Day 1/ Arrival Delhi
Arrive Delhi. meet assist at the airport and transfer to hotel.
Day 2/ Gwalior
Entrain to Gwalior, gateway to Madhya Pradesh, by luxury train.
Arrive & transfer to hotel. Later proceed for sightseeing
including an extraordinary fortress and its riches of ancient
and medieval temples, mosques and palaces. Night stay in Gwalior.
Day 3/ Shivpuri
117km south-west of Gwalior is Shivpuri. A pleasant lake surrounded
by gardens here has been a summer retreat for the Scindia royalty
who wished to escape from the oppressive summers of Gwalior.
Shivpuri houses a wildlife sanctuary and several hunting lodges.
Near Shivpuri, ancient Jain temples scattered across a hilly
slope glisten in the sun. Return to Gwalior for night stay.
Days 4&5/ Orchha
112km south of Gwalior by car, reach Orchha, founded by Rudra
Pratap, a Bundela ruler. The region is situated on the banks
of the Betwa River. Later, Orchha was the capital of Bir Singh
Deo (1605-1627) who built the Jehangir Mahal to please the Mogul
emperor Jehangir. Close-by, near the border of Madhya Pradesh,
is Datia, site of the 7-storeyed palace of Bir Singh Deo.
The temples and palaces of the Bundela rulers still retain their
medieval grandeur. The palace walls are decorated with colourful
frescoes executed in the manner of miniature paintings, and
depict scenes from the popular legend of love between Radha
and Lord Krishna. Masterpiece conceptions are the Ram Raja Temple,
the only temple in India where devotees worship Lord Rama as
a king, and Phool Bagh, an artificial cascade. Flight to Bhopal.
capital of the province.
Days 6 & 7/ Pachmarhi
195km from Bhopal, at 1100 metres above sea level, this the
most exquisite all-season hill-resort of MP. The entire landscape
of long pathways, wooded shades and rocky facades is strewn
with history and mythology. Worthy of a visit are the 10,000
years old rock paintings in the caves of Mahadeo Hills. The
Pandava Caves were the mythical home of the exiled Pandava princes
during the Mahabharata era.
The sacred cave of Jata Shankar resembles the matted locks of
Lord Shiva. Then Rajat Pratap, the 350-feet-high waterfall is
honeymooners’ delight. There are many other exciting primitive
temple sites and rock formations. Drive to Bhopal. Night stay
in Bhopal.
Day 8/ Bhopal
Bhopal offers an uncommon blend of Hindu and Muslim cultures,
a unique web of northern and southern influences. Except the
lake of Raja Bhoj, little remains of the ancient city. The city
is built at the fringe of the Malwa Plateau on a slope, like
an amphitheatre. It is generously endowed with landscaped gardens
and pools.
Day 9/ Sanchi
68km north of Bhopal by car, a hill rises to pay obeisance to
the oldest and grandest Buddhist edifice—the Sanchi Stupa—at
its crest. Built by the emperor-turned-monk Ashoka of the Maurya
Dynasty in the 3rd century BC, the Stupa is 16 metres high and
37 metres in diameter. The massive dome evokes rare serenity,
and the encircling pathway with four entry points adds to the
solemnity. Return to Bhopal before sundown. Transfer to hotel.
Night stay in Sanchi.
Day 10/ Delhi-Departure
Return to Delhi from Bhopal by luxury train. Transfer to hotel.
Transfer to airport for onward journey.
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