Budget hotels in Uttar Pradesh

Central Uttar Pradesh

Population: 170 million
Capital: Lucknow
Area: 294,411
Best Time to Visit: October to March
Main Language: Hindi
Literacy Rate: 42%

In Agra there is the famous Taj Mahal and also the impressive Agra Fort. Nearby is the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri. The city of Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges, is considered to be one of the most holy cities in India. In the north are the

has some of the most important holy places in India. Mathura was where Lord Krishna was born, and Vrindavan is where he had his childhood pastimes. Both these places can easily be visited while traveling between Delhi and Agra. Ayodhya is where Lord Rama ruled, and at Allahabad the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati Rivers meet. This is where one of the Kumbha-mela festivals is held every twelve years. South of Allahabad is Chitrakut, where Lord Rama is said to have spent 11 years in the forest while he was in exile. There is also Naimisaranya, which is located about 100km from Lucknow.

Also in Uttaranchal are two important places in reference to Lord Buddha’s life—Sarnath, where he preached his first important sermon, and Kushinagar, where he passed away.

The area that became Uttaranchal was part of Ashoka’s great empire over 2,000 years ago. Beginning in the 12th century Muslim invaders started taking over parts of Uttaranchal and eventually in the 16th century it came under the control of the Mughal Empire. After the Upraising of 1857, most of this area came under the control of the British and was called the United Province. After Independence it was renamed Uttar Pradesh.


Sikandra (Akbar’s Tomb)
Sikandra is a small town outside Agra, where the impressive sandstone and marble tomb of Akbar is located. Akbar was the Mughal Emperor between 1556 and 1605, and he was known as a fair and just ruler. Akbar started the construction himself. After his death, his son Jehangir completed it, changing some of the plans.

The entrance gate, Buland Darwaza (Gateway of Magnificence) is gigantic. It is made of sandstone and has marble geometric patterns on it and inscriptions from the Koran. The large central mausoleum has marble domes and is relatively simple. A ramp on the south side goes down to where Akbar’s body is located. There are deer and monkeys in the park here. Delhi Gate is located across the road from the mausoleum.
This place is located about 15km outside of Agra on the road going toward Mathura. Open 6.30 am to 5.30 pm; admission Rs 15 except on Friday when it is free, video camera Rs 25. To get here by bus you take a bus going to Mathura from the Agra Fort bus stand (Rs 5). An auto-rickshaw will cost Rs 100 for a return trip with a hour waiting time.

Naimisaranya
This is where the Srimad Bhagavatam was spoken. It is said that a pilgrimage to Badrinath and Kedarnath is incomplete without a visit to Naimisaranya. In the Mahabharata it is said, “Anyone who fasts, prays, and attains perfection at Naimisaranya finds happiness in all the worlds.”

When Lord Brahma contemplated a great wheel that would span the entire universe, the wheel’s center was at xe "Naimisaranya" Naimisaranya. Naimisaranya has a parikrama (circumambulation) path of 16km, in which all the sacred places in India are believed to be located.

Lord Balarama, Dadhici Muni, the Pandavas, Prabhu Nityananda, and Ramanujacharya all came here. The Pandavas are said to have come here when they were in exile. This is the place where the demigods came to ask Dadhici for his body, to be able to create a weapon that would be able to kill the demon Vritrasura. Lord Rama is said to have performed a sacrifice here for killing Ravana.

It is said that if you bathe in Chakra-tirtha Kund and make an offering to the presiding deity, Lalita, on a full moon day that falls on a Monday, you will wash away all the sins committed in a lifetime. About 10,000 people come for this. Lalita Devi, the presiding female deity of Naimisaranya, is said to grant fulfillment of desires.

Information
It takes about two or three hours to see the major places here. I hired a guide for Rs 100 for two hours. He did not speak very good English, but he knew all the places. These places would have been difficult to find without him, as almost no one here spoke English and the places are spread out.

If you would like to walk around Chakra-tirtha, which is what most of the pilgrims do, remember to bring clothes for bathing.

Chakra Tirtha Kund
At the junction of Dwapara and Kali-yuga, 80,000 sages headed by Saunaka Rishi wanted to perform a sacrifice to hold off the effects of the oncoming age of Kali. They asked Lord Brahma where they should hold the sacrifice, and he told them he would send his disc to the earth and they should perform the sacrifice where it hit. It struck the earth at Naimisaranya. The disc passed through the earth at this spot, Chakra-tirtha.
The Bhagavat Purana says there is no holy place on earth that compares to this one.

Chakra-tirtha is said to be the center of the universe. It is said that the large sweet-water spring that marks the location of Chakra-tirtha has no bottom. The British wanted to disprove this as mythology, so they brought a cable and attempted to find the bottom. After more than 1000 metres (3300 ft) they ran out of cable and gave up.

Vyasa Gaddi
Close to Chakra-tirtha is where Vedavyasa is said to have divided the Vedas into four parts and written the Puranas. There is a big banyan tree here which is said to be over 5,000 years old and the place where Vyasa sat. In the temple there is a deity of Vyasadeva.

Hanuman Garhi & Panch Pandava
There is a 5½m (18 ft) self-manifested Hanuman deity here. In the Ramayana it says that Ravana captured Rama and Laksman and kept them in Patalaloka at the bottom of the universe. Hanuman came and rescued them. When he came back to earth he arrived at Naimisaranya. There is a deity of Hanuman, with Rama on one shoulder and Laksman on the other. Pilgrims buy big sweets and put them in his mouth.
Panch Pandava is a temple dedicated to the Pandavas.

Other Places
Suta Gadi is where Suta Goswami sat while instructing the sages 5,000 years ago. He spoke the Srimad Bhagavatam here.

There is also the Narada Deva Temple with 108 altars and the 1008 Siva-linga Temple, containing copies of the four Vedas and Puranas, including Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavat Purana).

Where to Stay and Eat
You would normally come here for a day trip from either Lucknow or Sitapur. It is best to bring your own water, as I did not see any place that sold bottled water or cold drinks. There is a decent basic Government Bungalow here, which usually does not have electricity.

Travel
Naimisaranya is about 80km northwest of Lucknow and 60km from Sitapur. To get here you would normally go first to Lucknow or Sitapur.

From Lucknow there are regular buses (3 hr) from the Kasierbagh Bus Stand. It could be a good idea to take a taxi to Naimisaranya from Lucknow, as the bus trip is long and painful. You can also take a passenger train from Lucknow to Sitapur, and then get a bus to Naimisaranya from there. This complete trip would take four or five hours one way. There are regular buses to and from Sitapur (2 hr).

The bus stand in Naimisaranya is about an eight-minute rickshaw ride from Cakra-tirtha. The bus stand is a little off the road.

Kanpur
Pop: 2.5 million Area
Phone Code 0512
Postcode 208004

Kanpur, 438km east of Delhi, is the largest city in Uttar Pradesh, but there is nothing really to see in this city and not many tourists come here. Kanpur has a nice spread out Zoo.

Money can be changed at ANZ Grindlays on The Mall.

Where to Stay and Eat
The budget hotels near the railway station do not usually allow foreigners to stay in them. The normal place to stay is in hotels along The Mall.

The railway Retiring Rooms are Rs 300 and Rs 550 with A/C. Dorm beds are Rs 125. 24-hour Check Out.
Ganges (352-962; fax 311-356), 51/50 Nayaganj, near the railway station, is a budget place.
Meera Inn (231-9972), The Mall, has good clean, air-cooled rooms with bath and hot water for Rs 650/750 and A/C rooms for 900/1250. It is friendly and recommended.
Attic (230-6681,231-1691; fax239-6693), 15/198 V Singh Rd, is a British Raj type building with a nice garden. It has comfortable rooms for Rs 700/800. It has character.
Atithi (311-607), 17/11 The Mall, is a modern hotel. It has a good restaurant.
Hotel Meghdoot (311-999; fax 310-209), The Mall, is a popular place that has rooms for Rs 1300/1900. It has a pool.
Kwality Restaurant, The Mall, is a good place.
Shang-hai, The Mall, has good Chinese food.

Travel
There are trains to Delhi (6 hr), Calcutta (15 hr to 26 hr), Allahabad (3½ hr), Varanasi (6 hr), Lucknow (1½ hr), Mumbai (25 hr) and Agra (6 hr). There are regular buses to Lucknow (1½ hr).

Faizabad
Pop: 210,000
Phone Code: 05278

Faizabad used to be the capital of Oudh. Located here is the 42m high Tomb of Bahu Begum (1816), the wife of the third Nawab of Oudh. There is also the Tomb of Shuja-ud-daula.

One of the main reasons to come here is traveling through to get to Ayodhya. While visiting Ayodhya you could stay in the city of Faizabad, which is just 6km away from Ayodhya and has better facilities.

Practical Information
The State Bank of India, Civil Line, changes money.

The Regional Tourist Office (813-214), Civil Line, has a good map of Ayodhya (Mon to Sat 10 am to 5 pm).

Can access the Internet at a place near the Hotel Krishna Palace.

Where to Stay
There are three places on a side street by the Moti Bagh (downtown) area.

Abha Hotel (222550), Moti Bagh, has good rooms with hot water for Rs 225/300. For the price, it is a nice place and is suggested.
Hotel Priya has rooms for Rs 125/150.
Hotel Amber has rooms for Rs 125/150.
Hotel Alka Raja, Rekabganj area, is a decent place that has rooms with bath for Rs 200/225.
Hotel Shane Avadh (223586), Civil Lines, by the bus stand a little outside of town, has rooms for Rs 225/275 and Rs 275/325 for a deluxe room. The A/C rooms are Rs 700/900. The rooms on the ground floor are noisy, as noise carries from the lobby, so it is best to stay upstairs. It is the best place in Faizabad.
Hotel Tirupati (813-231), next door, is equally good. It has rooms for Rs 350/400 and Rs 500/600 with A/C. The front rooms of both these hotels are noisy, as they are on a very busy street. Both of these hotels are good places to stay.

Travel
Train Faizabad is three hours from both Varanasi and Lucknow by train on a broad-gauge railway line. From Faizabad trains depart to Lucknow, Haridwar, Varanasi, Calcutta, Gaya, Delhi, Ujjain and Ahmedabad.

Bus From Faizabad there are many buses to Lucknow (3 hr), Allahabad (5 hr), and Gorakhpur (3 hr). There is an early morning direct bus to Sunauli, for Nepal. The bus station in Faizabad is located a few km from the downtown and about 8km from Ayodhya.

Shravasti
At this place Buddha sat on a 1000-petaled lotus and multiplied himself a million times, while water and fire emanated from his body. There are ruins of an ancient city and the Jetavana Monastery which are located near the villages of Maheth and Saheth. Ashoka built a couple of pillars here.

Balrampur is the closest good-sized town. You get here by first going to Gonda, 50km from Ayodhya. Gainjahwa is where the closest railway station is located on the Gonda to Gorakhpur loop.

Kushinagar
Phone Code: 05564

Kushinagar is 55km east of Gorakhpur, not far from the Nepal border. This is said to be the place of Lord Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana. He passed away at this place and his body was cremated here. There is a 15m (50 ft) high isolated brick stupa, called Ramabhar Stupa, on the west edge of Ramabhar Tal, about 1.5km from the main site. It is said to be the original Mukutabandhana Stupa that marked the spot of Lord Buddha’s cremation.

The Kunwarkakot Matha, about 2km west of Ramabhar Stupa, is a temple with a huge seated Buddha.

The Nirvana Stupa dates back to 413-55 AD and was rebuilt in 1927 by the Burmese Buddhists. Near this stupa is a huge reclining figure of Buddha in the Mahaparinirvana Temple.

There are also modern international temples here. There are temples built by Buddhists from Tibet, Japan, Burma, and China.

The Tourist Office (71038), opposite the Myanmar monastery, is helpful and informative. Open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm

Where to Stay
It is possible to stay at the Tibetan, Chinese and Myanmar monasteries for a small donation (Rs 50).

The International Buddhist Guest House (272164) is a nice budget place with basic clean rooms for Rs 125.

The UP State Pathik Nivas (271038) has good rooms with hot water for Rs 600/700 and deluxe rooms with A/C for Rs 1500/1800. It is over-priced. It has a garden and a high-priced restaurant.

The three-star Lotus Nikko Hotel (271139; fax 271139)) has rooms starting at $100/140. It is popular with Japanese pilgrims and has a Japanese restaurant and Japanese bathhouse.

Travel
There are frequent buses to and from Gorakhpur (1½ hr, 55km west, Rs 20). Buses to Varanasi take eight hours. The bus stand in Kushinagar is several km from the temple, but it is easy to get the bus to Gorakhpur on the main road. The shared taxis and jeeps to and from Gorakhpur are not as comfortable as the buses.

Sunauli
Phone Code: 05522
Sunauli is a very small Indian border town next to the Nepal border. It is about 25km from Lumbini in Nepal, the birthplace of Buddha. The town on the Nepal side is a bit more happening, but that isn’t saying much.

The State Bank of India in Sunauli does not change money, but there are several places in Nepal that change money. On the Nepal side of the border you can purchase a bus ticket and almost anything else with Indian rupees.

Visa for Nepal
Visas are issued for Nepal from their border office between 6.30 am and 7 pm. A visa costs $15 for 15 days and $30 for 60 days. You have to pay in US dollars (cash and not travelers cheques) or Nepalese rupees with an encashment certificate. If you do not have US dollars you are allowed to walk across the border and change your money in a Nepal bank, and then return and get your visa. You can not use Indian rupees to get your visa. If you pay in US dollars it is best to have exact change.

Practicalities
The UP State Hotel Niranjana (238201) about half a km from the border, is a good clean place with rooms with bath for Rs 350/400 and Rs 500/600 with A/C. A dorm bed is Rs 50. It has a restaurant.

Sanju Lodge (238355), near the border, has basic rooms with common bath for Rs 75/100 and Rs 175/200 with bath and hot water. Dorm beds are Rs 50.

On the Nepali side of the border there are several cheap hotels and restaurants.

Travel
There are buses to Gorakhpur (3 hr, Rs 60) every half-hour between 5 am and 7 pm. There are directs buses to Varanasi (9 hr, Rs 150) in the early morning and evening. There are also buses to Lucknow (12 hr, Rs 210) and Allahabad (12 hr).

Travel Between India and Nepal
Sunauli is a popular crossing point for travelers coming from Delhi or Varanasi. When you cross the border at Sunauli it is just a few minutes walk to the bus station where you get the bus to Kathmandu (Nepali Rs 200, 9 to 12 hours) or Pokhara to Nepali Rs 185, 9 hr). Buses leave regularly in the morning up to around 11 am and from 4.30 to 8 pm. If you travel during the day you can see good views. The buses are four seats across, run-down, old luxury buses. You should buy your ticket in advance at the station (opens 4 am), but you can only purchase a ticket on the day you are departing. Government buses depart for Kathmandu from Bhairawa, 4km north of Sunauli at 6.30 and 8 am (NR 210) and at 6.30 and 7 pm (NR Rs 230). These buses should be booked a day in advance at their booth near the Hotel Yeti in Bhairawa.
You could stop at Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, after crossing the border. It is only 22km from Bhairawa.

In Gorakhpur you will be approached by travel agents to take special buses to Kathmandu. They may try to charge you Rs 250 one way from India to Kathmandu. The actual cost is Indian Rs 30 to Sunauli and another Indian Rs 80 to get from Sunauli to Kathmandu, or a total of Indian Rs 110. I know someone who paid Indian Rs 650 to go round trip from Gorakhpur to Kathmandu. The actual price was Indian Rs 220.

There is absolutely no reason or advantage to book a bus in Gorakhpur to Kathmandu with a travel agent, as it is easier to buy your own ticket at the bus station. Then you can also choose what bus you want to take at the border.

From Gorakhpur it can be hard to get a same day train to either Delhi or Agra. If you get the 8 am bus from Sunauli you will arrive in Gorakhpur at 11.30 am. There is a train to Agra at 1.30 pm, but there is a good chance by the time you arrive there will be no tourist quota tickets available.

From the travel agents across from the railway station you can purchase a ticket to Agra for Rs 300. The actual price was Rs 165. It is not a good idea to purchase a train ticket from the travel agents in Sunauli, as there is a good chance that a mistake will be made and you will be charged a higher commission. If you want to get an immediate train out of Gorakhpur, most of the travel agents across the street need only a couple of hours to get a quick ticket.

Agra
Pop: 1.3 million
Phonecode: 0562
Postcode 282001

The main reason for coming here is to see the Taj Mahal. The other main tourist sites are the Agra Fort and 40km away, the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri. There are also a few other impressive monuments in the area. Agra is located on the west bank of the Yamuna, 200km southeast of Delhi.

