Day
01/ Arrival Delhi
Arrive Delhi, meet assist at the airport and transfer to hotel.
Night stay in Delhi.
Day
02/ Delhi
After a leisurely breakfast sightseeing tour of New Delhi where
ornate buildings recall the days when India was the Jewel in the
crown of the British empire. Visit the 11th century Qutab Minar
,India Gate and the grand government buildings, the President’s
House , Mahatama Gandhi Memorial , Also visit Laxmi Narayan temple
popularly known as Birla Temple. Night stay in Delhi.
 Day
03/ Delhi - Udaipur (By flight)
After breakfast transfer to airport to board the flight to Udaipur.
Arrive Udaipur, meet assist at the airport & transfer to hotel.
Afternoon visit the the Jagdish temple. Maharana Jagat Singh built
this temple between 1628-1653 at a whopping cost of Rs 1.5 million.
The temple, dedicated to Lord Jagannath, is at a great height
and can be approached by a long flight of stairs. Later visit
Saheliyon ki Bari- the Garden of Royal Ladies .Saheliyon ki Bari
lies just beneath the Fateh Sagar Lake. Maharana Sangram Singh
II designed this garden in the early 18th century purely as a
pleasure garden and a summer palace for the 48 young maids that
formed a part of the prince’s dowry. The Maharanas entertained
themselves around the four ornamental pools and the five fountains.
These fountains were imported from England in 1889. Maharana Bhopal
Singh specially was very fond of this place and built a rain fountain,
so that it looked like rain dancing on the dancing maids. Night
stay in Udaipur.
Day
04/ Udaipur
Morning city sight seeing tour of Udaipur. The city is built in
1559 A.D. by Maharaja Udai Singh and has been described as the
most romantic spot on the continent of India by Col. James Todd.
Visit the City Palace museum, The City Palace, one of the largest
palaces in the world, can be approached through the Bari Pol or
the Great Gate (1600) with the royal drums and then onto the Tripolia
Gate (1725). The Tripolia is a triple gate made of marble arches.
Between these two gates are eight carved toranas or archways under
which the maharanas were weighed against gold and silver which
was later distributed to the poor subjects. Popular entertainment
like elephant fights took place in the court beyond the Tripolia
Gate. Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandir ( Folk art museum) The interesting
collection exhibited by this Indian folk arts museum includes
folk dresses, ornaments, puppets, masks, dolls, folk musical instruments,
folk deities and paintings. Also visit the Pratap Memorial. Atop
the Moti Magri or Pearl Hill, overlooking the Fateh Sagar Lake
is the memorial of the Rajput hero Maharana Pratap with a bronze
statue of the Maharana astride his favorite horse"Chetak".Night
stay in Udaipur.
Day
05/ Udaipur - Jodhpur (By road)
After breakfast drive to Jodhpur. On arrival transfer to hotel.
Night stay in Jodhpur.
Day
06/ Jodhpur (By road)
After a relaxed breakfast proceed for city sight seeing tour of
Jodhpur. Jodhpur - the stronghold of the fierce Rathore clan,
was founded in 1459 by Prince Jodha. Visit the Mehrangarh Fort,
situated on a low sandstone hill. Within the fort, visit Moti
Mahal and Phool Mahal. Also visit Jaswant Thada, an imposing marble
cenotaph, built in memory of Maharaja Jaswant singh II around
1899 and Umaid Public gardens. Night stay in Jodhpur.
Day
07/ Jodhpur - Jaisalmer (By road)
Morning drive to Jaisalmer, on arrival transfer to hotel. Evening
at leisure. Night stay in Jaisalmer.
 Day
08/ Jaisalmer
Morning city sightseeing tour of Jaisalmer. Throbbing in the heart
of the Thar, the burnished sandstone, is an intricately molded
wonderland in place of a barren land, today stands a city of gilded
magic. The origins of Jaisalmer go back to the 12th century, when
Rawal Jaisal abandoned his old fort at Ludarwa and laid the foundation
of a new city. Visit the magnificient fort, the Patwon Ki Haveli
( Mansion) and Salim singh Ki Haveli, with their carved balconies
and brackets which are supreme examples of the art. Evening camel
ride to visit Sam Dunes. Night stay in Jaisalmer.
