Please note that this is a Travel/Grid Work trip with minimal classroom time.
Each of the sites has been chosen by the Speakers. This is a rigorous and busy journey.
Day 1 – Saturday – October 15 - Departure
Depart New York or London today for India.

Day 2 – Sunday – October 16 - Delhi
Welcome to India and the city of New Delhi.  Upon arrival your host will meet you outside of the Customs area and assist you with the transfer to your hotel. The remainder of the day is on your own for personal pursuits. There will be no dinner or meeting this evening.

Day 3 – Monday – October 17 - Delhi
Your exploration and grid work begins today. Visit Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple (Hindu).10,000 years of Indian Culture is seen amongst its breathtaking grandeur, beauty, wisdom, and bliss. It brilliantly showcases the essence of India’s ancient architecture, traditions, and timeless spiritual messages. The Akshardham experience is an enlightening journey through India’s glorious art, values, and contributions for the progress, happiness, and harmony of mankind. The grand, ancient-styled Swaminarayan Akshardham complex was built in only five years through the blessings of HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) and the colossal devotional efforts of 11,000 artisans and BAPS volunteers. The complex was inaugurated on November 6, 2005. Akshardham means the eternal, divine abode of the supreme God, the abode of eternal values and virtues of Akshar as defined in the Vedas and Upanishads where divine bhakti, purity, and peace forever pervades. Visit Ferozshah Kotla the 5th “City of Delhi” and the capital of the Tughlaq Dynasty, which ruled Delhi Sultanate from AD 1321 to 1414. Built by Ferozshah Tughlaq, the citadel within the walled periphery of the fort had a number of important buildings although presently there are not many that remain. However, the skeletal remnant of this fortified citadel is reflective of the architectural prowess of Sultan Ferozshah Tughlaq. Your final visit today will be to the Yamuna River to view Raj Ghat, a memorial to Mahatma Ghandi. A black marble platform marks the spot of Ghandhi's cremation on January 31, 1948. It is left open to the sky while an eternal flame burns perpetually at one end. This evening gather for a “Welcome to India Dinner”. (B, L, D)

Day 4 – Tuesday – October 18 - Delhi/Amritsar
After breakfast you will check-out of the hotel and drive to the airport where you will take a flight to Amristar the Holy City of the Sikhs. This evening visit Harmandir Sahib (the Golden Temple) the holiest shrine of the Sikh Religion. The Golden Temple sits on a rectangular platform, surrounded by the waters of Amrit Sarovar. The entrance to the Golden Temple complex is through an ornate archway with intricate inlay work. Verses from the Granth Sahib are inscribed on the doorway. The main north entrance is under a Victorian Clock Tower. Known as the Darshani Deori, the entrance is up a flight of steps and down again to the temple and holy tank. The temple is a two storey marble structure reached by a causeway known as Guru´s Bridge. The lower storey is in white marble andthe walls decorated with inlaid flower and animal motifs in the pietradura style of the Taj Mahal. The architecture of the Golden Temple is a blend of Hindu and Muslim styles. (B, L, D)

Day 5 – Wednesday – October 19 - Amritsar/Anadpur Sahib/Chandigarh
Visit the Golden Temple and Akal Takht – Timeless Throne, the seat of the Sikh gurus who wielded both temporal and spiritual power.  Drive to Anandpur Sahib Gurudwara founded by the 9th Sikh guru, Tegh Bahadur in 1664 and considered 2nd only to the Golden Temple.  Also visit the Silver Durga Temple. After your visit drive to Chandigrah where you will have dinner and spend the night. (B, L, D)

Day 6 – Thursday – October 20 - Chandigarh/Rishikesh
The morning is at your leisure or you may join an optional visit to Nek Chand’s Garden, a maze of interlinking courtyards, twisting walkways, staircases, and crashing water falls. Drive to Rishikesh (5 hours) the 1st town to meet the Holy River Ganges as it emerges from the Himalayas. Your accommodations are at the Ananda Spa.  Located in the tranquil Himalayan foothills, Ananda is the spiritual pathway to the ultimate, discovered through the union of body, mind, and soul.  The 24,000 square foot spa offers an extensive menu of over 79 body and beauty treatments, integrating the traditional Indian systems of Ayurveda with the more contemporary Western Spa approach. The spa experience strives to achieve the ultimate harmony between the physical and the mental realms of the individual.With unique focus on the traditional Indian Sciences of Yoga and Ayurveda, the Ananda Spa creates the skillful synthesis between age-old therapies and modern spa technology. The personalized therapy and activities program are designed to meet individual needs and health goals such as de-stressing, detoxification and cleansing, deep relaxation, anti-ageing, weight and inch loss. The spa also offers guidance in the areas of nutrition and exercise. (B, L, D)