It is convenient to make a day trip to Agra from Delhi by train. A few express trains leave Delhi in the morning and return in the evening.

During the Taj Mahotsav Festival in February there are live music and dance performances at the Shilpgram craft village.

History
Sikander Lodi, the Sultan of Delhi, moved his capital here in 1504. Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty, defeated the then Sultan of India, Ibrahim, at Panipat (80km north of Delhi) in 1526. He then sent his son Humayun to Agra to capture the city. In the 16th and 17th century,

Agra was the capital of the Mughal Empire, which spread over most of Northern India. The great Mughal emperor, Akbar, constructed the Agra Fort during his reign, and his grandson, Shah Jahan, built the Taj Mahal. In 1638, Shah Jahan built a new city in Delhi, and the capital was moved there 10 years later by Aurangzeb. In 1761 the Jats took control of Agra, and later the Marathas took the city in 1770. Finally the British took control in 1803.

WARNING! Agra is one of the worst cities in all of India for touts (commission agents) and rip-offs. It is best to be prepared for this from the minute you get off the train or plane. If you want to go to a hotel that does not give commissions, it can be difficult to get a rickshaw driver to take you there. Some women told me that a few auto-rickshaw drivers absolutely refused to bring them to the Tourist Rest House (they don’t give commission), but brought them to a few other places with similar names. Be careful of auto-rickshaw drivers willing to bring you some where for Rs 5. If you agree, expect to be taken to a shop (or shops) and possibly they may bring you to where you want to go. I have seen this happen.

Getting Your Bearings
The Yamuna River flows through the eastern section of Agra. The Taj Mahal is on the bank of the Yamuna in the east-central part of Agra. Just south of the Taj is an area called Taj Ganj, where most of the budget hotels are located. A couple km south of this area is where many of the high-end hotels are located. One and a half km northwest of the Taj on the bank of the Yamuna is the Agra Fort. Northwest of the fort is the old section of the city. Located here is the Agra Fort railway station.

A km southwest of the Taj Mahal is the British cantonment area, where the streets are fairly wide and there are several hotels. Sadar Bazaar is located near here. West of this area is where the main railway station, Agra Cantonment, and the main bus station, Idgah, are located. The airport is 7km west of Agra.

Tourist Offices and Tours
The Government of India Tourist Office (236. 336=6368-3959; fax 333-6378; Rs gotoagra@sancharnet.in), 191 The Mall, is open from 9 am to 5.30 pm weekdays, 9 am to 1 pm Saturdays, and is closed on Sundays. It has a map of Agra and a brochure on Fatehpur Sikri. They can help arrange a guide.

The Uttar Pradesh Government Tourist Office (222-6378; 222-6431Web Site: http://www.up-tourism.com) is at 64 Taj Rd, near the Clarks Shiraz Hotel. There is also a tourist counter at the Agra Cantonment railway station.

The Rajasthan (236-0017) and Haryana tourist offices are at the Taj Mahal Shopping Plaza.

You can book the Agra organized tour at the tourist office at The Mall or at the tourist counter on platform 1 in the Cantonment railway station (236-8598, hr 8am-7:30p,)/

You can also book the tour on either the Taj Express, which arrives at 9.45 am, or the Shatabdi Express, which arrives at 8.30 am. The tour lasts all day and goes to the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, and the Agra Fort. The tour begins at 9.30 am at the Government of India Tourist Office and then goes to Agra Cantonment railway station to pick up the passengers who just arrived on the Taj Express at 9.45 am. The tour ends at 6 pm, in time to catch the Taj Express as it returns to Delhi at 6.45 pm. The tour costs Rs Rs 500 for foreigners and Rs 250 for Inidans..

The tour to Fatehpur Sikri costs Rs 200 for Indians and Rs 500 for foreigners.

You can hire a taxi for Rs 500 to Rs 700 for a day to take you around to the sites. The taxi drivers in Agra often speak English well and know the tourist sites. Of course they also know the best places to shop.

Information
The post office is opposite the Government of India Tourist Office on The Mall. You can have a letter sent to you at the Government of India Tourist Office and they will hold it for you. Postal Code: 282001

The Archaeological Survey of India (363-506), is at 22 The Mall.

The Foreigners’ Registration Office (367-563) is at 16 Idgah Colony.

Agra Color Lab, Sadar Bazaar, does one-hour film processing.

Global Enterprises (330-932), Chowk Thana, Taj Ganj, charges a low fee for call-back phone calls.

Foreigners Regional Registration Office (226-9563) Fatehpur Sikri Rd, Police Lines.

Many of the hotels has Internet facilities. Cyberlink in Taj Ganj on the corner of the West Gate and main street has Internet for Rs 35 per hour is a good place. In Sada Bazaar area the is Cyber Point, Kutchery Rd for Rs 40 per hours.

Money
You can change money at the State Bank of India, south of Taj Ganj; the Andhra Bank, Sadar Bazaar; and the Allahabad Bank in the Clarks Shiraz. The Central Bank of India, southeast part of Taj Ganj, gives small cash advances (around $100) on Visa and MasterCard.

LKP Merchant Financing (233-0480), Fatehabad Rd, changes travelers checks and also sells them (daily 9.30 to 8 pm). Sita World Travel (236-3013) n Taj Rd , changes money.

Swimming
Some hotels that allow non-guests to swim in their pools are: Agra Ashok Hotel (Rs 200), Hotel Amar (Rs 100), Lauries Hotel (Rs 100), Mughal Sheraton (Rs 200), Park Plaza (Rs 150) and the Clarks Shiraz Hotel (Rs 200). The pool at the Agra Ashok is nice.

Medical Treatment
The Jaggi Nursing Home (360-315), south of Taj Ganj, is said to be a good place for medical treatment. The Upadhaya Hospital (236-8844), Shahid Nagar Crossing. get good recommendation.

District Hospitial (236-3043) MG Rd and SN Hospital (236-1313), Hospital Rd.

There is a well-known homeopathic doctor named Dr RS Pareek (52786, 54422), 4/10 Bagh Farzana, Civil Lines, Agra, who has been recommended to me. He is supposed to be especially effective in treating skin disorders.

Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is famous for being one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. This beautiful marble tomb was built between 1631 and 1653. Inside are the tombs of Shah Jahan and his wife, Arjumand Bann Begum. Arjumand Bann Begum was also known as “Mumtaz Mahal” (Elect of the Palace). Shah Jahan built the Taj in memory of his beloved wife. It took over 20,000 people 22 years to build. Experts were brought from all over the world, including Italy and France. The Taj Mahal is well worth a few visits, as it changes depending on the time of day. At dawn it is particularly impressive.

The Taj is made mainly of white marble from Makrana, Rajasthan. There are many semiprecious stones embedded in the walls taken from all over the world, including Russia, China and Yemen. The ceiling of the inner tomb is 25m (80 ft) high. The Taj Mahal is flanked by four minarets that are 39m (130 ft) high. They are built leaning outwards so they will not damage the tomb if they collapse. The main gateway has 22 domes on it, supposedly to represent the amount of years it took to build. The inlay work is so fine that no joints can be seen, even by looking through a magnifying glass.

Shah Jahan became the Emperor in 1628. Three years after becoming Emperor Shah Jahan’s favorite wife, Arjumand Bann Begum died while giving birth to their 14th child. Because of his great love for her and his grief, he built the Taj for her. Work began on the Taj in 1631, one year after Arjumand Bann Begum’s death. In 1658 Shah Jahan’s son, Aurangzeb, took over the throne from his father, killing his three brothers in the process. He imprisoned Shah Jahan in the Agra Fort, where he had a good view of the Taj Mahal. After his death in 1666, his body was placed next to his wife’s in the Taj Mahal.

You enter the Taj through the south, east or west gate. You then walk through Chowk-i-Jilo-Khana. The original main red Sandstone Gateway is 30m high, and it previously had a huge silver door, which was carried away in the middle of the 18th century. It is now used as the exit. You enter through a small doorway to the right of this entrance, after a security check. There is a cloakroom nearby to deposit bags. Cameras can be brought in.

Along the paths leading to the Taj Mahal are long waterways, from which the Taj is reflected. There are fairly well-maintained formal gardens.
After you come through the entrance you will be about 200m from the Taj. On its right and left are two red sandstone buildings. The one on the west (left) side is a mosque and the one on the right was built to add symmetry to both sides of the Taj Mahal. The Taj is on a gigantic square white marble base about 7m (22 ft) high.

Floral patterns were created by inlaying precious stones into the white marble. Arabic script decorates the Taj’s arches. From where you are standing all the letters appear to be exactly the same. The letters actually have different heights and width depending on how far they are from the ground, which gives this effect.

When you come up the stairs, in front of you are the cenotaphs of Shah Jahan and Arjumand Bann Begum. There is much detailed inlaid work on the cenotaphs. Arjumand Bann Begum’s cenotaph is inlaid with 99 names of Allah. The echo in the chamber is excellent. The real tombs of Shah Jahan and Arjumand Bann Begum are underground below the cenotaphs. Before entering the Taj you have to either take off your shoes or rent a cloth shoe-cover from the shoe deposit counter.

There is a small museum to the west of the Taj, which contains paintings of Shah Jahan and Arjumand Bann Begum. It has the original architectural drawings of the Taj Mahal and plates which change color if the food put on them contains poison. Open daily except Mon and Fri 10 am to 5 pm; admission free.

You can get a good view of the Taj from the Agra Fort. The Taj looks the most beautiful at dawn and dusk.

It is not open at night, even for the full moon. It is open from 6 am to 7 pm. Admission is Rs 750) for foreigner and Rs 20 for Indian. The Rs 750 also includes entrance into the Agra Fort. It is closed on Friday.

You can enter from the east, south, and west sides, but tickets are only sold at the eastern and western gates. During the early morning, only the western ticket office is open. There is a sign that says you cannot take a photograph within 100m of the Taj, but there is no one there to enforce it, so people just do it anyway.

Agra Fort
This is one of the most impressive forts in India and is a site worth seeing. This fort, built on the banks of the Yamuna River, was begun in 1565 by Emperor Akbar.

Later it was expanded by Aurangzeb and he made the fort’s huge red sandstone walls 2.5km long. Aurangzeb overthrew his father, Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal, and imprisoned him here in the Red Fort. He did give his father a room with a view of the Taj Mahal. The massive walls are over 20m high and they are surrounded by a moat.
You enter through Amar Singh Gate in the south.

The gate is said to be named after a Rajput Maharaja who killed the royal treasurer in front of Emperor Shah Jahan and then jumped over the wall here, while attempting to escape in 1644.

After entering the gateways you walk straight for about 300m and you come to the sandstone Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience), which is a three-sided structure where the Emperor would meet the public. It was built by Shah Jahan in 1628. It used to be decorated with opulent carpets and huge hanging curtains. The Emperor would sit on his throne on the platform on the east side of the hall. The Chief Minister would sit on the low marble platform in front of the throne.
In front of the Diwan-i-Am is a large courtyard. In the center of the courtyard is the tomb of John Russel Colvin, the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces, who was killed during the Uprising in 1857.

Behind the Diwan-i-Am, near the river, is where the Emperor and his family lived. Just in back of the Diwan-i-Am is the Macchi Bhavan (Fish Palace). Much of the mosaic work has been taken away. In the northwest corner is the marble Nagina Masjid (Gem Mosque), which is a mosque built by Shah Jahan for the women in his zenana (harem). Next to the mosque is the Zenana Mina Bazaar, which has peacock arches and lattice screens. It was used by the ladies for shopping. Chitor Gate was taken from the fort in Chitor by Akbar in 1568. It leads to the Raja Ratan Mandir, built in 1768 by the Jats, after they took control of the fort.

South of here, near the eastern wall of the fort, is the impressive Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience), which was completed in 1637 by Shah Jahan. The Emperor would conduct his private business here and meet important people. The famous Peacock Throne used to be here, before Aurangzeb had it taken to Delhi. From the terrace you can get a good view of the Taj Mahal and Yamuna.

Southwest of the Diwan-i-Khas is the Mina Masjid, which is where the emperor would worship. South of the terrace is the two-storey Musamman Burj (Octagonal Tower), which has detailed inlaid work. It is said to have been where Shah Jahan lived his last days. South of the tower is the Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors), which is a bath that the women would use. Its walls are inlaid with thousands of small beautiful mirrors. Southwest of the Sheesh Mahal is the 80 square metre Anguri Bagh (Grape Vine Garden), which is a small formal Mughal garden. South of the garden is the Khas Mahal (Private Palace), which is said to be where the Emperor slept. Next to it are the Golden Pavilions, which is believed to have been the women’s bedrooms.

The large sandstone palace, Jahangir Mahal, is said to have been built by Akbar for his son. In front of this palace is the Hauz-i-Jehangri, a huge bowl made of a single rock.

A guide could be helpful, because there is much to see in the fort. The Agra Fort is 1.5km northwest of the Taj Mahal, on the bank of the Yamuna River. The Fort is open daily 6 am to 5 pm; admission Rs 20 for Indians and Rs 300 for foreigners.

Jama Masjid
Jama Masjid is the largest mosque in Agra and is still used for worship. It is made of sandstone and was built in 1648 by Shah Jahan. It has impressive ornamental marble work on its dome.

The mosque’s complex was damaged during the Uprising of 1857. The front gate, which was considered strategically important to the Red Fort, was blown up. Some of the front buildings of the mosque were also destroyed. The British even wired explosives to the mosque and threatened to blow it up if the Uprising did not end.

It is not as impressive as the mosque in Delhi, because it is smaller and in need of repair. It is a little northeast of the Agra Fort and about 200m west of Agra Fort railway station.

Kinari Bazaar is near the Jama Masjid, and there are several interesting old markets in this area.

East Side of the Yamuna

Itimad-ud-Daulah
This impressive, beautiful, small tomb was built for Ghiyag Beg, who was Emperor Jahangir’s chief minister. He was a Persian diplomat who was known as Itimad-ud-Daulah (Pillar of the Government) because of his distinguished service. The tomb was built by his daughter Nur Jahan, who was married to Jahangir in 1611. Ghiyas Beg designed the garden. The tomb was built between 1622 and 1628, and is made of white marble with semiprecious stones inlaid into the walls (pietra dura inlay). Several of Nur Jahan’s relatives were also buried here. It is worth seeing.

It is located 4km from the Taj Mahal on the other side of the river. Open daily 6 am to 5 pm. Admission Rs 110 for foreigners and Rs 15 for Indian. Video camera Rs 25..

Chini-ka-Rauza and Ram Bagh
Chini-ka-Rauza is the tomb of Afzal Khan, who was a high minister under Shah Jahan. The tomb is in need of repair, only a few of the glazed tiles that covered it are left, and these are badly damaged. It is one km north of Itimad-ud-Daulah.

Ram Bagh is a garden, which is said to have been built by Babur in 1528. It is not well-kept and is covered with weeds. It is on the bank of the Yamuna, 1½ km north of Itimad-ud-Daulah.

Dayal Bagh Temple
Construction on the white marble Dayal Bagh Temple has been going on since 1904 and it is not scheduled to be completed for years. It is being built by followers of the Radha Soami. The marble work is extremely detailed. It is two km north of Agra.

Shopping Warning
Agra is one of the worst cities for touts, rickshaw drivers, and guides, who want to show you the best possible shops. Usually you will pay more for your purchases, and a percentage is given to the person who brings you there. Be careful of young guys innocently approaching you to find out more about your country. It is not a good idea to give your credit card number to anyone or to accept an offer to export goods for someone. Some of these guys can be real jerks. They are so good, that they can immediately tell if you are a sucker. If the deal is too good to be true, most likely it is.

I was told one story in which two people were each convinced to purchase $800 rugs. When they came back the next day to ask for their money back, they were asked to show their receipt. The owner then tore up the receipt and told them they had no proof of purchasing anything from him. They left in dismay. These types of stories are normal for Agra. If you are making a purchase of over $100, it is best to think about it for a day, as the shop owners here are extremely aggressive salesmen.

I asked my bike-rickshaw driver to bring me to my hotel and he apparently started to bring me there. He began to insist very strongly that he bring me to a few shops first. After a few minutes I told him to let me down, next to a few policemen. Before I could get out of the rickshaw he had already started driving away. When I checked the map to see where I was, I realized that he had taken me about one km in the wrong direction.

Shopping
The shops in the old part of the city around Pratapur are the cheapest places to get jewelry. Jaipur is a better place than Agra to get precious stones.

The Modern Book Depot (236-3133), Sadar Bazaar, is a good bookshop. There are fairly good bookshops in the Taj View Hotel and the Mughal Sheraton.

