India Tour Itinerary – The Story of India

You will be met at the airport on arrival in Mumbai and transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay.

Harappan Culture

The earliest settlements of agrarian communities in India date back to the 4-5th Millennium BC. These cultures were not only practicing relatively developed agriculture but were also connected with each other by some form of rudimentary trade relations. These settlements expanded and occupied the Indus plain, giving rise to one of the earliest of ancient civilizations — the Indus Valley Civilization or Harappan Culture as it is now known.

The Harappan culture matured around 2500 BC and was the most extensive of the ancient civilizations. Its most important cities were Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Kalibangan, Lothal and Dholavira, all of which were probably regional capitals. What is remarkable is that in this vast area of the culture there was amazing similarity, right from the grid town planning to the size of the bricks to the script, which is yet to be deciphered.

The end of the Harappan Culture, which came about around 1700 BC, is still obscure; perhaps it was a number of factors that destroyed individual cities and their urban economies, forcing their inhabitants to flee to the countryside or move eastwards – where evidence of a declining Harappan culture are found in abundance.

After a leisurely morning, transfer to the airport for your flight to Bhuj. You will be met on arrival and taken to your hotel.

The Jadeja Rajputs who took control of the Kutch district in 1510 made Bhuj their capital in 1539, and it has remained the region’s most important town ever since. The princely citadel of Bhuj is named after its Bhujia fortress, which overlooks it from a hill nearby. An old-walled city with narrow, winding streets, it is a fascinating place to walk around with its ornate temples, old palaces, gateways, and winding lanes. Although most famous for its wide variety of Kutch handicrafts, the region is also well known for its large number of sites associated with the Indus Valley Civilization.

Whilst here you may like to explore some of the many local bazaars with their various items on display including embroidered quilts and garments, wall hangings, glass bead work, leather articles, handicrafts, textiles, ‘Rogan’ art, etc.

Today you will be taken for a full-day excursion to Dholavira (4 hours each way) – which is one of the most important sites of Harappan Civilization.

The remains of Dholavira, which were discovered in 1967-68, brought to light a remarkable city of exquisite planning, monumental structures, aesthetic architecture and an amazing water management system. The Dholaviran people knew how to conserve water – tapping rain and perennial streams in great reservoirs and laying an underground sewerage system. In fact, Dholavira’s system of stone-faced channels and reservoirs, a must in the arid region, is the oldest in the world and used to store and distribute fresh rainwater or river water year-round.

Subsequent excavations here by the Archaeological Survey of India have unearthed jewellery, toys, figurines, stone jars, terracotta bricks, seals, weights and measures.

Take a tour of Bhuj today, followed by a drive through the rugged countryside of Kutch.

For a glimpse of the truly exotic, the walled city of Bhuj – comprising walls within walls, gateways, old palaces with intricately carved pavilions and brightly decorated Hindu temples – has few equals.

Visit Maharao Lakhpatji’s palace, built in traditional Kutch style, in a small, fortified courtyard in the old part of the city. A beautifully presented museum, it houses a good collection of ornaments, paintings, and exquisite inlaid ivory doors. However the main attractions here are Aina Mahal or the Mirror Palace, an 18th century palace, designed in a mixed Indo-European style, and Prag Mahal, a 19th century palace in Italian Gothic style, located next to it. (For an exhilarating view of the city, you can climb up the stairs of the 45 metre bell tower).

Also visit the Kutch Museum. The oldest in Gujarat, founded in 1877, it was constructed in the Italian Gothic style and is located in picturesque surroundings on the bank of Hamirsar Lake. The museum houses a number of interesting collections including the largest existing collection of Kshatrapa inscriptions (the earliest dating from AD 89). A section of the museum is devoted to tribal cultures, with many examples of ancient artefacts, folk arts and crafts. It also features exhibits of embroidery, paintings, arms, coins, musical instruments, sculpture, precious metalwork – and much more.

