Taj Mahal Tours

Buddha Tour with Taj Mahal

Duration - 11 Nights / 12 Days
Places to See - Delhi - Agra - Varanasi - Sarnath - Bodhgaya - Nalanda - Rajgir - Patna - Vaishali - Kushinagar - Lumbini - Balrampur - Lucknow - Delhi

Day 1: Delhi
Arrive DELHI. Meet on arrival by company representatives. Proceed to hotel and relax. DELHI, the capital of kingdoms and empires is now a sprawling metropolis with a fascinating blend of the past and the present. It is a perfect introduction to the composite culture of an ancient land. A window to the kaleidoscope - that is India. Overnight at Delhi.

Day 2: Agra
Early morning proceed to Agra by Shatabdi Express Train. Breakfast to be served in the train. Upon arrival transfer to Hotel. Afternoon sightseeing of the Taj and Fort.Visit the TAJ MAHAL - one of the Seven Wonders of the World was built by Shah Jahan in 1631 AD and was completed in 1651AD. Taj Mahal - The symbol of Love was built in the memory of Mumtaz Mahal (Shah Jahan' s second Wife). AGRA FORT - Built by the famed Mughal emperor Akbar in 1565 AD, the fort is predominantly of red sandstone. Ensconced within is the picture perfect Pearl Mosque, which is a major tourist attraction.

Day 3: Agra - Varanasi (by AIR)
After breakfast drive to Fatehpur Sikri and visit the Bulund Darwaza. The deserted, red Sandstone City, Emperor Akbar built that as his capital and palace in the late 16th century is an exhilarating experience. It a veritable fairytale city and its "ruins" are in pristine condition ... it's not hard to imagine what the court life must have been like in the days of its grandeur. Also visit the Bulund Darwaza, the largest gateway in the world. Reach and proceed to Sarnath.

Sarnath - 5 miles out of Varanasi for a day excursion:
One of the holiest Buddhist sites in the world, where Buddha preached his first Sermon in 590 BC. Witness the ruins of a once flourishing Buddhist monastery and then visit a fine Museum which houses an excellent collection of Buddhist art and sculptures found at the site.

Overnight at Varanasi. VNS - HOTEL HINDUSTAN INTERNATIONAL.

Day 4: Varanasi - Bodhgaya.
Morning boat ride on the Sacred River Ganges to rituals performed by priests and devotees. Half day guided tour of Varanasi including the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Gyanvapi Mosque and Benaras Hindu University. After lunch proceed for Bodhgaya.

Bodhgaya is one of the sacred places for the Buddhists as well as for the Hindus. Here under the Bodhi Tree, Gautama attained supreme knowledge to become Budhha, the `Enlighted One'.

"The Buddha once lived here"

Lord Buddha the gentle colossus who founded the first universal religion of the world, worked and lived much of his life in Bihar though he was born in Kapilavastu, now in Nepal. Most of the major events of his life, like enlightenment and last sermon happened in Bihar. Significantly. the state's name originated from 'Vihara' meaning Buddhist and Jain monasteries, which abounded in Bihar. Morning after an early breakfast proceed to Bodhgaya. Packed lunch to be served.

Day 5: Bodhgaya
Sightseeing of Maha Bodhi Temple and Tree. Visit the Chinese Temple. In the afternoon visit Niranjana Temple and River. Visit the school of the destitute. Lunch and dinner at Bodhgaya. Overnight at Bodhgaya. B'GAYA - LOTUS NIKKO B'GAYA / SUJATA

Day 6: Bodhgaya - Nalanda - Rajgir - Patna
Early morning proceed to visit the historical towns of Nalanda & Rajgir. Have lunch at Rajgir. Proceed to Patna after lunch. Overnight at Patna. PATNA ASHOKA.

NALANDA - Nalanda, where ruins of the great ancient university have been excavated, is situated at a distance of 90 km. south east of Patna by road. It falls on way to Rajgir. It is also linked by rail with Patna, Rajgir and Bakhtiyarpur (on Delhi-Howrah main track).

