India in eye Wikipedia

Ancient India

The earliest anatomically modern human remains found in South Asia are from approximately 30,000 years ago.^[19] Near contemporaneous Mesolithic rock art sites have been found in many parts of the Indian subcontinent, including at the Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh.^[20] Around 7000 BCE, the first known neolithic settlements appeared on the subcontinent in Mehrgarh and other sites in western Pakistan.^[21] These gradually developed into the Indus Valley Civilisation,^[22] the first urban culture in South Asia,^[23] which flourished during 2500–1900 BCE in Pakistan and western India.^[24] Centred around cities such as Mohenjo-daro, Harappa, Dholavira, and Kalibangan, and relying on varied forms of subsistence, the civilisation engaged robustly in crafts production and wide-ranging trade.^[23]
During the period 2000–500 BCE, many regions of the subcontinent evolved from copper age to iron age cultures.^[25] The Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism,^[26] were composed during this period, and historians have analyzed these to posit a Vedic culture in the Punjab region and the upper Ganges Plain.^[25] Most historians also consider this period to have encompassed several waves of Indo-Aryan migration into the subcontinent from the northwest.^[26] The caste system, creating a social hierarchy, appeared during this period.^[27] In the Deccan, archaeological evidence from this period suggests the existence of a chiefdom stage of political organization.^[25] In South India, the large number of megalithic monuments found from this period,^[28] and nearby evidence of agriculture, irrigation tanks, and craft traditions suggest progression to sedentary life.^[28]

Paintings at the Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, sixth century

By the fifth century BCE, the small chiefdoms of the Ganges Plain and the northwest regions had consolidated into 16 major oligarchies and monarchies called Mahajanapadas.^[29] The emerging urbanization as well as the orthodoxies of the late Vedic age created the religious reform movements of Buddhism and Jainism.^[30] Buddhism, based on the teachings of India's first historical figure, Gautam Buddha, attracted followers from all social classes;^[31] Jainism came into prominence around the same time during the life of its exemplar, Mahavira.^[32] In an age of increasing urban wealth, both religions held up renunciation as an ideal,^[33] and both established long-lasting monasteries.^[34] Politically, by the 3rd century BCE, the kingdom of Magadha had annexed or reduced other states to emerge as the Mauryan Empire.^[34] The empire was once thought to have controlled most of the subcontinent excepting the far south, but its core regions are now thought to have been separated by large autonomous areas.^[35] The Maurya kings are known as much for their empire building and determined management of public life as for Ashoka the Great's renunciation of militarism and his far flung advocacy of the Buddhist dhamma.^[36]
The Sangam literature of the Tamil language reveals that during the period 200 BCE–200 CE, the southern peninsula was being ruled by the Cheras, the Cholas and the Pandyas, dynasties that traded extensively with the Roman Empire and with west and south-east Asia.^[37] In north India during the same time, Hinduism asserted patriarchal control within the family.^[38] By the fourth and fifth centuries CE, the Gupta Empire had created a complex administrative and taxation system in the greater Ganges Plain that became a model for later Indian kingdoms.^[39] Under the Guptas, a renewed Hinduism based on devotion rather than the management of ritual began to assert itself^[40] and was reflected in a flowering of sculpture and architecture, which found patrons among an urban elite.^[41] Classical Sanskrit literature flowered as well, and Indian science, astronomy, medicine, and mathematics made significant advances,^[41]

Medieval India

The Indian early medieval age (600 CE to 1200 CE) is defined by regional kingdoms and cultural diversity.^[42] When Harsha of Kannauj, who ruled much of the Ganges plain from 606 to 647 CE, attempted to expand southwards, he was defeated by the Chalukya ruler of the Deccan.^[43] When his successor attempted to expand eastwards, he was defeated by the Pala king of Bengal.^[43] When the Chalukyas attempted to expand southwards, they were defeated by the Pallavas from farther south, who in turn were opposed by the Pandyas and the Cholas from still farther south.^[43] No ruler of this period was able to create an empire and consistently control lands much beyond his core region.^[42] During this time, pastoral peoples whose land had been cleared to make way for the growing agriculture economy were accommodated within caste society, as were new non-traditional ruling classes.^[44] The caste system consequently began to show regional differences.^[44]

The Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur, in the state of Tamil Nadu, was built by the Cholas in 1010 CE.

In the sixth and seventh centuries CE, the first devotional hymns were created in the Tamil language.^[45] These were imitated all over India and led both to the resurgence of Hinduism and to the development of all the modern languages of the subcontinent.^[45] Indian royalty, big and small, and the temples they patronized drew citizens in great numbers to the capital cities, which became economic hubs as well.^[46] Temple towns of various sizes began to appear everywhere as India underwent another urbanisation.^[46] By the eight and ninth centuries, the effects were evident elsewhere as well as South Indian culture and political systems were being exported to Southeast Asia, in particular to what today are Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Java.^[47] Indian merchants, scholars, and sometimes armies were involved in this transmission, and south-east Asians took the initiative as well with many sojourning in Indian seminaries and translating Buddhist and Hindu texts into their languages.^[47]
After the tenth century, Muslim Central Asian nomadic clans, using swift horse cavalry and raising vast armies united by ethnicity and religion, repeatedly overran South Asia's north-western plains, and led eventually to the establishment of the Islamic Delhi Sultanate in 1206.^[48] The Sultanate was to control much of North India, and to make many forays into South India. Although at first disruptive for the Indian elites, the Sultanate largely left its vast non-Muslim subject population to its own laws and customs.^[49] By repeatedly repulsing the Mongol raiders in the thirteenth century, the Sultanate saved India from the destruction seen in west and central Asia, and set the scene for centuries of migration of fleeing soldiers, learned men, mystics, traders, artists, and artisans from that region into India, thereby creating a syncretic Indo-Islamic culture in the north.^[50] The Sultanate's raiding and weakening of the regional kingdoms of South India, paved the way for the indigenous Vijayanagara Empire.^[51] Embracing a strong Shaivite tradition and building upon the military technology of the Sultanate, the empire came to control much of peninsular India,^[52] and to influence the society and culture of South India for long afterwards.^[51]

Early modern India

Scribes and artists in the Mughal court, 1590–1595.