Some good shops to get marble products are the Oswal Emporium, 30 Munro Road, and Subhash Emporium, 18/1 Gwalior Road. UP Handicrafts Place, 49 Bansal Nagar, has a good selection of marble goods and handicrafts. Some items are a very good quality. Akbar International, 289 Fatehabad Rd, near the Hotel Taj View, has high quality (expensive) marble products.

Mangalick and Co, 5 Taj Road, Sadar Bazaar, has a good selection of rugs. Harish Carpet, Vibhav Nagar Rd, has a good selection of rugs and is a good place to shop. Also good for rugs is Bansal Carpets, Naulakha Market and Cottage Industry, 18 Munro Rd.

Munshi Ganeshi Lall and Sons, 13 MG Road, and Kohinoor Jewellers, 41 MG Road, are reputable jewelers. Jewel Palace, 62 Pratappura, has good gems and can make custom jewelry.

Shilpgram Crafts Village and Emporium, is located about one km along the road leading from the east gate of the Taj Mahal. They have a good selection of high quality handicrafts from all over India, but the items are priced on the high side.

Festivals and Fairs
The Taj Mahotsava, is an arts and craft fair organized by UP Tourism at Shilpgram Crafts Village in February. During this fair there are music and dance performances.

In early October, during the Shardotsav Festival, some of the best musicians and dancers in India perform at various locations in the area.

Where to Stay—Lower
There are two areas where there are cheap hotels—the Taj Ganj area, just south of the Taj, and the Sadar area, by the Cantonment Railway Station.

There is a home paying guest program in Agra, where you can stay in a room with a family for Rs 200 to Rs 500. You can contact the tourist counter at the railway station for information.

In the low season, from late April to August, you can get good discounts in many of the hotels.
Taj Ganj There are many budget hotels in this area. Some of them have views of the Taj. The Shanti Lodge and Hotel Kamal both have great views of the Taj Mahal from their rooftops. You can also get a view of the Taj from the Hotel Taj Khema.

Hotel Siddhartha (233-0931, 233-0001), down the street from the west gate of the Taj, is built around a courtyard with a small garden. Rooms with bath and hot bucket water start at Rs 150, and a room with bath and hot water start at Rs 200/300. It is a good place.
Shanti Lodge (2330900, 2331973) has a great view of the Taj from its rooftop. It has tight and fairly run-down rooms with common bath for Rs 100/120, Rs 120/140 with bath, and Rs 180 with bath, hot water and a view of the Taj. The rooms here are varied, so it is best to see a few rooms before choosing one. Some rooms have bad smelling bathrooms.
Hotel Sikander (233-0279), near the south gate of the Taj, has basic, clean rooms with bath for Rs 100/150. There is a good view of the Taj from the roof.
Indo Guest House, next door, has basic, clean rooms with common bath for Rs 60 and with bath for Rs 110/130. It is family-run.
Noorjahan, near the south gate, has basic rooms for Rs 75/110 with common bath and a room with hot water is Rs 110/140.
Across the street is the Hotel Raj (2331314), near the south gate of the Taj, has good, clean rooms with common bath for Rs 150/200, rooms with bath for Rs 225/300, and A/C rooms for Rs 400. Dorm beds are Rs 80. It has a good restaurant.
Shahjahan Lodge (233-1159) has rooms for Rs 80/120, where you share a bathroom with one other room. Rooms with private bath and hot water are 175. A dorm bed is Rs 50.
Hotel Kamal (2330126) has clean decent rooms with common bath for Rs 110 and Rs 250/300 with bath. There is a good view of the Taj from the roof. The manager is a nice guy.
Hotel White House (2330907) has rooms with bath and hot water for Rs 170/200.
Hotel Pink (2330115), near the east gate of the Taj, has rooms with a bath with bucket hot water for Rs 125/175 and a room with a bath and running hot water is Rs 250. It is a fairly basic place with a friendly manager.
Sheela Hotel (233-1194, 233-3074; E: hotelsheela@yahoo.com), 100m from the east gate of the Taj, has a nice garden. Rooms with common bath are Rs 225 and rooms with bath go for between Rs 250 to Rs 400. This is one of the best hotels in the area and is a good value.
Hotel Taj Khema (233-0140; fax 223-3056; E: hoteltajkhema@sify.com), 200m from the east gate of the Taj, is run by UP Tourism. Rooms with common bath are Rs 600/700, with bath Rs 800/900, and with A/C Rs 900/1000. Between October and March they erect tents which are Rs 250/300. The place is fairly run-down, but you can get a good view of the Taj Mahal from the hill in the garden.

South of Taj Ganj The Safari Hotel (233-3029), Shamsabad Rd, Shaheed Nagar, is a good value with air-cooled rooms with hot water for Rs 250/300 and Rs 400/450 with air-cooling. It is well-managed by the same brothers who run the Tourist Rest House. Rooms have towels. There is a good view of the Taj from the roof. Recommended.
Upadhyay’s Mumtaz Guest House (2332277), 3/7 Vibhav Nagar, has good air-cooled rooms with bath for Rs 250/300. It is in a quiet area and it has a garden.
Highway Inn (2360458), Vibav Nagar, near the Hotel Amar, has rooms with common bath for Rs 200/250 and with bath for Rs 350/450. You can camp here for Rs 50 a person.
Daswat (2360010), Fatehabad Rd, has a friendly owner and a good outdoor restaurant. Some rooms have hot water.

Sadar Bazaar The Tourist Rest House (236-3961; fax 236-6910; E dontworrychickencurry@hotmail.com), Kutchery Rd, near The Mall, opposite District Board, Balunganj, has very clean air-cooled rooms with bath, towels and hot water for Rs 200/250. It is popular with travelers and has a vegetarian restaurant. It is built around a small garden. It is well-managed (by two brothers), is a friendly place, and it is a good place to meet people. Recommended. Make sure you are at Kutchery Rd, because there are two other hotels with similar names, and the rickshaw drivers will want to take you to them to get commissions. Some people told me that their rickshaw driver brought them to the wrong hotel and absolutely refused to take them to this one. It is close to the Agra Ashok Hotel. Have Internet for Rs 40 per hour.
Hotel Akbar (236-3212; E: hote_akbar_inn@yahoo.com), between Taj Ganj and Sadar, has a good location and a large garden. Rooms are 150 and Rs 350-500 with bath. The rooms here are alright. Ask to see a few rooms, because they are different. You can camp here for Rs 30 a person.
Agra Hotel (236-3331; E: agrahotel@yahoo.com), Field Marshal Cariappa Rd, is a decent place with rooms with a bath with hot water for Rs 175/225, with air-cooling Rs 200-/400, and Rs 400/500 with A/C. It is an older peaceful place with a garden and a view of the Taj Mahal, but it looks a little aged.
Hotel Akbar (2363312), next door, has rooms for Rs 120/140 and rooms with bath for Rs 170/200. An air-cooled room is Rs 300. It has a small garden and you can camp here. Both this place and the Agra Hotel are by themselves in the middle of nowhere.
Jaiwal Hotel (2262442), Sadar Bazaar, is a good value, with clean rooms with a bath with hot water, air-cooling, and TV for between Rs 400/500 to Rs 500/600. A/C rooms are Rs 700/800.
Jaggi Hotel, 183 Taj Rd, is popular with young travelers. Rooms are Rs 250.
Major Bakshi’s Tourist Home (2363829), 33-38 Ajmer Rd, is a pleasant well-managed place, with clean, comfortable rooms with bath and hot water for Rs 500/600. It is in a peaceful location.

Other Areas The Retiring Rooms at the railway station are Rs 250 for a double and Rs 350 for an A/C room. Dorm beds are Rs 70.
Hotel Prem Sagar (226-7408), 264 Station Rd, is one of the best budget places close to Agra Cantonment railway station. Rooms with bath and bucket hot water are Rs 350. A triple is Rs 400.
Hotel Sakura (236-9793; E: ashu_sakura@yahoo.com), Old Idgah Colony, conveniently located near the Idgah bus stand, has rooms ranging from Rs 200/250 to Rs 400/500. The cheaper rooms are not so good. It has a pool.
Hotel Rose (2369786), 21 Old Idgah Colony, near the Idgah bus stand, has rooms with bath for Rs 200/225 and A/C rooms for Rs 600/650. Dorm beds are Rs 80. It is a friendly place. You can see the Taj from the roof. It is one of the best hotels near the Idgah bus stand.

Where to Stay—Middle
Lauries (2364536; fax 2268045), Mahatma Gandhi Rd, is an older well-run place. It has a garden and swimming pool. Rooms are Rs 850/1000. It is a bit run-down.
Mayur Tourist Complex (2332302: Fax 2332707), Fatehbad Road, has cottages ranging from Rs 800/950 up to Rs 1100/1350 for an A/C deluxe room overlooking a lawn. It has a swimming pool and lawn. Some of the rooms have a mildew smell, so ask to see a few cottages.
New Bakshi House (236-8035, 230-2176; fax 230-1448), 5 Laxman Nagar, is a recommended place with nice management. Rooms are Rs 1000/1300. The rooms are clean and comfortable. Often booked.
Atithi (233-0879; 223-0040; fax 233-0878; E: hotelatithi@hotmail.com), Fatehbad Rd, is a well-maintained place with a garden. Rooms are Rs 1200/1400
Hotel Amar (233-1885, 223-3030; fax 2330299; E: amaragra@sancharnet.in) has a swimming pool and health club. The fairly small modern A/C rooms are Rs 1000/1200.
Grand Hotel (2364014; fax 2364271), near the railway station, is a nice place with a big garden. Rooms with a TV are Rs 900/1100 and Rs 1200/1500 with A/C. It is a popular place.

Where to Stay—Higher
The well-managed ITDC Agra Ashok Hotel (236-1223; fax 2361620), The Mall, has nice gardens and a nice, good-sized pool. The large rooms are Rs 2100/3100. Recommended.
Clarks Shiraz Hotel (2361421; 226-6121; fax 2361428, 2282001; E clarkraz@sancharnet.inl Web Site: http://www.clarkshiraz.com) has a swimming pool and large pleasant gardens. There is a good choice of comfortable rooms starting at $70. It is an older place with good facilities.
Oberoi Novotel Agra (3268282), Fatehbad Rd, has a lawn and swimming pool. It has comfortable clean rooms for $55/90. It is well-managed and is a very good place.
Mansingh Palace (331-771; fax 330-202) has good rooms for Rs 1700/2800. Made from local red sandstone with Mughul design.
Park Plaza (2331870; fax 2330408: Email hppi@nde.vsnl.net) is a nice place with clean comfortable rooms for $60/90. It is a good place.
The Trident (2331818; fax 2331827; Email: reservations@tridentag.com), Fatehbad Rd, has comfortable rooms for $110/120. Good discounts from May 1 to Sept 30. It is a good value.
The five-star Taj View Hotel (2232400; 2331841 fax 2232420: Web Site: http://www.tajhotels.com) is lavish but tastefully done. Rooms on one side of the hotel have views of the Taj. Comfortable rooms with no view are $120/140. Rooms with a distant view of the Taj are $140/150.
The opulent Mughal Sheraton (2331701; fax 233-1730; Web Site: http://www.sheraton.com; E: mughal.sheraton@welcomegroup.com), Fatehbad Rd, Taj Ganj, is an excellent place that looks like a fort. It has a large landscaped garden. The rooms are $150/1600 up to $700. Some rooms have a view of the Taj in the distance. You can get an elephant or camel ride at this hotel. If money is no object, this is the place to stay. It has a good happening atmosphere and there is a good view of the Taj from the roof.

Local Travel
An auto-rickshaw from Agra Cantonment railway station to the Taj Mahal is around Rs 30. From the Taj Mahal to the Agra Fort by auto-rickshaw is Rs 10. From Agra Fort bus stand there are tempos for Rs 3 to Taj Ganj. Bike-rickshaw rides shouldn’t cost more than Rs 25 to almost any where in the city. Expect your driver to try to convince you to go shopping at places they kindly pick out for you.

To take an auto-rickshaw for a full day of sight-seeing should be less than Rs 300 a day and Rs 150 for half a day. This includes waiting time. A taxi should costs around Rs 400 a day and if you want to go to Fatehpur Sikri it should be around Rs 600. A bike-rickshaw tour should be no more than Rs 25 per hour. Often the rickshaw drivers really know the city, the tourist sites, and the restaurants. They can actually be quite helpful.

Travel Corporation of India (361-122), in the Hotel Clarks Shiraz; Pleasure Tours (364-771), 507 The Mall; Travel Bureau (360-118), Hotel Taj View, Fatehabad Rd, are reliable travel agencies, and good places to arrange a tourist taxi. RR Travels, Fatehabad Rd, Taj Ganj, rents cars for Rs 600 a day, including Fatehpur Sikri.

You can rent a bike at Raja Bicycle Shop, near the rickshaw stand in Taj Ganj, and at the Shah Jahan Lodge in Taj Ganj. Look at a few bikes to pick out a good one. They are Rs 4 to Rs 5 an hour, or Rs 30 to Rs 40 for a day.

Travel
Air Agra’s Kheria Airport is 7km west of the center of town. From Taj Ganj an auto-rickshaw is Rs 100-150 and a taxi Rs 200-250.

Indian Airlines flies to Delhi (1 daily, 40 minutes, $55) and Khajuraho (1 daily, $75) with a connection to Varanasi (1 daily, $100). It is usually faster to drive or take a train from Delhi. You should book flights out of Agra as far in advance as possible. The Indian Airlines office (222-6820/1; Airport: 230-2274) is at the Clarks Shiraz Hotel. Open daily 10 am to 1.15 pm and 2 to 5 pm. There is also an office for Jet Air at the Clarks Shiraz.

Train There are six train stations in Agra. Agra Cantt Station, in the southwest, is the most convenient for most hotels. The best station to get a train to Rajasthan is Agra Fort Station, where trains depart for various places in Rajasthan, including Jaipur. The station before this, Agra City Station, is a good distance from town. Rickshaw drivers may try to persuade you to get off there, so they can charge you a high fare to get to a hotel.

Be careful of the rickshaw drivers that meet you on the platforms, as often they can be real jerks (some will absolutely refuse to bring you to the hotel of your choose). It is usually best to get a prepaid auto-rickshaw (Rs 25 to Rs 50 to any hotel in town) or to choose a rickshaw driver that is not aggressive. If you are new to India, please read the warning above.

There are many trains from Delhi to Agra. One of the best trains to take from Delhi is the fully air-conditioned Shatabdi Exp #2002 (2 hr, Rs 300), which departs from Delhi at 6.15 am. The Shatabdi Exp #2001 returns to Delhi from Agra at 8.15 pm, arriving in Delhi two hours later at 10.25 pm. The Taj Express leaves at 7.15 am from the Nizamuddin Station in Delhi. It arrives in Agra at 10.15 am. It returns from Agra the same day at 6.45 pm and arrives in Delhi at 9.45 pm. To see the sites in Agra, you can get a tour bus at the station that brings you back in time to get a train back to Delhi at night. Many other express trains go between Delhi and Agra, usually taking between 3½ to 4 hours.

Agra is on the main Delhi to Mumbai railway line. There are 12 trains daily to Mathura (1 hr). There are direct trains to Varanasi, Goa, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum, 51 hr), Calcutta via Patna (30 hr), Goa, Mumbai (29 hr, Punjab Mail #1038), and Chennai (35-40 hr). To get to Khajuraho, you first take a train to Jhansi (at least 3 hr) and then a bus to Khajuraho (5 hr). There are some direct trains that head north past Delhi to the Himalayas.

There are trains to Mughal Serai station near Varanasi. Most of the express trains between Delhi and Calcutta do not stop in Agra. There are several trains departing from Tundla (an hour bus ride east of Agra) that go to both Varanasi and Calcutta.

At Agra Cantt Station, there are only a limited number of tourist quota seats to Varanasi, so it is best to book a ticket as far in advance as possible. If you have a problem getting a ticket out of Agra you can always go to Delhi and book a train from there.

Bhopal Shatabdi Exp #2002 ; Jaipur Marudar Exp #2921 (5.30 am, 6 hr), Howrah-Jodhpur Exp (6.30 pm, 8 hr); Gwalior Shatabdi Exp #2002 (8 am, 1¼); Jhansi Shatabdi Exp #2002 (8 am, 2½ hr); Lucknow Avadh Exp #5064 (10 pm, 8½ hr); Mumbai Punjab Mail #2138 (8.30 am, 23 hr).

