India Holidays
The Living Citadels of Rajasthan
9-12 DAYS:UDAIPUR - KUMBHALGARH - JODHPUR - JAISALMER - KHIMSAR -
MANDAWA - SAMODE (JAIPUR AGRA)- DELHI
This tour starts at Udaipur, so it can be taken in conjunction with
"Tigers & Kings", which ends in Udaipur. In that case the duration of this section
("The Living Citadels") will be only 9 days, as Samode, Jaipur and Agra are included
in "Tigers & Kings". For those who wish to take only "The Living Citadels",
the duration would be 12 days and would include Samode, Jaipur and Agra.
Day 1: Arrive Udaipur:
Met upon arrival and transfer to the hotel.
City tour of Udaipur: The "Surya Vanshi" Maharanas of Udaipur are Sun
worshippers and trace their geneology to the Hindu god Rama. They have a history
of unconquered rule. Their history is full of tales of valor and courage and romance.
Day 2: Udaipur:
At leisure. We also will visit "Sahelion Ki Bari" - the Garden of the
Maids, an enchanting garden created for the pleasure of the ladies of the royal
court. In the evening, take a sunset cruise around Lake Pichola, and visit the island
of Jag Mandir. The palace on this island was built as a retreat for the Mughal emperor
Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal.
Day 3: Udaipur - Ranakpur - Kumbhalgarh (Drive)
AM: Half-day drive to Kumbhalgarh via Ranakpur.These famous 15th
century Jain temples lie buried in a shady glen and represent the climax of Jain
architecture and sculpture. The spacious halls and courtyards are a
brilliant juxtaposition of exquisitely carved and sculpted pillars, vaulted ceilings
and arched doorways. The play of light and shade has been so engineered that the
entire complex seems suffused with an almost ethereal ambience.
Cradled in a cluster of thirteen mountain peaks of the Aravalli ranges,
the formidable medieval citadel of Kumbhalgarh stands a wary sentinel to past glory.
Rising from a prominent ridge,1914 meters high from sea level, the fort was built
in the 15th century A.D. by Maharana Kumbha (1419-63 A.D.). It is the principal
fortification after Chittorgarh, lying 90 km north-west of Udaipur. The massive
fort,encompassed by a 36 km long wall, has seven majestic gates and seven ramparts,
one within the other. Rounded bastions and soaring watch towers strengthen
the crenallated walls of the fort, making it an impregnable structure. Fascinating
chambers are built on the western side of the last gate - the ‘Nimboo Pol’. According
to history, the infant Udai Singh was smuggled from Bundi and hidden in these chambers
by his uncles who desired the throne. Udai Singh ascended the throne of Mewar with
Kumbhalgarh as his residence and later established Udaipur - the beautiful lake
city.
PM:Explore the fort and enjoy exciting horse rides in the area.
Day 4: Kumbhalgarh - Jodhpur (Drive)
AM: Half day drive to Jodhpur. City Tour: This ancient
capital of the state of Marwar is surrounded by a stone wall almost 6 miles
in circumference, which separates it from the sands that stretch out on all
sides. Upon a rocky eminence stands a massive impregnable fortress, within which
lie a number of palaces, barracks, temples and other buildings.
Delicately latticed windows and pierced monuments worked in sandstone are a dominant
motif within the rugged fort. On the walls of one of the gates of entry are the
palms of widows who, ages ago, immolated themselves upon the pyres of their departed
husbands.
Day 5: Jodhpur - Jaisalmer (Drive)
AM: Half day drive to Jaiselmer. Met upon arrival and transfer
to hotel. After breakfast proceed for half day guided city tour. The massive
battlements of the living fort of Jaiselmer rise ethereal out
of the vastness of the Thar desert. This fascinating fort was built in 1156
in the heart of the Thar desert. Within the towered battlements of this citadel
there is a mass of curiously carved buildings, with fantastic facades
and elaborate balconies. Most of the palaces are crowned by a metal
umbrella mounted on a stone shaft. The Jain temples within the
fort are decorated with deities and elaborate dancing figures in mythological
settings. Attached to this place of worship is a library containing some of
the most ancient manuscripts in India. One of these is written on palm-leaf, in
black ink, with colored wooden covers.
Day 6: Jaisalmer:
AM: Full day guided tour of the desert city Jaiselmer. Founded
by Rawal Jaisal in 1156, this desert city is a fine blend of sights and experiences..
Visit the intricately latticed havelis with their conspicuous facades. The superb
craftsmanship of the stone carver is illustrated in Nathmalji-ki-haveli, Patwon-ki-haveli
and Salim Singh-ki-haveli. After a sumptuous lunch, experience the exhilaration
of a camel ride on the golden Sam sand dunes. Jaisalmer’s exotic bazaars offer fine
mirror work and embroidered articles, wooden boxes, trinkets, silver jewelry and
curios.
