Encountering Religions

This is an opportunity not to be missed. This visit is a must for those with an interest in the great religions of India. It will provide a wide range of opportunities to experience firsthand the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of India, and to reflect on the diversity of religions practiced here. It will also offer ample opportunity to deepen knowledge and understanding and of course to take photographs and buy artifacts (a particular help for teachers!).

The Tour begins in Delhi where we will spend some time in the footsteps of the great Mahatma Gandhi as well as focusing on Islam, the Baha’i faith and visiting a multi-faith, farm-based community that combines work with meditation as a means of spiritual growth. A day’s visit by coach to Agra to visit the incredible Taj Mahal is incorporated into our stay in Delhi.

Then by train to the historic city of Amritsar, where we will experience the calm and spiritual culture of Sikhism. Visits to the Harimandir Saheb (the Golden Temple), Goindwall, and Tarn Taran will be times that will live in my memory. We will also visit Wagha on the border of India and Pakistan to witness the ‘flags down’ military ceremony. From Amritsar, we fly to Delhi before boarding an overnight sleeper train to the sacred city of Varanasi on the banks of the holy Ganga. Here we will experience the vibrancy, color, and beliefs of Hinduism at a place of great significance and sacredness. A short distance away is Sarnath, where we will see the spot where Buddha preached his first sermon. Another train takes us to Bodhgaya the place where the Buddha attained Enlightenment.

After Boghgaya we travel, again by train, to Kolkatta, the city of Kali and of Mother Teresa. An early morning walk around part of this teeming city will give us a feel of the ‘old Raj’. We visit a beautiful Jain temple as well as sites associated with Mother Teresa (her convent, the original home of the dying she opened and an orphanage).

The Itinerary

DELHI - AGRA - AMRITSAR - DELHI - VARANASI - BODHGAYA - KOLKATA

Meal Code: (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner

Humayun's Tomb, New Delhi

DAY 1: TO DELHI

Fly from London Heathrow (departing at 1700) by Emirate Airlines via Dubai. Flights from other regional airports in UK are available on request.

DAY 2: DELHI

Arrive in Delhi at 0925 and transfer to our hotel before taking some rest and having the morning at leisure. Late afternoon sightseeing including a rickshaw ride to Jama Masjid- India’s largest Mosque and a visit to Humayun’s Tomb, the Qutub Minar, and the Raj Ghat — Mahatma Gandhi’s moving cremation site.

  • Overnight in Hotel Shangrilla, New Delhi
  • BLD

DAY 3: DELHI

After Breakfast a visit to Shri Gobind Sadan, a multi-faith complex that combines hard work and meditation for spiritual development. Followed by visits to the tranquil Baha’i Lotus Temple and to the shrine of Hazrat Nizamu Din famous Sufi poet Amir Khusro.

  • Overnight in Hotel Shangrilla, New Delhi
  • BLD

Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab

DAY 4: DAY OPTIONAL EXCURSION TO AGRA

An optional day trip by train (outward) and coach (inward) to Agra to see the impressive Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort. Many would say that no trip to India is complete without the sight of the Taj, the world’s greatest monument to love!

  • Overnight in Hotel
  • D

DAY 5: TO AMRITSAR

Journey by train (First class Air-conditioned) to Amritsar where after an afternoon rest we will do an after-dinner visit to the Harimandir Saheb (Golden Temple) to see the Sukh Asana ceremony where the Guru Granth Sahib is put to rest for the night.

  • Overnight in Hotel
  • D

DAY 6: AMRITSAR

A daytime visit to the spectacular Harimandir Saheb to focus on every Sikh’s goal to build a close loving relationship with God. Our visit will include voluntary work at the langar where around 35,000 pilgrims a day are fed for free. We will also visit Jalianwala Baug where General Dyer massacred over 400 unarmed Indians in 1919. The day concludes with an evening visit to the Wagha border between India and Pakistan where the ‘Lowering of the Flags’ ceremony takes place as the border is closed for the night.

  • Overnight in Hotel
  • D

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

DAY 7: AMRITSAR

Today we visit the nearby Sikh Goindwal of Tarn Taran and Goindwal, enjoying the beautiful Punjabi countryside as we do so. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight at the hotel.

  • Overnight in Hotel
  • D

DAY 8: TO VARANASI

From Amritsar to Varanasi via a flight to Delhi, rest at the Taj Palace Hotel where we can enjoy the pool or take an optional trip to see more of the Delhi sites before boarding the overnight sleeper train to Varanasi.

  • Rest at Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi

DAY 9: VARANASI

On arrival in Varanasi, we settle into the Hotel Taj Ganges before taking an afternoon excursion to Sarnath. (8 km from Varanasi) where the Buddha delivered his first sermon after his Enlightenment. We join the evening Aarti ceremony (a spectacular fire ritual dedicated to river Ganges) at Sasumedh Ghat. Stay at Hotel Taj Ganges for 2 nights

  • Overnight in Hotel Taj Ganges, Varanasi
  • D

Bodh Gaya, Bihar

DAY 10: TO BODHGAYA

Leave for a morning boat ride on the Ganges River to see meditating sadhus and life on the Ghats of the city. Return to hotel for breakfast and some relaxation and an opportunity to do some shopping in Varanasi, renowned for its silk before boarding a train for our journey to Bodhgaya.

  • Overnight in Sambodhi Retreat, Bodhgaya
  • BLD

DAY 11: BODHGAYA

Morning after breakfast visits the Mahabodhi Temple which includes the Bodhi Tree under which Buddha attained Enlightenment: some of us may wish to revisit the Temple for evening meditation.

  • Overnight in Sambodhi Retreat, Bodhgaya
  • BLD

DAY 12: BODHGAYA

Day at leisure to rest and relax in Bodhgaya.

  • Overnight in Sambodhi Retreat, Bodhgaya
  • D

Victoria Memorial, Kolkata

DAY 13: TO KOLKATA

The morning after breakfast, we transfer to the railway station to board AL SEDH Express in second class Airconditioned to Kolkata where, on arrival, we move to Hotel Taj Bengal for three nights.

  • Overnight in Hotel Taj Bengal, Kolkata
  • BLD

DAY 14: KOLKATA

Early morning heritage walk of Dalhousie Square, now a World Heritage Site beginning at the Flower Market on the Rive Hooghly and taking in the ‘Black Hole’. The whole experience takes you back to the 18th and 19th century when the British ruled the entire subcontinent from Kolkata - at that time the most fashionable city in the world after London. Breakfast at Flury’s, which began in the days of the Raj. Evening Boat ride on Hooghly River. Take in the glory of the setting sun on the river Hooghly, a tributary of the Ganges, while sailing upriver to Belur Math, the international headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission and Dakshineswar, a unique Kali temple.

  • Overnight in Hotel Taj Bengal, Kolkata
  • BLD

DAY 15: KOLKATA

After Breakfast visits the beautiful Jain Temple, Victoria Memorial, National Museum, and Mother Teresa’s Orphanage, home for dying and convent. Evening at Leisure.

  • Overnight in Hotel Taj Bengal, Kolkata
  • BLD

DAY 16: INTERNATIONAL DEPARTURE

Transfer to Airport to board the Emirate airlines flight at 0945 to London via Dubai.