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THE OSTENTATIOUS
CLASSICAL INDIA IS A GROUPING OF FIVE CITIES WHICH TOGETHER STAND LIKE A ROMAN
SALVER JUSTIFYING THE HISTORIES BYGONE. EMBROIDED WITH NEPTUTION BLUES, THE GLINTS
OF ANTIQUITIES BLEND WITH THE GLOWS OF MODERNITY TO FORM THIS PANCHYATRA. IF KOLKATA
SMOOTHERS THE RHETORIC INTELLIGENTSIA IN THE BACKGROUND OF THE COLONIAL HERITAGE,
THE PURITY OF THE ANCIENT CHENNAI PROVES WORTH THE EXISTANCE OF THE CIVILISATIONS
PAST. COCHIN FLAUNTS ITS NATURES SPLENDOUR PARADING FROM END TO END. MUMBAI WITH
ITS PEDIGREE ISLANDS HOLDS THE MYSTERIES OF ELEPHANTA CAVES, SURROUNDED BY VAST
SPAN OF ARABIAN SEA. AURANGABAD HAS AJANTA AND ELLORA IN STORE FOR ALL. THE
CLASSICAL INDIA
DAY
01,DELH I:Morning transfer to the airport to connect your flight
for Calcutta. KOLKATA: Arrive in
two hour's flight to the Capital of West Bengal state. It is the country's largest
city and one of the most populous in the world. Here you will find India's finest
artists, musicians, scholars and poets. Calcutta has been called the 'Soul' of
India, but it is also her conscience. The contrast between rich and poor, educated
and ignorant, old and new, are here more stark and discordant than any other Indian
city. Calcutta is a pleasant surprise to many visitors.
Afternoon take
a city tour visiting Howrah Bridge where three million people cross this bridge
daily, Botanical Gardens - spread over 270 acres, and containing over 30,000 varieties
of trees and plants, Banyan tree, the world's largest and over 200 years old,
Belur Math - the headquarters of the Ramakrishna mission, established by Swami
Vivekananda in 1898, Kali temple - the place where Rama Krishna achieved his spiritual
vision, Jain temple - the finest temple in Calcutta, Indian Museum, India's largest
museum and one of the finest in Asia, Victoria Memorial - the picture- postcard
symbol of Kolikata, built in 1906, Birla Planetarium - the biggest in India, St
Paul's Cathedral - the oldest Church of England cathedral of the British Empire.
Take some time off for shopping which is really a great value for money. Overnight
at your hotel. DAY 2, KOLKATA:
Morning be escorted to the airport to connect flight for Chennai.
Arrive
to the Capital of Tamil Nadu, in three hour's flight and be escorted to your hotel.
It is the home of ancient Dravidian civilisation, hardly touched by the Aryan
invasion of the North and can claim to be " pure" Indian. It is unusually spacious
- a wide, green and airy 80 sq.kms of parks and gardens, beautiful beaches and
esplanades. It has managed to grow from rural village to modern metropolis in
350 years without loosing its simple small town charm.
Chennai has a
long history of association with other cultures. The names of its many streets
reflect its early days of international trade importance. Even before the British
arrival, its precious cargoes of handlooms, fabrics, silk and hides had attracted
European interest, leading to the establishment of a small Portuguese settlement
at San Thome. Chennai was also the first English settlement in India when king
of Chandragiri granted the small village of Chennapatnam in 1639 to the East India
Company. Afternoon take a city tours visiting Fort St George, built in 1642,
St Mary's Church - the oldest Protestant Church east of Suez and the first Anglican
one in India, National Art Gallery - a fine Indo - Saracenic building housing
rare Moghal, Rajput and South Indian paintings, Guindy Snake park - a small, interesting
reptilium of snakes, Marina beach - the second largest & longest beach in the
world. Chennai is also popular for quality silk and fabulous south Indian handloom
fabrics and leather goods. Overnight at the hotel. DAY
03, CHENNAI - MAMALLIPURAM:Morning leave on half day excursion
to Mamallipuram - a small quiet seaside resort with a unique 7th - century shore
Temple, a lovely beach - side and popular for some of the most beautiful rock-cut
caves in the world. Afternoon transfer to the airport to connect flight for Cochin. COCHIN:Arrive
in an hour's flight and be escorted to your hotel. Cochin is one of Kerala's most
beautiful places - a lagoon full of islands and peninsular separated by the backwaters
of the Arabian Sea, connected by bridges and ferries. Cochin has a rich maritime
history, and still ships Kerala's coir, rubber, sea food and pepper products to
foreign lands. Influenced at various times by the Arabs, the Chinese, the Dutch,
the British and the Portuguese, it was Cochin's Jews who founded the first strong
community here, over 1000 years ago. Taken for the Portuguese by Vasco - da-Gama
in 1502, the port was also the first European settlement in India. Lured by its
spices and ivory, the Dutch arrived (1602) and displaced the Portuguese (1663).
