India... northern regions October 26 - November 7, 2009
An enriching cultural exploration filled with timeless traditions and incredible sites. Twelve inspiring days visiting and exploring the north regions of this remarkable country .
Northern India includes:
Delhi… with its brilliant mosques, colorful bazaars, and the site of many ancient and medieval monuments
Kurukshetra… the birth place of the Bhagvad Gita and Brahma Sarovar, a holy bathing site
Chandigarh…also called “The City Beautiful” known internationally for its architecture
Haridwar…presents a kaleidoscope of Indian culture and civilization; experience a community puja evening ceremony
Rishikesh…a holy city for Hindus located in the foothills of the Himalayas and a famous center for pilgrimages
Jaipur… also known as the "Pink City", now one of the most important heritage cities in India
Agra… home to the Taj Mahal, India’s most famous landmark
Khajuraho… with its magnificent temples and exquisitely carved sculptures and visit the Tiger Reserve to see a different part of India
Varanasi… for a boat ride on the GangesRiver and an incredible ceremony on the banks of this historical site
And other towns and villages
India...an Incredible Journey
Kay and Franco have just returned from a fascinating journey to the Northern regions of India. In November of 2008 they visited all the places you will be exploring on your journey in 2009. The main purpose of their journey was to confirm that:
oall the accommodations were of high quality
oall internal transportation was safe and dependable
othe flow of the journey was smooth, enjoyable and educational
oyou will have an opportunity to explore a range of experiences and the pleasure to see and be in the most stunning and exceptional places possible
oyour journey to India will be and amazing and memorable event
…these are some of photos that Franco and Kay took in November and these are the areas that you will be exploring. When you click and connect, click on “slide show” and get a taste of what is available for you on this fascinating journey.
Also included on the trip will be opportunities for:
Hatha Yoga sessions in the morning
Meditations at various times and places
Kirtan
Experiencing and learning about regional cuisines
Working with chakras
Personal Empowerment
Discussions on:
Ayurvedic practices Hinduism Sanskrit the Vedic age Indian culture other topics of your interest
Your Hosts and Guides
Kawallee Chitra LatchmanSingh, who also goes by Kay, was born in Guyana and comes from a heritage of people who inhabited the state of Uttar Pradesh (Hindi: उत्तरप्रदेश, Urdu: اترپردیش,) in the northern province of India. She is a Yoga Shiromani (teacher of yoga) in the Sampoorna tradition, and is a student of Sanskrit. Kay is the co-owner of Global Journeys and having traveled and worked with people in many European countries, Russia, Egypt, South Africa, British West Indies, and Central America, she provides a wealth of experience in travel and cultural connections.
Kay's Hindu practice, knowledge of the Vedic Traditions, experience leading Kirtan , amazing ability to prepare Indian cuisine and Yoga knowledge will be invaluable assets on this journey.
Franco Marini is the co-owner and director of Global Journeys. He was born in Italy and since his arrival in the U.S., when he was 11, he has continued traveling as part of his life’s mission. He is a Yoga Shiromani (teacher of yoga), a ceremonialist, a wellness coach /healer, a massage therapist, a drum-maker, and director of Peak Empowerment – an organization dedicated to personal, team and organizational development. One of his commitments in life is to create programs, such as this India journey, that have a vision focused on personal growth, and global acceptance and understanding.
Kay and Franco are committed to providing impeccable service and are dedicated to creating powerful, satisfying and joyful opportunities for each participant on this trip. Franco, Kay, and local guides will accompany you on every step of your journey to assure your satisfaction.
The following are just some of the amazing places you will visit and explore during this fabulous journey to an unforgettable country.
Delhi has been the capital of several ancient Indian empires and a major city along the old trade routes between northwest India and the Indo-Gangetic Plains. It is the site of many ancient and medieval monuments, archaeological sites and remains. The Mughal emperor Shahjahan built the city, now known as "Old Delhi", to serve as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1649 to 1857.
