What better than a festival tour can be a way to discover the rich culture and traditions of a colorful country like India? Pushkar festival tour is one such opportunity that brings to surface age-old traditions, beliefs and cultures of colorful people of India. Pushkar fair is the annual camel and livestock fair, organized in the town of Pushkar in the western Indian state of Rajasthan. This town is highly revered as it houses the only Brahma temple in the world.
Over the years, due to its fascinating competitions like "longest moustache", "matka phod", and "bridal competition" Pushkar Fair has gained recognition as an important tourist attraction. Lately, an exhibition cricket match has also been included in the fair which takes place between the home team of Pushkar club and a team of random foreign tourists. With this fair, be sure of getting bowled over by the charisma of this magnificent country. Add life to colors and colors to your life as you get to explore the beauty of various cities of Rajasthan besides the spectacular Pushkar Fair!
On arrival at Delhi’s international airport, you will be greeted by eLand Holidays representative. From airport you will be transferred to your pre booked hotel.
Overnight at the Hotel.
Delhi, the capital city of India, has evolved as a great host when it comes to tourism industry. It deserves a special mention for its versatility. Just like colorful threads weaved together to create a vibrant fabric, Delhi is a city of past, present and future. The first half of the sightseeing tour will take you to the old lanes of Delhi laid down by Mughal dynasty. Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid and Red Fort will be the highlight of this excursion.
In the second half of sightseeing tour, witness the imperial world of New Delhi. As compared to Old Delhi, this division is more organized and has a beautiful infrastructure. As a part of this tour you will visit India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Humayun’s tomb, and Qutab Minar.
Overnight at the Hotel.
After breakfast you will be transferred to domestic airport by our representative for flight to Udaipur. Also known as the city of lakes, Udaipur is a colorful city set against the deserted backdrop of affluent Indian state – Rajasthan. On your arrival, you will be transferred to your pre booked hotel by our rep. Relax and get freshen up for the afternoon sightseeing tour of the city.
Known for its Majestic Rajput-era Palaces, this city is blessed with glorious history, ethnicity and scenic locations. City Palace is a famous landmark located on the east bank of the Lake Pichola. It was built by the Maharana Udai Mirza Singh in the year 1559, after he moved from Chittor. Built in a flamboyant style, City Palace represents a fusion of the Rajasthani and Mughal architectural styles. Being located on a hilltop, this palace offers spectacular views of the city and the neighboring areas. The array of gardens, courtyards and buildings leaves the visitors satisfied with their excursion. This is the same palace which was used as a hotel in the 1985 James Bond film Octopussy. Later, visit Lake Palace which was built in 1743-1746 as a summer resort on Jag Niwas Island in Lake Pichola.
Overnight at the Hotel.
Morning breakfast will be followed by an excursion to remaining popular attractions of the city. Visit Monsoon palace that stands beautifully on a hilltop. The erstwhile summer resort for maharajas has a strategically constructed rain water collector to fulfill water requirement all round the year. Saheliyon Ki Bari constitutes picturesque gardens laid down for a group of forty-eight young women entourage who escorted a princess to Udaipur as her dowry. Visit Nagda and Eklingji which are quite popular nearby attractions of the city. 22 km from Udaipur, a complex of temples Eklingji is situated in the north part of the city. Its 108 temples which are chiseled out of marbles and sandstones were built in 734 A.D.
Overnight at the Hotel.
After early morning breakfast you will take on a drive towards your next destination Kumbhalgarh en route visiting the exquisite temples of Ranakpur. Set amidst Udaipur and Jodhpur, they are located in a valley on the western region of the Aravalli Range. It has gained recognition for its marble Jain Temple and age old Sun temple located opposite to the former one. The skilful architecture of these temples wins over the hearts of travelers.
Kumbhalgarh, a Mewar fortress, was built in the 15th century and was later expanded in the 19th century. Located 82 km away from Udaipur it was the birthplace of great Indian King Maharana Pratap. At present it has been converted to a museum for general public. Check in at your pre booked hotel.
Overnight at the Hotel.
After a delicious morning breakfast at the hotel, you will proceed for your next destination Jodhpur – the second largest city of western Indian state Rajasthan. Due to its magnificent forts, palaces and temples, this city has made it to the list of hot tourist destinations in India. On arrival check in at your pre booked hotel. Relax for a while and then get set for an exciting city tour.
Due to its blue painted houses around the Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur is quite popular as the Blue City. Hundreds of tourists come all round the year to take an insight of the opulent history of this place. 9 km from Jodhpur, Mandore – an ancient town is located that boasts of certain important historical monuments. Mandore Gardens houses a 'Hall of Heroes' museum and a temple to 33 Crore Gods. Other popular tourist attraction is the Kaylana Lake which is an artificial lake built in 1872 by Pratap Singh. Also visit Balsamand Lake, Sardar Samand Lake and palace, Masooria Hill, Veer Durgadas Smarak, park, museum etc.
Overnight at the Hotel.
After morning breakfast you will drive to Jaisalmer, your next destination on this colorful tour. Crowned by a fort, Jaisalmer stands on a crest of yellowish sandstone. This Golden City is famous for its Palace and flamboyant Jain Temples; it is abode to some finely sculptured houses and temples as well.
On your arrival check in at your pre booked hotel. Rest of the day will be at leisure.
Overnight will be spent in the camp.
