Journey to Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra With Fran Gallo & Dr. Arvind Singh January 17 to February 2, 2018
This journey combines daily yoga with Fran, elegant accommodations, wonderful food, natural beauty, stunning architecture, and the rich colorful culture of India. We begin with a tour of India’s capital, Delhi and continue from there on a fabulous tour of Rajasthan, visiting Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, and Ranthambor Tiger Preserve. From there we journey to Agra, home of the peerless and majestic Taj Mahal. This tour is filled with breathtaking views, wildlife, beautiful palaces, and the vibrant scenes of daily life in India. Arvind is an amazing guide and expert on Indian culture, history, and religions.
*Please note that trip itinerary is subject to change and improvement as needed. Date Activity Evening Location 17 Jan Depart home city for Delhi Overnight flight
18 Jan Arrive in New Delhi. Driver will meet you at Indira Gandhi International Airport New Delhi and take you to the hotel.
19 Jan Morning: 7:00 Yoga, Breakfast between 8.00 and 10:00 a.m. Tour begins at New Delhi 10:00 a.m. Start your tour with a pooja ceremony in Shree Lakshmi Narayan Temple, and visit famous Bangla Sahib Gurudwara. Afternoon: Drive to Old Delhi through the Chandni Chowk Bazaar and then continue the tour to Jama Masjid, the largest mosque of the Indian sub- continent. Visit Raj Ghat, the memorial to Gandhi. Evening: Dinner at hotel. 20 Jan Morning: 7:00 Yoga. After a leisurely breakfast, drive to the airport to catch a Udaipur flight to Udaipur. Enjoy the afternoon at the hotel or explore. Rest up from the busy travel of the last three days, go for a swim, or visit the spa. Evening: Dinner at the hotel. 21 Jan Morning: 7:00 Yoga, breakfast between 8:00 and 9:30. Tour begins at 10:00. We Udaipur will visit the majestic City Palace, home of the Maharaja of Udaipur, and part of which has been converted into a fantastic museum. From there we go to Shri Jagadish Temple, an historic but living temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Both are stunning examples of Rajput architecture. Afternoon: Visit Saheli Ki Bawadi and then take an early evening boat ride on Lake Pichola. Evening: Dinner at the hotel. 22 Jan Morning: 7:00 Yoga. After breakfast, we drive to Jodhpur (5 hrs.). On the way Jodhpur we will visit the exquisitely carved 14th Century Jain Temples of Ranakpur, reaching Jodhpur in the late afternoon. Jodhpur is popularly known as the “blue city.” Today, its gentle atmosphere belies a stormy yet glorious past, with city walls, 7 gates, numerous 16th century’s bastions and towers and its majestic Mehrangarh Fort. Evening: Optional talk on Rajputs, the warrior caste of Hindus. Dinner in the hotel. 23 Jan Morning: 7:00 Yoga, then a fabulous breakfast. Start your guided tour of Jodhpur Jodhpur including Jaswant Thada, a cluster of white marble royal cenotaphs built in 1899 by Maharaja Sardar Singh for his father, Maharaja Jaswant Singh. From there we will drive to the massive Mehrangarh Fort, set high on a hill overlooking Jodhpur’s rugged and rocky terrain. The enclosed palaces are
Page 1 of 4 intricately adorned with beautifully carved panels and latticed windows, exquisitely wrought from red sand stone. This fort has a huge museum inside, housing a marvelous collection of artifacts owned by the royal family and some beautiful Mogul paintings that have toured the world, including a wonderful show at the Seattle Art Museum called Cosmos and Garden. Afternoon: After the tour, come back to the hotel and rest. Late afternoon optional shopping excursion to Maharani, the famous textile warehouse. Evening: Dinner with a traditional Jain Family. 24 Jan Morning: 7:00 Yoga. Enjoy a leisurely Jodhpur breakfast and morning before you embark on a village safari by jeeps. In your jeep safari you will see wildlife and experience the village life around Jodhpur. We will visit the homes of potters, weavers, and farmers, including the village of Bishnois, a pastoral community known for their love and reverence for nature and animals. Even today, their life is lived compatibly with nature. Evening: Dinner at hotel. 25 Jan Morning: 7:00 Yoga. After breakfast, Pushkar drive to Pushkar, a small town sacred to the Hindus in Rajasthan and now a tourist attraction for its annual camel fair. Over the centuries it grew into a temple town, and today there are as many as 400 temples in Pushkar. Pushkar is a maze of temples, ashrams and dharamsalas, and is never far from the sound of worship, from ascetics and devotees. The most important temple is dedicated to Brahma. In Pushkar there is a lake bounded by 52 ghats where devotees go for their holy dip. Afternoon: Reach Pushkar in the afternoon and after a little rest visit the ghats and Brahma temple. After a short visit to the main temple, people can shop for one hour (great little markets and fun to shop in Pushkar) and then go on a 2 hour sunset camel ride so we can do some asanas in the setting sun!! Evening: Dinner at hotel. 26 Jan Morning: 7:00 Yoga. After breakfast drive to Jaipur the vibrant capital of Jaipur Rajasthan, popularly known as the Pink City, because of the pink color given to the houses and shops in the old city. It sits on a dry lake bed in somewhat arid landscape, surrounded by forts and palaces. Jaipur offers a combination of splendid sightseeing and shopping opportunities. When you arrive check into your hotel where you stay for the next two nights. Evening: We will dine with a local Rajput family at their haveli.
