I’ve come to believe I’ve a karmic connection with Bundelkhand. No, it wasn’t my ‘home’. No, it wasn’t even a place I’d been visiting since childhood (I visited for the first time in 2015). But, somehow, I felt I knew the region. When its name was taken, I would nod my head knowingly. Like, I belonged. (Though, TBH, do I really ‘belong’ anywhere?)
I was familiar with Bundelkhand. This is because I trace my maternal ancestry to it. My mother would tell us stories about it on those dry summer nights. We would try to sleep out on the terrace, with the power not giving any hope of ever returning. I composed a poem too about those midsummer night stories.
I also wrote about the Bundelkhand region that has captivated me since I was a child. When I finally got a chance to visit in 2015, it felt like a homecoming. I’ve written many posts about those travels. So, I’m not going to bore you with those emotions all over again. Instead, I’ll just paste the links to all those posts here.
Be a darling and give them a read…
My Bundelkhand – related blog posts
The Sequence of Events
In December 2025, I saw an Instagram post by Deep Dive India. It was about exploring Bundelkhand on a week-long trail. If Bundelkhand would make me say yes, Deep Dive would make me say a double yes. You see, I’ve been on a couple of heritage walks with them in Lucknow. I find the founder, Samir Kher, impressive.
Samir’s knowledge and storytelling skills are damn remarkable. (PS – if you’ve read my short story But Am Sleeping Here, the character of Farhan is based on Samir Kher.)
You can read about my heritage walk experience in the below blog post. It took place at the British Residency and was conducted by Deep Dive India.)
I buzzed Deep Dive India for more information and received an amazingly drafted itinerary. Just reading the itinerary filled me with a deep sense of longing. It also sent a thrill down my spine. The trip wasn’t just Bundelkhand but also the Do’ab region and the Chambal ravines.
I’ve already been to a fair bit of the Bundelkhand region in Madhya Pradesh (MP). This includes Panna, Chhatarpur, Khajuraho, and Orchha. Yet, in Uttar Pradesh (UP), I’d not seen anything beyond Jhansi. Prayagraj/ Allahabad was an essential part of my childhood. We used to drive from Patna to Delhi, but I’d never sightseen there.
Chitrakoot – what do I even say? Ever since I’ve spiralled into religion, all these holy places have begun to occupy a significant part of my brain. And then, Kalinjar. The name itself is enough. Kalinjar – the destroyer of time! Related to Mahadev. Are you kidding me? I will go and live there permanently!
It was like my collective dreams were coming true. Prayagraj, Banda, Chitrakoot, Kalinjar, Chambal, Kannauj – I’m pretty sure I had fist – pumped then! By 2026 January – beginning, I was booked for the Bundelkhand Trail. I would have bored the good folks at Deep Dive India with my idiotic questions. They, though, had nothing but patience for me.
An IndiGo flight later, on that wonderful February Monday afternoon, I was at Prayagraj. Samir Kher was there at the airport to welcome me and off we went. Each day of the Bundelkhand Trail deserves a dedicated blog post. In this introductory one, let me share about Bundelkhand. I will then outline the broad itinerary of what we followed on that week-long trip.
Bundelkhand
Bundelkhand is administratively divided across MP and UP. Its forests include national parks and tiger reserves like the Panna Tiger Reserve. Historically, it played an influential role in the subcontinent. Agriculture is the mainstay of its economy. Yet, being a rain – deficit region, droughts are recurring and the land productivity is poor.
This low yield and rain deficit have made Bundelkhand a difficult terrain to live in. It has thus also become quite a backward area. With extreme hardship and poverty have come problems like low education, social inequities, gender – based violence, dacoity etc. Despite a glorious ancient history, its recent history has been marred with economic – political – social challenges.
Still, in the last few years, there have been interventions in Bundelkhand related to water management and afforestation. Several development practitioners have made this region their mission. At the same time, the local villages communities have been mobilised. Undoubtedly, this region has started improving.
Nonetheless, Bundelkhand still has miles to go before catching up with the rest of India.
Itinerary
Day 1 – Landed at Prayagraj. Explored a few historical monuments. Night halt at Planters’ Bungalow.
Day 2 – Explored monuments and museums at Prayagraj. Took a boat ride at the Sangam with the added bonus of doing so during the Maagh Mela. Went into the by-lanes of Chowk to sample Allahabadi delicacies. Night stay at Planters’.
Day 3 – Set off for Chitrakoot with a stop at Kaushambi. Explored the archaeological excavations and ruins at Kaushambi. Took a boat ride on the River Mandakini at Chitrakoot and got a chance to witness the Mandakini Aarti. Ended the night with a pangat (sit-down dinner) at Jaipuria, Chitrakoot. Night stay at UP Tourism Rest House.
Day 4 – Drove to the mighty Kalinjar Fort. Explored the Fort along with sessions on its geology, architecture and history by Samir Kher. Sunset at the Shabri/ Tulsidas Waterfall. Also, the day when breakfast and lunch were at homes of local villagers. Night stay at UP Tourism Rest House.
Day 5 – Set off for Rampura with a stop at Ganesh Bagh, a restored Maratha era temple complex. A picnic breakfast in the temple premises, prepared by a group of locals. Arrived at the Fort Rampura. Pre – dinner exploration of the fort palace, its grounds, its moat, palace courts, terraces etc. Night stay at the Fort Rampura.
Day 6 – Explored the Chambal ravines along with the family temple of the Rampura royal family. Spent the evening listening to the local bards. Night stay at the Fort Rampura.
Day Seven – Set off for Lucknow with a lunch halt at Tirwaganj (Kannauj). Lunch at Anand Bhavan Palace, Tirwa with a tour of the premises. A short ‘itr’ tour to an extraction unit. Onward to Lucknow to catch my flight back to NCR.
This is the nuts and bolts really. What I saw in the Bundelkhand Trail was certainly beautiful, but what I felt was way more important. Rewarded. In touch with my wild side. Lazy drives. Spectacular geological formations. Explorer. Contented. Fearless. Awed. Affected. And full of gratitude!
Stay tuned for my day-wise blog posts. This is about a once-in-a-lifetime trip I took. I’m sure it has truly changed my life and me!
