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DAY 01 : ARRIVE DELHI
Arrive Delhi in the evening. Upon arrival, you
shall met & assisted with your baggages at the
airport by our executive and transferred to
prebooked Hotel.
Delhi : India's capital & a major
gateway to the country, contemporary Delhi is
a bustling metropolis which successfully
combines in its fold the ancient & the modern.
Its strategic location was one of the prime
reasons why successive dynasties chose it as
their seat of power. New Delhi also reflects
the legacy the British left behind . The
division between New & Old Delhi is the
distinction between the capitals of the
British & the Moghuls respectively. So,
wherever the visitor goes, he will invariably
confront the citys' past.
DAY 02 :
DELHI
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After breakfast, half day city tour of Old
Delhi. Visit Jama Masjid, the largest
mosque in India. Built by Shah Jahan, the
construction was started in 1844 and was not
completed until 1658; Red Fort, which
was also built by Shah Jehan. This massive
fort was built from 1638 to 1648; Chandni
Chowk and Rajghat - the cremation site of
Mahatma Gandhi.
Afternoon, city tour of New Delhi. Visit
Humayuns Tomb : built in mid 16th century
this is an early example of Mughal
architecture; Qutab Minar, drive past India
Gate, President House, Connaught Place. The
city tour ends with a visit to Laxmi Narayan
Temple (Birla Mandir).
DAY 03 :
DELHI - AGRA
After breakfast, leave for Agra. Arrive Agra
and transfer to
prebooked Hotel.
Afternoon, city tour of Agra. Visit
Red fort, which was built by Emperor Akbar
in 1565, and additions were made up until the
time of his grandson, Shah Jahan. It contains
the hall of public and private audiences
amongst many other beautiful structues; the
highlight of the day - The Taj Mahal,
which was constructed by Shah Jahan in memory
of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Contruction of the
Taj began in 1631 and was not completed until
1653.
DAY 04 :
AGRA-GWALIOR
After breakfast, leave for Gwalior. Arrive
Gwalior and check in at
prebooked Hotel. Afternoon, city tour of
Gwalior.
DAY
05 :
GWALIOR - ORCHHA
After breakfast, leave for Orchha : Once the
capital of Bundelas, Orchha is a village, set
amongst a complex of well preserved palaces
and temples. Though Orcha was founded in 1531,
it's golden age was during the first half of
17th century. When Jahangir visiting the city
in 1606, a special palace, the Jehangir
Mahal was built for him.
Arrive Orcha and check in at
prebooked Hotel.
Afternoon, visit the Jehangir Mahal,
Raj Mahal & Ram Raja temple which also
dates back to the 17th century.
DAY 06 :
ORCHHA - KHAJURAHO
After breakfast, drive to Khajuraho :
Built by the warrior Chandela dynasty that
rose to power in Central India between 10th &
11th centuries, the 25 odd surving temples
display different facets of life, including
the sensual. These erotic carvings on some
panels have given rise to much speculation
since Khajuraho's re-discovery by a British
officer in 1838. To preserve it for posterity,
Khajuraho has been declared a World Heritage
Site.
Arrive Khajuraho and check-in at
prebooked Hotel.
Afternoon, visit the world famous Khajuraho
temples built by the Chandela Kings between
950 AD & 1050 AD. The most important are the
Chaunset Yogini temple dedicated to Goddess
Kali, the Mahadev temple, Chitragupta or
Bharatji temple with lovely image of 11 headed
Vishnu, Vishwanath & Nandi temples,
Lakshmana temple, Visha temple dedicated to
Shiva, which is the largest & most typical of
temples.
DAY 07 :
KHAJURAHO-BANDHAVGARH
After breakfast, drive to Bandhavgarh.
Arrive Bandhavgarh and check in at
prebooked Hotel. Later, jungle safari inside
the park in a private jeep.
DAY
08 :
BANDHAVGARH
Morning and afternoon, jungle safari inside
the park in a private jeep.
DAY 09 :
BANDHAVGARH-JABALPUR
After breakfast, leave for Jabalpur.
