India Highlights Tour

---

---

Itinerary :


Day01 / Arrival Delhi
Arrive Delhi, meet assist at the airport & transfer to hotel.Night stay in Delhi.

Day02 / Delhi
After a leisurely breakfast sightseeing tour of New Delhi whereornate buildings recall the days when India was the Jewel inthe crown of the British empire. Visit the 11th century QutabMinar ,India Gate and the grand government buildings, the President’sHouse , Mahatama Gandhi Memorial , Also visit Laxmi Narayantemple popularly known as Birla Temple. Night stay in Delhi.

Day03/ Delhi - Udaipur ( By flight )
After breakfast transfer to airport to board the flight to Udaipur.Arrive Udaipur, meet assist at the airport & transfer tohotel. Afternoon visit the the Jagdish temple. Maharana JagatSingh built this temple between 1628-1653 at a whopping costof Rs 1.5 million. The temple, dedicated to Lord Jagannath,is at a great height and can be approached by a long flightof stairs. Later visit Saheliyon ki Bari- the Garden of RoyalLadies .Saheliyon ki Bari lies just beneath the Fateh SagarLake. Maharana Sangram Singh II designed this garden in theearly 18th century purely as a pleasure garden and a summerpalace for the 48 young maids that formed a part of the prince’sdowry. It is also said that the garden was presented as a peaceoffering from the Emperor of Delhi. The Maharanas entertainedthemselves around the four ornamental pools and the five fountains.These fountains were imported from England in 1889. MaharanaBhopal Singh specially was very fond of this place and builta rain fountain, so that it looked like rain dancing on thedancing maids. Night stay in Udaipur.

Day04/ Udaipur
Morning city sight seeing tour of Udaipur. The city is builtin 1559 A.D. by Maharaja Udai Singh and has been described asthe most romantic spot on the continent of India by Col. JamesTodd. Visit the City Palace museum, The City Palace, one ofthe largest palaces in the world, can be approached throughthe Bari Pol or the Great Gate (1600) with the royal drums andthen onto the Tripolia Gate (1725). Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandir( Folk art museum) The interesting collection exhibited by thisIndian 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 PearlHill, overlooking the Fateh Sagar Lake is the memorial of theRajput hero Maharana Pratap with a bronze statue of the Maharanaastride his favorite horse"Chetak".Night stay in Udaipur.

Day05/ Udaipur - Jodhpur ( By road )
After breakfast drive to Jodhpur. On arrival transfer to hotel.Night stay in Jodhpur.

Day06/ Jodhpur
After a relaxed breakfast proceed for city sight seeing tourof 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 MotiMahal and Phool Mahal. Also visit Jaswant Thada, an imposingmarble cenotaph, built in memory of Maharaja Jaswant singh IIaround 1899 and Umaid Public gardens. Night stay in Jodhpur.

Day07/ Jodhpur - Jaisalmer ( By road )
Morning drive to Jaisalmer, on arrival transfer to hotel. Eveningat leisure. Night stay in Jaisalmer.

Day08/ Jaisalmer
Morning city sightseeing tour of Jaisalmer. Throbbing in theheart of the Thar, the burnished sandstone, is an intricatelymolded wonderland in place of a barren land, today stands acity of gilded magic. The origins of Jaisalmer go back to the12th century, when Rawal Jaisal abandoned his old fort at Ludarwaand laid the foundation of a new city. Visit the magnificientfort, the Patwon Ki Haveli ( Mansion) and Salim singh Ki Haveli,with their carved balconies and brackets which are supreme examplesof the art. Evening camel ride to visit Sam Dunes. Night stayin Jaisalmer.



Day09/ Jaisalmer - Bikaner ( By road )
Morning drive to Bikaner. On arrival transfer to the hotel.Later city sight seeing tour. Bikaner is named after its founderRao Bikaji in 1488. But long before this, the city was tradecenter on the caravan routes from Africa and West Asia. Bikaner’sdominant features are rippling sands and abundant sunshine.The city stands on an elevation, enclosed by a 7 Kms wall, whichcan be entered from 5 gate. Bikaner City is bolstered by imposingwalls and has a 16th century fort housing old palaces, templesand mosque. Founded by Raja Rai Singh the fort is distinguishedby its long range of 37 pavilions, a line of balconies and aerialwindows of varying designs. Also visit Lallgarh Palace, themuseum, Bhanda Sagar Jain and Deshnoke Rat temple. Night stayin Bikaner.

Day10/ Bikaner - Jaipur ( By road )
Morning drive to Jaipur, on arrival transfer to the hotel. Eveningat leisure . Night stay in Jaipur.

