Following
your flight to Delhi, travel towards Agra, with its famous and stunning Taj
Mahal and the Red Fort. Begun in the 1630’s, by the emperor Shah Jehan
as a memorial and tomb for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, theTaj Mahal
took over twenty years to complete. Of all the Mughal buildings the Taj
Mahal is the one, which, no matter how many times one sees it, never fails
to astonish for its beauty and magnificence. The glimmering white marble
building is decorated with elaborate pietra dura work, where pieces of
precious and semi-precious stones are inlaid to form patterns of flowers and
the external walls are bordered with Koranic inscriptions in a bold and
rhythmic script. The Red Fort is itself a marvel of construction and the views of the Taj Mahal from Shah Jehan’s rooms in the Fort have to be seen to be believed. The original fort at Agra was demolished by Emperor Akbar, in 1565, and construction of the present fort was begun. Made of dressed red sandstone, with its main side bounded by the river Jamuna, the Red Fort is an impressive structure, with its carefully planned defences, courtyards and gardens, zenana, or, women’s palace and the Emperor’s palace apartment, overlooking the river, and, in the near distance, the Taj Mahal.
Perturbed by his lack of a male heir, Akbar consulted the Sufi divine, Shaikh Salim Chisit, who resided at Sikri, 40 kms from Agra. Shaikh Salim prophesied the birth of three sons, and to enhance the efficiency of the prophesy, Akbar moved his pregnant wife to Sikri, where she gave birth to a son- who was to become the emperor Jehangir. In 1571, Akbar built the mosque which now stands in the middle of the site, later to be joined by many of his court who built their own houses in the vicinity. As the site grew, it was enclosed by fortified walls, and a new city was formed and renamed, Fatehpur Sikri, or Sikri, City of Victory.
Wouthout doubt, the most famous site in Jaipur is the Palace of the Winds – the Hava Mahal – so called as the carved screens are so constructed to collect and channel the cooling breezes through the palace buildings – and you’ll be very glad they do! With some of the most stunning vistas you are ever likely to see unfolding before you from the top of the palace, a visit here is a memorable experience. In the center of the city, this palace was constructed in pink sandstone by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799, the semioctagonal overhanging windows affording views of the city streets for the women of the zenana.
Sadly,
the Lake Palace can only be viewed from the shore. A gleaming white gem on a
flat mirror of blue water surrounded by rolling green hills. Amber Fort, surrounded by its majestic ramparts, was, for six hundred years, the capital of Rajasthan. Construction of the present Fort was begun in the early 1700’s by Maharaja Man Singh, and was completed some 100 years later by his descendants. You have the option here of driving up to the hilltop Fort or a regal ride on the backs of gaily painted elephants. Generally claimed to be a mix of Mughal and Rajput styles, the Fort, though now no longer inhabited, retains an aura of great beauty, glowing with variegated colours. The Sheesh Mahal, or, “Chamber of Mirrors”, has a ceiling which glows and sparkles with the light of a single match.
And so to Delhi – the capital of today’s India, and a total contrast to the other cities visited on this tour. With so much to do and see, we offer you one day of organized sightseeing and another of free time, where you can wander as you desire. We include visits tot eh Red Fort, Jama Masjid (Mosque), the Gandhi Memorial Garden, Qutab Minar (the iron pillar here made famous by Erich von Daniken in his book, “Chariots of the Gods”), the Bahai’I Place of Worship. On your free day you might like to visit Delhi’s Chandni Chowk; Connaught Place, which is the city’s hub with all the main streets and boulevards radiating from it, or, the famous Janpath market and bargain for goods with the stallholders. Whatever you decide to do you will be enveloped and invigorated by the hustle and bustle which is Indian city livings.
ITINERARY
Day 1 Arrive Delhi. Sightseeing. O/n hotel.Day 2 Train to Agra. Sightseeing. O/n hotel.
Day 3 Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri. O/n hotel.
Day 4 Jaipur sightseeing. O/n hotel.
Day 5 Drive to Delhi.
Day 6 Delhi sightseeing.
Day 7 Departure for London.