Golden Temple with Shimla Tour

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Golden Temple with Shimla Tour
 (07 Nights / 08 Days)

 

Day 01: – Arrival Delhi                              

Welcome upon arrival at Delhi International airport. You will be assisted upon arrival and transferred to Hotel.cropchrist church_shimla

Overnight stay at Hotel.

Day 02: –   Delhi                                      

Delhi is a city that bridges two different worlds. Old Delhi, once the capital of Islamic India, is a labyrinth of narrow lanes lined with crumbling havelis and formidable mosques. In contrast, the imperial city of New Delhi created by the British Raj is composed of spacious, tree-lined avenues and imposing government buildings. Delhi has been the seat of power for several rulers and many empires for about a millennium. Many a times the city was built, destroyed and then rebuilt here. Interestingly, a number of Delhi’s rulers played a dual role, first as destroyers and then as creators.

Today you will enjoy full day city tour of Old and New Delhi which includes Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar, Lotus Temple, India Gate, Sacred heart Cathedral, Raj Ghat, Red Fort, Jama Masjid

Humayun’s Tomb was the first Persian architecture building with surrounding gardens to come up during the Mughal era and marked the beginning of building large exquisite tombs for the erstwhile emperors. This gave birth to Indo-Islamic architecture which is dominant in the architecture of the Mughal era. Humayun’s tomb was build in the center of fours parts of a quadrilateral garden known as the Char Bagh Garden – it was the largest garden in Asia at the time covering an area of 30 acres. The tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993

Qutub Minar a UNESCO World Heritage Site is the tallest minaret in India. Construction of Qutub Minar was started in 1192 by Qutub-ud-din Aibak, his successor Iltutmush added 3 more sections and Firoz Shah Tughlak added two more sections in 1368. The 72.5 meter tall minaret is built of red sandstone and marble, this victory tower was used as a watch tower. Qutub Minar was repaired by Firoz Shah Tughluq (Late 1300s) and Sikandar Lodi ( early 1500s). Qutub Minar was built on the ruins of Lal Kot or the Red Fortress, in the then city of Dillika – the capital of the last Hindu Rulers Tomars and Chauhans of Delhi. The 7 meter tall Iron Pillar in the Qutub Complex is an alloy made of many metals and has Sanskrit inscriptions in Brahmi script dating back to the 4th Century.

Lotus Temple, also called Bahai Temple. This distinctive lotus shaped marvel in marble is surrounded by a landscaped garden and is a symbol of peace. Similar in style to the Sydney opera house is this white marble and concrete structure in the shape of a lotus flower. This is the Asian headquarters of the Bahai faith (Closed on Mondays).

India Gate war memorial dedicated to the lives laid down by the Indian soldiers. Then pas thru the president’s residence – Formerly the Viceroy’s Palace, parliament House and the Secretariat buildings, – an interesting blend of the Victorian and 20th century architecture.

Sacred Heart Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral belonging to the Latin Rite and one of the oldest church buildings in New Delhi. Father Luke, a member of the Franciscan first order, founded by St. Francis of Assisi, took the initiative to build the church, and the Archbishop of Agra in 1929 Rev. Dr. E. Vanni laid the foundation stone in 1929 and construction began in 1930. Sir Anthony de Mello donated the main Altar of the Church, which is made of pure marble. The Archbishop of Agra presented a bell, vestments and altar furniture. The project was financed by the colonial officers of the British Empire.

Raj Ghat Set in the midst of deep green lawns, Rajghat is the place where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated. A memorial to the father of the nation, Rajghat is a simple square platform with a black memorial stone with “Hey Ram” inscribed on it.

Jama Masjid (Mosque) – This great mosque of Old Delhi is the largest in India, with a courtyard capable of holding 25,000 devotees. It was begun in 1644 and ended up being the final architectural extravagance of Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor.

Red Fort  Shahjahan famous citadel, the Lal-Qila, or the Red Fort, lying at the town’s northern end on the right bank or the Yamuna and south of Salimgarh, was begun in 1639 and completed after nine years. The Red Fort is different from the Agra fort and is better planned, because at its back lies the experience gained by Shahjahan at Agra, and because it was the work of one hand. It is an irregular octagon, with two long sides on the east and west, and with two main gates, one on the west and the other on the south, called Lahori and Delhi gates respectively. While the walls, gates and a few other structures in the fort are constructed of red sandstone, marble has been largely used in the palaces.

