Custom tour Om Shanti Om

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Delhi - Haridwar

  Departure for Haridwar, "the gateway of the gods." This city is considered one of the seven sacred cities according to Hindu mythology. Free visit of the Mansa Devi and Chandi Devi temples. Event not to be missed: the "Aarti" of the Ganges, celebrated daily at 7:00 pm. It is an incredible atmosphere when the ceremonies are performed in all the temples of Haridwar at the same time. Hundreds of people participate in the prayer in unison. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 2

  Haridwar – Deoprayag – Haridwar

  Departure for Deoprayag. Located at an altitude of 1,500 meters, this small town is at the confluence of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers. It is at this place, where the waters of these two tributaries meet, that the Ganges officially takes its name. Deoprayag has thus become a particularly revered place in the eyes of Hindus, and is very frequented by ascetics who live in the caves below the Shaivite temple. Return to Haridwar and overnight at the hotel.

• day 3

  Haridwar – Rishikesh - Haridwar

  Departure for Rishikesh, a pilgrimage center where thousands of Hindus come every year to bathe in the waters of the Ganges. The city is home to many meditation centers and yoga schools that attract many foreign tourists. In the 60s, the Beatles stayed there to attend a transcendental meditation course under the direction of the Yogi "Maharishi Mahesh." Free visit of the city: the Triveni Ghat, the Lakshman Jhula: this is a suspension bridge that crosses the Ganges, the Bharat Mandir: this is the oldest temple in Rishikesh. Possibility of an excursion to Nilkanth Mahadev Melac: this temple is located at an altitude of 1675 m. The road leading there offers superb panoramas of the region. The temple is dedicated to Nilkanth (another name for Shiva). Overnight at the hotel.

• day 4

  Haridwar - Dehradun – Varanasi

  Route to Dehradun airport (60 kms) and flight to Varanasi via Delhi. Reception and transfer to the hotel. Varanasi is the oldest of the sacred cities of Hinduism. Benares is also a commercial and cultural city since the highest Antiquity. No one can remain indifferent to the fervor of the pilgrims who come by the hundreds of thousands each year to Benares to pray and purify themselves, body and soul, in the waters of the Ganges. The pilgrims immerse themselves in the sacred river by descending the steps (ghats) built along the bank. Varanasi has 1 million inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the Ganges, the city is oriented towards the west, towards the banks of the great river. The "sacred river", the ghats and the old city "Gali" with its many temples give Varanasi its unique atmosphere in the world. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 5

  Varanasi

  Early morning excursion on the Ganges, then free visit of the city. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 6

  Varanasi – Gaya - Bodhgaya

  Departure for Gaya. Located on the Falga River (Niranjana, as mentioned in the Ramayana), it is a place sanctified by Hindu and Buddhist religions. It is surrounded by small rocky hills (Mangala-Gauri, Shringa-Sthan, Ram-Shila, and Brahmayoni). Gaya takes its name from the mythological demon Gayasur (which literally means "Gaya the holy demon"). According to legend, Vishnu killed Gayasur, the demon, by crushing him with his foot. This incident transformed Gayasur into a series of rocky hills that make up the landscape of the city of Gaya. Free visit of the temples of Rama Shila, Mangla Gauri, Shringa Sthan, and Brahmayoni, as well as the tomb of Mangla. The most popular temple today is the Vishnupad temple, marked by the footprint of Vishnu subduing Gayasur, incised in a block of basalt. Overnight at the hotel in Bodhgaya.

• day 7

  Bodhgaya

  This is the place where Buddha attained enlightenment, 531 years B.C. It is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the world. More than just an archaeological site, it is a major Buddhist center where millions of pilgrims come to meditate. Visit to the Maha Bodhi temple, which houses a golden statue of Buddha. The sacred Bodhi tree (banyan), which is over 3,000 years old and under which Buddha attained knowledge, still exists. To the south, the Niranjana river, in which Buddha bathed at the end of his penance. Return to Gaya, overnight at the hotel.

• day 8

  Bodhgaya - Allahabad

  Departure for Allahabad. Ancient city where the waters of the Ganges and the Yamuna river meet at Triveni Sangam. This is where the Magh Mela takes place, which occurs every four years between mid-January and mid-February. Every twelve years, the Maha Kumbh Mela also takes place, attracting hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. Free visit of the city; the fort, almost completely closed to the public, preserves a column nearly 11 m high, engraved with inscriptions from Emperor Ashoka. Allahabad was also the city of the Nehrus and their house has become a museum preserving personal belongings of Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, and his daughter Indira Gandhi. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 9

  Allahabad – Ayodhya - Lucknow

  Departure for one of the seven holy cities of Hinduism, Ayodhya. It is the birthplace of Rama, the hero of the Ramayana. In the Atharvaveda, it is written that "Ayodhya was built by the gods." Numerous shrines of all religions are scattered throughout the city. Buddhism, Jainism, and Islam have flourished in Ayodhya at different times. Unfortunately, in 1992, the balance was broken by Hindu fundamentalists who destroyed a mosque built on the presumed site of Rama's birthplace. This destruction triggered a wave of violence in the country, accompanied by terrorist attacks. Free visit of the city: the Hindu sanctuary Ram Janam Bhumi, the Hanuman Gadhi, a temple dedicated to the Monkey God Hanuman, the Kanak Bhawan, one of the most important temples in Ayodhya, the temple of Nageshwarnath, the Lakshmana ghat, the Vashishtha Kund well. Departure for Lucknow. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 10

  Lucknow – Rampura

  Visit of the city, then drive to your next stop: the Fort of Rampura. Nestled on the banks of the Chambal river, it offers a unique accommodation destination for guests wishing to experience the feudal life of Bundelkhand.

• day 11

  Rampura - Agra

  Departure for Agra. On the way, visit the magnificent Fatehpur Sikri, former capital of the Mughal Empire under Akbar the Great. It is now uninhabited, hence its name "ghost town." It is certainly one of the best-preserved and most representative archaeological complexes of Mughal art. Continue to Agra and visit the Red Fort, a gigantic construction overlooking the Yamuna River. It was started by Emperor Akbar in 1565 and completed by successive emperors. Visit the delightful mausoleum of Itimad-ud-Daulah, or Baby Taj, an elegant marble monument inlaid with "pietra dura," built between 1622 and 1626 by order of Empress Nur Jahan in honor of her father, Prime Minister of Emperor Jahangir. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 12

  Agra – Mathura - Delhi

  And here is the moment you have been waiting for: the visit to the jewel of India, one of the seven wonders of the world: the Taj Mahal. This magnificent marble dream stands in the middle of a lush garden, like a pearl in a pristine landscape. Its beauty transcends all description. The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan had it built in 1631 in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died during the birth of their 14th child. It took 22 years for the 2,000 best craftsmen of the kingdom to erect this "Hymn to Love." Nothing was too beautiful: precious stones, pearls, and corals adorn this masterpiece. Departure for Mathura, the birthplace of the god Krishna. Continuation to Delhi. Overnight at the hotel or transfer to the airport.