Monuments of Central India

This region boasts of some of the most beautiful examples of cave art through the ages and it is here that some of the finest examples of architecture can be seen - the 22 temples of Khajuraho with depiction of major and minor deities and celestial beings to a variety of erotic sculptures, The cave temples of Ajanta and Ellora dating back hundreds of centuries depicting elaborate sculptures of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. Rajasthan has fascinated travellers from all over the world for its beautiful monuments, colourful clothes and and tales of Chivalry and Valour.

Day 1: Mumbai
Arrive Mumbai Ex International flight and transfer to Hotel for rest. After break fast take a boat ride to the Elephanta Caves. It's a one-hour journey. The cave temples date back to the seventh Century and are dedicated to Lord Shiva. Evening at leisure in Mumbai. Overnight Hotel.

Day 2: Mumbai - Aurangabad
Fly to Aurangabad. Full day excursion to Daulatabad and Ellora.
The Daulatabad Fort on way to Ellora caves was built as Deogiri but later renamed Daulatabad by the Tughlaq king Mohammed Tughlaq who unsuccessfully moved his capital here from Delhi. The fort offers a superb view over the surrounding areas.
The Ellora caves are about 30 Kms from Aurangabad. These are rock cut cave temples noted for remarkable sculpture. The most remarkable id the magnificent Kailasa temple carved out of a mountainside, out of a single rock. There are 34 caves in Ellora - 17 Hindu (900 AD), 12 Buddhist (600 - 800 AD) and 5 Jain (800 - 1000 AD).
Overnight Hotel at Aurangabad.

Day 3: Full day excursion to Ajanta.
The caves at Ajanta are all Buddhist caves famous for its magnificent paintings dating back from 2nd century BC to 7th Century AD. The paintings recount the life of the Buddha, his previous lives as also the court life of king and commoner. Overnight Hotel at Aurangabad.

Day 4: Aurangabad - Udaipur
Spend the morning exploring Aurangabad. Evening fly to Udaipur. Overnight Hotel.

Day 5: Udaipur - Jaipur
Udaipur looms up like a vision amidst hills and mountains and set on the edge of three lakes. It is one of the most beautiful cities of Rajasthan with narrow streets, gardens, temples, and palaces - every feature mirrored in the placid blue waters of Lake Pichola. Visit the City palace, Jagdish temples, and the garden of the maids. Overnight Hotel.

Day 6: Udaipur - Jaipur
Drive to the Pink city - Jaipur via Pushkar and Ajmer. Pushkar is famous for its annual cattle fair in October/November. Check into Hotel. Evening at leisure to explore the colourful streets and bazaars of Jaipur.

Day 7: Jaipur
The famous Pink City is the capital of Rajasthan. Built in 1727, Jaipur was perhaps the first planned city of its time. Jaipur is a tourist's paradise with the famous Hawa Mahal, the Jantar Mantar, and numerous parks, gardens and possibilities of excursions to numerous places of interest. Morning excursion to Amber fort where you can enjoy elephant rides. Drive to Choki Dhani for a traditional dinner cultural show. Overnight hotel at Jaipur.

Day 8: Jaipur - Agra
Drive to Agra via Fatehpur Sikri, the abandoned ghost capital of Emperor Akbar. This exquisite city with forts, palaces, and mosques was abandoned due to lack of water. Arrive in Agra after lunch, Check in at hotel. Evening visit the Taj Mahal.

Day 9: Agra - Khajuraho
Early morning visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise. After a leisurely breakfast drive to the Airport to fly to Khajuraho. Arrive Khajuraho, Check into hotel. Afternoon visit the Archaeological Site Museum. Overnight Hotel.

Day 10: Khajuraho - Tour of Western Group of Temples
In the realm of temple architecture, Khajuraho holds a unique position. The temples here were built between 950 - 1050 AD by the Chandela dynasty who claim descent from the moon god and a mortal Hemavati, with whom the God fell in love. Invaders destroyed most temples of the northern India, but Khajuraho escaped, perhaps because of its remote location. Architecturally the temples have some unique features - they stand on high platforms and do not have the customary Enclosures. Each temple has a large no. of spires in ascending order representing man's aspirations towards spiritual goals. Possibly the Chandela rulers believed in a fertility cult. Whatever the reason, several temples have erotic sculptures. The recurrent theme of the sculptures is Woman in all her glory.
The most famous of the western group of temples is the Kandariya Mahadev temple, 31 metres high. It has a fantastic range of sculptures including sensuous erotic themes.

