An Archaeological Study Tour
Northern India

December 19, 2008 - January 11, 2009
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, Jaisalmer 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.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Day 1, 2, 3 & 4: DELHI: Depart New York Friday evening, arriving into Delhi late Saturday. Touring begins 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 Palacel Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast daily, 1 lunch & 1 dinner

Tuesday, 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

Wednesday, Thursday, 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

Friday, 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

Saturday, Sunday, 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

Monday, Tuesday, 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

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 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 Jai Mahal Palace.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch daily & 2 dinners

Saturday, Day 16: KHIMSAR: We drive to Khimsar, a remote 15th-century Rajput stronghold in the Thar Desert, stopping en route to visit Nagaur Fort. There will be time to stroll in the fascinating town of Khimsar before we settle into the Hotel Khimsar Fort.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Sunday, Monday, Day 17 & 18: JAISALMER: We enter the Thar Desert and continue to Jaisalmer, the westernmost city in Rajasthan. We will explore the narrow lanes bathed in the wonderful colors of the desert, the well-preserved havelis and nearby villages and dine under the desert stars at the Fort Rajwada Hotel, our hotel in this exotic city. Monday evening we will return to the sand dunes for cocktails and traditional music.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily

Tuesday, Wednesday, Day 19 & 20: JODHPUR: Recrossing the desert, we visit Osian, Rajasthan’s earliest group of Hindu and Jain temples. During our stay at the Taj Hai Mahal Hotel in Jodhpur, we will visit the fabulous fort city of Meherangarh with its wonderful ramparts, halls, courtyards and museums, and explore the town famed for its charming blue-painted houses and exotic bazaar.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Thursday, Friday, Day 21 & 22: 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 two-night stay in lake-view rooms 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 & lunch daily & 1 dinner

Saturday, Sunday, Day 23 & 24: DELHI: We take a morning flight to Delhi, where we have dinner at the Radisson Hotel. Our flight departs very early Sunday morning for New York.
Meals: Breakfast