Places to See : Delhi - Agra - Varanasi - sarnath - Bodhgaya - Nalanda
- Rajgir - Patna - Vashali - Kushinagar - Lumbini - Balrampur - Lucknow - Delhi
Duration : 11 Nights / 12 Days
DAY 1:- Delhi - Park
Arrive
DELHI. Meet on arrival by company representatives. Proceed to hotel and relax.
DELHI, the capital of kingdoms and empires is now a sprawling metropolis with
a fascinating blend of the past and the present. It is a perfect introduction
to the composite culture of an ancient land. A window to the kaleidoscope -
that is India.
Overnight at Delhi.
DAY 2:- Agra - Howard Park Plaza
Early morning proceed to Agra by Shatabdi Express Train. Breakfast to be served
in the train. Upon arrival transfer to Hotel. Afternoon sightseeing of the Taj
and Fort.
Badal Singh established the city of Taj in 1475. Agra finds mention in the Mahabharat
as Agraban. This city in those days was considered to be the sister-city of
Mathura, which was more prominent than Agraban. Agra came into its own when
the Lodhi Kings chose this place beside the RIVER YAMUNA to be their capital
city. Sikander Lodhi made Agra his capital but Babar defeated the Lodhis to
capture not only Agra but also laid the foundation of the Mughal empire.
In the Mid 16th century and earlier 17th century Agra witnessed a frenzied building
activity and it was during this time when the symbol of love Taj Mahal was built.
The buildings made during this era were purely in the contemporary Mughal style
and of very high quality. The same is still reflected in whatever monuments
remain in Agra. The narrow lanes of Agra filled with aroma of Mughlai cuisine,
the craftsman who are busy in crating master pieces with their skill all remind
of the Mughal royalty which this city had once experienced. Today whatever remains,
has become a major tourist attraction which has taken Agra again to the heights
of glory but this time as a major tourist destination of India.
Visit the
TAJ MAHAL - one of the Seven Wonders of the World was built
by Shah Jahan in 1631 AD and was completed in 1651AD. Taj Mahal - The symbol
of Love was built in the memory of Mumtaz Mahal (Shah Jahan' s second Wife).
AGRA FORT - Built by the famed Mughal emperor Akbar in 1565 AD, the fort
is predominantly of red sandstone. Ensconced within is the picture perfect Pearl
Mosque, which is a major tourist attraction.
After Agra Fort we will visit
BABY TAJ - The interiors of which are considered
better than the Taj.
DAY 3:- Agra - Varanasi (by AIR)
After breakfast drive to Fatehpur Sikri and visit the Bulund Darwaza.
The deserted, red Sandstone City, Emperor Akbar built that as his capital and
palace in the late 16th century is an exhilarating experience. It a veritable
fairytale city and its "ruins" are in pristine condition ... it's
not hard to imagine what the court life must have been like in the days of its
grandeur. Also visit the Bulund Darwaza, the largest gateway in the world.
Transfer to airport for flight to Varanasi. Arrive Varanasi and visit Sarnath.
VARANASI IS THE WORLD'S MOST ANCIENT LIVING CITY. SUNRISE ON THE RIVERFRONT,
AS SEEN FROM A BOAT, CAN BE SPIRITUALLY UPLIFTING SIGHT. CROWDED WITH TEMPLES,
AND ITS LABYRINTH OF STREETS, THE CITY ATTRACTS THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF TOURISTS.
THE RELIGIOUS CAPITAL OF HINDUISM, VARANASI IS THE CARPET MANUFACTURING PLACE
OF INDIA. IT WAS PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS KASHI - THE CITY THAT ILLUMINATES. THE
PRESENT NAME IS DERIVED FROM THE FACT THAT THE CITY IS AT THE CONFLUENCE OF
THE RIVERS VARUNA AND ASI.
Reach and proceed to Sarnath.
Sarnath - 5 miles out of Varanasi for a day excursion:
One of the holiest Buddhist sites in the world, where Buddha preached his first
Sermon in 590 BC. Witness the ruins of a once flourishing Buddhist monastery
and then visit a fine Museum which houses an excellent collection of Buddhist
art and sculptures found at the site.
Overnight at Varanasi. VNS - HOTEL HINDUSTAN INTERNATIONAL.
DAY 4:- Varanasi - Bodhgaya.
Morning boat ride on the Sacred River Ganges to rituals performed by priests
and devotees. Half day guided tour of Varanasi including the Kashi Vishwanath
Temple, Gyanvapi Mosque and Benaras Hindu University. After lunch proceed for
Bodhgaya.
Bodhgaya is one of the sacred places for the Buddhists as well as for the Hindus.
Here under the Bodhi Tree, Gautama attained supreme knowledge to become Budhha,
the `Enlighted One'.
