An Archaeological Study Tour
Northern India

December 26, 2009 - January 15, 2010
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.

Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Day 1, 2, 3 & 4: DELHI: Independent departures from our home cities on Saturda, arriving into Delhi late Sunrday. Touring begins on Monday and Tuesday with Delhi’s major Mughal sites, including the exquisitely carved minaret of Qutb Minar, the Sufi shrine of Nizam al-Din, the lovely Jama-i Masjid, decorated with polychrome stonework, the Jantar Mantar Observatory, the grand Lal Qila (Red Fort) and National Museum, rich with archaeological artifacts and art from the last 5,000 years. We will stay three nights at the centrally located Taj Palace Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast daily, 1 lunch & 1 dinner

Wednesday, Day 5: VARANASI: We fly to Varanasi and begin touring with the remains of the monastic center at Sarnath, its small museum and the outstanding collection of ancient terracotta, stone sculptures, paintings and textiles at the Bharat Khala Bhavan. Taj Ganges Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Thursday, Friday, Day 6 & 7: KHAJURAHO: After an early morning boat trip on the Ganges as Hindu pilgrims flock to the ghats to perform their ablutions, we fly to Khajuraho, where we will spend the next two nights at the Taj Chandela. The temples of this region celebrate the joy of life and love and are considered to be the epitome of Hindu sculpture. Of the original 85 temples, 22 have survived. We see all of these temples, including the architectural masterpiece, Parsvanastha Jain, as well as the Archaeological Museum.
Meals: Breakfast & dinner daily & 1 lunch

Saturday, Day 8: ORCHHA: We drive to Orchha, visiting some of its temples and palaces built in the 16th and 17th centuries. Orchha Resort.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Sunday, Monday, Day 9 & 10: BHOPAL: A short drive takes us to Jhansi, where we board the Shatabdi Express train to Bhopal. Touring in the Bhopal area includes the Birla Museum, which houses a rare sculpture collection, the State Museum, Sanchi, whose magnificent Buddhist monuments span almost the whole range of Indian Buddhist art and the Udaigiri Caves, rock-cut Gupta shrines. Our hotel, the Hotel Jehannuma Palace, is a former palace set on Bhopal Lake.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily

Tuesday, Wednesday, Day 11 & 12: AGRA: After visiting Bhimbetka, where over 500 caves with rock paintings have been discovered, we board a train to Agra. It is said that one must see the Taj Mahal at sunrise, sunset and in pure daylight. We will have ample time to do all three. Touring includes a visit to the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort, the mausoleums of Akbar and Itimad ud-Daulah, as well as other buildings of interest for their Mughal architecture. Taj View Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch daily & 1 dinner

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Day 13, 14 & 15: JAIPUR: En route to Jaipur we stop to visit Fatehpur Sikri, the deserted red sandstone city built by Emperor Akbar. City touring begins with the intricately carved marble Old City Palace and Textiles and Costumes Museum within, the Jantar Mantar Observatory, and the Palace of the Winds, renowned for its delicate lattice screens. We will also visit Amber and its magnificent fort-palace. Thursday evening we will have a special Rajastani dinner and a performance of the fire dance. Our three-night stay in Jaipur will be at the lovely Rajputama Palace.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch daily & 2 dinners

Sunday, Monday, Day 15 & 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, and still have time to explore the town famed for its charming blue-painted houses and exotic bazaar.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Day 18, 19 & 21: UDAIPUR: A fascinating drive brings us to Ranakpur and the three-story Chaturmukha Temple, with its 1,444 columns, no two of which are alike. We continue to the romantic city of Udaipur for a three-night stay at the elegant Lake Palace Hotel, originally a water palace of the maharaja. Touring includes an excursion to Nagda to visit the exquisitely carved 10th-century Hindu temples, Eklingi, a complex of 108 temples dedicated to Shiva, the lovely gardens of Sahelion ki Bari, the Royal Burial Gardens, the Folk Art and Puppet Museum and the palace of the Maharana Udai Singh. We will have an afternoon at leisure to enjoy our palace hotel before our farewell dinner beside the hotel’s lily pond and accompanied by classical Indian music and dance.
Meals: Breakfast daily, 2 lunches & 2 dinners

Friday, Day 21: We take a afternoon flight to Delhi, where we have dinner before our international flights home..
Meals: Breakfast & dinner