Impregnable Devagiri Fort! Never Defeated In Battle

One of the most formidable Forts in India, the Devagiri fort, has only one accessible approach which was fiercely and ruthlessly guarded during the medieval Deccan era. This invincible fort with the most complex and intricate defense system remained undefeated in battle. Legend has it that during the Devagiri period the Royal family challenged people to try and gain access to the fort and claim rewards. However, the reward was never claimed by anyone. Numerous attempts by Mughal invaders to conquer this fort resulted in failure and finally they had to resort to treachery to rule over this fort.

It is believed that Lord Shiva resided in the surrounding hills and hence the name Devagiri 'Hill of Gods.' This fort was built by King Bhillama V of the Yadava Dynasty. After its conquest by Allaudin Khilji in 1926 AD, it remained under the Mughal rule and in 1328 AD, Mohammed Bin Tughlak changed the name from Devagiri to Daulatabad 'Abode of Wealth.' He was also responsible for shifting the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad forcing the entire population to relocate but due to lack of water and other resources, he was forced to move the capital back to Delhi. Just imagine the plight of a common man enduring such hardships, even the sick and old were not spared.

At a height of 200 mt on a conical hill, 16 km from Aurangabad, this 11th century fort, a blend of land and hill fort has three encircling fortification walls. These walls were built in a way that the entire town was divided into sectors- Amberkot for common people, Mahakot served as the residential area of the higher class of the society, the Kalakot was the Royal residential area with double line of fortifications and Balakot was the pinnacle portion where the pride of honor the flag fluttered. At every interval there were strong chambers that served both as guardrooms and storage place for grains and ammunition. The outer wall is 5 km in circumference with an average height of 6-9 mt and a thickness of 2-3 mt.

With flawless military engineering, this architectural marvel was defended well with its complex arrangement of bastions at regular intervals, maze like passages, lofty gates with iron spikes and strategic position of gun turrets.The rock around the fort was chiseled skillfully making the climb impossible. The fort was defended by moat around the hill at its foot and the only way to enter was via a mechanical drawbridge. In case of an attack, crocodiles in the moat hindered their entry, flaring torches were unleashed on the enemy forces, hot oil poured in their path, the iron spikes on the lofty gates to attack enemy's elephants and numerous confusing passages lured the enemy to their death.

Such exemplary defense system left us wondering if these pains were taken to protect something that valuable or was it more of a matter of pride and honor of being indomitable.

Once you enter the fort, you are greeted with a number of canons that are displayed in the courtyard near the entrance gate while others remain in their original places such as bastions on fort walls and circular towers. This huge collection of canons is a show of strength.

After crossing the passage post the entrance gate, we reached an open area from where the Hathi Tank and Bharat Mata Temple were on our left and a couple of hundred meters ahead of us were a fleet of steps leading to the pinnacle of the fort. Midway the Chand Minar standing tall was quiet a sight.

Hathi Tank or Elephant Tank- It is known as the Hathi tank because of its gigantic size. This fort is known for its unique water management system with a network of terracotta pipelines and drains that provided water to the entire city. The capacity is estimated to be at 10000 cubic m.

The site at which stands the Bharat Mata/Mother India temple was earlier a Hindu temple that was ransacked by the Mughal Invaders and converted to a mosque. Now, it has been restored to a temple dedicated to Bharat Mata. The present monument comprises of 106 pillars which were ransacked from Hindu and Jain temples. The ransacked pillars lying in the premises paint a picture of arrogance and a trial of destruction.

The Chand Minar stands tall at 63 feet and reminds you of the Qutub Minar in Delhi. It was erected in 1445 by Ala-ud-din Bahmani to commemorate his capture of the fort. This used to be covered in Persian glazed tiles all over but now only the structure remains with most of the prized decorations lost over time.

The Chini Mahal or China Palace, was a palace of great beauty then and it was here that Abdul Hasan Tana Shah, the last of the Qutub Shahi kings of Golconda, was imprisoned by Aurangazeb in 1687.

This fort is indeed mysterious, intriguing and very much unlike any other fort. No wonder, it remained undefeated in battle. One of the best constructed forts in the world, despite the ruthless history behind it, it seems to have survived unaltered.

The fort rich in history and the pride of many dynasties boasting an unachievable feat of being undefeated makes you want to venture out to this place, hardly visited by tourists, to appreciate it.

Gorkha - Land of Fearsome Warriors

"Better to die than be a coward" - the motto of the world famous Gorkha soldiers.