This afternoon take a drive through the Banni region (Banni means ‘a cluster of villages’). The grasslands of Banni are scattered with villages of semi-nomadic pastoral groups. This is an opportunity to get acquainted with the local people’s way of living, crafts and traditions. Visit some of the several artisan communities here where you can marvel at the beauty of embroideries, leather works, wood-carving, lacquer work, weaving and block printing.

Today you will be driven to Utelia (7 hours).

Your accommodation here is a heritage hotel – the Palace of Utelia. Built in 1875, it is typical of the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture featuring domes, pillared galleries, balconies and porticos. The dining hall contains elegant period furniture, portraits and gilt-framed mirrors. The palace is situated in the heart of a colourful village and offers a glimpse of rural life.

Settle in on arrival and then head out on an evening walking tour.

After breakfast, visit the nearby Harappan site of Lothal.

Dating from 2400 BC, Lothal is one of the most prominent cities of the ancient Indus Valley civilization. Discovered in 1954, it was excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India. Its massive dockyard – spaning an area of 37 metres by 22 metres – is the earliest known in the world. It connected the city to an ancient course of the Sabarmati River on the trade route between Harappan cities in Sindh and the peninsula of Saurashtra when the surrounding Kutch desert of today was a part of the Arabian Sea. It was a vital and thriving trade centre in ancient times, with its trade of beads, gems and valuable ornaments reaching the far corners of West Asia and Africa. Adjacent to the excavated areas stands the Archaeological Museum, where some of the most prominent collections of Indus-era antiquities in India are displayed.

After visiting Lothal, continue your journey to Ahmedabad airport (2 hours) for your flight to Delhi. On arrival in Delhi, you will be met at the airport and taken to your hotel.

The Aryan Migration into India

About 2000 BC semi-nomadic barbarian, who were tall and fair complexioned, inhabited the great Steppe land, which stretches from Poland to Central Asia. They had tamed the horse, used solid wheels and the shaft-holed axe. These people spoke a group of closely related languages called ‘Aryan’. Towards the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC, perhaps due to pressure of population and desiccation of pasturelands, they were on the move in all directions. A large band of them, crossing Iraq and Iran, began to infiltrate into the Indian subcontinent around 1500 BC and laid the foundation of a culture, which is still the main culture of India.

Today you will be taken for a day excursion to the ancient town of Kurukshetra, the land that was occupied by the Aryans between 1500 and 1000 BC.

Transfer to the station to board an early morning express train to Kurukshetra. You will be met on arrival and taken to the main excavation sites where a large number of Painted Grey Wares, which are identified with Vedic Cultures, are still found scattered around. The site has exposed many layers of cultures from Vedic times to the early Christian era and over the centuries was ruled by many empires. It reached its zenith during the reign of King Harsha, when Chinese scholar Hieun Tsang also visited this land. Archaeological findings have revealed that Ashoka the Great made Kurukshetra a centre of learning for people from all over the world. The city was plundered by Sultan Muhammad in 1014 AD; he destroyed most of its temples and carried away as much gold as he could.

Visit the Archaeological Museum which houses a number of seals, terracotta figurines, ornaments, swords and exquisite sculptural specimens recovered during excavations from the sites of Kurukshetra and Bhagwanpura.

Later in the afternoon you will be driven back to Delhi (4 hours).

Spend today exploring Delhi’s early Islamic history, beginning at the Mehrauli Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The oldest continuously inhabited area of the city – known for 1,000 years of continuous occupation – it contains the archaeological, architectural and historical legacy of many centuries.

Established in 736 AD, this was the capital of Tomar and Chauhan rulers for the next four hundred years until it was taken over by Qutb-ud-din Aibak who established the Slave Dynasty and heralded the advent of Muslim rule in the city. Following the decline of the Slave Dynasty, subsequent dynasties built capital cities at other sites. However, Mehrauli was not abandoned and many important buildings continued to be located here during successive rules, from the Khalji, Tughlaq and Lodi dynasties, to the Mughal Empire, and the British Raj.