Day
09/ Jaisalmer - Bikaner (By road)
Morning drive to Bikaner. On arrival transfer to the hotel. Later
city sight seeing tour. Bikaner is named after its founder Rao
Bikaji in 1488. But long before this, the city was trade center
on the caravan routes from Africa and West Asia. Bikaner’s dominant
features are rippling sands and abundant sunshine. The city stands
on an elevation, enclosed by a 7 Kms wall, which can be entered
from 5 gate. Bikaner City is bolstered by imposing walls and has
a 16th century fort housing old palaces, temples and mosque. Founded
by Raja Rai Singh the fort is distinguished by its long range
of 37 pavilions, a line of balconies and aerial windows of varying
designs. Also visit Lallgarh Palace, Bhanda Sagar Jain and Deshnoke
Rat temple. Night stay in Bikaner.
Day
10/ Bikaner - Jaipur (By road)
Morning drive to Jaipur, on arrival transfer to the hotel. Evening
at leisure . Night stay in Jaipur.
Day
11/ Jaipur
Morning excursion to Amber Fort. Elephant ride ascent to the fort.
AMBER FORT PALACE - Amber is the classic romantic Rajasthani fort
palace. Its construction was started by Man Singh I in 1592, and
completed by his descendent Jai Singh I. Its forbidding exterior
belies an inner paradise where a beautiful fusion of Mughal and
Hindu styles finds it's ultimate expression.
Continue sight-seeing.
CITY PALACE - A delightful blend of Mughal and traditional Rajasthani
architecture, the City Palace sprawls over one-seventh of the
area in the walled city. It houses the Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind
Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum.
JANTAR MANTAR - This is the largest and the best preserved of
the five observatories built by Jai Singh II in different parts
of the country. This observatory consisting of outsized astronomical
instruments is still in use.
HAWA MAHAL - The ornamental facade of this "Palace of Winds"
is a prominent landmark in Jaipur. Their five-storey structures
of sandstone plastered pink encrusted with fine trelliswork and
elaborate balconies. The palace has 953 niches and windows. Built
in 1799 by Pratap Singh, the Mahal was a royal grandstand for
the palace women. Night stay in Jaipur.
 Day
12/ Jaipur - Agra
Morning drive to Agra enroute visiting Fatehpur Sikri, built by
Emperor Akbar in 1569 to commemorate the birth of his son and
later abandoned due to scarcity of water. Visit the remains, it
fortifications within the city including Jama Masjid, Tomb of
Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal and other palaces. On arrival transfer
to hotel. Evening at leisure. Night stay in Agra.
Day
13/ Agra
Morning at sunrise visit the world famous Taj Mahal, built by
the Mughal Emperor Shahjehan in 1630 for his queen Mumtaz Mahal
to enshrine her mortal remains, Also visit the Agra Fort, containing
the Pearl Mosque - the rusty and majestic red- sandstone fort
of Agra stands on the banks of the river Yamuna and the construction
was started by Emperor Akbar in 1566. At the Diwan-I-Khas (hall
of private audience) where marble pavilions with floral inlays
lend an ethereal ambience, the Emperor sat on his gem-studded
peacock Throne and met foreign ambassadors and rulers of friendly
kingdoms. Also visit Itmad-up-Dau’s tomb, built by Noorjehan in
memory of her father. Night stay in Agra.
Day
14/ Agra - Jhansi (By train) Jhansi - Orchha (By surface)
Morning transfer to railway station to board the train to Jhansi
, Arrive Jhansi & drive to Orchha & transfer to hotel.
Later tour of this historical site with magnificient temples and
monuments. Some of the palaces were decorated with painted murals
which represent the finest flowering of the Bundela school of
painting. Night stay in Orchha.
Day
15/ Orchha - Khajuraho (By surface)
After breakfast drive to Khajuraho Khajuraho- the legendary temples
of khajuraho are an incomparable experience. Acknowledged as one
of the world’s artistic wonders, these temples dedicated to the
Hindu pantheon of Gods are covered in carvings that are a paean
to life and love. Built within a short span of a hundred years
by the Chandela Rajputs, the 10th century temples lay forgotten
until they were discovered in the present century. Khajuraho has
achieved fame for the sensual appeal of its erotic sculptures.
Arrive Khajuraho and transfer to hotel. Evening at leisure. Night
stay in Khajuraho.
Day
16/ Khajuraho
The fascinating temples of Khajuraho, India's unique gift of love
to the world, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, were built between
950 and 1050 A.D. The divine sculptures in these temples, are
a tribute to Life itself, embodying everything that is sublime
and spontaneous about it. The murals depict the life and times
of the Chandelas, and celebrate the erotic state of being. They
not only testify to the mastery of the craftsman, but also to
the extraordinary breadth of vision of the Chandela Rajputs under
whose reign, these temples were constructed.