The place from where the Kingdom of Nepal was expanded by Prithvi Narayan Shah, has a history of courage, bravery, unquestionable loyalty and impressive combat skills. It was Prithvi Narayan Shah who foresaw the Britishers plan to colonize Nepal. After unification of Nepal, with the might of Gorkha warriors, Nepal succeeded in fighting British forces and prevented colonization of Nepal. No wonder the Nepali army is also known as the Gorkha Army as they are the direct descendants of the mythological Kirant tribes who fought and defeated legendary warrior Arjuna in Mahabharata.

This historical place was our destination from Dhulikhel and the ride of 160 km on Prithvi Highway was absolute bliss. River Trishuli never lets the rider off her sight, as she flows parallel to the highway making it one of the most stunning and scenic highways. A fantasy road for every biker as the smooth winding mountain roads unfold dramatic landscapes. Once you reach Abu Khaireni, take a detour and 24 km of curvaceous and uphill roads lead you to the historic town of Gorkha.

We expected heavy traffic on Prithvi Highway as it connects Kathmandu to Pokhara but were pleasantly surprised to find the entire highway pretty much to ourselves. Passing through the villages on the way, we realized that it was the last day of Tihar festival and we saw everyone celebrating Bhai Tika, a festival where sisters apply tika on their brothers' forehead and pray for their long life, health and prosperity.

On reaching Gorkha, we were taken aback by the sight of thunder showers, lightning & wind speed of 80 to 100 km per hour, all this during the month of October. A stark contrast to spectacular view of the sun setting behind mountain peaks a few hours earlier during the day. The thunders faded away early in the morning and our eyes welcomed another surprise - the Gorkha valley being painted milky white by the clouds.

The prime attractions are the Gorkha Durbar Palace and the Kali temple within the same complex, the Gorkha museum & Manakamana Temple.

We rode to Gorkha Darbar & Kali temple perched high up on the mountain. This could be reached either by foot or by road. Be warned, if you choose foot you will have to climb 1700 stone cut steps. We choose the easier option and hit the road and boy! it was quite a treat. The view of the snow clad Himalayan peaks en-route are simply superb.  Gorkha, in terms of stellar views, easily surpasses Kathmandu or Dhulikhel. We highly recommend you visit this town. The Palace complex houses the Durbar and Kali temple. The palace has 35 rooms, 105 windows, 62 doors and 5 halls. The Nepali army is stationed here.

On the way to Durbar palace while on one side you are treated with views of the Himalayas , on the other side you are greeted with man's sarcastic answer to nature's beauty- pile of plastic bottles. It is really sad to see how we are slowly ensuring that our future generations do not enjoy even a little bit of Nature's beauty by polluting it to the maximum level possible.

On the way back from Durbar Palace, make sure you stop over at the Gorkha Museum. The museum exhibits the lifestyle, weapons, portraits, utensils of the Shah dynasty. Above all it has intricate and exquisite carved wooden doors, windows & pillars. The red stone structure and the whole complex stands as an unquestionable example of the other side of fearful warriors - their craftsmanship.

The museum attracts hardly any visitors but we were very happy to see 2 kids around 7-8 years old who were waiting patiently for the ticket counter to open. They just had the exact amount of money required for the entry ticket and with the enthusiasm of learning more about their culture, heritage these kids went about admiring everything that was there in the museum and were in awe with all the artifacts. We were very proud to have seen these kids.

If you are a lover of collectibles or looking for a souvenir it would be a good idea to pick up a "Khukuri,"- the traditional weapon used by Gorkha soldiers. In earlier times, it was believed that Khukuri had to taste blood every time it was drawn on the battlefield, if not the owner had to cut himself before placing it back in it's sheath. It is considered a taboo to drawn the weapon out of it's sheath for no reason.

Manakamana Temple- 35 km from Gorkha towards Kathmandu is the famous Manakamana temple. The term Manakamana is drevied from two words "mana" meaning heart and "kamana" meaning wish. Situated atop a hill, this temple can be reached  via trekking an unpaved road for four hours or by cable car. We choose cable car which offers a thrilling experience as it climbs the 1300 meter hill at a steep 80 degree angle and reaches the top in a couple of minutes though the wait in the queue for the ride takes a lot of time. In the end, it was completely worth it as the cable car offers breathtaking views of  the Trishuli river, Prithivi highway and the valleys around.

