GUJERAT, RAJASTHAN & MOGHUL INDIA

6 February – 10 March 2009 with Richard Hunt

Please note that this tour can be shortened by departing from Udaipur on 25 February (20 days £2875) OR joining the tour in Udaipur (leaving London on 21 February – 18 days £2995)  Please ask for details

A new and unusual tour to the Western states of Gujarat & Rajasthan, finishing with the magnificence of the Moghul Empire in Fatehpur Sikri, Agra and Delhi. It is a varied and exciting journey through spectacular towns, villages and landscapes exploring the marvels of ancient and more modern religious, and princely art and architecture - forts, palaces, temples, mosques & tombs. We will visit more modest houses and remote mansions of merchants and local rulers, staying as the guests of former rulers in some of the palaces and castles. We see the arts and crafts of tribal groups & search for Asiatic lions & other wild life in the Gir Forest. To gain insights into the 'real India' of small towns and villages, we hope to arrange special visits to a school & tribal and mixed caste villages. We use our own coach and driver throughout, with time to stop and look at the sights & activities along our journey. Our hotels vary from a modest (but the best available) modern hotel, to luxury tented camps, splendid palaces, ending in the luxury of the Imperial Hotel in Delhi.

We visit some of the great monuments to Indian history and culture, hoping to provide insights to art, architecture and the decorative arts of some of the splendid courts of local rulers and the great Moghul Empire, the wonderful temples or mosques of the Hindu, Jain and Moslem religions, and to the crafts of village India.
It caters for those who wish to understand something of the 'REAL INDIA' - the India of people who live in towns and villages. We will look at their domestic lives, their work, religion & cultural traditions with the help of friends who work with voluntary agencies and by planning the tour with some time to stop and look!
This is a holiday! There is so much to see, but we cannot see everything! So we have planned an itinerary that is selective, yet offers variety and some time to explore alone or in small groups, go shopping or just relax beside a swimming pool. When we are not in transit you are perfectly free to include or omit any of the day’s activities. We do our utmost to plan carefully, but frustrations can occur with flights or hotels, which may involve changes in our programme. Indians are most hospitable, friendly and helpful and any difficulties can easily be overcome if we are tolerant and adaptable.
We hope to offer very good value for money: these are not the cheapest tours to India as we use the most convenient flights, good ground services, and welcoming, attractive hotels. The tours are rather longer, more varied and, dare we say, better planned than some that are a good deal more expensive.

GUJARAT & RAJASTHAN. The states bordering Pakistan in the west are amongst the most interesting in India. The area remained mainly under the rule of princes (many of whom were Moslem in Gujarat) during the British Raj. The rulers built walled cities, palaces, temples or mosques, mausoleums and magnificent step wells (over 120 of these elaborate wells were built, reflecting the arid conditions of much of Gujarat). Rich merchants & courtiers built beautiful town and country mansions (havelis), where the decoration of carved stone was practical as well as beautiful - deflecting the desert sands, channelling cooling breezes or providing subdued patterns of light & shade. Much of the building was in the Indo-Saracenic style - a fusion of Hindu and Muslim architecture. The large Jain community (an ancient off-shoot of Hinduism) also built a profusion of elaborately carved temples. Numerous tribal groups are to be found, each proudly maintaining their distinctive traditions in language, dance & folk culture, and especially their wonderful costumes, exhibiting the rich textiles - weaving, printing, embroidery for which the area is truly famous. The landscapes are varied and exciting – from the stark deserts to the beautiful Aravali Hills. In the villages much remains unchanged over centuries: methods of agriculture or irrigation; the buildings for people or animals; the widespread use of handicrafts. Pottery, exquisite textiles, carpets, carving, jewellery and leatherwork is found everywhere.

