classical-India-Tour.html
- Spiritual India Tour – 14 days: http://www.travelastu.com/India-Wildlife-Tours-and-Packages/12-Day-Taj-Tigers-Temples-Tour-India.html
- Taj, Tigers & Temples Tour – 12 days: http://www.travelastu.com/India-Wildlife-Tours-and-Packages/12-Day-Taj-Tigers-Temples-Tour-India.html
About Travel Astu: Travel Astu is a young destination management company catering to foreigners, NRI & domestic tourists. We love showcasing India, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Thailand, Cambodia & some of the other Asian countries to the world through our eyes.
Awesome blog post. I like it. Thank you so much for detail information about Varanasi and Khajuraho.