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 Rajasthan
is the most colorful region in India exhibiting
splendor and royalty in every walk of life. It is truly said
"a land of valiance and chivalry ", which is endowed
with invincible forts, magnificent palaces, waves of sand
dunes and serene lakes. No other region in the country assembles
as many paradoxes of India as does the desert land of Rajasthan.
Rajasthan is a predominantly agrarian state where agriculture
contributes about 25 to 40 per cent of the State's Domestic
Product, and about 70 per cent of the population is engaged
in agriculture and allied activities. The main crops of the
State are food grains, pulses and oilseeds. The State has
emerged as a leading oilseed producer in the case of rape-seed,
soyabean and mustard.
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Duration:
09 Nights / 10 Days
Places to Visit:DELHI-
SHEKHAWATI- JODHPUR- UDAIPUR- JAIPUR- AGRA- DELHI
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Day 01: Delhi
Arrival DELHI by international flight at 06:00 hours.
Transfer to hotel. Afternoon sightseeing in Delhi. Overnight.
Delhi, the capital of India has a fascinating historyand a stimulating
present. Believed to be the legendary Indraprastha described
in the epic The Mahabharata" Delhi has been the seat of
power for a number of dynasties -the Rajputs, The Muslim invaders
from the North, the Afghan dynasties followed by Tughlaqs, Sayyads,
the Lodis and the Mughals, who continued the imperial line,
until British days.
 Day
02: Delhi - Shekhawati
Morning drive [250 km] to Shekhawati. On arrival transfer
to hotel. Evening see the havelies and art galleries. SHEKHAWATI
is known not only for its frescoes and beautiful wall
painted havelis, thus making it open air art gallery, but
also because of its business tycoons and enterpreneurial spirit
of its people. Overnight.
Day 03: Shekhawati - Jodhpur
Morning in Shekhawati, explore the 18th and 19th century mansions,
castles and forts in Dundlod, Laxmangarh and Nawalgarh. Go
for a stroll in the market and interact with the tribal people.
Later drive to Jodhhpur [280 km]. Arrival transfer to hotel
for overnight.
Jodhpur - the home of the Rathores of Marwar, is the
second largest city in Rajasthan. It seems that this medevial
city has been catapulted through a time warp into the 21st
century.
Day 04: Jodhpur
Full day in Jodhpur. Visit the Mehrangarh Fort, rising up a
hilly scrap, which was built on the advice of a hermit, and
it overlooks the city in the image of a long sentinel. The approach
to the fort is via a steep zigzag path and through seven separate
gateways of enormous dimensions. En-route is the Jaswant Thada,
the cremation ground of the rulers of Jodhpur dotted with cenotaphs.
The Old Palaces are a series of interconnecting courtyards surrounded
by ranges of buildings with intricate carved stone work and
beautiful filigree sandstone windows. Visit the Moti Mahal or
Pearl Palace, which has exquisite, painted ceilings and walls.
The Sheesh Mahal & Rang Mahal Palaces are also noteworthy
with fine decoration enriched with inlay work and mirrors. In
the Sileh Khana is the armoury with ornamented swords, shields,
maces and antique guns. End the tour with a visit to the famous
Mandore Gardens.
 Day
05: Jodhpur - Ranakpur - Udaipur
Morning drive [275 km] to Udaipur. Visit Ranakpur temple enroute.
On arrival transfer to hotel for overnight. RANAKPUR: 90
Kms from Udaipur, is remarkable complex of Jain Temples. Built
in the reign of one of the liberal and gifted monarchs Rana
Kumbha, these temples are a unique example of Jain ecclesiastical
architecture. The main Jain temple is Chaumukha or Four Faced
temple dedicated to Adinath, built in 1439, consists of 29
halls and 426 pillars full of sculptured decoration. No two
pillars are alike here. This celestial "City of Sunrise"
is the residence of the highest of the Rajput rulers and chief
of the "Solar" Rajput clan. Named after its founder
Maharana Udai Singh, it was built in 1567 and was the capital
of old state of Mewar. Udaipur stands in a valley, amid green
hills on the banks of the wide, steel blue lake Pichola. On
little islands in the lake, from the water's edge, rise marble
palaces of pure white that glisten like fairy castles.
Day 06: Udaipur
Full day in Udaipur. Sightseeing and overnight. Visit the
City Palace, where one can find rooms with mirrored walls
and ivory doors, coloured glass windows and inlaid marble
balconies. Also visit the famous peacock courtyard, Saheliyon
ki Bari gardens or Garden of Ladies, lay out with lush green
lawns, kiosks, trees and beautiful fountains and the Jagdish
Temple is also an important site. Later proceed to the local
folk museum having beautiful peacock mosaics, splendid series
of figures in mid 19th century.