Morning breakfast will be followed by city’s sightseeing tour. Visit Jaisalmer Fort which was built by the Bhati Rajput ruler Jaisal in 1156. Located on the hilltop of Trikuta, it has witnessed many battles in the past. Its ocher lion colored massive sandstone walls appears magical honey-gold at the time of sun dusk. Then visit the famous havelis of the region which include Patwon-ki-Haveli, Salam Singh-ki-Haveli, Nathmalji-ki-Haveli and Haveli Shreenath. The famous museums of the region are Desert Culture Centre & Museum, Jaisalmer Folklore Museum and Government Museum.
Overnight at the Hotel.
After breakfast you will drive to Osian, an oasis in the Thar Desert, sobriquet as Khajuraho of Rajasthan, Osian is the ancient site of 8th Jain temples. Abode to the bunch of ruined Brahmanical and Jain temples which were built during the time span of 8th to 11th century, it was one of the major religious centers in the past. It has a total of 18 shrines out of which Sun Temple, Kali temple, Sachiya Mata Temple and the main Jain temple are unsurpassed in their grace and architecture. Later enjoy a luxurious camping in the most spectacular sand mounds of the grand Thar Desert.
Overnight will be spent in the camp.
After breakfast, you will drive to the Pushkar town, host for the colorful Pushkar Mela. Famous for its colorful annual fair during kartik poornima (full moon) in November each year, this town is also included in the five sacred pilgrimage sites for religious Hindus. Located on the banks of Pushkar Lake, It is one of the oldest towns alive today.
At the time of Pushkar Mela, this otherwise serene and calm village is thrown into colorful mystification when the desert tribes and camel caravans meet to buy and sell cattle, goat, camels, sheep, jewelry, clothes, and spices beside the holy lake Pushkar. When the equally colorful tribes perform their rituals in waters of the lake, to the accompaniment of temple and folk music, the whole aura of the place is worth being a part of. Watch women go crazy at the stalls full of bracelets, jewelry, textiles and fabrics. An exciting camel race gives the festival an enthusiastic start full of pomp and show followed by 10 hectic yet lively days full of music, songs and exhibitions. On the night of the full moon everybody goes for a sacred dip in the holy lake for cleansing of their soul.
Overnight will be spent in the camp.
The eleventh day of the tour will be as colorful as a vibrant rainbow. This is your chance to spend a whole day at the fair. Full day at the fair bestows you with some excellent opportunities full of fun, excitement, games and amusement. Photographers have a great chance to capture some of the most unique moments in their cameras. Rajasthani women in their beautiful attire look elegant representing the great details of Indian art and culture, men clad in pink turbans add to the hue of the festival.
Overnight will be spent in the camp.
With the colorful memories of the Pushkar festival, you will drive towards your next destination Jaipur – the pink city. Capital of the western state Rajasthan, Jaipur was the first planned city of the country. There is a timeless quality to Jaipur's bazaars and its people. With its historical past, Jaipur revives legends of the ancient Rajputs. The dresses of the women and the turbans of the men add color to this fascinating city. On arrival you will check in at your pre booked hotel. Relax for a while and get freshen up for the afternoon city tour. Visit the ancient capital of Amber to see the fabulous Amber Fort. Maharaja Mansingh, Mughal Emperor Akbar’s most successful General, started the construction of Amber Fort in the 17th century. Before the City Palace was constructed in Jaipur, Amber was the seat of power. The fort is surrounded by fortified battlements and overlooks the Maotha Lake. Ruins and remains are spread over the Aravalli hills and sprawling crenulated walls lattice the surrounding area. En-route to Amber you will stop and see the `Palace of Winds’, otherwise known as Hawa Mahal. It is really an elaborate facade behind which the ladies of the court used to watch the daily goings on in the street below. It is extremely intricate in its pink sandstone carving. The cool wind blows through its facade of windows and latticed screens through which the queens of the court once viewed the streets of the city.
Overnight at hotel.
After breakfast at the hotel you will proceed for sightseeing tour of the city. Among the highlights to be seen today include the City Palace, which is an overwhelming complex of exquisite palaces, gardens and courtyards, decorative art and carved doorways. The palace museum houses collections of rare manuscripts, armory, costumes, carpets and miniature paintings. Walk to the adjacent Jantar Mantar or Astronomical Observatory made by the Maharaja of Jaipur, built in 1726 and is one of the five such astronomical wonders built by Sawai Jai Singh and makes accurate predictions even to this day. You will also have the opportunity to wander about the local markets.
Later in the afternoon, you will get on for a drive to Agra which is 265 km away from the pink city. On your way you will visit the heritage city – Fatehpur Sikri. This deserted red sandstone city was built by the Great Mughal Emperor Akbar as his capital and palace in the late 16th century. It is complete with palaces and mosques and used to be a town larger than London when it was originally constructed. Now it is an extraordinary place to wander around with its buildings in near perfect condition.
Later proceed to Agra. Agra in terms of ambiance is still associated with its Mughal period. The Mughals besides being great rulers were also great builders and they preserved their best architectural wonders for Agra and its neighborhood. It has many wonderful monuments and the Taj Mahal, the greatest of them all, is a masterpiece of Mughal architecture. On arrival check in at your pre booked hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Early in the morning, you will be taken to witness the exquisiteness of Taj Mahal at the time of sunrise. You will be overwhelmed to see the beauty that the rising sun will add to the white beauty of this one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Spend some time exploring the magnificent architecture of this pious monument which was built by great Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in loving memory of his third wife Mumtaz Mahal. Later you will drive back to Delhi. On arrival check in at your pre booked hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
After morning breakfast you will be transferred to the international airport by our representative. Catch flight for your onward destination and say goodbye to this colorful tour.