Overnight stay at Hotel.

Day 03: – Delhi – Amritsar

Morning you will be transferred to Delhi railway station to connect your train for Amritsar.

Amritsar historically also known as Ramdaspur and colloquially as Ambarsar, is a city in north-western part in India in the state of Punjab (India). The city was founded in 1574 by the fourth Sikh guru, Guru Ram Das.

It is home to the Harmandir Sahib (commonly known as the Golden Temple), the spiritual and cultural center for the Sikh religion. This important Sikh shrine attracts more visitors than the Taj Mahal with more than 100,000 visitors on week days alone and is the most popular destination for non-resident Indians (NRI) in the whole of India. The city also houses the Akal Takht, the highest seat of earthly authority of the Khalsa, and the committee responsible for the upkeep of Gurdwaras.

Upon arrival at Amritsar you will be met and transferred to hotel.

 Overnight stay at Hotel.

 Day 04: – Amritsar                                                                                                        

Today you will enjoy city tour of Amritsar.

Golden Temple also known as The Harmandir Sahib and Darbar Sahib and informally referred to as the “Golden Temple” is the holiest Sikh gurdwara. The Harmandir Sahib was designed by the fifth guru, Guru Arjan, who had the cornerstone laid by the Muslim Sufi saint Sai Hazrat Mian Mir on 28 December 1588. Guru Arjan completed the Adi Granth, the holy scripture of Sikhism, in 1604 and installed it in the gurdwara. There are four doors to get into the Harmandir Sahib, which symbolize the openness of the Sikhs towards all people and religions. The present-day gurdwara was rebuilt in 1764 by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia with the help of other Sikh Misls. In the early nineteenth century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh secured the Punjab region from outside attack and covered the upper floors of the gurdwara with gold, which gives it its distinctive appearance and its English name.

The Harimandir Sahib is considered holy by Sikhs. The holiest text of Sikhism, the Guru Granth Sahib, is present inside the gurdwara during daytime and the holy book goes for Sukhasan during the night time.

Jallianwala Bagh bears testimony to one of the world’s worst carnage. It was on a fateful Monday afternoon of April 13, 1919, that a senior British Army officer Reginald Dyer, ordered his soldiers to fire on thousands of unarmed Indian people. The natives had gathered for a protest meeting against the cruel policies pursued against them by the Colonial British Government. In this mad shooting frenzy over 1000 innocent people lost their lives. Over 2000 people suffered brutal injuries. Even today, the bullet marks on the robust walls of the Jallianwala Bagh reminds humanity of the macabre act piloted by General Dyer.
Wagha Border lies on the Grand Trunk road between the Indian Punjab City of Amritsar and Pakistani Punjab City of Lahore. Every evening, the flag lowering ceremony by the soldiers of both India and Pakistan takes place at this border. It is a great sight to watch Indian soldiers in Khaki uniform and Pakistani soldiers in dark green outfit meticulously completing the formality of flag lowering.

Overnight stay at Hotel.

Day 05: – Amritsar – Chandigarh                                                                                           

Morning you will be transferred to Chandigarh (240 Kms – Approx 5.30 Hours)

Chandigarh This city is designed by legendary, Le Corbusier the Swiss- French architect . Chandigarh is the first planned city of India .It is famous world over for its amazing architectural structures and incredible landscapes. Chandigarh derives its name from the temple of “Chandi Mandir” located in the vicinity of the site selected for the city. The deity ‘Chandi’, the goddess of power and a fort of ‘garh’ lying beyond the temple gave the city its name “Chandigarh-The City Beautiful”.

Upon arrival you will enjoy visiting Rock Garden, Rose Garden and Sukhna Lake.

Rock Garden is a sculpture garden also known as Nek Chand’s Rock Garden after its founder Nek Chand, a government official who started the garden secretly in his spare time in 1957. Today it is spread over an area of 40 acres (161874.25 m²). It is completely built of industrial and home waste and thrown-away items. It is near Sukhna Lake. It consists of man-made interlinked waterfalls and many other sculptures that have been made of scrap and other kinds of wastes (bottles, glasses, bangles, tiles, ceramic pots, sinks, electrical waste, etc.) which are placed in walled paths.

