Warming Up To The Hospitality of The Singinawa Jungle Lodge
A lousy Sunday winter afternoon was brighten up with an invite to experience the hospitality of the Singinawa Jungle Lodge in Delhi. I really liked the idea of giving the sneak peek of the hospitality and wilderness in advance. To begin with Singinawa Jungle Lodge is a property in Kanha, Madhya Pradesh and this warming up event was to give a hang of the property and its services. Isn’t that a great way of introducing a venture to a bigger audience.
The debate of choosing heart over mind and vice versa is never-ending. What works out for one is a fiasco for another. You have to choose for yourself. So while you choose/decide/understand your needs and desires don’t spoil the idea of love for the other person. Not all love stories have a happily ever after ending, not all lovers curl up together every night and not everyone is loved back the way they love. Life is unfair but alluding all your decisions over life’s unfair attribute is wrong. You are responsible for your own emotions and actions. Yes, for your emotions too. So while you are out there creating a perfect fairy tale story for your life make sure you don’t step on someone else’s dreams and desires.
Foggy mornings are not ideal for road trips but the ideal is not always exciting. So in the quest of some excitement I overcame all the inhibitions and hit the road on a winter morning. For me safety comes before adventure and truth to be told I trust my car and its safety features for a road trip. So clad in thick fleece and high boots I strapped the safety belt and ventured onto my journey to the romantic land of Barsana and Nandgao. I was accompanied by a colleague and we took turns for driving so it wasn’t hectic at all.
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Munnar offers nature at its best. It is very obvious that one would go tripping around the zig zag tea plantation and soak eyes in all things green. Amid the regular sightseeing when the guide suggested paying a visit to Srishti, I was intrigued to know more about it. He also mentioned that it isn’t something touristy so just in case I didn’t like it he shouldn’t be blamed for wasting the time, as we had just one day to roam around in Munnar. I assured him nothing of that sort is going to happen.
Cashless economy is the buzz word these days. With demonetization in action going cashless is the most hassle free way of doing any monetary transaction. Going cashless usually triggers the thought of making use of your credit cards, debit cards, net banking and online wallets. Amid all this another concept that has gained popularity is Unified Payment Interface (UPI). More and more banks have started utilizing this interface. Axis Bank has also recently launched its Axis Bank UPI App for instant and secure money transfer.
A recent visit to Munnar marked my debut with God’s own country Kerala. It was a short trip and I had very little time to go around and explore the scenic Munnar. Munnar is beautiful beyond words. Green all around to soothe your eyes, fresh cool breeze to cleanse your lungs and the perfect nip in the air to rejuvenate your body, that is Munnar in a nutshell. While tripping amid lush green tea plantation and drinking coconut water we came across an adventure site which was offering Elephant rides.
Air India is set to connect Delhi with Madrid, the capital of Spain, with a non-stop flight from December 1st, 2016. This direct flight, operating thrice a week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday with a B787 Dreamliner, will offer connections to a number of European destinations. With a convenient departure at 1425hrs from Delhi and arrival at Madrid at 2020hrs, the Delhi-Madrid-Delhi flight will have a night departure from Madrid at 2150hrs and will arrive in Delhi at 1110hrs the next day. The state-of-the-art B787 Dreamliner offers world-class facilities to passengers, with 18 seats in Business and 238 seats in Economy Class. The flight offers connectivity to all corners of India and to Bangkok, Kathmandu, Colombo, and other destinations connected via Delhi.
What is the first thing that pops in your head at the mention of Khajuraho? Erotic sculptures and foreign tourist flocking around the temples. I will confess that my idea of Khajuraho was pretty much the same but little did I know. As I walked up the stairs of the Devi Jagadambi Temple which is a part of the Western Group of temples at Khajuraho I realized that Khajuraho has been wrongly stereotyped. The idea of Khajuraho being synonymous to just erotic sculptures was ruled out then and there. I couldn’t spot any erotic sculpture in one glance, which was my expectation. When looked hard I could spot a few of them. Sitting on the sandstone stairs with a balmy sunset at the backdrop the intricate details of the sculptures glistened with the fading sunlight.
As I entered Rewa the first thing that I noticed was its boisterous market. It immediately reminded me of one of the popular markets of my hometown, Aminabad. Located in the north-eastern part of Madhya Pradesh the town looked like a regular mundane affair. What are we here for, was one though that constantly echoed in my head. Keeping all my apprehensions aside I decided to venture the town without any preconceived notions. While everyone else decided to put their feet down for the rest of the evening I along two other female explorers decided to step out and get a little flavor of the town on our own. We decided to head to the nearest attraction Rani Talab.
