The Art and Culture of Northern November 3-16, 2020 With Elizabeth Hornor, Ingram Senior Director of Education, and Professor Joyce Flueckiger, Department of Religion Trip cost per person (based on a group of 10 trav- Included in cost of the trip: • Hotels elers) • Daily breakfasts, six lunches, • USD $7,530 (shared room) and seven dinners (including • Single room supplement: USD $1,800 non-alcoholic beverages) • Internal flights and travel A nonrefundable deposit of $3,835 is due March 6. • Services of an accompany- ing English-speaking tour Museum Donation manager A separate donation of $300, payable by check, should be • All tips and gratuities (ex- mailed to: cept tour manager) Michael C. Carlos Museum • Plane side pick-up and assis- Attn: Jennifer Kirker tance at International 571 S. Kilgo Circle airport Atlanta, GA 30322 • Mutiny Walk in Delhi • Diwali celebrations at a pri- vate home in Udaipur Medical Cancellation Air Travel • Indian painting atelier in Insurance • Flights to and from India Udaipur must be booked by the trav- • Monument entrance and Medical cancellation insurance eler and are not included in camera fees will allow you to cancel your trip the cost of the trip • Train tickets for Agra/Delhi for medical purposes and will • For internal flights (included in Executive Class cover the traveler’s immediate in the cost of the trip), the • Complimentary bottled family, including parents, sib- checked baggage allowance water and soft beverages of lings, and children who are not is 25 kg per person. The your choice in all vehicles traveling. cabin baggage allowance is • Greeting and assistance at .7 kg per person. all hotels and airports The cost of medical cancel- • Porterage at all airports and lation insurance is based on hotels age. Purchase is suggested at • All current applicable rates time of deposit, but must occur and government taxes within 14 days in order to cover pre-existing conditions. Currie Note: Taxes are subject to change as & Co. will provide quotes. Cost per government policy. is payable by credit card.

PAYMENT TERMS AND CONDITIONS Payment Terms* Bookings: 1. On confirmation, an advance deposit on the cost of land arrangements and funds required to make some necessary purchases such as airline tickets or any hotel/supplier needs an immediate payment to confirm arrangements, etc. 2. Total amount/balance is due/payable 90 days prior to commencement of tour.

Cancellation Terms In all cases, once a booking has been guaranteed (under authorization of operator) and is cancelled, client/operator is liable to pay for whatever cancellation charges are levied by hotels, airlines and other service providers in that particular booking. Once flight tickets are issued, USD $ 55.00 per person and difference of fare, per sector will be applicable to make any changes. *Please refer to the terms of service at www.curriecotravels.com. Tuesday, November 3 DELHI Arrive in Delhi The capitol of India, Delhi is After you exit the aircraft, you home to 16 million people, will be met and assisted with making it India’s third largest immigration and collecting your city. The strategic location baggage before being trans- of the city provided a strong ferred to the hotel. defense against invading armies. Delhi served as the Hotel: Taj Mahal capitol of many of the great Room: Deluxe empires that ruled India, and thus is filled with impressive Wednesday, November 4 monuments, the earliest of Delhi which date to the 12th cen- In the morning you will visit tury. Some monuments exist only as ruins, although others, Humayun’s Tomb, a UNES- CO heritage site that has un- particularly those built by the dergone a recent renovation Mughals and the British, are thanks to the Agha Khan Trust. more visible. Designed by a Persian architect, Emperor Humayun’s mausole- um is one of the earliest exam- ples of a Mughal garden tomb and provided the prototype for future tombs such as the Taj Mahal. As you walk in the Sundar Gardens, you’ll see ex- quisite pavillions, fountains, and other Mughal structures.

From Humayun’s Tomb you’ll drive along the tree-lined av- enues of the New City, which was built by the British. On the drive, you’ll pass the Houses of Parliament, the India Gate , and the jewel of this architectural collection, in the world. The museum also Hotel: Taj Mahal —the , has an exquisite collection of Room: Deluxe once the residence of the Vice- miniature paintings and two Meals provided: Breakfast, roy but now the home of India’s notable Qu’rans: one a superb brunch president. example of elegant Islamic art of calligraphy; the other an In the afternoon you will visit 8th-century Qu’ran inscribed in the National Museum, which Kufic script, among the oldest houses five millennia of Indian of its kind. history. Of particular note is the museum’s collection of Indus Valley relics and Central Asian treasures from the silk route, which are considered the finest Thursday, November 5 Delhi

Today you will begin at , a stunning step well thought to have been constructed in the 15th century during the . Baoli, or bawdi, is a and word that refers to water temples and temple step wells. The earliest record of such a reservoir goes back to ancient times and the Indus Valley civi- lization. Today the step well is a protected monument.

