Jhansi

Introduction

Jhansi is a historic city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, lying in the Bundelkhand region on the banks of the Pahuj River, in the extreme south of the state. Once known as Balwant Nagar, it serves as the administrative headquarters of both Jhansi district and Jhansi division, and its position near and around the Pahuj and Betwa rivers has earned it the name Gateway to Bundelkhand.

You'll find the city at an average elevation of about 285 metres, within reach of several major centres: roughly 471 kilometres from New Delhi, 109 kilometres from Gwalior, 240 kilometres from Kanpur and 320 kilometres from the state capital, Lucknow.

Before you go

Jhansi grew up around a hilltop fortress built by the Maratha kings, above a town once called Shankargarh; its name may come from jhain-si, meaning a blurred shadow, for how it looked from a distance. The fort still stands, and "Jhansi" today refers both to the city at its base and to the surrounding region. The city's best-known figure is Rani Lakshmi Bai, who ruled in the mid-19th century, resisted the British disinheriting of her adopted son, and went to war during the 1857 mutiny before being killed in a cavalry skirmish while fleeing her fallen city.

The climate is extreme. Winter can be bitterly cold, summer can be scorching, and the monsoon arrives in the third week of June, weakening through September. The best time to visit is pre-winter and spring, with October, November, February and March the best months; from April to August it is very hot and sightseeing in the sun is not advised. Except in winter, light cotton clothes are your best bet, while in winter you should carry woollens and shawls. Tourist information is available at the railway station, where both U.P. Tourism and M.P. Tourism have offices, and U.P. Tourism also has an office at Hotel Rahi Veerangana.

Getting there

Getting around

Tempos are the cheapest way to move around inside Jhansi. These are larger versions of three-wheeled auto-rickshaws, shared with other passengers, and they run on fixed routes with fixed fares, so no haggling is needed. Seating is nominally eight, but tempos heading to Orchha or Unnao-Balaji can be far more crowded; if you are travelling to Orchha with family or companions, a reserved auto is the more comfortable choice. In summer, carry a long handkerchief or cloth to protect your head from the sun.

• Auto-rickshaws cost more than tempos but are convenient for reaching internal parts of the city. They have no fare meters, so always negotiate the fare before hiring one.
• The intracity mini bus service has been discontinued, so there is no longer a local bus network to rely on. Buses remain useful for reaching Jhansi and for onward travel, departing from the Railway Station, Elite Crossing, and the Main Bus Stand.
• Private taxis can be hired at the taxi stand opposite Sita Hotel, and taxis are also available at the railway station. You can book one through your travel agent, and car rental companies operate in the city if you prefer to drive yourself.
• From the railway station, auto-rickshaws and tempos serve most parts of the city around the clock, and there is a pre-paid auto booth — even so, negotiate the fare before hiring.

Walking is most realistic for short hops within a single neighbourhood or market area; given the summer heat, avoid long distances on foot during the hottest part of the day.

Where to stay

Budget travellers have plenty of options, particularly around the old city and the railway station. Staying in the old city puts you close to the noise and rhythm of daily life, while New Road and Sipri Bazaar are convenient for the business district and the station. Hotel Bhavna and Hotel Panchali on New Road cater mainly to business travellers, Hotel Shrinath Inn on Station Road is a newer, reasonably priced choice close to the centre, Sahara Lodge in Sipri Bazaar offers basic lodging, and Samrat Hotel at Chitra Chouraha sits very near the railway station and has a restaurant, though some rooms are small and poorly ventilated.

Mid-range hotels often come with their own restaurant, and some have a bar. Dreamland Hotel on Station Road has been renovated and offers good accommodation, Hotel Highway in Sipri Bazaar is good value with a restaurant and bar, and Hotel Tulsi at Chitra Crossing is a new property with good rooms. Hotel Rahi Veerangana on Elite-Sipri Road, run by the U.P. tourism department, is calm with basic rooms, some with balconies and air conditioning, plus a bar and restaurant. At the top end, expect air-conditioned rooms, 24-hour room service and multi-cuisine restaurants, usually with a noon check-out. Chanda Hotel near SPI Inter College has a view of Jhansi Fort, Hotel Prakash Regency near Nandini Theatre has a swimming pool, bar and restaurant, and Hotel Raj Palace in Sadar Bazaar offers good value. Hotel Shrinath Palace on Station Road has deluxe rooms and an air-conditioned restaurant, while Hotel Sita on Elite-Sipri Road adds a foreign exchange counter, travel counter, safe deposit boxes, a souvenir shop and a well-stocked bar. Hotel Yatrik near Elite Crossing serves good food at reasonable prices, and Jhansi Hotel in Sadar Bazaar, a single-storey building with high ceilings and a verandah, recalls the days of the Raj.

Food & drink

Mid-range hotels across Jhansi almost all run restaurants serving Indian and continental food, and you'll find plenty of places to eat whatever your budget. On the city's outskirts, roadside dhabas offer rustic charm. In the budget bracket, Manik Chowk's Delhi Walla Chat store is known for panipuris and aloo tikki, while Narayan Chaat Bhandar in Sadar Bazaar's main market sells chaat such as aloo-tikki, dahi vada and paani puri. Geeta Bhojnalaya and Shilpi Hotel, both on Elite square, are pure veg North Indian restaurants that are always crowded, with no family section, popular with working-class diners and bachelors; Geeta Bhojnalaya is known for paneer butter masala, dal butter fry and tandoori paratha. Janack's, near Elite square and adjacent to Dumroo cinema, serves pure veg Indian and Chinese food, has a family section upstairs and a sweets shop. Navbharat Bakery shop in Sadar Bazaar draws a young crowd for burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, ice creams and soft drinks, with a few footpath chairs overlooking the bustling market. Shrinath Paav Bhaaji and Pulao Center specialises in paav bhaaji, pulao and milk shakes, and evening snacks kiosks in Sadar Bazaar and near Arya Kanya Girls' College in Sipri Bazaar sell Chinese and Indian fast food.

