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DAY 01 : |
Arrive Delhi. Transfer to hotel. Check-in and check-out timings are
always 1200 hrs noon.
Morning visit Raj Ghat & Shanti Vana - the cremation sites of
Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, Jama Masjid and drive past Red
Fort and Chandni Chowk.
Afternoon visit Qutab Minar
built by Qutub-ud-Din Aibek in 1199, Humayun's Tomb, India Gate
(War Memorial Arch),
Lakshmi Narayan Temple
- a modern Hindu Temple. Also drive past President's House,
Parliament House, Government Secretariat Buildings and Connaught
Place shopping centre. Overnight Delhi. |
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DAY 02 : |
Drive to Agra. Transfer to hotel
Afternoon visit the world famous Taj Mahal built by the Moghul
Emperor Shahjehan in 1630 for his Queen Mumtaz Mahal to enshrine her
mortal remains. Later visit the Agra Fort containing the Pearl
Mosque, the Halls of Public and Private Audience. Also visit the
Tomb of Itmad- ud-Daullah built by Empress Noorjehan in memory of
her father. Overnight in Agra.
TAJ MAHAL IS CLOSED ON FRIDAY FOR VISITORS. |
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DAY 03 : |
Drive to Jaipur enroute visit Fatehpur Sikri - is 40 kms from Agra
and built by Emperor Akbar in 1569 and abandoned after 15 years due
to scarcity of water. See the graceful buildings including the Jama
Masjid, Tomb of Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal and other Palaces. Arrive
Jaipur & transfer to hotel. Overnight in Jaipur. |
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DAY 04 : |
Morning visit Amber Fort was the ancient capital of the State. Visit
the Sheesh Mahal or the Hall of Victory glittering with mirrors.
Ascend the Fort on Elephant back. Overnight in Jaipur. |
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DAY 05 : |
Transfer to airport to board flight for Bombay. Arrive Bombay &
transfer to hotel. Overnight in Bombay. |
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DAY 06 : |
Morning visit Kamla Nehru Park, Hanging Gardens situated on the
slopes of Malabar Hill offering a panoramic view of Marine Drive,
Chowpatty Beach, Prince of Wales Museum, Mani Bhawan, Dhobi Ghat,
Gateway of India & drive through the Crawford Market, Marine Drive &
Flora Fountain. Overnight in Bombay |
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DAY 07 : |
Transfer to airport to board flight for Bangalore. Arrive Bangalore
& drive to Mysore & transfer to hotel. Overnight in Mysore. |
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DAY 08 : |
Morning visit the palace of the Maharaja built in 1911-12. The palace is
of harmonious syntheses of the hindu and saracenic styles of
architecture with archways, domes, turrets, colonnades and sculptures
which are magnificent. Visit the Art Gallery; drive upto Chamundi hill
to see Chamundeshwari Temple and a panoramic view of Mysore. On the way
back, see the Nandi Bull. Overnight in Mysore. |
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DAY 09 : |
Transfer to airport to board flight for Bangalore. Arrive Bangalore &
drive to Cochin & transfer to hotel. Overnight in Cochin. |
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DAY 10 : |
Morning visit -Cochin is the natural harbour created by the famed
underwater Malabar mud-banks whose quality ensures that the rougher the
seas are outside the calmer the waters are within the Harbour. Vasco-de-Gama
placed it on the world map. It has a Jewish synagogue, Portuguese
churches, mosques and Hindu temples. Watch the Chinese Fishing Nets.
Overnight in Cochin.
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DAY 11 : |
Visit the earliest sanctuary to be set up in 1934, it extends to 777
square kms & forms part of the high mountain ranges, the Western Ghats.
Wild life can be seen while cruising on Periyar Lake in a motor boat.
