India Religious Studies Tour

Day 1

Flight to Delhi

Overnight Flight to Delhi: You depart today on your overnight flight to Delhi.

Day 2

Exploring Delhi

Arrival in Delhi: You will meet your tour guide who will remain with you throughout your stay in India. You board your private coach and transfer to your hotel.

Exploring Delhi: After check-in and lunch you set out to explore the sights of Delhi. You drive by coach past Lutyen’s impressive India Gate and the Parliament House, as well as the impressive Red Fort. You have time to explore the bustling bazaar of Chandni Chowk and have a rickshaw ride. You visit the Jama Masjid Mosque, the largest and one of the most magnificent mosques in India and lastly there will be a visit to Qutab Minar, a minaret dating from the twelfth century AD. You returning to your hotel this evening for dinner.

Day 3

Travel to the Pink City of Jaipur

Travel to Jaipur: This morning you travel by private coach from Delhi to Jaipur which will take between 5 and 6 hours. There will be stops along the way to stretch the legs and for refreshments.

Jaipur: Rajasthan’s biggest city is known as the Pink City due to the distinctive colour of its buildings. With its fascinating monuments and colourful markets you can find beautiful handloom-woven garments and wonderfully laid-out gardens. Before dinner you visit the Hawa Mahal or Palace of Winds. This was originally conceived with the aim of enabling ladies of the royal household to discreetly watch the everyday life and royal processions and is one of the most recognisable landmarks of the city.

Day 4

Full Day in Jaipur visiting the Amer Fort and Hindu Temples

Amer Fort: Today is spent in Jaipur whose principal attraction is the spectacular Amer Fort, the former capital of the Rajput Maharajas, which is situated in a prominent hilltop position overlooking Maotha Lake. The fort is built of bright yellow sandstone and decorated in the Mughal style, making it an imposing sight when seen from below.

Birla Mandir Temple: After lunch you visit the Birla Mandir, a Hindu temple built with funds from the philanthropic Birla family and dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi and to Lord Vishnu. The temple is built of dazzling white marble and has stained glass windows depicting Hindu traditions.

Local Bazaar: You also visit the local bazaar for a chance to haggle and buy some souvenirs.

Govindji Krishna Temple: This evening you visit the Govindji Temple. This is a bhagwan temple to Lord Krishna and is one of the ancient temples of Jaipur where the Royal families used to worship. The temple is adjacent to the City Palace from where the royal family had direct access. You can witness the ritual chanting at the evening aarti ceremony, and the spiritual energy during prayers is quite amazing.

Day 5

Fatehpur Sikri and Agra

Fatehpur Sikri: This morning you travel by coach to Fatehpur Sikri which was built during the second half of the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar. Fatehpur Sikri was intended to be the capital of the Mughal Empire, but it was soon abandoned, probably in favour of nearby Agra. What remains today is a complex of monuments and temples.

Agra: In the afternoon you continue to Agra and your hotel with the remainder of the afternoon to relax and a tour of the local market.

Day 6

Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Sleeper Train to Varanasi

Taj Mahal: This morning you visit the spectacular Taj Mahal which is located on the southern bank of the Yamuna River. The Taj Mahal is an immense mausoleum built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his third wife Mumtaz who had died in childbirth in 1631. It is constructed of gleaming white marble and is inlaid with semi-precious stones including jade, lapis lazuli, amethyst and turquoise in intricate designs.

Agra Fort: In the afternoon you visit the Agra Fort which was built by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1565. The fort served as the residence of the Mughal dynasty until 1638 when the capital was moved to Delhi. The Maratha Empire ruled here until 1803 when it was seized by the British.

Sleeper Train to Varanasi: You will have an early dinner this evening before transferring to the railway station to board your overnight sleeper train to Varanasi.

Day 7

Varanasi, Sarnath and the Ganges Aarti Ceremony

Varanasi: Your train will arrive in Varanasi this morning and on arrival you will transfer straight to your hotel for breakfast and to freshen up and with time to relax.

Sarnath: In the afternoon you visit Sarnath which is one of the four most important Buddhist pilgrimage destinations. Its importance derives from the fact that it was here that Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon. There are various Buddhist monasteries dotted around the town, but the main attraction is the Dhamekh stupa complex located on the site of the first sermon

Ganges Aarti Ceremony: You return to Varanasi in time to witness the evening prayer of the Aarti Ceremony on the banks of the River Ganges. The sight and sound of the bells, the chanting of prayers and the light from numerous floating lamps is magical.

Day 8

River Ganges and Varanasi. Flight to Delhi.

River Ganges: This morning you visit the River Ganges to see local people worshipping, people bathing in the waters, and also the burning ghats where funeral pyres burn through the day and night. Hindus believe that when you die, if you are cremated at the River Ganges your soul will be transported directly to heaven and you will escape the endless cycle of reincarnation.

Flight to Delhi: You have time to explore the city and walk through its narrow lanes and bazaar. After lunch you transfer to the airport for your flight from Varanasi to Delhi where on arrival you will transfer to your hotel and dinner.

Day 9

Flight Home

Flight Home: This morning after breakfast you travel to the airport for your return flight back to the UK arriving later this afternoon.