DAY 1. ARRIVAL DELHI
Assistance on arrival. Traditional welcome
with garlanding and "aarti"
ceremony. Transfer to the hotel.
DAY 2.
After breakfast gear up for the morning
city tour to include Humayun's tomb, Bahai
temple, Qutab Minar, India Gate and Mughal
gardens at Rashtrapati Bhawan. Post lunch
tour of the historic city of Old Delhi to
include the magnificent Red fort, the Jama
Masjid, India's largest mosque and Rajghat
- memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. Evening depart
for the Bistro restaurant for a welcome
dinner at the Hauz Khas village, the original
site chosen by Ala-ud- din - Khilji in 1303
for a "Madras"
- a place of learning. Deepening horizons,
gentle breeze, panoramic view of the Madras
and royal reservoir, lilting folk music
and "Dances of India" show along
with finger licking bar - be- qued delights
makes for a perfect evening. Overnight Delhi.
DAY 3. DELHI / AGRA
Morning drive to Agra. Check into your five
star hotel. Relax with a Garden theme lunch
which conjures up the spirit of a Mughal
camp set up to celebrate a battle victory,
on the lush green lawns of Taj Khema which
is a table-land overlooking the picturesque
Taj Mahal. Colourful "khemas"
(decorated tents) are set up. Guests are
welcomed by soldiers in the costumes of
the Mughal dynasty amidst fanfare that befits
a victorious warrior. Relax on mattresses
laid out on the lawns while Mughlai delicacies
are served. Local artisans display their
skill while folk dancers and singers exude
excitement. Post lunch tour of the magnificent
Taj Mahal and Agra fort. Later in the evening
enjoy a delightful evening set in a "bazaar
chowk" (street market) with
all its colorful attractions. Street-side
dishes are cooked right in front of you.
Discover "kadai"
and "tawa khana"-
hot, tasty, vegetarian and non-vegetarian
delicacies with snacks and Indian breads.
For dessert, visit the "mithaiwala"
(the Indian sweet-maker), and the "thelawala'
who tempts you with fresh fruits. There
is a "paan" shop
which also sells "bidis" (freshly
rolled, Indian cigarettes). Paan, essentially
a digestive taken after meals is also considered
a mild stimulant and consists of chopped
betel nuts wrapped in a leaf prepared with
katha (a red paste),chuna(slaked white lime),
mitha masala(a mix of sweet spices) and
gulukand (dried rose petals sweetened with
honey). A "mehendiwalli"
traces intricate designs in red colour on
the hands of each of the ladies. This is
traditionally done at all Indian weddings.
A bangle-seller offers a glittering array
of glass bangles in vibrant hues. Overnight
Agra.
DAY 4. AGRA / JAIPUR
Arrive by lunch after a whirlwind tour of
the ghost city of Fatehpur Sikri. A stunning
tableau of decorated camels and elephants
is mounted on the lawns of the palace to
welcome the group on arrival at your five
star hotel. Ladies in Rajasthani costumes
perform the traditional garlanding "aarti"
and "tika" ceremonies while the
music of the "shehnai" welcomes
you.A floral logo of your company is prominently
displayed in the lobby. Afterwards, relax
with a gin-based welcome drink. Evening
get caught in an extravaganza of customs,
prayers and of course the revelry in the
contrasting styles of Indian weddings displayed
specially for you in a private banquet hall
of your hotel. Follow the Parsi rituals
right from the formal engagement,the"
Vagnishchaya" ,where
the parents of the bride and the bridegroom
worship the couple to be , right to the
wedding day when the couple donning their
wedding garbs and embellishments drink "taro",the
urine of the holy cow and eat pomegranate
leaves to purify their internal organs.
Later the Parsi bride wearing a white sari
and her groom a "dagli"-white
long coat, and a black "topi"
on his head,separated by a white sheet in
front of them, hold hands as the priest
ties their bond seven times with a thread.
As the curtain is dropped,the couple shower
each other with rice and the one who throws
the first fistful is supposed to be the
more authoritative amongst them! Next follows
a typical Bengali wedding in all its gusto
with the Bengali bride sitting cross-legged
on a low wooden stool borne by her maternal
uncle,all in red with an exquisite shola
(pith) crown on her head, two betel nuts
on each side in her mouth , a betel leaf
covering her lovely face and the groom too
in all resplendence in a shimmering white
"dhoti" and a
stole draped over his shoulders.The bride
is then carried around her husband seven
times followed by the grand finale when
the betel leaf and nut are consumed in tandem
leaving behind an imposing red colour symbolizing
prosperity for both. We go down south to
Tamil Nadu next,where the groom holds the
bride's toe with one hand and her hand with
his other. He helps her thus,take seven
steps,while her one foot rests on a stone
slab. They exchange garlands six times after
which the bridegroom ties the "mangalsutra"
around the bride's neck. After the final
recitations the bride and the groom throw
unhusked rice on each other wishing for
each other's prosperity whilst eligible
youngsters stand behind the couple gathering
this rice in their laps,standing up on blessings
and hoping for an early marriage for themselves.
Overnight Jaipur.
DAY 5. JAIPUR / SAMODE
Morning elephant ride to the Amber
fort followed by a tour
of the City Palace,Palace of Winds and the
observatory. Evening drive to Samode Palace.
On arrival at the village entrance, decorated
camel carts await the group. All delegates
will be transported to the palace by camels
(approximately 40 mm. ride) whilst the baggage
will be taken up by coach. The camel caravan
will be escorted by two torch bearers to
each cart. Local musicians will lead the
camel caravan through the cobbled streets
and villages. The group will be timed to
arrive at the palace gates at sunset. On
arrival they will be received by the village
elders in full local attire showering the
group with rose petals. On entering the
palace a huge floral company logo will be
carved out on the floor. Enjoy cocktails
with Prince Yadavendra Singh at the Sheesh
Mahal (hall of mirrors). After cocktails
proceed to the Durbar hall for a cultural
evening extravaganza. The ambience created
goes back 600 years when the king and his
lieutenants would Sit on the cushioned floor
and the dancers would perform. During dinner
local dancers and musicians will entertain
the group. After dinner coffee is served
on the terrace whilst a wonderful fireworks
display takes place against the naked mountain
landscape. The grand finale for the evening
is the company logo lit up in the sky with
fireworks. Overnight Samode Palace.
DAY 6. SAMODE / DELHI
Drive to Delhi and check into your hotel.
Day at leisure for shopping followed by
an exclusive bar- be- cue dinner at the
150 yr. old Delhi Gymkhana Club where a
"tandoor", a
clay oven which imbibes the food cooked
in it with a unique flavor and a sizzling
array of Indian tandoori delights which
are cooked over glowing coals,are served
with a choice of "tandoori rotis"
(Indian breads). The elegant Army pipes
and drums are in attendance throughout .Departure
transfer in time to connect to the flight
to international destination.
Options and Extensions
1) Half day balloon
cum camel or horse cum jeep safari. Overnight
at your palace hotel.
2) Overnight Farewell
theme dinner at the Waterbanks lakeside
resort.
3) Visit to the
Bharatpur bird sanctuary near Agra.
4) Hot air balloon
ride to view the Taj Mahal from a unique
angle.
5) Horse safari
at Samode into the interiors of the desert.
Possible Variations
Delhi - Mukundgarh -
Jaipur - Samode - Agra - Delhi
India
Tour Packages