Day 7 – Friday – October 21 - Rishikesh
Visit the city today. “Rishikesh” means the land of the Rishis. The legend says that Rishikesh is the place where Lord Rama came on the advice of sage Vasishtha to serve penance for killing Ravana. The scores of Ashrams and Temples heightened as a result of its influence of sages and scholars that gathered here to preach, discuss Hindu philosophies, and spiritualism. It’s actual positioning, bounded by the Himalayas and the mighty Ganges roaring past its shores, have newly lifted it to fame as a perfect haven for weekend adventurers. Cross Lakhman Jhoola, a suspension bridge across the Holy River Gages that was built over 100 years ago. In the evening visit Triveni Ghat to see the AARTI of the river where lighted lamps and people chant in Sanskrit. (B, L, D)

Day 8 – Saturday – October 22 - Rishikesh/Haridwar/Rishikesh/Delhi
After breakfast visit Har-ki-Pauri Ghat, considered very holy for the Hindus, who would bathe in the river to wash away their sins. Take a flight back to Delhi where you will spend the night. (B, L, D)

Day 9 – Sunday – October 23 - Delhi/Mathura/Delhi
A full day will be spent on an excursion to Mathura, famed for being the birthplace of Lord Krishna. 
Visit the Kesava Deo Temple, a deeply religious site for Hindus. It is said that the first temple here was constructed almost 5,000 years ago by Vajranabha, the great-grandson of Lord Krishna. The next big temple was constructed here during the time of the Gupta Emperor Chandragupta Vikramaditya  around 400 AD. This temple was so grand that it was said that neither painting nor description could describe it. Visit Iskcon and Govind Dev Temple. Govind Dev Temple is one of India’s Holy Places. The temple is a specimen of advanced archeology. It was constructed in 1590 by Raja Man Singh of Amber. (B, L, D)

Day 10 – Monday – October 24 - Delhi/Mumbai
This morning take a flight to Mumbai the commercial capital of India and home to India’s booming film industry. Mumbai is the largest populated state in India and the second largest populated state in the world. An orientation tour of the city will introduce you to the city. See “The gateway to India”an iconic landmark, this arched-yellow basalt gateway was built on the waterfront in 1942 to commemorate King George V’s visit to India. The Hanging Gardens are built on top of Malabar Hill. The gardens are picturesque and you can have a great view of the city and the sea from here. Mani Bhavan is where Mahatama Gandhi stayed during his visits to Mumbai between 1917-1943. Today it is a museum and you can see a photographic record of Gandhiji’s life here. Visit Crawford Market and then Flora Fountain in the heart of the city. This is a commercial area with many offices. Check-in at your hotel. (B, L, D)

Day 11 – Tuesday – October 25 – Aurangabad - Depart today for Aurangabad.
Visit the World Heritage Site of the Ellora Caves, an impressive complex of Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain Cave Temples that were built between the 6th and 10th centuries AD near the ancient Indian Village of Ellora. The caves were carved out of the vertical face of the Charanandri Hills between the 6th and 10th centuries at a time when Buddhism was declining in India and Hinduism was beginning to reassert itself. The Brahmanical Movement was especially powerful under the patronage of the Chalukya and Rashtrakuta Kings. They oversaw most of the work at Ellora, including the magnificent Kailasa Temple built in the 700s. The last period of building activity took place in the 10th century, when the local rulers switched allegiance from Shaivism (Hinduism devoted to Shiva) to the Digambara sect of Jainism. The coexistence of structures from three different religions serves as a splendid visual representation of the prevalent religious tolerance of India. Visit the Temple of Kailash, carved from the solid rock and patterned closely on the freestanding temples of the time. It represents Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva, and is called the Kailashnath, Kailash or Kailasa Temple. It originally had a thick coat of white plaster to make it look like a snowy mountain. The Kailash Temple is a magnificent architectural site, with interesting spatial effects and varied sculpture. It is believed to have been started by the Rashtrakuta King Krishna I (756-773). The construction was a feat of human genius as it entailed the removal of 250,000 tons of rock and took 100 years to complete. (B, L, D)

