Mystical Central India

Day 2 – Delhi City Tour

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning you will be introducing the children to Delhi in style, on a morning’s private bicycle rickshaw tour. Your rickshaw driver/guides will cycle you through the winding alleys of the markets of Old Delhi where you and the children will witness Indian city life up close as you pass street barbers and stall keepers selling colourful garments, spices and sweets. Hop off whenever you want a closer look, lunch and visit to the white marble Gurudwara Sikh temple which has a community kitchen as well as a very interesting museum on the history of the Sikh community. After lunch, it is time for an introduction to Indian history and architecture with a visit to Humayun’s Tomb, also in New Delhi and somewhere for the children to run around in the shaded formal gardens surrounding the elegant tomb of a Mughal king.

Day 3 –Delhi – Indore (flight)

After breakfast transfer to the airport to board the flight for Indore. On arrival, transfer to hotel for check in. Later enjoy the sightseeing tour of the city visiting the Rajwada or the Old Palace (a major centre of attraction), Lalbagh palace, Kanch Mandir (a marvellous Jain temple), Chattri Bagh (the memorial with some canopies) and the Bada Ganapati (the largest lord Ganesha statue in the world).

Day 4 –Indore – Maheshwar (95 kms – 02 kms)

After breakfast leave by Private Vehicle for Maheshwar. Maheshwar is a beautiful city known for its unique, colorful saris and its fabric tradition. Maheshwar also bears the distinction of having been an imperial capital, its many temples and examples of regal architecture and design attest to this. In the afternoon excursion to Omkareshwar is a Hindu temple dedicated to the God Shiva, one of 12 revered “Jyotirlinga” shrines of Shiva. This morning you will set out to visit this ancient pilgrimage site. Omkareshwar is also located along the holy Narmada River, and it has been around for more than a millennium. Although fiercely persecuted during certain periods of history, a great many of the original, ancient relics remain here, and even to this day the temple persists as a living community. Upon entering the temple, vendors circulate distributing Bilwa patras, flowers, and sweets for people who wish to worship Shiva. Even aside from the religious and archaeological appeal, the architecture and scenery alone are worth the trip.

Day 5 –Maheshwar – Mandu (40 km)

After breakfast leave for Mandu. On arrival visit to Mandu or Mandavgarh, You’ll stroll through the tentative UNESCO heritage sites that include such landmarks as the rock-cut caves from the 11th Century, the early Indo-Islamic architecture at Dilawar Khan’s Mosque, and the massive 15th Century meeting hall Hindola Mahal. In total, there are 61 protected monuments in the town, along with a host of other archaeological remnants, including the ruins of the Rajput kingdom and scenic African baobab trees that have found their way into the heart of India likely as a result of human devices.

Day 6 –Mandu – Bhopal (290 kms – 05 hrs)

After breakfast drive to Bhopal. Check-in at your pre-booked hotel. Day at leisure to visit local markets and old alleys of Bhopal. Overnight stay at hotel.

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Day 7 –Bhopal – Excursion to Sanchi

After breakfast leave for excursion to Sanchi, Sanchi is home to the Sanchi Stupa, one of the oldest stone structures in India that date back to the 3rd Century BCE. It was originally commissioned by the emperor Ashoka and built on a hill atop relics of the Buddha. In the 1st Century BCE, four elaborately carved stone gateways were added, which pictorially express the story of the Buddha is journey and central themes of the Buddhist religion. After spending some time exploring the Great Stupa, For the afternoon, you will return to Bhopal and take a heritage tour through Old Bhopal City, meandering your way through its narrow lanes past hand-embroidered goods and on to the old market that is filled with all manner of curious finds.

Day 8 –Bhopal – Excursion to Bhimbekta & Bhojpur

After breakfast, take a short ride to visit the Bhimbetka rock shelters. This UNESCO world heritage site contains some of the earliest evidence of human life on the Indian subcontinent. There are shelters with evidence indicating they were inhabited by Homo Erectus more than 100,000 years ago and prehistoric cave paintings depicting animals, dance rituals, and hunting excursions that are estimated to have been produced 30,000 years ago. You will also visit the nearby religious town of Bhojpur to see its famous, incomplete temple to Shiva, Bhojesvar Temple. The structure features intricate stone carvings, a massive lingam, and on account of its abandonment before construction was completed blueprints that were engraved in nearby stones shed a light on 11th Century Indian building techniques.

Day 9 – Bhopal – Pachmarhi (196 kms 04hrs)

After breakfast drive to Pachmarhi, where you can relax and acclimatise over a leisurely lunch. In the afternoon, you may wish to explore the colourful bazaars of this verdant hill-station, the highest point in Madhya Pradesh and formerly a Victorian summer retreat. You stay two nights in a comfortable guesthouse.

Day 10 –Pachmarhi

In the morning you meet your guide to discuss the forthcoming days, after which he will take you to visit the five rock-cut Buddhist temples known as the Pandav Caves. These five caves were he own out of the rock by Buddhist monks, and probably date from the 9th-10th centuries AD. The fades of each are adorned with columns, pilasters and simple carvings. They are named after five brothers of the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, and give their name to the town Panchmarhi means five caves. Another excursion will take you to the atmospheric Jata Shankar cave temple a natural cave in a deep ravine which serves as a Hindu shrine to the God Shiva.

Day 11 –Pachmarhi Jabalpur (270 kms – 06 hrs)

Early morning breakfast then drive to Jabalpur, you’ll check into your hotel. Come evening, you will head to Gwari Ghat, just outside the city, to experience a traditional Aarti ceremony. Sanskrit for “remover of darkness,” this ancient Hindu ritual of offering takes place along the scenic Narmada River.

Day 12 –Jabalpur

Day 12 –Jabalpur – Bandhavgarh NP (170kms 03 hrs)

Day 12 –Bandhavgarh NP

Day 12 –Bandhavgarh NP – Khajuraho (230-05 hrs)

Day 16 –Khajuraho – Orchha (200 kms – 04 hrs)

Day 17 –Orchha – Gwalior (130 kms – 02 hrs)

Day 18 –Gwalior – Agra (120 kms 03 hrs)

Day 19 –Agra – Delhi (210 km 04 hrs)