| Educational Travel Program |
December 30, 2005: DELHI – AGRA (204 KMS/+- 5 HOURS)
Arrive in Agra : Check into the Hotel …
EVENING PERFORMANCES : Indian Classical Dance; O/N at the hotel.
December 31, 2005: AGRA
After breakfast, proceed for sightseeing of monuments in Agra , beginning with a visit to the most famous monument to love, The Taj Mahal. It stands serene and awesome, by the banks of the Yamuna, testifying to the timelessness of art and love. Taj Mahal, the most elaborate monument ever built for love, is a mesmerizing monument of pristine white marble. The structure is of pure white marble which gives a silver radiance in the soft moonlight, at dawn one can see it change color to a shell - pink glow, and at the close of the day, takes on the tawny, fiery hue of the majestic sun. The Taj is a symbol of eternal love built in memory of his wife Mumtaz by the heart-broken Shahjahan, who was also buried and reunited with his beloved wife here.
The Agra Fort - built between 1565 and 1571 AD, the fort retains the irregular outline of the demolished mud wall fort of the Lodhi's. The magnificent towers, bastions, ramparts, and gateways, symbolize the stature and power of Akbar. The fort houses the beautiful Pearl Mosque (Moti Masjid) and numerous palaces including:
Diwan-i- Khaas , the house of lords, the marble pillars are inlayed with semi-precious stones in beautiful floral patterns.
Diwan-i-Am , the house of commons, whose arches are covered with white lime polished to a smooth finish, has a triple-arched royal canopy with lavish pietra dura ornamentation.
Shah Jahan built the octagonal tower or Musamman Burj inside the Agra fort for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It was here that Shah Jahan spent the last seven years of his life imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb.
* The tower is considered to provide one of the best views of the Taj.*
The Itmad-ud-daulah Tomb, standing in the centre of a grand Persian garden, is the tomb of Mirza Ghiyas Beg, Emperor Jehangir's wazir, or Chief Minister. This splendid garden tomb was the first Mughal structure to be built entirely of marble.
Return to hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
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January 1, 2006: AGRA DAY TOUR TO BHARATPUR ( AGRA- BHARATPUR 54 KMS; +/- 1 HOUR)
After an early breakfast, proceed on a day tour to the Bharatpur sanctuary.Bharatpur is popular for its bird sanctuary-the Keoladeo Ghana National Park and is one of the finest reserves in Asia . Every year the rare Siberian cranes come to spend the winter in the warmer climate of Bharatpur. Remnants of the royal past can be found at the marvelous Bharatpur Palace which houses a rich repository of a large number of ancient exhibits that date back to the early 15th century. Your tour also includes a rickshaw ride in Bharatpur.
Return to Agra , for dinner and overnight stay.
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