 |
 |
 |
Custom Itineraries |
|
 |
 |
| |
| SAILING
PLUS TEMPLE AND TRIBES -
Explore modern and Old, from Luten's New Delhi
to eternal city Kashi (Varanasi), Experience the
Indian rail and local sail on the Ganges, Encounter
with multiple cultures, from modern, ancient to
primitive.
Read
More...
|
|
 |
| |
|
|
| |
SOUTHERN VISTA - Traditional
images of Southern India are best seen in the living
people, thronging the great temples, bathing in sacred
rivers, renewing the continuity of the old Dravidian
culture which escaped the invasions of the north.
Traveling by train, small bus and riverboat, our journey
explores the glorious temple complexes and meanders
through the lush Malabar backwaters.
Read
More...
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTS -
First we explore New Delhi (creation of British
Raj) and Old Delhi creation of Mughal dynasty.
Then we discover the Pink City - Jaipur, which
has been the capital of Rajasthan since 1728,
here the visit includes City Palace, Hawa Mahal,
Jantar Mantar and Amber Fort. At Agra beside other
monument, we explore Taj Mahal - the world’s
most perfect and poetic building. Created by Shah
Jahan (1630 –52) as a funerary monument
to his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal. In Khajuraho
Chandela rulers built 85 temples to the glory
of God, between the years 950 to 1050 A.D. Today
22 of them survive and has no parallel architecturally.
The eternal city of Varanasi's antiquity can be
traced back at least the middle of first millennium
B.C. It has not served merely as a holy center
of pilgrimage but also as a great seat of traditional
of Hindu learning and culture.
Read
More...
|
|
|
| |
|
|
ORISSA GOLDEN TRIANGLE -After
discovering Kolkatta, the first British capital
in India, we fly to Bhubaneshwar - the capital
of Orissa only since 1956, is the city of temples.
There were once over 1000 of them; a large number
are still standing and active. A large number
of temples are located around Bindu Sarovar,
a tank which is believed to receive water from
all the holy rivers. Some of the temples here
are Linga Raj temple built in 1114 A.D. to the
glory of Shiva, Vaital Deul is a typical 8th
century Khakera and Mukteshwar temple, it is
the gem of Orissan architecture. Puri at a distance
of 60 km from Bhubaneshwar, is the holiest place
in Orissa and one of the biggest pilgrimage
centers in India, it is known for its cult of
Jagannath temple. Few kilometer further in Konark,
a former center Orissan Buddhism. A temple to
the sun god was built here in the 9th century,
the present sun temple was erected in the 13th
century.
Read
More...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ORISSA TEMPLES & TRIBES-After
discovering Kolkatta, the first British capital in
India, we fly to Bhubaneshwar - the capital of Orissa
only since 1956, is the city of temples. There were
once over 1000 of them; a large number are still standing
and active. A large number of temples are located
around Bindu Sarovar, a tank which is believed to
receive water from all the holy rivers. Some of the
temples here are Linga Raj temple built in 1114 A.D.
to the glory of Shiva, Vaital Deul is a typical 8th
century Khakera and Mukteshwar temple, it is the gem
of Orissan architecture. Puri at a distance of 60
km from Bhubaneshwar, is the holiest place in Orissa
and one of the biggest pilgrimage centers in India,
it is known for its cult of Jagannath temple. Few
kilometer further in Konark, a former center Orissan
Buddhism. A temple to the sun god was built here in
the 9th century, the present sun temple was erected
in the 13th century. Beside the temples, we explore
various primitive tribes and tribal markets through
Taptapani, Baligudha, Rayagadha and Jeypore. st
Read
More...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
NEPAL EXTENSION-After
exploring the Indian Sub-continent, we enter into
Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal via Sanauli border and
spent a night at Behrwa. From here we will travel
to Chitwan which was shooting reserve for Nepal rulers,
later it was established as a small rhinoceros sanctuary,
now a it is offers a vide variety of species that
include one horned rhinocero, which can be easy seen
from an elephant back, The tiger, the leopard, gaur
and many more. After game viewing in Chitwan, we move
to capital of Nepal, the Katmandu where we will spend
few days exploring the interesting sites and two main
cultures Hinduism and Buddhism intermingling with
each other.