"The Buddha once lived here"
Lord Buddha the gentle colossus who founded the first universal religion of
the world, worked and lived much of his life in Bihar though he was born in
Kapilavastu, now in Nepal. Most of the major events of his life, like enlightenment
and last sermon happened in Bihar. Significantly. the state's name originated
from 'Vihara' meaning Buddhist and Jain monasteries, which abounded in Bihar.
Though the Buddha was born as a Sakya prince in the Terai foothills of the Himalayas,
Buddhism as a religion was really born in Bihar and evolved here through his
preaching and the example of his lifestyle of great simplicity, renunciation
and empathy for everything living. Perhaps the present day life of trauma and
tension reminds us of the other alternative that was always available to us,
the Buddha's way of life, gentle and simple.
Several centuries after Buddha's passing away, the Maurya emperor Ashoka (234-198
BC) contributed tremendously towards the revival, consolidation and spread of
the original religion. It is the monasteries Ashoka built for the Buddhist monks
and the pillars erected to commemorate innumerable historical sites associated
with the Buddha's life, mostly intact to this day, that helped scholars and
pilgrims alike to trace the life events and preachings of a truly extraordinary
man.
The Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodhgaya, under the Bodhi tree, 10 km from
Gaya. the ancient Hindu pilgrimage centre. The tree from the original sapling
still stands in the temple premises. It is the most important Buddhist pilgrimage
centre as Buddhisrn was born here.
The magnificent Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya is an architectural amalgamation
of many centuries cultures and many heritages that
came
to pay their homage here. The temple definitely has architecture of the Gupta
and later ages, inscriptions describing visits of pilgrims from Sri Lanka, Myanmar
and China between 7th and 10th century AD. It is perhaps still the same temple
Hiuen Tsang visited in 7th century.
Overnight at Bodhgaya. B'GAYA - LOTUS NIKKO B'GAYA / SUJATA
Morning after an early breakfast proceed to Bodhgaya. Packed lunch to be served.
DAY 5:- Bodhgaya
Sightseeing of Maha Bodhi Temple and Tree. Visit the Chinese Temple. In the
afternoon visit Niranjana Temple and River. Visit the school of the destitute.
Lunch and dinner at Bodhgaya. Overnight at Bodhgaya. B'GAYA - LOTUS NIKKO B'GAYA
/ SUJATA
DAY 6:- Bodhgaya - Nalanda - Rajgir - Patna
Early morning proceed to visit the historical towns of Nalanda & Rajgir.
Have lunch at Rajgir. Proceed to Patna after lunch. Overnight at Patna. PATNA
ASHOKA.
NALANDA - Nalanda, where ruins of the great ancient university have been excavated,
is situated at a distance of 90 km. south east of Patna by road. It falls on
way to Rajgir. It is also linked by rail with Patna, Rajgir and Bakhtiyarpur
(on Delhi-Howrah main track).
Hieun Tsang, the renowned Chinese traveller of the seventh century, says that
according to tradition the place owed its name to a Naga of the same name which
resided in a local tank. But he thinks it more probable that Lord Buddha, in
one of his previous births as Bodhisatwa, became a king with his capital at
this place and that his liberality won for him and his capital the name Nalanda
or "Charity without intermission". The third theory about the name
of the place is that it derived from Nalam plus da. Nalam means lotus which
is a symbol for knowledge and Da means given the place had many lotuses.
Nalanda has a very ancient history. It was frequently visited by Lord Vardhamana
Mahavir and Lord Buddha in the 6th century BC. during his sajourns, the Lord
Buddha found this place prosperous, swelling, teeming with population and containing
mango-groves. It is also supposed to be the birth place of Sariputra, one of
the Chief disciple of the Lord Buddha.
RAJGIR - The Buddha lived in the sixth century BC. Mahavir was born in 567 BC
and the traveller in Bihar will encounter them both constantly. Rajgir is 10km
south of Nalanda and sacred to the memory of the founder of both Buddhism and
Jainism. Lord Buddha spent many months of retreat during the rainy season here,
and used to meditate and preach on Griddhkuta, the 'Hill of the Vultures'. Lord
Mahavir spent fourteen years of his life at Rajgir and Nalanda. It was in Rajgriha
that Lord Buddha delivered some of his famous sermons and converted king Bimbisara
of the Magasha Kingdom and countless others to his creed. Once a great city,
Rajgir is just a village today, but vestiges of a legendary and historical past
remain, like the cyclopean wall that encircles the town and the marks engraved
in rock that local folklore ascribes to Lord Krishna's chariot. This legend,
like many others associates Rajgir to that distant time when the stirring events
recorded in the epic Mahabharata were being enacted. Rajgir is located in a
verdant valley surrounded by rocky hills.
