Nil Kanth Palace

Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh


If you’re looking for a great reason to cycle out into the countryside, consider visiting this unusual former palace turned temple. It stands at the head of a ravine, on the site of an earlier Shiva shrine – its name means God with Blue Throat – and is now again used as a place of worship. A stream built by one of Akbar’s governors trickles through a delightful spiral channel and is usually filled with sweet-scented water.

To get here cycle south from the Jama Masjid for 850m and turn right at a large water tower. Follow the road as it twists and turns past outlying houses all the way to Nil Kanth (2.2km). You can continue from here, past more remote settlements, for just over 1km to reach the still-standing gateway of the now-ruined, Maratha-built Songarh Fort, from where there are more great views.


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