Orientation
No. of Days : 6 DAYS
February/ March every year
Westen Group of temples, Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh
An annual treat for the connoisseurs of Indian Classical Dances comes at Khajuraho for a week during February or March. It is a grand 7-day extravaganza celebrating Khajuraho’s 1000 years old cultural heritage preserved in its stark stone sculptors. The treasured art forms unfold amidst ethereal settings and not one but all eight forms of Indian Classical dances are performed and delineate the spiritual, the intellectual and the social heritage of India. This festival of International repute is a destination awaited by connoisseurs, travelers and more so by the performers. In words of a performer, “Every dancer worth her mettle dreams of performing at the Khajuraho festival”. For someone looking forward to a heritage tour of India, timing the visit around the Khajuraho dance festival would be a wise touristic strategy.
KHAJURAHO WITH WILDLIFE
In the heart of India, Madhya Pradesh, you experience 2 days of amazing Dance festival at World heritage Khajuraho Temples and 2 days of wild safari’s in two of India’s most famous National Parks viz. Bandhavgarh & Kanha. . In addition to the incredible Indian culture, heritage and architecture one gets a real close up with the wild side of this country during this time as the decreasing grass level allows better visibility of the wildlife.
DAY 1: DELHI
Welcome to Incredible India : You are welcomed & picked up by our executive from the International airport and transferred to the hotel in your private car. (Our executive will be waiting outside the custom area with a placard of your name) We will have a welcome briefing covering the various aspects of the tour (ensuring that you have the best of the Indian holiday) and you will be handed over the India travel kit containing all relevant documents of your trip (air/rail tickets, hotel vouchers, transport, guide, sightseeing vouchers, writing pads with other travel related documents). No pre-planned activities for the day but the car & the driver will be at your disposal.
DAY 2 & 3: DELHI > KHAJURAHO (fly)
Khajuraho and the Dance Festival : Transfer to the airport for your flight to Khajuraho. Arrive Khajuraho and transfer to your hotel. The two days are spent in and around the heritage town of Khajuraho and witnessing the ethereal extravaganza of Indian classical dances for the two evenings.
Evening gets heavenly at the Khajuraho Dance Festival that takes place between 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Depending upon your dates you can experience live performances of India’s finest exponents of classical dances.
Besides see the UNESCO recognized world heritage temples of Khajuraho dating back to 10th century. Truly awesome is the tapestry of life and lifestyle of that period carved on the lifeless stones. Beside the stark erotic depiction that usually eats most of the footage of any gallery or travelogue on Khajuraho there is also exquisite representation of daily chores of the affluent Chandelas – the warriors, serried troops, kings in meeting with his ministers, ladies & make-up, boudoir & love-making etc. Of the remaining 22 temples out of original 85 initially, most important are the Chaunsath Yogni Temple dedicated to Goddess Kali, Chitragupta or Bharatji Temple with a lovely image of 11 headed Vishnu, Vishvanath, Visha Temple of Shiva (the largest of the temples), The Mahadev Temple, and Nandi Temples and the Lakshmana Temple. The Parasvanath Temple is the only Jain Temple surviving at Khajuraho, and other temples dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu, Yamuna and Adinath.
DAY 4: BANDHAVGARH (250 km/ 6 hrs)
Wild is Wild : Morning drive to Bandhavgarh National Park. Evening Safari.
Former Shikargah or game preserve of the Maharajas of the Rewa region, is today a National Park. Though small (105 sq kms of core and 400 sq. kms. of buffer area) Bandhavgarh National Park makes for exciting game safaris due to its higher density of the tigers. Beside tiger it is home to the barking deer, sambar, sloth bear, 250 species of birds, and a number of reptiles and insects. Together with the sprawling and dense Kanha national Park, it gets unputdownable on the itinerary of any wildlife enthusiast.
Overnight at hotel.
DAY 5: KANHA (250 kms / 6 hrs)
Epitome of love :We drive towards south east to reach Mughal city – Agra. Agra is famous as being home to one of the Seven Wonders of the world-the Taj Mahal. The architectural splendor of the mausoleums, the fort and the palaces is vivid reminder of the opulence of the legendary Mughal emperors.
We will visit the most adorable monument of the World- TAJ MAHAL – the epitome of love. We also visit the Agra Fort & if time permits the tomb of Itmadullah.
DAY 5 – Agra> JAIPUR (235 km / 5 hrs)
Wild haven : Morning drive to Kanha NP. Arrive Kanha & check in at hotel. Evening Safari.
