INDIA ~ ITINERARY

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November 3, Saturday
Depart USA

November 4, Sunday Delhi
Arrive late PM where after clearing customs and immigration formalities you are met and transferred to the Taj Mahal hotel.

November 5, Monday Delhi
We have a morning of leisure to recover from the long flight and adjust to the time difference. We will have a restorative yoga session in a room especially reserved for us with Ginny to prepare ourselves for the day.

There is perhaps no place in India that can compare with Delhi in the number of monuments, dating from the time of the imperial Gupta dynasty 1600 years ago; through the Pathan style Indo Muslim architecture from 1193-1526 AD; and into the Mughal architecture represented most dramatically by the Red Fort. Later architecture represents the British period and a search for synthesis between Indian and western styles.

We begin at 11:00 AM with a visit to the Old City which came into prominence when Shah Jahan moved his capital from Agra to Delhi. The Red Fort dominates the landscape of this area. On our walking tour we share space with traffic, people, cows, and cycle rickshaws. We visit the narrow lanes of the Chandni Chowk market where we find the noise and crowds a quintessential part of any Indian market; the Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India; while walking past street vendors, apothecaries and astrologers, crumbling havelis still show glimpses of their past grandeur. The final stop will be to the Jain bird hospital, to visit a gurudwara, the religious house for the Sikhs.

We return to the hotel for a couple of hours of rest and at 2:00 PM we will drive to the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Nataraja Center for a session of yoga, meditation, and Kirtan.

We will have an early dinner at our hotel.

November 6, Tuesday Delhi/Jaipur

This day starts with Yoga led by Ginny. The rest of the day is spent visiting the sites of New Delhi.

New Delhi is a blend of ancient and pre -independence India. The Qutb Minar, the tapering monument begun in 1199 was built to symbolize the supremacy of Islam. This structure was eventually the prototype of all minars(towers) in India. A pivot of faith, justice and righteousness, its name carried the message of its founder Qutb-ud-din's own achievements and the inscriptions say that the tower was erected to cast the shadow of God over both East and West; Humayun's tomb was built by his senior wife and mother emperor Akbar. This is the earliest example of Mughal architecture in India. It is believed that it was this mausoleum which inspired Shah Jahan to build the Taj Mahal. We will return to our hotel via the elegant government buildings designed by Lutyen and Baker. The architecture is a blend of Indian and European styles which celebrates a combination of British rule and Indian tradition. The most outstanding of this collection is the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace.

After lunch we will drive to Jaipur, a travel time of five hours by road. We will stay overnight at The Rambagh Palace which was the residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur and his family.

November 7, Wednesday Jaipur

We start the day with Yoga led by Ginny, on the sweeping lawns of the palace.

When prince, soldier, and astronomer Sawai Jai Singh II built the pink harmonious city of Jaipur in 1727, he did it in accordance with a treatise on town planning and architecture, the Shilpa Shastra, that is timely even today. With its walls and seven gates, pink and orange buildings, camel-drawn carts, and colorful Rajasthanis, the state capital sits on a flat, dry seabed surrounded by barren hills and ruined fortresses. A young Bengali, Vidhadhar Bhattacharaya, was its chief architect.
Approaching the fort palace at Amber on elephant back, we will visit its forbidding exterior belying a bejeweled interior whose richness reflects the sumptuous styles of the surrounding Mughal courts. Our tour of this architectural delight includes the Diwan-I-Am or hall of public Audience, an open pavilion with cream marble pillars supporting an unusual striped canopy shaped ceiling with a portico with double red sandstone pillars; the Ganesh Pol which separates the private and public areas is decorated with mosaic and painted decorations; the Diwan I Khas or Hall of Private Audience has a curved Bengali roof and has marble pillars and a painted ceiling. The Hall of Mirrors, the pleasure palaces inlaid with ivory and sandalwood reflect the Mughal influence, whilst the baradari, the 12 arched pavilion, reflect both Mughal and Hindu influences.

We will return to the hotel in the afternoon. For those of us who are interested there will be a demonstration of Indian vegetarian cooking and a talk on the use of spices both in cooking and as a curative. Characteristic of all Indian cooking is the inspired use of spices. They are used not only for their flavor, but they are appetite stimulators and digestives. "Heating" condiments for the winter are also used. Great care is taken to ensure that the spices enhance rather than dominate the basic flavor. Each spice is believed to have its particular physical benefit.

In the evening we will meet with Abhimanue Singh, a renowned philosopher and an expert on Hinduism. Later we will dine at the fascinating Turban Museum which has over 300 turbans on display.

November 8, Thursday Jaipur/Agra

Leaving behind the stately forts, palaces, and sartorial brilliance of the desert state of Rajasthan, we drive towards Agra, home of the sublimely beautiful Taj Mahal. Described as "A tear on the face of eternity" by the poet laureate Tagore, it is an enduring monument to love. Built by the grieving Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal, perfect in design and execution is a stunning monument. The calligraphy which covers the entrance is believed to be a chapter from the Koran called Al Fajr, which ends, "O Soul that art at rest, Return to the Lord, at peace with Him and He at peace with you. So enter as one of His servants and enter into His garden".