Bus Buses usually depart from the Idgah bus stand, (363-586) near Agra Cantt railway station. Rajasthan Roadways buses can, and usually should, be booked in advance at the station. Deluxe buses leave from in front of the Hotel Seetal on Ajmer Rd, close to the Idgah bus station. There is a booking office for deluxe buses in the hotel. There are deluxe buses every hour to Jaipur (6 hr, Rs 100). There are buses to Delhi (hourly, 5-6 hr), Mathura (hourly, 1 hr), Gwalior (5 daily, 3½ hr), a morning bus to Lucknow (9 hr) and Khajuraho (5 am, 12 hr). It is better to get the Shatabdi Express train to Jhansi (3 hr) and then a five-hour bus to Khajuraho, rather than taking the direct bus to Khajuraho. Buses depart to Fatehpur Sikri (1½ hr) every half-hour.

Buses to and from Delhi and Mathura (1½ hr) also depart from Agra Fort Bus Stand, just west of the fort and a half km west of Agra Fort railway station. The buses to Mathura leaving from Idgah bus station are slightly faster and are usually in better condition than the ones departing from Agra Fort bus stand.

Where to Eat—Taj Ganj
Joney’s Place is a small place right in the middle of Taj Ganj with good food. They serve Western breakfasts, Israeli food and Indian food. They make a good banana lassi.
Relax, near the East Gate, is a nice place with good food.
Saeed’s Place has decent Israeli food.
Lucky Restaurant is a fairly popular place.
Shankara Vegis Restaurant has a rooftop and ground floor dining area. It serves good vegetarian Indian, spaghetti, Chinese, and it serves Western breakfasts. It is one of the best places in the area.
ITDC Taj Cafeteria, near West Gate, is a good place.

Other Areas
Zorba the Buddha, Gopi Chand Shivhare Road, run by people connected to Osho, is a very good, clean vegetarian restaurant which serves Indian and Western dishes. It is a recommended place, but the prices are higher than normal, with main dishes for around Rs 60. Open noon to 3 pm and 6 to 9 pm. It is closed from mid-May to mid-July.
Dasaprakash Restaurant, by Meher Cinema, around the corner from the Hotel Agra Ashok, is a good South Indian restaurant open for lunch and dinner. They have an excellent thali meal. Recommended. $$
Lashmi Vilas, Sadar Bazaar, has good cheap South India veg food. They have over 20 types of dosas. $
Kwality Restaurant is an A/C place which serves Indian and Continental food. $-$$
Park Restaurant is a fairly high-priced fast-food place with pizzas. $$
Only, 45 Taj Rd, Phool Syed Crossing, is a popular place with good food. It is a bit expensive. $$-$$$.
Chung Wah, Sadar Bazaar area, is an outdoor place with Chinese cooks. $$.
There is an excellent all you can eat buffet at the Clarks Shiraz (Rs 400). $$$.
The rooftop Mughal Room at the Clarks Shiraz, has good Indian, Continental and Chinese dishes. $$$.
Mughal Sheraton has the very good Continental Bagh-e-Bahar restaurant. Also in the Sheraton is the Mahjong Room, which is a very good Chinese place. $$$-$$$$
Pizza Hut (233-3051) Fatehabad Rd, has good pizzas and pastas. Delivers to the nearby hotels. $$.

Allahabad
Pop: 1,050,000
Phone Code: 0532

Allahabad is one of the oldest cities in India. It is located 135km west of Varanasi, at the confluence (“prayag”) of India’s two most important rivers—the Yamuna and Ganges. It is 585km southeast of Delhi and 160km south of Ayodhya. The main spiritual reason for coming here is to take bath in the Sangam, or confluence (where rivers meet), of the Yamuna, Ganges, and the underground Saraswati Rivers. It is one of the major pilgrimage sites in all of India.

Lord Brahma performed the Prakrista Yajna here. That is how it received its ancient name, Prayag. Allahabad is also called Tirtha-Raja, or “king of all the holy places.” It is said that Lord Rama visited Allahabad when he was in exile.

This city received the name Allahabad during the rule of Akbar. Eventually the Maratha took control of Allahabad. It was then later sacked by the Pathans. In 1801 it was ceded to the British by the Nawab of Avadh. After the Uprising of 1857, the East India Company handed over the control of India to the British government at Allahabad in 1858.

Getting Your Bearings
Allahabad is divided into two main areas, divided by the railway line. The area south of the railway line is the old city and the area north is the Civil Lines area, which has a grid design. Mahatma Gandhi (MG) Rd in the Civil Lines area has hotels, restaurants, and shops on it.

The confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna, along with the Fort, are located about 5km southeast of the main area of the city, in a relatively secluded location. This is where the Kumbha Mela is held.

Information
The Tourist Office (260-1873) is at the UP Tourist Bungalow (260-1040), 35 Mahatma Gandhi Rd (MG Road), by the bus stand (Mon to Sat 10 am to 5 pm).

You can change money at the State Bank of India, Police Lines. The ICIC Bank has a 24-hour ATM on Sardel Patel Marg next to the Grand Continental Hotel

The Indian Airlines agent is SAS Travels (262-3598).

Some travel agencies are Varuna Travels (262-4323), Maya Bazaar, MG Marg and Krishna Travel (260-5536), 936 Daraganj. They rent out cars for about Rs 600 a day plus mileage.

Foreigners’ Registration Office, 2A Mission Rd, Katra.

The GPO is on Queen’s Rd. Postal Code: 211011.

There is a place to get on the Internet for Rs 30 per hour at Cyber Cafe, Nawab Yususf Rd, opposite the Samrat Hotel.

Bookshops
There are a few decent book shops on Mahatma Gandhi Rd, close to the Hotel Harsh. Right next to each other are the Universal Book Store and Chugh Publication. None of them are very good. Vohra Book Shop, 36 MG Rd, is two blocks from the Tourist Bungalow.

Sangam Bath
This is where the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati meet. This place is considxe "Sangam" ered to be the most important holy bathing place in India. The muddy-colored Ganges is shallower and more rapid. The Yamuna is bluer and deeper. The most auspicious time to bathe in the Sangam is during Kumbha Mela. It is also especially auspicious to bathe here during the month of Magh (Jan-Feb). This festival is called Magh Mela.

To get to the place where you get the boat to the Sangam is a Rs 20 bicycle-rickshaw ride from the downtown area. Ask to go to the Sangam, which is on the same side of the Fort as the Bare Hanuman Temple.

Most people take a boat out to the middle of the river and bathe from a platform there. You can also walk from the road about 10 minutes and bathe on the shore. There are many boats here and the boat ghat located here is closest to the Sangam. You can take a boat with other people that will cost Rs 6 to Rs 20 per person, depending on how many people you go with. A private boat to the Sangam is Rs 50 to Rs 150 (maybe Rs 200 during a real peak time).

When you reach the Sangam, your boat docks on a little platform in the middle of the river. There is a good chance that a pandit (priest) will jump on your boat and start doing puja (worship) for you and your family. He will then expect anywhere from Rs 10, to Rs 500, to who knows what. My understanding is that there is a small docking fee at these platforms, from Rs 1 to Rs 50 depending on who you are (how rich you look). The boat ride and bath takes about 40 minutes to an hour, and it is an enjoyable experience.

You can also get a boat from Sara­swati Ghat and the other ghats along the river, but they are much further away and therefore more expensive. This is the way to go, if you want a nice peaceful boat ride.

Kumbha Mela
Kumbha Mela is held here every 12 years. It also takes place in three other holy places in India every 12 years— Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. The Kumbha-mela in Prayag (Allahabad) is considered especially auspicious. This very interesting event draws about 15 million people and is the largest attended event in the world. The next Kumbha Mela in Allahabad is in January 2001.

There are several especially auspicious bathing days. A huge temporary city is created for the millions of pilgrims that arrive for the most auspicious bathing days.

Every 6 years there is an Ardha Mela (half mela), which draws about 7 million people. Each year there is a regular Mela during the month of Magh, January-February, which draws one or two million people. One of the most auspicious bathing days is Amavasya, the new moon day.

Kumbha Mela is like a “Yogi Convention,” where yogis, sadhus (saints), holy people, and pilgrims come from all over India. Many sadhus come from various holy places, the most remote forests, and mountain caves in the Himalayas. The most famous are the Naga Babas, Siva worshipers who are completely naked. They cover their bodies only with ash and wear their hair in dreadlocks.
On the most auspicious bathing days there is a big parade, and the bathing order is very strictly observed. Not only are there especially auspicious days, but there are especially auspicious times of the day to bathe, and people are willing to die to bathe at the most auspicious time. The first to enter the water are the Naga Babas, who arrive dancing with enthusiasm. Then each different religious group enters the water in a prearranged order.

Hanuman & Adi Shankara Temples
Hanuman is in a reclining posture, a few feet below the ground, instead of his usual standing posture. It is said that every year the Ganges floods until it touches the sleeping Hanuman’s feet and then it starts receding. This temple is located by the Sangam side of the Fort and is a small busy temple open to non-Hindus.

There are nice carvings on the nearby Sri Adi Shankar Temple, which has a Sri Tirupati Balaji Vishnu Deity.

Fort
Akbar built this huge fort on the Yamuna River by the Sangam in 1583. Inside the fort there is an 11m (35 ft) high Ashoka Pillar that dates back to 230 BC. The fort is in the control of the army, so unless you get advance written permission, you cannot enter. It is a huge fort that cost 25 million rupees to build and took over 45 years to complete. You can get an impressive view of the fort from a boat on the river.

Patalpuri Temple (Undying Tree)
It is located through a small doorway, in the wall of the fort, on the way to the boats that go to the Sangam. It is an underground temple with many different deities carved in stone.

The Akshayavata Tree (“the Undying Banyan Tree”) is said to never die, even when the entire world is destroyed. It is located in the underground temple. The tree is on a deep niche, above an underground hole that is said to lead to the Triveni.

It is said that both Lord Rama and Prahlada visited this interesting temple.

Bharadwaja Ashram
This ashram is mentioned in the Ramayana. Allahabad University now occupies the place where the ashram of Bharadwaja Rishi and his 10,000 disciples is said to have been located. There are temples here dedicated to Bharadwajeswara Mahadeva Siva, Rishi Bharadwaja, and Kali. It is said that Lord Rama and Sita visited this place when they began their 14-year exile.

Anand Bhavan
This is the former home of the Nehru family, which includes: Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi. It was donated to the Indian government by Indira Gandhi in 1970. It is a beautiful house with many of the family’s personal effects. You can see the bedroom and study of Nehru, and the room where Mahatma Gandhi stayed and worked when he visited. Open daily except Mon 9.30 am to 5 pm.

Next door is Swaraj Bhavan, which is where Indira Gandhi was born. This is where Motilal Nehru, the father of Jawaharlal Nehru, lived until 1930.

An audio-visual presentation in English and Hindi called The Story of Independence is shown daily except Mon from 11 am to 1.30 pm and from 2 to 4 pm; admission Rs 5.

In another building on the grounds is a picture exhibit detailing the life of Jawaharlal Nehru. There is a planetarium which has hourly shows between 11 am and 4 pm; admission Rs 8.

Allahabad Museum
This interesting museum has many old archaeological treasures and a collection of modern paintings. It has an interesting ivory Krishna-Arjuna on a carved sandalwood chariot in the Nehru collection. You can get a free guided tour of the museum if you ask at the desk where you check-in your bags. It takes about an hour to see the whole place. Open daily except Mon 10.30 am to 5 pm; Rs 100.

The house where Rudyard Kipling lived is nearby, but it is not open to the public.

Other Place to Visit
At Saraswati Ghat, on the other side of the fort from the Sangam, there is an Evening Arati performed to the Ganges, where lamps are floated down to the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna.

All Saints Cathedral has stained glass windows, a marble inlaid altar, and brass plaques for the British who lived in India, which tells how they died. It was designed by William Emerson, who also designed the Victoria Memorial in Calcutta. Open from 8 to 10 am. There are services on Sunday.

Khusru Bagh, near the railway station, is where the tomb of Prince Khusru, the son of Jahangir is located. He was executed by his father for trying to revolt against him a few times. Nearby is the tomb of his Hindu Rajput mother and the unoccupied tomb of his sister.

Near the Yamuna at Minto Park, Lord Canning read out the proclamation in 1858 declaring that the British government was taking control of India from the East India Company.

Nearby Places
At Ramchaura-Shringverpur (40km), on the bank of the Ganges, there is a platform called Ram Chabutara, which marks the spot where Lord Rama is supposed to have stayed before going to the forest in exile. It is said that before Lord Rama crossed the Ganges here, the boatman washed his feet. There are also temples dedicated to Panchmukhi (five-faced) Hanuman and Shring Rishi.

Lakshagriha (45km) is said to be the place where the house of lac of the Pandavas was located. A big mound marks this spot.

Where to Stay—Lower
South of the Allahabad Junction Station there are some cheap places, which are convenient if you have to catch a train.

Hotel Samira has rooms for Rs 100/125 with bath.
Hotel Continental (265-2629), which is most likely the best of these hotels, has clean basic rooms with bath and a TV for Rs 275/300 and A/C rooms for Rs 650. 24-hour checkout.
N Cee (240-1166), Leader Rd, south of the railway station, is a good well-managed place.
Hotel Prayag (260-4430, 265-6417), south of the railway station, is a good place with rooms with common bath for Rs 150/175, Rs 200/225 with a bath, and Rs 600 with A/C room.
Hotel Tepso (256-1409, 262-3635), MG Marg by the railway station, has rooms for Rs 150/250, a deluxe room with bath and air-cooler for Rs 500, and an A/C room for Rs 650/700.
Hotel Samira (265-3334; fax 260-9663), 15 Dr Katju Rd, near the railway station, has rooms for Rs 500.
Hotel Kohinoor (240-0033), 10 Noornulla Rd, has nice rooms for Rs 400/500 and with air-cooling for Rs 550/650. It has a garden.
Raj Hotel (240-0684), 6 Johnstonganj, about a 20-minute walk from the railway station, has rooms with bath for Rs 175/200 and with A/C for Rs 500.
UP Tourist Bungalow Hawart (260-1440; fax 261-1374), 35 MG Marg, Civil Lines, next to the bus station, is a good place to stay as long as you do not get a room on the bus station side or front side of the hotel, as they can be noisy. Good-sized rooms are Rs 500/650 and Rs 1000/1100 with A/C. It has dorm beds for Rs 100. For a middle income hotel, it is recommended.
If you like older places, the Hotel Harsh (262-2197) is the place for you. It has large rooms with high ceilings, but is totally run-down. Rooms are Rs 275/300, but they are not a good value.
Hotel Twins, 53 Leader Road, has rooms for Rs 300/400 with bath and Rs 550/600 with A/C.
Hotel Milan, on Leader Road, has rooms with bath and windows in the hall for Rs 300/365 and Rs 440/500 with A/C. Leader Road can be noisy, as it is a busy street.

Where to Stay—Middle & High
There are no luxury hotels in town.

Samrat Hotel (256-1200, 260-4888; fax 256-1206, 260-4987) is near the intersection of Mahatma Gandhi Rd and Sardar Patel Marg. It has clean rooms for Rs 700/900 and Rs 950/1300 with A/C.
Funara Hotel, Hasting Rd, near the railway station, has a nice small garden, and has good rooms for Rs1100. It is a well-managed family-run place.
The popular, modern Hotel Yatrik (260-1713; fax 260-1434), 33 Sardar Patel Marg, has comfortable rooms for Rs 1400/1600 and Rs 1000/1200 with A/C. It is well-managed, and has a pool and a nice garden. Non-guest may be able to use the pool. 24-hour checkout.
The two-star Hotel Allahabad Regency (260-1519; fax 600-450; Eamil: hotel_regency@rediffmail.com), 16 Tash­kent Marg, Civil Lines, is a well-managed place with a pool, jacuzzi, gym and a good garden. It has comfortable rooms with A/C for Rs 1300/1500. It is a peaceful place and is a good value. Rate includes breakfast.
The comfortable two-star Presidency Hotel (262-3308; fax 262-3897), 19D SN Marg, is north of Civil Lines in a quiet area. It has modern, clean A/C rooms for Rs 950/1000. It has a swimming pool and is popular, so it is best to book a room here in advance.
Kanha Shyam (256-0123; fax: 262-2164; Email: info@kanhashyam.com; Web Site: http://www.hotelkanhashyam.com), Civil Lines just off MG Marg, is a four-star place with luxery rooms health club, swimming pool and rooftop restaurant. Rooms are 2000/2200

Where to Eat
Spicy Bite, MG Rd, has good Chinese food.
Shamiana, MG Rd, has South Indian food and good noodles. $.
RR’s has Indian food for around Rs 50 for a main dish. $$.
El Chico, MG Rd, Civil Lines, has good Indian, Western, Chinese, baked goods and sweets. Main dishes are between Rs 50 and Rs 80. It is one of the best places in town. $$.
Hot Stuff, 15 Elgin Rd, Civil Lines, is a Western fast-food type place serving pizzas, Chinese, and a wide range of ice creams. $$.
Tandoor, MG Marg, serves Indian food. Main dishes are around Rs 60. It is one of the best places in town. $$.
Nathu's Sweets, 18B Sardar Patel Marg, has good sweet and vegetarian pizzas and South Indian dishes.
Jade Garden, MG Marg, Civil Lines, has good Chinese food. $$.
Purohit Restaurant is just off Leader Road in the Johnstonganj area, in the south section of town. It is a good, clean vegetarian place with reasonable prices. $-$$.