The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions : western,
eastern and southern.
After breakfast explore the Western, eastern and southern temples
of khajuraho while your guide explains the intricate meaning and
legends behind each describable sculpture.
 Western
Group
Kandariya Mahadeo: This is the largest, and most typical Khajuraho
temple. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it soars 31 m high. The sanctum
enshrines a lingam, while the main shrine is ornately carved and
depicts various gods, goddesses, apsaras (heavenly maidens) in
elaborate detail.
Chaunsat Yogini: The oldest surviving temple in the group (900
A.D.), this is the sole granite temple dedicated to Goddess Kali.
Another Kali temple,which was originally dedicated to Lord Vishnu,
is the Devi Jagdambe temple.
Chitragupta Temple: Dedicated to the sun-god, Surya, this temple
faces eastwards to the rising sun.
Vishwanath Temple: The temple enshrines a three-headed image of
Lord Brahma. Lions guard the northern entrance to the structure,
while elephants flank the southern flight of steps that lead upto
it. A Nandi bull faces the shrine.
Lakshamana Temple: The lintel over the entrance of this temple
dedicated to Lord Vishnu, shows the holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu
and Shiva with Goddess Lakshmi, Vishnu's consort. The sanctum
is adorned with a three-headed idol of Vishnu's incarnations,
Narasimha and Varaha.
Matangeshwara Temple: This temple, which happens to be outside
the precincts of the western group, is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
It boasts of an eight feet high lingam.
Eastern Group
Parsavanatha Temple: The largest in the group of three Jain temples,
the Parsavanath image in this temple, was installed in 1860.
Ghantai Temple: This Jain temple has a frieze depicting the 16
dreams of Mahavira's mother, and a Jain goddess perched on a winged
Garuda.
Adinatha Temple: The last of the Jain temples, is dedicated to
the Jain saint, Adinatha, and is gorgeously adorned with sculptures
of yakshis among others.
The three Hindu temples in this group are the Brahma temple, which
has a four-faced lingam, The Vamana temple which is embellished
with images of ravishing apsaras at their alluring best; and finally
the Javari temple, with its ornate gateway and lavish carvings.
Southern Group
Duladeo Temple: Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the highlights of this
temple are the sensuous images of the apsaras, and other exquisite
sculptures. Chaturbhuj Temple: This temple sports a huge, elaborately
carved image of Vishnu in the sanctum.
Night stay in Khajuraho.
Day
17/ Khajuraho - Varanasi (By flight Dep 1330 Arr 1410)
After breakfast transfer to airport to board the flight for Varanasi-said
to be the India’s most sacred city situated on the western bank
of the holy river Ganga. It is also the oldest living city in
the world. As a place for devotion and worship, with hundreds
of temples dotting the city , sunrise on the river front as seen
from a boat can be a spiritually uplifting sight. It has a fascination
uniquely its own, a quality of sublime beauty, a timeless eternal
appeal. Varanasi is the city which cannot be described, only experienced.
Arrive Varanasi and transfer to hotel. Evening view “Aarti” ceremony
on the Ghats. Night stay in Varanasi.
Day
18/ Varanasi
Morning boat cruise at the river Ganges to observe the way of
life of pilgrims by the Ghats. Later excursion to Sarnath, 10kms.
East of Varanasi, is one of the Buddhism’s major centers of India.
After attaining enlightenment, the Buddha came to Sarnath where
he gave his first sermon. Today Sarnath is considered as one of
the richest place to have antiques since the Ashoka period to
the 12th century. Sarnath has many more ruins of monasteries and
stupas.The spot at which the stupa stands is believed to be the
place from where Buddha gave his forts sermon. Sarnath has an
extremely rich collection of Buddhist statues. These sculptures
are the images of Buddha and Bodhisatva. Visit the deer park and
the museum, later back to Varanasi . Night stay in Varanasi.
Day
19/ Varanasi - Delhi (By flight)
After breakfast sight seeing of Varanasi (the oldest and holiest
city of India) covering Temples, Aurangazeb’s Mosque and one
of the biggest university of India. Afternoon transfer to
airport for flight to Delhi. Arrive Delhi & transfer
to hotel. Night stay in Delhi.
Day
20/ Departure
Transfer to airport to board the onward flight. |
Holidays India 