Spiritual Tour (2 Jyotirlinga, Monasteries & Holy Ghats)

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Arrive Delhi (flight)
1 stop
1
New Delhi
On arrival at Delhi airport assistance and transfer to hotel check in. (hotel check in / out time 1200hr afternoon early check in subject to rooms availability). Later city tour of Delhi, visiting landmark of Old Delhi which include Red Fort the residence of the Mughal emperor for nearly 200 years until 1857. Jama Masjid one of the largest mosques in the world, built by Shah Jahan. Cycle Rickshaw ride in Chandni chowk & Khari Baoli Spice Market a busy shopping area with markets full of spices, dried fruit, silver jewelry and vivid saris, while the narrow side streets are crowded with tiny shops selling essential oils, stationery and traditional Indian sweets. Raj Gath the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi where he was cremated after his assassination. In New Delhi visit Humayun Tomb the first garden-tomb in Indian subcontinent and an early example of Mughal architecture commissioned by Humayun's first wife Empress Bega Begum in 1569-70. Qutab Minar a 73-metres tall minaret that forms part of the Qutb complex a fine examples of Afghan architecture. Lotus Temple a Baháʼí House of Worship notable for its flowerlike shape open to all, regardless of religion. Drive thrugh VVIP areas passing President House, Parliament & India Gate etc.
6 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 2
Delhi - Prayagraj (Allahabad) (flight)
1 stop
2
Breakfast at hotel transfer to airport to board flight for Allahabad. On arrival at airport assistance and transfer to hotel. Rest time free and easy to relax and visit Anand Bhawan the ancestral home of Jawaharlal Nehru, the freedom fighter and the first Prime-Minister of India. The place is also home to Indira Gandhi, the "Iron Lady of India". The place has today been turned into a fine museum. The importance of this place also increases because of the fact that several momentous decisions and events, related to the freedom struggle took place here. The main building houses a museum that displays the memorabilia of the Nehru family.
5 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 3
Prayagraj – Varanasi (120kms/ 2.3hrs approx)
1 stop
3
Breakfast at hotel, city tour of prayagraj. Visit Sangam: literally means confluence. The place has been named so because it is situated on the confluence of Ganges, Yamuna and a mythical river named Saraswati. The actual confluence is located around 7 Kilometers from the Civil Lines. The place is considered to be one of the most sacred in Hindu religion and is the site for Ardh-Kumbh and Kumbh Mela that takes every 6 and 12 years respectively.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 4
Varanasi
3 stops
4
Early morning boat ride and Ghat visit along the Ganges and catch the scene of devotees bathing and praying in the sacred water. Visit Kashi Vishwanath Mandir - the temple complex consists of a series of smaller shrines, located in a small lane called the Vishwanatha Galli, near the river. The main temple is quadrangle and is surrounded by shrines of other gods. There are small temples for Kaalbhairav, Dhandapani, Avimukteshwara, Vishnu, Vinayaka, Sanishwara, Virupaksha and Virupaksh Gauri in the complex. There is a small well in the temple called the Jnana Vapi also spelled as Gyaan vapi (the wisdom well). The Jnana Vapi well sites to the north of the main temple and during the invasion by the Mughals the Jyotirlinga was hidden in the well to protect it at the time of invasion. It is said that the main priest of the temple jumped in the well with the Shiv Ling in order to protect the Jyotirlinga from invaders. Return to hotel for breakfast. Thereafter full day to explore Sarnath & Varanasi.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
5
Sarnath - here the Buddha delivered his first discourse, the Dhammacakka Pavattana Sutta (Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion), which explains the four noble truths and the noble eightfold path. It was also in Sarnath that the Buddha appointed his first group of disciples (sangha) to propagate his new teaching. Among the most notable monuments at Sarnath are the Dhamek Stupa, originally built by Ashoka, and the Ashoka Pillar, whose inscription points out the necessity of unity within the sangha. The ruins of various stupas and monasteries at Sarnath bear witness to of the monastic tradition that flourished here for over 1,500 years; among the new temples is the Mulaghandhakuti Vihara, built in 1922 by Anagarika Dharmapala. Today, hundreds of pilgrims visit the Vihara every evening to chant the Dhammacakka Pavattana Sutta, acknowledging with their voices the wisdom and compassion that began to emanate from Sarnath with the Buddha’s first sermon.
3 hours • Admission ticket free
6
Varanasi
City tour of Varanasi visit World famous Benaras Hindu University, The Ramnagar Fort Palace & Many Temples.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
Day 5
Varanasi - Bodhgaya (250kms/ 5hrs approx)
1 stop
7
Bodh Gaya
Breakfast at hotel drive to Bodhgaya check in at hotel. Later visit Mahabodhi Temple an UNESCO World Heritage Site, encompassed by an ancient railing dating back to 100BC. Bodhi Tree: where Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. Also visit Tibetan Monastery, Burmese Temple, Chinese Temple and Monastery, Buddhist Monastery of Bhutan, Thai Temple and Monastery, and many more. Rest time to relax, evening attend temple aarti. Gaya is a holy city beside the Falgu River. It’s known for 18th-century Vishnupad Mandir, a riverside temple with an octagonal shrine. Close by, ancient Mangla Gauri Temple is set on a hilltop. To the north, Hindu devotees bath in a Brahma Kund pond before honoring their deceased ancestors atop Pretshila Hill.
5 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 6
Bodhgaya - Deoghar (235kms/ 5hrs approx)
1 stop
8
Breakfast at hotel drive to Deoghar check in at hotel. Later visit Baba Baidyanath Dham - The most prominent temple in town that draws devotees in hordes every year. The Baba Baidyanath Temple is revered as both a jyotirlinga (devotional representation of Lord Shiva) and a shaktipeeth (devotional shrines where the severed body parts of Goddess Shakti fell). It also houses idols of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Parvati. Prayers begin at 4 am and first the head priest worships with shodashopachar (sixteen services). Then, devotees are allowed to worship the Lord. Legend has it that this is the place where the king of Lanka, Ravana, sacrificed his ten heads one by one to Lord Shiva. Seeing this, the Lord descended on earth and healed Ravana's injuries. Thus, Shiva is called 'vaidhya' meaning doctor or healer. While there are several such legends associated with this sacred land, history too proves its importance. A mention of the temple can be found from 8th century AD, during the rule of the last king of the Gupta dynasty, Adityasena Gupta. During the Mughal period, Raja Man Singh, the ruler of Amber, is said to have built a pond here, which is known as Mansarovar. The temple faces the east and is a plain stone structure with a pyramidal tower, which is 72 ft high. Atop it are three compactly set gold vessels, along with a punchshula (five knives in a trident shape). There is also an eight-petaled lotus called Chandrakanta Mani. Rest time to relax.
5 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 7
Deoghar - Nalanda - Patna (265kms/ 6hrs approx) / Delhi (flight)
1 stop
9
Breakfast at hotel drive to Patna, enroute visit Nalannda a hot seat of knowledge and learning established in the 5th century. Continue drive to Patna and dropoff to airport to board flight for Delhi. On arrival at Delhi airport assistance and transfer to hotel.
4 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 8
Delhi - Departure (flight)
1 stop
10
New Delhi
Breakfast at hotel as per flight schedule transfer to airport to board flight for onward destination.
3 hours • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Specialized infant seats are available
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

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