Later, Cochin passed into British hands. All these conquerors left their mark,
and present day Fort Cochin/ Mattancherry is a curious potpourri of Jewish synagogues,
Chinese fishing - nets, Portuguese churches, Dutch palaces and British cricket
- greens. Cochin's Kathakali's is the famous pantomime dance - drama style of
Kerala, which is over 2000 years cultural heritage.
In the evening participate
in the 'KATHAKALI DANCE SHOW' its name implies a story play. This is a form of
dance drama over 500 years old. Dancers in enormous skirts, glittering crowns
and painted faces enact ancient legends. A performance seen by the light of tall
brass lamp is an unforgettable experience. Overnight at the hotel.
Morning
take a city tour visiting Fort Cochin, St Francis church, Santa Cruz church, Jewish
synagogue, Mattancherry Palace and Museum. Afternoon enjoy the scenic setting
of Cochin's famous natural harbour - surrounded by palm groves, green fields,
inland lakes and backwaters which has earned it the title "Queen of the Arabian
sea". Overnight at the hotel. DAY 05, COCHIN:Morning
transfer to the airport to connect flight for Mumbai.
Arrive
in one and half hour's flight and be escorted to your hotel. Mumbai is a dynamic,
go- ahead city of tycoon's skyscrapers, film studios and big business - the nearest
thing to the west in the east, and the modern gateway to India. A futuristic vision
of India, with gleaming luxury hotels, high -rise business houses, and air-conditioned
shopping centres & restaurants, it is an irresistible land of opportunity to the
masses. Here there is hope, optimism, and great prosperity- for Mumbai handles
half the country's foreign trade, manufactures the same percentage of her textiles,
and pays a third of her income tax. But it is Mumbai's action that draws everybody
here - this is a city bursting with life, colour, noise and vitality. Afternoon
take a city tour visiting Gateway of India, Aquarium, Mani Bhawan, Jain Temple,
Hanging Gardens, Prince of Wales Museum and other places of interest. Overnight
at the hotel. DAY 06, MUMBAI - ELEPHANTA CAVES:Morning
take half day excursion to Elephanta Caves and to reach the caves, you will have
to take a 40 minutes sea - cruise from the port. Elephanta has the longest historical
pedigree of any of Mumbai's seven islands. It was the Capital City of the Silahara
dynasty (1st century AD) and bore the name Gharapuri, which means 'Fortress City'.
The caves are a mixture of Hindu and Jain temples, have a few Buddhist monasteries.
All are monolithic, and some contain 7.7-m (25 feet) high friezes of astonishing
workmanship and figurative details. The quality, despite cannon - damage and loss
of much of the original paintwork, is quite that of the more popular caves at
Ellora.
Afternoon free to explore the city on your own.
Overnight at the hotel. DAY 07, MUMBAI:Morning
transfer to the airport to connect flight for Aurangabad. AURANGABAD:Arrive
in an hour's flight and be escorted to your hotel. Aurangabad is situated on the
flat, dry Deccan plateau, the chequered history of the place is reflected by its
several fine monuments. It is most popular as a base from which to explore Ellora
& Ajanta caves. ELLORA CAVES:Afternoon
take a half-day tour to the most fascinating rock-cut-caves. It is the meeting
-point of three faiths, Jain and Hindu structures having risen alongside each
other as the original Buddhist impetus slowly tailed off. You will also visit
Kailash Temple, dedicated to Shiva and built to represent his Himalayan home of
Mt. Kailasha. This is a stupendous edifice, with dimensions twice to area of the
Parthenon in Athens (it measures 30 metres high, 33 metres wide) and was carved
from one enormous rock. Unlike all the other caves, which were cut at ground level
and took an average 50 years apiece to fashion, the Kailasha was begun from the
top of the rock and worked slowly down to the floor - creating gateway, pavilion,
courtyard, vestibule and tower along the way - in an amazing burst of creative
energy which took 7000 workers, 150 years to build. Lavishly carved and Sculptured
with epic themes, through out, it is the world's largest monolithic structure
and a testimony to the excellence of Dravidian art. There are total of 34 rock
- cut caves in all - 12 Buddhist (AD 600-800), 17 Hindus (AD 900) and 05 Jain
(AD 800-1000). Overnight at the hotel. DAY
08, AURANGABAD -AJANTA:Morning
take an excursion to Ajanta caves - the well known throughout the world for their
beautiful frescoes and wall paintings. The 30 rock - hewn caves here - full of
vivid sculptures and wall paintings (many still glowing with their original colors)
are the finest achievement of the Buddhist monks who arrived here in the 2nd century
BC and reflect the zenith of ancient Indian art and architecture.
The
principal interest of the cave is their depiction of eight centuries of religious
life, specifically of Buddhism. Here one can see the development of Buddhist art,
thought and belief. The Ajanta caves are all monolithic - all carved from the
bare rock alone, with no additions and all carefully chipped away from the ceiling
down methodically to reveal pillars, monk sheds and beautiful facades. The technical
feat is staggering, for there was no room for the slightest error in carving.
Overnight at the hotel. DAY 09, AURANGABAD:Morning
free to explore the city on your own. Afternoon be escorted to the airport to
connect your flight for Delhi or for your onward destination. |
