Journey to the Indian Himalayas and holy Ganga River
to experience traditions and rituals of Buddhists, Hindus
and Sikhs.
Cost:
$4,500 per person.
Rajasthan Extension: $1,500 per person.
Journey to the Indian Himalayas and the
Ganga River to experience traditions and rituals of
Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs. The journey travels from
Amritsar, holy city of the Sikhs to the Himalayas -Dharamsala
(Buddhist), Haridwar-Rishikesh by the Ganges River (Hindu)
through Agra (Taj Mahal).
There will be opportunities to engage
in meditation, yoga, chanting, dharma talks and other
traditional rituals throughout the journey as we learn
about the histories and philosophies of these religions.
There will also be opportunities to enjoy
easy hiking and quiet reflective personal time. In Dharamsala
we will stay at a charming residence on a sprawling
9 acre property. In Rishikesh we will stay at the secluded
Glasshouse located on a hill overlooking the Ganges,
both an extraordinary historical site as well as a magical
natural spot with a garden of tropical plants, full
of rare birds and butterflies, and a private sand beach.
Explore Rajasthan - Land of Maharajas,
Palaces, Desert and Camels.
For those who elect to continue on the extension to
Rajasthan, we visit Jaipur (known as the pink city)
and spend three leisurely days in the desert town of
Jodhpur where we stay at an ornate heritage property
owned by ancestors of a royal family who still live
there. We will visit palaces and forts, temples, desert
villages, crafts markets and enjoy a camel ride on the
sand dunes.
Morning reserved for yoga, meditation. Afternoon walking
tour across Lakshman Jhula Bridge along the river visiting several ashrams
including Ved Niketan, OmKarananda and Vanprasth and culminating at Triveni
Ghat (a car will take us to the start of the walk and pick us up at Triveni).
Evening chanting at Shivanada Ashram 4:30-6pm; Bhajan, Kirtan and Ganga Arati
5:30-6pm. There is also a daily yoga class at Kripalu yoga ashram at 4pm which
may be attended (instead of the above) if interested (cost not included in
price).
Day 10:
Rishikesh
Morning reserved for yoga, meditation. After lunch, visit an ancient cave
where one of the saints attained enlightenment. It has a small ashram next
to it and a small temple outside the cave. The Ganges flows right outside
the cave.
Depart for Delhi by Shatabdi Express. Transfer to guesthouse.
Day 11:
Agra
Early morning Shatabdi Express to Agra, Dep 615 am, arr 830 am. Visit Taj
Mahal & Agra Fort.
Day 12:
Optional sunrise visit to Taj Mahal. After breakfast,
drive to Delhi. Transfer to hotel; shared rooms for wash/change. Farewell
Dinner at the Sahara Restaurant. A village style garden restaurant serving
choicest Indian Mughlai food. Late night transfer to intl airport for flight
home.
Morning yoga and meditation. Afterbreakfast drive to Amritsar. Overnight at
Ritz Plaza. lunch enroute.
Amritsar is one of the most ancient and fascinating cities of India. It is
an important seat of Sikh history and culture. Being the gateway for travellers
coming to India on the overland route from central Asia it soon became the
centre of various commercial activities and has various historical and religious
sites. The most famous of them all is the Golden Temple which was founded
by the fourth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Ramdas and completed by his successor Guru
Arjan Dev. Sunset visit Goldden Temple.
Day 8:
Mandalay
Early morning transfer railway station to connect Jan Shatabadi to Haridwar.
Spend this afternoon in Haridwar, can visit the Neel Parvat Temple, dedicated
to Goddess Chandi Devi (Durga), which is on top of a hill overlooking the
Ganges about 6 km from Haridwar. We get up to the temple by a ropeway. All
the local Indian women will be there performing devotionals to the goddess.
Evening attend the prayer ceremony to witness aarti (ceremony of lights) at
the Ganges, starts at 6:15p, we'll enjoy the pre- ceremony festivities on
the promenade. Afterwards drive onward to Rishikesh (approx 20 min). Overnight
Glass House, located 23 kms. above Rishikesh on the route to Badrinath.
The Glasshouse on the Ganges, like the other Neemrana 'non-hotel' Hotels,
honours both an extraordinary historical site as well as a magical natural
spot. Set in a lychees and mango orchard of The Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal,
with a garden of tropical plants, full of rare birds and butterflies, it has
a sand beach of its own. This secluded property has six cottages overlooking
the Ganges and the mountains beyond.
The water of Ganges here matches the qualities of the best mineral waters
in the world, which you can bathe in! The Glasshouse offers leisure, reading,
log fires and even a barbecue near the banks of the river. You can sunbathe,
jungle walk, river raft and can fish with a permit. Water skiing in Dak Pathar
near Dehradun and winter sports in Auli are recommended. Or you can visit
the neighbouring temples and ashrams for evening arti.
