A Family Adventure in India

Visit one of the most prominent Sikh houses of worship. Sikhs believe that everyone, regardless of their station in life, should do sevak, or service. This resulted in the langar, or community kitchen, where every member of the religion considers it an honour to come and put in a couple of hours cooking thousands of Indian breads and making huge vats of curry to feed local pilgrims and the under privileged. During your visit you’ll have a go at making chapattis and lend some man power by stirring the huge pots of dal.

Located in the eastern part of Delhi, Humayun’s Tomb is one of the best preserved Mughal monuments. The tomb was built under the instruction of his widow, Hamida Banu Begum, in 1565. The tomb is strongly influenced by Persian architecture and is sat in the centre of a Persian-style chaharbagh garden, divided into four main parts to resemble the paradise garden described in the Quran. From the 17th to the 19th centuries the garden was gradually filled with the tombs of Humayun’s descendants and his entourage. Several Mughal emperors are even buried inside Humayun’s mausoleum.

Just a few kilometres from the Taj Mahal sits the impressive Agra Fort, where the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan was imprisoned by his son. Here you will see the art and crafting of the white marble that has made the area so famous, the Pearl Mosque and the Halls of Public and Private Audience.

This walking tour provides a fascinating insight into traditional life in the rural village of Kachpura that overlooks the Taj Mahal from the opposite bank of the Yamuna River. The 1.5km walk is a part of a community development programme which seeks to build sustainable livelihoods for youth and women from low resource communities. Local people are trained as tour guides and will lead you on the walk. The walk ends at Mehtab Bagh from where there are stunning views of the Taj Mahal standing majestically across the river.

Sanganer is the centre of the famous block printing and dying industry, and owes its success to a rivulet whose water has a mineral content that fixes dyes. Here you will learn the skills and techniques used to create these beautiful prints and under the watchful eye of a master you will print onto your piece of chosen fabric, which will then be tailored into a garment to be delivered at a later date.

Galta Ji is a large Hindu temple complex that lies 10km to the east of Jaipur. The site consists of a series of temples built in to a narrow crevice in the ring of hills that surround Jaipur. A natural spring flows down filling a series of sacred water tanks, known as kunds. The galta kund is believed to be the holiest of them all, and it is said it never dries out. Galta Ji is also famous for its monkeys who come to bathe in the waters and play on the temples. You’ll then visit Gaitor which contains the stately marble mausoleums of Jaipur’s royal family.

Along with Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh once formed a strong defense ring around the city. The fort was originally named Sudarshangarh, but it became known as Nahargarh, which means ‘abode of tigers’. Nahargarh Fort stands on the edge of the Aravalli Hills and offers wonderful views across the city. It is at its best at sunset when the light falls over Jaipur.