In the early sixteenth century, northern India, being ruled then mainly by Muslim rulers,^[53] fell again to the superior mobility and firepower of a new generation of Central Asian warriors.^[54] The Mughal empire, which resulted, did not stamp out the local societies it came to rule, but rather balanced and pacified them through new administrative practices,^[55] and diverse and inclusive ruling elites,^[56] leading to more systematic, centralized and uniform rule.^[57] Eschewing tribal bonds and Islamic identity, especially under Akbar, the Mughals united their far flung realms through loyalty, expressed through a Persianized culture, to an emperor who had near divine status.^[56] The Mughal state's economic policies, deriving most revenues from agriculture,^[58] and mandating that taxes be paid in the well-regulated silver currency,^[59] caused peasants and artisans to enter larger markets.^[57] The relative peace maintained by the empire during much of the seventeenth century was a factor in India's economic expansion,^[57] and resulted in greater patronage of painting, literary forms, textiles, and architecture.^[60] Newly coherent social groups in northern and western India, such as the Marathas, the Rajputs, and the Sikhs gained military and governing ambitions during Mughal rule, which, through collaboration or adversity, gave them both recognition and military experience.^[61] Expanding commerce during Mughal rule gave rise to new Indian commercial and political elites in the southern and eastern coastal India.^[61] As the empire disintegrated, many among these elites were able to seek and control their own affairs.^[62]
By the early 18th century, with the lines between commercial and political dominance being increasingly blurred, a number of European trading companies, including the English East India Company, had established outposts on the coast of India.^[63] The East India Company's control of the seas, its greater resources, and its army's more advanced training methods and technology, led it to increasingly flex its military muscle and caused it to become attractive to a portion of the Indian elite; both these factors were crucial in the Company becoming the ruler of the Bengal region by 1765, and sidelining the other European companies.^[64] Its further access to the riches of Bengal and the subsequent increased strength and size of its army enabled it to annex or subdue most of India by the 1820s.^[65] India was now no longer exporting manufactured goods as it long had, but was instead supplying the British empire with raw materials, and most historians consider this to be the true onset of India's colonial period.^[66] By this time also, with its economic power severely curtailed by the British parliament and effectively now an arm of British administration, the Company began to more consciously enter non-economic arenas such as education, social reform, and culture.^[67]

Modern India

Map of the British Indian Empire from the Imperial Gazetteer of India, Oxford University Press, 1909

Depending upon the historian, India's modern age begins variously in 1848, when with the appointment of Lord Dalhousie as Governor General of the Company rule in India, changes essential to a modern state, including the consolidation and demarcation of sovereignty, the surveillance of the population, and the education of citizens, were put in place, and technological changes, among them, railways, canals, and telegraph were introduced not long after being introduced in Europe;^[68] 1857, when disaffection with the Company's rule, set off by diverse resentments, which included British social reforms, harshness of land taxes, and the humiliation of landed and princely aristocracy, led to the Indian rebellion of 1857 in many parts of northern India;^[69] 1858, when after the suppression of the rebellion, the British government took over the direct administration of India, and proclaimed a unitary state, which on the one hand envisaged a limited and gradual British-style parliamentary system, but on the other hand protected India's princes and large landlords as a feudal safeguard;^[70] and 1885, when the founding of the Indian National Congress marked the beginning of a period in which public life emerged at an all-India level.^[71]

Jawaharlal Nehru (left) became India's first prime minister in 1947. Mahatma Gandhi (right) was a political and ideological leader during the Indian Independence Movement.

Although the rush of technology and the commercialization of agriculture in the second half of the 19th century was marked by economic setbacks—many small farmers became dependent on the whims of far away markets,^[72] there was an increase in the number of large-scale famines,^[73] and, despite the Indian taxpayers enduring the risks of infrastructure development, little industrial employment was generated for Indians,^[74]—there were also salutary effects: commercial cropping, especially in the newly canalled Punjab, increased food production for internal consumption,^[75] the railway network provided critical famine relief,^[76] reduced notably the cost of moving goods,^[76] and helped the nascent Indian owned industry.^[75] After the first world war, in which some one million Indians served,^[77] a new period began, which was marked by British reforms, but also repressive legislation, by more strident Indian calls for self-rule, and by the beginnings of a nonviolent movement of non-cooperation, of which Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi would become the leader and enduring symbol.^[78] During the 1930s, slow legislative reform was enacted by the British and the Indian National Congress won victories in the resulting elections.^[79] However, the next decade would be beset with crises, which included, the second world war, the Congress's final push of non-cooperation, and the upsurge of Muslim nationalism—all capped by the independence of India in 1947, but tempered by the bloody partition of the subcontinent into two states.^[80]
Vital to India's self-image as an independent nation was its constitution, completed in 1950, which put in place a sovereign, secular, democratic republic.^[81] In the 60 years since, India has had a mixed bag of successes and failures.^[82] On the positive side, it has remained a democracy with many civil liberties, an activist Supreme Court, and an independent press;^[82] economic liberalization in the 1990s, has created a large urban middle-class, transformed India into one of the fastest-growing economies in the world,^[83] and increased its global clout; and Indian movies, new music, and spiritual teachings, have increasingly contributed to global culture.^[82] However, on the negative side, India has been weighed down with seemingly unyielding poverty, both rural and urban;^[82] by religious and caste-related violence,^[84] by the insurgencies of Maoist inspired Naxalites,^[85] and separatists in Jammu and Kashmir;^[86] India has unresolved territorial disputes with the People's Republic of China, which escalated into the Sino-Indian War of 1962,^[87] with Pakistan which resulted in wars in 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999,^[88] and nuclear rivalry which came to a head in 1998.^[89] India's sustained democratic freedoms, for over 60 years, are unique among the world's new nations; however, in spite of its recent economic successes, freedom from want for its disadvantaged population, remains a goal yet to be achieved.^[90]

Geography

Main article: Geography of India

See also: Geology of India

Topographic map of India.

India, the major portion of the Indian subcontinent, lies atop the Indian tectonic plate, a minor plate within the Indo-Australian Plate.^[91] India's defining geological processes commenced seventy-five million years ago when the Indian subcontinent, then part of the southern supercontinent Gondwana, began a northeastwards drift—lasting fifty million years—across the then unformed Indian Ocean.^[91] The subcontinent's subsequent collision with the Eurasian Plate and subduction under it gave rise to the Himalayas, the planet's highest mountains, which abut India in the north and the north-east. The Kanchenjunga is the highest mountain bordering India and Nepal. The Nanda Devi is the second highest peak and the highest mountain located entirely within India. ^[91]The former seabed immediately south of the emerging Himalayas, plate movement created a vast trough which, having gradually been filled with river-borne sediment,^[92] now forms the Indo-Gangetic Plain.^[93] To the west lies the Thar Desert, which is cut off by the Aravalli Range.^[94]
The original Indian plate survives as peninsular India, the oldest and geologically most stable part of India and extends as far north as the Satpura and Vindhya ranges in central India. These parallel ranges run from the Arabian Sea coast in Gujarat in the west to the coal-rich Chota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand in the east.^[95] To the south the remaining peninsular landmass, the Deccan Plateau, is flanked on the west and east by the coastal ranges, Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats respectively;^[96] the plateau contains the oldest rock formations in India, some over one billion years old. Constituted in such fashion, India lies to the north of the equator between 6°44' and 35°30' north latitude^[97] and 68°7' and 97°25' east longitude.^[98]

The Himalayas form the mountainous landscape of northern India. Seen here is the Kedar range behind the Kedarnath Temple, an area of religious and cultural significance.

