The hot Thar desert, burning sand,
large dunes, scarce water and vegetation is the significance of the
Rajasthan. But besides these scarcities it has a desert background. The
medieval period is known for its bravery and gallantry. The Forts, Palaces,
havelis built by Rajputas and Maharajas, splendid temples are the riches
source of culture and heritage and art and crafts. If you want to knew about
Rajasthan you can go for its desert Rajasthan tour.
The various famous cities of Rajasthan are Ajmer, Alwar Banswara, Barmer,
Bharatpur, Bikaner, Bundi, Chittaurgarh, Deeg, Durgapur, Jaipur, Jaisalmer,
Jodhpur, Kota, Mount Abu, Nagpur, Pushkar, Ranthambore, Sariska, Udaipur.
All of them has it own desert significance. It has a colourful traditional
past. The miniature paintings, wall paintings, cloth paintings and tie and
dye styles of dresses, jewellery Desinging, stone carving are famous
thoughout the nation. The colourful Rajasthani Lehga and Jaipuri Duppatta
and suits are the popular amongst the tourist. These are the first choice of
all the visitors and shoppers. The art of sculpture and minature can be
shown on the wall and ceilings of the forts and palaces. The Mount Abu
temple is the lively examples of the brilliant sculpture.
Rajasthan is also rich in fair and festivals. The rytheums of music and
dances in colourful dresses fill its audience with joy. Nobody can stop
their feet to move on the melodius rytheums of ghoomer dance. During Pushkar
fairs and other festive you can discover the unbeatable amusement.
All these you can discover during your desert Rajasthan tour. Choose one and
discover Rajasthan in much better way.
RAJASTHAN DESERT FESTIVAL
Day 01 Sat (Feb
08) London to Delhi Depart from London to Delhi with British
Airways on flight BA 143 departing at 1135 hours Arrive Delhi at 0120 hours.
You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel. Overnight at hotel
The Imperial for two nights (Std Rm).
Day 02 Sun
(Feb 09) Delhi Full day sightseeing tour of Old & New Delhi
City tour of Old Delhi includes Red Fort, Jama Masjid Mosque, Chandni
Chowk market, Raj Ghat and drive past Feroz Shah Kotla.
A New
Delhi tour includes Qutab Minar, Humayun's Tomb, India Gate, Lakshmi Narayan
Temple and a drive past the Parliament House, Rashtrapati Bhawan,
Secretariat, Diplomatic Enclave, Janter Manter and Connaught Place.
Day
03 Mon Delhi to Mandawa After breakfast depart by road to Mandawa,
a journey of about seven hours. Overnight at the hotel Mandawa Castle (Std
Rm).
Spread over Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Churu districts in
north-western Rajasthan, the Shekhawati region is known for its beautifully
painted havelis, in its nearly 20 towns and villages. Mandawa is one of
them.
Besides the cenotaphs, wells, forts and temples the
majority of frescoes are painted on the walls and gateways of havelis. The
Shekhawati paintings mainly consist of red, green, yellow, brown, blue and
mushroom colours. Mandawa, founded in the early 18th Century, is dominated
by a rugged fort-turned-hotel.
Of interest are the Chokhani and
Ladia havelis, as well as the street with the Saraf havelis. A Shiva temple
with a rock crystal lingam can also be visited. The medieval fort of Mandawa
gradually rises on the horizon like a mirage. A breathtaking view of the
town can be seen from the terrace of Castle Mandawa.
Day
04 Tue Mandawa to Bikaner After breakfast depart by road to
Bikaner, a journey of about four hours. Overnight at the hotel Bhanwar Niwas
for two nights (Std Rm).
Bikaner, founded by Rao Bikaji in 1488,
is the principal town of north west Rajasthan. Like many of Rajasthan's
cities it is surrounded by a high battlemented pink sandstone wall. Bikaner
is noted for its large fort, and derived its wealth and importance as a
staging post on the great caravan trade routes. The city really prospered
under the Maharaja Ganga Singh (1887-1943), who built a railway, developed
coal mining and founded the elite Bikaner Camel Corps. He also built the
Lalgarh Palace, which is now partly an hotel.
Day
05 Wed Bikaner Day free.
Day 06 Thu
Bikaner to Jaisalmer After breakfast depart by road to Jaisalmer, a
journey of about seven hour. Overnight at the hotel Gorband Palace for three
nights (Std Rm).
Jaisalmer, one of India's most exotic and unusual
towns, and probably the most perfect Rajput walled city of all. The cobbled
streets and the magnificent houses have their facades intricately carved in
yellow sandstone. Jaisalmer was founded in 1156 and was once the capital of
the proud Bhati Rajputs. The fort was a city in itself with palaces,
temples, armories and havelis, the mansions of the rich merchants. The Most
of the carved havelis have been declared national treasures. The bazaars can
turn up interesting artifacts, as Jaisalmer is the central market place for
the surrounding villages.
Day 07 & 08
Jaisalmer Day free.Car available for local use to visit desert
festival
Day 09 Sun Jaisalmer
to Jodhpur Morning is free. Afternoon transfer to Jaisalmer railway
station for train 4860 Delhi Jodhpur Express to Jodhpur, departing at 1530
hours and arriving at 2130 hours. You will be met on arrival and transferred
to your hotel. Overnight at hotel Ajit Bhawan Palace for two nights (Std Rm)
Jodhpur lies in the heart of Rajasthan, standing on the edge of
the Thar Desert. It is the second largest city in Rajasthan (Jaipur is the
first) and was founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha. The Mehrangarh Fort is a
classic Rajput fortress that dominates the city from it's hilltop Eyre. In
excellent repair the Royal apartments depict days of regal splendor. Jodhpur
has an interesting market in the colorful Sardar Bazaar.