Your next stop will be the , formerly the home of Mu- Next, you will stop at the Jama ghal emperors and the new site Masjid, the Friday Mosque, of the recently opened war and believed to be the largest archaeological museums, which mosque in India, which dom- you’ll explore with an historian. inates the skyline of the Old City, once known as Shahjah- You will have lunch today at anabad. The city of Shah Jahan Café Lota, which is located in was designed at a time when the courtyard of the Crafts divided labor was practiced in Museum, which you’ll visit after India. From the mosque, you’ll lunch. Housed in a building explore alleyways and neigh- designed by the renowned borhoods that remain classified Indian architect Charles Correa, by the professions of their in- the museum is a treasure trove habitants. You will pass through of Indian art and architecture. communities of calligraphers, Ranging from metalware and indigo dyers, silver jewelers, woodwork to masks, painting, and cooks. terracotta, tribal arts, and tex- tiles, the museum showcases You will then visit Gulab Singh Hotel: Taj Mahal the best of India’s craft heritage. —a descendant of Johrimal Room: Deluxe In tree-shaded courtyards, - the last Mughal perfumers— Meals provided: Breakfast, sans from various parts of India and sample various fragrances lunch recreate some of the items on distilled in sandalwood oil. On view in the museum. this walk, you will also pass through Kinari Bazaar, one of You will also walk along the Asia’s biggest markets of wed- Mutiny Trail, which narrates the ding essentials, with a stop at story of the first war of Indian a beautiful Jain temple and the independence, a transitional haveli, or mansion, of the Urdu and turbulent period when the poet Mirza Ghalib. Mughal capitol turned into a battleground overnight. Friday, November 6 Delhi to

You will depart for Amritsar by UK 976 (1:40 PM/2:50 PM). You will be met and transferred to your hotel.

This evening you will visit the Golden Temple when the holy book is ceremoniously returned to its “resting place” for the night. AMRITSAR Founded in 1877, Amritsar (“city of nectar”) is the holiest place Hotel: Taj Swarna for the followers of the Sikh religion and the site of the spectac- Room: Luxury ular Golden Temple. Amritsar is also the site of the one of the Meals provided: Breakfast, many tragedies that began the Indian Mutiny of 1857. dinner

Saturday, November 7 Amritsar

You will explore Amritsar today, beginning with the Golden Temple. Sikhs take their name from the word meaning “disci- ple,” and the Golden Temple is the holiest of all their shrines. Gilded and heavily decorated, the temple is stunning at all times of day. For Sikhs, bath- ing in the purifying pool is an intensely spiritual experience that all believers should expe- rience at least once. One side of the tank represents 63 Hindu pilgrim places. You will follow in it an honor to serve. You will festival day of Baisakhi. Nearly the path of the pilgrims, ob- participate in this ritual, helping one thousand people are said serving the many rituals such as to make bread and vats of curry to have died that day, with the mandatory dip in the pool to feed local pilgrims and the many more injured. of water. underprivileged. Your next stop will be the new- You will end your visit to the Next, you will stop at Jallianwa- ly opened Partition Museum, temple in the community kitch- la Bagh, the site of a memorial located in the town hall. The en. Sikhs believe that everyone, to commemorate the victims museum, the first of its kind, regardless of their station in of the infamous massacre car- chronicles the 1947 partition, life, should do sevak (social ried out by the British in 1919. the division of British India into service). This takes the form of The indiscriminate shooting of the langar (community kitchen) an unarmed gathering of men, in which every Sikh considers women, and children was or- dered by General Dyer on the Sunday, November 8 Amritsar to Agra (via Delhi)

You will depart for Delhi by Air India 118 (09:15 AM/10:30 AM). From the airport you will make the four-hour train journey to Agra, during which you will eat a packed lunch.

