Magical MP

MADHYA PRADESH IS AT THE HEART OF INDIA. IT'S RICH in history and its many fascinating monuments are full of romantic and heroic tales. Given this, we recently decided to drive to the Central Indian State of MP and explore some of its attractive destinations.

We drove there in the new Hyundai Santa Fe and left Mumbai early to escape the traffic. A lot of work has been done on widening and improving NH 3 (The Bombay Agra Highway) and if you are in a nice touring vehicle like the Santa Fe, progress is pretty rapid. Beyond Shahapur, the road begins to climb gradually with the real ascent starting Kasara onwards. The climb ends in Igatpuri and the well laid out Manas Resort here, is a popular place to break journey and halt for refreshments. Igatpuri onwards the road is flat and on a clear day, Kalsubai, the highest peak in Maharashtra, is visible to the south.

In less than 3 hours we were in Nashik, which is an interesting blend of the ancient and the modern. It is one of Hinduism's most holy sites and a popular pilgrim center with over 2000 temples and several monuments. It also shares the Kumbh Mela with Ujjain, Haridwar and Allahabad. During the Kumbh Mela, millions arrive in Nashik to take a dip in the waters of the Godavari River, also known as the 'Ganga of the Deccan'. Nashik is also home to many industries and is part of the green belt, and is renowned for the various fruits and vegetables it produces. Over the last few years, it has also become a popular place for growing grapes and making wines. Sula Vineyards (www. sulawines.com) even has a resort here called 'Beyond'. It's situated close to the winery and after visiting the estate's vineyards, one can sample various wines at India's first 'Tasting Room' located atop the winery.

As our target was Maheshwar in MP, we simply drove across the long flyover that covers almost the entire length of Nashik and makes crossing this fast developing city a breeze. The Santa Fe was in its element on the broad and fast NH 3, and what was impressive was that though the outside temperature was over 40 C, we were most comfortable inside the well laid out cabin of the new Hyundai Santa Fe. This new SUV from Hyundai is very stable at high speeds and even tackled the turns in a confidence inspiring manner.

We made a short halt in Dhule for fuel and refreshments, and then pushed on again. At Dhamnod we left NH 3 and turned right for Maheshwar. This temple town has been mentioned in the Hindu epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Maheshwar is situated on the banks of the holy Narmada River and it was returned to its ancient position of importance by the Holkar queen Rani Ahilyabai of Indore, in the 18th century. Within the Rajwada is a museum of the heirlooms and relics of the Holkar dynasty. Inside the fort complex is a small shrine, which is the starting point of the Dussera ceremony even today.

Sacred ghats and temples line the Narmada River. On Maha Shivratri (Lord Shiva's birthday), the ghats are full of people dressed in their festive best. On the ghats are memorials in stone to the women of Maheshwar who committed sati, dying in their husbands' funeral pyres. The temples of Maheshwar have many tiers, spires, carved overhanging balconies and intricately worked doorways.

Maheshwar is also famous for its exquisite hand woven sarees. Richard Holkar of the former ruling family has converted his home in Ahilya Wada into a heritage hotel known as Ahilya Fort (www.ahilyafort.com). It has thirteen charming and distinctive rooms and some luxurious tents, one of which is placed in a garden with a swimming pool. A few of the rooms overlook the Narmada River and every February, Ahilya Fort also organizes the ‘Sacred River Music Festival’ of classical dance and music. Another nice and more affordable place to stay is MP Tourism’s (www.mptourism.com) Narmada Retreat Resort.

After a very enjoyable stay we returned to Dhamnod and rejoined NH 3 only to leave it again some 10km later at Gujri. Here we turned left for Mandu and soon the road began to ascend gradually and the landscape underwent a dramatic change. We were now motoring on a road that reaches the northern limit of the Western Ghats, where the hills are green and the valleys deep. After some 40km we were on a narrow ridge with the road running along the fortified walls and going through the gates that once defended Mandu, the 'City of Joy'.

Situated on a plateau at the edge of the Vindhya Range, Mandu, the largest fortified city in the world, is a celebration in stone of life and joy. This scenic and historical town was also known as Shadiabad or 'City of Joy' to the many Hindu and Muslim rulers for which it served as a pleasure resort. This city of joy, though now in ruins, still possesses an atmosphere of romance and mystery, and is haunted by memories of a long lost courtly life in the kingdom of Malwa.

The history of Mandu dates back to the 10th century when Raja Bhoj founded it. In 1304 AD, the Muslim Khilji rulers of Delhi annexed Mandu. The Mughals invaded Delhi in 1401, and the Afghan governor of Malwa, Dilawar Khan, set up his own independent kingdom in Mandu, starting its golden era. Mandu was raised to spectacular splendor by his son Hoshang Shah who spent a lot of time and money in developing it as a pleasure resort. The legendary romantic, Baz Bahadur, the last of Mandu's independent sovereigns, came to rule Mandu in 1554. He fell in love with Roopmati, a beautiful singer from a poor family, whom he married and for whom he built a palace of great beauty. In 1561, Emperor Akbar's army marched into Mandu. Baz Bahadur chose to flee Mandu rather than face Akbar's troops. Rani Roopmati was taken captive by the Mughal army and committed suicide, preferring death to dishonor. To this day, romantic ballads about Baz Bahadur and Roopmati are still sung in the villages of Malwa, and high up on the crest of a hill, Roopmati's pavilion still gazes down at Baz Bahadur's palace.

Mandu is a splendid complex of royal palaces and mosques, tanks and pavilions and terraces and gardens. Each of Mandu's monuments is an architectural gem. Hoshang Shah's tomb is said to be India's oldest marble building and it is believed that Shah Jahan sent his architects to study it before preparing a design for the Taj. The Jahaz Mahal or Ship Palace is situated between two lakes and reflects a spirit of gaiety. The glory of Mandu lives on in its several monuments, in its legends and songs and in the lush green hills and beautiful lakes. MP Tourism (www.mptourism.com) offers the best accommodation.