BOMBAY
Bombay, on the west coast of India, is
an attractive blend of the East and the West. It has the throb of a Western industrial metropalis with its giant business houses and skyscrapers, vast .film industry, stock exchanges and a busy port. Yet it is Eastern in many ways. The people are not blurred by industrial life ; they stand out as individuals. And off the avenues, sprawl the oriental bazaars vvith their distinctive patterns of colour, smell and sense.
The seafront at Bombay is spectacular. Palms and skyscrapers line the city's main promenade by the sea. From the surrounding hills, t.he picture at night is of a necklace worn by the sea.
Ten kilometres (6.2 miles) off Bombay, on a small island called Elephanta, are the famous 8th-century cave-temples containing magnificent sculptures.
AJANTA - ELLORA
Ajanta-Ellora : An hour and a half's flight from Bombay is Aurangabad, the starting point of a
journey to two of the world's famous rock-cut temples-Ajanta and Ellora. The most remarkable monuments of their kind in the world, these monasteries and shrines have been hewn out of living rock by generations of sculptors. A few of them date back 2,000 years. The 'cave' temples (a term often used to describe these rock-cut dwellings) of Ajanta lie in a narrow gorge and contain a breathtaking picture gallery of frescoes. The Ellora Caves, which are Hindu, Buddhist and Jain in origin, also contain a unique collection of sculptures.
CENTRAL INDIA
Central India is a world of its own. Nature has lavished on her hills, forests and fields, and turbulent history has left its own indelible imprint. The State of Madhya Pradesh envelops most of Central India. Its new capital, Bhopal, is now blossoming into a busy, attractive city.
For the visitor, the
charm of Madya Pradesh will chiefly lie in its famous monuments and its
rich population. The tribal have their own highly developed
culture-evidence of the diversitybof India's people.
SANCHI
Sanchi, 45 ;kilometers ( 28 miles ) from
Bhopal, is the site of extensiveBuddhist remains famous It is for
its stupa ( about 150-000 B.C. ) huge semi-circular structure,surrounded
by profusely carved gateway and railings. In the history of Indian
art, the Sanchi Stupa occupies a very important place, for it influenced Hindu and Buddhist sculpture for many centuries
that followed.
KHAJURAHO
Khajuraho, Nearly 402 kilometres (250 miles) south-east of Delhi (flying time : 2 hrs. 1 5 min:), are the temples at Khajuraho, belonging to about 950 to 1 1 50 A.D. The carvings in the temples still seem to breathe a life and passion of thelr own and their beautiful proportions have won universal admiration. In its great days, Khajuraho had 85 temples, of which only20 have survived. Madhya Pradesh also contains many historic towns, which were once ruled by princes who maintained their individualistic customs and traditions. These rulers have left their stamp on the public buildings and private palaces that proliferate in these towns:
Gwalior, for instance, has a magnificent fort, about three kilometres (2 miles) long. Indore, with its quaintarchitecture-the umbrella-balcony motif is generously employed-is evocative of medieval chivalry. Ujjain is known for its 'Water Palace'; an 18th-century observatory, and a Shiva temple.
MANDU
Mandu, a hundred kilometres (62 miles) from Indore, is India's 'City of Joy'. Nestling on the crest of the Vindhyas, it enjoys an excellent climate and is a fit place for a restful stay. Mandu has some of the finest remains of Afghan architecture in India, dating.to mid-sixteenth century.
|