Before arriving at the hotel, you will stop at the small but exqui- site Tomb of Itmad Ud Daulah and the Mahtab Bagh Gar- dens to view sunset over the Taj Mahal, far from the crowds that flock to the monument at India and Pakistan, indepen- buildings along these streets sunset. dent states governed by Hindu and narrow lanes feature shops and Muslim majorities respec- at street level with residences Hotel: ITC Mughal tively. The partition resulted in a above. Like all Indian markets, Room: Mughal Chambers large and violent displacement this one sell everything from Meals provided: Breakfast, of people. The museum tells utensils to textiles and clothing packed lunch the story of the displacement such as jutis, the famous em- through a collection of objects broidered Punjabi shoes. AGRA donated by partition survivors. This was the seat of the Dinner will be an authentic Pun- mighty be- Amritsar has a reputation for jabi meal at a local restaurant. fore its capitol shifted to Del- an amazing range of street hi. Agra is home to some of food, and following your visit Hotel: Taj Swarna the Mughals’ most inspired to the museum, you will take a Room: Luxury architectural creations such walking tour of the walled city, Meals provided: Breakfast, as the Taj Mahal. In the 16th also known as Hall Bazaar. The lunch, dinner and 17th centuries, when the Mughal courts were at their most powerful and great patrons of the arts, Agra attracted artisans, poets, and musicians from across India as well as Persia and Central Asia, which transformed the city into a cultural and archi- tectural paradise. Monday, November 9 Agra and

This morning you will visit the Taj Mahal when it is least crowded. This monument was built by Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. It took 22 years to build this sublime garden tomb, an image of the Islamic garden of paradise. Its per- fect proportions and exquisite craftsmanship were the work of artisans from India and over- seas. The Taj Mahal represents the wealth and luxury of Mughal art and architecture.

After breakfast you will visit the city of Fatehpur Sikri, which styles. Akbar built a palace for Hotel: Taj was built by the Mughal emper- each of his three wives, incor- Room: Deluxe or Akbar to honor the Sufi saint porating elements of their par- Meals provided: Breakfast, Salim Chishti, who foretold the ticular religion. Residents even- packed lunch birth of Akbar’s son. After the tually deserted the city, and its Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri is con- remains have been perfectly sidered by many to be one of preserved. VARANASI the finest architectural creations Of the seven holy cities of of the Mughal empire. You will depart for Varanasi India, Varanasi is considered today by Air India flight AI 406 the holiest of them all, with a The city is constructed entirely (1:55 PM/4:10 PM). You will be spiritual and religious legacy of red sandstone and incor- met and transferred to your that goes back 5,000 years. porates architectural features hotel. It is also the oldest living from Hindu, Persian, and Islamic city in the world. Situated on the banks of the Ganges River, Varanasi is known as Kashi, the city of light. The focal point of the city is the “” or steps leading down to the river. This is where pilgrims and local people gather for a cleans- ing dip, worship the rising and setting sun, and cremate the dead. It is believed that to be cremated in Varana- si is to escape the cycle of rebirth. Tuesday, November 10 After breakfast, you will take a has an archaeologi- Varanasi walking tour of the ghats, start- cal park that is home to the ing with the Digpatiya remains of a monastery and and ending at the a Buddhist temple. Paintings Dashashwamedh Ghat. The on the temple walls depict the ghats are sacred areas built most significant episodes of the under the patronage of India’s Buddha’s life from his birth as princely states. Prince Siddhartha to his enlight- enment. Dashashwamedh Ghat, named after the ten-horse sacrifice This evening you will take a performed by Lord , is boat ride on the Ganges. In Varanasi’s holiest spot. From contrast to the early mornings there, you will enter the narrow when the ghats are a mass of lanes that lead to the sacred people performing a wide vari- heart of Varanasi—the Kashi ety of rituals, at sunset the main Vishwanath Temple. Next to sounds are the temple bells as the temple is the 17th-centu- the priests start their prepara- ry Jnana Vapi Mosque. The tions for the evening aarti cer- mosque is closed to visitors emony. In the distance you will and the temple is only open see the fires of the crematorium Your guide will meet you at to , but you will be able as well as a few pilgrims taking the hotel at 6:00 AM to visit to view both from an outdoor a final dip in the river. Though the Ganges at sunrise, when vantage point. the city retains its liveliness at pilgrims and devotees arrive night, sunset slows and quiets to worship the rising sun and After lunch, you will visit life along the river. start the day with a dip in the Sarnath departing the hotel at holy river. From a boat you will 10:00 AM. Sarnath lies a short Hotel: Taj Ganges watch the young and the old distance from the main city, and Room: Deluxe practice rituals unchanged over is the place where the Buddha Meals provided: Breakfast thousands of years. This ex- delivered his first teaching after traordinary outpouring of devo- gaining enlightenment. Wednesday, November 11 tion and deep belief should not Varanasi to Aurangabad be missed. (via Hyderabad)

You will transfer to the airport and depart for Aurangabad by Spice Jet SG 705 (10:30 AM/12:25 PM) to Hyderabad, where you will connect with SG 1056 (1:40 PM/2:50 PM). You will be met on arrival and trans- ferred to your hotel.