Day 12 – Wednesday – October 26 - Aurangabad/Ajanta Caves/Mumbai
Full day excursion to Ajanta Caves to see the world famous frescoes painted inside the caves. The Ajanta Caves are a series of 29 Buddhist Cave Temples dating from the 2nd century BC. Encompassing both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist traditions the Ajanta Caves were carved in the 2nd century BC out of a horseshoe-shaped cliff along the Waghora River. They were used by Buddhist Monks as prayer halls (chaitya grihas) and monasteries (viharas) for about nine centuries and then abruptly abandoned. They fell into oblivion until they were rediscovered in 1819.Preserved inside the caves are many masterpieces of Buddhist Art. Some reflect the earlier Theravada Tradition of depicting the Buddha only in symbolic form such as a throne or footprints. Others, such as the Mahayana Caves, feature colorful murals and statues depicting the life (and former lives) of the Buddha and various Bodhisattvas. The caves also depict scenes from everyday life and many include inscriptions indicating a prince or noble who gifted the cave to the monks. Transfer to the airport for a flight to Mumbai. Upon arrival you will have use of a dayroom for freshening up. Enjoy a farewell dinner and then transfer to the airport for your departure flight (just before midnight). (B, L, D)

Day 13 – Thursday - October 27 - Home or Goa Extension
Arrive home your hearts and minds filled with many happy memories of India and the Azurite Family!!!


OPTIONAL PRE TAJ
MAHAL TOUR

Wednesday – October 12 – Departure
Depart New York today for India.

Thursday – October 13 - Delhi
Welcome to India and the city of New Delhi.  Upon arrival your host will
meet you outside of the Customs Area and assist you with the transfer
to your hotel. The remainder of the day is on your own for personal pursuits.

Friday – October 14 – Delhi/Agra
Leave Delhi after breakfast for Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal and the capital
of the Mughal Dynasty. Before arriving in Agra a stop will be made at Sikandra,
the tomb of the 3rd Mughal Akbar the Great. Arrive in Agra where you will have
sometime to relax.  Then it’s off to visit the Agra Fort the stronghold of the Mughal
Dynasty for over 150 years and built over the reigns of three Mughals from 1565AD. 
Enjoy some shopping at the nearby shops. (B, D)

Saturday – October 15 - Agra/Delhi
This morning visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders
of the World the Taj Mahal.  An architectural marble masterpiece the Taj Mahal is
credited to the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan who erected this mausoleum in the
memory of his beloved wife, Arjumand Bano Begum. She was popularly known as
Mumtaz Mahal and died in AH 1040 (AD 1630). Her last wish to her husband was
"to build a tomb in her memory such as the world had never seen before".
Return to Delhi this afternoon. (B, D)

Sunday – October 16 – Delhi
The day is at your leisure before the remainder of the group arrives. (B)


6 DAYS/5 NIGHTS POST GOA EXTENSION
OCTOBER 27 – NOVEMBER 2, 2011
Enjoy a 6 day/5 night post extension in Goa along the beautiful beach and
sparkling waters of the Arabian Sea. There is no structured workshop time,
but like on the previous trip spontaneous grid work may be done.  
     TOUR INCLUDES
  • International air New York/Delhi/New York or
         London/Delhi/London
  • 4 nights accommodation in Delhi at the Hotel Oberoi or similar
  • 1 night accommodation in Amritsar at the Hotel Ista Amristar or similar
  • 1 night accommodation in Chandigarh at the Hotel Taj Chandigarh or similar
  • 2 nights accommodation in Rishikesh at the Hotel Ananda Spa
  • 1 night accommodation in Aurangabad at the Hotel Taj Residency or similar
  • 2 nights accommodation in Mumbai at the Hotel Taj Lands’ End or similar
  • 10 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 10 dinners
  • 2 large bottles of water per day
  • Workshop Fee
  • Grid Work
  • All sightseeing and transfers by motor coach
  • Hotel taxes and service charges
  • Porterage of 1 piece of luggage per person

     NOT INCLUDED
  • Departure Taxes and Airport Security Taxes
  • India Visa
  • Items of a personal nature such as laundry, telephone calls, inter-net services, soft drinks, coffee, tea (except at breakfast), mineral water, alcoholic beverages, travel insurance, etc……
  • Please Note: All times are based on Guardian Time.  Itinerary sequence subject to change without prior notice.

    PRE-TOUR INCLUDES
  • ·2 nights accommodation in Delhi at the Taj Palace Hotel or similar
  • 1 night accommodation in Agra at the ITC Mughal Hotel
  • Round trip transfers Delhi/Agra/Delhi by private mini-van
  • English speaking guide at the Taj Mahal
  • 3 breakfasts and 1 dinner
  • Hotel taxes and service charges