India's coast is 7,517 kilometres (4,700 mi) long; of this distance, 5,423 kilometres (3,400 mi) belong to peninsular India and 2,094 kilometres (1,300 mi) to the Andaman, Nicobar, and Lakshadweep Islands.^[99] According to the Indian naval hydrographic charts, the mainland coast consists of the following: 43% sandy beaches, 11% rocky coast including cliffs, and 46% mudflats or marshy coast.^[99]
Major Himalayan-origin rivers that substantially flow through India include the Ganges (Ganga) and the Brahmaputra, both of which drain into the Bay of Bengal.^[100] Important tributaries of the Ganges include the Yamuna and the Kosi; the latter's extremely low gradient causes disastrous floods every year. Major peninsular rivers, whose steeper gradients prevent their waters from flooding, include the Godavari, the Mahanadi, the Kaveri, and the Krishna, which also drain into the Bay of Bengal;^[101] and the Narmada and the Tapti, which drain into the Arabian Sea.^[102] Among notable coastal features of India are the marshy Rann of Kutch in western India, and the alluvial Sundarbans delta, which India shares with Bangladesh.^[103] India has two archipelagos: the Lakshadweep, coral atolls off India's south-western coast; and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a volcanic chain in the Andaman Sea.^[104]
India's climate is strongly influenced by the Himalayas and the Thar Desert, both of which drive the monsoons.^[105] The Himalayas prevent cold Central Asian katabatic winds from blowing in, keeping the bulk of the Indian subcontinent warmer than most locations at similar latitudes.^[106][107] The Thar Desert plays a crucial role in attracting the moisture-laden southwest summer monsoon winds that, between June and October, provide the majority of India's rainfall.^[105] Four major climatic groupings predominate in India: tropical wet, tropical dry, subtropical humid, and montane.^[108]

Biodiversity

Main article: Wildlife of India

See also: List of ecoregions in India

The Red Panda is found in the Himalayan foothills in northeastern India, particularly the state of Sikkim.^[109]

Lying within the Indomalaya ecozone with three hotspots located within its area, India displays significant biodiversity.^[110] As one of the 17 megadiverse countries, it is home to 7.6% of all mammalian, 12.6% of all avian, 6.2% of all reptilian, 4.4% of all amphibian, 11.7% of all fish, and 6.0% of all flowering plant species.^[111] Many ecoregions such as the shola forests exhibit high rates of endemism; overall, 33% of Indian plant species are endemic.^[112] India's forest cover ranges from the tropical rainforest of the Andaman Islands, Western Ghats, and northeastern India to the coniferous forest of the Himalaya. Between these extremes lie the sal-dominated moist deciduous forest of eastern India; the teak-dominated dry deciduous forest of central and southern India; and the babul-dominated thorn forest of the central Deccan and western Gangetic plain.^[113] Under 12% of India's landmass is covered by dense forests.^[114] Important Indian trees include the medicinal neem, widely used in rural Indian herbal remedies. The pipal fig tree, shown on the seals of Mohenjo-daro, shaded Gautama Buddha as he sought enlightenment.
Many Indian species are descendants of taxa originating in Gondwana, from which the Indian plate separated a long time ago. Peninsular India's subsequent movement towards and collision with the Laurasian landmass set off a mass exchange of species. However, volcanism and climatic changes 20 million years ago caused the extinction of many endemic Indian forms.^[115] Soon thereafter, mammals entered India from Asia through two zoogeographical passes on either side of the emerging Himalaya.^[113] Consequently, among Indian species only 12.6% of mammals and 4.5% of birds are endemic, contrasting with 45.8% of reptiles and 55.8% of amphibians.^[111] Notable endemics are the Nilgiri leaf monkey and Beddome's toad of the Western Ghats. India contains 172, or 2.9%, of IUCN-designated threatened species.^[116] These include the Asiatic Lion, the Bengal Tiger, and the Indian white-rumped vulture, which nearly became extinct by ingesting the carrion of diclofenac-treated cattle.
In recent decades, human encroachment has posed a threat to India's wildlife; in response, the system of national parks and protected areas, first established in 1935, was substantially expanded. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act^[117] and Project Tiger to safeguard crucial habitat; in addition, the Forest Conservation Act was enacted in 1980 and amendments added in 1988.^[118] Along with more than five hundred wildlife sanctuaries, India hosts thirteen biosphere reserves,^[119] four of which are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves; twenty-five wetlands are registered under the Ramsar Convention.^[120]

Politics

Main article: Politics of India

The Secretariat Building, in New Delhi, houses key government offices.

India is the most populous democracy in the world.^[121][122] A parliamentary republic with a multi-party system,^[123] it has six recognised national parties, including the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and more than 40 regional parties.^[124] The Congress is considered centre-left or "liberal" in Indian political culture, and the BJP centre-right or "conservative". For most of the period between 1950 – when India first became a republic – and the late 1980s, the Congress held a majority in the parliament. Since then, however, it has increasingly shared the political stage with the BJP,^[125] as well as with powerful regional parties which have often forced the creation of multi-party coalitions at the Centre.^[126]
In the Republic of India's first three general elections, in 1951, 1957 and 1962, the Jawaharlal Nehru-led Congress won easy victories. On Nehru's death in 1964, Lal Bahadur Shastri briefly became prime minister; he was succeeded, after his own unexpected death in 1966, by Indira Gandhi, who went on to lead the Congress to election victories in 1967 and 1971. Following public discontent with the state of emergency she declared in 1975, the Congress was voted out of power in 1977, and a new party, the Janata Party which had opposed the emergency was voted in. Its government proved short-lived, lasting just over three years. Back in power in 1980, the Congress saw a change in leadership in 1984, when Indira Gandhi was assassinated and succeeded by her son Rajiv Gandhi, who won an easy victory in the general elections later that year. The Congress was voted out again in 1989 when a National Front coalition, led by the newly formed Janata Dal in alliance with the Left Front, won the elections; that government too proved short-lived lasting just under two years.^[127] Elections were held again in 1991 in which no party won an absolute majority, but the Congress as the largest single party was able to form a minority government, led by P.V. Narasimha Rao.^[128]
The two years after the general election of 1996 were years of political turmoil, with several short-lived alliances sharing power at the centre. The BJP formed a government briefly in 1996; it was followed by two relatively longer-lasting United Front coalitions, which depended on external support. In 1998, the BJP was able to form a successful coalition, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, became the first non-Congress government to complete a full five-year term.^[129] In the 2004 Indian general elections, again no party won an absolute majority, but the Congress emerged as the largest single party, forming a successful coalition, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), with the support of left-leaning parties and MPs opposed to the BJP. The UPA coalition was returned to power in the 2009 general election, with increased numbers that ensured it no longer required external support from India's Communist parties.^[130] That year, Manmohan Singh became the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru in 1957 and 1962 to be re-elected to a second consecutive five-year term.^[131]