MOTOR LAUNCH CRUISE ON LAKE PICHOLA: A motor launch
cruise on Lake Pichola takes you to Jag Niwas Palace, built
of granite and marble, covers 4 acres and is built almost
in the middle of the lake. Also visit the Borra Mahal, Khas
Mahal and the courts, gardens and fountains. Later visit Jag
Mandir Palace as well.
Day 07: Udaipur - Jaipur
Morning drive [270 km] to Jaipur. On arrival transfer
to hotel for overnight. The rose pink capital of Rajasthan
is surrounded on all sides by rugged hills, crowned with forts
and enclosed by embattled walls. Houses with latticed windows
line the streets, their rose-pink colour lending enchantment
to the scene which is almost magical at sunset. Jaipur is
aptly called the "Pink city of India" and is noted
for its craftsmen skilled in the art of cutting precious stones
and famed for its garnets and rubies. Drive past the Hawa
Mahal (Palace of the Winds) built in 1799 by Sawai Pratap
Singh - one of Jaipur’s major landmarks. This five storied
building, which looks out over the main street of the old
city, is a stunning example of the Rajput artistry with it’s
pink, semi-octagonal and delicately honeycombed sand stone
windows. It was originally built to enable the ladies of the
royal household to watch the everyday life and processions
of the city. The windows provide a constant flow of cool air
into the apartments and permit a spectacular view of the city
below.
Day 08: Jaipur
Full day sightseeing in Jaipur including Alberta
Museum, Amer fort and Hawa Mahal. The sightseeing tour of
the city, also includes a visit to the City Palace which covers
a large area divided into a series of courtyards, gardens
and buildings. A part of this Palace is a now a museum, containing
three wings of Armoury, Textiles and Artefacts. City Palace
is delightful blend of Mughal and traditional Rajasthani architecture.
A part of the palace is still the house of the former Maharaja
of Jaipur. Also visit to the famous Jantar Mantar Observatory
built by Raja Jai Singh in 1728. It is an excellent example
of the marvelous precision wherein each construction has a
specific purpose to measure the position of stars, altitudes
and azimuths or calculating eclipses. The most striking instrument
is the Sun Dial which is 90 feet high.
Day 09: Jaipur - Agra
Morning drive to Agra. On arrival see Taj and other
Mughal monuments. Overnight in hotel. Agra attained its magnificence
under the Emperor Akbar The Great. Once the capital of Mughal
India in the 16th and 17th century, it depicts a gorgeous
panorama of majestic architectural creations and rich tradition
of art and culture. Agra houses one of Seven Wonders of the
World, the marble symphony of Emperor Shah Jahan - "The
Taj Mahal". Discover the dazzling creations of their
craftsmen in other architectural marvels in Agra, the quintessential
Mughal CIty. The Taj Mahal is a tear on the face of eternity
- as described by the famous Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore
and symbolizes eternal love frozen in white marble. Emperor
Shah Jahan constructed this famous Mughal Monument (closed
on Fridays) in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.
It is described as the most extravagant monument ever built
for love, the emperor was heart broken when Mumtaz to whom
he had been married for seventeen years, died in 1631 while
giving birth to her 15th child. The Taj complex took 22 years
and 20,000 workforce, including specialized craftsmen, to
build. Today it is counted as one of the Seven Wonders of
the World. This white marble wonder is extraordinarily luminescent
and even on the dull days one can find it glowing. De facto
the Taj is believed to change its glow depending on the intensity
and direction of the sunrays falling on it.
Day 10: Agra - Delhi
Early morning drive to DELHI. Transfer to hotel.
Day in Delhi for sightseeing and shopping. Evening transfer
to international airport on time to board return flight at
21:00 hrs. Today the capital of India comprises of conspicuously
contrasting Old and New Delhi. Old Delhi was the capital of
Muslim India between the 12th and 19th centuries and one can
find mosques, monuments and forts related to Muslim history.
New Delhi is the imperial city created as India’s capital
by the British, intricately planned and comprises of imposing
buildings displaying various modern style of architecture.
The sightseeing tour of New Delhi includes a visit to Humayun’s
Tomb (1565 AD). Drive past Safdarjang’s Tomb (1753 AD)
and visit the Qutab Minar 73 meters high built in 1193 AD
which tapers from a 15 m diameter base to just 2.5 m at the
top. The walls have intricately carved quotations from the
Koran (the holy book of the Muslims) and is one of the most
perfect towers of the Persian world. Nearby amidst the ruins
of Quwat-ul-Islam mosque stands the Iron pillar, which has
stood the vagaries of weather and has not rusted in over 1500
years. The drive through New Delhi, includes the Embassy area
(Diplomatic enclave), Rashtrapati Bhawan (The President’s
House –1929) and the Government buildings (1921-30).
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