Magical India

Departure on a regular flight to Bombay. Night on board.

Arrival at Bombay International Airport, customs procedures, luggage collection and transfer to the hotel. Rest of the day free. Accommodation.

Breakfast. Panoramic visit of the largest city in India in terms of number of inhabitants. Mumbai (current name of the city) is the financial capital of India, the main engine of the emerging Indian economy. We will tour the colonial area, with the old Victorian buildings and the Gateway of India. We will take a look at the Dhobi Ghat, the largest concentration of washermen in the world. We will visit Malabar Hill with the so-called "hanging gardens" and return along Marina Drive, the so-called "Queen's Necklace". Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

Breakfast. Transfer to the airport to take a local flight to Jodhpur, Located on the edge of the Thar Desert, it is known as the "Blue City" for the color with which the houses are painted. under the Mehrangarh Fort. At first they were houses of Brahmins, although very soon the color was adopted by other houses because it was said to scare away heat and mosquitoes. Jodhpur was founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha, a Rajput chief of the Rathore clan. Rao Jhoda conquered the neighboring territory, thus founding a state known as Marwar. The city was located on the strategic highway that linked Delhi with Gujarat, which allowed it to benefit from the flourishing trade in opium, copper, silk, dates and coffee. Arrival and transfer to the hotel to register. Next, departure to visit the Meherangarh Fort, inside which there are perfectly preserved courtyards and palaces, highlighting the Moti Mahal Palace. On our way back to the city, we will stop at Jaswant Thada, a white marble mausoleum erected in memory of Maharaja Jaswan Singh II. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

Breakfast. Departure by road to Ranakpur, a complex of Jain temples that owes its name to Rana Kumbha who, in the 15th century, gave a large area of land to the wealthy merchant Dharna Sah for the construction of the temples. It is said that Dharna Sah had dreamed of a heavenly place and commissioned numerous architects from all over India to design it; It was a sculptor named Depa who perfectly captured that vision, beginning the construction of the temples that lasted 50 years. The Jain religion prohibits harming any animal, including the smallest ones, which is why Jains, in addition to being vegetarians, usually dedicate themselves to commerce and never to agriculture, as they could accidentally kill some small insects. Visit of the Adinath Temple, which is not only the largest Jain temple in India, but also the most beautiful. It is entirely built of richly carved white marble, its plan is cruciform, not longitudinal as in most Indian temples; it has four entrances, one on each side, leading, through columned vestibules, to a central chamber with the image of Adinath; It is completely surrounded by a row of chapels, 86 in total; numerous columns and finely sculpted capitals that support its roof crowned by twenty domes and five cupolas. The ceiling is decorated with geometric panels; the domes with concentric ornamentation and descending ornaments; On the corbels that support the domes there are figures of dancing goddesses; Both outside and inside the temple there are many representations of elephants; and the carved columns. The entrance to the temple, which is accessed barefoot, is preceded by a large staircase; The light filters between the numerous columns, giving rise, throughout the day, to a wonderful play of shadows and lights that changes the color of the columns and marble sculptures, from gold to pale blue. Lunch at a local restaurant. Continuation by road to Udaipur, in the desert state of Rajasthan. Udaipur, capital of the ancient Kingdom of Mewar, ruled by the Sisodia dynasty, with its artificial lakes and the canals that connect them, appears as an oasis within this desert. Transfer to the hotel and accommodation.

Breakfast. Visit of the Palace of the Maharajas, which stands on a small hill on the shores of Lake Pichola. Its construction was begun by Maharaja Udai Singh, but the current building, more than 30 meters high and about 250 meters long, is the result of several additions by his successors to the original construction, so carefully integrated into the primitive design that it is It is difficult to believe that such a colossal work has not been conceived as a whole. The interior of the City Palace, now transformed into a museum, is a labyrinth of patios, kiosks, terraces, galleries, rooms and gardens. Some of its facades are richly decorated with mirror inlays, its galleries covered with paintings and from the kiosks and terraces at the top there is a magnificent view of Lake Pichola. Continue to visit the Garden of the Bridesmaids (Sehellon Ki Bari), a small ornamental garden located on the banks of the second large lake of Udaipur, the Fateh Sagar; It was built for a melancholic princess who loved the rain and used as a place of rest and stroll for the ladies of the court. It is an immense garden with kiosks and elephants carved in white marble, four ponds and numerous fountains. Some jets come directly out of the ground, letting water fall on it. We will finish the visit with a boat ride on Lake Pichola (subject to water level). Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

Breakfast. Departure by road to Jaipur, capital of the state of Rajasthan that was built in the 18th century by Maharaja Jai Singh II. Known as the "Pink City", although it was not always like that, Jaipur was planned around four large avenues: two large parallel streets cut it along its entire length into three strips of equal width, and two other streets that run perpendicularly. to the previous ones, therefore dividing it into nine parts, the nine rectangular neighborhoods of Jaipur that symbolize the nine parts of the universe. Its flourishing trade and weaving and jewelery industries, among others, make Jaipur a prosperous city. In the afternoon, we will attend the Aarti ceremony at the Birla Temple. Accommodation.