After the British Raj took control of India during the 19th century, Calcutta became the capital until George V announced in 1911 that it was to move back to Delhi. A new capital city, New Delhi, was built during the 1920s. When India gained independence from British rule in 1947, New Delhi was declared its capital and seat of government. As such, New Delhi houses important offices of the federal government, including the Parliament of India.
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Kurukshetrapronunciation(Hindi: कुरुक्षेत्र) is the name of a city in Kurukshetra District of the Indian state of Haryana . The name literally means "Land of the Kaurava" after the Kuru clan. It is supposed to be the site of the Kurukshetra war, described in the Mahabharata. Kurukshetra is of great importance in Hinduism as this is where the Bhagavad Gita was taught to Arjuna on the battle field, just before the great battle . Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' had written a poem by the name of Kurukshetra.
A few kilometeres from Kurukshetra is the village known as "Amin", where there are remnants of a fort and it is said to be Abhimanyu's fort.
Some places of interest include:
Brahma Sarovar: Every year lakhs of people come to take holy bath at Brahma Sarovar on the occasion of "Somavati Amavasya" (Sacred No-Moon Day that happens on a Monday).
Known internationally for its architecture and urban planning, Chandigarh is home to numerous architectural projects of Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Matthew Nowicki, and Albert Mayer. The city boasts a high standard of living with the highest per capita income in the country and tops the list of Indian States and Union Territories with a Human Development Index of 0.987.
After the partition of British India into the two nations of India and Pakistan in 1947, the region of Punjab was also split between India and Pakistan. The Indian state of Punjab required a new capital city to replace Lahore, which became part of Pakistan during the partition. After several plans to make additions to existing cities were found to be infeasible for various reasons, the decision to construct a new and planned city was undertaken. The city derives its name from Chandi Mandir, a temple of goddess Chandi, located in nearby Panchkula District of Haryana. The word Chandigarh literally means "the fort of Chandi".
H A R I D W A R
Haridwar (also spelled Hardwar, in Hindi: pronunciation is a holy city and municipal board in the Haridwar District of Uttarakhand, India. In Hindi, Haridwar stands for Dwar of Hari or Gateway to God, 'Hari' meaning god and 'dwar' meaning gate.[5][6] Haridwar is regarded as one of the seven holiest places to Hindus.
After travelling 253 km (157 mi) from its source at Gaumukh, 3,139 m (10,300 ft) above sea level, at the edge of the Gangotri Glacier, Ganga enters the Indo-Gangetic Plain of North India for the first time at Haridwar, and this is what gave the city its ancient name, Gangadwára , the place where the Ganges descends to the plains.
According to Hindu mythology, Haridwar is one among the four sites where drops of the elixir of immortality, Amrita, accidentally spilled over from the pitcher, in which it was being carried away by the celestial bird Garuda, after the Samudra manthan.[These four spots – Ujjain, Haridwar, Nasik, and Allahabad – have today become places, where the Kumbha Mela is celebrated once every 3 years in any of these 4 places and after a period of 12 years, the Maha Kumbha Mela is celebrated on the 12th year at Prayag in Allahabad. Millions of pilgrims, devotees, and tourists congregate here from all over the world to celebrate the event. They perform ritualistic bathing on the banks of the river Ganga.
The spot where the nectar fell is considered to be the Brahma Kund at Har-ki-Pauri (literally, "footsteps of the Lord," and symbolically the footprints of the Amrita), the most sacred ghat of Haridwar; thousands of devotees and pilgrims flock here during festivals or snan from all over India to take a holy dip. This act is considered to be the equivalent of washing away one's sins to attain Moksha.