Arrive Patankot at 6:20 and drive to Dharamsala. Overnight at the Clouds End
Villa, a charming residence tucked between Lower and Upper Dharamsala. It
has a total of six suites. It is a sprawling nine acre property with its own
step field, gardens and forests. Cloud End was recommended in the Tatlers
Travel guide 1993 as one ot the fifty best hotels in the world.
Clouds End Villa is the residence of the Raja of Lambagraon-Kangra.
It was built during the British period and have seven rooms to rent. In this
glorious old fashioned bungalow with an annexe which has views of the Kangra
Valley below. There is a charming walk through the adjoining forests to Macleodganj,
w here you can visit the headquarters of H.H. the Dalai Lama. The master chef's
family has been with the Raja for generations. You can just relax, go trekking,
boating, visit forts and temples (there are over three hundred temples in
the Kangra District).
Day 4:
Dharamsala
Early morning, 6 am, walk to Namgyal Monastery (Dalai Lama's monastery) to
witness monks chanting/meditation. 7-8 am meditation, walk circumambulate the monastery complex. The walk, which takes twenty-thirty
minutes, is a breath-taking and inspiring experience--not to be missed!
The Namgyal Monastery which houses the Buddhist School of Dialectics, is known as the "Tsuglagkhang" or cathedral. It is right
opposite the Dalai Lama's residence. It resembles the center of a similar
one in Lhasa. Inside are large gilded bronze statues of the Buddha and it
is a good place to chat with the monks. Next to the Tsuglagkhang is the Kalachakra
Temple with modern murals of mandalas - protectors of the Dharma, as well
as Buddhist masters,
with the central image being of the Shakhyamuni. Sand Mandalas are
constructed throughout the year. This temple is particularly important as
it practices Kalachakra Tantra, which is instrumental in bringing about world
peace and harmony. If the Dalai Lama is in Dharamsala he leads the prayers
on special occasions.
Return to hotel for breakfast. After breakfast walking tour of Dharamsala's
monasteries, nuns house, main prayer wheel.
Evening talk & meditation at Tushita Meditation Center, 5-7 pm (based
on availability, date and time to be confirmed).
Day 5:
Dharamsala
After breakfast, excursion to Norbulinka Institute which is a major center
for Buddhist teaching and practical work. Named after the summer residence
of the Seventh Dalai Lama, it was set up to ensure the survival of Tibetan
Buddhism cultural heritage. Over one hundred students learn a variety of crafts
in wood, metal, silk and thangka painting. The temple has a 4.5 meter high
gilded statue of The Buddha and over one thousand painted images.
Attend early evening puja at Kalachakra Temple.
Day 6:
Dharamsala
Morning yoga and meditation.
Afternoon visit SOS children's village. SOS Children's
Village is situated 8 km outside the town, at the foot of the Dhauladhar Mountains,
which are part of the Himalayas. It consists of fourty four large family houses,
a baby home, a community house, and the necessary administration and service
area. More than two thousand children and youngsters live at this SOS Children's
Village. Since each mother has many children to take care of, all the meals
are prepared at a central kitchen and then distributed to the families.
The SOS Kindergarten and the SOS Hermann Gmeiner School (primary and secondary
school) are not only attended by children from the village but also by Tibetan
children living in the neighbourhood. The large SOS Vocational Training Centre
offers courses in arts and crafts. SOS mothers and co-workers of Tibetan Children's
Villages are trained at a special training centre. At Dharamsala, there is
also an SOS Medical Centre, which is open to the local community.
The SOS Children's Village has two SOS Youth Facilities, one for girls and
one for boys. Young people usually move from the SOS Children's Village to
an SOS Youth Facility when they start a vocational training course or go on
to higher education. With the support of qualified youth workers, the young
people develop realistic perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder
responsibility and increasingly make their own decisions. They are encouraged
to develop team spirit and build up contacts with relatives and friends, as
well as with the relevant authorities and potential employers.
Dinner and drive to Pathankot for overnight train.
Day 13 Drive to
Jaipur, enroute visit Fatephur Sikri.
Day 14
Morning experience pujas (worship) at Sri Govinda Deva
Temple. Afterwards, visit Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds), Jal Mahal
(Water Palace), the City Palace. (Note: Akbar's magnificently
illustrated Ramayana and Razmnama are sometimes on display at the
Jaipur Library--if so, you can view these).
Day 15 Jaipur independent day.
Day 16
Drive to Jodhpur, stop in Pushkar for lunch.
Overnight at Pal Haveli / Ratan Vilas.
Day 17-18
Jodhpur
half day independent; half day activities each day such as: visit
Fort & bazaars, visit desert villages, camel ride on sand dunes.
Day 19
Fly to Delhi. Transfer to hotel, shared rooms for wash/change. Late night
transfer to airport for flight home.
