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Day 1 - Arrival Delhi |
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Arrive Delhi, meet assist at the airport & transfer to hotel. Night stay in Delhi.
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Day 2 - Delhi
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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.
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Day 3 - Delhi - Udaipur (By flight) |
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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.
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Day 4 - Udaipur |
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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.
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Day 5 - Udaipur - Jodhpur (By road) |
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After breakfast drive to Jodhpur. On arrival transfer to hotel. Night stay in Jodhpur.
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Day 6 - Jodhpur (By road) |
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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.
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Day 7 - Jodhpur - Jaisalmer (By road) |
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Morning drive to Jaisalmer, on arrival transfer to hotel. Evening at leisure. Night stay in Jaisalmer.
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Day 8 - Jaisalmer |
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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.
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Day 9 - Jaisalmer - Bikaner (By road) |
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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.
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Day10 - Bikaner - Jaipur (By road) |
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Morning drive to Jaipur, on arrival transfer to the hotel. Evening at leisure . Night stay in Jaipur.
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Day 11 - Jaipur |
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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.
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Day 12 - Jaipur - Agra |
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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.
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Day 13 - Agra |
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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.this temple. The
Kathmandu Durbar Square was listed in the UNESCO World Heritage
Monument List in 1979.
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Day 14 - Agra - Jhansi (By train) Jhansi - Orchha (By surface) |
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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.
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Day 15 - Orchha - Khajuraho (By surface) |
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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.
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Day 16 - Khajuraho |
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he
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. |
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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. |
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Day 17 - Khajuraho - Varanasi (By flight Dep 1330 Arr 1410) |
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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.
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Day 18 - Varanasi |
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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.
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Day 19 - Varanasi - Delhi (By flight) |
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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.
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Day 20 - Departure |
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Transfer to airport to board the onward flight.
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Package includes:
- 19 nights accommodation as per the itinerary with daily breakfast.
- Train tickets for Jhansi-Agra in airconditioned chair car.
- Surface Travel by exclusive airconditioned car.
- All transfers, sightseeing as per the itinerary.
- Local English speaking guides.
- Elephant ride in Jaipur (Subject to availability), Boat ride in Varanasi/ Udaipur
- All taxes, driver allowances, permit, parking etc.
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Package does not include:
- Entrance fee to monuments.
- Any airfare.
- Any meals except breakfast.
- Tips, beverages, laundry etc.
- Any item not shown in cost Includes
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