Once you reach the other side there is utter chaos and we were taken aback to see so many restaurants and hotels offering free wifi, satellite TV for quite an isolated destination.  The temple itself is in a sorry state as the foundation has decayed,  the structure has weakened due to earthquakes in the past and the wooden planks are infested with termites.

This temple is famous for wrong reasons though. We were shocked to hear that this temple attracts lots of devotees who pray for a male child. Also, animal sacrifice is a part of Goddess worship in Nepal and this temple sees most of the devotees offering animals for sacrifice.

We checked into Hotel Gorkha Bisauni. This budget hotel is the best in Gorkha with prime location, inexpensive tariff, basic rooms, fantastic views, 24 hr running hot water, exclusive parking, wifi, friendly staff and great service. The hotel offers rooms with attached and common bath.

The hotel balcony can definitely bring out the artist in you. With the various colors in the sky at dawn and dusk, it serves as the perfect place to bring out the paint brush and fill in your canvas with the most vibrant colors that nature has to offer.

If you wish to stay closer to the Palace, we stumbled upon Hotel Brindaban on the way to Kali temple, this hotel offers fantastic views of the Himalayan peaks and is secluded away from the town. However, we were unable to check it out as it was closed during Diwali.

A word of caution- If you are travelling to Nepal during the Tihar festival plan your trip well as the hotels are closed and they wont take in guests during that time. Also make sure you have some packaged food as the restaurants and even kirana stores tend to be closed leaving with no option to purchase food items as well.

Next Stop Pokhara. 

Gwalior

Day 27 Shivpuri To Gwalior

Distance: 200 km

Road condition: Average to Bad.
We were advised not to take the Datia route as it was in terrible condition. It was a dry 200 km drive with no food options en route.

Gwalior Ki Shaan

The city of Gwalior was founded in the 8th century by Suraj Sen & named after Saint Gwalipa who cured the king of a deadly disease. Gwalior served as the Capital city for many royal dynasties. The invincible fort dominates the city. The splendid temples & palaces left behind stand as testimony of the Royals.

The massive fort on a cliff, 300 ft above ground level continues to epitomize Hindu architecture. At the foot hill you are greeted by huge Jain statues carved out of the mountain.

Rock Cut Mahavir

The fort complex is home for Man Singh Palace, 11th century Sas Bahu mandir, 9th century Teli Ka Mandir, Gurudwara, Suraj kund and the Scindia School.

For The Bahu 

For The Saas

The splendid Raja Mansingh Palace built in 1508 AD, is a four storeyed monument of which two are underground. This magnificent palace proudly flaunts the glazed iconic blue tiles with varied painting of figures like ducks, humans, peacocks etc. on its exterior wall. In its heyday, the entire palace was beautifully lit up with these tiles, much of it now remains in bits & pieces, telling a tale of the destruction the fort has witnessed.

Teli Ka Mandir: This temple soaring 30 mt in height is of Dravidian style & the carvings are from Indo Aryan period.

Jai Vilas Palace: This neo-classical palace, the residence of the royal family, takes you back in time and showcases the lifestyle of the Maharajas!

Home Of Royals

A section of the palace is converted into a museum exhibiting silver baggi & rath, Persian carpets, armoury, crystalware, paintings, stuffed white tiger skin & other precious artifacts.

The highlight of the museum tour is the Darbar Hall, that houses two Belgium glass cut chandeliers, each weighing 3.5 ton and were hung only after 10 elephants had tested the strength of the roof.

The magnificent chandeliers have made the palace famous and the hall housing the chandeliers is decked up with 560 kg of melted gold.

The dining hall houses a train that carries cigars, wine & champagne, used till date by the Royal family to host lavish dinners.

While in the study room, do catch a glimpse of the vintage kerosene run fans & phonograph.

Made In 1914

Another section of the palace is now converted to a heritage hotel, run by Taj group. If you want to have a real sense of how to live life King size, this palace is a must visit.

Gwalior is a foodies paradise, do try the faluda ice-cream, chaat, Bahadura's laddus made in desi ghee & finish with paan from Rathore at Gandhi market.

From here we head to Bhopal.

Orccha

Day 23 Khajaraho to Orccha

Distance 200  km

Road Condition: Decent to Good.

True to it's name, Orccha is a hidden jewel of MP, quite literally, there are absolutely no sign boards and we had to stop multiple times to check if we were heading in the right direction despite using Maps. This small town packs a punch and keeps tourists busy for a couple of days.