For something more substantial, Haveli Restaurant near Elite Square, on the way to Jhansi fort, offers excellent veg thaalis on copper plates, and Hotel Yatrik on Elite Square is air conditioned. Navbharat Restaurant and Raj Palace are both in Sadar Bazaar, the latter near the General Post Office, while Sagar Restaurant at Hotel Prakash Regency has a fine dining area and a bar on the first floor. At the upper end, Hotel Sita on Shivpuri road serves veg and non veg Indian, continental, Chinese and south Indian food plus ice creams in an air conditioned dining hall with light music, and Jhansi Hotel in Sadar Bazaar keeps its colonial charm with a high-ceilinged restaurant. For drinking, beer and wine shops are scattered across the city, but air conditioned places to drink are limited — there is no pub, though mid-range hotel bars are well stocked. Bundela Bar in Manik Chowk is a popular spot in the old city's shopping district, reached through narrow crowded lanes, and the bar at Jhansi Hotel has a garden section.

What to see and do

Jhansi grew up around its fort, and the fort remains the natural place to start. Built in 1613 by Raja Bir Singh Judao of Orchha on a rocky hill, it was once ringed by a wall with ten gates, and the areas around gates such as Khandero Gate, Datia darwaza, Unnao gate, Jharna Gate, Laxmi Gate, Sagar Gate, Orchha Gate, Sainyar Gate and Chand gate are still known by those names. The fort is open from dawn to dusk daily. In the heart of the city, close to the fort, Rani Mahal was built by Raghunath II of the Newalkar family and is decorated with multicoloured paintings; it now serves as a museum of artefacts from the 9th and 12th centuries. The Government Museum, set among parks with Deen Dayal Sabhagar, Vrindavan Lal Verma park, an open-air theatre, Rani Lakshmi Bai Park and a fine view of the fort, holds sculptures, paintings and documents from different eras, and the 1857 Mutiny Memorial on the way to the fort depicts the uprising with statues made from metal scrap. Also worth seeking out are Nag Mandir in Jhansi cantonment, best visited at sunrise for its tree groves and the atmosphere of the city, and St Jude's Shrine, where St Jude's bone is buried in the cathedral foundation and devotees gather from as far as Goa for the feast day and its week-long fair and closing procession.

Beyond the city, Barua sagar lies about 24 km away on the bank of the Betwa, a small town with a large lake, Barua sagar tal, plus a fort and Jarai-ka-Math; it sits on the Jhansi-Varanasi route, and buses to Khajuraho pass through. Chirgaon, 30 km away on National Highway 25 along the Betwa, is known as the home of the national poet Maithili Sharan Gupt, and Hindi authors compare its trio of poets to the Triveni of the Ganges. If you visit during festivities you can see local customs and rituals more closely. Jhansi Mahaotsav, a week-long event at the end of February and beginning of March, brings dance and music showcasing Bundelkhand's heritage, including suata, rai dance and alha songs, along with competitions, a handicraft fair and a food festival; the main evening events are held in the open-air auditorium near the state archaeological museum, with the fort lit up behind it, while competitions such as mehandi, rangoli and recipe contests take place in the museum premises and the handicraft fair in Rani Lakshmibai park. The state vegetables and flowers exhibition, a three-day event in February at the state gardens of Narayan Bagh, features vegetables, fruits and flowers, a home garden category, and a dog show. For films, the city's three cinema halls mostly show Hindi releases and sometimes Hollywood ones, with Khilona among the best; Natraj, Khilona and Elite cluster together in the cinema hub, a short tempo ride from Jhansi railway station.

When to go

Jhansi has an extreme climate, so timing your visit matters. The best months to come are October, November, February and March. Pre-winter, in October and November, brings comfortable conditions for sightseeing, and spring, in February and March, offers pleasant weather before the heat sets in.

Winter is also a good season for visiting, though it is cold and the mercury can dip sharply. Summer is very hot, with temperatures that make sightseeing in the sun inadvisable. The monsoon washes central India from late June, beginning in the third week of the month, and the rains gradually weaken through September before the season ends in the last week of the month.

Festivals & events

Jhansi's festival calendar centres on February, when the city hosts the Jhansi Mahaotsav. Time your visit for this period if you want to catch the city at its most celebratory.

• Jhansi Mahaotsav — held in February
• State vegetables and flowers exhibition — held in February

Three days in Jhansi

Day one: Start in Jhansi itself, the historic heart of Bundelkhand in Uttar Pradesh. Begin at the fort associated with Rani Lakshmi Bai, the Maratha-era stronghold that later passed to the British, and take in the views over the surrounding country. In the afternoon, wander through Sipri Bazaar for a sense of everyday city life, and if you need a base, Hotel Rahi Veerangana is the tourist accommodation to look for. Round off the day with a simple Indian meal.

Day two: Head out towards the Pahuj River, which meets the Betwa, and spend the morning on the water's edge and among the old remains scattered along the banks. The area around Jhansi was once known as Balwant Nagar, and the landscape still carries traces of that older settlement. Winter, from October through February, is the most comfortable time for this kind of day out; by March and April the heat builds, and June through September brings the monsoon. August can be especially wet, so plan accordingly.

Day three: Use Jhansi as a gateway for the wider region. New Delhi, Gwalior, Kanpur and Lucknow are all within reach, and Shankargarh lies along the route towards the sacred confluence. If you are continuing your journey, Jhansi connects onward to India's bigger cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore. Except for the hottest and wettest months, the city works well as a base for exploring this part of Uttar Pradesh.