Ranthambor - Jaipur - Ajmer
- Pushkar - Bjaipur - Chittourgarh
- Udaipur - Kumbalgarh - Ranakpur
- Mount Abu
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Day 01: RANTHAMBOR |
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Arrive at
Sawai Madhopur by 1030 hrs.
and transfer to Resort. Later
in the afternoon visit Ranthambor
Fort and enjoy a jungle safari
in the National Park. Overnight
at the Resort. The Ranthambhor
National Park certainly is one
of the most picturesque game
reserves in the world - the
entire forest being dominated
by the silent, ruined battlements
of the Ranthambhor Fort, which
is inside the sanctuary. Another
interesting feature of the park
is a huge banyan tree - supposedly
one of the world's largest -
near the graceful Jogi Mahal
Water Palace. Incidentally,
Jogi Mahal still does not have
electricity. Covered under Project
Tiger (one of Asia's most important
conservation efforts), Ranthambhor
is the favourite haunt of wildlife
buffs and professional wildlife
photographers from around the
world. Apart from tigers, other
animals include panthers, caracal,
hyena, jackal, jungle cat, marsh
crocodiles, wild boar, bears
and various species of deer.
The Park has a rich birdlife
as well including The Great
Indian horned owl
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Day 02: JAIPUR |
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Proceed
for Jaipur by Jaipur Exp. at
1030 hrs from Sawai Madhopur.
Arrival at Jaipur by 1300 hrs.
Transfer and check into the
hotel. After lunch relax for
a while and then visit the City
Palace complex which includes
the Sawai Mansingh Museum with
its excellent collections of
rare manuscripts and miniature
paintings, Mubarak Mahal and
the Armoury. Next stop will
be for the centuries-old world's
largest sun dial at Jantar Mantar.
Evening back to hotel. Dinner
and overnight stay at Jaipur.
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Day 03: JAIPUR |
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In the morning,
visit Amber Fort-Palace, stopping
en route for a few moments at
Jal Mahal (Water Palace) and
the recently restored Kanak
Vrindavan Temple with its manicured
gardens. At Amber Fort-Palace,
you can hire an elephant to
take you up to the sprawling
fort-palace complex. The main
attractions are the Sukh Mandir
(Temple of Contentment - an
aptly named pleasure chamber,
cooled by a stunning water cascade)
and the Sheesh Mahal (Mirror
Palace). On the way back to
the city, we take a look at
the intricately carved Jagat
Shiromani Temple. This evening
climb up the seven-storey high
Isarlat and have a broad overview
of the remarkably well planned
Jai Singh's city of Jaipur.
Spend rest of the evening browsing
through the streets of Jaipur
seeing the craftsmen working
on marble statues in Khazaane-walon
ka Rasta and making bangles
in Maniharon ka Rasta. You can
enjoy dinner at Chokhi Dhani,
an ethenic village resort. Overnight
stay at Jaipur.
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Day 04: AJMER |
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After breakfast
check out and drive to Ajmer
[131 kms]. On arrival check
into the hotel. In the afternoon
we visit the holy town of Pushkar
[11 kms] well known for the
holy lake and the only temple
in the country that is dedicated
to Lord Brahma. Pushkar has
as many as 400 temples and 52
ghats. In the evening return
to Ajmer to visit the Sufi Dargah
of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti -
probably the most important
Muslim shrine in the Indian
sub-continent. It's really amazing
that the holiest pilgrimage
centres of Muslims and Hindus
are
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Day 05: BIJAIPUR |
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After breakfast
check out and depart for Bijaipur
via Chittaurgarh [170 kms].
On arrival transfer to the Castle
(Hotel). Evening is free to
relax and unwind Or one can
visit a tribal village nearby
and the Menal Waterfalls. Overnight
stay at Bijaipur.
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Day 06: UDAIPUR |
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After breakfast
check out and drive to Chittaurgarh
Fort, India's largest fort and
the ultimate symbol of Rajput
chivalry and pride. Hundreds
and thousands of soldiers laid
down their lives for this fort
and as many women committed
Jauhar (mass self-immolation
in a sacred fire to escape dishonour
from the enemies). An outstanding
feature of the fort is the Vijaysthambha
(Tower of Victory). Profusely
carved with images of gods and
godesses, this nine-storied
architectural masterpiece is
visible from the plains below
for miles around. But the most
outstanding feature is the fort
itself. The stark no-frills
palaces stand out in sharp contrast
to the opulence of Jaipur's
Amber Palace, for generations
of Chittaur's rulers spent all
their money in preparing for
the next battle. Afternoon departure
for Udaipur, en-route you can
have darshan at Nathdwara Temple.