Day11/ Jaipur
Morning excursion to Amber Fort. Elephant ride ascent to thefort.
AMBER FORT PALACE - Amber is the classic romanticRajasthani fort palace. Its construction was started by ManSingh I in 1592, and completed by his descendent Jai Singh I.Its forbidding exterior belies an inner paradise where a beautifulfusion of Mughal and Hindu styles finds it's ultimate expression.
Continue sight-seeing.
CITY PALACE - A delightful blend of Mughaland traditional Rajasthani architecture, the City Palace sprawlsover one-seventh of the area in the walled city. It houses theChandra Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum.
JANTAR MANTAR - This is the largest and thebest preserved of the five observatories built by Jai SinghII in different parts of the country. This observatory consistingof 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 encrustedwith fine trelliswork and elaborate balconies. The palace has953 niches and windows. Built in 1799 by Pratap Singh, the Mahalwas a royal grandstand for the palace women. Night stay in Jaipur.

Day12/ Jaipur - Agra
Morning drive to Agra enroute visiting Fatehpur Sikri, builtby Emperor Akbar in 1569 to commemorate the birth of his sonand later abandoned due to scarcity of water. Visit the remains,it fortifications within the city including Jama Masjid, Tombof Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal and other palaces. On arrival transferto hotel. Evening at leisure. Night stay in Agra.

Day13/ Agra
Morning at sunrise visit the world famous Taj Mahal, built bythe Mughal Emperor Shahjehan in 1630 for his queen Mumtaz Mahalto enshrine her mortal remains, Also visit the Agra Fort, containingthe Pearl Mosque - the rusty and majestic red- sandstone fortof Agra stands on the banks of the river Yamuna and the constructionwas started by Emperor Akbar in 1566. At the Diwan-I-Khas (hallof private audience) where marble pavilions with floral inlayslend an ethereal ambience, the Emperor sat on his gem-studdedpeacock Throne and met foreign ambassadors and rulers of friendlykingdoms. Also visit Itmad-up-Dau’s tomb, built by Noorjehanin memory of her father. Night stay in Agra.

Day14/ 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 templesand monuments. Some of the palaces were decorated with paintedmurals which represent the finest flowering of the Bundela schoolof painting. Night stay in Orchha.



Day15/ Orchha - Khajuraho ( By surface )
After breakfast drive to Khajuraho Khajuraho- the legendarytemples of khajuraho are an incomparable experience. Acknowledgedas one of the world’s artistic wonders, these templesdedicated to the Hindu pantheon of Gods are covered in carvingsthat are a paean to life and love. Built within a short spanof a hundred years by the Chandela Rajputs, the 10th centurytemples lay forgotten until they were discovered in the presentcentury. Khajuraho has achieved fame for the sensual appealof its erotic sculptures. Arrive Khajuraho and transfer to hotel.Evening at leisure. Night stay in Khajuraho.

Day16/ Khajuraho
The fascinating temples of Khajuraho, India's unique gift oflove to the world, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, were builtbetween 950 and 1050 A.D. The temples are grouped into threegeographical divisions : western, eastern and southern.
After breakfast explore the Western, eastern and southern templesof khajuraho while your guide explains the intricate meaningand legends behind each describable sculpture.

Western Group
Kandariya Mahadeo : This is the largest, andmost typical Khajuraho temple. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it soars31 m high. The sanctum enshrines a lingam, while the main shrineis ornately carved and depicts various gods, goddesses, apsaras(heavenly maidens) in elaborate detail.
Chaunsat Yogini : The oldest surviving templein the group (900 A.D.), this is the sole granite temple dedicatedto Goddess Kali. Another Kali temple, which was originally dedicatedto Lord Vishnu, is the Devi Jagdambe temple.
Chitragupta Temple : Dedicated to the sun-god,Surya, this temple faces eastwards to the rising sun. The innersanctum boasts of an impressive image of the presiding deity- the majestic sun-god looming 5 feet high, and driving a chariot.
Vishwanath Temple : The temple enshrines athree-headed image of Lord Brahma. Lions guard the northernentrance to the structure, while elephants flank the southernflight of steps that lead upto it. A Nandi bull faces the shrine.

Lakshamana Temple : The lintel over the entrance ofthis temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, shows the holy trinityof Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva with Goddess Lakshmi, Vishnu's consort.The sanctum is adorned with a three-headed idol of Vishnu'sincarnations, Narasimha and Varaha. The latter, the boar incarnationalso appears as a nine-feet high statue at the Varaha Temple.
Matangeshwara Temple : This temple, which happensto be outside the precincts of the western group, is dedicatedto Lord Shiva. It boasts of an eight feet high lingam. EasternGroup
Parsavanatha Temple : The largest in the groupof three Jain temples, the Parsavanath image in this temple,was installed in 1860. The sculptures on the northern wall depicteveryday activity, in awesome detail. Within the temple, a thronefaces the bull emblem of first tirthankara, Adinath.
Ghantai Temple : This Jain temple has a friezedepicting the 16 dreams of Mahavira's mother, and a Jain goddessperched on a winged Garuda.
Adinatha Temple: The last of the Jain temples, is dedicatedto the Jain saint, Adinatha, and is gorgeously adorned withsculptures 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 embellishedwith images of ravishing apsaras at their alluring best; andfinally the Javari temple, with its ornate gateway and lavishcarvings.