Jaipur india

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. Jaipur
After breakfast in the morning at the hotel go for a full day sightseeing of the beautiful historic Pink City. You will visit the marvelous City Palace - the current generation of the Maharajas (King) still live here, Museum, Astrological Observatory, Hawa Mahal (wind palace) where from royal ladies were watching daily processions and daily life. Constructed of red and pink sandstone highlighted with white lime, the five-storied facade is peppered with 953 small windows. The breeze (hawa) that comes through the windows keeps it cool even in hot months, and gives the palace its name. Evening is for shopping in the busy streets and some excellent souvenir shops. Return to the hotel for overnight stay.

  Jaipur - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra (230 Kms - 5 hrs)
After breakfast in the morning at the hotel check out and drive to Agra. Enroute visit one of the most important places of Mughal Era -The Fatehpur Sikri - the abandoned Mughal Kingdom, founded by Akbar in 1569 AD as a ceremonial capital. But unfortunately this magnificent city was abandoned due to scarcity of drinking water and Akbar went back to Agra. Walk the aisles of the Jama Masjid mosque, entered by way of the impressive Victory Gate, and lose yourself in the throngs of pilgrims at the tomb of the Sufi gaegis infosoft pvt ltdnt Salim Chisti, his white marble-encased tomb enclosed within the Jama mosque's central courtyard. Considered the crowning architectural legacy of Akbar (who also built the Red Fort) and still almost perfectly preserved, today the site is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Arrive in the city of Love and commitment. Check into the hotel. After change and wash visit one of the wonders of the world, Taj Mahal (monument of love), built by 5th great Mughal Emperor Shahi Jahan in the memory as mausoleum of his beloved queen Anjuman Bano Begum ( with love emperor called her Mumtaz ). After her death in 1627 AD, in her memory emperor started to built Taj Mahal ( Taj means crown & Mahal means Palace, so it is Crown Palace ) from 1631 to 1653 AD with 22000 labors working since sun rise to sun set in 22 years. It is the romantic origin of Taj as much as its architectural splendor that has led to its fame worldwide.

Actually an integrated complex of many structures The Taj Mahal is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, itself a combination of Islamic, Hindu, Persian and Turkish elements. Built in pure white marble which was transported from Makrana in Rajasthan by the help of animals Taj Mahal is one of the man made wonder s of the world. Later in the day visit Agra Fort which was built by three emperors, Akbar & Jahangir in red sand stone & Shahi Jahan in white marble. The Fort is 2.5 Km long and during Mughal rule 1/3rd of the Fort was occupied by the army. When British ruled India, they repeated same tradition and now traditionally Indian army has occupied the same. Afterwards visit Itma-ud-ullha the baby Taj. Return back to the hotel for overnight stay.

  - Orcha (Via Jhansi - Train 2.5 hrs + Car 0.5hrs)
After breakfast in the morning at the hotel check out and transfer to the railway station to board express train to Jhansi. Travel in A/C Chair Car for 2.5 hrs by Shatabdi express Train to Reach Jhansi Station. You will be greeted upon arrival and driven to Orcha.

Orcha is a medieval city founded by Bundela rulers with palaces and temples of the 16th and 17th century - which have remarkably withstood the onslaught of time. The river Betwa picturesquely flanks the city. Transfer to hotel. Later go for a tour of this historical site with magnificent temples and monuments. Some of the palaces were decorated with painted murals which represent the finest flowering of the Bundela School of painting. Visit beautiful Palace Complex - Jahangiri Mahal and the Raja Mahal. Closely study the intricacies of the mural paintings in the Raja Mahal and visit the Laxminarayan Temple. Overnight stay is in Orcha.

. Orcha - Khajuraho (150 kms 3 hrs)
After breakfast in the morning at the hotel check out and drive to Khajuraho. Driving past Orcha and country side villages for 3.5 hrs arrive at the hotel in Khajuraho for check in.

The temples at Khajuraho form probably one of the best examples of Indian art and architecture. One of the most popular tourist destinations in India, Khajuraho is home to India's largest group of medieval Hindu temples, famous for their erotic sculptures depicting scenes from the Kama Sutra. Only discovered in the 20th century after being reclaimed by jungle, the Khajuraho group of monuments is today protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Khajuraho was once the religious capital of the Chandela Rajputs, a Hindu dynasty that ruled this part of India from the 10th to the 12th centuries. The Khajuraho temples were built over a span of a hundred years, from 950 to 1050, with the whole area enclosed by a wall with eight gates, each flanked by two golden palm trees. There were originally over 80 Hindu temples, of which only 22 now stand in a reasonable state of preservation, scattered over an area of about 21 km² (8 square miles). Learn the history of these world-famous temples on a guided tour and enjoy a taste of a little erotica from the Middle Ages.

Rest of the day is free to watch all the erotic temple sites and the sensuous artifacts carved on the walls of these temples. Explore the temples while your guide explains the intricate meaning and legends behind each describable sculpture. In the evening you can enjoy evening dance performances and a sound and light show within the temple complex itself. Overnight stay is at the hotel.

. Khajuraho - Varanasi (Flight)
After breakfast in the morning visit the Eastern and Western group of temples where fortnight sculptures celebrate the joy of life and love for which there is probably no equivalent in the world. Later in the day check out and drive to the airport to board flight to Varanasi situated on the banks of the sacred Ganges, Varanasi has been a center of pilgrimage and learning for over 2000 years and is considered to be one of the oldest surviving cities in the world. It is also the unofficial spiritual capital of India. Varanasi is the quintessential Indian holy city, where millions of Hindu travels to for pilgrimage, to worship, mourn or die. You will be received at the airport and transferred to the hotel for check in. In the evening take a stroll around the ancient city located on the banks of river Ganges. Walk the narrow twisting alleys, poke around some of the literally thousands of temples and shrines, and experience the energy of the dawn rituals of bathing and burial as you float past the famous ghats of the Ganges on our included sunrise boat excursion. Sitting on the banks of the Ganges River, Varanasi is the oldest continually inhabited city in the world, dating back thousands of years. The culture of Varanasi is deeply associated with the river Ganges and its religious importance. Finish your day with the sunset ceremony at the Ganges. Overnight stay is at the hotel.