The Park’s main attraction is the Qutb Minar (Tower of Victory); standing 5 storeys (73 metres) high, this is India’s tallest single tower. Constructed in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak, immediately after the defeat of Delhi’s last Hindu kingdom, it marked the site of the first Muslim kingdom in North India. Its towering presence overshadows some smaller but equally magnificent monuments including the Quwwatu’l-Islam, constructed in 1198, the oldest mosque in northern India; and the magnificent Alai-Darwaza Gate, a masterpiece of Indo-Muslim art (built in 1311). The Iron Pillar in the courtyard bears an inscription in Sanskrit in Brahmi script of the 4th century.

After visiting Qutab Minar you will be driven to Old Delhi, making a brief stop en route to view Sultanate fort architecture in the ruins of the twin forts of Tughlaqabad and Adilabad of the Tughlaq period (14-15th century). Standing in splendid isolation – although so near to the hectic pace of Nehru Place, Delhi’s ‘Office District’ – the forts, once separated by water bodies, are now separated by the bustling Mehrauli-Badarpur Road (MB Road). These two mighty forts face each other, mute spectators to the rise and fall of empires over the past 700 years.

This afternoon take a combined guided walk / rickshaw ride through the city’s chaotic historic heart – Shajahanabad (Old Delhi). Designed in the 17th century by Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, today this maze of houses, shops, temples, and bazaars contained within crumbling sandstone walls and ornamental gateways, is an endlessly intriguing area. Explore its narrow souk-like laneways leading off its main street, Chandni Chowk; pulsing with energy and colour, here you can immerse yourself in the full sights, sounds and aromas of this vibrant city.

Sitting above the marketplace of Chandni Chowk is the magnificent Jama Masjid, (World Reflecting Mosque) the largest and most splendid mosque in India. Built by Shah Jahan between 1650 and 1656, this red sandstone, marble and black onyx structure features tapering minarets and magnificent domes. You can climb the minarets – a hundred or so sandstone steps – for spectacular views of the city.

The Mighty Mughals

The Mughal Empire was established in India by the late 1520s by Babur who had invaded India from Central Asia. Babur was succeeded by Humayun who lost his kingdom to the Afghans before he returned to India with the help of Persian rulers and regained the empire in 1555. Humayun died in an accident a year later and was succeeded by the ablest of the Mughals, Akbar.

When Akbar ascended the throne, the Mughal Empire was faced with all sorts of problems, but he successfully re-established the empire that spread over a vast territory of India.

Following Akbar, the Mughal Dynasty was blessed with other worthy successors – Jahangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb. Though none of them was as great as Akbar, they were successful in sustaining the empire and contributed a great deal to the dynasty’s glory. However, during the reign of Aurangzeb a number of rebellions broke out throughout the country and after his death the empire was quickly carved up by regional powers. Though the last of the Mughals ruled until 1858, the glory of the Mughals died with the death of Aurangzeb in 1707.

Depart Delhi this morning for the 4 to 5 hour drive to Agra.

A city with an intriguing and ruthless royal past, Agra’s golden age began with the Mughals in the early 16th century. Then known then as Akbarabād (named by the Emperor Akbar, after himself) who made it a centre for learning, arts, commerce and religion, the city was the capital of the Mughal Empire under three of its greatest emperors – Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan – all of whom contributed to its architectural glory. It contains some of the most splendid of Mughal era buildings, gardens and monuments, the most notable being Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and both of which provide unique insights into the cultured lives and opulence of the great Mughal emperors.

Check in to your hotel on arrival and then visit the magnificent Agra Fort. Many of the events that led to the construction of the Taj Mahal took place here. Begun by Emperor Akbar in 1565, some 4,000 builders worked on it daily for eight years, completing it in 1573 (although additions continued to be made until the time of his grandson Shah Jahan). A powerful fortress of red sandstone, it encompasses within its 2.5 km-long enclosure walls the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. The massive strength displayed in its exterior hides the beauty of its interior – an interesting mix of Hindu and Islamic architecture comprising several beautiful wells, courtyards with flower-beds, water channels and fountains and two exquisite white marble mosques – the Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque), and the Nagina Masjid (Jewel Mosque), as well as numerous palaces including the Sheesh Mahal and the Musamman Burj.

