Going on a road-trip to a different state altogether was one of the things I wanted to do before I turned 25, and last year my Dad helped me tick that one task off of my bucket list. The trip from Mumbai to Varanasi was long but the cities and villages on the way kept us entertained.
The day starts with a drive from Mumbai and then halting after around 3 hours at Kasara Ghat. Then we enter the 'Heart of India' Madhya Pradesh with the classic city of Sagar and head to Maihar to visit the Maihar Mata on the 2nd day. And finally exploring the cities of Mirzapur and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on the 3rd day.
Itinerary
The itinerary is spread across 3 days.
Suggested route from Mumbai to Varanasi
Mumbai-Nashik-Indore-Sagar- Maihar- Mirzapur- Varanasi
Mumbai-Kasara Ghat
We began our journey from Mumbai at 5am in the morning and reached Kasara Ghat at 7:30am. The whole experience of driving through the ghat was extremely beautiful. Kasara Ghat is known as one of the many haunted places in India, and a lot of accidents happen here. While driving at Kasara Ghat, we couldn't see anything more than 20 meters due to heavy fog. I would recommend you visit this place when there's no fog.
Distance- 103.6 km
Time on the road- 2-3 hours
Top experiences- The enchanting views through the drive of the mountains, the view of the whole city from top of Kasara Ghat. Tapri available at the end of the road for all the "Chai lovers."
Sagar City
We reached Sagar District at 10:30 pm and decided to take some rest at Vandana Hotel situated at Gujarati Bazaar.
Sagar is situated at the spur of Vindhya range and was named as "Saugor" meaning- Hundred forts as there were more than 100 forts in Sagar. With time, the name of "Saugor" changed to "Sagar."
After leaving the hotel at 5 in the morning, we started exploring the unexplored and not so famous Sagar city. And to be honest, I fell in love with this city. The city is surrounded by water and there are a lot of small markets and colorful shops. We took the small streets and roads connecting to NH52.
Distance- 814 km
Time on the road- 14-15 hours apporx.
Top experience- Shopping at Nagar Nigam Market, driving through the bridge above the water, visiting places like Luhri bhavan, Gujarati Bazaar, and shopping there.
Where did we eat- Breakfast at Bittu Dhaba and Restro (Jinda) and Lunch at Naman Restaurant (Katni)
Maihar
Our Next destination was Maihar and we reached there shortly after our lunch at Katni. After being on road for almost 3 hours now, we decied to visit the very famous, 'Maihar ki Mata.' Maihar is famous for its history and there are a lot of myths related to this place. People here believe that the legendary Ala and Udal visit the temple every night and hence, the temple is closed for visitors at night. The temple is situated on a height of approx 585 feet between the 'Trikoot Parvat.'
To reach the top, you can either climb 1063 steps or you can use the rope-way facility. Inside the temple, there is a statue of Lord Narsingh along with Sharda Devi. Maihar mata, also known as Sharda Devi Temple is known as one of the most powerful places to worship in India.
Distance- 290km
Time on the road- 6-7 hours.
Top experience- Attending the evening aarti at Maihar temple, homemade dinner at a Thaali place around the corner of the temple.
Where did we eat- Stay and breakfast Hotel Aakriti (Maihar).
Mirzapur
En route to Varanasi, make sure to visit Mirzapur that comes on the way. Mirzapur connects the way to Allahabad and Varanasi and is very well known for Vindhyachal Temple. But did you know that this place is surrounded by greenary, enchanting waterfalls and lots and lots of peacocks. Vindham Waterfall is one of the known waterfalls in Mirzapur and when visiting to Varanasi make sure to visit the city that is waiting to be tapped by travelers- Mirzapur.
We stopped at various locations in Mirzapur including one of the most amazing Gulab Jamun stall ever. The Mirzapuri deep fried, soaked in sugar water Gulab Jamuns looked delicious and tasted equally delicious. Its a must try if you ever decide to visit Mirzapur. We tried Gulab Jamuns at 3 local stalls and each of them tasted exactly the same, but it was worth it.
Time on the road- 5-6 hours
Distance- 235 km
Top experience- Visiting Vindhaychal temple, Vindhyam waterfall, eating hot served Gulab Jamun at local stalls.
Where did we eat- Lunch at Ramdhaam Hotel (Chakghaat).
Varanasi
Finally reaching our destination Varanasi felt like a win. The road leading up to the Holy City of India is etched with small 'Paan Pattis' in the corner, smell of 'Banarasi Peda' refreshing the air, and the colorful Banarasi Saree shops, the city altogether is exquisite.
Varanasi is known as one of the oldest city in the history of the world and it definitely adds up to the beauty of the city. One of the most memorable thing in Varanasi for me was the mesmerizing Ganga Aarti. The aarti was so loud yet peaceful. It gave me goosebumps. Ganga Aarti is the one of those things you must check if you are in Varanasi.
Time on the road- 2 hours
Distance- 62 km
Top experience- Holy Bath in Ganga River, Exploring Ganga Ghat, Ganga Aarti and walking around the streets and shopping.
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” – Anthony Bourdain