. Varanasi - Katmandu / Nepal (Flight)
Early in the morning go for a boat ride to watch the sunrise over the Ganges when hundred of people are worshiping & taking bath. Breakfast is at the hotel. Later tour the old city visiting the principles temples including Kashi Hindu University where more than 50,000 students from all over the world are learning. Drive outside the city to monasteries and nearby Sarnath where the Buddha first preached his message of enlightenment 24 centuries ago.

Later in the day check out and transfer to the airport to board flight to Katmandu (Nepal). You will be greeted at the Katmandu International airport and transferred to the hotel for check in. Rest of the day is free for leisure activities. Dinner will be served at the Casino. Overnight stay is at the hotel.

. Katmandu
Wake up early in the morning in the capital of Himalayan Kingdom to enjoy the beautiful sunrise view. After breakfast at the hotel go for a half day sightseeing of Katmandu city and valley. Visit the Katmandu Durbar Square, the place of the Malla and then the Shah kings of Nepal. Places of interest here are the Kasthamandap: It lies near the temple of Kumari. It was built in 1596 by King Laxmi Narsingh Malla. It is gaegis infosoft pvt ltdd to be constructed from the wood of a single tree. It is believed that Kathmandu derived its name from Kastha Mandap, Kumari Temple: It is the residence of Living Goddess (Virgin Goddess). The building has profusely carved wooden balconies and window screens. The non-Hindu visitors may enter the courtyard, but may not go beyond. The Kumari acknowledges their greetings from her balcony window. Photography is prohibited. After lunch we will visit to Patan Durbar Square full of Hindu temples & Buddhist monuments with bronze gateways, also known as the city of artists that offers many artistic handicrafts.

Return back to the hotel in the evening for leisure and shopping activities. Dinner and overnight stay is at the Casino / Hotel.

. Katmandu
After breakfast in the morning at the hotel go for half day sightseeing of Katmandu visiting the most famous Hindu Temples- Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhnath & Bhaktapur City. Start your day with visit to the great Durbar square full or ancient places, temples, and artistic shrines and out door deities of Malla Kings. We also visit the Swayambhunath sputa, A 2000 years- old Buddhist Charity's. The Pashupatinath Hindu temple of Lord Shiva, renowned for its gold gilt roof and richly carved silver doors. Our next stop will be Tibetan refugee camp where one can see spinning, dyeing and weaving of Tibetan carpets. In the evening, we will proceed to see cultural show. Return back to the hotel for Casino / Dinner or overnight stay

. Katmandu - Pokhra (210 Kms - 4.5 hrs)
After early breakfast at the hotel check out and drive to Pokhara through scenic mountain terrain. This picturesque town set on the laps of Annapurna Mountains is the staging area of all treks in this region. Lunch enroute and upon reaching Pokhara, commence brief sightseeing of Pokhara visiting Seti Gorge, Bindhyabasini temple, Barahi Temple, Old Bazaar and 1 hour boating on Fewa Lake you can enjoy. The evening can be spent most enjoyably on the bank of the Fewa Lake which reflects the towering Fishtail Peak in its water. Overnight stay is at the hotel on the lake side.

. Pokhra
Early morning after breakfast at the hotel go for one hour boat ride at Phewa Lake and then visit the Temple situated in the middle of the lake. Later return back and take an excursion to Sarangkot. Later in the day drive back to Pokhara. Overnight stay is at the hotel.

. Pokhra - Katmandu (Flight) - Delhi (Flight)
After breakfast in the morning at the hotel check out and transfer to the airport to board flight back to Delhi (Via Katmandu). Arrive Delhi early in the evening. Depending upon your further Tour program you have time to explore the city and last minute shopping activities. Transfer to the international airport to take your connecting flight to your final destination or continue for you're onwards destination. Fly back to your country with the everlasting memories of the magnificent glimpses of Incredible India

Tour with Taj & Goa

Arrival)
Fly from your country to Delhi - The Political and Cultural Capital of Incredible India. Upon arrival you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Our airport representative or your tour leader will be waiting for you in the arrival hall located after passing out of the customs area and beyond the airport travel desks and exchange counters. Look out for the Peregrine signboard. The drive from the airport to the hotel is around 45 minutes. Most flights arrive in Delhi in the late evening so the rest of the day is at leisure. If you have arrived early your tour leader will brief you with sightseeing options.

Day 02. Old & New Delhi
After breakfast in the morning at the hotel leave for full day sightseeing of Old and New Delhi. Drive into the heart of India's Capital to explore Old Delhi visiting the famous Jamia Mazjid, walk through the Chandini Chowk and India's oldest and busiest market, Sish Ganj gurudwara, Enjoy rickshaw ride in narrow alleys of old Delhi through Kinari Bazaar and the 400 years old Chandni Chowk, Red Fort, stop for photos at the colorful market before finishing the Victorian Cannaught Place - One of the most prominent architectural remnants of British Rule. Later visit Birla Temple, Lotus Temple, Akshardham Temple (Lakshminarayan Temple), Humanyu Tomb, Crematory of Mahatma Gandhi, Parliament House, Presidential House, India Gate, Government buildings & Qutab Minar and other countless monuments. In the evening you will have time for shopping activities. Return to the Hotel for overnight stay.
. Delhi - Agra ( 220 kms 04 hrs)
After breakfast at the Hotel in the morning leave for Agra. Reach Agra and check into your hotel. After change and wash, visit one of the wonders of the world, Taj Mahal (monument of love), founded by 5th great Mughal Emperor Shahi Jahan in the memory of his beloved queen Anjuman Bano Begum (with love emperor called her Mumtaz). After her death in 1627 AD, in her memory emperor started to built Taj Mahal ( Taj means crown & Mahal means Palace, so it is Crown Palace ) from 1631 to 1653 AD with twenty two thousand labors working since sun rise to sun set in twenty two years. The marble was transported from Makrana in Rajasthan by the help of animals.

Visit Agra Red Fort which was built by three emperors Akbar & Jahangir built in red sand stones and Shahi Jahan in pure white marble. While driving to Delhi visit crematory of Akbar at Sikandra which he had started building himself and after his death, was finished by his son Jahangir. Return back to hotel for overnight stay.

