Spirti of India with the Kumbh Festival

SPIRTI OF INDIA WITH THE KUMBH FESTIVAL

March 14 - 28, 2021 | 15 Days | Overland Adventure Expedition Highlights

• Attend the deeply spiritual Kumbh Mela Amritsar Festival, the largest religious gathering in the world, and mingle with devotees who Haridwar are eager to share their traditions.

Delhi • Explore the royal city of Jaipur including the imposing fort, palatial palace, flower- filled garden, and bustling bazaar. Agra Jaipur • Beat the crowds and enjoy superb photo Varanasi ops during a sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal.

INDIA • Make a stop at one of India’s holiest Sikh temples, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, a vast complex that provides free meals for up to 10,000 pilgrims and visitors a day.

• Cruise along the holy Ganges River in Varanasi, passing numerous ghats where pilgrims gather to worship.

BAY OF BENGAL • Itinerary...... page 2 > • Flight Information ...... page 3 > ARABIAN • Meet Your Leader...... page 4 > SEA • Rates ...... page 4 > • Know Before You Go...... page 4 > HAWA MAHAL TAJ MAHAL JAIPUR

river from the Taj Mahal. The last of eleven Mughal-built Itinerary gardens along the river, this traditional charbagh complex, or four-part garden following the concept of the four gardens of Based on the expeditionary nature of our trips, there may be ongoing Paradise, had been nearly destroyed by flooding and silt until enhancements to this itinerary. a restoration project was undertaken in the 1990s. Check in to the ITC Mughal for dinner and overnight. Sunday & Monday, March 14 & 15 2021 DEPART USA / DELHI, INDIA Board your independent flight to India. Arrive in Delhi late Thursday, March 18 Monday and transfer to The Imperial, New Delhi, our home for AGRA / JAIPUR the next two nights. Rise early this day to prepare for a magnificent sight— witnessing the Taj Mahal at dawn. Taking 22 years to complete, this monument is a white marble memorial to Tuesday, March 16 Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of Emperor Shah Jahan. It boasts DELHI perfect symmetry and truly masterful inlay work. Enjoy This morning, enjoy a traditional breakfast before a full day breakfast before departing overland to Jaipur. Also known exploring Delhi. Begin with sightseeing within the walled city of as the “Pink City,” Jaipur was created by Hindu Rajput ruler Old Delhi, Shahjahanabad. Colorful, vibrant, and bustling, this and avid astronomer Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727. Painted pink seventh city of Delhi was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah in 1876 to welcome H.R.H. Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, Jahan and houses India’s second largest mosque, the Jama the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Poised on a dry Masjid. Stroll the streets and bazaars, taking in the scents of lakebed, the surrounding landscape is semi-arid, creating the Khari Baoli spice market, touted as Asia’s largest. Between a dramatic landscape for the impressive architecture of this a mix of walking and optional rickshaw rides, discover hidden capital city of Rajasthan. Check in to the Taj Rambagh Palace gems among the historic 350-year-old market streets of this for dinner and overnight. 17th-century imperial capital city. This afternoon, spend time in New Delhi, offering a multi-faceted history reflecting the imperial British founding in 1911 that moved their capital from Friday, March 19 JAIPUR

Kolkata to Delhi. Drive the ceremonial avenue, Rajpath, past Kirkland David © several historical sites including the Parliament House and This morning, a city tour takes us to two UNESCO World President’s Residence. Heritage sites, starting with the Amber Fort where you will have the opportunity to climb the hill by Jeep. Contained within its extensive walls, among the longest in the world, the elaborate Wednesday, March 17 mirror palace of Sheesh Mahal awaits among a plethora of DELHI / AGRA gardens, temples, and halls. Continue with a guided tour of After breakfast, travel overland to Agra, home of the famed Taj the City Palace, the residence of the current Royal Family who Mahal. Spend the afternoon at the Agra Fort, where Emperor have converted part of their palace into a museum. End with Shah Jahan’s son Aurangzeb placed him under house arrest a visit to the Observatory, Jantar Mantar, which claims the upon his succession, and Mehtabh Bagh, the “Moonlight largest Sun Dial in the world, the Samrat Yantra. Garden” perfectly poised across the banks of the Yamuna

ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS | SPIRIT OF INDIA WITH THE KUMBH FESTIVAL < 2 > HARIDWAR VARANASI

Saturday, March 20 Hindus to be cremated here, and people travel from all over JAIPUR / AMRITSAR for the chance for moksha, or the breaking of the rebirth Your tour of Jaipur continues today as you embark on a cycle. At the end of our ride, enjoy a walking tour around heritage walking tour highlighting the impressive architecture the ghats, ending with Tulsi ghat’s hidden sun temple. This of the city. After lunch, enjoy an afternoon at leisure before evening, visit Dashaswamedh Ghat for the Aarti ceremony of our flight to Amritsar. Check in to the Taj Swarna. The spiritual the holy Ganges. center of the Sikh religion, the city of Amritsar is home to Harmandir Sahib, the Golden Temple, the most significant shrine in Sikhism. Open to individuals of all faiths, it is visited Wednesday, March 24 by over 10,000 people a day—more than the Taj Mahal. VARANASI / DEHRADUN / HARIDWAR This evening, visit the Golden Temple in time to view the late Transfer to the airport for our flight to Dehradun, then depart evening Palki Sahib ceremony. overland to our private Traveling Tented Camp in Haridwar for the Kumbh Mela festival. Meaning “Gateway to God,” Haridwar sits at the foothills of the Himalayas with views of Sunday, March 21 the holy river Ganga and a spectacular mountain backdrop. AMRITSAR This is considered sacred and one of the most revered This morning, begin your day with blessings at the Golden pilgrimage sites for Hindus. Temple, visiting the Guru Ka Langar, or Langar Hall, a community kitchen within the Golden Temple that has been serving free hot meals, called langar, since the late 1400s. Thursday & Friday, March 25 & 26 A tradition of Sikh gurudwaras, or places of worship, the HARIDWAR kitchen at the Golden Temple is the most extensive and its Spend the next two days attending the Kumbh Mela festival. largely-volunteer kitchen staff serve over 70,000 meals a Experience the rituals and immerse yourself in the spiritual day. Continue your tour of this holy city, highlighting many journeys of the millions who join from all over the world. A interesting historical sites. highlight is the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with Naga sadhus, the reclusive holy spiritual leaders and their disciples who have renounced worldly possessions and Monday, March 22 dedicated themselves to asceticism. AMRITSAR / VARANASI Today, fly to Varanasi, also known as Kashi or Banaras, one of the oldest living cities in the world. Set on the banks of the Saturday & Sunday, March 27 & 28 famous Ganges River, it is a significant pilgrimage site with a HARIDWAR / DELHI / USA rich history dating over 2000 years. Check in to you home for After a final farewell to the Kumbh Mela, return overland to the next two night, the luxurious BrijRama Palace Varanasi. Delhi. Check in to the Radisson Blu, Delhi for a chance to relax before your independent evening flight. Arrive in the USA the next day. Tuesday, March 23 VARANASI Awaken early this morning for a sunrise boat trip on the Flight Information Ganges. Bear witness to the activities of the ghats, the riverfront steps that lead down the banks of the Ganges. You will need to purchase airfare from your home city/Delhi and While most ghats are reserved for prayer or bathing, two are Delhi/home city. Domestic flights within India are included in the the burning ghats, or cremation sites—it is a high honor for cost of the extension. Please contact our in-house Air Department for fare quotes, reservations, or other air-related questions.

ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS | SPIRIT OF INDIA WITH THE KUMBH FESTIVAL < 3 > Meet Your Expedition Leader

SHIRLEY CAMPBELL – Dr. Shirley Campbell is a social anthropologist and Research Fellow at the Australian National University, with a special interest in the indigenous peoples of Australia, Melanesia, and the Pacific. More than three decades of academic research and university teaching have led to a sound knowledge and understanding of many cultures around the world and the theoretical foundations that human societies share. Widely traveled, she has had firsthand experience of the ways in which communities form and develop distinct, yet interrelated cultures. Related to this has been research into the origins and dispersal of Austronesian-speaking peoples from Taiwan and their eventual colonization of the South Pacific, Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, and their only colonization of the southeast Asian mainland in Vietnam. Living in England, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the United States, Shirley developed fluency in Italian and the Vakutan language. Shirley has specialized in studying the anthro- pology of art, convinced that understanding the way people represent their ideas through art and architecture provides valuable insights into our perceptions and relationships with the world around us. Her studies have led to degrees from Stephens College Missouri and the Australian National University. She has contributed several academic papers to peer-reviewed journals and books, and has written a book recounting her research and two years living in the Trobriand Islands titled The Art of Kula. Rates $13,990 per person, double occupancy; $19,990 per person, solo occupancy

Limited to 14 expedition members.

INCLUDED: NOT INCLUDED: • Flights within India • Airfare from your home city/Delhi and Delhi/home city • All excursions in the company of a world-class expedition • Excess baggage charges leader and local guides • Airport arrival and departure taxes • All gratuities • All accommodations • Transfers for independent arrivals and departures • All group meals, including selected beverages with • Passport and/or visa fees lunch and dinner • Travel insurance • All entrance fees • Items of a personal nature such as laundry, alcoholic beverages • Arrival and departure transfers on group dates (other than listed at left), and other incidentals • Gift certificates for recommended expedition gear • Email/Internet/fax/telephone charges • Medical expense coverage and emergency evacuation insurance

A 25% per person deposit will secure your space on this expedition. All rates are per person, based on double occupancy, quoted in US dollars, and must be paid in US dollars. Rates and itineraries are subject to change. Please review our Terms & Conditions online at www.zegrahm.com/terms, or call our office for a printed copy. Know Before You Go This is a journey for experienced travelers only. For most activities, a relatively moderate level of exertion is required. You must be able to walk distances of one to three miles, sometimes over uneven surfaces, such as unpaved roads and cobblestones, climb stairs that may not have handrails, and stand for long periods. Temperatures will range from the low-70s to high-80sºF throughout this itinerary, we recommend that participants pack sun protective clothing, including a sun hat and/or scarf. Travel to this part of the world requires sensitivity to local cultures and customs. Be prepared for large crowds while attending the Kumbh Festival. You may be asked to remove your shoes when visiting religious sites and/or wear long sleeves and long pants or skirts. Participants should be aware that the infrastructure is poorly developed in some areas, and occasional delays and amendments to the program can occur. Some days will be long, with bus rides over mostly paved roads that require sitting for long periods.

< 4 To reserve, visit www.zegrahm.com/India-kumbh-festival or contact your travel consultant.