MP Home - Fantasy in Stone

There isn’t perhaps a piece of architecture in the world that has shocked the daylights out of so many. Imagine this. Somewhere in the early 19th century when aircrafts did not exist and Victorian morality was at its peak, a middle-aged British officer, riding in upturned sleeves… with myth and hearsay as his map… searching for what he had been told is the most vivid representation of eastern mysticism, and seat of the secret cult of tantra..The ultimate discovery of the Orient... Khajuraho

Wild Madhya Pradesh

Varying climatic conditions and a unique geographical location have contributed towards the diversity and variety of the forms in India and have made the wildlife heritage well worth exploring. Kanha and Bandhavgarh, the wildlife sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh, provide the thrill and excitement of watching wildlife in its natural habitat.

Decline of wild life is a global phenomenon. Over population and the consequent pressure on land due to development have taken an increasingly heavy toll of the country's wilderness. This century alone has seen the extinction of several species of the magnificent wild life. Chief among these is the cheetah. Emperor Akbar used to maintain a contingent of a thousand cheetahs trained to hunt. The last three surviving cheetahs were spotted and shot dead at night in 1948, north of Bastar, Madhya Pradesh. The Tiger is also under threat. The growing awareness of the need for conservation of our wildlife has however resulted in setting up of a network of protected areas in the country.

Celebration in Stone: Mandu & Orchha, the historic towns of this state live their past in unused monuments, ballads and heightened sensibilities. The ruined architecture of Mandu evokes the romantic ambience of the poet prince Baz Bahadur serenading his beautiful queen Rani Roopmati. Read on...

Orchha, with the Betwa river flowing quietly by, has a medival quality to it, the 16th century palaces and temples built by the Bundela rulers seemingly suspended in time....

The incredibly evocative city of Gwalior, where stories of the times past roll by - you get goose pimples walking down the streets, so intense is the sense of historic here. Along with one of the most invincible forts in India, it is also home to the famed Gwalior gharan of music, of which Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is and illustrious torchholder. Read on.

Pleasant Surprise: Founded by the legendary Raja Bhoj, Bhopal produces an uninterested reaction in most; but a visit to the city changes perceptions very fast - Bhopal has a definite character, a certain lilt, and it has the lakes - Read on to discover this rather surprising city of Madhya Pradesh...

Religion: Madhya Pradesh is not just poetry in stone, a must visit for the lovers of history and medieval architecture - it is also important for the religiously inclined both the Hindus and the Buddhists. The jyotirlinga at Ujjain is syambhu, born of itself and as such believed to have divine powers. The island of Omkareshwar, shaped like the holy hindu symbol ‘OM’, has one of the twelve jyotirlingams which gives it al lot of significance in the eyes of the devout hindus. Sanchi has a lot of Buddhist construction by Ashoka, the great Buddhist king and as such scores more on history and archaeology...

Read on

India Guides