Amongst the animals which can be seen are elephants, wild boar, sambar,
tiger, leopard, wild dog, langur monkeys, etc. Overnight in Periyar. |
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DAY 12 : |
Drive to Madurai. Arrive & transfer to hotel. Overnight in Madurai. |
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DAY 13 : |
Morning visit the great Meenakshi Temple dedicated to the consort of Lord
Shiva with its towering gopurams (rising high above the surrounding
country side). Later, visit the Tirumala Nayak Palace - A gracious
building in the Indo saracenic style, famous for the Stucco work on its
domes & arches. Also visit the Alagar Hills and Tirupara Kundran Rock
temple. |
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DAY 14 : |
Drive to Tanjore & arrive transfer to hotel.
Afternoon visit the beautiful Chola Temple of Brihadeeshwara is capped
by a monolithic
cupola made of a single granite block weighing 80 tons which was taken
to the top with the help of a 6 km long ramp, an old technique used by
the Egyptians for building pyramids. Its bronzes and handicrafts make
Tanjore one of the highlights of a visit to South India. Overnight in
Tanjore. |
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DAY 15 : |
Drive to Pondicherry, arrive & transfer to hotel. Overnight in
Pondicherry. |
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DAY 16 : |
Morning visit the capital of French India before independence,
Pondicherry traces its origin to Saint Agasthya, the revered sage of the
south & excavations near-by reveal that a Roman settlement existed here
2000 years ago. It was the theatre of many a battle between the British.
Afterrnoon drive to Mahabalipuram & transfer to hotel. Overnight in
Mahabalipuram. |
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DAY 17 : |
Morning visit the city of Mahabalipuram is famous for the seven pagodas.
Here on the seashore is an interesting group of ancient rock hewn
temples which are the examples of Dravidian style of Architecture.
Overnight in Mahabalipuram. |
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DAY 18 : |
Morning visit Kanchipuram (64 kms from Madras) is the ancient capital of
the Pallavas famous as a city of 1000 Temples and still has 124 shrines.
The first temple dedicated to Shiva was built in the 7th and 8th century
and has paintings on the walls. Temples of Ekambaswara, Kailasanatha,
Sri Kamakshi and Varadarajaswamy are of interest. Kanchipuram is also
famous for its silks.
Later drive to Chennai. Arrive & transfer to hotel. Overnight in
Chennai. |
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DAY 19 : |
Morning visit the museum to see the Art and Bronze Gallery. (Closed on
Fridays and Public holidays). Drive through the Flower and Fruit market,
High court, Fort museum, Marina Beach, Santhome Cathedral and snake
park. Overnight in Chennai. |
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DAY 20 : |
Transfer to airport to board flight for Calcutta. Arrive & transfer to
hotel. Overnight in Calcutta. |
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DAY 21 : |
Morning visit the Jain Temple, Zoological Gardens, Victoria Memorial &
drive past Howrah Bridge, Dalhousie Square, Fort Williams, Secretariat
Building and Old Court House Street.
Later transfer to railway station to board the train for Varanansi.
Night in train. |
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DAY 22 : |
Morning visit Varanasi - Hindus holiest city and one of the oldest
living cities in the world. Varanasi was already old when Rome was
founded, a flourishing tradecentre when the Buddha came to Sarnath to
preach his first sermon. It was a city of great wealth and religious
importance when the Chinese travelers Hiuen Tsang visited in the
7thcentury. Half day, sightseeing tour of the city visiting the Bharat
Mata Temple with a big relief map of India in marble, Durga Temple,
Tulsi Manas Mandir, Banaras Hindu University which has an Art Gallery
and the Mosque of Moghul Emperor Aurangazeb built on the site of an
ancient Hindu Temple.
Later transfer to rail way station to board the train for Delhi. |
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DAY 23 : |
Morning boat excursion on the river Ganges, a ferry pilgrimage from ghat
to ghat. People bathe early in the morning to offer the prayers to the
rising sun. The two cremation ghats are Manikarnika & Harishchandra
where funeral pyre burns day and night. Every pious Hindu believes that
to die in Kashi and to be cremated on banks of the Ganges is to attain
release from the cycle of birth and death.
Transfer to airport to board flight for Delhi. Arrive & departure for
onward journey. |