RAJGIR - The Buddha lived in the sixth century BC. Mahavir was born in 567 BC and the traveller in Bihar will encounter them both constantly. Rajgir is 10km south of Nalanda and sacred to the memory of the founder of both Buddhism and Jainism. Lord Buddha spent many months of retreat during the rainy season here, and used to meditate and preach on Griddhkuta, the 'Hill of the Vultures'. Lord Mahavir spent fourteen years of his life at Rajgir and Nalanda.

Patna, the capital city of Bihar, is a historical city, which has like Delhi, experienced the trauma and pain of being conquered. The heritage of Patna or Pataliputra as it was known, goes back to two millennia. This city was the seat of administration for many rulers and each of them ascended with a new name for their capital.

Day 7: Patna - Vaishali - Kushinagar
Explore the side where Buddha was cremated and visit Mahaparinirvana Temple. Overnight at Kushinagar.

VAISHALI - Vaishali has a past that pre-dates recorded history. It is held that the town derives its name from King Vishal, whose heroic deeds are narrated in the Hindu epic Ramayana. However, history records that around the time Pataliputra was the centre of political activity in the Gangetic plains, Vaishali came into existence as centre of the Ganga, it was the seat of the Republic of Vajji.

KUSHINAGAR - The Buddha is believed to have breathed his last in this land with pastoral surrounding, the small hamlet of Kushinagar, 53 km west of Gorakhpur. The land is venerated as the site of the Buddha's Mahaparinirvana, his death and cremation, that marked his final liberation from the cycles of death and rebirth.

Day 8: Kushinagar - Lumbini
BY ROAD. Proceed after breakfast. Reach and sightseeing.

The birthplace of the Gautama Buddha, Lumbini, is the Mecca of every Buddhist, being one of the four holy places of Buddhism. Buddha himself identified four places of future pilgrimage: the sites of his birth, enlightenment, first discourse, and death. Hence the birth of Gautam Buddha makes it one of the most sacred places in the world. The Sal tree where Siddhartha was born is difficult to locate now. But Ashoka, in the 21st year of his reign visited the forest and raised a pillar on the spot where Siddhartha was born.

The Mayadevi Temple : This Mayadevi temple dedicated to the mother of the Buddha has been digged out and restored. The temple has a stone artifact depicting the nativity of the Buddha.

Overnight at LUMBINI - NIRVANA / PAWAN

Day 9: Lumbini - Balrampur
By road, Sight seeing of Shravasti visit : Saheth & Maheth. During the time of Sakyamuni, a rich and pious merchant named Sudatta lived in Sravasti. While on a visit to Rajgir, he heard the Buddha's sermon and decided to become the Lord's disciple.

Sudatta invited the Buddha to Sravasti and began to look for a suitable place to build a vihara. A beautiful park at the southern edge of Sravasti attracted his attention. The park belonged to Jeta, son of King Prasenjit of Sravasti.

Day 10: Balrampur - Lucknow
Reach and sight Seeing : explore this royal city of Nawabs. Lucknow is caught in a time warp. It exists in an in-between land of the past and the present looking back constantly to the memories of a colonial-Nawabi past. Despite the Indo-Persian legacy, Lucknow has a composite Indian culture. The welding of various cultural strains nurtured by centuries of Mughal and later Delhi Sultanate rule, to the folk traditions of the Indo-Gangetic plains has produced a complex, yet rich synthesis.

Day 11: Lucknow - Delhi
By Shatabdi Express (1545 - 2145).
Arrive Delhi and check in at hotel.
DELHI: Full day tour of Old & New Delhi, Visit Raj Ghat, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb, India Gate, Parliament House, Lotus Temple, Shantivan, Laxmi Narayan Temple. Relax in the evening. Proceed for day tour of Old & New Delhi. (0900 HRS)

OLD DELHI - A sightseeing tour of Old Delhi would entail visiting the Raj Ghat - the memorial site where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated; Jama Masjid - the largest mosque in India and the Red Fort - once the most opulent fort and palace of the Moghul Empire. Cycle rickshaw ride from Jama Masjid to Chandni Chowk.

Day 12: Delhi
DELHI - Free to explore city and last minute shopping. Check out in the evening and proceed for The Dances of India Show. Have dinner then transfer to Airport for flight home.

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