Evening arrival and check into
the hotel. Dinner and overnight
stay at Udaipur.
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Day 07:UDAIPUR |
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We start
the day with a visit to the
extensive and opulent City
Palace complex which also
houses a museum and a hotel.
The building has a couple
of Sheesh Mahals with elaborate
mirrors and coloured glass
on the ceiling, walls and
even the floor (Thank God,
it took my weight!). Another
celebrated feature of the
building is the grand Mor
Chowk (Peacock Courtyard),
with its walls covered with
a dramatic glass mosaic relief
of dancing peacocks. From
the City Palace, we visit
the Jagdish Temple with its
impressive archway. After
lunch we visit Lake Fateh
Sagar before taking a stroll
at the Pratap Smarak. It's
a lovely park on a hill with
Maharana Pratap's imposing
black statue on top and offers
a lovely view. Next stop is
the beautiful garden Saheliyon
ki Bari with its lotus pools
and delicate marble cupolas
and fountains. This evening,
we visit the magnificient
Lake Palace in the middle
of Lake Pichhola. The white-marbled
Lake Palace seems to float
fairy-tale like in the waters
of the lake. Next stop.. Shilpagram,
an interesting "living
ethnographic museum"
that gives a superb insight
into rural Rajasthan. Spread
out on a hillock, it has village
huts of various regions furnished
with traditional household
items. One can also sit and
watch how different craft
items are made. Dinner and
overnight stay at Udaipur.
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Day 08: UDAIPUR |
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Full
day excursion Kumbhalgarh Fort
& Ranakpur
The majestic and impregnable
Kumbhalgarh Fort [110 kms ]
situated in the middle of a
wild-life sanctuary The massive
ramparts of the fort run for
two-and-a-half miles along the
rugged Aravalli hillsides and
are wide enough for eight horsemen
to ride abreast on top of them.
Ranakpur Some 56 miles north
of Udaipur, on the curve of
a boulder-strewn river deep
in the forested Aravalli hills,
lies the huge 15th century Adinath
Jain Temple at Ranakpur. With
an area of nearly 4,500 square
yards, it is not only the largest
Jain temple in India but also
one of the most beautiful. The
profuse and intricate carving
on marble resembles lace-work
rather than stone-carving. It's
akin to Mt. Abu's Dilwara Temple,
but on a much, much larger and
complex scale. The architectural
genius is simply overwhelming
- One of the remarkable things
about the temple is the wonderful
play of shadow and light on
the nearly 1,500 pillars, Each
of which, interestingly displays
a different decorative design.
As the sun's rays shift through
the day, the pillars' colour
from gold to pale blue. |
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Day 09: MT. ABU |
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Check out and drive
to Mt. Abu [200 kms] . On arrival
check into the hotel. After lunch
rest of the day free to relax
and unwind or leisurely walk around
the pretty Nakki Lake. Overnight
stay at Mt. Abu. |
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Day 10: MT. ABU
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After
breakfast depart for Dilwara
Jain Temples. You must have
heard a lot about these profusely
carved marble temples, but no
words can describe the breathtaking
beauty of the Dilwara temples,
which have been carved with
such delicate intricacy that
the effect is not of marble
but of frilly paper cuttings.
At places, the marble has been
so finely shaved that it is
actually translucent! The worksmanship
is much, much superior than
the more famous Taj Mahal or
any other monument in India...
or for that matter the world.
The only other place which comes
close to it is Ranakpur. It
is said that this astonishing
delicacy of carving was achieved
by offering the artisans the
weight of their marble shavings
in gold... the more finely they
carved, the more they earned.
Afternoon visit to Om Shanti
Bhavan and the Achalgarh Fort
with its superb view of the
surrounding plains. In the evening
we went to Sunset Point, with
its lovely view of the surrounding
hills. Overnight stay at Mt.
Abu. |
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Day 11: TOUR
CONCLUDES |
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After leisurely
breakfast check out & proceed
to airport / railway station
for your onward journey.
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