Local Travel
A bike-rickshaw from the railway station to Civil Lines is about Rs 5. A rickshaw from the railway station to the Sangam is around Rs 15 and from Civil Lines to the Sangam is Rs 20. From MG Rd to Anand Bhavan is Rs 10.

If you want to get to Civil Lines you should take the north, (back) entrance of the railway station.

Travel
Air There are no flights from Allahabad. The nearest airport is in Varanasi. The Indian Airlines office (624-105) is at Tashkent Marg, Civil Lines.

Train Allahabad has four railway stations. The main train station is Allahabad Junction, in the center of town. Allahabad is on the broad gauge route between Delhi and Calcutta, so many express trains stop here. There are express trains to Delhi (10 hr, 2 daily), Calcutta (15 hr, 3 daily), Lucknow (4 hr), Mumbai (24 hr), and Satna (4 hr) for Khajuraho. The Patna-Kurla Exp departing Allahabad to Satna at 7.40 am is a good train to get, as you can immediately get a bus to Khajuraho.

Most trains for Varanasi leave from the Allahabad City Station at Ram Bagh, which is a metre gauge line. The 135km trip takes three or four hours.
Bus There are buses to Varanasi that take 3½ hours from the Civil Lines (MG Marg) bus stand, by the Tourist Bungalow. There are also buses to Gorakhpur (8 hr), Agra, Sunauli (11 hr, 3 daily), and Faizabad (4½ hr) for Ayodhya. At 3 pm there is a deluxe bus to Lucknow (5 hr).
Buses to Jhansi and Satna leave from the Leader Rd bus stand, which is besides the railway station. Buses to western destinations such as Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, and Delhi depart from this station.
Buses to Chitrakut, Satna, and Mahoba depart from the Zero Road bus stand. Beside the government buses to Chitrakut you can get higher quality private buses from the local travel agencies.

Around Allahabad

Kausambi, 65km southwest of Allahabad, has ruins of an ancient city dating to the time of the Buddha. There is an Ashoka Pillar. You can get a bus from Allahabad to nearby Serai Akil.
Bhita, 19km south of Allahabad, is the site of ruins of an ancient city dating to 320 BC. There is a museum with statues, coins and seals.

Garwha, around 45km from Allahabad, has well-carved temples dating from the Gupta period. From the closest town it is about a 3km walk.

AyodhyaPop: 50,000 Area
Phone Code: 05276

Lord Rama was born and had many of his pastimes here. His pastimes are explained in the famous Ramayana. It is a very holy city and is an important pilgrimage site. It is one of the seven main holy cities in India. It is on the banks of the Gogra (Ghaghara or Saryu) River, bathing in which is supposed to destroy even the sin of killing a Brahmin.

On 6 December 1992, the Babri Masjid mosque (15th century) that was located at what is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Rama was destroyed by a large group of Hindus. After this there were riots in different places in India, during which many people were killed. Since then the town has been peaceful.

Ayodhya is 6km from the town of Faizabad, about 150km due east of Lucknow, and 200km northwest of Varanasi.

Information
The UP Tourist Office is by the railway station at the Pathik Niwas Saket Tourist Bungalow.

You can change money at the State Bank of India, Shrinagar Hat.

Janmabhoomi
Rama Janma Bhoomi is where Lord Rama is said to have taken birth. There is a small Lord Rama Temple here. A steady stream of pilgrims come here each day. Open 7 to 10 am and 2 to 5 pm.
There is a heavy security check here, and they even ask to see your passport. They search you thoroughly, even worse than at an airport.

Cameras are prohibited and you are not supposed to bring even a pen in with you.

At this location there used to be the Babri Mosque, which was constructed in the 15th century by the Mughals. It was not used very much and was eventually closed. In 1990, different Hindu groups wanted to build a Rama temple in its place. Some fighting broke out between Hindus and Muslims. Armed guards then surrounded the mosque.

In 1992 Hindus destroyed the mosque and built a small temple in its place, with deities of Sita and Rama. At the present time there are plans to build a grand Rama Temple here. The government owns the land, but nothing has been decided about it yet.

Guptar Ghat
At Guptar Ghat there are nice temples, and nearby there is a nice park. There are many Deities in the Chakra Harji Vishnu Temple, including what appears to be a very old carved Chakra Harji Vishnu Deity. There is also an imprint of Sri Rama’s feet here. Guptar Ghat is located about 20 minutes by rickshaw from the bus station in Faizabad. You should negotiate a price with the rickshaw driver to take you there and back, plus waiting time.

What to See
There are over 100 temples in Ayodhya. Janma Sthana is where Lord Rama was said to have been brought up.

There is a popular temple dedicated to Hanuman called Hanuman Gadhi on top of a small hill. It is located right by the main road where the tempos from Faizabad stop. Kanak Bhavan, which is an interesting temple, and Kala Rama Temple, by the river, both have Deities of Sita and Rama.

The Birla Temple, is a beautiful marble temple. It has Sita, Rama and Laksman Deities.

There is a nice area by the river surrounding Laksman Ghat, where Laksman, the brother of Rama, is said to have bathed.

Vasistha Kund is a temple that contains a small round kund, which is like a well.

Rama is said to have performed a yajna (sacrifice) at Treta Ka Mandir. There are Sita-Rama Deities in this temple.

Kaushalya, the mother of Rama, is said to have established the Kshireswara Nath Temple for Sita.

Bharata Kund, at Nandigram, 20km from Ayodhya, is said to be the place where Bharata ruled from while Rama was in exile for 14 years.

The impressive Jain Temple, Hanuman Rd, about a km from the railway station, has a 9.5m statue of Rishabhadeva.

A half-km north of Janmabhoomi is Swarga Dwara, or Ram Ghat, which is an important bathing ghat.

Where to Stay—Ayodhya
The UPTDC Pathik Niwas Saket ( (232-435)), near to the rail station, is a good, simple place that has rooms for Rs 325/350 and Rs 650/700 for an A/C room. It has dorm beds for Rs 60. It is the best place to stay in Ayodhya.

There are also simple dharamshalas, such as the one at the Kanak Mandir, which has simple rooms for Rs 75, and the Birla Dharamshala, which has rooms for Rs 100. You can also stay at nearby Faizabad, which has much better facilities.

Where to Eat
Because Ayodhya is a holy place, meat, fish, or eggs cannot be sold in the town. The only real restaurant I saw in town was at the Pathik Niwas Saket Guest House, by the railway station. It is a simple thali type place with almost no business. There are a few simple restaurants and street stands in town.

Faizabad to Ayodhya
There are many buses and tempos going the 6km between these two towns for Rs 3. You get the tempos in downtown Faizabad, at the Gudari Bazaar Crossing.

Travel
Ayodhya is located just 6km from the city of Faizabad, so getting to Faizabad is the same as Ayodhya. It is usually more convenient to travel to Faizabad and from there go to Ayodhya.

Ayodhya is on your way to Nepal from Varanasi or Allahabad.

The closest airports are in Lucknow (135km) and Varanasi (190km).

From Ayodhya to Varanasi two trains are available—the Farakka Exp #3884 (11 am, 6 hr, Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun) and the Saryu Yamuna Exp #4650 (9.12 am, 3½ hr, Mon, Wed, Sat). There is a local train between Faizabad and Ayo­dhya.

Varanasi (Benares, Kashi)

Pop: 1.2 million Area
Phone Code: 0542
Postcode 221002

Varanasi is said to be the oldest inhabited city in the world. There are supposed to be 2,000 temples in Varanasi. It is 125km east of Allahabad, on the bank of the Ganges, between Delhi (710km) and Calcutta (680km). Millions of pilgrims a year come to Varanasi.

The name Varanasi most likely stems from the two rivers, Varuna and Asi, which join the Ganges on the north and south borders of the city. Varanasi is a very fast-moving place and at times can seem unbelievable crowded. In the old part of the city there are numerous mazes of thin, very crowded streets, which makes the place very interesting.
It is said that the first Siva Jyotirlinga, the fiery pillar of light, came through the earth here and flared into the sky. Therefore Varanasi is also called Kashi, “City of Light.”

Kashi is mentioned in the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Srimad Bhagavatam, and the Puranas, which date back 5,000 years, as the foremost city of Siva. The Muslims gave it the name Benares. At Independence, the old name, Varanasi, was given to the city again.

Many older people come to Varanasi to die and to be burned at the burning ghats along the river. It is believed that anyone who dies in Varanasi attains moksha (liberation). It is said that being burned at Varanasi adds to the pious credits of someone, therefore many bodies are brought here to be cremated. Many widows come here to die.
Many saints and sages have come to Varanasi including Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Buddha, Sankaracharya, and Sri Ramanuja. Sri Chaitanya met Sanatana Gosvami here and converted Prakasananda Sarasvati and his followers here. He bathed at Pancha-ganga (Panchanada) Ghat.
For many, it is one of the highlights of a trip to India to get on a boat at 6 am and see the city on the waters of the Ganges at sunrise. Six o’clock in the morning is the best time to visit the waterfront. It is a good idea to rent your own boat and not go with many other people.

Varanasi was looted numerous times by Muslim invaders beginning from the 11th century. Aurangzeb destroyed most of the temples during his reign in the 17th century. This is why most of the temples are not more than 300 years old. In 1669 the Bindu Madhava Vishnu Temple and the Siva Visvanath Temple were destroyed. Mosques were built in their place.

The Ganges, which normally flows southeast, reverses its course and flows north for a while at Varanasi, which is considered very auspicious. There is a five-mile parikrama path that goes around this sacred city. There are 81 bathing ghats and other holy kunds, or sacred tanks. It is said that it is important to bathe at Manikarnika, by the cremation ghat.

The three most important ghats are Manikarnika, Dasaswamedha, and Pancha-ganga. To bath at these three ghats is called Tri-tirtha Yatra. Also important are Asi Sangam and Varuna Sangam. To bathe in these five places is call Pancha-tirtha Yatra. You are supposed to bathe in these five ghats in a certain order. First you bathe in Asi Ghat, then Dasaswamedha Ghat, then the ghat by the Adi Keshava Temple near the Varuna River, then Pancha-ganga, and then Manikarnika. After taking bath at these five places, most pilgrims then go for darshan of Visvanath, Annapurna, and Sakshi Vinayaka (the witnessing Ganesh). It is said that if you bathe in these five places, all in the same day and in this order, you will not get another material body. You can do Pancha-tirtha Yatra by boat, but it is better to do it by foot.

The Panchakroshi road goes around the city of Varanasi. Many pilgrims walk the 58km around Varanasi starting at Manikarnika Ghat. They then walk to Asi Ghat and then proceed around the city. You are supposed to visit 108 shrines along the way. Following this procedure is said to be the same as circling the entire world.

The Adi Keshava Vishnu Temple is located where the Ganges meets the Varuna River, in the north of town. Tulasi Das translated the Ramayana from Sanskrit into Hindi in Varanasi, and there is a temple in his honor.

Sarnath is 10km away and is famous as the place where Buddha first preached about enlightenment. You can see all the principal places in Varanasi and Sarnath in two days, but it is not unusual for people to spend a week or two in Varanasi.

Orientation
The city of Varanasi is on the west bank of the Ganges River. The tourist office and the higher-end hotels are located in the Cantonment area, in the northern part of the city. The roads are much wider here. The railway station is south of the Cantonment area and north of the old part of the city, about a twenty minute auto-rickshaw ride from either area.

The old section of the city, by the river, is where the bathing ghats and most of the temples are located. The streets can be very narrow and crowded, so much so that a bike rickshaw cannot get by. The main bathing ghat is Dasaswamedha, which is located right in the middle of the old part of the city.

Tourist Offices and Tours
A good source of information is the Government of India Tourist Office (234-3744; Web Site: http://www.tourisminindia.com), 15B The Mall, in the Cantonment, by the Hotel de Paris. You can hire a guide there for either four (Rs 250) or eight hours (Rs 400). Open weekdays 9 am to 5.30 pm, and Sat 9 am to 1 pm. There is an Information Counter at the airport. They also have a tourist counter inside the railway station (234-6370).

The UP State Tourist Office (220-8162) is located in the Tourist Bungalow at Parade Kothi (Mon to Sat 10 am to 5 pm) and there is a good tourist counter at the railroad station (234-6370) (6 am to 8 pm). They have a list of paying guest accommodations.

The Bihar State Tourist Office (234-3821) is at Englishia Market, Sher Shah Suri Marg, Cantonment.

UPSRTC has a daily tour of the river, temples, and Benares Hindu University in the summer from 5.30 to 11.45 am and winter 6 am to 12.15 pm. They also have a tour to Sarnath and Ramnagar Fort daily from 2.30 to 6.30 pm in the summer and 2 to 6 pm in the winter. The bus starts at the Govt of India Tourist Office, The Mall, and at the Tourist Bungalow.

Rewarding Tours and Travels (348-546), next to the Tourist Office in the Cantonment, offers a tour of the city, which includes a pickup at a hotel, an early morning boat ride, a visit to some temples and a trip to Sarnath. It costs Rs 200 and goes from 5.30 am to noon.

I found a good knowledgeable guide named Shobhit Shankar for information about the temples and holy places in Varanasi. He is a saintly priest at the Visvanath Temple and he lives on the same small alley as the temple is located, at 35/15 Vishwanath Gali. I personally liked and trusted him. He also has a very high understanding of the Vedic scriptures.

Information
Heritage Hospital (231-3977), near Benares Hindu University, is a good private hospital. Gupta Optical, in Godaulia is good for glasses.

Visa extensions may be issued at the Foreigners’ Registration Office (235-1968), Srinagar Colony, Siddgiri Bagh.

The GPO is a ten-minute rickshaw ride north of the old city. You can have a package made outside. The Central Telegraph Office is in the cantonment. There is a post office in the Hotel Clarks in the Cantonment.

You can get on the Internet at Fontac Computer for Rs 25per hour. The Meeting Place, a little before the Vishwanath Temple, has good connection and cheap prices (Rs 15 per hr).

Malaviya Bhavan at Benares Hindu University has courses on yoga. There are morning and evening yoga classes at the Shanti Guest House.

Some Swimiing Pools that non-guest can swim at are the Hotel Clarks Varanasi (Rs 200), Hotel Hindustan International (Rs 100), and the Hotel Varanasi Ashok (100). The Hotel Clark has the best pool.

At the Hotel Surya you can get a full body massage (Rs 150) and they have a steam bath (Rs 40).

Travel Corporation of India (46209), Hotel Clarks, The Mall, is an established travel agency and they can arrange cars. The ITDC Office in the Hotel Varanasi Ashok can arrange a car for Rs 600 a day.

WARNING! There are many armed robberies along the Ghats at night. Varanasi is known for people who have bad drug problems and they will stop at nothing to get their drugs. During the day or on the public street there are almost no problems. If you are sitting in a peaceful secluded place when it is getting dark, be especially careful. When you see the locals leave, follow their example. Also be careful about walking alone down secluded alleys at night in the old city.

Varanasi is also known for con-men. I was talking to an Indian student at the railway station and a policeman came up to us and told the man to stop talking with me. I told the policeman it was alright and that I trusted the student. The policeman then told me, “Don’t come to me later with a complaint.” I am assuming that he must get many of them. While traveling to Varanasi by train, be especially careful of your luggage, as many people have their bags stolen.

Boat Ride on the Ganges
For many people a boat ride on the Ganges is a highlight of their trip. Taking a 6 am boat ride while the sun is coming up is outstanding. There is an especially tranquil atmosphere and it is very enjoyable. I highly recommend this. If you come by rickshaw have them take you to

Dasaswamedha Ghat, where there are many boats. The government rate for a boat that holds four people is Rs 60 per hour. You will be asked for much more (Rs 60 a person), but in reality you can usually get a boat for Rs 40 per hour, especially in the off-season.

