Colours in ChaosHeart of India and the Simhastha
Stone, then the largest gathering I will ever see, then river towns and forest people.
- Dates
- 3 Apr to 22 Apr 2028
- Length
- 20 days
- Distance
- about 3,300 km
- Through
- Bundelkhand, Malwa, the Narmada and Gond country
Orchha's cenotaphs and Khajuraho's temples, then the royal bath of the Ujjain Simhastha Kumbh. After the crowds I follow the Narmada to Maheshwar, the ruins of Mandu, Bhimbetka's rock shelters, and the Gond painters of Patangarh near Kanha.
The route.
- 3 to 7 AprAgra, Orchha, Khajuraho, BhopalRam Raja aarti, chhatris at dusk, Sanchi
- 8 to 10 AprUjjainAkhara processions, Mahakal bhasma aarti, Ram Ghat at night
- 11 to 15 AprMaheshwar, Mandu, Bhimbetka, PachmarhiHandloom on the Narmada, Jahaz Mahal, rock art
- 16 to 19 AprKanha, Patangarh, JabalpurBaiga villages, Gond painters, Bhedaghat
- 20 to 22 AprJhansi, AgraThen home
Festivals on the way
- Simhastha royal bathUjjain, Madhya Pradesh9 Apr 2028 (to be confirmed)
At the table
Indore's Sarafa night market, poha-jalebi, Bhopali kebabs, Baiga millet meals, dal bafla.
Field journals
Festival dates follow the lunar calendar or are announced late. I confirm them with temples and organisers about three months before each journey.
Come travel
differently.
A note from me when there is something good to share: a fresh story, a useful route, or a voice worth hearing.
Sign-ups open in January 2027, before I leave. A quiet note from me, now and then. No noise.