  - Fatehpur Sikri - Jaipur ( 240 kms 05 hrs)
After breakfast at the Hotel in the morning leave for Jaipur. Enroute one of the most important place of Mughal era Fatehpur Sikri founded by Akbar in 1569 AD as a ceremonial capital. But unfortunately this magnificent city was abandoned due to scarcity of drinking water and Akbar went back to Agra. Continue your drive to Jaipur. Reach Jaipur and check into your hotel. Jaipur the city, founded by Maharaja Swai Jai Singh in 1727 AD ( swai means a person 25% more intelligent ) after shifting his capital from Amber valley to the newly formed city in the plains after consulting so many maps of the world and finally organized own religious map Shilpa Shastra with the help of a young Bengali architect Vidyadhar Batacharya. Maharaja Swai Jai Singh was a builder, astronomer, astrologer, soldier, and philosopher and now Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan & world famous as the Pink City. Arrive & check in Hotel at Hotel, Later in the day visit local markets of busy pink city. Return to hotel for overnight stay.

  Jaipur
After breakfast, full day sightseeing of Jaipur visiting Hawa Mahal (palace of winds) where from royal ladies were watching daily processions and life. Afterwards visit Amber Fort by elephant ride that gives you the experience and impression of how Maharajas & royal family members were using the services of elephants. After lunch visit City Palace Museum, Astrological Observatory and local busy markets. Return to the hotel for overnight stay.

Day 06. Jaipur - Udaipur (Flight)
Early morning after breakfast check out of the hotel and transfer to the airport to take your connecting flight to Udaipur. Reach Udaipur and transfer to the hotel for check in. Udaipur, the city founded by Maharana Udai Singh in 1559 AD, ( Maha means great & Rana means warrior, so Maharana means a great warrior ). Udaipur is a beautiful city of lakes at the altitude of 577 MSL surrounded by Aravalli Hills. The day is for leisure activities and relaxation amidst the sojourn surroundings. Overnight stay is at the hotel.

. Udaipur
After breakfast at the hotel, visit City Palace, Jagdish temple built in 1651 AD, and Fatehsagar lake Sahalion Ki Bari. Afternoon enjoy boat ride in lake Pichola to visit Jagmandir Island. Late afternoon, enjoy exciting cultural folk dances of Rajasthan at Meera Kala Mandir. Return to Hotel for overnight stay.

. Udaipur - Goa (Flight)
After breakfast at the hotel check out and transfer to the airport to take your flight to Goa (via Mumbai). Reach Goa and transfer to the resort / hotel for overnight stay.

Day 09. Goa
After breakfast at the hotel the day is free for your own leisure activities. Take a stroll around the scenic beaches of Goa, or engage yourself in the fun filled water sports adventure activities or relax in the resort. Overnight stay is at the resort.

. Goa
After breakfast at the hotel go for a half day sightseeing of North and South Goa visiting different beaches, different ancient churches, Old Goa, Dauna Paula, Panjim City, free shopping time to buy some souvenirs. Return back to the hotel / resort for overnight stay.

  - Mumbai (Flight)
After breakfast at the hotel check out and transfer to the airport to take your connecting flight to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India with most of the economic future platforms and hubs located there. It also portrays excellent glimpses of the early British rule. Some beautiful architectural buildings signify the culture of the British rule. The most hustling bustling town of India has much more to offer for the tourist than only the business and economic part. Transfer to the hotel for check in. Late afternoon you will be taken for a half day sightseeing of Mumbai town visiting the Gateway of India, Marine Drive, and some old British time monumental buildings. Return to the hotel for overnight stay.

. Mumbai
After breakfast at the hotel you will be taken for a full day sightseeing tour to Ajant and Elora caves located in the islands. Transfer to the caves by the boat , full day to explore these magnificent caves, the paintings and statues reflecting true Indian culture of ancient times. Return back to the hotel for overnight stay.

. Mumbai - Fly Back to your country
Depending on your flight timings either late in the night or in the day after breakfast transfer to International airport and fly back to your country with the everlasting memories of the magnificent glimpses of Incredible India. (In case you have a return flight from Delhi; take a connecting flight from Mumbai to Delhi and transfer to the international airport to take you final journey back to your country)

Bird Watching

1. Delhi (Arrival)
Fly from your country to Delhi - The Political and Cultural Capital of Incredible India. Upon arrival you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Our airport representative or your leader will be waiting for you in the arrival hall located after passing out of the customs area and beyond the airport travel desks and exchange counters. Look out for the Peregrine signboard. The drive from the airport to the hotel is around 45 minutes. Most flights arrive in Delhi in the late evening so the rest of the day is at leisure. If you have arrived early your leader will brief you with sightseeing options.

. Old & New Delhi
After breakfast in the morning at the hotel leave for full day sightseeing of Old and New Delhi. Drive into the heart of India's Capital to explore Old Delhi visiting the famous Jamia Mazjid, walk through the Chandini Chowk and India's oldest and busiest market, Sish Ganj gurudwara, Enjoy rickshaw ride in narrow alleys of old Delhi through Kinari Bazaar and the 400 years old Chandni Chowk, Red Fort, stop for photos at the colorful market before finishing the Victorian Cannaught Place - One of the most prominent architectural remnants of British Rule. Later visit Birla Temple, Lotus Temple, Akshardham Temple (Lakshminarayan Temple), Humanyu Tomb, Crematory of Mahatma Gandhi, Parliament House, Presidential House, India Gate, Government buildings & Qutab Minar and other countless monuments. In the evening you will have time for shopping activities. Return to the Hotel for overnight stay.

. New Delhi - Pangot / Nainitaal ( 290 Km, 6.5 hours )
After breakfast in the morning at the hotel check out and drive to Pangot near Nainital. The journey takes you on one of the world's more spectacular mountain roads as we climb up into the Kumaon Hills on our way to this delightful "lake city" - Nainital. Arrive and check into the hotel. Later in the day after change, wash and rest go for a birding with a guide / naturalist. One can stop along the way to look for birds that may include blue whistling thrush, red-billed blue magpie, blue-capped redstart, rusty-tailed flycatcher, grey-backed shrike, yellow-breasted green finch etc. Later in the evening enjoy the boat ride on the Lake in Nainital. Overnight stay is at the hotel.

. Nainital - Corbett National park ( 2 hrs)
After early morning breakfast at the hotel go for a birding tour to Birding at Pangot, Baggar, Timla Pani, Cheena Peak & Nainital. One can see slaty-headed & red-breasted parakeet, grey bushchat, long-tailed & grey-backed shrike, common kestrel, besra, chestnut-bellied rock thrush etc. Streaked laughing thrush is a common garden bird here. Later in the day return to the hotel to check out and drive to CORBETT Tiger Reserve- the National Park is known for its numerous wild animals and most importantly the Tiger. Arrive and check into your Jungle Resort. Evening is free for leisure activities in the jungle resort. Enjoy the dinner over bonfire and traditional folk dance and musical show in the deep forests. Overnight stay is at the jungle resort.