Money
The State Bank of India, near Dasaswamedha Ghat changes Thomas Cook travelers cheques. The State Bank of India, near the Hotel Surya in the Cantonment area, changes money. The Bank of Baroda (credit cards only) and the Andhra Bank, both on Dasaswamedha Rd, do cash advances on major credit cards. The Shanti Guest House changes money at a rate slightly lower than the bank. They change most types of travelers cheques and most foreign currencies.

Shopping
Varanasi is a good place to buy silks. You have to be careful, as many items sold as silk are not pure silk. It is also a good place to get musical instruments. People will come up to you and invite you to their house, which actually means to someone’s shop.

Temple Bazaar, near the Visvanath Temple, is a good place to get silk items. This is one of the busiest and most interesting bazaars in India.
The government managed Handloom House, D64/132K Sigra, is a reliable place to purchase silks.

Imtiyaz Ali, Siddh Giri Bagh, located near a mosque, makes good tablas. To get here you go down about three roads from Godaulia Crossing (going away from Dasasvamedha Ghat) and then make a right and go about 1km. Triveni Music Centre (328-074), Keval Gali in Godaulia, near the Baba Restaurant, sells good musical instruments.

Book Shops & Books
Universal Book Shop in Godaulia is one of the better bookshops in India and has a good selection. Nearby Indica Books, D 40/18 Godaulia, has an excellent selection of spiritual and other books and the people who manage it are very helpful. Ashok Hotel has a good book shop.

Benares: City of Light by Diana Eck, a professor at Harvard, is a good, detailed book which describes the temples and ghats in Varanasi.

OLD CITY

Visvanath Temple (Golden Temple)
This present temple dedicated to Lord Siva was built by Rani Ahalyabai Holkar of Indore in 1776. Aurangzeb destroyed the old temple in 1669. It is called the Golden Temple because of the 800 kg of gold plating put on the sikharas (roof over the altar) by Maharana Ranjeet Singh of Lahore in 1835. The Siva-linga of Visvanath is on a golden altar. There has been a Siva temple at this site for over 1,000 years. Beside the Siva-linga, there are several other shrines. To the left as one enters the temple is a Deity of Vishnu, who is supposed to be worshiped along with Visvanath. Non-Hindus (non-Indians) are not allowed in the temple, and this is strictly enforced.

Behind the temple is the Jnana Vapi (Gyan Kupor), or the Wisdom Well, which is said to be the liquid form of enlightenment. It is said to have been in Varanasi before the Ganges came to this earth. Pilgrims give their sankalpa, or statement of intent, here before beginning their pancha-tirtha yatra.

Non-Hindus can look inside the temple through a hole in the wall, in the alley between the front of the temple and the Jnana Vapi. From this hole you can get a good view of the Siva-linga and what is happening in the temple.

You can see the roof of the temple from the roof of the Trimurti Guest House or from some shops upstairs opposite the temple for Rs 10.

Jnana Vapi and Razia’s Mosques
Next to the temple is the Jnana Vapi Mosque. This mosque was built from the material taken from destroyed Hindu temples. In the back of the mosque you can see the remains of the temples. It has very high minarets.

The 13th century Razia’s Mosque is north of here. It was built during the period of the Delhi Sultanate, and is located where a previous Visvanath temple used to stand.

Old City Area Temples
A major temple, dedicated to Annapurna, is located in the same alley as the Visvanath Temple. Anna means “food,” and purna means “who fills.” There is a Food Festival here in Oct/Nov.

Nearby is a black deity of Shani (Saturn) covered with silver. People worship at this temple, especially on Saturday, to free themselves of the bad effects of Saturn. Astrologically the effects of Saturn usually bring misfortune.

Dhundhiraj Ganesh is a small important Ganesh temple on Visvanath Lane, about a five-minute walk from the Visvanath Temple.

Sakshi Vinayaka is a Ganesh deity. Sakshi means “the witness.” After finishing the Panch Kosi circuit, pilgrims come before this deity so that Ganesh can witness the completion of their pilgrimage.

When pilgrims visit Varanasi they register their arrival at the Bhairava Temple. This temple is located near the intersection of Chauli Rd and Kabir Chaura Rd, near the Godaulia area. Bhairava is known as the policemen-magistrate and protector of the city. Bhairava is the terrifying aspect of Lord Siva, who chopped off the fifth head of Brahma. As punishment for doing this the head stuck to the hand of Bhairava and stayed there for years. It did not fall off until he reached Varanasi. Bhairava then became responsible for making sure that the residents of Varanasi live righteous lives. Nearby is the Bare Ganesh Temple, which is one of the main Ganesh temples in Varanasi.

Durga Temple
These two temples are both located in the southern part of town, between Asi Ghat and Benares Hindu University. The Durga Temple was built in the 18th century by a Bengali king and has many aggressive monkeys. Durga is the intense form of Lord Siva’s consort Parvati. Non-Hindu can enter the courtyard but are not supposed to enter the inner sanctum.

Sankat Mochan Temple
The Sankat Mochan Temple is dedicated to Hanuman, the “Liberator from Troubles.” Many people consider this to be one of the three major temples in Varanasi.

Benares Hindu University & Museum
This university was established at the beginning of the century and is famous for having an excellent Sanskrit school. It has over 150,000 rare manuscripts. It is about 11km from the center of the city, a 20-minute auto-rickshaw ride away.
It has one of the best museums in India, the Bharat Kala Bhavan Museum, which has ancient sculptures and deities in it. The museum has various sections—bronze and cast metal, terracotta, and stone sculptures. There is also a painting gallery that contains a big statue of Krishna holding Govardhan Hill, dating from the fourth century. There are also two 18th century paintings on the same subject. Open 11 am to 4 pm, July to April, and 7.30 am to 12.30 pm in May and June. Closed on Sunday. Admission is Rs 100. Rs for a camera.

New Visvanath Temple
The New Visvanath Temple is a beautiful marble temple located on the grounds of Benares Hindu University. It was planned by Pandit Malaviya and built in 1966 by the Birla Family. It is open to everyone. Inside the temple is a Siva-linga. The temple is supposed to be a replica of the original Visvanath temple that Aurangzeb destroyed.
Open 4 am to noon and 1 to 9 pm. It is a 30-minute auto-rickshaw ride (Rs 30) from the old city.

Tulasi Manas Temple
This is a modern, marble, sikhara-type temple dedicated to Tulasi Das, who wrote the Ram-charit Manas, the Hindi translation of the famous Ramayana. He lived in Varanasi when he wrote it. It was built in 1964. On the walls of the temple are verses and pictures from the Ramayana. There is a diorama exhibit on the 2nd floor. Open 5.30 am to noon and 3.30 to 9 pm.

Bharat Mata Temple
This temple is dedicated to Bharat Mata which means “Mother India.” Bharat is the Hindi word for India. Inside the temple is a marble relief map of India. Mahatma Gandhi opened the temple.

Ramnagar Fort
South of the city, across the river, is the interesting 17th century Ramnagar Fort. It was built by Maharaja Balwant Singh and is the former home of the Maharaja of Varanasi. The Royal Museum, in the fort, displays arms, decorated palanquins, gold-plated elephant howdahs, and outfits of former Maharajas of Varanasi. There is a temple dedicated to Veda Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata, in the Ramnagar Fort. It is said that Veda Vyasa stayed at Ramnagar for a short time. Open daily except Friday 9 am to noon and 2 to 5 pm. It is reached by a pontoon bridge, and during the monsoon you cross the river by ferry.

Entertainment and Music
At Nagari Natak Mandali there are classical concerts.

At the International Music Centre Ashram, near Dasaswamedha Ghat, there are classical music performances on Wed and Sat at 8 pm. You can take private sitar and tabla lessons here for Rs 75 per hour.

Clark’s Cultural Program, Raja Ghat, has an evening program which begins with a Ganga arati (worship), and then has drama from the Ramayana, music, and folk and classical dance for $10 (5.30 to 8.30 pm). The program can be reserved at the Clark Varanasi (348-501; fax 348-186).

Triveni Music Centre, Kevl Gali in Godaulia, near the Baba Restaurant, is a good place to take sitar and tabla lessons.

Festivals
During the month of April pilgrims perform circumambulation of Kashi Dharmaksetra (Varanasi). Ganga Dasara, in May, celebrates the day the Ganges reached Haridwar. In Oct/Nov, Nagna­thaiya at Tulasi Ghat reenacts Krishna dancing on the head of the Kaliya snake in the Yamuna.

Bharat Milap at Nati Imli is the celebration of the meeting of Rama and Bharata after 14 years of separation. The Maharaja of Varanasi attends this interesting festival and rides on the back of an elephant. Ram Lila, at Ramnagar Fort in Sept/Oct, is a festive program during which the Ramayana is staged.

Chitrakut (Citrakoot)


Lord Rama and Sita are said to have stayed in the forest here for 11 years of their 14 year exile. Chitra literally means “beautiful” and kut means “mountain.” Chitrakut is by the border of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, 132km south of Allahabad.

It is a nice peaceful place to stop for a day or two while going between Khajuraho and either Allahabad or Varanasi via Satna. This town is one of the nicer towns in India.

Bharata, the brother of Rama, came to Chitrakut and begged Rama to return to Ayodhya, but Rama would not disobey his father’s order. Rama stayed on Kamadgiri, which means “the hill that can fulfill all desires.”

Nearby lived the sage Atri and his wife Anusuya. Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva are said to have taken incarnations here. It is said that Anusuya made the Ganges appear as the Mandakini River, because holy water was needed for her husband’s penance. Lord Rama would bathe daily in that river. Sita’s footprints are said to be embedded in the rocks at Janaki Kund, where she took bath.

There are over 30 temples in the town, and there are bathing ghats along the Mandakini River (also called Payasvini or Paisuni River).

Chitrakut is a peaceful place and is untouched by the foreign tourist trail. It is relatively hassle-free. On a major festival day over 100,000 people come to Chitrakut. Villagers mainly visit this place for the day. Every day bus loads of pilgrims come here.

Information
The UP Tourist Office, next to the UP Tourist Bungalow, has no literature about Chitrakut in English, but they can be a little helpful. You can get useful tourist information at the Madhya Pradesh Tourist Bungalow and a brochure in English about the sites in the area.

Seeing the Sites
The central part of town is the Ramghat area by the Madhya Pradesh Tourist Bungalow. You can see the town in three sections. One is the Ramghat area. Then you can take an auto-rickshaw to both Hanuman Dhara and Kamadgiri Hill. In the morning there are buses leaving every half-hour on Char Dhama that goes to Janaki Kund, Sati Anusuya, Sphatik Shila, and Gupta Godavari. You get the bus about a hundred metres from the Madhya Pradesh Tourist Hotel. Ask for the Char Dhama bus, which costs about Rs 25. Buses also go to Hanuman Dhara. You can also hire a jeep to take you to all these places.

Ramghat
Ramghat, the main bathing ghat in town, is located in the center of Chitrakut, on the banks of the Mandakini River. It is a peaceful ghat where you can take a tranquil boat ride for around Rs 20 for a half-hour.

Kamadgiri Hill
Kamadgiri Hill (Old Chitrakut) is a forest-covered hill that is surrounded by a 5km parikrama path, with temples all the way around the hill. Every day many people walk around the hill barefoot. Rama is said to have lived here. One of the major temples here is the Shree Kamatanath Temple. The Bharat Milap Temple is located on the back side of the hill. It marks the spot where Bharat, the brother of Rama, is said to have tried to convince Rama to return to Ayodhya, to be the king.

Right after you past the Bharat Milap Temple there is a path that leads to Laksman Pahadi. On this hill, Laksman is said to have maintained guard for Rama and Sita. There is a Laksman Temple on top of the hill.

Janaki Kund
This is a peaceful place, located 2km upstream from Ramghat on the bank of the Mandakini River. Sita, who is also known as Janaki, the daughter of Janaka, is said to have bathed here. The Rama Janaki Raghuveer Temple is situated here. There is also the Sankat Mochan Hanuman deity here. You can reach this place by road or by a 2km boat ride from Ramghat.

Sphatik Shila
Sphatik Shila is a few km upstream from Janaki Kund, on the bank of the Mandakini River. There is a boulder here that is supposed to have the footprints of Rama on it. Sita was also supposed to have been pecked by Jayant, who was in the form of crow, while standing on this boulder.

Sati Anusuya
Sati Anusuya is upstream from Janaki Kund, about 16km from the center of town. It is said that at this place Atri Muni and his wife, Anusuya, had their ashram with their three sons, who were incarnations of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva.

There is a temple here that has a deity of Anusuya swinging her three babies. There are also nice dioramas (statues), which tell the story of Atri Muni and Anusuya, but the captions are just in Hindi. There are many hungry monkeys at this place who will grab anything they see to eat.

Gupta Godavari
Gupta Godavari is about 18km from the town. Located here are two caves. One is wide and high and has an entrance that is hard to enter. At the end of this cave is a small pond, which is said to be the same as the Godavari River. The other cave is long and narrow with water in it. Rama and his brother, Laksman, are said to have held court at the end of the cave.

Hanuman Dhara
There is a spring several hundred feet up the hillside, on the rock-face, that is said to have been made by Rama to relieve Hanuman when he returned after setting Lanka on fire. It is a hard walk up the hill, which has many monkeys on it. The Panch Mukhi (five-headed) Hanuman Dhara deity is on this hill. You get a great view of the town of Chitrakut from here. Sita Rasoi (the kitchen of Sita) is on top of the hill here.

Bharata Koop
This is where Bharata, the brother of Rama, is said to have stored water collected from all the pilgrimage places in India. It is at an isolated place, about a half hour from town.

Where to Stay
Annapurna Hotel, by Ramghat, has simple rooms for Rs 75/100 a night.
Yatrika, outside of town by Janaki Kund, has simple rooms for about the same price.
There are many simple cheap dharamshalas in town such as the Pramod Van Dharamshala. Many do not have beds.
Madhya Pradesh Tourist Hotel (0519768/326), by the Satna bus stand, near Ram Ghat, is the best place to stay. Rooms are Rs 250/350. It is centrally located and quiet.
UP Tourist Bungalow (0519768/224-219), Karbi Rd, Sitapur, has rooms for Rs 350/450 and dorm beds for Rs 70.
Shree Kamadgiri Bhawan, on Ratnavali Marg, between the two tourist bungalows, is a nice place that has rooms with common bath for up to three people for Rs 125 and Rs 250 with attached bath.
Jaipuriya Hotel is a good place with rooms for about Rs 250.

Where to Eat
Being a holy place, no meat, fish, or eggs are sold in Chitrakut. There are restaurants at both the Madhya Pradesh and UP Tourist Bungalows.

Shree Kamadgiri Bhawan has thalis for Rs 20.
Jaipuriya Hotel has a restaurant, as does the Annapurna Hotel.

When I went to Chitrakut there was no bottled water or cold drinks sold there. I asked the hotel manager where I was staying to have water boiled for drinking.

Travel
Air The nearest airports are Khajuraho (175km) and Varanasi (260km). Neither is very easy to reach.

Train The closest train station is at Chitrakoot (Chitrakut) Dhama Karvi on the Jhansi-Manikpur main line about 10km from Chitrakut. From there you can get a train to Allahabad, Delhi, Luck­now, Mathura and Varanasi. There is a 12.30 am train that goes to Allahabad and then onto Varanasi arriving in the morning. The Mahakosal Exp #1449 departs to Delhi (14 hr) via Mathura (11 hr) and Agra in the afternoon. The Mahakosal Exp #1450 departs from Mathura to Chitrakut.

Bus There are many buses going to Chitrakut from places in the area, including Allahabad, Satna, Mahoba, and Jhansi. The bus stand for some buses going north is located next to the UP Tourist Bungalow, slightly north of town.
In Allahabad the buses to Chitrakut depart from the Zero Road bus station. In the morning you can get direct luxury buses from private companies in the Zero Road area.

Fatehpur Sikri

Population: 30,000
Phone Code: 05619

This was the temporary capital of Emperor Akbar, of the Mughal Empire, between 1570 to 1586. It is a perfectly preserved deserted city. It is 40km west of Agra and is a popular and interesting place. Emperor Akbar was emperor from 1556 to 1605. Despite having three wives, he was unable to have a son. He came to the city of Sikri and met the Sufi mystic called Sheikh Salim Chishti. Salim told the Emperor that he would have at least three sons. A year later, the first son was born. In gratitude, Akbar named the son Salim (later known as Jahangir), after the saint and he also moved his capital here. Two more sons were later born.

Fatehpur Sikri was the capital of the Mughal Empire for fifteen years. It was then moved back to Agra. It is believed that it was deserted because of lack of water, but the exact reason is unknown. What is left are a perfectly preserved old palace area, and an impressive mosque. It was not rediscovered until the 19th century.

Most people visit Fatehpur Sikri on a day trip from Agra. It can also be visited while traveling between Jaipur or Bharatpur and Agra.

