Journey to the heart of India
An account of my travels in Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh is not a conventional option for a family vacation especially when the other options include the incredible North East or the Andaman Islands. However, when my family decided to pack off for a vacation recently, it wasn’t the North East or the Andamans that we decided to visit for the first time. It was, as the popular tourism campaign has it, Hindustan’s dil (the Heart of India) that we decided to explore. Friends and extended family weren’t sure why we selected Madhya Pradesh or MP out of all the options and to be honest neither were we.
Our trip started in Indore, the most populous city in MP. A couple of things were striking at first glance, the shuddh (unadulterated) Hindi on display and the incredible cleanliness of the city. Locals informed us that the city had responded to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Campaign) with gusto, competing with other cities in the state and country to maintain cleanliness. In fact, Indore has been consistently ranked as the cleanest city in the country, closely followed by Bhopal, the state’s capital city.
In Indore, we spent some time exploring the historical buildings of the city including the Lal Bagh Palace of the Holkars and the Jain Kanch Temple. But the best part of the Indore experience was the food — wholesome and mostly vegetarian street fare! The food odyssey began after the sun had gone down at the Sarafa Bazar. Legend goes that a hundred years ago, the jewelers who had (and still have) shops in the market encouraged street food vendors to set-up their stalls after the market closed for business to ensure the safety of their stores in the precarious hours of the night. The practice continues till date and the market still transforms into a hub for foodies and tourists till late in the night everyday after close of regular business hours. Some of the delicacies to try are the Indori dahi bada, khatta samosas, bhutte ki kees and the delectable mawa baati.
The next day after a hearty breakfast of poha and jalebi, we embarked on to Mandu or Mandav, the ancient town nestled in the Vindhyas between the Malwa plateau to the north and the Narmada valley to the south. It is one of the most spectacular places that I have visited anywhere in the world, a fortified town enclosed by a battlemented wall and numerous gateways. We could unfortunately spend less than a day there, enthralled by the architectural marvels dotting the entire landscape, built and re-built by successive rulers. Some of the most striking buildings were the Hindola Mahal, Jahaz Mahal, Hoshang Shah’s tomb — the inspiration for the Taj Mahal no less, and the buildings associated with the legend of Baz Bahadur and Roopmati. Mandu is a must visit and people should ideally spend at least a couple of days there.
Post- Mandu, we arrived at the Vanya Organic Farms, a veritable forest spread over 40 acres, on the banks of the Narmada river in Khalghat. The owners of the farm believe in sustainable agricultural practices where biodiversity is encouraged by planting of trees in various layers, taller trees on the periphery, and the rest distributed to ensure that each one gets its proper share of natural resources. Hundreds of varieties of trees including Mango, Lime, Mausambi, Grapefruit, Papaya and Neem and plants such as Vetiver, Ginger, Turmeric and Aloe Vera abound, growing as they would do in a natural forest without the use of chemicals or traditional agricultural practices. Hence, nature is left undisturbed, so much so, that a tiger is routinely sighted on the peripheries of the farm. A most unusual place where a great experiment is underway. Moreover, the organic “green” tea of a variety of herbal and medicinal plants was the best that I have ever had!
Next, we made our way to Bhopal, the state’s capital city. It is one of the greenest cities in India and has numerous natural and man-made lakes including the Bhojtal (Bada talaab) and Chhota talaab. Furthermore, it is a living example of India’s syncretism with many influences from both Islamic as well as Hindu culture. Bhopal was our base to tour the two historical sites of Bhimbetka and Sanchi.
The rock shelters at Bhimbetka are a sight to behold. The paintings from both the pre-historic and historic periods inspire awe and compel one to imagine the lives and times of our ancient ancestors who lived, loved, hunted, and fought battles in the area. It was a moving experience for us and a true testament to human creativity and will to survive over millennia! Travelers to the area must take time out to explore, especially as these rock paintings may not survive the ravages of time forever.
Sanchi Stupa originally commissioned by Emperor Ashoka to house the relics of the Buddha is beautifully maintained and worth all the time spent there. Walking around the stupas and temples, learning about the various architectural and cultural influences displayed including depictions of foreign travelers and inscriptions of the donors’ names is an amazing experience. I found the inscriptions of the donors on the various reliefs and pillars very intriguing. In fact, the Brahmi characters for danam or donation were the first to be deciphered which unlocked the entire script and subsequently the history of Sanchi and the Mauryan empire itself.
Some other interesting historical places in the vicinity of Bhopal are the Udaygiri caves — a collection of rock-cut cave shelters from the 5th century CE with both large as well as intricate stone carvings and sculptures, the Raisen fort and dargah — great for an early morning hike, Heliodorus pillar — stone column erected in 113 BCE by an Indo-Greek ambassador dedicated to the god Vasudeva, and Ashapuri — a collection of 26 ruined temples on the banks of a large pond.
All these sites are steeped in history but Ashapuri because of its starkness is especially memorable. It is hard not to stand in the middle of the ruins and imagine the sound of hymns and conch shells in its heyday.
For those who are religiously inclined, Madhya Pradesh also has two of the twelve jyotirlingas — Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain and Omkareshwar in Khandwa. Once again, the local administration has ensured cleanliness and public order, in the process creating a tranquil environment for spiritual pursuits.
Our trip ended on the train back from Bhopal to Delhi when we started re-opening our work inboxes. However, the relatively short journey of eight hours, begged us to ponder why we hadn’t considered MP as a holiday destination earlier. Somewhere in the dominant narrative of poverty and cow politics, we had neglected the vast reservoir of anthropological and historical treasures that lay a few short hours away. Madhya Pradesh is truly the heart of India, a must visit for anyone who wants to understand India — our history, syncretic culture and the inherent warmth of our people.
We will be back!