Southern Group
Duladeo Temple : Dedicated to Lord Shiva, thehighlights of this temple are the sensuous images of the apsaras,and other exquisite sculptures. Chaturbhuj Temple: This templesports a huge, elaborately carved image of Vishnu in the sanctum.Night stay in Khajuraho.

Day17/ Khajuraho - Varanasi ( By flight )
After breakfast transfer to airport to board the flight forVaranasi-said to be the India’s most sacred city situatedon the western bank of the holy river Ganga. It is also theoldest living city in the world. As a place for devotion andworship, with hundreds of temples dotting the city , sunriseon the river front as seen from a boat can be a spirituallyuplifting sight. It has a fascination uniquely its own, a qualityof sublime beauty, a timeless eternal appeal. Varanasi is thecity which cannot be described, only experienced. Arrive Varanasiand transfer to hotel. Evening view “Aarti” ceremonyon the Ghats. Night stay in Varanasi.

Day18/ Varanasi
Morning boat cruise at the river Ganges to observe the way oflife of pilgrims by the Ghats. Later excursion to Sarnath, 10kms.East of Varanasi, is one of the Buddhism’s major centersof India. After attaining enlightenment, the Buddha came toSarnath where he gave his first sermon. Today Sarnath is consideredas one of the richest place to have antiques since the Ashokaperiod to the 12th century. The Dharmarajika stupa was alsobuilt by Ashoka and it was surmounted by the pillar. This pillarwith four lions today forms the national emblem of India. Sarnathhas many more ruins of monasteries and stupas. The spot at whichthe stupa stands is believed to be the place from where Buddhagave his forts sermon. Sarnath has an extremely rich collectionof Buddhist statues. Visit the deer park and the museum, laterback to Varanasi . Night stay in Varanasi.

Day19/ Varanasi - Bombay ( By flight )
After a relaxed breakfast transfer to airport to board the flightto Bombay. Arrive Bombay & transfer to hotel. Night stayin Bombay.

Day20/ Bombay – Aurangabad ( By flight )
After breakfast proceed for half day tour of Mumbai coveringGateway of India – The stone archway designed by Wittettin the 16th century Gujarati style, Prince of Whales Museum, Chowpatty Beach, Dhobhi Ghat, Marine Drive. Later transferto the airport to board the flight to Aurangabad, the capitalof Aurangzeb, who was the last of the great Mughals. ArriveAurangabad and transfer to hotel. Night stay in Aurangabad.

Day21/ Aurangabad
Full day excursion to the world heritage sites – Ajantaand Ellora Caves in Aurangabad – as recognised so by UNESCOare renowned the world over for their uniqueness and ancientvalue
Ajanta caves - offers a rich tapestry of imagesthat speak of palaces, royalty, cultures and tales of everydaylife of ancient India. Long buried in the debris of time, these30 caves were built to offer seclusion to the Buddhist monks,who lived, taught and performed rituals.
Ellora caves -Carved between fourth and fifth century,the rock temples and monasteries of Ellora represent the threemajor faiths of India - Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. LikeAjanta, Ellora caves too are a fine example of cave templeswith almost 34 caves with intricate interiors and ornamentalfacades . Night stay in Aurangabad.

Day22/ Aurangabad - Bombay ( By flight )
Morning transfer to airport to board the flight to Bombay. ArriveBombay and transfer to hotel. Afternoon visit the local markets.Spend the rest of the day at leisure. Night stay in Bombay.

Day23/ Bombay - Goa
After breakfast transfer to airport for flight to Goa. ArriveGoa & transfer to hotel. Evening at leisure. Night stayin Goa.

Day24/ Goa
After breakfast, proceed on a half day sightseeing tour of Goa,visiting Miramar Beach, Basilica of Bom Jesus and the city ofPanjim-bustling with shops and tourists. The afternoon is atleisure to relax on the beach. Laze on the beach, go for swim,explore the shops for cashewnuts, buy holiday wear .Night stayin Goa.

Day25/26 Goa
Day at leisure. Night stay in Goa.



Day 27/ Goa-Departure
After breakfast, transfer to airport to board the fligt to Mumbai or Delhi to connect the fligt back home.