We stop for lunch at the charming Chandra Mahalhaveli and have time to explore the surrounding village. Tonight you sleep at the Taj View Hotel where rooms with a view of the Taj Mahal are reserved for you. Depending on our arrival we may have time to visit the Taj Mahal to watch the sunset. In the evening, we will have yoga and meditation led by Ginny at Taj Khema from where we will get a glimpse of the moonlit Taj Mahal. During dinner, we will have an informal talk on Islam and Islamic architecture.

November 9, Friday Agra/Varanasi

The Taj Mahal is closed to visitors on Fridays. We start the day with yoga and meditation led by Ginny.

We fly to Varanasi later that day.

In the evening we visit the ghats to watch the "aarti" or river worship ceremony. As the sun sets, the priests chant prayers accompanied by the sound of drums and cymbals and the local people float lamps in the river. We will join in this ritual which we witness outside the Maharaja of Jaipur's palace on the steps of the ghats. We continue down the river, past the cremation grounds, and disembark at the palace used by the royal family of Puna. Here we have a simple vegetarian meal and a watch a performance of the classical Bharat Natyam, thought to be the oldest form of classical dance in India.

We stay overnight at the Taj Ganges Hotel.


November 10, Saturday Varanasi

We spend the morning at the Yoga and Meditation Institute attached to the Bharat Hindu University of Varanasi. Under the guidance of Dr. Tripathi, the head of this department, we will practice yoga and study Japa – observance of silence and meditation. In the event that the University is closed, Dr. Tripathi will hold the session at the Jain Auditorium.

In the afternoon we have a very special visit. We drive to Sarnath where The Buddha delivered his first sermon after gaining enlightenment in 500 BC. This archeological site radiates the serenity one associates with Buddhism. We will meditate next to the very spot where Buddha meditated, and will follow the path he took to the Stupa which marks the place where his sermon was delivered. Later we will join other devotees at the temple to chant the words of his first sermon.

We will stay overnight at the Taj Ganges Hotel.

November 11, Sunday Varanasi/Delhi

A contemporary of Nineveh and Thebes, Varanasi today, is the oldest living city in the world. One of India's most sacred cities, a devout Hindu believes to die and be cremated in Varanasi is to gain "moksha" release from the eternal cycle of rebirth. A visit to Varanasi reveals the spiritual heart of India, and the best way to experience this is to tour the Ganges in a country boat at sunrise. Pilgrims, yogis and mystics flock to the ghats (steps) which lie along the banks of the Ganges, to take a cleansing dip in India's holiest river, practice yoga, meditate, or to complete mundane earthly chores such as washing clothes and vessels. Early morning life in this city revolves around the ghats and we join the crowds at Hanuman Ghat for yoga and meditation led by Ginny.

Hinduism is a lively and ritualistic religion which is revealed when we visit the Old city. It is a very rewarding experience with every corner buzzing with activity, shrines, lingams, pilgrims and priests jostling for space with stalls selling offerings to the faithful. Later we have time to shop for the highly decorative silk brocades and tapestry before leaving for the airport to take our Indian Airlines flight to Delhi, where we will have dinner.

We have thus far used coaches, planes, boats and elephants in our travels around the country. Tonight, we turn to the Indian Railways for transportation and take the overnight Mussorie Express Train to Haridwar departing at 10:15 PM.

November 12, Monday Delhi/Rishikesh

We will arrive at Haridwar at 6:00 AM and drive to Rishkesh at 8:30 AM. We have the entire day free at Ananda, a luxurious Spa set amongst the foothills of the Himalayas which will be our home for the next two nights. We are free to use the facilities of the Spa and join the instructors of the resort in asanas, pranayama, and meditation.

November 13, Tuesday Rishikesh

In complete contrast to the bustling crowds of the cities we have visited thus far, we travel by train to the quiet pilgrim town of Rishikesh. Cradled by the forested slopes of the Shivalik hills, it is in Rishikesh that the Ganges ends its turbulent journey through the mountains and begins its sedate voyage across the vast and dusty plains of India. We will take a walking tour of this pilgrim town and then drive to Kunjapuri where a short trek takes us to the temple with a view of the Himalayas. In this quiet and pristine place, Bharat will lead us in meditation.

Bharat Thakur is a very special person. At the age of 5 he went into the mountains and lived with Sukhdev Bhramachari for 12 years, who was one of Paramahansa Yogananda's (Autobiography of a Yogi) disciples. During this period he lived and imbibed some of the most secret meditation techniques that are known to mankind. He then returned to the world as a realized master capable of imparting these Kriyas. He travels throughout India teaching people these techniques which have helped improve and change their lives in powerful and subtle ways. Bharat is a rather unusual yogi, and we will have a morning of meditation and discussions with him.

November 14, Wednesday Rishikesh

Once again we spend the morning with Bharat and more time to enjoy the facilities of the spa before we begin the long trek home. We take the evening train at 6:05 Pm and arrive in Delhi at 10:30 PM. We will spend the night at the Taj Mahal Hotel.

November 15, Thursday

We have this day free for shopping and a farewell dinner brings us to the end of our incredible journey. A late evening transfer takes us back to the international airport for our trip home.