End your day with a visit to the Taj Mahal. Built by Shan Jahan in memory of his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal, the complex was constructed by some 20,000 workers; begun around 1632, it was completed some twenty-two years later. Perfectly symmetrical and exquisitely crafted, it was described by famed Bengali writer, Rabindranath Tagore, as ‘a teardrop on the cheek of time’. Today counted amongst the Seven Wonders of the World, it draws close to 4 million visitors a year.

Depart Agra this morning for the 4-hour drive to Jaipur, making a stop en route to visit the deserted Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri.

Built by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century, Fatehpur Sikri, was intended to serve as the capital of his vast empire. A citadel of grand courts, palaces, mosques and gardens, it rivalled the splendours of Delhi and Agra. Mysteriously, it was abandoned just thirteen years after completion – possibly due to shortage of water, or un-rest in the north-west of the empire. It stands today as a fine and well-preserved example of a Mughal walled city. Its architecture, a beautiful blend of Hindu and Islamic styles, reflects Akbar’s remarkable secular vision.

The capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur (“City of Victory”) was founded and built by Sawai Jai Singh II – a keen scholar, statesman and patron of the arts. It was commenced in 1727 and completed six years later. Laid out in a geometric grid of streets and squares and surrounded by a crenelated wall with seven gates, it is widely regarded as one of India’s finest examples of a planned city. Jaipur is also rather romantically known as the “Pink City” because of the pink paint applied to the buildings in its old walled town.

The Rajputs and the Mughals

Whilst the mighty Mughals directly ruled a large part of North India and had their sphere of influence extending to the greater part of South India, in the area of their capital they faced stiff resistance from the Rajputs.

The origins of the Rajputs is a hugely debated subject amongst historians; however, there is no dispute on their chivalry, bravery and their romantic treatment of warfare, which they treated like a sport. Rajputs ruled over Rajputana (Rajasthan), which they divided in a number of small kingdoms over which they fought constantly with one another. When the mighty Mughals came to dominate the political scene of North India they obviously had to deal with brave and stubborn Rajputs.

After a series of wars and matrimonial alliances, finally the Mughals extended their rule over Rajputana – though complete peace could never be achieved and large pockets of Rajputana remained at loggerheads with the Mughals.

Take a tour of Jaipur today – including visits to the Amber Fort, the City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal, exploring the regional history of Rajputana and their relations with the Mughals.

Begin at the spectacular Amber Fort, located in the picturesque and rugged hills above the city. This ancient capital of the erstwhile Jaipur state is one of India’s more fascinating forts. Begun in the 16th century, it was subsequently added on to by successive rulers. Constructed in red sandstone and white marble, it is an intriguing blend of Hindu and Mughal art and architecture, the forbidding exterior hiding an inner paradise. Places to marvel at here include the Palace of Mirrors, inlaid with millions of tiny glistening mirrors, the Hall of Public Audience and the beautiful manicured gardens.

Afterwards take a tour of the city, beginning at the City Palace. Established in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Singh II, it served as the main residence of his successors until 1949. However, it was always regarded as much more than a residence the maharajas; it was the centre of court administration and of politics, a site of religious ritual, a place of entertainment and court ceremony and a source of patronage for music, dance, literature and painting.   Today the palace includes a privately owned museum, which displays the rich heritage of the Jaipur royal family in miniature paintings, textiles, garments, books and manuscripts, carpets, palanquins and weapons dating back to the 15th century.

Continue on to the Jantar Mantar (observatory). A passion for astronomy led Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II to build five astronomical observatories in India at Jaipur, Ujjain, Varanasi, Mathura and Delhi. Built in 1728, Jaipur’s observatory is the largest and best preserved of them. It incorporates a number of buildings of unique form, each with a specialised function for astronomical measurement.

