Place, Hatod

Hatod is an ancient agrarian settlement of a few hundred people just off what now is the southeastern boundary of the Madho National Park (260 sq. km. after recently being expanded to the Sind River and Narwar),.. but the village and farmlands around it fall (technically) within the city-limits of Shivpuri (13 km). Shivpuri in turn is the district capital of Shivpuri District, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Central India.

This is generally about the red-hottest spot on your average TV world-weather map (25n26, 77e39), but is wonderful from the late monsoon (August) through early spring (March).

Relative to Delhi, we are 450 kilometers south by road, via Agra and Gwalior towards Bombay (nine hours). By a combination of rail (to Gwalior) and road (Gwalior-Shivpuri), we are reached in six hours.

Shivpuri town also has a small but little-used airstrip.

To visit The Last Resort in Hatod, from Shivpuri:
take the Jhansi road and hang a left after crossing the water-gates of Madho lake (ask for Hatod or Kota). Carry on willy-nilly for a couple of kilometers (through Kota village) till you see two hillocks on your right. Make for between the hills, skirt the base of the larger left hill, and you'll tumble in upon us.

Major tourism-hubs within a days drive of Shivpuri include Agra (225 km), Bharatpur (250 km), Gwalior (112 km), Ranthambore National Park (130 km), Kuno Palpur National Park (80 km), Orchha (130 km), Khajuraho (350 km)

A good and tight sample itinerary-add-on to visit Shivpuri and Hatod (from Agra) could go as follows:

Day 1:

Leave Agra by road after early breakfast, carrying packed lunch

2 hours to look around Gwalior enroute

Possible diversion to visit the beautiful 1200 year old Naresar group of temples, in a small valley 25 km north-east of Gwalior (other ancient temple and monastery sites in this area -- just off the Agra-Gwalior road near Morena -- include Padhaoli, Batesara, Dang)

2 km diversion to see Sultangarh Falls from the old royal hunting machans (just off the road after Mohna)

Possible diversion to visit Narwar Fort (also see below)

Arrive Shivpuri in the evening

Day 2:

Early morning drive through Madho National Park

Return to hotel for breakfast

Drive to Survai Garhi (1,000 year old Hindu monastery, 20 km, Jhansi road)

Continue for picnic lunch at Sind River (plus 10 km)

Back to Shivpuri in time for the daily devotional-music recital at the royal Chhatries (cenotaphs) of the Scindia kings.

Drive through Madho National Park again in the late afternoon

Return to hotel for dinner

Day 3:

Early morning departure for Kajuraho / Orchha / Agra / Ranthambore (Orchha can be done enroute to Khajuraho, but is more than worth a night-halt)

note: you may like to add time to do one of the Day-Trips below.

ALTERNATIVE TOUR-CIRCUIT (Wildlife):

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary - Ranthambore National Park - Kuno Palpur National Park - Madho National Park (Shivpuri) - Carera Black Buck - Great Indian Bustard Reserve - Panna National Park - Bandhavgarh National Park - Kanha National Park (Kuno Palpur is where the surplus Asiatic lions of Gir are to be located in 1999. Though currently little-known, it is a handsomely forested 1,000 sq. km. park, with 2,000 sq. km. of equally well-forested buffer-zone)

EXTRA DAY-TRIPS:

The ancient abandoned Narwar Fort is worth a day-trip with picnic lunch (about 40 km. one-way). It is said to be the second largest fort in India, and is teeming with mystery, and heroic or cruel legend. Although substantially in ruins, one can walk amidst what used to be almost a city within the hilltop fort, moving from market areas to the once royal quarters -- traces of whose ancient magnificience abound everywhere. The climb up the hill to the fort is absolutely exhausting but amply worth the trouble -- especially after the greening of monsoon.

A day on the road (with picnic lunch) can have one visit ancient temples, fortresses, and monasteries, in Paragarh, Sesai, Lukwasa, Keldhar, Ranod, Terahi, Mahua, Kadwaha, Indor, Isagarh, etc. (all south from Shivpuri, and about a thousand years old, and more).

The town and fortress of Chanderi, famous for Bundela and Malwa Sultanate architecture, and fine cotton-handloom sarees, is about 127 km. Carry a picnic lunch.

ACCESS:

AIR - the nearest full-time airports is Gwalior (112 km), connecting with Delhi, Bhopal, Indore, Khajuraho and Bombay. Jhansi also has an airport, but I do not have any flight information on this.

RAIL - nearest railheads are Jhansi (101 km), and Gwalior (112 km ), on the same Delhi-Bombay and Delhi-Madras main lines.

ROAD - regular bus services to Gwalior, Indore, Bhopal, Jhansi, and Ujjain. Daily service to Delhi.

ACCOMODATION:

The Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC) operates two reasonably good outfits, namely the Tourist Village and the Chinkara Motel. The former is newer, offering "cottages" near the largest lake of the Madho National Park, while the latter is a handsome and relatively intimate old colonial-era stone structure offering four large rooms off the Agra-Bombay highway, just south of town.

The state Forestry department also has a few rooms available inside the Madho National Park itself (the old Boat Club, and another lakeside building on the opposite bank). Both were originally built by the Scindia kings.

There are a few private hotels, of which the best is perhaps "Delhi Hotel". This is a typical Indian small-town motel catering essentially to the junior executive business traveller and travelling salesman, with simple marble-chic airconditioned rooms in the town center.