Experience the best of Jhansi

Jhansi stands in Bundelkhand, a region of low rocky hills and dry plains in southern Uttar Pradesh. Its fort, built in 1613 by the Orchha ruler Bir Singh Deo on a rocky hill, rises over the city with massive granite walls. The fort is tied to Rani Lakshmibai, the queen of Jhansi who fought British forces during the uprising of 1857 and died in battle in 1858.

Inside the fort are the cannon named Karak Bijli, a Shiva temple and gardens, while the Rani Mahal, a palace with painted walls, and the Government Museum, with sculptures and weapons, recall the queen's time. Orchha, with its palaces and royal cenotaphs, is a short way to the south-east, and Datia's seven-storey palace, the lake at Barua Sagar and the Gupta-era temple at Deogarh are also within a day's reach. Khajuraho lies further east.

Bundelkhand cooking relies on wheat and gram, with kachori, jalebi and milk sweets sold at market stalls. A famous Hindi poem about the queen is known to schoolchildren across India. May and June bring fierce heat to the plain, while the months after the monsoon are mild.