End your tour at the Hawa Mahal – one of Jaipur’s best-known landmarks. Constructed in 1799, this striking five-story pink building is little more than a façade – it is just one room deep. It features about 953 tiny windows carved out of intricate lattice work, which enables free circulation of air, giving the building its name “Palace of Winds”.

The Arrival of the Europeans

On the ruins of the Mughals rose a number of regional kingdoms (which also contributed to the downfall of the Mughals) – the most important of these kingdoms were, the Jats, Sikhs and Awadh in North India; the Marathas in the Deccan and the states of Hyderabad and Mysore in South India.

While India was thus fragmented into a number of smaller kingdoms, the Europeans were making serious inroads into Indian politics. Though the first Europeans came to India as traders as early as 1598 when Vasco da Gama landed in Kerala, it was not until the mid 18th century that they actively interfered in Indian politics. Until then they had concentrated on trading and at the best occupied far flung coastal outposts – again for conducting trade.

By the early 19th century the British had outclassed and out-manoeuvred the other European powers and by the mid 19th century they had complete (direct or indirect) control over India.

The British faced the first revolt against their power in 1857 when almost the entire area of North India stood up against them. The revolt (also referred to as India’s First War of Independence) almost uprooted British power. The British were able to suppress the rebellion, however, the Indian Colony was taken from the East India Company and was brought directly under the British Crown.

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Kolkata. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel.

Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, is the capital of West Bengal and the second largest city in India (after Mumbai). The city occupies the site of an older Indian city, centred on the ancient Kali temple at Kalighat. However, its history is closely related to the British East India Company, which first arrived in 1690, and to British India, of which Calcutta was the capital from 1772 until 1911 (when the capital was moved to New Delhi).

As a nucleus of the 19th and early 20th century Bengal Renaissance and a religiously and ethnically diverse centre of culture, Kolkata has established local traditions in drama, art, film, theatre, and literature. The self-proclaimed capital of India’s intellectuals, it is home to three Nobel Prize laureates (including the revered Rabindranath Tagore, who became Asia’s first Nobel Laureate in 1913) and an Oscar-winning film director (Satyajit Ray). As the former capital of British India, Kolkata retains an abundance of colonial-era architecture, though today this contrasts starkly with urban slums and new-town suburbs with their air-conditioned shopping malls.

This afternoon a local guide will take you sightseeing, focussing on the sites and monuments of the British Raj era.

The tour begins at the Victoria Memorial – the city’s greatest landmark and one of the most solid reminders of the Raj to be found in India. In January 1901, on the death of Queen Victoria, George Curzon, Viceroy of India, proposed the creation of a grand memorial. The Prince of Wales, later King George V, laid the foundation stone in January 1906 and it was formally opened to the public in 1921. Constructed of white Makrana marble (as was the Taj Mahal) it was designed in the Indo-Saracenic revivalist style, which uses a mixture of British and Mughal elements as well as Venetian, Egyptian, Deccani and Islamic architectural influences. There are 25 galleries in the central hall; these include the royal gallery, the national leaders gallery, the portrait gallery, central hall, the sculpture gallery, the arms and armoury gallery and the newer, Calcutta gallery. There are about 3,500 articles relating to the Raj on display here. In the gardens, which cover an area of over 25 hectares, there is a bronze statue of Victoria, seated on her throne; she is wearing the robes of the Star of India.

End your tour with a guided walk that explores the area around Dalhousie Square, (known as “Kalikata” or the “White Town” in old Calcutta) which is ringed by colonial British buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. A British trader, Job Charnock, landed at Sutanuti in August 1690 with the objective of establishing the East India Company’s Bengal headquarters. He chose to occupy Kalikata, one of the three original villages of this area, and in 1696, construction of old Fort William began (near the site of the present day General Post Office). Kalikata was called ‘Calcutta’ by the British and the metropolis that grew around it acquired that name. Over the next one and a half centuries, the square grew in importance and influence. In fact, it is still the commercial and political centre of all of East India and many of the business and political institutions from the colonial era still exist. It was named after Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India. This walk is the perfect introduction to British Calcutta and gives you an understanding of what went into the making of the Colonial Capital of India.

