OVERSEAS ADVENTURE TRAVELHEART OF INDIA TOUR

TRIP LEADER – KRISHAN DEV SHARMA

NEW DELHI, RAJASTHAN, INDIA

AUTO RICKSHAW (TUK-TUK)

SIKH HOUSE OF WORSHIP Gurdwara Bangla Sahib is the most prominent Sikh gurdwara, or Sikh house of worship in Delhi. It first started as a small temple in 1783.

THE LANGARLangar is the term in the Sikh religion for common kitchen/canteen where “free” food is served to all the visitors without distinction of background.

LANGAR HALLFood is normally served twice a day. Around 10,000 meals are served every day of the year and 50,000 meals are served on Sunday.

OLD DELHI – RICKSHAW RIDE

JAMA MASJID MOSQUEBuilding of the mosque was started by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 1650 AD. The name, Jama Masjid, refers to the weekly Friday noon congregation prayers of Muslims. Accommodates 25,000 people for prayers.

ON THE ROAD TO JAIPUR

NOMADS, PILGRIMS & MONKEYS

HANUMAN Hanuman is a Hindu

deity according to the Hindu legends. He is a central character in one of the epic Indian stories of the Vedas.

A vanara (ape-like humanoid), Hanuman participated in Rama's war against the demon king Ravana. According to Jain texts, Hanuman is a human of vanara clan whose emblem is monkey.

JAIPUR – THE PINK CITYMaharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, who ruled from 1699-1744, is credited with construction of the Jaipur city complex. He shifted his capital from Amber to Jaipur in 1727 because of an increase in population and water shortage.

JAIPUR CITY PALACEThe City Palace was built between 1729 and 1732 by Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber. The palace complex lies in the heart of Jaipur city and is located on the site of what was a royal hunting lodge.

PALACE OF THE WINDSHawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) was built in 1798 in the form of the crown of Krishna, the Hindu god. Its unique five-story exterior is also akin to the honeycomb of the beehive with its 953 small windows to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen, since they had to observe strict "purdah" (face cover).

JANTAR MANTAR OBSERVATORY Astronomical observatory built in 1728 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, ruler of Amber and the founder of Jaipur. He was an astronomer deeply interested in the workings of the celestial bodies. The observatory consists of fourteen major geometric devices for measuring time, predicting eclipses, and tracking stars' location as the earth orbits around the sun.

AMBER FORT COMPLEXThe Amer Fort, as it stands now, was built over the remnants of an earlier structure dating to the 11th century. This fort, along with Jaigarh Fort, located immediately above on the Cheel ka Teela (Hill of Eagles) is considered as one complex, as the two are well connected by a subterranean passage that provides an escape route in times of war for the royal family members.

JAIPUR – HOME HOSTED DINNER

Suman Kumari Singh & Pawan SinghJaishree ShekhawatDeepshru ShekhawatYashraj Shekhawat

ON THE ROAD TO SAWAI MADHOPUR

VILLAGE LIFE

RANTHAMBORE – NAHARGARH HOTEL

RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK

FORT RANTHAMBORE – MUSLIM TOMBS

FORT RANTHAMBORE – HINDU TEMPLES

VILLAGE OF RAMSINGHPURA

VILLAGE PEOPLE

SAINI ADARSH VIDYA MANDIR SCHOOL

TEA WITH A FARMER

SARI FASHION SHOW

WOMAN’S COOPERATIVE

OAT TENTED CAMP

AGRA FORTAgra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Agra. It was mentioned for the first time in 1080 AD. Sikandar Lodi (1488–1517), the first Sultan of Delhi, lived in the fort and governed the country from here.

THE TAJ MAHAL

Taj Mahal, from Persian for "crown of palaces" is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The white marble mausoleum was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, during the Mughal Empire’s period of greatest prosperity, in memory of his third wife Mumtaz Mahal. It is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India” and one of the universally admired masterpieces of world heritage.

The Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian and Indian architectural styles. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar component of the Taj Mahal, it is actually an integrated complex of structures that includes a guest house and mosque.

Shah Jahan was grief-stricken when his third wife died during the birth of their 14th child. The construction of the mausoleum began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The court chronicles of Shah Jahan's grief illustrate the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal.

MAUSOLEUM OF MUMTAZ MAHAL

THE MOONLIGHT GARDEN

KHAJURAHO The Khajuraho Temple Monuments are a UNESCO World Heritage Site

and one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. They are considered one of the “seven wonders” of India.

Built over a span of 200 years – 950 to 1150 AD - the Hindu and Jain temples are famous for their erotic sculptures. They are India's unique gift to the world, representing a glimpse of life in every form of mood, love and joy that has been captured in stone.

There were originally over 85 Hindu temples, of which only 25 now stand in a reasonable state of preservation. When the conquering Islamic tribes came into India they destroyed many Hindu temples and used the material to build their own places of worship.

The 25 remaining temples were known by locals, but were lost to civilization for hundreds of years. They were neglected and lay covered over by the jungle until they were pointed out to a British engineer in 1838.

KHAJURAHO – HINDU TEMPLES

KHAJURAHO - JAIN TEMPLES

VARANASI – THE HOLY CITY

Varanasi (Banaras), located on the banks of the Ganges, is holiest of the seven sacred cities in Hinduism and Jainism. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the oldest in India.

Ghats are embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the

river bank where pilgrims perform ritual and religious cleansing. Ghats in Varanasi are an integral compliment to the concept of divinity represented in physical and supernatural elements.

Hindus believe that bathing in the Ganges remits sins and that dying in Varanasi ensures release of a person's soul from the cycle of its transmigrations. They believe death at Varanasi brings salvation. Thus, many Hindus arrive here for dying. Raised platforms next to the ghats are used for death rituals and is the primary site for Hindu cremations in the city.

VARANASI – HOLY MEN

VARANASI – BUDDIST TEMPLE

GANGES – RITUAL CLEANSING

HEART OF INDIA TOUR

The End