Ginnorgarh Fort , A land lost in time

Ginnorgarh Fort is 61 Km far from Bhopal and it situated at a distance of 3 km from Delawadi. Situated in a lovely forest, Delawadi is a beautiful picnic spot situated among lush green forest and amazing natural beauty.Earlier Ginnorgarh fort was under the stronghold of Gonds, but later it fell to Dost Mohammad, the ruler of Bhopal State.Accessed only by foot from Delawadi, Ginnorgarh Fort contains some of the untold history of Indian rulers.

Interesting Facts

It is said that King Gond lived here with his Seven beautiful queens and the laughter of the queens was the thing which kept the fort very alive ,800 years back.The fort is said to be at a height of 1965 feet above sea level ,which was build by the kings of Parmar dynasty . Later it became the capital of Shah Dynasty.Some evidences tell that the the seven Queens of the king , were not only beautiful but were very skilled in governance.

More About The Fort

The historians are shocked by one thing here is that ,despite being on such a height the 25 wells and the 4 ponds here are always filled with water all the time .One can see the green and black stones scattered here ,by which the fort have been made .Under the fort when you enter you could see a cave here , which is centuries old and it deepens the secret of its creation.Here in the cave is a pond , where the water is very cold .There is also a saying that there was a secret tunnel inside the ground which got joint to the Rani kamlapati palace ,which is at Kamla Park .

The View

The top of the fort offers scintillating views of the valleys below, forests all around, as far as the eye can see.The jungles are very vast and one could enjoy the scenic beauty of teh place around .Jungles and lakes made mesmerizing views, which no nature lover can resists.

Places to explore near the fort

-> Delawadi

-> Bhimbetka

-> Ratapani

->Salkanpur

->Chiklod

How To Reach

It takes 1 hr 30 mins approx from Bhopal , its near Delawadi about 3 km.

Sanchi Stupa , A great place of Buddhist Significance

The Great Stupa at Sanchi is one of the oldest stone structures in India and was originally commissioned by the emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE.It is 46 km north east from Bhopal and a great place for attraction among the traveler’s .Sanchi Stupa,is a Buddhist complex, famous for its Great Stupa, on a hilltop at Sanchi Town in Raisen District of the State of Madhya Pradesh, India. Sanchi has been protecting these beautiful and sacred architectural wonders, just the way these wonders have been safeguarding ancient history and art of the Mauryan period.

The Viewers View

There is a hemispherical brick structure,the Stupa is surrounded by four gateways called Toranas, each representing love, trust, courage and peace.These gateways are beautifully crafted and sculptured, some having its own dramatic narrations and tales associated with them.The Great Stupa is built over the relics of the Buddha and thus to honour these relics, the Stupa was crowned with chatra. It is around 37 meters in diameter and over 16 meters high.There are other monuments in Sanchi that can be visited besides the Great Stupa. These include Ashoka Pillar, Chetiyagiri Vihara, Archaeological Museum, Buddhist monasteries, temples and viharas, Gupta Temple and others.

More About the place

he Sanchi Stupa is a huge semi-circular, dome shaped chamber in which the relics of Lord Buddha are kept in serene calmness.It is a brick construction that dates back to the third century A.D. The framework and designs depict the love and the nature of the historical period during the development of the stupa.The gateway has as eye-catching architecture, with male and female tree murals carved on it. It is believed that these two spirits portray the human feelings and mental state. Buddhists believe that they are welcoming figurines and hence a “good omen” to have at the front.Lush gardens surround the stupa. One can plan for a family picnic and spending quality time there. The surroundings are clean and well maintained. Audio guides are also available to provide a detailed insight about the place.

Important Buddhists Place

Sanchi Stupa is an ancient monument that shows the records of the origins of Buddhist architecture and culture. Covering the entire range of Buddhism in India, it reflects a wonderful evidence of varied artistic works of Buddhist monks.It was destined to become one of the significant centers of Buddhism which is not only loved and worshiped by Indian people but also by individuals across the globe. The foundation of this place was laid by Emperor Ashoka and it has gone on to become an important historic monument for India.

SANCHI MUSEUM

Sanchi museum have 4 galleries and one large central hall. Here variety of sculptural artefacts have been showcased for public view. These articles are from Sanchi and its nearby Buddhist and Hindu sites like Vidisha, Gyraspur, Murelkhurd etc. Among them most well known exhibit in the Sanchi museum is the Ashokan capital displayed in main hall. This piece of sculpture shows four-lions seated back-to-back and once topped Pillar No.-10 in Sanchi. It reminds us of lion capital of Sarnath. This image of four-lion is taken as national emblem of India. Apart from this, other Sanchi museum attractions are massive Nagaraja from Sunga dynasty from 2nd century, a yakshi from 1st century BC, meditating Buddha from 7th century AD and much more. While visiting Sanchi stupas, visit to ASI museum is highly recommended to visitors. It will help us to better understand the glorious past of this region.

Entry fee and Timings

Entry fee for Indians (Visitors of SAARC and BIMSTEC) : 10 Rs.

Entry fee for Foreigners : 250 Rs. Entry fee for Children up to 15 years is free.

Timings : Visiting Hours – 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM

How to reach

It is approx 48 kms from bhopal , To sanchi which is in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh .

Bhimbetka the Rock shelters , having paintings of early men

Bhimbetka, said to be 30,000 years old have around 750 rocks where 500 rocks have paintings on the rocks. It is between the forests 45 km south from Bhopal. The natural red and the white colors ,were the natural colors which has saved them from pigmentation.There are figures and scene dances across the rocks of gaur (Indian bison), rhinoceroses, elephants and tigers share space with scenes of hunting, battle, initiation ceremonies, childbirth, communal dancing, drinking, religious rites and burials. The oldest paintings, in red are often of huge animals which are thought to be 12,000 years old. The name Bhimbetka means resting place of Bhima, Bhima is from the epic Mahabharata.

More about Bhimbetka

Various stone tools were used to carve the paintings on the rocks here at Bhimbetka such as hand-axes and cleavers.Many other tools found here include triangles, trapezes, blades, crescents.These tools do not belong to any one era but range from Lower Paleolithic to Upper Paleolithic to Mesolithic periods.This place Bhimbetka is under Archaeological Survey Of India,and the painting still have not faded after thousand of years .The rock art is divided into many groups on their basis of style and subject . The paintings tell that the different people used same canvas that time of era .

Attractions
Major attractions here in the paintings on the cave ,considered of Boar Rock and the Auditorium Rock Shelter . It has been listed in UNESCO World Heritage site also . There is a saying that the Pandavas from the Epic Mahabharata , have take shelter here .There is also a Lake 4 km from this place Bhimbetka ,a water body surrounded by the hills of
Satpura Range.

How To Reach Here
Bhojpur , Raisen road 45 km from bhopal ,Bhimbetka , Madhya Pradesh (464990)