Information
If you arrive by car, when you reach the entrance gate for Fatehpur Sikri each passenger in the car is charged a Rs 5 fee. If you arrive by bus or train, the palace area is about a 5-minute walk up the hill.

There is a bank near the bus stand, but as it may be difficult to change money there. It is best to exchange your money before you get here.
In many cases no one really knows what many of the buildings that are located in the palace are. So you can expect the guides to make up stories, which are often still interesting. As it is a little difficult to find your way around, especially if you are in a hurry, a guide can be useful. You should not pay more than Rs 100.

The tour buses stop only for an hour here.

Warning Be careful of the unofficial guides that will meet you in front of the mosque. These guides may give you a good tour of the mosque, which takes about 10 minutes, but they are not allowed to enter the Palace area, which is where most of the sites are located. You should make sure you get one of the government authorized guides, who are also much more professional and knowledgeable. The unofficial guides will also try to get you to go into a handicraft shop, where they get a big commission. The licensed guides mainly hang out near the ticket office near the palace area.

Jami Mosque
Jami Mosque is one of the biggest mosques in India. It is also known as Dargah Mosque. Buland Darwaza is the main gate to the Mosque. It is 40m (132 ft) high and is on a 12m (36 ft) high base, which makes it the highest gate in Asia. The gate was added after Akbar’s victories in Gujarat in 1576. When you go through the gate you have to take off your shoes. You may also go through the Badshahi Darwaza gate (Kings gate). This gate was used by Akbar.

In the middle of the courtyard (to the north) is the Tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti, the Muslim Sufi saint who predicted the birth of Akbar’s sons. It was built in 1570. The tomb is made of red sandstone faced by marble and has very beautiful lattice screens. Women who do not have a son hang a thread on the marble latticework screens (jalis). A friend of mine did this and was soon pregnant—with a daughter. The latticework screens are some of the best that you will see in India. Qawwali singers sometimes sing. During Ramadan, qawwali singers come from all over the country. The tomb of the grandson of Salim Chishti, Islam Khan, is also within the courtyard.

Outside the Buland Darwaza is an old, deep well. Outside the mosque is the small Stone-cutters’ Mosque. The cave of Salim Chishti is said to have been located near here. Beside it is a hammam (Turkish bath) and the Hakim’s House (Doctor’s House).

Palace Area
The ticket office is northeast of the mosque (open daily 6 am to 5.30 pm; Admission is Rs 25 for Indianas and Rs 250 for Foreigners. Video camera Rs 25). There is a stone panel in front of each structure, which identifies what it is supposed to be. Official Guide charge around Rs 100.

After entering the enclosure, the first building on the left is known as the Jodh Bai’s Palace. Jodh Bai was the Hindu mother of Jahangir and the daughter of the Maharaja of Jaipur (Amber). This large palace is a blend of Muslim and Hindu architecture. It has a large courtyard, which surrounds a central garden. A tower, the Hawa Mahal (“Wind Palace”), is totally made of stone latticework.

Northeast of Jodh Bai’s Palace is Birbal’s Bhavan Palace, which is believed to have been built either for or by Raja Birbal, Akbar’s favorite courtier. He was killed, along with most of his army, near Peshawar in 1586. It also is believed to be where one of the queens of Akbar lived. Near this palace is the Lower Haramsara, which is believed to be either where the maids of the palace lived or it might have been a huge stable, which held over 200 elephants and horses.

Northeast of Jodh Bai’s Palace is the small Mariam’s Palace, which has ancient, but very faded, wall paintings. It is believed to have been used by Akbar’s Goan Christian wife, who was named Mariam.

The Panch Mahal is a five-storey structure supported by columns. The ground floor has 84 columns, none of them are the same, and the top floor has four. There is a good view from on top of the Panch Mahal, if it is open.

As you face the main enclosure, from the Panch Mahal, to your left is the Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience). This is where Emperor Akbar would meet with important visitors and do private business. It appears to be a two-storey building, but once you go inside you see that it is one-storey, with a stone column in the middle, and a throne on top. Thin stone bridges come out from the column meeting the corners of the room. It is believe that the emperor would have religious discussions here.

Next to the Diwan-i-Khas is the Treasury. The building is also known as Ankh Michauli, which means “hide and seek”, and it is believed that the emperor played here with the ladies of the court. It is also believed that it held the royal treasury. This is believed because of the carvings of sea monsters, who are said to protect the treasures of the ocean.

At the northeastern end of the courtyard is the Diwan-i-Am. This is the public audience hall, where the Emperor would deal with the public. The emperor’s throne was located between two sandstone slates. Next to the Diwan-i-Am is the Pachisi Courtyard. It is believed that Akbar would play the game of pachisi using live girls as pieces.

In the southeast corner of the courtyard is the well-carved Turkish Rumi Sultana Palace. Next to it is what might be a banquet hall. At the south end of the courtyard is the Diwan Khana-i-Khas, where Akbar is believed to have lived and slept.

To the northeast of the palace enclosure is the Royal Mint. A little further northeast is the Naubat

Khana (Drum House), where the entrance of the Emperor was signaled by the playing of musicians.

Northwest of the palace enclosure is the Karawan Serai or Caravanserai, which has a large courtyard surrounded by rooms. Past this building is the Hiran Minar (Deer Minaret). This is a 21m high tower, which has elephant tusks protruding from it. The flat area of land near the tower used to be a lake.

Where to Stay
Archaeological Survey Rest House is a very cheap place to stay. Rooms are just Rs 30. You have to book it in advance at the Archaeological Survey of India (0562 236-3506), 22 The Mall, Agra.
Shree Tourist Guest House (882276), Dargah Gali, near the bus stand, is a basic place with six clean rooms starting at Rs 125/150 and Rs 175 with air-cooling.
Maurya Rest House (882348), Buland Darwaza, has basic rooms with common bath for Rs 150/175 and with bath for Rs 255. It is well-managed by a nice family. They serve meals here. It is the best budget place in town.
The UP government-run Gulistan Tourist Complex (288-2490), Agra Rd, is a comfortable mid-range place with rooms for Rs 500/600 and Rs 850/950 for an A/C room. There is a Rs 100 discount from April to Sept. It is built around a courtyard and it has a restaurant. It is a pleasant place in a peaceful location.
The new Govardhan Tourist Complex (288-2643) has air-cooled rooms with bath and bucket hot water for Rs 350. Dorm beds are Rs 120.
Kallu Hotel, near the Buland Darwaza gate, serves thalis for Rs 40.

Travel
It is easy to make a day trip to here from Agra. You can get a bus from Agra’s Idgah bus station to here, which takes about an hour (every 30-min, from 6 am to 7 pm, Rs 15). There are also buses to Bharatpur (every half-hour, 17km, 1 hr), Mathura, and a few buses to Jaipur. An auto-rickshaw to Bharatpur takes a half-hour (Rs 50). You could spend the day in Fatehpur Sikri and then head to Bharatpur. If you have bags you can leave them at the bus station restaurant. Three or four trains a day come here from the Agra Fort railway station (1 hr) (5.30 am, 11 am and 4 pm). Tour buses stop for only an hour, which is not enough time to see the place at a leisurely pace.

Gorakhpur


Pop: 625,000 Area Code: 0551

One may come here because it is the closest major rail junction to the Nepal border, or it may be used as a base to go to Kushinagar (53km), where Buddha left his body. Gorakhpur is named after a Shaivite yogi, Gorakhnath, and there is the Gorakhnath Temple dedicated to him about a few km northwest of the center of town. It is also known as the home of Geeta Press, which is a huge publisher of Hindu religious literature.

Gorakhpur is 230km north of Varanasi. It is a totally uninteresting city and most people will want to leave it as soon as they arrive.

Information
There are Tourist Offices (233-5450) at 7 Park Rd (335-450), and at the railway station.

You can change money at the State Bank of India on Bank Rd.

There is a post office inside the railway station, tothe left of the entrance.

Internet at places on Cinema Rd, such as Internet Club, which has fast connections for Rs 25 per hr.

Car rental from India Tours and Travel (220-3201), accross from the railway station in the Ellora Building.

Where to Stay
To catch the 5 am bus to Sunauli it is convenient to stay at a hotel across from the railway station. Usually places here are 24-hour check-out.

The Retiring Rooms at the station have dorm beds for Rs 75, standard rooms for Rs 155/225, and A/C room for Rs 300/400.
Modern Hotel Raj and Hotel Gupta both have very basic rooms with bath for about Rs 150/200.
Hotel Raj (233-6759), Station Rd, has air-cooled rooms for Rs 300.
Hotel Siddhartha (233-4976) has rooms for Rs 225/275 and Rs 450/500 with A/C. 24-hour checkout. Ask to see a few rooms before choosing one, as they are different.
Elora (220-0647), Station Rd, is one of the better hotels by the railway station. It has rooms for Rs 125/175 with bath and TV and Rs 400/500 with A/C. The rooms in the back are relatively quiet. 24-hour checkout.
Standard Hotel (233-6439), Station Rd, has rooms for Rs 225/275. It is one of the best budget places
Ganges (233-3530), Tarang Cinema Crossing, has modern comfortable rooms. It is one of the best hotels in town and it has good restaurants. It is a well-managed, recommended place.
Upvan (233-6503), Nepal Rd, near the Bobina Hotel, is a well-managed good place with clean rooms.
Shalimar (233-7502), Ghosh Company Chowkha, is a very good-value budget place in the center of town.
Hotel Yark Inn (233-8233), MP Building, Golghar, is a well-managed place with rooms with bath for Rs 150/200 and with A/C for Rs 550/600.
Hotel Marina (233-7630), in the center of town, is a good place with good-sized, clean rooms for Rs 350/400 and Rs 600 for a room with A/C and TV. 24-hour checkout.
Nearby is the Hotel President (233-7654), Golghar area, off the main road. A room with bath and TV is Rs 550/650 and Rs 750/850 with A/C. 24-hour checkout. Of these two places the Hotel Marina is a better value, with almost similar rooms.

Where to Eat
Ganesh Restaurant is a recommended vegetarian South Indian place with good food.
Queen’s Restaurant in the Hotel President is one of the best places in town. It is open until 11 pm.
Bobi’s at the Ambar Hotel in the center of town, is a decent place, which serves meals, baked goods and ice cream.
The restaurant in the Ganges Hotel is good.

Travel
Train Gorakhpur is an important railway junction. Trains to Delhi are the Vaishali Exp #2553 (5.40 pm, 14½ hr, 780km) via Lucknow (5 hr, 278km) and the Barauni-Amritsar Exp #5207 (12.45 pm, 17 hr). There are four trains daily to Varanasi that take between 6 and 9 hours. To Mumbai is the Dadar Exp #1028 (via Allahabad and Varanasi, 4.30 am, 35 hr) and the Kushinagar Exp #1016 (7 pm, 30 hr). There is a 1.30 pm train to Agra, which arrives at Agra Fort Station the next morning. Calcutta Howrah Bagh Exp #3020 (1.15 pm, 23 hr).

It is easier and faster to take a bus to Sunauli than to take the train. An Indrail Pass can be purchased at the railway station with foreign currency.

Bus There are three bus stands in Gorakhpur. From the bus stand near the railway station (three minute walk from the station) there are regular buses to the border town of Sunauli (3 hr, Rs 35). To guarantee getting a morning bus to Kathmandu or Pokhara you have to get a bus before 6 am from Gorakh­pur. Private buses to Sunauli leave from in front of the train station.

Travel agents offer through buses to Kathmandu. You still have to change buses at the border, and it is cheaper and more reliable to do it yourself.
Be careful of the ticket touts (commission agents) at the train and bus stations. Their through tickets to Kathmandu are not always reliable and cost two to four times more than doing it yourself. Also you are stuck with what they arrange for you, rather than going at your own pace and arranging it yourself, which is easily done. There is absolutely no reason to buy a bus ticket to Kathmandu from them. They are usually total rip-offs. During the high seasons, however, they can be useful to get you a hard-to-get train ticket and to change Nepali rupees.

The buses to Kushinagar (1½ hr, every 30 min, Rs 20) depart from the bus stand by the train station.

Some buses to Varanasi (6½ hr, Rs 75) and all the buses to Lucknow (7 hr, Rs 90), Patna (Rs 90), and Faizabad (3 hr, Rs 40) leave from the Katchari bus stand, 1km south of the train station. The main bus stand for Varanasi (6½ hr) is at Pedlleyganj, 2km southeast of the train station.

Lucknow
Pop: 1,900,000
Phone Code: 0522
Postcode 226001

Lucknow is the capital of Uttar Pradesh. It used to be the capital city of the Nawabs of Oudh (Avadh), who were Muslim rulers who controlled a part of north-central India after the decline of the Mughal Empire, for about a century from 1724 to 1856. Most of the important monuments are from that period.

In 1856 the British annexed Oudh, exiling the then Nawab Wajid Ali Shah with an annual pension of 120,000 pounds. The annexation was one of the reasons for the Indian Uprising in 1857, in which the British residents held out in the Residency. After 87 days Sir Henry Havelock broke through to relieve the besieged British, only to be surrounded again for two more months. The hole-marked ruins of the Residency and the mausoleums of the Nawabs, are interesting tourist sites.

Getting Your Bearings
Lucknow Junction railway station is in the southwest part of the city. In the center of the city is the Hazratganj area, where most of the hotels and the main shopping area are located. Most of the interesting monuments are in the northwestern part of the city, near the Gomti River.

Tourist Office and Tours
The Tourist Office (263-8105), 10/4 Station Rd, is down an alley, opposite the Hotel Kohinoor (daily except Sun 10 am to 5 pm).

You can get tourist information at the Hotel Gomti from UP Tours (221-2659), which runs a half-day tour (Rs 75) of the city starting at 9.30 am. They pick up passengers at the railway station and certain hotels. There is a helpful tourist counter at the Charbagh railway station.

GMVN (387-349), 432/4 New Civil Lines, Old Hyderabad, gives information about, and organizes tours to, the Garhwal mountain area of UP. KMVN (235-903), 2 Gopal Keral House, Sarojini Naidu Marg, gives information about, and organizes tours to, the Kumaon mountain area of UP.

Information


Hollywood Travels 9220-1362) does Westen Union.

Universal Bookseller, 82 Hazratganj, and the British Bookshop, opposite Universal, are decent bookshops. Ram Advani, near the Mayfair Cinema, is a good book shop.

The British Council Library (242-144), near the Mayfair Cinema in Hazratganj, is open Tue to Sat 10.30 am to 6.30 pm.

Foreigners’ Registration Office (280-635), 5th Floor, Jawaharlal Bhavan, Ashok Marg. They may extend a 3 month visa to 6 months.

Internet at Cybernet Internet Cafe, off MG Rd for Rs 25 per hours (10 am to 10 pm). Meeting Point Internet Cafe, Sapru Marg, near the Ritz Continental offers Internet for Rs 25 per hour (9 am to 8 pm).

Money
The State Bank of India, Ashok Marg, in Hazratganj, and also a branch on Moti Mahal Marg, change money. Punjab National Bank, Ashok Marg, Hazratganj. Bank of Baroda, MG Rd.

The ICIC and HDFC banks on Mahatma Gandhi (MG) Rd, Hazratganj, have ATM machines. The HDFC banks takes Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus and American Express.

Canara Bank exchanges AMEX travellers checks. Mayfair Airtravel Services (226-534), MG Raod changes most currencies and travellers checks..

The Residency
The Residency, built for the British residents in 1800, is where some of the most dramatic events of the “Indian Uprising of 1857” took place. It is a group of ruined buildings in a secluded park.

In June of 1857 Indian soldiers in the East India Company’s army revolted and besieged the Lucknow British community and some loyal Indians. The Residency, which was the stone mansion of the East Indian Company’s agent in Avadh was where about 3,000 men, women and children were trapped. After 87 days Sir Henry Havelock came to rescue the people trapped in the Residency, but he and his troops also got trapped inside. A month and a half later, Sir Colin Campbell came and broke the siege on November 17, 1857. Only about 980 of the original people trapped in the Residency survived. The Residency has been kept the same as when the final relief came. Cannon shots scar the walls.

You enter the park where the Residency is located through Baillie Gate. You then pass some buildings that were used as hospitals and armories during the siege. After a few minutes walk you come to the Residency building. In front of it is a monument to Sir Henry Lawrence, who got all the British together in the Residency. He was killed four days later. In the cellars you can see where many of the women and children lived.

In the Model Gallery is a miniature version of the complex. There are also weapons and old prints. The Indian Martyrs’ Memorial, directly opposite the Residency, honors the Indian soldiers who died in the siege.