An aerial ropeway provides the link with a hill-top stupa "Peace Pagoda"
built by the Japanese. On one of the hills in the cave of Saptparni, was held
the first Buddhist Council. The Saptparni cave is also the source of the Rajgir
Hot Water Springs that have curative properties and are sacred to the Hindus.
Patna,
the capital city of Bihar, is a historical city, which has like Delhi, experienced
the trauma and pain of being conquered. The heritage of Patna or Pataliputra
as it was known, goes back to two millennia. This city was the seat of administration
for many rulers and each of them ascended with a new name for their capital.
Kusumpura became Pushpapura, Patliputra, Azeemabad and now Patna. Pataliputra
was the capital of Magadha, a kingdom, which dominated and influenced the politics
of India for a long time. Located on the banks where rivers Sone and Ganga merge,
this city has witnessed the rules of Chanakya, Chandragupta, Ashoka and the
Nanda rulers
DAY 7:- Patna - Vaishali - Kushinagar
Explore the side where Buddha was cremated and visit Mahaparinirvana Temple.
Overnight at Kushinagar.
KUSHINAGAR - LOTUS NIKKO
VAISHALI - Vaishali has a past that pre-dates recorded history. It is held that
the town derives its name from King Vishal, whose heroic deeds are narrated
in the Hindu epic Ramayana. However, history records that around the time Pataliputra
was the centre of political activity in the Gangetic plains, Vaishali came into
existence as centre of the Ganga, it was the seat of the Republic of Vajji.
Vaishali is credited with being the World's First Republic to have a duly elected
assembly of representatives and efficient administration.
The Lord Buddha visited Vaishali more than once during his lifetime and announced
his approaching Mahaparinirvana to the great followers he had here.
Hundred years after he attained Mahaparinirvana, it was the venue of the second
Buddhist Council. According to one belief, the Jain Tirthankar, Lord Mahavir
was born at Vaishali. The Chinese travellers Fa-Hien and Hieun Tsang also visited
this place in early 5th and 7th centuries respectively and wrote about Vaishali.
While talking of the famous men and women associated with Vaishali, Amrapali
was the cynosure not only of Vaishali but of the neighbouring kingdoms as well.
Therefore, to avert bloodshed, the parliament of Vaishali declared her to be
a Court dancer besides consigning her to lifelong spinsterhood. Later she became
a devout Buddhist and served the Lord Buddha.
KUSHINAGAR - The Buddha is believed to have breathed his last in this land with
pastoral surrounding, the small hamlet of Kushinagar, 53 km west of Gorakhpur.
The land is venerated as the site of the Buddha's Mahaparinirvana, his death
and cremation, that marked his final liberation from the cycles of death and
rebirth.
This small town in the former kingdom of the Mallas was surrounded by dense
forest. It remained oblivous to the outside world until it was rediscovered
by the archaeologists in the nineteenth century.
The modern Indo-Japan-srilanka Buddhist centre, Kushinagar is rediscovering
its roots, and is home to many viharas, including a Tibetan gompa devoted to
Sakyamuni, a Burmese vihara, and temples from China and Japan.
DAY 8:- Kushinagar - Lumbini
BY ROAD. Proceed after breakfast. Reach and sightseeing.
The
birthplace of the Gautama Buddha, Lumbini, is the Mecca of every Buddhist, being
one of the four holy places of Buddhism. Buddha himself identified four places
of future pilgrimage: the sites of his birth, enlightenment, first discourse,
and death. Hence the birth of Gautam Buddha makes it one of the most sacred
places in the world. The Sal tree where Siddhartha was born is difficult to
locate now. But Ashoka, in the 21st year of his reign visited the forest and
raised a pillar on the spot where Siddhartha was born.
The Mayadevi Temple : This Mayadevi temple dedicated to the mother of
the Buddha has been digged out and restored. The temple has a stone artifact
depicting the nativity of the Buddha. Maya Devi, his mother, gave birth to the
child on her way to her parent's home in Devadaha while taking rest in Lumbini
under a Sal tree in the month of May in the year 642 BC. The beauty of Lumbini
is described in Pali and Sanskrit literature. Maya Devi- it is said was spellbound
to see the natural splendor of Lumbini. While she was standing, she felt labor
pains and catching hold of a drooping branch of a Sal tree, the baby, the future
Buddha, was born.
Overnight at LUMBINI - NIRVANA / PAWAN
DAY 9:- Lumbini - Balrampur
By road, Sight seeing of Shravasti visit : Saheth & Maheth BALARAMPUR LOTUS
NIKKO
During the time of Sakyamuni, a rich and pious merchant named Sudatta lived
in Sravasti. While on a visit to Rajgir, he heard the Buddha's sermon and decided
to become the Lord's disciple. But he was caught in a dilemma and asked the
Lord whether he could become a follower without forsaking worldly life. To his
query, the Buddha replied that it was enough that he followed his vocation in
a righteous manner.