Rani Talab is one of the oldest and holiest water bodies present in Rewa. A huge temple in the middle of the water body and many temples lined up at the bank of the pond confirmed that the place has a lot of religious significance. There are boats available at the bank of the pond, one can easily peddle down to the temple in the middle of the pond. As the sun descended the temples started gleaming with electric lights and people started chanting prayers. While we walked around the pond we discussed all possible TV series under the sun. The nip in the air suggested that it was time to head back to the hotel.
The next day started early and we all left in time for our first destination of the day which was Baghel Museum. It is one of the oldest museums in Rewa town. As we drove towards the museum the town started unfolding various layers of curiosity. A minaret here, an old arch there and various varied sized domes here and there made me realize this humble city has a rich history. Driving through those narrow lanes it occurred me that Rewa as a city has so much potential which needs proper exploration. I tried posting a picture on Instagram at the museum but I couldn’t find the geo-tag of the museum. It left me thinking that such a gem of a museum is so untouched that it doesn’t even have a geotag.
Driving through the narrow lanes of Rewa city
Baghel Museum is a rich repertoire of various possessions of all the Maharajas of Baghel dynasty. The museum showcases artifacts which are direct proofs of the affluent lifestyle of the rulers of Baghel dynasty. It isn’t like any museum that I have seen so far. Right from their clothes to their stationary to their cutlery to their arms and ammunition, everything that you can associate with a ruler was present in the museum. I was specially intrigued by the arms gallery of the museum which showcased all kinds of swords, guns, shields and other important weapons which were used in the fights in those era.
Baghel museum also possess a lot of expensive silver and gold artifacts as well. The guide told us a lot of it has been looted. That is the reason why there are strict rules against photography and videography inside the museum. The museum also has a unique collection of antiques, glass items, paintings and other rare articles. The most fascinating part of the museum was the stuffed body of the first white tiger spotted in Rewa by the Maharaja of Rewa, Martand Singh. The guide told us that in those days hunting was considered honorable. Often the king used to go for hunting to get out of boredom. We cracked jokes around how we just have social media and few friends to combat boredom and nothing like their royal ways. Photography and viedography is strictly prohibited inside the museum and hence no pictures. The museum remains open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in morning and 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the evening. There is a nominal entry fee for the museum as well.
The only picture I could manage from Baghel Museum in Rewa city
The next pit stop of Rewa was Govindgarh fort. The facade of the fort was all crumbled and I started wondering if the whole fort is similarly dilapidated. Govindgarh Fort was built in 1857 by Raghuraj Singh. Situated on the banks of Raghuraj sagar lake Govindgarh Fort is a proof that adept architects existed in that era as well. Though the fort stands all crumbled and broken today but it would have been an imposing structure in its own days. Just like looking at an old women you can tell if she was beautiful in her younger days or not I could tell the same for the fort. As you enter from the huge arch doors there are huge chariots (which used to pulled by Elephants), which were used as the mode of transportation for the kings. As you walk through those small doors, climb those dark stairs you will realize how much potential this place has.
Govindgarh Fort is not only crumbled but feeble as well, so watch your steps and be safe while you wander into the narrow lanes and broken balconies. The most intriguing part of the fort is a wooden structure where the women of the royalty took bath. This part of the fort overlooks the Raghuraj sagar lake and offers a great view. One of the architectural trivia of this part is that it is built in such a way that you can see the sun from the sunrise till the sunset. This also ensures ample sunlight in the wooden enclosure all day long. Isn’t that such a thought out architectural approach.
Arches and Curves at Govindgarh Fort
Govindgarh Fort also has a link to the existence of the White Tigers. Maharaja Martand Singh spotted a White Tiger and it amused him because of its different coloration. He didn’t let the wild be in the wild. He locked the first ever white tiger called Mohan in Govindgarh Fort. Later Mohan was bred with Bengal Tigress and its own daughter. This did help in increasing the count of the white Tigers but it came at the cost of genetic deformities. In the race of making more Mohans we definitely lost the essence of a White Tigers. King Martand Singh later established Bandhavgarh National Park for protecting tigers.
Govindgarh Fort has been leased out to a Delhi based hospitality company which plans to convert it into a heritage hotel. This will help people know more about the history and legacy of the fort and also help to develop the tourism of the state. I hope the restoration and reformation doesn’t take away the real essence of the fort.
Note: This post is published as part of the #ChaloMPwithHolidayIQ campaign and I was hosted by HolidayIQ in collaboration with MP Tourism