There is a cemetery where 2,000 men, women, and children were buried during the siege. It is located down near the river.

The museum is open daily from 9 am to 5.30 pm; admission Rs 2 except on Friday when it is free. Single women should be careful while walking around the park.

Entry fee is Rs 300 for foreigners and free for Indians.

Bara (Big) Imambara Area
Construction of the Bara Imambara was started as a famine relief project during the great famine by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula in 1784. An imambara is a replica of a tomb of one of the imams, descendants of Muhammad, who are revered by Shi’ite Muslims. Bara means “big.” This place is noted for its huge size. The central hall is 50m long, 15m wide and 15m high and has domes and arches in it. It is one of the largest vaulted chambers (without supporting pillars) in the world.

The upper floors are known as the Bhulbhulaiya, which is a maze-like labyrinth that covers several floors. There is a rule that couples must take the services of a guide. It has formal gardens. It is open daily except during Muharram 8 am to 6.30 pm. There is a Rs 10 fee to enter the Bhulbhulaiya, which also gets you into the Picture Gallery, Rumi Darwaza, the bauli and Shahihammam.

To the right of the entrance gate of the Imambara is the large Asaf-ud-Daula’s Mosque built by Asaf-ud-Daula. It is closed to non-Muslims. Across from the mosque is the bauli, which is an old step-well, which is surrounded by a five-storey tower. The ticket to the Bhulbhulaiya allows you to enter.

On the street next to the entrance to the Bara Imambara is Rumi Darwaza, which is a large gate built by Asaf-ud-Daula. There is a good view of the Gomti River from on top of it. It is supposed to be a replica of the Sublime Porte gate in Istanbul. The Bhulbhulaiya ticket allows you to enter and climb to the top of it.

If you go through the Rumi Darwaza Gate, you then come to the Husainabad Clock Tower, which at 67m is the tallest clock tower in India. Next to the clock tower is the Husainabad Tank. Next to the tank is the summer house (baradari) built by Ali Shah. Inside is a Picture Gallery, which has portraits of the Nawabs of Avadh. Open Mon to Sat 7 am to 7 pm. The Bara Imambara ticket gets you in. Entry fee is Rs 10.

Chota (Small) Imambara
It is also known as the Husainabad Imambara. It was built by Nawab Muhammad Ali Shah in 1837 as a famine relief project as his mausoleum. Muhammad Ali Shah and his mother are buried inside the main building. It has a big gold dome and inside there are many glass chandeliers, mirrored walls, and a silver throne, which was used to read the Koran. Open 6 am to 5 pm.

In the large courtyard are attempted copies of the Taj Mahal on either side of the Imambara. One is the tomb of Muhammad Ali Shah’s daughter and the other is her husband’s. Each year during the Muharram festival the Chota Imambara is lit up.
The Satkhanda (Seven-Storey Tower) is a watchtower, across from the Chota Imambara. It is actually only four-storeys, because it wasn’t finished after Ali Shah died in 1840.

Jama Masjid and Area
Jama Masjid is the biggest mosque in Lucknow, but is closed to non-Muslims. You can come to the doorway and see its painted ceiling of fruits and leaf patterns. The construction of this mosque was begun by Muhammad Ali Shah and was finished after his death. This place is around the corner, west of the Chota Imambara.

Satsang Bhavan
This is a satsang hall (381-189; fax 388-578) maintained by some of his Western students of HWL Poonja (1910–1997), also known as Papaji. Poonjaji was a follower of Ramana Maharshi, who lived in Tiruvannamalai. Videotapes of Poonjaji’s satsangs are shown daily in the morning and evening. It is possible to visit Poonjaji’s house, which is located about 2km away.

There are several places to stay in the area and there is a good vegetarian restaurant on the roof of Satsang Bhavan. Satsang Bhavan is located in the Indira Nagar area, Sector A. If you takes a tempo here you go to Shalimar Crossing, from where Satsang Bhavan is a few minutes walk.

Holidays
During the Lucknow Festival (Nov 25 to Dec 5) there are parades, dance performances, classical music concerts, kathak dancing and ghazal.
Shi’ite Muharram is a major holiday here because Lucknow is a major Shi’ite city. Bara Imambara is the center for activities.

Where to Stay—Lower
Most of the hotels have 24 hour checkout. Many of the hotels near the railway station can be very noisy.


The railway Retiring Rooms are the best value in the station area. Dorm beds are Rs 75 and double rooms range from Rs 350 to Rs 550.
Mohan Hotel (263-5642), near the railway station, has a range of cheaper rooms priced from Rs 650/800 and dorm beds for Rs 150 and an A/C dorm bed is Rs 175. 24-hour checkout.
Hotel Mayur (245-1824), opposite the station, has rooms for Rs 400/450 and Rs 800 with A/C.
Hardik Guest House (272-817), 16 Rana Pratap Marg, has clean comfortable rooms for Rs 350/450. It is a good place.
On the way to the Hazratganj area from the station is the Deep Hotel (223-6521), which has rooms for Rs 300/350 and Rs 500/600 with A/C.
The nearby Hotel Raj is about the same.
Many of the cheaper hotels are in the Hazratganj area.
Chowdhury Lodge (224-1911), 3 Vidhan Sabha Marg, down an alley by the GPO, has clean rooms with bath for Rs 250/275, and a room with an air-cooler for Rs 325/400. It is a popular place, is quiet, and has good-valued, nice rooms. Some rooms don’t have windows. 24-hour checkout.
Hotel Ram-Krishna (223-8363), 17/2 Ashok Marg, has relatively clean, air-cooled rooms with hot water for Rs 400/450 and A/C rooms for Rs 800. 24-hour checkout.
Baba Tourist Lodge, by the Charbagh Railway Station, is a nice clean place with a range of cheaper rooms.
Capoor’s (222-3958; fax 222-0727; Email: capoors@yahoo.com), 52 MG Rd, in Hazratganj, has good rooms with bath for Rs 750/850, Rs 700 with air-cooling, and A/C rooms with TV for Rs 1200/1400. It is a suggested, older place with 24-hour checkout.
Ram-Krishna Guest House (223-8663), Park Rd, has air-cooled rooms for Rs 450 and with A/C for Rs 800.
Avadh Lodge (228-2861), 1 Ram Mohan Rai Marg, is an old place with a lot of atmosphere, but it is showing its age. It is in a quiet area of town. The rooms are Rs 400/500 and an A/C room is Rs 650/750.
The popular Hotel Elora (221-1307), in the center of town at 3 Lalbagh, has rooms for Rs 255/300 and Rs 400/500. It is a good value.

Where to Stay—Middle and High
UP Tourism Hotel Gomti (222-0624), 6 TB Sapru Marg, has large, clean, air-cooled rooms with hot water for Rs 950/1100 and A/C rooms for Rs 1000/1100.
Hotel Kohinoor (217-693), 6 Station Rd, a km from the railway station, has modern, pleasant, clean rooms for Rs 650/850 with A/C.
Charans Hotel (224-7212), 16 Vidhan Sabha Marg, is a mid-range place with a selection of rooms for Rs 600/700 and A/C rooms for Rs 800/900. Some rooms can be noisy.
Deep Avadh (268-4381; Email: deep@lw1.vsnl.net.in), Amina­bad Rd, close to the station, is a new, modern place with rooms for Rs 300/350 and A/C rooms for Rs 500/550. It has a good restaurant.
Carlton Hotel (222-4021; fax 222-9793; Email: carltonlko@rediffmail.com) Shah Najaf Rd, in the Hazratganj area, was once a palace and has a large relaxing garden. It is popular with foreigners and is often full. Rooms are Rs 1000/1100 and Rs 1600/1800 with A/C. It is a pleasant place to stay.
Arif Castles (221-1313; fax: 221-1360: Email: arifind@avadh.net), 4 Rana Pratap Marg, has comfortable rooms for Rs 1500/1700
Hotel Clarks Avadh (221-6500; fax 221-6507; email: clarks_lko@satyam.net.in), 8 Mahatma Gandhi Marg, is one of the best hotels in Lucknow. The rooms are Rs 4200/4500 and suites are Rs 9000. It does not have a pool. It has a very good restaurant
Taj Residency Hotel (239-3939; fax 239-2282; Web Site: http://www.tajhotels.com; Email: residency.lucknow@tajhotels.com, in Gomti Nagar, east of the downtown, has comfortable rooms for Rs 5300/6300. It is a newly built place with a pool and a nice garden. It has a restaurant serving very good Lucknow cuisine.
Gemini Continental (221-2155; Web Site: http://www.geminicontinental.com), 10 Rani Laximbai Mark, is a four-star place with comfortable modern rooms. Great views.

Where to Eat
Ritz Continental, by the Hotel Ram-Krishna, is a good vegetarian place that serves Indian food, Chinese, and pizza.
On the same road, right next to each other, at Vinay Palace, 11 Ashok Marg, are two high-class vegetarian restaurants, the Viranjan and Ruchika. Both of these places are very good.
Muman’s Royal Cafe, MG Rd, next to Capoor’s, has good Indian and Chinese food. The service is good. It is one of the best restaurants in the area.
Capoor’s Hotel, 52 MG Rd, in Hazratganj, has a good restaurant.
Indian Coffee House, MG Rd, is a friendly place serving snacks.
The rooftop Falaknuma, at the Hotel Clarks Avadh, has good Lucknow cuisine. There are good views from this restaurant.
Cheadi Lal Ramprasad Vaish, MG Rd, has good juices and ice cream
Spicy Bite, Tulsi Theatre Building, has pizzas and sandwiches.
Hong Kong, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Hazratganj, is a popular place with good Chinese food.
The Carlton Hotel has a good restaurant on the lawn.

Local Travel and Travel Agencies
A rickshaw from the railway station to Hazratganj should be about Rs 45. Tempos travel between fixed destinations for around Rs 5.

Some travel agencies are UP Tours (232-659), Hotel Gomti, 6 Sapru Marg; and Travel Corporation of India (227-773), 3 Shah Najaf Marg. You can rent a taxi for the day from UP Tours at the Hotel Gomti, and the Hotel Clarks Avadh. Tornos (380-610), C-2016 Indira Nagar, is an established travel agent.

Travel
Air The airport (225-6130) is 15km south of the downtown. A taxi to the airport cost Rs 200. The Indian Airlines office (224-0927, information 142; Airport: 436-327) is at the Hotel Clarks Avadh. Jet Airways (220-2026); Sahara (237-762).

There are flights to Delhi (4 daily, $125), Varanasi (1 daily, $70), Kolkata (Calcutta) (2 daily, $180), Patna (2 daily, $130) and Mumbai (2 daily, $275).

Train There are two main stations next to each other in the Charbagh area—Luck­now (259932) and Lucknow Junction. The Shatabdi Exp goes to Delhi (6½ hr) via Kanpur (1½ hr). There are regular trains to Delhi (7 to 9 hr). There are trains to Agra (8 hr), Gorakhpur (6 hr), Mumbai (30 hr), Calcutta (23 hr), Faizabad (3 hr), Allahabad (4½ hr), and Varanasi (7 hr). There are overnight trains xe "Lucknow" to Haridwar (13 hr) and Agra (7 hr).

Bus There are two bus stations—Kaiserbagh, which is in the center of town and Charbagh, which is near the railway stations.

From Kaiserbagh there are buses to Faizabad (for Ayodhya, 3 hr), Delhi (12 hr), Gorakhpur (7 hr), and Sunauli (11 hr). To get to Naimisaranya, you take a three-hour local bus from Kaiserbagh Bus Stand.

From the Charbagh station there are early morning and evening buses to Varanasi (9 hr) and Agra (10 hr). Buses also go to Allahabad (6 hr), and Kanpur (2 hr).

Sarnath
Phone Code 0542

Buddha gave a famous lecture, referred to as Dharmachakra, “Turning the Wheel of the Law,” here at Deer Park over 2,500 years ago. After years of meditation and austerities, Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya and then came here to Sarnath around 530 BC, where he delivered his first speech. Sarnath is a peaceful place located 10km northeast of Varanasi. It takes a couple of hours to see everything here and it is an interesting place.

Hiuen Tsang, from China, visited the site about 640 AD and described what was there then. There was a monastery that had 1,500 priests, a 60m (200 ft) high vihara, an Ashoka’s stone stupa, a 21m (70 ft) high stone pillar, a magnificent 90m (300 ft) high stupa, and many other monuments. Ashoka built impressive stupas and monasteries here. Muslim invaders destroyed many of the buildings and monuments. In 1836 the British started to excavate the area. Now most of the old monuments are in ruins and there is not much activity here.

There are several modern Buddhist monasteries here, but Bodh Gaya and Dharamsala are much better places to study Buddhism.

The post office is near the Tourist Bungalow.

Places to See
Most of the places to see here are in a peaceful garden area. Admission is Foreigner/Indians Rs $3/Rs 100; video Rs 25.

The Dhamekha Stupa is an imposing cylindrical tower 34m (112 ft) high. It dates back to the 5th or 6th century, and the last enlargement to it was supposed to be have been made in the 12th century. It is believed to mark the place of Lord Buddha’s sermon. Slightly to the west is the Ashoka Column, dating back to the 3rd century. The lion capital that was on top of the column is now in the Sarnath Museum.

The “main shrine” building dates from the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD. All that is left is the foundation. The Ashoka Column is in front of the main shrine. North of here is the excavated ruins of a Buddhists monastery, where there are four pillars that are said to mark the room where Buddha stayed.

The Dharmarajika Stupa, which is a short distance to the west of the Dhamekha Stupa, is attributed to Ashoka. In its core is a green marble casket containing pieces of human bone, decayed pearls, gold leaf, and other precious objects. It has been enlarged six times, the last time being in the 12th century.

The Digambara Jain temple, southwest of the Dhamekh Stupa, built in 1824, is said to be where Shreyanshnath, the 11th Jain tirthankara was born. Inside the temple are good frescoes, which depict the life of Mahavir, the founder of the present day Jain religion.

Archaeological Museum
Across the street from the main site is an interesting Archaeological Museum. It has many fine items from the Sarnath area, including a Lion Capital, which is an extremely valuable sculpture that was originally on the large Ashoka Pillar west of the Main Site. The Lion Capital is the state emblem of India. It is 2m (6½ ft) high with an elephant, lion, bull, and horse, each separated by a wheel at its base; above these are four lions looking outward. It is worth seeing.

There are sculptures dating back to the Mauryan, Gupta and Kushana periods. The museum also has deities, which date back to the 9th to 12th centuries.

There is a guidebook called Sarnath, by VS Agrawala, sold at the ticket office. At the ticket office you can also get books about some of the other archaeological sites in India. Open daily except Friday and government holidays, 10 am to 5 pm; admission Rs 2.

Buddhist Temples
The Mulagandhakuti Vihara is a modern temple built by the Mahabodhi Society in 1931. The silver casket in the temple is said to have the original relics of the Buddha in it. It was recovered from the ruins of the first century temple. The temple has interesting murals depicting the life story of Buddha. The murals were painted by a well-known Japanese artist, Kosetsu Nosu, in 1936. Outside the temple is a bo tree transplanted from Sri Lanka. It is said to be a descendant of the original tree under which Buddha sat when he attained enlightenment. There is a collection of rare Buddhist literature here. The temple is closed between 11.30 am and 1.30 pm.

There are five modern Buddhist temples. The Chinese Temple has a nice garden and the highly decorated Tibetan Temple, has a picture of the Dalai Lama on the altar. There are also Burmese, Japanese and Thai temples.

Festivals
The full moon day of Vaisakha (April-May) is observed as the anniversary of Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death. The full moon in the month of Asadh (July-August) is considered the anniversary of his first sermon.

Tours
A tour goes to Sarnath first and then Ramnagar Fort, if there is time, departing from Varanasi. Hours are 2.30 to 6.30 pm in the summer and 2 pm to 6 pm in the winter.

Where to Stay and Eat
UPTDC Tourist Bungalow (259-5965) has rooms with common bath for Rs 400/450 and Rs 750/800 with bath. There are also dorm beds for Rs 40. There is a tourist office and a restaurant here.

It is possible to stay at some of the monasteries, such as the pleasant, very basic Burmese Vihara. The basic Birla Rest House is near Mulagandhakuti Vihara.

Rangoli Garden Restaurant serves full meals and Anand is a basic South Indian place.

Travel
There are many buses from the Varanasi Junction railway station (Rs 4) and Varanasi’s Civil Court in the Cantonment (Rs 4). It costs Rs 45 to go the 20 minutes from Varanasi by auto-rickshaw. There are shared auto-rickshaws from the stand by the Civil Court and from the stands in the Godaulia or Lahurabir areas for Rs 10. Sphere: Related Content