Our journey starts by flying to BOMBAY and on to BHUJ an ancient walled city in Kutch which provides our base for exploring the tribal belt in the ‘craft villages’ of this part of Gujarat. Tribal & nomadic people (the Rabari, Ahirs & Meghwals are distinct tribal groups), rural villages and crafts including weaving and embroidery (Kutch is famed for its embroidery of shoes, domestic items as well as clothes, decorated with small mirrors or beads, block-printing and tie-and-dye material) provide the focus for this part of the tour. At Mandvi we can see the boatbuilding yards for the traditional timber trading dhows on which pilgrims also traditionally travelled to Mecca.
4 nights in this area: Hotel Prince,  modest but adequate for 1 night. (Best in town!) and then
1 night at Hodka Village Resort in luxury tents or ‘village huts’ (a comfortable hotel)
2 nights on the coast at Mandvi Beach (deluxe tents on the beach of the Gulf of Kutch, part of the Maharaos (rulers) of Kutch private estate) close to more craft villages, bird life (flamingoes and the Indian Bustard)

BHUJ TO GONDAL From Mandvi we drive into the centre of Gujarat passing the small princely states of Morvi, Wankaner and Rajkot (the early home of Mahatma Gandhi, whose family home is a museum) before arriving at the Riverside Palace of Gondal for 2 nights. The Palace hotel belongs to the ruling family, and we will also be able to visit the 17th century palaces, collection of vintage cars and the temples. Nearby is the Veri Lake which attracts migratory birds – pelicans, flamingos and demoiselle cranes - and the town of Jetpur, famous for its textile workshops.

THE GIR FOREST is a wild life reserve - the last home of the wild Asiatic Lions (mentioned in the Bible as the Lion of Judah). Our wild life visit allows us 4 safaris by jeep into the forest to look for these elusive animals (and lots of other wild life). 2 nights at the Lion Safari Camp (luxury tents) on full board

We travel to BHAVNAGER with time to relax for  2 nights at the Nilambagh Palace Hotel. This was the guest house palace of the Maharajahs of Bhavnager (a small independent state until 1947, and the first to join the newly independent India). Modest but comfortable. Swimming pool in the garden of the nearby Palace where the family reside. For the energetic, a day excursion may take us to visit PALITANA where an amazing 863 Jain temples have been built on the sacred hill of Shatrunjay. Some are quite recent, others date back over 1000 years. We will NOT visit them all (!) but the ascent (either on foot - 4 kilometres of steps!! or being carried!!!) gives wonderful views.

TO AHMEDABAD The journey to Ahmedabad takes us close to Lothal  ‘The mound of the Dead’, an archaeological site of a planned city and port of the Indus Valley civilization c.2500 – 1700 BC. [The more famous site of this period is Mohenjandaro, near Karachi, 700 kms away].
AHMEDABAD is the capital city of Gujarat. Within the old city is much of interest. It was founded in 1411 by the Moslem invader, Ahmad Shah I, who proclaimed himself King of Gujerat, and set about building a great new city, protected by bastions and a great citadel. The city has numerous mosques [the Jami Masjid – Friday Mosque is regarded as the finest in India], exquisite tombs, the havelis of nobles and merchants and fascinating bazaars. It was supplied by waterways & wells, and outside the city (which was on important trading routes) is a wonderful step well and caravanserai. In 1615, Sir Thomas Roe, English Ambassador to the Moghul court, compared it favourably to London. Today Ahmedabad has several important museums, including the exceptional Calico Museum, which traces the history of Indian and especially Gujarati textiles, with wonderful displays of carpets, costumes, embroidery and weaving.
3 nights at the Taj Residency Ummed Hotel 5* Very comfortable with all amenities.

