An Archaeological Study Tour
Northern India

March 1 - 21, 2012
Led by Professor J. Daniel White


This tour will explore the processes of cultural synthesis among the major religious civilizations of India’s past, Jain, Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim. The great stupa at Sanchi and the monastic remains at Sarnath, together with the elaborately carved temples at Ranakpur, will testify to the vigor of Buddhist and Jain offshoots from early Hinduism. The many facets of later Hindu civilization will be manifest in the elaborate temples of Khajuraho, the Rajput fortified palaces of Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaipur, and the thriving pilgrimage center at Varanasi. The Mughal contribution to India will be seen at Agra, Fatehpur Sikri and Delhi, while New Delhi will display British power. We will also examine prehistoric and tribal cultures and study the best of northern Indian art in superb museums and at world-famous monuments. Our stays in several palace hotels will provide an intimate experience of royal lifestyle. We will sample the foods of each region visited and attend several evenings of traditional dance and music. There also will be time to explore on our own and to relax and reflect on all we have seen. Although there is “never enough time” in India, we have selected cities and sites that we feel will provide a comprehensive understanding of the best of Indian art, architecture and history.

**Designates UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Thursday, Friday, March 1 & 2: DELHI: Independent departures from our home cities. Upon arrival into Delhi we will be met and transfered to the Taj Palace Hotel, our centrally located hotel for the next three nights.

Saturday, March 3: DELHI: After a relaxing morning to recover from our flights, we will begin our touring at the National Museum. Rich with archaeological artifacts and art from the last 5,000 years, the museum also houses Sir Aurel Stein’s booty from his travels along the Silk Road. This evening we will gather for an introductory lecture by Professor White followed by dinner in the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & dinner

Sunday, March 4: DELHI: Today's touring to Delhi’s major Mughal sites includes the exquisitely carved minaret of **Qutb Minar, built by Aibak in 1199, the lovely Jama-i Masjid, decorated with polychrome stonework, **Humayun’s Tomb, the first tomb of the great Mughals, and the recently restored water system, as well as the grand **Lal Qila, known as the Red Fort.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Monday, March 5: VARANASI: We fly to Varanasi and begin our touring at the remains of the monastic center at Sarnath. It was here, around 528 BCE, that Buddha preached his first sermon after he had received enlightenment. We will also explore the site and its small museum, which houses India’s official symbol, the Ashoka pillar, carved with back-to-back lions.Gateway Ganges Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Tuesday, March 6: KHAJURAHO: Our day begins with an early morning boat trip on the Ganges as Hindu pilgrims flock to the ghats to perform their ablutions. After completing our touring, we fly to **Khajuraho, where we will spend the next two nights at the lovely Taj Chandela Hotel, set amidst 11 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens. The temples of this region celebrate the joy of life and love, portraying woman in all her sensuality and vanity, and are considered to be the epitome of Hindu sculpture. Of the original 85 temples, 22 have survived. We will spend the remainder of this day at the Southern Temple Group, ending at the Archaeological Museum.

Meals: Breakfast & dinner

Wednesday, March 7: KHAJURAHO: We continue our touring to the Eastern Temple Group, including the architectural masterpiece Parsvanatha Jain temple. Its charming sculptures include a scene of a woman applying eye makeup and another removing a thorn from her foot, giving us the sense of being present at an intimate moment in their lives. After visiting the Western Temple Group, we will have an afternoon at leisure to revisit our favorite sites or relax at the swimming pool.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Thursday, March 8: ORCHHA: We get an early start on our drive to Orchha, giving us an afternoon to visit some of its wonderful temples and palaces. The deserted medieval town is a former capital of the Bundela rajas and continues to be an architectural gem. Our touring will include the Raj Mahal, whose opulent royal quarters still preserve fragments of mirror inlay and vibrant painting, and the Jahangiri Mahal, built to honor the visit of the Mughal emperor. Orchha Resort.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Friday, March 9: BHOPAL: A short drive to Jhansi, where we board the Shatabdi Express Train that will take us into Bhopal, arriving in the early afternoon. Built on seven hills and around three lovely lakes, Bhopal is one of the centers of art and culture in India. Our hotel, Jehan Numa Palace, built in the 1920s as the residence of the eldest daughter of H. H. Nawab Hamid Ullah Khan, is now a small, comfortable hotel that overlooks Bhopal Lake. The remainder of the day will be spent visiting the archaeological collection at the State Museum.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Saturday, March 10: BHOPAL: A short drive to **Sanchi, whose magnificent Buddhist monuments will provide us with another sensational day. Set on a hilltop, these impressive buildings span almost the whole range of Indian Buddhist art. We will study the Buddhist sculpture and the many stupas, the first of which was built by Ashok in the 3rd century BCE. In the afternoon we will visit the Udaigiri Caves, just outside of Sanchi. These rock-cut Gupta shrines date from 320 to 606 CE, some with quite wonderful early Hindu sculpture. After our very full day we return to Bhopal.
Meals: Breakfas & lunch