Jabalpur was the capital of the erstwhile
medieval Gond rulers. It is not only an
important historical place, but it is also
famous for the Marble Rocks gorge on Narmada
River, near it. It is an administrative and
educational center and is the gateway to
important wildlife sanctuaries around it.
Arrive Jabalpur and check in at
prebooked Hotel.
Afternoon, visit the The Marble Rocks, a gorge
on the River Narmada, 22 km from Jabalpur, is
an important tourist spot. The different
colored cliffs dotting the gorge offer an
impressive sight. Travelers often visit the
gorge at night to see the cliffs under
moonlight. Tourists can enjoy the sight of
these sheer cliffs on both side of the Narmada
River on a shared rowboat, which takes the
awestruck traveler through the 2-km-long
gorge. One can see Dhuandhar waterfall
near the gorge.
DAY 10 :
JABALPUR-BHIMBETKA-BHOPAL
After breakfast, leave for Bhopal - the
capital city of the state of Madhya Pradesh,
which is the largest state in India. The city
is also referred to as the City of Lakes
because of the two beautiful lakes that are
situated in the center of the city. Apart from
its natural beauty, Bhopal is also famous for
its mosques. The Taj-ul-Masjid in Bhopal is
the largest mosque of India. Bhopal is also
known, sadly, for the largest industrial
disaster or the Gas Tragedy, which struck it
in 1984.
Enroute visit Bhimbetka - Embraced by Northern
Vindya range and covered with huge rocks
Bhimbetka is where India's richest collection
of prehistoric cave paintings was discovered
in 1957. Over 600 rock shelters - the largest
group in the work - harbour painting that date
back to early stone age. This marvellos
ancient art, found in about 500 caves depicts
hunting, dancing, music, horse, elephant,
religious and ritual symbols. The treasures at
Bhimbetka have recently been designated a
World Heritage site.
Continue drive to Bhopal. Arrive Bhopal and
check in at
prebooked Hotel.
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DAY 11 :
BHOPAL
After breakfast, day return trip to Sanchi -
The Great Stupa at Sanchi, built by Emperor
Ashoka, has become the icon of India's
cultural heritage, and is another World
Heritage site. It is the most famous of a host
of stupas, monasteries, temples and pillars on
this hill, dating from the 3rd century BC to
the 12th century AD. A sandstone pillar
fragment here carries Ashoka's famous edict
warning schism in the Buddhist community.
Return to Bhopal for overnight stay.
DAY 12 :
BHOPAL-INDORE
After breakfast, leave for Indore - Planned
and built by Rani Ahilyabai, the brave Holkar
queen whose reign stretched from 1766 to 1795,
Indore is situated on the banks of river
Saraswati and Khan. This bustling and vibrant
city derives it's name from the 18th century
Indreshwar temple.
Arrive Indore and check in at
prebooked Hotel. Later, visit Indore.
DAY 13 :
INDORE
After breakfast, day return trip to Ujjain -
Consider one of Hinduism's seven sacred
cities, Ujjain is also one of the four centres
of the 12 yearly Kumbh Mela. The holy
town sees a steady stream of pilgrims
throughout the year but at the time of Kumbh
the stream swells into a flood. Legend has it
that this ancient town got its name when the
god like King Shiva of Avanti commemorated his
victory over the demon ruler of Tripura by
renaming his capital, Avantipura, as Ujjayini
(one who conquers with pride).
Several dynasties rules over the prosperous
town and it is said to have been the seat of
the vice royalty of Ashoka in 275 BC. In its
heyday, Ujjain was on a flourishing trade
route with Mesopotamia and Egypt. Ujjain's
final decline as a politicaly important centre
dates to when the Scinidia capital was moved
to Gwalior in 1810.
Return to Indore for overnight stay.
DAY 14 :
INDORE-MANDU
After breakfast, leave for Mandu - The
erstwhile fort capital of the Parmara rules of
Malwa, Mandu was renamed Shadiabad, the
City of Joy, by the Sultans of Malwa at
the end of the 13 century. It embodies the
love of the poet prince Baz Bahadur for this
beautiful consort Rani Roopmati; her pavilion,
high on the crest of a hill, still overlooks
his magnificent palace, and the balladeers of
the region still sing about their love.
