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North and Central India
Holiday Tour |
North
and Central India Holiday Tour
Duration : 7
Nights / 8 Days
Destinations Covered :
Delhi-Jaipur-Agra-Gwalior-Delhi
DAY 01 : ARRIVE DELHI
Arrive Delhi in the evening. Upon arrival, you
shall met & assisted with your baggages at the
airport by our executive and transferred to
prebooked hotel.
Delhi : India’s capital & a major gateway to the
country, contemporary Delhi is a bustling
metropolis which successfully combines in its
fold the ancient & the modern. Its strategic
location was one of the prime reasons why
successive dynasties chose it as their seat of
power. New Delhi also reflects the legacy the
British left behind . The division between New &
Old Delhi is the distinction between the
capitals of the British & the Moghuls
respectively. So, wherever the visitor goes, he
will invariably confront the citys’ past.
DAY 02 : DELHI After breakfast, half day city
tour of Old Delhi. Visit Jama Masjid, the
largest mosque in India. Built by Shah Jahan,
the construction was started in 1844 and was not
completed until 1658; Red Fort, which was also
built by Shah Jehan. This massive fort was built
from 1638 to 1648; Chandni Chowk and Rajghat -
the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi.
Afternoon, city tour of New Delhi. Visit
Humayuns Tomb : built in mid 16th century this
is an early example of Mughal architecture;
Qutab Minar, drive past India Gate, President
House, Connaught Place. The city tour ends with
a visit to Laxmi Narayan Temple (Birla Mandir).
DAY 03 : DELHI - JAIPUR
After breakfast, leave for Jaipur : The city
owes its names, foundation and its careful
planning to the great warrior - astronomer
Maharaja Jai Singh II. In 1727, with Mughal
power on the wane, Jai Singh decided to move
down from his hillside fortress at nearby Amber
to a new site on the plains. He laid out the
city, with its surrounding walls and six
rectangular blocks, according to the principles
of town planning set down in Shilpa Shastra, an
ancient Hindu treatise on architecture.
Afternoon, at leisure.
DAY 04 : JAIPUR
After breakfast, excursion to Amber Fort.
Elephant ride from the foothills of the
Aravallis to the fort entrance. Amber Fort : At
a distance of 11 kms from Jaipur, Amber was the
ancient capital of Jaipur state. Construction of
the fort began in 1592 by Raja Man Singh, the
Rajput commander of Akbar's army and is a superb
example of Rajput architecture.
Afternoon, city tour of Jaipur. Visit the City
Palace which has museum having an extensive
collection of art, carpets, enamel ware and
weapons; Jantar Mantar - the observatoy built my
Maharaja Jai Singh in 1728 and the façade of
Hawa Mahal.
DAY 05 : JAIPUR - FATEHPUR SIKRI - AGRA
After breakfast, leave for Agra. Enroute visit
the abandoned Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri :
built by Emperor Akbar in 1569, was the old
capital of the Moghuls, which was abandoned
after 15 years due to scarcity of water. See the
graceful buildings including the Jama Masjid,
Tomb of Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal & other
Palaces which are still preserved in its
original glory. Continue drive to Agra. Arrive
Agra in the evening and check-in at prebooked
hotel.
DAY 06 : AGRA - GWALIOR
After breakfast, city tour of Agra. Visit Red
fort, which was built by Emperor Akbar in 1565,
and additions were made up until the time of his
grandson, Shah Jahan. It contains the hall of
public and private audiences amongst many other
beautiful structues; Itmad-ud-daulah, which was
contructed by Nur Jahan between 1622 and 1628
and is very similar to the tomb she constructed
for her husband, Jehangir, near Lahore in
Pakistan; the highlight of the day - The Taj
Mahal, which was constructed by Shah Jahan in
memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Contruction of
the Taj began in 1631 and was not completed
until 1653.
Afternoon, drive to Gwalior. On arrival in
Gwalior check in at prebooked hotel.
DAY 07 : GWALIOR
- DELHI
After breakfast, visit the Gwalior Fort - The
Mughal emperor Babar referred to the Gwalior
Fort as “the pearl amongst fortresses in India”
and although you may beg to differ, you will
probably agree that this, the dominating feature
of Gwalior’s skyline, is definitely a citadel
worth seeing. With a turbulent and pretty
eventful past, the Gwalior Fort spreads out over
an area of 3 square km, bounded by solid walls
of sandstone, which enclose three temples, six
palaces and a number of water tanks. Regarded as
North and Central India’s most impregnable
fortress, the Gwalior Fort was built by Raja Man
Singh Tomar in the 15th century. In the five
hundred years since then, the fort has changed
hands many times- it has been held by the
Tomars, Mughals, Marathas and British, who
finally handed it over to the Scindias. Today
it’s a must-see sight on any Gwalior itinerary,
and just the ride up to the fort gives you a
taste of what’s coming: the southern path is
bounded by rock faces with intricate carvings of
the Jain tirthankars. As you enter the fort,
you’ll see lots more to impress and interest
you: palaces and temples, impressive gates and
historic water tanks. Of the temples in the
Gwalior Fort, the most famous are the
Teli-ka-Mandir- a 9th century Dravidian-style
shrine which is notable for its profusely
sculpted exterior; the Saas-Bahu Temples- two
pillared temples which stand next to each other,
one larger than the other; and the Chaturbhuj
Mandir, a Vaishnavite shrine dating back to the
9th century. Among the fort’s most prominent
palaces is the amazingly ornate Man Singh
Palace, built by Man Singh in the 15th century.
Embellished with a vivid pattern in tile and
paint, the palace spreads over four levels, and
despite its picture-pretty appearance, has a
somewhat gory history: Mughal emperor Aurangzeb
imprisoned and later murdered his brother Murad
here. Equally grisly is the Jauhar Kund, which
marks the spot where the women of the harem
burnt themselves to death after the defeat of
the king of Gwalior in 1232. Other palaces
within the Gwalior Fort which are worth seeing
include the Karan Palace, the Jahangir Mahal,
the Shahjahan Mahal and the Gujri Mahal (the
latter built by Man Singh for his favourite
queen, Mrignayani).
Afternoon, transfer to the railway station to
board train for Delhi. On arrival in Delhi meet
and assist at the railway station and transfer
to prebooked hotel.
DAY 08 : DEPART DELHI
Early Morning, transfer to airport to board
flight back home/onward destination.
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