Day 7: Jaisalmer - Khimser: (Drive)
AM: Half day drive to Khimser. Perched on the edge of the Great
Thar Desert lies the unique Khimsar Castle. Originally, the fort walls, turrets
and stables were built solely for war, and were constructed around the beginning
of the 16th Century. Subsequently, the royal family moved in, and a new “zenana”
or ladies’ residence was erected with finely carved windows in stone that provided
“purdah” or veil for ladies in waiting.
Day 8: Khimsar - Mandawa:AM:
Half-day drive to Mandawa. Check-in at the Castle Mandawa, now converted into a
heritage hotel.
PM: Walking tour of the interesting towns of Shekhawati, where
the dominent merchant families decorate their ancestral homes with elaborate murals.One
of the oldest murals (1760) is within the Castle Mandawa. Some of them
are influenced by the arrival of the British East India Company in India. One shows
an Englishman riding a bicycle, but the artist had obviously never seen a real one.
There is another representing the Wright Brothers flying an airplane, but it has
only one wing! In the evening, relax in the romantic ambience of the castle-hotel.
Day 9: Mandawa - Delhi or Samode:
Those who take this tour in conjunction with Tour 3 will return directly
to Delhi (6 hr. drive), as they would have already seen Samode, Jaipur and Agra
in Tour 3.
For those who take only Tour 4:
Day 9: Mandawa - Samode: (Drive): AM: Half-day drive to Samode
Palace. This is a perfect jewel hidden away in deep ravines some twenty-five miles
(42 Km) from Jaipur, one of the few unspoiled preserves of the former maharajahs.
The story of the palace dates back more than 400 years to the time of the illustrious
Prithivraj Singhji of Amber. Stately corridors, frescoed walls, and ethereal audience
halls, harmoniously reflect the skill of master craftsmen in a perfect blend of
the Rajput and Moghul styles of architecture. Each room is exclusive. A blend of
contemporary comforts and traditional styles, reflecting an old world charm replete
with antique furniture. All 35 rooms have attached baths with running hot and cold
water, and air-conditioning. The hotel was chosen as the principal setting for the
British television production of M.M. Kaye’s “The Far Pavilions”. It has proudly
hosted world - figures like the late Mrs Jacqeline Kennedy Onassis and Mick Jagger.
It has been judged as the Best Heritage Hotel in India for three years consecutively.
Samode offers you the unique experience of Royal Rajasthan, where during the day
you can travel on camel back through quaint villages to the splendor of the Mughal
garden at Samode Bagh.
Day 10: Samode- Jaipur: (Drive)1 hour
drive to Jaipur. High above the city, the towers and domes of the Amber Fort are
reminiscent of scenes from some fairy tale. We shall ascend to the fort atop gaily
decorated elephants, as did the Maharajah’s of old. Within the fort walls lie an
assortment of buildings famous for their intricate mirror inlays - the Hall of
Mirrors and other palaces with latticed windows and beautifully sculpted arches
and pillars. PM: This afternoon we will tour Jaipur city, visiting the Maharaja’s
City Palace. The City Palace is still the residence of the Jaipur family, and its
museum displays a fabulous collection of paintings, carpets, jewelry and arms.We
will also visit the Jantar Mantar (the Royal Observatory), and the Hawa Mahal, or
“Palace of the Winds”. This is a multi-storied, intricately latticed facade
of pink sandstone, designed for the pleasures of the ladies of the royal court.
From here they could look out upon the quaint bazaars that still thrive around the
palace, without exposing themselves to the prying stares of the commoners.
Later, we shall explore the same colorful bazaars on foot. Here we may have
memorable encounters with the descendents of those commoners, many of whom still
live in their ancestral “havelis” along the main market-street. The sheer variety
of the items that is sold off the street is fascinating, ranging from the mundane
to the exotic, and even the simply baffling.
Day 11: Jaipur - Agra: (Drive)
Half-day drive to Agra. We spend the afternoon and early evening at
the Taj Mahal, the magnificent monument to an emperor's love for his queen. Here,
the Mogul Emperor Shah Jehan presented the world it’s most magnificent monument
to conjugal Love. A colossal, perfectly proportioned mass of marble, the Taj Mahal
is literally a jewel. It was fashioned over 17 years by 20,000 craftsmen &
laborers. From a distance, it seems to float, like a fantastic mirage, upon
the banks of the River Yamuna.
Day 12: Agra-Delhi: (Drive or evening train):
AM: At leisure in Agra. PM: Afternoon drive apx. 4 hr to Delhi,
or take the evening train to Delhi which arrives Delhi at 10:50 PM. Depart homewards
from Delhi or join another High Points trip!
More About Romantic Rajasthan