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Cultural Rajasthan

Places to Visit: DELHI- SHEKHAWATI- JODHPUR- UDAIPUR- JAIPUR- AGRA- DELHI

Validity:Oct 13 2023

Duration:9 Nights / 10 Days

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, puls and oilseeds. The State has emerged as a leading oilseed producer in the case of rape-seed, soyabean and mustard.
ITINERARY

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 history and 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 010: 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).