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Rishikesh is a holy city for Hindus located in the foothills of the Himalaya in northern India. The place gets its name after Lord Vishnu who appeared to 'Raibhya Rishi' [3], as a result of his tapasya (austerities), as Lord Rishikesh [4]. In Skanda Purana, this area is known as 'Kubjamrak' as Lord Vishnu appeared, under a mango tree [2]. Historically, Rishikesh, has been a part of the legendary 'Kedarkhand' (the present day Garhwal), the abode of Shiva[5]. Legends state that Lord Rama did penance here for killing Ravana, the demon king of Lanka; and Lakshmana, his younger brother, crossed the river Ganga, at a point, where the present 'Lakshman Jhula' (लक्ष्मणझूला) bridge stands today, using a jute rope bridge. The 'Kedar Khand' of Skanda Purana, also mentions the existence of Indrakund at this very point. The jute-rope bridge was replaced by iron-rope suspension bridge in 1889, and after it was washed away in the 1924 floods, it was replaced by a stronger present bridge. Even today, the western bank of the bridge has a Lakshmana temple, and across it lies a temple dedicated to Lord Rama; also present near by is a temple of his other brother, Bharata, which also finds mention in the 'Kedar Khand' [6].
The sacredriverGanga flows through Rishikesh. In fact, it is here that the river leaves the Shivalik mountains Himalayas, and flows out into the plains of northern India. Several temples, ancient as well as new, can be found along the banks of the Ganges in Rishikesh. The city attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists each year, from within India, as well as from other countries. Rishikesh, sometimes nicknamed "the world-capital of Yoga", has numerous yoga centres that also attract tourists. It is believed that meditation in Rishikesh brings one closer to attainment of moksha, as does a dip in the holy river that flows through it. It is also becoming a popular spot for white water rafting enthusiasts, both from India and abroad, as it offers medium to rough rapids in the course of river Ganges.
J A I P U R
Jaipurpronunciation(help·info) (Hindi: जयपुर), also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of Rajasthanstate, India. Historically rendered as Jeypore, Jaipur is the former capital of the princely state of Jaipur. Founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 5 million residents.Built of pink stucco in imitation of sandstone, the city is remarkable among pre-modern Indian cities for the width and regularity of its streets which are laid out into six sectors separated by broad streets 111 ft (34 m) wide. The urban quarters are further divided by networks of gridded streets. Five quarters wrap around the east, south, and west sides of a central palace quarter, with a sixth quarter immediately to the east. The Palace quarter encloses a sprawling palace complex (the Hawa Mahal, or palace of winds), formal gardens, and a small lake. Nahargarh Fort crowns the hill in the northwest corner of the old city.
A G R A
Agra (pronounced[ɑːɣrə](help·info)) (Hindi: आगरा, Urdu: آگرا) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna River in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It finds mention in the epic Mahabharata when it was called Agrabana, or Paradise. Ptolemy, the famous 2nd century geographer, marked it on his map of the world as Agra. Tradition and legend ascribe the present city of Raja Badal Singh (around 1475) whose Fort, Badalgarh, Stood on or near the site of the present Fort. However, the 12th century Persian poet Salman writes of a desperate assault on the fortress of Agra, then held by one King Jaipal, by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni.[1] It was ruled by Sultan Sikandar Lodi in the year 1506. It achieved fame as the capital of the Mughal emperors from 1526 to 1658 and remains a major tourist destination because of its many splendid Mughal-era buildings, most notably the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, all three of which are UNESCOWorld Heritage Sites.
K H A J U R A H O
Khajuraho (Hindi: खजुराहो) is a village in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District, about 385 miles (620 kilometres) southeast of Delhi, the capital city of India.The Khajuraho group of monuments has been listed as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.One of the most popular tourist destinations in India, Khajuraho has the largest group of medievalHindu and Jaintemples, famous for their erotic sculpture. The name Khajuraho is derived from the Hindi word khajur meaning date palm.The city was once the original capital of the ChandelaRajputs, a Hindu dynasty that ruled this part of India from the 10th to the 12th centuries. The Khajuraho temples were built over a span of a hundred years, from 950 to 1050. The Chandela capital was moved to Mahoba after this time, but Khajuraho continued to flourish for some time.
