ITINERARY FOR A SACRED JOURNEY TO INDIA
We will begin every day with Sadhana, Sanskrit for daily spiritual practice. All meditation will be led by Tania, some days will also include yoga or other forms of mindful movement. Afternoon teachings, discussions, and rituals will also be offered as a way of integrating and deepening the day’s experience.
In addition to the following itinerary, we have some wonderful surprises planned!
March 15: Arrive in Delhi. A driver will meet you at the Indira Gandhi Airport and take you to the Imperial Hotel.
March 16: Delhi
We will travel to the old city by rickshaw and visit Asia’s largest spice market, Khari Baoli, where your senses will be engaged with the many sites and smells of this famous market. Next, we travel [again by rickshaw] to Jama Masjid, India’s biggest mosque built by the same emperor who built the Taj Mahal in Agra. From there, we’ll visit the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara and experience how their community kitchen prepares nearly 35,000 meals every day (free of charge to all). We will have the opportunity to help prepare lunch alongside the Sikh volunteers.
March 17: Delhi to Varanasi
A morning flight to Varanasi, the oldest inhabited, living city in the world and the nucleus of the Hindu religion. Hindu pilgrims from around the world come to Varanasi to be immersed in various spiritual ceremonies. Here, we’ll stroll through ancient alleys and witness the many holy purification rituals. In the evening, we’ll enjoy a boat ride on the Ganges River, and observe the prayer ceremony performed by priests and devotees known as the “Aarti.”, the Hindu ceremony of light.
March 18: Varanasi
In the early morning, we’ll visit the Ganges once again to witness the quiet ghats, as people dip and bathe in the holy water of the river at sunrise. Afterward, we visit Sarnath, where lord Buddha gave his first teaching. Here, we’ll further explore the monastery and learn more about this ancient holy site.
March 19: Varanasi to Udaipur (Travel Day)
After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and travel to the Varanasi airport for our flight to Udaipur. Once we arrive in Udaipur, check into the beautiful Raas Devigarh palace, once an ancient palace, that has been restored and updated to a 5-star luxury hotel.
March 20: Udaipur city tour
We begin our exploration of the City of Lakes by visiting the huge palatial complex known as the City Palace of Udaipur. From there, we’ll tour the Jagdish temple, and wander through the bustling streets of the old city. We’ll end our day with a boat ride on the beautiful Lake Pichola and enjoy the glittering sunset. Upon our return to the hotel, you can enjoy a leisurely evening on your own. Overnight in Udaipur.
March 21: Udaipur to Narlai
Today we travel in our private van to Narlai. We will stop at a beautiful Jain temple situated in a small town and enjoy a vegetarian lunch at the temple. Because Jains believe that root vegetables also have life, and Jainism is strictly against hurting any kind of life form, lunch prepared by the monks, is without any onions, garlic, or root vegetables. Afterward, we will drive to the beautifully restored palace of the feudal lords in Narlai Village.
March 22: Narlai to Jodhpur
After breakfast, we’ll drive to Jodhpur also known as “Suncity.” Jodhpur stands on the threshold of the great Indian Thar Desert. En route, we’ll stop at a small rural weaver village to experience this beautiful art form firsthand. Once we arrive in Jodhpur, enjoy an afternoon of shopping as the local industry has made Jodhpur a famous for it’s textiles and home goods.
March 23: Jodhpur to Jaipur
Today we visit the massive majestic Mehrangarh Fort of Jodhpur. Built on a high rocky cliff, the views from the fort stretch across the plains as far as the Mewari fort at Kumbhalgarh. Walking down from the fort, we’ll stop at Jaswant Thada, the graceful marble cenotaph of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II (1873-95) and other Maharajas of Jodhpur who died after that year. We then drive to Jaipur.
March 24: Jaipur
At dawn, we explore the markets of the Old City. We’ll visit the flower market, milk market, wholesale farmers market, and later visit the Govind Devji Temple to witness the morning Aarti. Every year, the temple has been organizing Faag Utsav; the celebration of eternal love between Krishna and Radha. This festival starts 5 days prior to Holi, giving an opportunity for tourists and locals to celebrate with devotional fervor. The festival has artists dressed up as Lord Krishna and Radha performing Raas-Leela; a dance of transformation and love while showering flower petals on devotees. Women performing Ghoomar, the traditional folk dance of Rajasthan, is also part of the event. We will be witnessing the Faag Utsav at the temple and can join in as they dance, sing, and play Holi with their deity ‘KRISHNA’.
March 25: Holi Celebration
This morning, we will continue the celebration and play Holi at the Temple of Govind Devji, where hundreds of locals visit to enjoy this colorful festival. Later, we’ll drive to a local family’s home, and sample home-cooked snacks served with wine & drinks while we also revel in the festivity of color.
March 26: Jaipur
Today we visit the Palace of Amber which is a stunning amalgamation of both Mughal and Rajput architecture. Take an elephant ride to the top of the fort, just as the royal guests used to, in pre-independence days. After, we’ll visit the heart of the pink city to shop for beautiful jewelry, rugs, hand-printed textiles, and shawls. Your guide will provide recommendations for popular eateries, shops, and the bustling streets to take or avoid as you explore the city on foot.
March 27: Jaipur to Agra
Following checkout and breakfast, we will begin our drive to the city of Agra. Once we arrive, we will tour the first marble tomb of India known as Baby Taj or Itmad-ud-Daulah. By sunset, we will arrive at the beautiful Mehtab gardens, built by Shah Jahan to admire his creation– the Taj Mahal- under the moonlit sky.
March 28: Agra to Delhi
We will begin our last day by waking up before the dawn and driving to the Taj Mahal to admire it at sunrise. The Taj looks stunning at this time of day as the rays of the rising sun fall on the white marble, painting it in hues of orange and yellow. The Taj Mahal is also the least crowded at this time of day, allowing you the peace and serenity to truly lose yourself in the monument of love. Afterwards, we’ll return to our hotel for a quick breakfast and checkout. We will then visit Agra Fort, the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty, which looks out over The Taj Mahal. We will stand on the balcony that is the backdrop of Sacred Space’s studio, bringing the pilgrimage full circle.
Drive to New Delhi, stopping for dinner before heading to the airport to catch our late night flights home.
Depart Delhi on your evening flight home.