DAY 1. DELHI
Assistance . reception at the airport and transfer
to hotel.
DAY 2.
Morning commence a unique tour of the "Bazaars
of Delhi" ,where you are taken back
to those times when the majority of the trading
in Delhi was carried out from the huddled shops
of these lively markets. Visit the" Chor
Bazaar" behind the old ramparts
of the Red fort and the "Kinari bazaar"
where shops overflow with bridal finery, including
garlands made of rupee notes, turbans for grooms,
rosettes and other glistening tinsel used in marriage
ceremonies of the Hindus. Visit the "Naya
bazaar", the spice market on Khari
Baoli, clouded with a thick dust of flour and
spices, at the same time fragrant with their aroma.
You can find any type and amount of spices and
condiment,from aniseed, turmeric, pomegranate,
dried mangoes, saffron, lotus seeds, pickles to
reetha nuts, used for washing hair and edible
leaves of silver paper used to coat sweets and
cakes. A cycle rickshaw ride to the "Meena
Bazaar", a distinctively Islamic
bazaar of cramped shops clustered around the base
of Jama Masjid, full of burqas, topis, dupattas,
bangles and devotional pictures of shrines. Buffet
lunch at the restaurant "Chor Bazaar"
of Hotel Broad way where cold salads are laid
out on a vintage Chevrolet car. Relish the delicacies
of Mughal cuisine and sip your cocktails at the
"Thugs bar". Post lunch,
combined city tour of Old and New Delhi including
the Red fort, Jama Masjid, Rashtrapati Bhawan,
India Gate, Qutab Minar and Bahai temple. In the
evening enjoy bar-be-que dinner and relax by a
crackling bonfire in the sprawling lawns of a
private farm house with professional performers
from Rajasthan performing the characteristic "Ghoomar",
"Kachhi Ghodi" and
"Fire" dances. Ghoomar
is basically a community dance for women where
the ladies move gracefully in circles. Kachhi
Ghodi is a dance performed on well decorated dummy
horses by men in equally elaborate costumes, holding
naked swords and moving rhythmically to the beating
of drums and fifes The fire dance, performed by
tribes of Bikaner, renowned for their tantrik
powers, involves men jumping on to the fire, prepared
with charcoal and live wood to the accompaniment
of drum beats.
DAY 3. AGRA
Morning, drive to Agra, the multisplendoured city
of "khushamadeed" as
they say to joyous welcome, of "adaab"
and gracious hospitality, of checkered history
and discerning arts, of "thumbs"
and "dum pukht" or
the art of slow cooking, of fabled monuments and
kite flying competitions and above all a land
steeped in history and glory. One of the great
Mughal cities of South Asia, with minor interruptions,
Agra alternated with Delhi as the capital of their
empire. Check into the hotel and commence the
city tour with the imposing Taj Mahal, built in
memory of Shah Jahan's wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who
died after 17 years of marriage. It is a monument
which has drawn upon the creativity and skills
of engineers and craftsmen from many parts of
the world. It is said that besides great craftsmen
and workers from India, artisans came from Central
Asia and even Europe. The Taj stands on the banks
of the Yamuna river and is a monument that needs
to be experienced and observed at different times
of the day from far and near to get the feeling
of the sheer beauty that it evokes.
Next, visit the Agra fort. It was conceived as
a military structure when started, but by Shah
Jahan's reign, it had become a palace. The fort
is on the banks of the Yamuna river. The fort
walls, stretching over 2.5km, are surrounded by
a 10 Mtrs. wide moat. There are a number of important
buildings within the fort which are worth exploring.
Later visit the Itmad-ud-Daulah's tomb built by
Noor Jahan in memory of her father Ghias-ud-din
Baig.
Drive back to your hotel for a brief rest after
which enjoy a village fair theme dinner where
a village setting is created with bamboo huts,
benches and stalls.Villagers mingle with guests
and display their traditional skills such as doll-making,
puppet-making, pottery, "pichwai"
painting and other crafts. Entertainment includes
a "bandarwala" staging
a monkey show, palmist, snake charmer, "kachi
ghodi" and "dhamil"
(a performance with a dummy horse, dancers and
singers). After a splendid dinner, a fascinating
display of fireworks brings another memorable
evening to an end. Overnight Agra.
DAY 4. AGRA / KHAJURAHO
An early morning hot air balloon ride over the
Taj Mahal and the fort. Board the afternoon flight
to Khajuraho. Transfer to hotel. The temples of
Khajuraho, among the world's top most tourist
attractions, represent source of the most exquisite
specimens of Hindu architecture and sculpture
of medieval India. The Khajuraho temples were
raised and sculpted elaborately to the finest
of details about a thousand years back, between
900 and 1050 AD. Of all 85 temples built, only
22 remain today to speak of the grandeur of conception
of the rulers and architects of that era, and
the extraordinary creativity and skills of the
times. The intimate scenes of the whole range
of human emotions and relationships sculpted in
graceful forms appear to represent the rulers'
exultation in the richness of man-woman relationship.
The temples are covered with carvings of griffins,
nymphs, and humans in consummate passion. A visit
to the western group of temples is arranged in
the evening followed by the Royal Chandela theme
dinner at the sprawling lawns of the Taj Chandela.
The evening takes you back to the fabled world
of the Chandela dynasty, with the appropriate
decor, cuisine and entertainment, recreating the
grandeur of the past. Hostesses clad in silk,
shower flowers and "ittar" (perfume)
in the traditional style and flamboyant folk dances
herald a sumptuous spread of Chandela delicacies,
served in a manner befitting royalty. Overnight
Khajuraho.
DAY 5. KHAJURAHO / VARANASI
Morning tour of the eastern group of temples and
then board the flight to Varanasi. Assistance
at the airport and transfer to your five star
hotel. Evening boat cruise on the Ganges to view
the ghats. An experience which can astonish anyone.
When temple bells begin pealing across the city
by the Ghats on the river Ganga, the waters whisper
slowly past, carrying garlands of marigold, earthen
oil lamps long downed out by the waves, religious
offerings, and those made in full faith. The chiming
of bells rises to a crescendo and down the narrow
lanes of Varanasi come marching the faithful.
Those who will bathe here on the holy banks of
the Ganga, where the boatmen sing haunting lyrics,
where a nation bows its head in homage, and where
the old choose to die and be cremated. Return
to your hotel and enjoy a typical Brahmin theme
dinner served in thalis. Men attired in a typical
'dhoti" complete with "janeu"
and women in cotton sarees sit cross-legged on
a "chowki" whilst relishing
the totally vegetarian brahmin "thali"
sans even the onion and garlic. Overnight Varanasi.
DAY 6. VARANASI / CALCUTTA
Board the flight to Calcutta. Meet at the airport
and transfer to the hotel. The group is escorted
for a half day sight-seeing tour of the city of
Calcutta to include the Victoria Memorial. Built
between 1906 and 1927, this gleaming white marble
palace is a reminder of the might of the British
Empire in India. Inside this garden laid monument,
the finest collection of memorabilia relating
to British India are contained under one roof.
Later visit to Mother Teresa's mission. Return
to the hotel for a brief rest to gear up for an
evening at one of the city's famous nightclubs.
Overnight Calcutta.
DAY 6. DEPARTURE CALCUTTA
Transfer in time to connect flight to international
destination.
Options and Extensions
1) Extension to Kathmandu
from Varanasi.
2) Extension to Bandhavgarh
Tiger Reserve.
3) Day excursion to Sarnath
from Varanasi.
India
Tour Packages