Breakfast. We will go up by jeep to the Amber Fort, which from the road offers a spectacular image. A palace complex that stands on top of a hill, built with sandstone and decorated with carved marbles that cover the floors and walls, is reminiscent of the magnificence with which many maharajas used to live. Return to Jaipur where we will visit the Maharaja's Palace and its museum; the Jai Singh Observatory, still in operation and where we can observe the accuracy of the stone instruments built in the 18th century. We will stop to contemplate the spectacular façade of the Palace of the Winds, become an emblem of the city. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

Breakfast. Departure by road to Agra, visiting on the way Abhaneri and its medieval monuments of the Rajputs such as the Chand Baori well and the Harshat Mata Temple dedicated to the god Vishnu. Continuation of the road trip to Agra, visiting the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri en route.Built by the Mughal emperor Akbar between 1571 and 1585, in honor of the saint Salin Chishti, Fatehpur Sikri was the capital of the empire Mughal for 14 years, after which it had to be abandoned, which caused a multitude of looting and robberies, although despite this you can still see its magnificent architecture that mixes Mughal and Hindu styles. Arrival in Agra. Located on the banks of the Yamuna River, it was the capital of the Mughal empire at its peak, founded in 1505 by the Sultan of Delhi Sikander Lodi on an ancient city of Hindu origin. In 1565, when it was named Akbarabad, the Mughal emperor Akbar made it the imperial capital and it continued to be so intermittently until Shah Jahan moved the capital again to Delhi in 1648. In the afternoon, we will visit the Taj Mahal and can enjoy the sunset lights that surround everything in a reddish-pink tone, forming a much more idyllic setting to contemplate this spectacular architectural complex, considered one of the 7 wonders of the modern world. Erected between 1631 and 1654 by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, it is built of white marble, in a style that combines elements of Islamic, Persian, Indian and even Turkish architecture. The monument has achieved special notoriety due to the romantic nature of its inspiration. Although the mausoleum covered by the white marble dome is the best-known part, the Taj Mahal is a group of integrated buildings. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast. Visit of the Red Fort of Agra, built in red sandstone stone, by the Mughal emperor Akbar between 1565 and 1573. It is a walled complex, which contains within its palaces and stately buildings with architectural styles that vary from the complexity of what was built by Akbar, to the simplicity of what was built by his grandson Shah Jahan and surrounded by a deep moat that was filled with water from the Yamuna River. Visit the ashram of Mother Teresa. Dinner and accommodation

Breakfast. Departure by road to Delhi airport to depart on a local flight to Benares. Arrive and transfer to the hotel. Benares, currently called Varanasi, is a city of contrasts, surprises, life and death, a city where you can find bustling areas full of noise or lonely corners. This sacred city throughout the country as a center of Hindu pilgrimage, is bathed by the waters of the Ganges, in its ephemeral journey from south to north, which symbolizes the direction towards paradise. Thus, hundreds of pilgrims come to the city in search of redemptive peace offered by the goddess Ganga and there are many elderly people who wander the streets waiting for their last moment that will lead them to eternal rest. Cremations, incense, excrement, samosas, curries, roasts, aromatic herbs... Walking through Varanasi is an explosion for all the senses. The richness of aromas and colors mix in endless shades and it is a true pleasure to get lost in the bustle of its very narrow streets to end up in a ghat at sunset and witness one of its sacred rituals with fires and flower petals thrown into the river. Dinner and accommodation.

Before dawn, transfer to the ghats of the Ganges River to observe the purification rituals from a boat. Sailing upriver, we will also have the opportunity to contemplate the facades of the palaces that Great Kings from all over India ordered to be built for themselves and their elderly relatives, along with “Ashrams”, residences of holy men who perform their rituals at sunrise. . Walking tour through the alleys of the ancient city, passing in front of the Aurangzeb Mosque and the Durga Temple, the terrible expression of Shiva's sweet wife, Parvati. Visit of the Temple of Mother India. Return to the hotel for breakfast and free time during the day. In the afternoon, we will take a Rickshaw ride and attend the Artior Ganga Aarti ceremony on the Ganges River (Subject to water level). A very powerful and spectacular ritual, it is also known as the fire ceremony. Back to the hotel. Dinner and accommodation.

Important note: Foreigners are not allowed to see the interior of the temples/mosques.

Breakfast. Transfer to the airport to depart on a local flight to Delhi. Arrive and transfer to the hotel. Rest of the day free. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast. Visit of Old Delhi, starting with the Raj Ghat, which is the memorial where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated; the Sikh Temple of BanglaSabih, where we will observe the fervor with which the members of the brotherhood listen to the reading of the Book;the Great Jamma Mashid Mosque, ordered to be built by the Shah Jahan and built almost in the middle of the ancient city (Old Dehli) on a small hill. Muslim pride prevails in the majority of Hindu territory, especially in the northern part, marking and remembering its ancient supremacy in much of the subcontinent, the conquests achieved around the 16th-19th centuries and its undoubted influence on the development of Indian culture. . From one end of the main courtyard of the mosque, you can see the Red Fort of Delhi or Lal Quila in Hindi, built by the Islamic empire in the 17th century. Continue by rickshaw (bicycle cart) through the colorful streets of the popular neighborhood of Chandni Chowk, to immerse yourself among stalls with various decorations, food with an intense smell of almost indecipherable spices, shoes, backpacks, glasses, cows or goats sneaking into stores, all under constant and disturbing disorder and bustle. Lunch at a local restaurant. Already in New Delhi, we will pass through the Rajpath, the city that Edwin Lutyens built to be the British capital in the so-called Anglo-Indian style; the Gate of India memorial erected in honor of the deceased soldiers during various wars; the Parliament building; the Presidential Palace; the Ministries... Visit of the Qutub Minar,the oldest monument remaining in Delhi, as its construction began at the end of the 19th century. XII. It has been declared a World Heritage Site since 1993. In the evening, transfer to the airport.