Hotel: Vivanta by Taj Aurangabad Room: Premium Indulgence Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Thursday, November 12 You will depart for Mumbai by Aurangabad Air India 441 (8:20 PM/9:35 PM), and you will be transferred In the morning you will drive to to your hotel. the Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu temple caves at Ellora, a UNES- Hotel: Taj Santa Cruz CO World Heritage Site. Room: Luxury Meals provided: Breakfast Located along an ancient trad- ing route, the carvings date to Friday, November 13 In keeping with the royal fami- between 600 and 1100 AD. Mumbai to Udaipur ly’s claim they are Surya vansh The caves are considered to be (descendants of the Sun) the among the finest in the country You will transfer to the airport structure faces east and a stun- and are thought to be the work and depart for Udaipur by ning bejeweled image of the of the priests and pilgrims who Vistara 613 (12:15 PM/1:45 sun that greets visitors at the traveled the route. PM) where you will be met and entrance. Here you will tour transferred to your hotel. Signature Art Studio,where the tradition of Indian painting In the afternoon you’ll experi- is continued both in making ence “small-town India” as you copies after earlier paintings walk through winding lanes, and the creation of new works. encountering shops selling a variety of items, folk art deco- Today is Diwali, the Hindu rating the walls of houses, and festival of lights. At dusk you small architectural gems such as a lattice haveli window.

You will end the walk at the The masterpiece of this com- Jagdish Temple, the focal point plex is the magnificent of worship in the Old City. Kailasnatha Temple. Carved from 85,000 cubic meters of Hotel: Trident rock and open to the elements, Room: Deluxe the design and execution of the Meals provided: Breakfast, full temple is an extraordinary dinner achievement, and a tribute to will visit the Old City, where the imagination and the crafts- homes will be lit with clay lamps and twinkling fairy lights. You manship of the artisans who Saturday, November 14 designed and built it. will visit a private home to see Udaipur a puja performed to welcome After breakfast, you will visit Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, In the afternoon you will vis- the . The palace’s see fireworks, and a enjoy fes- it , which City Palace Aurangabad Caves detailed architecture is a tribute tive dinner. were cut in the 6th and 7th to the skills of local artisans and centuries. These caves can be craftspeople. Built as a stepped Hotel: Trident divided into two groups the palace upon a hillside, the Room: Deluxe western and the eastern, each four buildings illustrate various Meals provided: Breakfast, of which feature superb images architectural styles, reflecting dinner of the Buddha as well as deli- prevailing influences such as cately carved bodhisattvas. Mughal and Rajput styles. Sunday, November 15 Udaipur

You will take a full-day excur- sion to the richly carved marble temple at Ranakpur. Belonging to the Jain religious sect, the temple is unique in that each of its 1,144 pillars is distinct in its design. The temple is a living one, with devotees visiting the many shrines to perform rituals, chant, and meditate.

You will stop at Mountbatten Lodge for lunch before return- ing to Udaipur.

Monday, November 16 You will depart for Delhi by Air Udaipur to Delhi Vistara UK 628 (3:20 PM/4:45 PM). You will be met and In the morning, you will visit transferred to your hotel near the small but beautiful com- the airport. Later you will be plex at Nagda. Known as the transferred to the international Sas and Bahu temples (literally airport. Temples of the Mother-in-Law Hotel: JW Marriott Your route will pass through and Daughter-in-Law), these Room: Deluxe the Aravalli Hills, the oldest elaborately carved 10th-century Meals provided: Breakfast mountain range in the world. temples are dedicated to Lord Along the way you will see a Vishnu. very traditional way of life still The larger Sas temple features being practiced. You’ll find WELCOME HOME! beautiful friezes with scenes yourself stopping often to take from the Ramayana, meetings photographs of small hamlets, of lovers, and images of the fields irrigated with a Persian Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, water wheel, outdoor schools, and . The Bahu temple and colorfully dressed women has a richly carved archway and working in the fields. columns carved with female figurines. Hotel: Trident Room: Deluxe Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch