Taj & Pushkar Tour
Duration : 09 Days
Places to Visit : Delhi - Agra - Jaipur - Pushkar - Ajmer - Delhi
Day
01 : Abroad - Delhi Arrive at Delhi International airport. On
arrival in Delhi, the guest will be met by our representative and
transferred to hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day
02 : Delhi This morning you will be taken to visit
Old Delhi
- Former centre of Moghul Power, Old Delhi offers ancient monuments, narrow
streets and bustling bazaars. Drive past the
Red Fort, built in 1648
and board the 'rickshaw ride' for a unique experience from the Red Fort,
through
"Chandni Chowk" or Silver Street, experiencing the
sights and sounds of this very busy avenue heading west from the Fort. Later
visit the
Jama Masjid, the greatest mosque in India and completed in
1658 by Shah Jahan who also built the Taj Mahal.
This afternoon you
will be taken to visit
New Delhi - drive past the stately government
buildings of the British Era designed by Lutyens, including the
India
Gate & the
Presidential Palace. Continue onto the beautiful
Humayuns tomb of the Mughal era & predecessor of the world
famous Taj Mahal. End the tour at the towering minaret of
Qutab Minar.
Overnight at hotel
Day 03 : Delhi - Agra Morning
drive to Agra (203 km)
Upon arrival in Agra - check into the hotel
Afternoon visit red fort and famous
Taj Mahal.
Red
Fort - lies on the bend of the river Yamuna, almost in the heart of the
town. It was built by Akbar as his citadel over the years 1563-73 in the
finest architectural style. It has imposing gates and walls of red sandstone
and a moat.
Taj
Mahal -This most famous Moghul monument was constructed by Emperor Shah
Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal "the lady of the Taj". It
has been described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love, for
the emperor was heartbroken when Mumtaz died after 17 years of marriage, during
the birth of her 14th child.The central structure has four small domes surrounding
the huge, central dome. Above the tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are false
tombs, a common practice in Indian mausoleums. (Taj Mahal is closed on Friday).
Stay at pristine Taj Mahal for sunset,
to see this true Wonder of the world in gentle late afternoon light.
Overnight
at hotel
Day 04 : Agra - Jaipur Morning drive to
Jaipur (221 km), en route visit Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri
the deserted, red sandstone city that was built by Emperor Akbar as his
capital and palace in the 16th century. Also visit the Bulund Darwaza the
largest gateway in the world.
Thereafter continue drive to Jaipur
Upon arrival in Jaipur - check into the hotel Afternoon at leisure to
explore the city
Overnight at hotel
Day 05 : Jaipur
Morning
tour of the impressive
Amber Fort, situated on a ridge just outside Jaipur
City. At the foot of the hill you will mount your caparisoned elephant for the
slow but steady climb up to the main gate, making your entrance in the time
honoured fashion. The Fort, completed in the early 18th century, took over 100
years to build and now, although deserted, offers a fascinating insight into
the lifestyle of the Moghul ruling families.
Afternoon
tour of the City - "The Pink City" is spectacularly set within
surrounding rugged hills, dotted with ancient ruined fortresses. Your tour
will include the imposing City Palace, still home to the Maharaja although
several of the rooms are now open to the public. Many antiques and artefacts
belonging to the ruling family are housed here, including a collection of
weaponry. You will also visit the
Hawa Mahal "Palace of the
Winds", and the open-air Jantar Mantar Observatory to see the vast
astronomical instruments. Enjoy a stroll through the colourful bazaar before
returning to your hotel.
Overnight at hotel
Day 06 :
Jaipur - Pushkar Late morning drive to Pushkar (130 km)
Pushkar
- is famous for its colourful annual fair during kartik poornima (full moon)
in the November each year. At this time this otherwise peaceful and gentle
village on the banks of holy Pushkar take is thrown into colourful confusion
when the desert tribes and camel caravans meet to trade cattle, camels,
goat, sheep, clothes, jewellery and spices beside the sacred Pushkar Lake
and to perform their rituals in its waters, to the accompaniment of temple &
folk music. Upto 200000 traders and 50000 cattle pour into town, along with
numerous festooned camels and colourful pilgrims. After 10 hectic days of
livestock dealing, camel racing and colourful festivities, everybody goes
for a big holy dip in the lake on the night of the full moon. (Kartik
Purnima).
Upon
arrival in Pushkar - check into the Royal Camp captures the luxurious nostalgia
of a bygone age of the Maharaja's Safari and Shikar camps, combined with innovative
design demonstrating many of the skills and crafts of Marwar. The camp consists
of tents, each with verandah, bedroom and bathroom. There is a large dining
tent serving the best of Rajasthani cuisine and a large open reception tent
with seating areas. The campfire is the focal point for the evening entertainment
programme with cocktails & rhythms of the Thar-music, dancing, magicians,
puppet shows, jugglers, flaming torches & camel parades.
Afternoon City tour of
Pushkar - Pushkar boasts temples, though few are as ancient as you might
expect at such an important pilgrimage site, since many were deserted by
Aurangzeb and subsequently rebuilt. The most famous is the Brahma Temple,
said to be one of the few temples in the world dedicated to this deity. It's
marked by red spire, and over the entrance gateway is the hans, or goose
symbol, of Brahma, who is said to have personally chosen Pushkar as its
site.
Overnight at Camp
Day 07 : Pushkar Full
day at the fair. Built as 'an explosion of fun, frolic, games and laughter',
the fair provides some wonderful photographic opportunities and is a rare
change to see Rajasthani women decked out in all their traditional
jewellery, dress and finery. Temple music wafts through the night, as the
fires die down and the Rajasthani melodies played on the stringed ek-tara
come to a close. On the night of the full moon, the pilgrims bathe by
moonlight, then send marigold and rose petals floating across the lake on
green plate-like leaves. It is worth getting up early to see the camels and
tribes rousing themselves in the pink of the dawn desert light.
Overnight
at hotel
Day 08 : Pushkar - Ajmer - Delhi
Morning drive to Ajmer (15 Km) Upon arrival in Ajmer, straight proceed for city
tour. The Emperor Shah Jehan's white marbles pavilions
are
in a delightful park on the east banks of the man-made Ana Sagar Lake. Ajmer,
located 135 km southwest is the most sacred of all Muslim places of pilgrimage
in India. Ajmer is a green oasis on the shore of Ana Sagar Lake, hemmed in by
barren hills. Historically Ajmer has always had great strategic importance.
It was founded in 7th century by Ajaipal Chauhan. He named it Ajaimeru the 'invincible
hill', because here he raised Taragarh, India's first hill fort. The city's
Muslim history began when Prithviraj Chauhan lost Ajmer to Sultan Muhammad Ghori
in 1193 A.D. The Persian saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti who came with Muhammad
Ghori from Persia in 1192 settled here. Thus the place where he was buried is
today known as the Dargah Sharif. Construction of the shrine was completed by
Humayun and the gates were added by the Nizam of Hyderabad. Later Shah Jahan
constructed a mosque of white marble, it has 11 arches and a Persian inscription
running the full length of the building. Beyond the Dargah is the Adhai din
ka Jhonpra an ancient Sanskrit college, which was converted into mosque in 1198
and remains one of the finest monuments of medieval India.
Afternoon
transfer to railway station for train to Delhi
On arrival in
Delhi, the guests will be met by our representative and straight proceed to
International airport for flight back to home.
Day 09 :
Delhi - Abroad
Depart Delhi
Taj & Pushkar Tour Reservation Form