MODHERA, PATAN to MOUNT ABU. Leaving Ahmedabad, we start a long but very interesting day as we drive to Balaram & Mount Abu. The 11th century Sun temple of Modhera is one of the finest Hindu temples in western India. Its sanctum is so designed that the sun’s rays fell on the bejewelled statue of the Sun God, Surya, specially at sunrise during the equinox. The exterior of the temple is heavily carved with depictions of various gods & goddesses, friezes of the Mahabharata & Ramayana epic stories, and some highly erotic scenes, rivalling those at Konarak or Khajurao. After visiting Modhera, we proceed to Patan. This was the Hindu capital of Gujerat until the Moslem invader Ahmed Shah built Ahmedabad. Here is the magnificent eight storey step-well, built in the 1050’s - the oldest and grandest of all the step wells of Gujarat. It is carved with Hindu gods and goddesses and contains chambers, where the royal families came to rest in summer, the water from the well skimming some of the heat from the breezes, & the whole acting as a natural air-conditioned refuge from the heat of the summer. It is thought that the area must have had royal palaces, but these have not yet been excavated. A little further away are the remains of many Hindu and Jain temples, on the banks of the holy river Saraswati. Patan is almost the last of the centres of the complicated weaving technique of double ikat, involving the tye-dyeing of both weft and warp silk thread before weaving into the most expensive and beautiful saris (nowadays only afforded by film stars or wives & daughters of wealthy industrialists!). From Patan we climb through the Aravali hills to the RAJASTHANI Hill Station of MOUNT ABU. Another centre of Jain pilgrimage, the 11th century marble temples here are again famous for their intricate carving (open to non-Jains after 12 noon next day). In the early 19th century the fashion for hill stations had been developed by the British. Mount Abu was the nearest breath of cool air to which the well-to-do could escape from the heat of the Rajasthan desert & many of the Maharajahs of Rajasthan built summer residences here.
2 nights at the Palace Hotel, Bikaner House, former summer palace of the Maharajahs of Bikaner. Baronial splendour.

UDAIPUR:  Leaving Mount Abu we travel through the Aravali hills to the city of Udaipur stopping at villages & Persian wells (bullock driven irrigation systems) on the way. The city of Udaipur was created by the Mewar clan in 1568 following their defeat by Akbar, the great Moghul emperor, at Chittorgarh. It is a city of palaces, pavilions, gardens and lakes. We intend to spend about two half days discovering the city - its enormous and spectacular palace and museum, working temple, the beautiful garden of the 'maids of honour', the folk museum and open air museum of buildings and crafts. We may have time to see something of village India, but we should explore alone or in small groups - wandering in the bazaars or among the lakeside pavilions, boating on the lake.
3 nights at the Fateh Prakash Palace former guest house of the Maharana of Udaipur. Located near the heart of the city, our rooms and the open-air dining terrace overlook Lake Pichola & the famous Lake Palace.

RANAKPUR & KUMBULGARH.
Leaving Udaipur we travel through the very beautiful Aravali mountains, with rugged rocks, tribal villages, small terraced fields irrigated by bullock-driven ‘Persian wheels’. In the afternoon we visit the famous RANAKPUR JAIN TEMPLE - a breathtaking 15th century white marble building with intricately carved pillars supporting numerous domes. 1 night at Fateh Bagh Hotel, a very comfortable small reconstructed palace, with wonderful views of the mountains. Swimming pool and all facilities.
Next morning we set off  for the city FORTRESS OF KUMBULGARH. We travel on through lovely scenery to the remote and huge 15th century, built by the Mewar rulers of Udaipur, to dominate the enemy kingdoms of Jodhpur and Gujerat. Inside the ramparts are palaces, temples, cenotaphs, wells, and all the requirements to withstand a siege (though it fell once to the Emperor Akbar!).  We plan an afternoon walk up to the fortress to see it at sunset. 1 night at the Aodhi Hotel. Just outside the fortress, in the hills is our hotel in a dramatic setting. Still owned by the Maharana of Udaipur it offers comfortable rooms and swimming pool.

DEOGARH is a picturesque small town with a charming and beautiful palace hotel dominating it and the surrounding countryside. Here we can relax in the hotel and its surroundings, where the princely owners will invite us to explore villages and local crafts, go bird-watching or rest! An interesting local rural train ride can take us over the ‘ghat section’ [through cuttings, tunnels, over bridges] through some dramatic scenery.
2 nights at the picturesque and welcoming Deogarh Palace. Good food, swimming pool

