Honeymoon in Madhya Pradesh – Madhya Pradesh, as its tag line says, is the very heart of India, and packed with destinations that are unique and exquisitely beautiful. Keeping a very safe distance from the crowds is the Pachmarhi hill resort at an altitude of 1,100 m on the Satpura ranges. The forests cover the valleys and the gorges and comprise the Pachmarhi Biosphere Preserve which links two forest reserves. The Jamuna Prapat, the 110 m high Rajat Prapat waterfalls and the Saputara National Park are great hangouts for nature lovers. Perfect trekking routes can be found on the road to the Duchess Fall, and further up to the Jata Shankar cave. The Pandava caves, Priyadarshini Point, Handi Khoh ravine and the Bison Lodge Museum are other places of interest.
Amarkantak is the holy shrine where the Satpura and Vindhya Ranges converge, being the watershed of the Narmada and Sone rivers. Nature is at its pristine best here with steep forested hills interspersed with milky white waterfalls. Pench, Bandhavgarh and Kanha are dedicated tiger reserves with a higher feline population than any other national park in India. At Bhedaghat, the Marble Rocks flank the Narmada River and are a wondrous sight on moonlit nights. Further downstream, the waters plunge to form the Dhuandhar waterfalls.
Amidst the thick forest and the jagged rock faces are 600 rock caves belonging to the Neolithic age, most of them adorned with paintings depicting the lifestyle of the pre-historic cave-dwellers. Taking art to an altogether another plane are the classic Khajuraho temples, with fine sculptures depicting human passion. A great favourite with honeymooners, the original 85 Khajuraho temples are believed to have been built over a period of 100 years from 950 to 1050 AD by the Chandela kings.
Gwalior retains its aristocratic charm, effortlessly carrying the grandeur of its past. Within its Fort are fine samples of medieval Indian art. Mandu is another architectural wonder, with the fine Jahaz and Hindola palaces, the inspiring Jami Masjid and the Hoshang Shah Tomb enclosed within the fortress. India’s most famous Buddhist monument, the Sanchi Stupa is located in Sanchi, 46 km from Bhopal.
Bhopal, the capital and Indore are the state’s principal cities and connected by air to all major metros.