Sunday, March 11: AGRA: We will spend the morning at **Bhimbetka, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where over 500 caves with rock paintings have been discovered. The paintings actually span periods from upper Paleolithic to the early historic and medieval, the earliest at least as old as those found in the Pyrénées. This afternoon we board an afternoon train to Agra, arriving in time for a late dinner at our hotel. The Gateway Fatehabad Hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Monday, March 12: AGRA: It is said that one must see the Taj Mahal at sunrise and in pure daylight. We will have ample time to do both. Today’s touring includes visits to the **Taj Mahal and the mausoleums of Akbar and Itimad-ud-Daulah, as well as the red-sandstone **Agra Fort, built by Akbar and his grandson, Shah Jahan, between 1565 and 1573. This amazing complex of royal pavilions, palaces and court buildings is built in the grand style of Akbar using all of the finest materials. As we drive through the city we will see several buildings of interest for their Mughal architecture.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Tuesday, March 13: JAIPUR: En route to Jaipur we stop to visit **Fatehpur Sikri, the deserted red sandstone city built by Emperor Akbar as his capital in the late 16th century to commemorate the birth of his son. After using 10,000 artisans to create this Hindu-Persian masterpiece, Akbar utilized the city as his principal capital for only 15 years and eventually moved to Lahore. Our three-night stay in Jaipur will be at the lovely Rajputana Palace Hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Wednesday, March 14: JAIPUR: Our city touring begins with the intricately carved marble Old City Palace built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh in 1728, with later additions by subsequent rulers. Within the palace is the Textiles and Costumes Museum, housing lovely examples of Rajput dress, and in the coronation hall are wonderful cultural and family artifacts from the maharajas who have lived here. We will also visit the **Jantar Mantar (Observatory), the largest of five built by Jai Singh II, and the Palace of the Winds, renowned for its delicate lattice screens.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinners

Thursday, March 15: JAIPUR: A short drive brings us to Ajmer and the magnificent fort-palace that nestles on the rocky hill rising above Maota Lake. We will spend the morning visiting the palace’s jeweled interior, whose rooms become more lavish as we travel deeper into the building. To enhance the interior walls, powdered marble, egg shells and even pearls were added to the plaster. Lastly, we will visit the Anokhi Museum before a wonderful lunch in the 1135 Restaurant. We then return to our hotel for an afternoon at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Friday, Saturday, March 16 & 17: JODHPUR: A short flight will bring us to Jodhpur, a sandy, colorful town lying at the edge of the Thar Desert. During our two-day stay at the Taj Hari Mahal Hotel, we will visit the fabulous fort city of Meherangarh with its wonderful ramparts, halls, courtyards and museums. We will also visit Bishnoi village and still have time to explore Jodhpur, famed for its charming blue-painted houses and exotic bazaar.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Sunday, March 18: UDAIPUR: A fascinating drive brings us to Ranakpur. This multishrine 15th-century Jain complex includes the three-story Chaturmukha Temple, with 1,444 columns, no two alike. We continue to the romantic city of Udaipur for a three-night stay at the elegant Lake Palace Hotel. This lovely city of whitewashed havelis, winding streets and traditional gardens will be ours to explore over the next three days.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Monday, March 19: UDAIPUR: Our touring this morning begins with visits to the palace of the Maharana Udai Singh, Jagdish Temple, heavily carved with figures of Vishnu, and the lakeside Bagore-ki-Haveli, which has been restored and converted into an interesting museum. After lunch we complete our touring at the lovely gardens of Sahelion Ki Bari.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Tuesday, March 20: UDAIPUR: A morning excursion takes us to Nagda to visit its exquisitely carved 10th-century Hindu temples. We then continue to Eklingi, a complex of 108 temples dedicated to Shiva, patron deity of the Udaipur royal house. We return to Udaipur for an afternoon at leisure to explore the local shops and bazaar. This evening we will meet for our farewell dinner, which will be accompanied by classical Indian music.
Meals: Breakfast & dinner

Wednesday, March 21: After a morning at leisure to enjoy the wonderful amenities of our luxurous hotel, we will fly to Delhi. We will have dinner at an airport hotel before returning to the airport for our international flights home.
Meals: Breakfast & dinner