  - Unchagaon (200 Kms - 5 hrs)
After breakfast in the morning; drive into deep forests for Jeep safari in the National park to watch different varieties of animals especially The Tiger. You can also watch here leopard, panther, spotted deer, antelopes & many varieties of birds. Return to Hotel late in the afternoon for Lunch. Later in the day go for Elephant Safari deep into the jungles. After returning from Elephant safari check out of the jungle resort and drive to Unchagaon - the countryside of North India. Arrive and check into the hotel - Fort Unchagaon. Later in the day after change, wash and rest walk through the Village Haat Bazaar and lush green village farms. Enjoy Horse Riding through the countryside and return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

: Unchagaon - Agra (180 Kms - 4 hrs)
After early morning breakfast at the hotel go into the nearby jungles and villages for a birding tour. The habitat offers species such as white-crested laughingthrush, rufous-gorgeted flycatcher, red-billed leothrix, Siberian rubythroat, rock bunting etc. This scattered and deliberately undeveloped area is one of the most pleasant destinations. Look for rufous-chinned & white crested laughing thrush, rufous-breasted accentor, greater yellow-naped flameback, speckled piculet etc.. Return to the hotel, check out and drive to Agra. Arrive in the city of Love and commitment. Check into the hotel. Evening is for leisure activities. Overnight stay is at the hotel.

  - Fatehpur Sikri - Bharatpur (75 Kms 02 hrs)
In the morning after breakfast; go for a half day tour of Agra visit one of the wonders of the world, Taj Mahal (monument of love), built by 5th great Mughal Emperor Shahi Jahan in the memory as mausoleum of his beloved queen Anjuman Bano Begum ( with love emperor called her Mumtaz ). After her death in 1627 AD, in her memory emperor started to built Taj Mahal ( Taj means crown & Mahal means Palace, so it is Crown Palace ) from 1631 to 1653 AD with 22000 labors working since sun rise to sun set in 22 years. It is the romantic origin of Taj as much as its architectural splendor that has led to its fame worldwide. Actually an integrated complex of many structures The Taj Mahal is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, itself a combination of Islamic, Hindu, Persian and Turkish elements. Built in pure white marble which was transported from Makrana in Rajasthan by the help of animals Taj Mahal is one of the man made wonder's of the world. Later in the day visit Agra Fort which was built by three emperors, Akbar & Jahangir in red sand stone & Shahi Jahan in white marble. The Fort is 2.5 Km long and during Mughal rule 1/3rd of the Fort was occupied by the army. When British ruled India, they repeated same tradition and now traditionally Indian army has occupied the same. Afterwards visit Itma-ud-ullha the baby Taj.

Return back to the hotel to check out and drive to for Bharatpur National Park. Enroute visit one of the most important places of Mughal Era - The Fatehpur Sikri - the abandoned Mughal Kingdom, founded by Akbar in 1569 AD as a ceremonial capital. But unfortunately this magnificent city was abandoned due to scarcity of drinking water and Akbar went back to Agra. Walk the aisles of the Jama Masjid mosque, entered by way of the impressive Victory Gate, and lose yourself in the throngs of pilgrims at the tomb of the Sufi gaegis infosoft pvt ltdnt Salim Chisti, his white marble-encased tomb enclosed within the Jama mosque's central courtyard. Considered the crowning architectural legacy of Akbar (who also built the Red Fort) and still almost perfectly preserved, today the site is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Arrive and check into the hotel.

Later in the day after change and wash visit the globally known Bird Sanctuary - The Bharatpur National Park. Many of the extinct and precious species of internationally acclaimed birds are found in this park, it is one of the integral parts of any tour program to India related to flora and fauna. You can go into the park on a bicycle or by foot. Evening is free for leisure activities in and around your hotel. Overnight stay is at the hotel.

. Bharatpur - Ranthambore (210 kms - 5 hrs)
Early in the morning go into the forest sanctuary to watch various types of birds amidst the serene jungles of Bharatpur. The major attractions that can be found here are the numerous migratory birds, who come from as far away as Siberia and Central Asia and spend their winters in Bharatpur, before returning to their breeding grounds. Migratory birds at Bharatpur bird sanctuary include, several species of Cranes, Pelicans, Geese, Ducks, Eagles, Hawks, Shanks, Stints, Wagtails, Warblers, Wheatears, Flycatchers, Buntings, Larks and Pipits, etc. Return to the hotel for breakfast. Check out and drive to Ranthambore Tiger Reserve - the tiger sanctuary is known for the place where you can catch the tiger by its tail. Arrive and check into your Jungle Resort. Evening is free for leisure activities in and around the jungle resort. Enjoy the dinner over bonfire and traditional folk dance and musical show in the deep forests. Overnight stay is at the jungle resort.

. Ranthambore
After breakfast in the morning; drive into deep forests for Jungle Jeep Safari in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve to watch different varieties of animals especially The Tiger. You can also watch here leopard, panther, spotted deer, antelopes & many varieties of birds. Return to Hotel late in the afternoon for Lunch; and go for the Canter Safari deep inside the jungles. Enjoy the flora and fauna along with numerous birds' habitants of this tiger reserve. After return to the hotel you can take up some adventurous activities or visit Ranthambore Fort. Evening you can watch some flora and fauna in the midst of the Aravalli Mountain ranges. After dinner at the resort you can go of to sleep

. Ranthambore - Jaipur (160 Kms - 3 hrs)
Early in the morning after breakfast at the resort check out and drive to Jaipur. This historic city was founded by Maharaja Swai Jai Singh in 1727 AD after shifting his capital from Amber valley to newly formed and planned city of its time after consulting so many maps of the world and finally organized own religious map Shilpa Shastra with the help of a young Bengali architect Vidyadhar Batacharya. Maharaja Swai Jai Singh was a builder, astronomer, astrologer, soldier, and philosopher. Presently, Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan & is world famous as the Pink City. Wide-avenued Jaipur is one of the most important heritage cities in India, and home to India's second most visited site. Arrive and your first Stop will be at Amber Fort where from Elephants will carry you to the famous Amber Fort, the elephant ride gives you the experience and impression of how Maharajas & royal family members were using the services of elephants. Visit the Amber Fort. Later drive ahead and check into your hotel. Evening is for your leisure activities. Overnight stay is at Hotel.

. Jaipur
After breakfast in the morning at the hotel go for a full day sightseeing of the beautiful historic Pink City. You will visit the marvelous City Palace - the current generation of the Maharajas (King) still live here, Museum, Astrological Observatory, Hawa Mahal (wind palace) where from royal ladies were watching daily processions and daily life. Constructed of red and pink sandstone highlighted with white lime, the five-storied facade is peppered with 953 small windows. The breeze (hawa) that comes through the windows keeps it cool even in hot months, and gives the palace its name. Evening is for shopping in the busy streets and some excellent souvenir shops. Return to the hotel for overnight stay.

