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Assistance . reception at the airport and transfer
to hotel. |
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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 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
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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 Rajasthanperforming 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. |
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
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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 monumentthat 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. |
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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
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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 templesis
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. |
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DAY
5. KHAJURAHO / VARANASI : |
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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
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DAY
6. VARANASI I CALCUTTA |
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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.
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DAY
6. DEPARTURE CALCUTTA : |
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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. |
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