SAMODE, JAIPUR, AMBER & SAMODE HAVELI:  We now make a long drive to Samode, a small village about 40 kms from Jaipur city. Here a small walled town is dominated by the very picturesque Samode Palace, home of the hereditary chief ministers of the Jaipur Maharajahs. Nearby is the delightful formal garden – the Samode Bagh, where the princely family would relax, and women from the harem, or zanana, could enjoy the gardens or bathing pool. Today this has been converted to a lovely rural hotel, where the ‘tents’ have marble floored bathrooms! From the Bagh we will explore the town and Palace, with dinner at the Palace one evening.
2 nights at Samode Bagh. ‘Tents’ in the garden, with meals around bonfires. Swimming pool, riding, tennis.
JAIPUR is the present day capital of the state of Rajasthan. It has grown beyond the walled "Pink City” built by Maharaja Jai Singh II in 1727, when he moved his capital from nearby AMBER. We visit the ancient fort at AMBER by elephant - set dramatically in a pass controlling the plain. This huge complex is a wonderful fusion of Hindu and Muslim architecture and decoration. In the Pink City we explore the palace museum with its splendid collection of paintings, carpets, textiles; the fascinating Observatory built by Jai Singh, the Palace of the Winds (an elaborate screen from which ladies of the harem could watch public events) and the bustling bazaars with a bewildering variety of crafts including silver, jewellery and carpets. In the nearby small craft-based town of Sanganer we can see all the processes for the fine block-printed cotton: wood carvers producing the intricate blocks, the hand printers setting out the patterns, as well as the processes of hand made paper and Jaipur blue pottery.
2 nights at the Samode Haveli - the family town house of the Samode princely family. The Haveli is inside the walled Pink City of Jaipur - another delightful small palace with lovely swimming pool.

BHARATPUR, FATEHPUR SIKRI & AGRA.  We drive via the Bharatpur bird sanctuary to Fatehpur Sikri, a magnificent red sandstone complex, built by the Moghul Emperor Akbar just 37 kms from his capital at Agra. The site was chosen to honour a Muslim saint who predicted the birth of Akbar's son (the saint's tomb is in the mosque courtyard) and the large complex of buildings - palaces, pavilions, stables - was probably a place of ceremony and ritual rather than a capital city. We reach Agra by sunset and if time permits visit the view of the Taj Mahal from the gardens across the Yamuna river. We visit the city and the Taj Mahal complex next day. Agra was capital to the Moghul emperors in the 16th and 17th centuries. The seat of government was Akbar's magnificent red fort. This was elaborated by his son Jehangir, and his grandson, Shah Jehan, who built the marble palaces looking across the River Jumna to the Taj Mahal - tomb of his beloved wife.  As well as the Taj Mahal (always more wonderful than you can imagine) there is the exquisite small tomb of Itmud-ud-Dullah, built by Nur Jehan, wife of the emperor Jehangir, in honour of her Persian father.
2 nights at The Trident Hotel. A modern luxury hotel, with garden and swimming pool.

DELHI.  We leave Agra for Delhi, stopping at Sikandra to visit the tomb of Emperor Akbar. DELHI was not always the capital, but has played a vital role in Indian history over the past 5000 years. Successive waves of invaders have conquered and rebuilt the city; others just pillaged!  There are the remains of seven cities in the environs: they were built by Hindu rulers; successive Muslim conquerors who swept in from Turkey, Persia and Afghanistan; and the British, who, having ruled from Calcutta, declared Delhi capital once more in 1911 and soon began the building of New Delhi. The result is an enormous variety of monuments: the Q'Tub Minar complex (Tower of victory 1193) celebrated an Afghan invasion, but used much older Hindu temple stone; the Moghul masterpieces include the tomb of emperor Humayun, Shah Jehan's Red Fort and marble palaces and his huge mosque, the Jama Masjid. The British built the modern Imperial city of Sir Edwin Lutyens. There is much else to see: a superb crafts museum and village where crafts from India are practised; narrow streets and bazaars of the old city; the National Museum; the shops!!! It may well be that several members of the group have visited Delhi before! We must pick our itinerary with care!

3 nights at the Imperial Hotel. Very well located in the centre of New Delhi, this very grand hotel was built in the ‘30s & has been recently beautifully renovated. There is a wonderful collection of mainly 19th prints and drawings in all the public rooms as well as the bedrooms of the hotel (we hope the art curator, Mr Chowdhary, will give us a private conducted tour) There is a charming garden (where breakfast, lunches and tea are served on the terrace) & large swimming pool. An excellent place to end our tour!