Read
More...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
MADRAS GOLDEN TRIANGLE-This
is a short itinerary which discovers a few magnificent
sites of South India beside relaxing on one of its
golden beaches. First visit some of the highlight
of Chennai, then we move to Mahabalipurm to admire
the Shore Temple, as well as other monolithic monuments
and relax on beach. In Madurai we explore the famous
Meenakshi temple dedicated to Meenakshi Sundarama,
is a large temple - town complex of walls, corridors,
concentric streets, tanks shops and finally, the main
shrine, with sculptured pillars, and the figures on
the Gopurams. The temple has an interesting museum
located in its 1000 - pillared hall. Continuing our
exploration we drive to Tiruchirapalli in short refered
to as Trichy. its major attraction is the unique Rock
Fort temple.
Read
More...
|
|
Temples
As obvious as it can be,
India is a country of rich culture and diversity
which has developed over the years. It has
been observed that this variety exists not
only in food , lifestyles , clothes , traditions
, and religions, but also in the architecture
of holy places and temples. Ranging from
its northernmost tip to the southernmost
tip, India is suffused with places of worship.
Many theories have developed regarding the
existence of temples, which includes giving
a concrete place to God and paving a way
to attain good karma. An Indian structural
temple could be Hindu, Jain, Buddhist or
Sikh.
The object of worship
differs and could be one of the deities
of the Hindu pantheon in a Hindu temple,
a Jain trithankara (teacher – saint)
in a Jain temple, a stupa or a figure of
the Buddha in a Buddhist temple (monastery)
and Guru Granth sahib, the Sacred book of
Sikhs, in Sikh temple known as Gurudwara.
The Hindu temples
provide an insight into the development
of temple architecture in India. Temple
architecture can be roughly divided in to
three main types. The Northern style known
as the Nagara, the Southern style, the Dravida,
and the third, the Chalukyan school of Karnataka
which combines the features of both styles
and spread to all parts of the country.
There is very little
difference in the development of Hindu and
Jain temples. The Jain temple, in keeping
with the need for privacy and seclusion
during rituals, has enclosed rooms in places
of open pillared of the Hindu temple. In
the Dilvara temples at Mount Abu (Rajasthan),
sculptures, intricate and delicate cover
every inch of the marble. Yet the effect
is not of satiation but of harmonious exuberance,
of great grace and charm.
From the 12th century, Muslim invaders from
the north – west stayed on to form
kingdoms. This resulted in a whole new phase
in the building of monuments whose architectural
style was Indo – Islamic. The best
examples of Indo – Islamic architecture
can be seen in Delhi. The Suri style seen
in Delhi and at Sasaram in Bihar, was a
precursor of the Mughal style.
Religions
Religion is an integral
part of the total Indian tradition. Four
of the World’s major faiths have met
on Indian soil i.e. Hinduism, Buddhism,
Christianity and Islam. The first two of
these were born in India. There are more
religions practiced in India than any other
country. Nearly all the religions of the
world have followers in this country.
Even religions which came
from outside have assimilated the subtle,
indefinable shades of mood, attitude and
lifestyle that are distinctively Indian
and a survey of Indian religions provides
fascinating glimpses of the colorful variegated
pattern of Indian life and culture. Whereas
it was Indian religion and culture that
attracted the east all the way up to Japan
and Korea, the wealth of India, its spices,
ivory and precious stones have always attracted
the west.
Religion has always had a tremendous hold
on the Indian mind. Even today, in spite
of the impact of science, technology and
materialistic ideologies, religion is a
powerful source in Indian life
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
