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India Tours & Travel Plans >> India Cultural Tours
>> >> Footsteps Of Buddha
Your journey takes you to these four sacred sites, and to others associated with early Buddhism. You will meet Buddhist pilgrims from around the world, and truly know yourself to be following in the footsteps of the Buddha. You complement your encounter with Buddhism by exploring the great Hindu cities of Lord Shiva - Varanasi in India, and Kathmandu in Nepal.
Delhi (1), Jaipur (2), Agra (1), Varanasi (2), Bodhgaya (2), Patna (1), Kushinagar (1), Balrampur (1), Lumbini (1) , Kathmandu (2) Accommodation 14 nights.
Duration: 15 days. |
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| Day 1- Arrive Delhi |
| Arrive Delhi and meet our representative at arrival hall and transfer to hotel. In the afternoon proceed on a tour of the capital city. The important places in Old Delhi includes the majestic Red Fort, the historical Chandni Chowk, besides Raj Ghat and Shanti Vana, In New Delhi visit the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the one-time imperial residence of the British viceroys; the India Gate, a memorial raised in honour of the Indian soldiers martyred during the Afghan war; the Laxminarayan Temple, built by the Birlas, one of India’s leading industrial families; Qutab Minar, built by Qutub-ud-din Aibek of the Slave Dynasty; and the lotus-shaped Baha’i Temple. |
| Day 2- To Jaipur |
| Morning drive to Jaipur. Arrive Jaipur and check – in at hotel. Jaipur has been like that since 1727 when Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II had it built. |
| Day 3- In Jaipur |
| Morning excursion to Amber Fort, situated just outside the city, is perhaps the most beautiful example of Rajasthani forts. You can have the unique experience of traveling on elephant back to and from the top of the hill on which the fort is situated. Afternoon sightseeing tour of Jaipur including, City Palace in the heart of Jaipur is known for its blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. Not far away is the Central Museum with its large collection of woodwork, Another monument near the City Palace, Jantar Mantar, is the largest of the five observatories built by Sawai Jai Singh. The Hawa Mahal or the Palace of Winds was constructed for the royal ladies to watch the royal processions without being seen. |
| Day 4- To Agra |
| Morning drive for five hours to the City of Taj, enroute visiting the deserted town of Fatehpur Sikri, In the afternoon reach Agra and check in at your hotel. Later proceed for the city sightseeing tour visiting The Taj Mahal, which is entirely made of white marble and its walls are decorated with exquisite pietra dura (stone inlay) work. |
| Day 5- To Varanasi |
| Intime transfer to airport to board flight for Varanasi. Arrive Varanasi and transfer to hotel visiting Sarnath enroute, an important Buddhist pilgrimage point. |
| Day 6- In Varanasi |
| Enjoy a boat ride on river Ganges. There are about hundred
Ghats in the city Also visit The Vishwanath Temple, built by the Birlas, was planned by
Pundit Madan Mohan Malviya. The Bharat Mata Temple houses, instead of gods and goddesses, a huge relief map in marble of the whole of Indian subcontinent. The Tulsi Manas Temple, built in 1964, is dedicated to Lord Rama. |
| Day 7- To Bodhgaya |
| Morning drive to Bodhgaya. Arrive Bodhgaya and check – in at hotel. Bodhgaya – most sacred place for Buddhists as it has a Peepul tree under which Gautama the Buddha attained enlightenment some 2500 years back. |
| Day 8- In Bodhgaya |
| Morning sightseeing tour of Bodhgaya visiting Mahabodhi Temple – depicting the various phases of Buddha’s journey towards enlightenment, showing different aspects of his life; Bodhgaya Archaeological Museum – houses a small collection of Buddhist sculpture from the 1st century B.C, to the 11th century A.D; Jagannath Temple close by has a four armed statue of Shiva in black stone. |
| Day 9- To Patna |
| Morning drive to Patna. Arrive Patna and check – in at hotel. Afternoon city tour visiting Har Mandir Sahib, also known as Patna Sahib, consecrates the place where the 10th Guru of the Sikhs Guru Gobind Singh was born in 1776; Golghar – is a large dome-like structure from where one can have a fine view of the Ganga and the surroundings of the city; Patna Museum – has a rich collection of Mauryan and Buddhist sculptures, terracotta and other interesting items of the items. |
| Day 10- To Kushinagar |
| Morning drive to Kushinagar. Arrive Kushinagar and check – in at hotel. Later visit the Rambhar Stupa, which marks Buddha’s cremation ground. Also visit the Mahaparinirvana temple, which houses the recumbent figure of Lord Buddha. |
| Day 11- To Balrampur |
| Morning drive to Balrampur. Arrive Balrampur and check – in at hotel. |
| Day 12- To Lumbini |
| Morning drive to Lumbini. Arrive Lumbini and check – in at hotel. Lumbini is the place where Buddha was born 2500 years ago. |
| Day 13- To Kathmandu |
| Intime transfer to airport to board flight for Kathmandu. Arrive Kathmandu and transfer to hotel. Surrounded by green hills and mountains with snow capped peaks against its northern and eastern background the Valley is indeed beautiful. |
| Day 14- In Kathmandu |
| Morning visit Hanuman Dhoka, the name of the old royal palace has been derived from the statue of Hanuman (the monkey god of Hindu mythology) Also visit the hilltop Stupa of Swayambhunath, considered 2,000 years old. |
| Day 15- Leave Kathmandu |
| You will be accompanied by our representative to airport to board flight for onward destination. End of our services |
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