Central India Travel; Exploring The Heart Of The Country

By Author: Noshir Lavangia
Total Articles: 430
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When you hear someone saying the words “central India travel”, it is almost certain that they are referring to travel within the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, also referred to by others as the ‘Heart of India’. This isn’t surprising, given that Indian geography lends itself well to anatomical metaphors. Kashmir becomes either the crown or the head, Gujarat and the collective of East Indian states become the arms and Tamil Nadu and Kerala are usually referred to as the country’s feet. Madhya Pradesh, then, located right at the centre of the Indian map, is obviously the heart. It might not be as popular a holiday destination as Goa or Kashmir or Pondicherry or Manali, but it could be. Here are a few things that puts Madhya Pradesh on the agenda of most India tours.

• The landscape!
The geography of Madhya Pradesh consists of varied relief features, from the largely plateau that comprises the entire state to the moderately ambitious mountain ranges of the Vindhyas and the Satpuras. Most of Madhya Pradesh will prove to be a sight for sore eyes, particularly to those who hail from urban regions and metropolitan ...
... cities. The entire state is crisscrossed by a network of important rivers, and the state also plays home to some of India’s most important and strikingly beautiful wildlife.

• The Khajuraho Group of Monuments
Madhya Pradesh serves as home to three of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, which is a great source of pride to the State and its people. One of these treasured locations is the Khajuraho Group of Monuments. These monuments are really a complex of temples famous for their sculptures depicting erotic scenes as envisioned through the principles of the Hindu and Jaina schools of thought. They are considered to be outstanding examples of architectural progress.

• Bandhavgargh National Park
The Bandhavgarh National Park consists of a sprawling one hundred kilometres of nature that is home to some of India’s most exotic wildlife. The park is also famed for having the highest number of Bengal tigers in the world, including the tigress ‘Sita’ who has appeared on the cover of National Geographic Magazine and is also considered to be the most photographed tiger in the world. The park is also a paradise for birdwatchers, who can feast their eyes on over two dozen varieties of both common and exotic birds, from common kingfishers and cormorants to the bafflingly rare Sarus Cranes in the rainy season.

Madhya Pradesh isn’t all just nature and wildlife reserves though. For those who can’t stay away from the comforts of urban living, the cities of Bhopal and Indore make for good bases. Surprisingly, for all the peace and quiet one finds in the “heart of India”, Madhya Pradesh also happens to be India’s sixth most populous state, which means that is has approximately a population of seventy five million people. Don’t let that figure faze you, however, because Madhya Pradesh provides all that you could want from your central India travel hopes!

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Ninad Chaudhari works as a Web UI Designer / Developer with Cox & Kings. Ninad is an ardent photographer and loves to travel in central parts of India and pursue his passion for photography. His albums are replete with beautiful pictures of his recent tours to Central India.