. Jaipur - Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary - Delhi (280 kms 6 hrs)
After early morning breakfast at the hotel check out and drive to Delhi. Enroute a diversion will take you to the Sultanpur Bidr Sanctuary. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuarywas a haunt of our very own birdman Late Dr. Salim Ali: And, innumerable bird watchers who come in to observe bird antics. Sultanpur is essentially a bird watching place with few trees obscuring the visitor's view of the lake. The birds can be easily spotted wading, swimming or flying. All this is possible, because the visitors are not allowed to paddle around in boats in this water bird sanctuary, thus allowing the birds to continue with their activities without human interference. One can very easily spot grey pelicans, cormorants, grey and pond herons, egrets, painted storks who tend to congregate and preen. The black-necked storks, white ibis, spoonbills, etc can also be spotted.

Continue your drive to Delhi. Arrive Delhi, depending upon your flight timings you will have time to explore the city and local markets. Later in the day depending upon your onwards tour program transfer to the international airport to board connecting flight and fly back to your country with the everlasting memories of the magnificent glimpses of Incredible India.

delhi

Abdullah Khan Ghalib
Delhi, where an empire rose and fell before the dawn of history; where citadels of emperors appeared and disappeared; a city of mysterious eternity whose old ruins proclaim a majestic and imperial past and whose present pulsates vibrantly with the ever flowing life of India. The eternal Yamuna bears witness to the glorious and tumultuous 5,000-year-old history of Delhi. A history, which begins with the creation of Indraprastha by the Pandavas and the transformation of this barren gift of the Kauravas into an idyllic heaven. In 1950, Delhi was made the capital of Independent India and in 1992 it was declared a state.

Places To Visit
Jama Masjid, Jantar Mantar, Lotus Temple, Old Fort, Qutub Minar, Red Fort, India Gate.

History of Jaipur
Maharaja Jai Singh II, a Kachhwaha Rajput, who ruled from 1699-1744, founded Jaipur, the pink city in 1727. Initially his capital was Amber, which lies at a distance of 11kms from Jaipur. He felt the need of shifting his capital city with the increase in population and growing scarcity of water. Jaipur is the first planned city of India and the King took great interest while designing this city of victory. He consulted several books on architecture and architects before making the lay out of Jaipur.

After several battles with Marathas, Jai Singh was keen on the security aspect of the city. Due to this reason, he focused on his scientific and cultural interests to make a brilliant city. Being, a lover of mathematics and science, Jai Singh sought advice from Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, a Brahmin scholar of Bengal, to aid him design the city architecture. Vidyadhar referred the ancient Indian literature on astronomy, books of Ptolemy and Euclid, and discussed the plan with the King.

With a strategic plan, the construction of the city started in 1727. It took around 4 years to complete the major palaces, roads and square. The city was built following the principles of Shilpa Shastra, the Indian Architecture. The city was divided into nine blocks, out of which two consist the state buildings and palaces, whereas the remaining seven blocks were allotted to the public. In order to ensure the security, huge fortification walls were made along with seven strong gates.

According to that time, architecture of the town was very advanced and certainly the best in Indian subcontinent. In 1853, when Prince of Wales visited Jaipur, the whole city was painted in Pink color to welcome him. Still, the neat and broadly laid-out avenues, painted in pink provide a magical charm to the city. Jaipur is rich in its cultural and architectural beauty, which can be traced in the various historical and aesthetic places that reside in the city. This city of victory really wins the hearts of the people with its splendid charisma.

Places To Visit in Jaipur
Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal, Central Museum, Jaigarh Fort, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh Fort City Palace, Kanak Valley, Laxmi Narayan Temple, Rambagh Palace, Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh

History of Ajmer
Raja Ajaipal Chauhan who named it 'Ajaimeru' or 'The Invincible Hill' founded the city of Ajmer in the 7th century. Close by the king built Taragarh, the very first hill fort in India. It remained an important Chauhan stronghold till 1193, when the Afghan Mohammed Ghori defeated the last Hindu ruler, Prithviraj Chauhan. For over three centuries thereafter, Ajmer faced turbulent times changing hands over and over again as one warlord succeeded another. Finally, a part of the great Mughal Empire, Emperor Akbar accorded it the status of a province in 1556, and used it as the headquarters for his campaigns in Rajasthan.

Places to visit Famous Dargah Sharif, Remarkable Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpara, Taragarh Fort, Nag Pahar(Snake Mountain)

History Of Pushkar
Though it is only 11 km from Ajmer, the little pilgrim town of Pushkar transports you to another world. The road from Ajmer crosses a pass in the Aravalli Hills called Nag Parbat (Snake Mountain), and brings into view the tranquil lake and the peaceful temple town set by its side. According to legend the holy Pushkar Lake sprang up when a lotus petal fell from the hand of Lord Brahma, the Creator. It has the same sanctity for the Hindus as the Mansarovar Lake in Tibet, and devout Hindus aspire to come here at least once in their lifetime.

Dahab Egypt -gold arab

Dahab (Gold in Arabic) is a small tourist town located on the southeast coast of the Sinai Peninsula. Dahab was once a small Bedouin fishing village, but the arrival of international hotel chains has meant that Dahab is now a thriving tourist resort. It is one of the oldest and most established diving areas in Egypt and is home to some of the most spectacular dive spots on the Red Sea. The Blue Hole, which is a few kilometres from Dahab is a world renowned dive site. The Blue hole reaches depths of 130m is places,

Dahab can’t really be compared to the larger resorts such as Sharm el Sheikh or Hurghada as these are much larger and more commercial tourist resorts. Dahab is a much more laid back and quieter resort and is known for attracting many backpackers.

One of Dahab’s main attractions is its unique restaurants, a mixture of Bedouin and hippie styles. Large cushions and low tables, decorated with colourful cloths, line the beach. Many of these restaurants have fish stalls in front where you can choose your own fish and have it prepared to your own taste. After your meal you are able to lie back and relax on the cushions or sample the traditional Egyptian sheesha pipe.

There is so much to do in Dahab, that you will never run out of things to do such as Bedouin safaris, yoga, wind-surfing, kite surfing, kayaking, quad bike trips, horse and camel rides and much more. You can also take an overnight trip to Mount Sinai from Dahab, and climb to the summit through the night to watch the sun rise over the Sinai Mountains.

For the ‘shopper’ there are many great buys in Dahab such as sheesha pipes, rugs, silver jewellery, oriental lamps etc. Haggling is a must, as most of the prices are geared towards tourist, you should expect to pay around 60% of the price first offered.