Sarnath (also Mrigadava, Migadāya, Rishipattana, Isipatana) is the deer park where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna. Sarnath is located 13 kilometres north-east of Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Isipatana is mentioned by the Buddha as one of the four places of pilgrimage which his devout followers should visit, if they wanted to visit a place for that reason.
The legend says that when the Buddha-to-be was born, some devas came down to announce it to 500 rishis. The rishis all rose into the air and disappeared and their relics fell to the ground. Another explanation for the name is that Isipatana was so called because sages, on their way through the air (from the Himalayas), alight here or start from here on their aerial flight (isayo ettha nipatanti uppatanti cāti-Isipatanam). Pacceka Buddhas, having spent seven days in contemplation in the Gandhamādana, bathe in the AnotattaLake and come to the habitations of men through the air, in search of alms. They descend to earth at Isipatana.[2] Sometimes the Pacceka Buddhas come to Isipatana from Nandamūlaka-pabbhāra.
Ganges River
The Ganges (IPA: /ˈgænʤiːz/, also Ganga pronunciation , Devanāgarī: गंगा, IAST: Gaṅgā in most Indian languages) is one of the major rivers of the Indian subcontinent flowing east through the Gangetic Plain of northern India into Bangladesh.Ganges is the first National River of India. The decision was taken by Indian Government on 4th November 2008. The 2,510 km (1,560 mi) river rises in the western Himalayas in the Uttarakhand state of India, and drains into the Sunderbansdelta in the Bay of Bengal. It has long been considered a holy river by Hindus and worshiped as the goddess Ganga in Hinduism. The Ganges and its tributaries drain a 1,000,000-square-kilometre (390,000 sq mi) fertile basin that supports one of the world's highest density of humans.
The Ganges, above all is the river of India, which has held India's heart captive and drawn uncounted millions to her banks since the dawn of history. The story of the Ganges, from her source to the sea, from old times to new, is the story of India's civilization and culture, of the rise and fall of empires, of great and proud cities, of adventures of man…
Cost, Deposits and other information India... northern regions
Depart on October 26, 2009 to arrive in Delhi
Return from Delhi on November 7, 2009
Cost of the trip is $2,950. This includes:
Pick up and return to airports
All internal transportation, small bus, train, and internal flights
All accommodations at comfortable, clean upscale hotels (double occupancy)
All breakfasts and lunches (vegetarian)
All entrance fees
All activities such as…yoga, meditation, Kirtan, etc.
All guide and escort fees…you will be personally escorted by Kay and Franco plus at times, local guides
Not Included: Air fare to and from India, dinners (if you wish to have non-vegetarian meals this will be your opportunity to do so)
Payments and Deposits: A $500 deposit will hold your place. Half of the remaining balance is due 60 days prior to departure, and the final balance is due 45 days prior to departure. Please note: If paying by credit card, a one time processing fee of $ 50.00 will be charged to your card.
Airfare Support: If you would like assistance with booking an air fare, call
Global Journeys @ 516 343 3210 and we will be happy to assist in any way we can.
Cancellations and Refunds:
A $300 per person cancellation fee will be assessed for cancellations received 60 days or more prior to departure.
A 50% cancellation fee will be assessed for cancellations received between 45 - 59 days prior to departure.
A 100% cancellation fee will be assessed for cancellations received 44 or fewer days prior to departure.
Travel Package: Upon registration you will be mailed a travel package including information on: a suggested packing list, baggage allowance, credit cards, customs, passport information and other details.
Travel Insurance: If you choose to purchase travel insurance, you must do so on your own. We have been recommending Travel Guard International at 800 826-1300, and have received positive feedback.
To register or for other information call us, e-mail us, or fill in the form below and send it to us: Global Journeys 516 343-3210 info@globalj.org
Global Journeys Inc. 516 343-3210 www.globalj.org info@globalj.org
