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Nasik, located on the banks of the Godavari river, is said to date back to the 5th century BC and is one of the 'holier' cities of India. The town has a few important, but not, ancient temples -- Kala Rama Temple, Sundar Narayana Temple. An industrial hub of northern Maharashtra, Nasik is expanding very rapidly.
The city is situated very close to the source of the Godavari at picturesque Trimbak. Also of interest, nearby, are the Buddhist rock-carved sculpture at Pandu Lena and the tank at Prayag Tirth. Nasik's sister metro, Deolali is a cantonment town and the phrase -- to go Doolally Tap or to go crazy-- got its meaning from here. British soliders, headed home, had to cool their heels here before receiving final departure orders and went mad with boredom.

Bhusaval, the capital of the banana/cotton belt of Maharashtra is a thriving market town and in fact, a crucial railway junction. Incidentally Robert Gill, the British painter who spent decades extensively copying the Ajanta paintings -- very few of them survive today -- is buried at Bhusawal.

The dusty, arid town of Khandwa is the district headquarter. An anonymous-looking town, Khandwa does not have much to lend for itself.

Itarsi is an important railway junction located a few kilometres south of Madhya Pradesh's Narmada river and near the Mahadeo range. Around Itarsi the landscape is wooded and hilly.

Jabalpur, once the seat of power of the Gond rajas in the 1100s, fell into the hands of the Marathas. A town of 887,000, the British adminstered the town from 1817 onwards till Independence, and many neighbourhoods of the town have a colonial feel to them, especially the cantonment area.
Jabalpur has a number of places of interest -- forts, waterfalls, 'look out points', temples, a museum. An important historical landmark is the School of Industry that housed the 'informers' who helped Sir William Sleeman in his campaign against the Thugs or the 19th century band of highway robbers and murderers who once terrorised these parts. Nearby is the famous Marble Rocks on the Narmada river. Kanha sanctuary too is about two hours away.

Allahabad, a university town, is situated on the confluence of three rivers -- the Ganga, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. The Kumbh mela is held here every 12 years. A bustling, industrial city of colonial buildings, museums and landmarks of the freedom struggle, Allahabad is an interesting place to visit.

The holy city of Varanasi is a special stop on any tourist's itinerary. One of the most unusual cities of India, ancient Varanasi on the banks of the sacred Ganga is a symbol of Hindustan... the capital of the Hindu world. It is also one of the oldest cities in the world that has existed for centuries nearly unchanged. The life and death cycle of man is mirrored in the day to day 'way of life' along the Ganga at Varanasi. The temples and the interesting alleys and lanes of Varanasi can keep a traveller busy for days. And the chaat and the snack houses can keep tummies busy for days.

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