Day 11: Khajuraho - Tour of Eastern Group of Temples
In the eastern group is the finest of the structures, the Parsavanath Jain temple with its exquisite figure carvings.

Day 12: Khajuraho - Delhi
Visit the Southern group of temples in the morning. Fly to Delhi after Lunch. Check in at hotel and spend the evening at leisure.

Day 13: Delhi
Morning - Visit Old Delhi. Option to walk through the fascinating by lanes of the walled city at Chandni Chowk, See the Jama Masjid and the Red Fort. Evening - Sight seeing of New Delhi - the Bahai Temple, Humayun's Tomb, Qutab Minar, and the Safdurjung Tomb. Sound and light show at the Red Fort can be arranged for late evening activities. Overnight Hotel.

Day 14: Delhi - Home
Option to fly out on night of Day 13 or on day 14 depending on flight timings.

Extension:

Day 12: Khajuraho - Varanasi - Fly to Varanasi, a very important Hindu pilgrimage centre. Evening can be spent in sight seeing of the Temples and the Ghats. Later enjoy the boat rides in the river and late evening participate in the ceremony of floating earthen lamps into the river, believed to be the most sacred omen along with the religious chants. Overnight in the hotel.

Day 13: Varanasi - Sarnath - Varanasi - Morning visit Sarnath, app. ten Kms away from the city, a principle centre of Buddhism. Its here Lord Buddha preached his first sermon after enlightenment in 530 BC. Overnight Hotel at Varanasi.

Day 14: Varanasi - Kathmandu - Fly to Kathmandu, the Capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal.
Kathmandu is the largest city of Nepal with a cultural bounty that enraptures even those not quite cued into art & architecture. The Durbar Square in the city is a potpourri of temples and stupas, flanking the narrow cobbled streets and open courtyards. A testimony to changing times, these ancient masterpieces contrast against the modern Japanese cars and other International products that lie interspersed within the compound. A once-upon-a-time haven for the flower children of the 60's, Freak Street is the other famous area running alongside Durbar Square. Anyone, who has visited Kathmandu, will recommend the three masterpieces - Bouddhnath, Pashupatinath, and Swayambhunath - three "musts " while planning out one's itinerary. These beautiful monuments are a testimony to the deep religious and spiritual life that belonged to the past and it is not surprising that UNESCO has nominated these three structures as World Heritage Sites.

Day 15: Kathmandu - Pokhara - Pokhara is situated in the middle of Nepal. The valley is at an altitude of 884 m and the Annapurna Mountains rise from the plains of the valley. Pokhara is decidedly famous for its mountain views especially the 148 Kms of mountain horizon stretching from Dhaulagiri to Himalchuli. The lovely Lakes Phewa, Begnas and Rupa enhance its beauty.

Day 16: Pokhara - Chitwan - Nepal, for its small area has a surprisingly large number of National Parks. While the high Himalayas makes up the northern region, the Southern lowland known as the Terai is covered with dense tropical jungles teeming with diverse wildlife and tropical birds. Our stop tonight will be at The Royal Chitwan National Park.

Day 17: Chitwan - The Royal Chitwan National Park is Nepal's first National Park, built in 1973 during King Birendra's rule. The massive expanse of 932 square kilometres of wild forest plays host to 43 species of animals and over 450 species of birds including the majestic Tiger. On one side it has the hilly Shivalik Range with its deciduous Sal forests while a fifth of the forest is made up of the flood plains of the Narayani, Rapti and Reu Rivers, with tall elephant grass interspersed with riverine foliage. On the other hand there are the swampy areas and a number of ox-bow lakes, which are home for marsh crocodiles. And finally along a stretch of the Narayani River are found the highly endangered gharial or Gangetic crocodile. The Gainda or the Greater One Horned Rhinoceros is one of the largest, most venerated animals of this region

Day 18: Chitwan - Kathmandu - Drive back from Chitwan to Kathmandu through some beautiful scenery.

Day 19: Kathmandu - Delhi - Fly to Delhi - the capital city of India. Check into Hotel. Day at leisure

Day 20: Delhi

Day 21: Delhi - Home