Page 2 of 4 27 Jan Morning: 6:30 yoga. After breakfast, at 8:30, take a tour of majestic Amber Fort, Jaipur beginning with an elephant ride to the main gate! The ancient capital of Amber, just outside present day Jaipur, was once the seat of power before the City of Jaipur was built. See elaborately decorated halls, some with delightful fresco paintings, glass or inlaid precious stones. One of the most outstanding rooms is the Mirror Palace where the light from a single lamp, reflected in the many mirrors, illuminates the entire room. After Amber fort, visit the famous City Palace, a large complex of palaces, garden, and courtyards, now a famous museum. It houses the collection of Mughal and Rajput paintings, royal dresses, and arms. Afternoon: Lunch at City Palace Cafe and then visit Jantar Mantar, an amazing astronomical observatory built by the king of Jaipur in 1728. Jaipur, known as shopper’s paradise, is the hub of gem cutting, polishing and setting. After the tour return to the hotel or take an optional shopping tour of a gem setting palace. Evening: Dinner in a local restaurant with local music and dance.
28 Jan Morning: 7:00 Yoga. After breakfast drive to the Ranthambore Ranthambore National Park-112 miles from Jaipur. Ranthambore is an outstanding example of an Indian governmental conservation effort called Project Tiger. The forests around the 11th century Ranthambore Fort were once the private hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur. The home of Bengal tigers, leopards, and sloth bears, this park has a large variety of other animals as well. Check into the hotel where you will spend two nights and enjoy your lunch. Afternoon: Visit the Women’s Craft Village to see handicrafts of local tribal women or relax by the pool. Evening: Rest and enjoy free time. Dinner at hotel.
29 Jan Morning: Early in the morning start for game drive with a naturalist. Come Ranthambore back around 10 a.m., eat your breakfast and rest. Yoga time to be determined. Afternoon: After lunch, start again at 2.30 pm for your second game drive. Evening: Dinner at hotel. 30 Jan Morning: Early breakfast, then take 7:00 am train to Bharatpur. Yoga time to be Agra determined as we see how the day goes. In Bharatpur enjoy an afternoon visit to a wonderful wildlife refuge, Keoladeo National Bird Park. It is one of the best bird parks in India, having over 400 species of birds, including rare Siberian cranes. Continue to Agra. Evening: Dinner at the hotel.
31 Jan Morning: Rise early for a sunrise tour of Taj Mahal to view this incredible and extravagant monument as the sun bathes it in an ethereal light. Built in the 17th century by Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, as a memorial to his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It took 22 years and the labor of 20,000 men 10,000 horses, elephants, bullocks and donkeys. The white marble for this perfectly proportioned building, with its amazing delicate inlay work, was transported to the site by elephants from a quarry 200 miles away. Breakfast back at the hotel. After breakfast visit the famous Agra Fort (Red Fort), another UNESCO Heritage Monument. Late afternoon: After lunch, free time to relax, swim or go for a massage. For those who like, an optional visit to an artisan shop where beautiful marble inlay work is done. Agra Evening: Attend a cultural show with music and dance. Diner at the hotel.
Page 3 of 4 1 Feb Morning: 7:00 Yoga. Breakfast and a leisurely morning. After lunch, we leave In transit for the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, to fly back home. 2 Feb Arrive in your home city with wonderful memories that will change the way you look at life.
Trip cost: $4600 includes: All transportation within India, 5 star hotels (on a sharing basis), breakfasts and dinners, porters, bottled water, hotel and driver tips, entrance fees, and group activities. It also includes an orientation booklet and personal advice on travel to India. Cost does not include tip for guide, drinks, room service, non-group activities, personal expenses, or international airfare.
A deposit of $500 will reserve your spot (fully refundable before July 30, 2017). 50% of the total cost of the tour is due by August 30. If the retreat/tour is canceled due to lack of participants, you will be granted a full refund. A minimum of 10 people is required for the trip to occur. We do anticipate meeting our goal of 10 participants. You will be contacted after July 30 to let you know if we have met our minimum so that you can go ahead and purchase your flight. Please send in your check with the registration form as soon as possible to guarantee your place and help us make all the transportation and hotel bookings in a timely way. You will find the Registration and Release Forms link on Fran’s Rajasthan web page http://www.frangallo.com/15230-2/
Dr. Arvind Singh, guide and trip organizer, holds an MA in Indian History & Culture, MA in Indian Philosophy & Religion, and a PhD in Indian Archaeology. He has published three books and 16 research articles on different aspects of Indian culture, ecology, numismatics and archaeology. He was a Senior Fellow of the Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi and taught for several years at Banaras Hindu University.
Kelley McHenry, trip organizer, is a librarian at Seattle Central College with a Master of Arts in South Asia Studies from the Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington. She has lived and worked in Kenya and the Netherlands and traveled widely in Asia and Europe, but India is her true love. In addition to academic studies, Kelley has been to India many times, lived with Indian families, studied Hindi, and been leading tour groups to India for the past 15 years.
For more information, please contact Kelley McHenry Phone: 206-546-2599 Email: [email protected] https://www.spiritualindiajourneys.net/
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