ON A HERITAGE TRAIL FROM THE HEART OF THE COUNTRY
Go back in
time and reconnect with the glorious past on a journey along with your parents
HERITAGE
HOLIDAYS
A heritage holiday ideally remains an effort to reclaim legends
and history lost in time. What better way than to embark on a 15-day heritage
site-seeing trip with elderly family members that starts from the heart of
India, New Delhi.
Apart from monuments and structures, which hold historical as
well as political significanceIndia Gate, Rashtrapati Bhawan and Parliament
HouseNew Delhi currently hosts three world heritage sites: Qutub Minar,
Humayun Tomb and Red Fort. In the beginning of this hearty trip through the
lanes of New Delhi, it will be an ultimate endeavour to visit these three
prominent bastions of heritage in the city. At the Humayun's Tomb visitors are
immediately struck by the tomb's resemblance to the more famous monument the
Taj Mahal with its four grand gateways, octagonal base-plan, soaring
niche-shaped arches, lofty double domes and the symmetrical garden with its
central canal.Similarly, the 70-meter high Qutub Minar, is one of Delhi's most
striking monuments, which looms majestically across the wide plains of Delhi.
GET
MESMERISED IN AGRA:
A 224km drive would lead one to Agra, where one can look forward
to experience and visit famous heritage spots, including Agra Fort, which
stands like a crescent on the banks of the Jamuna river. It is enclosed by
forbidding 20-metre high walls, with a 12meter moat between them. However, a
visit to the universally-acclaimed and admired world heritage Taj Mahal remains
the key highlight of the trip.
Further, on a 7-hour drive to Jaipur, one can look forward to an
en route stopover at Fatehpur Sikri, the deserted sandstone city, which was the
glorious but short lived imperial capital of Mughal emperor Akbar. Lying on a
rocky ridge, it is today a haunting complex of empty palaces, forts and
mosques.A variety of architectural styles are found, since craftsmen
representing many schools were employed.
EXPLORE
THE MAJESTIC JAIPUR:
About 11km from Jaipur, one can visit Amer (or Amber) Fort,
which was built in the 11th century .Rising majestically on the slopes of a
hill, this fort and palace complex is a fusion of architectural styles the
earlier constructions in the inner apartments are austere, while later
constructions abound in the rich flourishes characteristic of Muslim influence.
The Diwani-i-Am affords a view of the strategic location of Amer. Jai Mandir is
the finest example of the artistic exuberance of the day panels of alabaster,
fine inlay work, a shimmering Hall of Mirrors, renowned for its fine
mirrorwork. Sukh Nivas has 17th century airconditioning.
The City Palace stands in the centre of the city. Part of it is
still the Maharaja's residence, while most of the complex has been developed
into a museum containing rare manuscripts, fine specimens of Rajput and Mughal
paintings, royal apparel and an armoury . Hawa Mahal is the landmark of Jaipur.
It stands on one of the main streets, a curious building, elaborate and
fanciful, built of pink sandstone with a delicate honeycomb design. Rising five
storeys high, it is composed of semioctagonal overhanging windows, each with
its perforated screen, which allowed the ladies of the court to look onto the
main street without being seen. Another must-visit place is Jantar Mantar
observatory, which was built by the founder of Jaipur, Maharaja Sawai Jai
Singh.
GAIN A
NEW PERSPECTIVE IN AHMEDABAD:
After experiencing the royal magnificence of Jaipur, one can
take a 10-hour journey to Ahmedabad, which boasts of 35 Archaeological Survey
of India (ASI)protected structures, hundreds of `pols' that capture the essence
of community living, and numerous sites associated with Mahatma Gandhi, who
lived here from 1915 to 1930. Similarly, Sidi Saiyad's Mosque near Relief Road
is one of the most eloquent examples of the finest Indo-Saracen architecture
blends in sandstone. The shaking minarets of Rajpur Bibi's Mosque at Gomtipur
and Sidi Bashir's Mosque at Kalipur are interestingpressure exerted on the
inner walls of the minarets sets them vibrating.Also, among the must visit
places include Hridey Kunj, Mahatma Gandhi's austere Ashram set amongst mango
trees where he experimented in non-violent methods of political struggle.
From Ahmedabad, take a 7-hour drive to Bhavnagar and en route
visit Lothal, the excavated Harappan site dating as far back as the 2nd
millennium BC. Archaeologists have discovered a well-planned city here, 1.75 km
long and 400 meters wide, sub-divided into blocks with rows of houses. Each
house had its own bathroom and the water outlet from the baths was connected to
the city's channel of underground drainage system. Another area on the heritage
itinerary is Jungagarh, which lies at the foot of the Girnar Hill. Junagarh is
today a picturesque city, an extension of the walled city of Uparkot. A visitor
can look forward to going to the Neminath Temple among the five magnificent
Jain Temples on Girnar Hill, shrine of Ambaji, Gorakhnath and Guru Dattaraya
further up, and there is also a Shiva Temple and the tomb of a Muslim saint.
On the way to Girnar is the rock with Ashoka's edicts and
inscriptions of Rudraman and Skandagupta.Nearby is the sacred pond, Damodar
Kund.An old Rajput palace, two stepwells and Buddhist caves are of special
interest in this historic Uparkot fort.
On the culimation of this heritage trip, one would be enriched
enough with fascinating memories of a journey that depicts intricate temples,
majestic hilltop forts and ornate palaces built by imperial kingdoms that
dominated India since time immemorial.
Traveller's
tip:
Plan your trips for early in the mornings as afternoon
temperatures in some places can soar up to 45 degrees Celsius. Total number of
days: 15
ETTR27APR17
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