2nd – 17th November
This is a tour of differing sensations, from majesty of arid Rajasthan, cris crossed with prosperous trade routes and punctuated with magnificent forts, mosques and mesmerising temples, to the vigour and vim of Mumbai, where extremes of wealth and poverty coexist with high culture, contemporary art and Bollywood. You will return with a real sense of the intellectual prowess of India and an appreciation of painting, sculpture and architecture through the ages and across religions. Furthermore, the colours, textures, fabrics and food all lend to a visceral experience of the exciting region of India.
Our aim is to bring to you an experience of variety and insight the like of which is simply not available to the solo traveller. Gyles Morris and Nick Ross will lead this tour with our friends Sandesh and Samrat Uval from our partner ground agents iEXP360.
Itinerary
Saturday 1st November
Depart London for New Delhi on the suggested flight below.
Sunday 2nd – Thursday 6th November
We land in the morning in Delhi and make our way by bus straight away to Jaipur, stopping for lunch on the way and arriving in time to settle in and have some supper. On the way, we will lay out some of the historical and physical landscape that makes Jaipur such a remarkable city.
On Monday morning we will visit the City Palace, home of the Royal Court and an amazing complex of temples and courtyards as well as collections of paintings, textiles and illuminating photographs. It is also where we find an extraordinary 18th century astrological park, the Jantar Mantar. The Albert Hall Museum is really fantastic with a diverse collection of theatre masks, breathtaking Jain and Buddhist sculpture, miniatures and textiles are arranged in study cabinets, similar to the study rooms at the V&A in London. There is a real feel of discovery. Later in our stay we will go a little way out of town to the Amber Fort overlooking the city. Also, on the outskirts of town we can go up to the Khole Ke Hanuman Ji Temple. There will also be opportunities to explore the markets and a gem workshop.
Thursday 6th – Saturday 8th November
Today we leave for Jodhpur. If we make an early start we can make the rather wonderful city of Ajmer, foundered by the enlightened Mughal Emperor Akbar. There are several treasures here, but our aim is to see the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, the domed shrine of the Muslim Sufi saint Garib Nawaz. We will then continue to Jodhpur, where we will stay for two nights.
Jodhpur, the ‘Blue City’. We are now on the edge of the Thar Dessert. As a trading place, the stepwells are an important feature of the city, which is in turn overlooked by the most vertiginous, elaborate fort. And this is to say nothing of the lovely blue walls of the Brahmin city. There will also be an optional visit to the Mandore, the original capital of the Mewar region and where a present-day garden park is dotted with tombs (cenotaphs) as old as the renaissance, forming a sort of architectural museum.
Saturday 8th – Monday 10th November
About forty minutes outside Jodhpur is an enchanting village fort, Rohet Garh. Still owned and run by an aristocratic family, this is a heavenly spot. It is a place to ride, to cook or simply to sit. We go there because we have learnt that the experience of India is frenetic, colourful and beautiful but that it is all too easy to get bound up in the rush. This will be time to savour our experience.
Monday 10th – Thursday 13th November
Leaving after an early breakfast, we will make our way to Udaipur. Udaipur, like Bath, is a wonderful and beautiful cityscape set around beautiful manmade lakes. We will visit the City Palace which, in the Queens apartments, has one of the greatest collections of painting in all India. Later we will see the Jagdish Temple, which is famed for its intricate carvings. In the early evening we’ll go to a spectacular dance performance called Dharohar at the Bagore Ki Haveli Museum. While in Udaipur, there is also the opportunity to attend a miniture painting class and a wonderful cooking experience. Udaipur is also a lovely place for shopping and for a rather good tailor.
Thursday 13th – Monday 17th November
We will take a morning flight to Mumbai and arrive at our hotel after lunch. (We are offering a choice of hotel in Mumbai, the Gordon House, which is a good clean medium range hotel, albeit with small bathrooms, where I usually stay, or the much more impressive Taj Mahal for which there is a supplement.)
While in Mumbai we will visit Gandhi’s rather elegant bungalow house and talk about Indian Independence. With Imperial thoughts in mind, we will visit India Gate, the Victoria Terminus and the Law Courts . We will also visit the Dharavi slum with an Educational Trust, whose excellent guides explain aspects of the dichotomy between poverty and wealth in Mumbai. On the same theme of daily life, the fish market is worth an early visit one morning.
In terms of high culture, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya is one of the great collections of both sculpture and painting in all India. Later that day we will board a boat bound for Elephanta Island where a World Heritage Site celebrates a series of caves with 5th Century carving dedicated to Lord Shiva. Mumbai is a great opportunity to speak about modern India and for that reason we are hoping that our friends in the Bollywood film industry will be able to show us something of interest – this is a fascinating way to look into contemporary visual culture for the working population. However, Mumbai is also a home to contemporary art and we are presently talking to the influential Renna Kallat and her husband who have the most amazing studio on a scale not dissimilar to Damien Hirst.
Further Details
Hotels
Jaipur Saba Haveli. https://saba-haveli.hotels-jaipur.com
Jodhpur Pal Haveli. https://Palhaveli.com
Jodhpur Rohet Garh https://www.houseofrohet.com/rohet-garh.html
Udaipur Lake Pichola Hotel. https://www.lakepicholahotel.in
Mumbai Gordon House Hotel. https://www.ghhotel.com/
Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. https://www.tajhotels.com/en-in/hotels/taj-mahal-palace-mumbai (supplement £650 tbc)
Tutors – Nick Ross and Cressida Ross. We will be joined by Gyles Morris, a geographer who has travelled in India throughout his adult life, most recently crossing India on a bicycle. We are joined by Samrat Uval from iEXP360, our partners in India.
Flights – We do not book the flights thus allowing you to travel to suit your budget, use airmiles, travel between different airports or on different dates. However, we have identified the following flights which you might like to consider. We will be organizing transfers or connecting flights for the following:
Saturday 1st November
London Heathrow leaving at 18.40 landing at 08.45 New Delhi BA0257
Monday 17th November
Mumbai leaving at 13.10 landing at 18.15 London Heathrow
Transport – This will be a mix of a private coach and one flight from Udaipur to Mumbai (included in the fees)
Ability and Health- As someone who is lame, I don’t find India a problem, but one thing to bear in mind is the uneven surfaces – India is not a great place to fall over. Also, an abiding worry is to be unwell while travelling and we will give advice. In line with this, we ask all to eat as a vegetarian on the tour.
Visas and vaccinations – we will advise with links on registration. Online applications one month before travel are advised and we will help with this process with advice and notes.
Cost – The fees are £5,650 which includes accommodation and breakfast, all lunches in India and four dinners, transfers for the recommended flights, transport when connected with teaching and from city to city (including 1 internal flight), museum entrance fees and group activities, tuition from AHA and local guides, local tour leaders, reading lists and local advice. The single occupancy supplement is £800 (double room for single use). Not included are the flights to and from India, eleven suppers and travel insurance. The group will not exceed 16 clients.
To register – Please complete the online registration form, having read our terms and conditions and pay a deposit of £600 via bank transfer. Your place is not confirmed until we have received the deposit.
If you have any queries please email charlie@arthistoryabroad or call 01379 871800 (302)
NB you must buy your own flights