Orccha is way off the tourist radar, the place offers stunning view of Chattris, river rafting in Betwa, Raja Ram Temple with an astounding story, Laxminarayan Temple, Chaturbhuj Temple, beautifully planned and exquisitely built Fort - housing Jehangir Mahal, Raja Mahal, Rai Praveen Mahal.

View Of Orccha From Lakshmi Narayana Temple

Raja Ram Temple: This Palace turned temple has a fascinating story to say. The statue of Lord Rama was brought from Ayodhya to Orccha by Ganesh Kuanwari. The temple still being under construction, the deity was placed in the palace kitchen. Upon completion of the temple they tried to move the idol but in vain. Thus a new temple was built around the idol. This is the only place in India where Lord Ram is worshiped as King.

Palace Turned Temple

Make yourself available here at 8 pm to witness the evening Aarti. The temple premises is buzzing with activities and you can capture sadhus doing what they do best. Camera and leather belts are strictly prohibited inside the temple premises and there are no safe deposit box or cloakrooms.

Chattris: Built along the banks of Betwa river, stands tall the burial place of the Bundela rulers. The narrow passages lead to the first and second storey offering breathtaking view of Orccha. The view of the Chattris from the 'Sunset Point' across Betwa river is stunning.

These monuments are now shelter to vultures. Maintain absolute silence and be sure not to disturb them as they may take flight. This is one of the very few places to get up close view of these critically endangered species. Gates open from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, however the tickets have to be purchased from the ticket counter at the fort.

Right next to the Chattris by the river side are 2 monuments left in ruins, one of them seems to be an old Shiva temple. This 3 storeyed building has mysterious stairway leading to the upper floors. The higher the climb the better the view of the river, ruins & Chattris. Do watch out for bats & insects in the dark stairway.

It would be a good idea to visit these monuments early in the morning as plenty of beers bottles left behind suggest trouble mongers could be around after sunset.

Fort: The fort compound is the center of attraction in Orccha, home of magnificent and much talked about Jehangir Mahal built by Raja Bir Singh Ju Deo in the 17th Century.

From Jehangir & Raja Mahal you get a breathtaking bird's eye view of Orccha. The mural painting in the palace and the views from Raja Mahal are so mesmerizing that you might lose track of time.

It is a long walk to the exit door which is the only way out and is closed at 5.30 pm. Be mindful of the time otherwise you might end up like us, trapped inside. In a much dramatic way, we had to scream our guts out to draw the attention of other tourists and finally got the authorities to unlock the door and get us out.

Our Gateway To Freedom

Sound and light show takes place here, there are 2 shows - 7.30 pm English & 8.45 pm Hindi. A part of the fort complex 'Sheesh Mahal' is now converted to a heritage hotel, owned and run by MPTDC.

Chaturbhuj Temple: Built upon a massive stone platform stands tall the stunning Chaturbhuj Temple initially built for Lord Ram. Steep steps lead you to the top of the monument and the view of the city is brilliant. You have a panoramic view of Jehangir Mahal, Raja Mahal, Chattris, Ram Raja Temple & Lakshmi narayana Temple.

There was a charming wedding processing going on with guys playing desi music on drums. The mood was electrifying and everyone around felt like they were a part of the Baraat.

Lakshmi Narayana Temple: Make it a point that you visit this temple to see the 2000 year old Mural wall paintings covering spiritual & secular concepts bringing the walls of the temple to life.

The weather gods were very kind to us. As a pleasant relief from the scorching sun, the sky turned gloomy, slight drizzle & strong winds brought down the mercury level drastically. Making the visit around these historic monuments very pleasant.

It was quite thrilling & exciting to drive on the narrow bridge that can accommodate only one heavy vehicle at a time.  A slip here or there you might end up in the bottom of the river. This narrow bridge is the lifeline connecting Orccha & Tekhmargh.

We checked into Bundelkhand Riverside, it is hard to believe this is not a heritage property. This charming property built on the banks of betwa river, takes you back in time. The switchboard, furniture, high rise ceiling with chandeliers, huge mirrors in hallway, beautiful paintings, old photographs, minute attention to detail makes this one of the best properties in Orccha. The rooms do not have TV sets but there is a common TV room. Property is absolute value for money, they provide complimentary breakfast.

Hotel offers swimming pool, open terrace, private entry to the river. The river facing rooms have great sit-out. The management organizes folk musical event in their lawn everyday. The service is outstanding - everybody is helpful and knowledgeable. They always greet you with a smile and exchange pleasantries. They stand as a fine example for hospitality industry.

After spending 3 beautiful days in Orccha, we left for Shivpuri.