Classic India

In complete contrast to the new city, the old city is a labyrinthine maze of lanes overhung by a tangled mass of electric wires. Within this chaos lies a semblance of order – each lane in this area is dedicated to a particular item, rather like a department store. There are lanes selling bangles, grocers, items used in weddings, silverware, clothes, spices and shoes. Sharing the same space are vendors with carts selling a variety of items, street side dentists, natural healers and cobblers. The old city has space for all professions. You’ll explore in cycle rickshaws and walk along some of the more interesting alleys.

Explore New Delhi, an area within Delhi built as the seat of the British Indian government in the early twentieth century. Much of the design was by architect Edwins Lutyens, and thus it is referred to as Lutyens’ Delhi, who invented his own order of classical architecture. There are grand buildings, such as Rashtrapati Bhavan (formerly known as Viceroy’s House), as well as the Lutyens Bungalow Zone, a green area of residential buildings that has the most expensive real estate in India and possibly the world. You’ll also see Humayun’s Tomb, built in 1570 as the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent.

The immense Qutb Minar at 72.5m (238 feet) in height is the tallest brick minaret in the world. The intricate tower was built in 1199AD to commemorate victory over the Rajput king, marking beginning of Muslim rule in India. Qutb Minar and the complex around it form the Qutb Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other structures in the complex include the Alai Gate, the Alai Minar, the Iron Pillar and the ruins of several earlier Jain temples.

Humayun’s Tomb, commissioned in 1569 by the Mugal Emperor’s son Akbar as the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent, started a fashion that would culminate in the Taj Mahal.

Dive into the fashion scene of Delhi by visiting the stores of established designers such as Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Anita Dongre before heading to Shahpur Jat and Hauz Khas Village to discover emerging talents like Nikhil Thampi and Doodlage. This journey offers a well-rounded glimpse into the dynamic local fashion scene, with the chance to meet a few of the designers.

In the evening, you will be taken for a boat ride on the River Ganges and experience the evening aarti prayer, one of the most important and popular ceremonies of the Hindu faith. Sometimes called the ‘ceremony of light’, it involves waving lighted wicks before the sacred images to infuse the flames with the deities’ love, energy and blessings. You will also float your own lamps down the river.

On this morning excursion, you will be taken for a boat ride on the River Ganges. After the boat ride you will meet a local expert on the ghats who will lead you on a private walking tour in the old city. On this walk you will see the back alleys, old havelis, temples, labyrinth of streets, street vendors and pilgrims that line the banks of the Ganges.

Head out of Varanasi to visit the sacred site of Sarnath. It is here that Buddha is believed to have set in motion what Buddhists call the Wheel of Dharma by delivering his first sermon to the five companions with whom he had sought enlightenment. Together with him, they formed the first sangha, or company of Buddhist monks. You’ll explore the ancient stupas and make a visit to the small but excellent museum at the site.

Visiting the Taj Mahal at sunrise or sunset is a truly magical experience, as the light plays on the marble of the tomb and its reflection shimmers in the water.

Heartbroken after the death of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, during the birth of their 14th child, Shah Jahan set about building the world’s most beautiful monument in her honour.

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.

En route to Jaipur, you may like to visit the deserted Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri which was built by Emperor Akbar in 1569 and abandoned after just 15 years due to scarcity of water. See the graceful buildings including the Jama Masjid, the Tomb of Salim Chishti, the Panch Mahal and other palaces.

Maharaja Jai Singh II, the founder of the pink city, was an avid astrologer and built five observatories around northern India. The Jantar Mantar is the largest of the five and houses what is believed to be the world’s largest sun dial. The observatory consists of 14 geometric devices for measuring time, tracking constellations and observing the orbits around the sun.

Explore the Badi Chaupad and Johari bazaars in Jaipur’s old city. Wandering through the maze of stalls and studios, you’ll see craftspeople working on all sorts of forms of local art including zardozi embroidery, gota work, kinary, silver ornament work and precious and semi-precious stonework.

Amber, the ancient capital of the region, still recalls its heydays in the majestic ramparts rising steeply along the contoured hillsides. It is an extremely well preserved building and during your guided tour you’ll visit the Jagmandir, or Hall of Victory, with its glittering mirrors, the Jai Mahal and Temple of Kali.

You can also visit the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing, a gem of a museum tucked away among the cobbled streets of Amber. Here you can see the incredible work that goes into traditional block printing on cotton and silk.

Visit the local market to learn about vegetables and spices. Then your host will take you on a culinary journey, teaching you about Indian spices and how to use them. This will be hands on session and at the end, you’ll enjoy your creations for lunch.

The City Palace, sat on the banks of Lake Pichola, is one of the architectural wonders of Rajasthan, its detailed art and workmanship a tribute to the skills of local craftspeople. The royal family claim to be ‘surya vansh’, descendants of the sun, and so the whole structure faces east and there is a stunning bejewelled image of the sun at the entrance.

Jal Sanjhvi is the art of drawing on water, a popular ritual performed at temples dedicated to Krishna where coloured powders are used to draw iconic images onto water. A full canvas takes about five hours to create, and you’ll arrive in time to see the picture completed.