Sudatta invited the Buddha to Sravasti and began to look for a suitable
place to build a vihara. A beautiful park at the southern edge of Sravasti attracted
his attention. The park belonged to Jeta, son of King Prasenjit of Sravasti.
Jeta demanded that Sudatta cover the entire park with gold coins. Sudatta painstakingly
paved every inch of the land with gold. Then Jeta said that since the trees
were left uncovered they belonged to him. But finally, he had a change of heart
and donated valuable wood to build the vihara. The park came to be known as
Jetavana Vihara in recognition of Prince Jeta's donation to the sangh.
Buddha spent 25 years living in the monastery of Jetavana. Many Vinaya rules,
Jatakas and Sutras were first discussed at this place. The Buddha is supposed
to have astonished rival teachers by performing miracles at Sravasti. It is
said that it was in Sravasti that the Buddha transformed Angulimal from a dacoit
into a Buddhist monk. He also delivered many important sermons here. King Ashoka
erected two pillars 21 meters high on either side of the eastern gateway of
the Jetavana monastery. Sravasti was a flourishing center of learning during
the Gupta period. When the famed Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang visited this site,
he found several damaged stupas and ruins of monasteries and a palace.
Sravasti has two villages, Sahet and Mahet. From the Balrampur-Sravasti road
one can enter Sahet, which is spread over an area of 400 acres and has a number
of ruins. A little north of Sahet, towards the Rapti River, is the ancient fortified
city of Mahet. The entrance to the mud fortification of Mahet is constructed
in a beautiful crescent shape. Though an ancient structure, its five gates and
walls are still visible. Pakki Kuti, Kuchhi Kuti and many other stupas tell
the story of the great monasteries that once stood here.
Remnants of Jetavana, a splendid monastery with inscriptions dating back to
the 12th century, is thought to be one of the favourite sites of the Buddha.
Emperor Ashoka is also said to have visited this site. There is a sacred pipal
tree here, which is a sapling from the original Maha Bodhi tree under which
the Buddha had attained nirvana. Today, Jetavana has two monasteries, six temples
and five stupas. One temple was built by the monk Ananthapindika and called
Gandhakuti. This is the most sacred temple in Jetavana since the Buddha is believed
to have lived at this spot.
Sravasti was also under the influence of Lord Mahavira the last Jain Tirthankar,
and the splendid Shwetambara temple here attracts thousands of Jain pilgrims.
The Sobhnath Temple is believed to the birthplace of the Jain Tirthankar Sambhavnath.
DAY 10:- Balrampur - Lucknow
Reach
and sight Seeing : explore this royal city of Nawabs.
Lucknow is caught in a time warp. It exists in an in-between land of the past
and the present looking back constantly to the memories of a colonial-Nawabi
past. There is at the same time a sense of pride at the thought of being after
Delhi, the most important center of power in free India. Politics has indeed
been Lucknow's forte but culture has been its historical identification.
Despite the Indo-Persian legacy, Lucknow has a composite Indian culture. The
welding of various cultural strains nurtured by centuries of Mughal and later
Delhi Sultanate rule, to the folk traditions of the Indo-Gangetic plains has
produced a complex, yet rich synthesis. The Urdu language acquired its baffling
phonetic nuances and suave perfection here. It was in Nawab Wajed Ali Shah's
court that the most advanced of all classical Indian dance forms, the Kathak,
took shape. The popular Parsi theatre originated from the Urdu theatre of this
city. The tabla and the sitar were first heard on the streets of Lucknow. LUCKNOW
- PARK PLAZA
DAY 11:- Lucknow - Delhi
By Shatabdi Express (1545 - 2145).
Arrive Delhi and check in at hotel.
DELHI: Full day tour of Old & New Delhi, Visit Raj Ghat, Jama Masjid, Red
Fort, Humayun's Tomb, India Gate, Parliament House, Lotus Temple, Shantivan,
Laxmi Narayan Temple. Relax in the evening. Proceed for day tour of Old &
New Delhi. (0900 HRS)
OLD DELHI - A sightseeing tour of Old Delhi would entail visiting the
Raj Ghat - the memorial site where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated; Jama Masjid
- the largest mosque in India and the Red Fort - once the most opulent fort
and palace of the Moghul Empire.
Cycle rickshaw ride from Jama Masjid to Chandni Chowk.
NEW DELHI - An extensive sightseeing tour of New Delhi would include
a visit to the Humayun's Tomb, the Qutub Minar, a drive along the ceremonial
avenue - Rajpath, past the imposing India Gate, Parliament House, the President's
Residence and would end with a drive through the Diplomatic Enclave. Overnight
at Delhi.
DAY 12:- Delhi - Park
DELHI - Free to explore city and last minute shopping. Check out in the evening
and proceed for The Dances of India Show. Have dinner then transfer to Airport
for flight home.