Sukhna Lake is a reservoir at the foothills of the Himalayas, the Shivalik hills. This 3 km² rain fed lake was created in 1958 by damming the Sukhna Choe, a seasonal stream coming down from the Shivalik Hills. Originally the seasonal flow entered the lake directly causing heavy siltation. To check the inflow of silt, 25.42 km² of land was acquired in the catchment area and put under vegetation. In 1974, the Choe was diverted and made to bypass the lake completely, the lake being fed by three siltation pots, minimising the entry of silt into the lake itself.

Rose garden Zakir Hussain Rose Garden, is a botanical garden and spread over 30 acres (120,000 m2) of land, with 50,000 rose-bushes of 1600 different species. Named after India’s former president, Zakir Hussain and created in 1967 under the guidance of Dr M.S. Randhawa, Chandigarh’s first chief commissioner, the garden has the distinction of being Asia’s largest. The garden has not only roses, but also trees of medicinal value. Some of the medicinal plants that can be spotted here are bel, bahera, harar, camphor and yellow gulmohar. The rose plants have been planted in carved-out lawns and flower beds.

 Later check in at hotel.

 Overnight stay at the Hotel.

Day 06: – Chandigarh – Shimla                                                                                                          

Morning you will be transferred to Shimla (120 Kms- Approx 6 Hours)

Shimla was declared as the summer capital of British India in 1864. At present capital of Himachal Pradesh state of India. Shimla has been blessed with all the natural bounties which one can think of. It has got a scenic location, it is surrounded by green hills with snow capped peaks. The spectacular cool hills accompanied by the structures made during the colonial era creates an aura which is very different from other hill. Shimla is a well known destination for honeymooners. It is nestled in the Shivalik Ranges and is a stunning place to visit on a honeymoon with views of the snow capped Himalayan ranges and far stretching valleys.

Upon arrival at Shimla, Check in at hotel.

 Overnight stay at Hotel.

Day 07: – Shimla                                                                                                           

Today you will enjoy the tour of Shimla, which includes The Mall, The Christ Church, Shimla State Museum.

The Mall is the main street and famous shopping center of Shimla. Constructed during British colonial rule, the Mall road is located a level below the ridge. Here you will find products of Himachal Pradesh like locally designed woolen cloths, branded cloths, pottery items, and jewellery.

The Christ Church built in the neo-Gothic style in 1857 to serve the largely Anglican British community in what was formerly called Simla, Christ Church is situated on The Ridge where it stands out as one of the prominent landmarks of Shimla. The silhouette of Christ Church is visible for miles around the vicinity of Shimla city. Christ Church remains one of the enduring legacies of the British Raj. Christ Church was designed by Colonel J. T. Boileau in 1844, and the church was consecrated after 1857. The clock adorning Christ Church was donated by Colonel Dumbleton in 1860. The porch was added in 1873.

 Shimla State Museum   is housed in an old Victorian mansion carefully altered to adapt it to the museum. Perched on a lonely hilltop known as ‘Inveram’ the serenity and the quietude of the distant mountains from here is striking. Previously, the building remained a private residence of Lord William Beresford, the Military Secretary to the Viceroy, Lord William Bentick. When he left India, the building was occupied by Sir Edwin Collan and thereafter by Sir Edward Law, the Finance member of the Council. Later, it continued to serve as residence of Indian government officials.

The State Museum Shimla was opened on January 26, 1974 to collect and preserve the ancient artistic, historical, archaeological and ethnological human works in order that the future generation may have access to the cultural treasure it has inherited from the past. Since then the institution has played a significant role in collecting and preserving the scattered cultural heritage which otherwise was endangered and becoming extinct.

 Later visit Jakhu Temple and The Tara Devi Temple are some of the famous Hindu Temples existing in this beautiful Hill Station.

Overnight stay at Hotel.

Day 08: – Shimla – Delhi (By Surface)                                                                                                           

Today in time you will transferred back to Delhi.

Upon arrival at Delhi you will be assisted and transferred to Delhi international airport to board your flight for onward destination.

Visit ends

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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