Day
10 Mon Jodhpur Morning sightseeing tour for Jodhpur city. Afternoon
village safari by jeep
Morning city tour visiting the massive 15th
Mehrangarh Fort, which has a stonewall protecting the well-fortified city.
Within the Palace inside the Fort are rooms with rich collection of
palanquins, elephant howdahs, musical instruments, costumes, furniture and
armory. The display of Canon is one of the rarest in India. Also visit
Jaswant Thada, a white marble memorial built in 1899.Umaid Bhavan Palace,
this huge palace was built by Maharaja Umaid Singh. Part of the palace has
been converted into a hotel. Manmandir temple supported by 100 pillars and
has carvings depicting Yoga postures.
Afternoon Village Safari by
Jeep to glimpse the colourful village life.
Day
11 Tue Jodhpur to Jaipur Early morning transfer to Jodhpur railway
station for train 2466 Intercity Express to Jaipur, departing at 0545 hours
and arriving at 1035 hours. You will be met on arrival and transferred to
your hotel. Afternoon sightseeing tour of Jaipur city. Overnight at hotel
Samode Haveli for two nights (Std Rm)
Jaipur is the state capital
of Rajasthan and owes its name, planning and foundation to the Maharaja Jai
Singh II. In 1727, Jai Singh decided to move from his hillside fortress at
Amber to the plains, and thus Jaipur was conceived. It is also know as the "Pink
City", derived from the pink painted sandstone from which the buildings
in the old walled city are constructed.
A city tour takes you
through the bazaars to the City Palace complex which includes the Hawa
Mahal, Palace of the Winds, built in 1799. The five-story building looks out
over the main street and were originally for the ladies of the royal
household to watch life and processions of the city. Jai Singh built the
Jantar Mantar Observatory, still equipped with the ancient instruments
including a very accurate 90-foot sundial, in 1728.
Day
12 Wed Jaipur Morning visit to the Amber Fort. Afternoon is free.
Seven miles outside the city in the rugged hills that surround Jaipur
is the magnificent Amber Fort. A painted elephant will take you up to the
fort through its huge gateways and pillared pavilions. This Rajput
Fortress/Palace was constructed from 1592 by Raja Man Singh II, and is a
superb example of Rajput architecture.
Day 13 Thu
Jaipur to Agra After breakfast depart by road to Agra, a journey of
about eight to nine hours. En route stop at Bharatpur for lunch (cost not
included) & bird watching. Overnight at the hotel The Trident for two
nights (Std Rm).
The marshes of Bharatpur were created as an
artificial lake by the former maharaja of Bharatpur to attract waterfowl,
and were the venue for many royal duck shoots in which prodigious bags were
taken.
Today Bharatpur is one of the finest bird reserves in the
world, its marshes attracting many migratory species during the winter
months, including Bar-headed Goose, Coot, Ruddy Shelduck, and the rare
Siberian Crane. During the monsoon, the reserve is thick with nesting birds,
including several species of Egret, and the Sarus Crane.
It was
during the Mughal era that Agra first gained prominence, during the 16th and
17th centuries when it served as their capital. The Moghul passion for
building endowed Agra with some of the loveliest buildings in the world.
Day 14 Fri Agra Morning sightseeing of
Agra Fort & Itmad-Ud-Dualah. Afternoon sightseeing of Fatehpursikri.
Akbar built Agra Fort in 1565 and this rusty red sandstone fort
stands like a crescent on the bank of Yamuna River. It is one of the finest
forts in India and is a silent witness to the rise and fall of the imperial
Mughal Empire. Visit its numerous palaces, pavilions and buildings that echo
the story of Mughal Empire.
Itmad-Ud-Daulah's tomb was built by
Empress Nur Jahan, daughter- in-law of Emperor Akbar, in memory of her
father Ghias-Ud-Din Beg, grandfather of Mumtaz Mahal, between 1622-28 AD.
In 1596 Akbar built Fatehpur Sikri, 37 kms away from Agra, in
honour of Saint Salim Chisti who had prophesied the birth of his son
Jehangir. He moved his capital there but abandoned it 14 years later, due to
the water supply going bad. Lying on a rocky ridge two miles long and one
mile wide it is an epic poem in red sandstone with impressive public halls,
private residences, fortifications, massive gateway, pavilions and palaces.
Day 15 Sat Agra to Delhi An early start
to visit the Taj Mahal for sunrise. After breakfast depart by road to Delhi,
a journey of about four & half hours. En route stop at Sikandra to see
the Akbar's tomb. Day room will be booked at hotel Radisson (from 1500-0000
hrs)
Later you will be transferred to International airport for
your flight home.
Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal between
1630-1653 as a memorial in white marble to his queen Mumtaz Mahal. Taj Mahal
is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the greatest love stories ever
written with white marble and precious stones. Perhaps the most perfect
architectural monument in the world.
Akbar's Tomb is at Sikandra,
4 Km from the city. The last resting place of perhaps the greatest of the
Mughal emperors, it is a mix of Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Christian
styles, in keeping with his open philosophy for religious tolerance called
Deen Ilahi. It is a stunning building which reveals its place in the
architectural evolution that led to the Taj Mahal.The massive Agra Fort was
started by Akbar in 1565, and was added to over the years. Initially it was
a military structure, with 2.5 Km long, 20 metre high double walls
protecting its inhabitants. By Shah Jahan's reign it had partilly become a
palace.
Day 16 Sun Delhi to London Depart
to London with British Airways on flight BA 142 at 0325 hours and arriving
at 0800 hours.