Today you will be taken for a day excursion to nearby Chandannagar and Barrackpore.

Chandannagar was established as a French colony in 1673 and it became a permanent French settlement in 1688. In 1730, Joseph François Dupleix was appointed governor of the city, and during his administration more than two thousand brick houses were erected in the town and a considerable maritime trade was carried on.

Between the mid 18th to early 19th century, Chandannagar changed hands between the French and the British due to a series of wars, with the city finally returned to France in 1816. It was governed as part of French India until 1950 when it was handed over to India after a plebiscite. Chandannagar has a number of old French buildings, churches and a Museum that boasts a beautiful collection of French antiques.

The first barrack or cantonment of the British East India Company was built at Barrackpore in 1772. After the British crown assumed direct control of India, the sprawling Government House and the Government Estate were built here to provide the viceroy with a suburban residence. In 1857, Barrackpore was the scene of an incident that some credit with starting the Indian rebellion of 1857; an Indian soldier, Mangal Pandey attacked his British commander, and was subsequently court-martialled. His regiment was disbanded, an action which offended a number of sepoys and is considered to have contributed to the anger that fuelled the rebellion.

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Lucknow. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel.

The historic city of Lucknow, the ‘Golden city of the East’, was the capital of Awadh and controlled by the Delhi Sultanate during Mughal rule. Later, it was transferred to the Nawabs of Awadh. (Nawab – the plural of the Arabic word ‘naib’, meaning ‘assistant’ — was the term given to governors appointed by the Mughal emperor all over India to assist him in managing the Empire). In the absence of expeditious transport and communication facilities, they were practically independent rulers of their territory and wielded the power of life and death over their subjects. The city was North India’s cultural capital, and its nawabs, best remembered for their refined and extravagant lifestyles, were patrons of the arts. Under their dominion, music and dance flourished, and construction of numerous monuments took place.

Today you will be taken for a tour of Lucknow, including visits to Bara Imambara, the British Residency and the Clock Tower.

The Bara Imambara (meaning ‘Big Shrine’) is a large complex, which houses a mosque, courtyards, gateways and a ‘bawali’ or step-well. It was built in 1784 by the fourth Nawab of Awadh, Asaf-ud-Daula as a part of a relief project for a major famine that occurred in that year. The central hall of Bara Imambara, containing the tomb of Asaf-ud-Daula, is said to be the largest arched hall in the world, measuring 50 metres long and 15 metres high. What makes the construction unique is the fact that it has no beams or girders supporting the ceiling – the blocks have been put together with an interlocking system of bricks.

The British Residency served as a refuge for approximately 3,000 British inhabitants during the time of the uprising of 1857. Lucknow was the centre of all British activities during the siege of almost 90 days. On 17 November British troops led by Sir Colin Campbell defeated the Indian forces and recaptured the city. The Residency still has within its walls, the graves of around 2,000 British soldiers who died in the Revolt of 1857.

Constructed in 1887, the Hussainabad Clock Tower, the tallest Clock Tower in India, is one of the finest examples of British architecture in India. The 67-metre tall structure was erected by Nawab Nasir-ud-din Haider to mark the arrival of Sir George Couper, 1st Lieutenant Governor of United Province of Avadh in the year 1887.

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Delhi. You will be met on arrival and taken on a tour of New Delhi.

British architect Edwin Lutyens was commissioned to design India’s new capital in 1911. A twenty-year project, undertaken with his colleague, Herbert Baker, it produced a city of impressive scale and beauty. Your drive takes you through tree-lined avenues with spacious bungalows housing ministers, judges and senior civil servants, on to the open square where the majestic buildings of Parliament are located, and up the hill on which stands the Presidential House, the Prime Minister’s office and other important ministries. These colonial buildings provide a remarkable insight into the dream project of Lutyens and Baker.

Following your tour, you will be taken to hotel near the airport for day use. Later tonight transfer to the international airport for your onward flight.