Drive to the Kanha National Park in the Mandla District of Madhya Pradesh, the setting of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book and today one of the most well preserved & administered national parks and Tiger reserve in Asia. It is jungle at its raw with 940 sq. km of dense sal & bamboo forests, meadows, streams, swamp and an abundance of wildlife species exemplified by the conservation of rare hard-ground swamp deer or Barasingha (Cervus duvaceli branderi) that was once near extinction.
Tiger, Barasingha, birds and jeep safari or elephant safari amidst the dense jungle terrain forms the highlight at the Kanha whose vast & varied wild family boasts of 30 mammal species (tiger, leopard, sloth bear, wild dog, gaur, swamp deer, the rare flying squirrel etc), almost 300 bird species, including resident and the migratory birds during the winters (crested serpent eagle, red jungle fowl, bee-eaters, Indian roller etc) and many amphibians & reptiles (Indian Bull frog, monitor lizard, catsnake, Indian mud turtle etc).
Overnight at hotel.
DAY 6: DELHI [KANHA>> JABALPUR (165 KMS/3 HRS)]
MORNING SAFRIA at Kanha National Park. Transfer to Jabalpur to board train for Delhi. Arrive Delhi.
Overnight Delhi.
DAY 7: DELHI
Tour Ends : Day at leisure till drop at the airport.
KHAJURAHO WITH TAJ MAHAL : 6 DAYS ITINERARY
DAY 1: DELHI
Welcome to Incredible India : You are welcomed & picked up by our executive from the International airport and transferred to the hotel in your private car. (Our executive will be waiting outside the custom area with a placard of your name) We will have a welcome briefing covering the various aspects of the tour (ensuring that you have the best of the Indian holiday) and you will be handed over the India travel kit containing all relevant documents of your trip (air/rail tickets, hotel vouchers, transport, guide, sightseeing vouchers, writing pads with other travel related documents). No pre-planned activities for the day but the car & the driver will be at your disposal.
DAY 2 & 3 : KHAJURAHO
Stark Sculpture and the Dance Festival : Transfer to the airport for your flight to Khajuraho. Arrive Khajuraho and transfer to your hotel. The two days are spent in and around the heritage town of Khajuraho and witnessing the ethereal extravaganza of Indian classical dances for the two evenings.
Evening gets heavenly at the Khajuraho Dance Festival that takes place between 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Depending upon your dates you can experience live performances of India’s finest exponents of classical dances.
Besides, see the UNESCO recognized world heritage temples of Khajuraho dating back to 10th century. Truly awesome is the tapestry of life and lifestyle of that period carved on the lifeless stones. Beside the stark erotic depiction that usually eats most of the footage of any gallery or travelogue on Khajuraho there is also exquisite representation of daily chores of the affluent Chandelas – the warriors, serried troops, kings in meeting with his ministers, ladies & make-up, boudoir & love-making etc. Of the remaining 22 temples out of original 85 initially, most important are the Chaunsath Yogni Temple dedicated to Goddess Kali, Chitragupta or Bharatji Temple with a lovely image of 11 headed Vishnu, Vishvanath, Visha Temple of Shiva (the largest of the temples), The Mahadev Temple, and Nandi Temples and the Lakshmana Temple. The Parasvanath Temple is the only Jain Temple surviving at Khajuraho, and other temples dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu, Yamuna and Adinath.
DAY 4: GWALIOR (275 km/ 6 hrs)
Gibraltar of India : Drive towards northwest to reach Gwalior – which is famous for its magnificent Old Fort. It is named after a Sage called Gwalipa, Gwalior occupies a special mention in India’s medieval history and freedom struggle.
We will visit the massive Gwalior Fort, popularly called Gibraltar of India built by Raja Man Singh Tomar of the Tomar dynasty. The great Mughal Emperor Babur presumably described it as, “The pearl in the necklace of the forts of Hind”. We will also visit the two magnificent examples of early Mughal architecture. One is mausoleum of, 16th century Sufi saint Ghous Mohammed, and another is tomb of Mian Tansen, a great singer and one of the ‘Nine Jewels’ of Emperor Akbar’s court.
DAY 5: AGRA(by train)
Epitome of Love : Driving towards south we reach “Sikandra” where we visit Akbar’s Mausoleum. Akbar is the most famous of the Mughal kings and he is one of the most famous of all Indian rulers. Then continuing our drive towards south we reach Agra. Agra is famous as being home to one of the Seven Wonders of the world-the Taj Mahal. The architectural splendor of the mausoleums, the fort and the palaces is vivid reminder of the opulence of the legendary Mughal emperors. We will visit the most adorable monument of the World- TAJ MAHAL – the epitome of love. We also visit the Agra Fort & Itmadullah. Reminder of the day at your own.
DAY 6: AGRA > DELHI (200 kms/4 hrs)
Tour ends : Morning transfer to Delhi Airport to board your flight.