Arrive Mandu and check in at
prebooked Hotel.
Afternoon, the exquisite palaces built by
Sultans - Jahaz Mahal and the
Hindola Mahal, as well as ornamental
canals., baths and pavilions. The lakes and
palace built by the Mughals. Each structure in
Mandu is an architectural gem - don't miss any
especially the Jama Masjid and Hoshiang Shah's
Tomb which provided inspiration for the Taj
Mahal.
DAY 15 :
MANDU
After breakfast, day return trip to
Omkareshwar & Maheshwar.
Omkareshwar : Renowned for its medival
Brahmanic Temples. This tiny island consists
of two hills and a valley, thought to resemble
the Hindu symbol "Om". The exquisitely carved
Shri Omkar Madhata temple of the island houses
one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. The Siddhartha
temple is a fine example of 10th century
architecture. The 24 Avatars, a cluster of
Jain temples and the Satmatrika Temples are
also worth visiting.
Maheshwar : This twon finds mention in
the Ramayana and Mahabharata. It was restored
to its pre-eminent position in the 18th
century by the revered Holkar queen, Rani
Ahilyabai of Indore. The town is renowned for
its bathing ghats and rows of pretty tiered
temples, which are distinguished by their over
hanging balconies and intricately ornamented
doorways. The important temples include the
Kaleshwar, Rajarajeshwara, Vithaleshwara and
Ahileshwara.
DAY
16 :
MANDU-AURANGABAD
After breakfast, leave for Aurangabad. Arrive
Aurangabad and check in at
prebooked Hotel.
DAY 17 :
AURANGABAD
After breakfast, day return trip to Ajanta
Caves.
Ajanta caves : It was only in the 19th
century, that the Ajanta group of caves, lying
deep within the Sahyadri hills, cut into the
curved mountain side, above the Waghora river,
were discovered. They depict the story of
Buddhism, spanning a period from 200 BC to 650
AD. The 29 caves were built as secluded
retreats of the Buddhist monks, who taught and
performed rituals in the Chaityas and Viharas,
the ancient seats of learning, and nerve -
centers of the Buddhist cultural movement.
Using simple tools like hammer and chisel, the
monks carved out the impressive figures
adorning the walls of these structures. Many
of the caves house panels depicting stories
from the Jatakas, a rich mine of tales of the
several incarnations of the Buddha. Images of
nymphs and princesses amongst others, are also
elaborately portrayed.
Return to Aurangabad for overnight stay.
DAY
18 :
AURANGABAD-MUMBAI
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After breakfast, excursion to Ellora caves
- 34 in number, are carved into the sides of a
basaltic hill, 30 kms from Aurangabad. The
finest specimens of cave - temple
architecture, they house elaborate facades and
exquisitely adorned interiors. These
structures representing the three faiths of
Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, were carved
during the 350 AD to 700 AD period. The 12
caves to the south are Buddhist, the 17 in the
centre dedicated to Hinduism, and the 5 caves
to the north are Jain. The sculpture in the
Buddhist caves accurately convey the nobility,
grace and serenity inherent in the Buddha.
Caves 6 and 10 house images from the Buddhist
and Hindu faith, under the same roof, the
latter dedicated to Vishwakarma, the patron
saint of Indian craftsmen. The Vishvakarma
cave is both a Chaitya and a Vihara, with
a seated Buddha placed in the stupa. Its two -
storied structure sports a colourful pageant
of dwarfs, dancing and making music.
Afternoon, transfer to the airport to board
flight for Mumbai. Arrive Mumbai and transfer
to
prebooked Hotel.
DAY
19 :
MUMBAI
After breakfast, excursion to Elephanta
caves. Afternoon, half day city tour of
Mumbai.
DAY
20 :
DEPART MUMBAI
Transfer to the airport to board flight back
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