Sierra Club Outings | Treasures, Tigers, and the Taj Mahal, India

Heart of India: A Wildlife and Cultural Journey
November 2-November 14, 2009

Highlights:

Experience sunrise and sunset at the Taj Mahal
Visit the Keoladeo bird sanctuary and Kanha tiger reserve
See Khajuraho temples and Ganges ghats

Includes:

All lodging, meals, entrance fees, guiding, and tips
All in-country travel, including road, train, flights, and airport transfers
Expert cultural and naturalist guides

One of the oldest civilizations in the world, India emits a ceaseless, nearly overwhelming energy that pulsates to the core of almost every visitor. During its 4,000-year history, the Buddha wrestled here with the meaning of suffering and the way to enlightenment, Hindus have lived through their various reincarnations to achieve unity with God, and the Muslim Moghuls constructed the perfect edifice, the Taj Mahal. India also offers a wildlife heritage equal to that of Africa or South America.

Our adventure begins in Delhi, where we view distinctive monuments and experience the bustling city life of Old Delhi. We then travel through the north central portion of the country, experiencing some of the best cultural and natural history sites, in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. These sites include the Keoladeo bird sanctuary, the Kanha tiger reserve, and the cities of Agra, Khajuraho, and Varanasi. They include no fewer than eight UNESCO World Heritage sites (UWHS). We will explore the country's history, beliefs, customs, and architectural treasures before returning to finish in Delhi.

This trip is suitable for any adult who enjoys nature, adventure, and cultural exploration. All the sites on our itinerary are well removed from the border areas and provinces where unrest and political instability might occur. We will be traveling largely by private coach, but also on two scheduled airline flights, and two trips on Indian Railways – a real treat given the history and importance of the national railway system. One of the rail trips will be overnight. Our transportation inside the tiger reserve will typically be by jeep, with elephant rides for viewing when appropriate. Lodging is in first-class hotels and in a comfortable forest lodge.

Day 1: All participants should arrive at the Indira Gandhi International Airport by midnight or so and transfer to our hotel in New Delhi. Overnight in New Delhi.

Day 2: After an introductory meeting, we embark on a full day tour of Delhi. The national capital of India, Delhi is a veritable museum of Indo-Islamic and British-influenced architecture. In the morning we will visit Old Delhi, one of the most congested cities in the world with exotic bazaars, mazes of narrow lanes, and tall, leaning houses – all contributing to the sights, sounds, and aromas of the Indian sub-continent. We will visit such sights as the 17th-century Red Fort (UWHS), and Jama Masjid, India’s largest mosque, with its tapering minarets and wonderful marble domes, the Chandni Chowk (Old Delhi's business center), and the Raj Ghat (cremation site of Mahatama Gandhi, now a memorial).

In the afternoon we visit New Delhi, a beautifully landscaped city of wide boulevards, formal parks, the elegant Parliament Building, and Rashtrapati Bhawan – the official residence of the President of India. This stately edifice, which sits on 330 acres, was formerly the awe-inspiring residence of the British Viceroys. Our afternoon sightseeing will also include India Gate, a majestic 138-foot high arch built as a memorial to the Indian soldiers killed in World War I; and Qutb Minar (UWHS), an Afghan-architecture 12th- and 13th-century 236-foot tower commemorating the defeat of the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi. We will also visit Humayun's Tomb (UWHS), built in the 16th century and often described as the architectural forerunner of the Taj Mahal. Overnight in New Delhi.

Day 3: After breakfast we drive via Bharatpur to the Keoladeo Ghana National Park (UWHS), a low area between two rivers. Its aquatic vegetation attracts a large number of migratory birds, especially in winter, making it one of the finest bird sanctuaries in Asia. We are likely to see cranes, cormorants, ducks, egrets, geese, herons, owls, and storks. We may also see some rare species like the solitary lapwing, Dalmatian pelican, and black bittern.

After our visit we continue to our hotel in Agra, then visit the fabled Taj Mahal (UWHS) at sunset, admiring and photographing one of the wonders of the world. Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj in memory of his beloved consort Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their fourteenth child. A magnificent monument to love, this marvel is a beautiful mausoleum of pure white marble inlaid with contrasting semiprecious stone. Construction lasted from 1631 to 1653; a total of 20,000 people worked on the building. The Taj Mahal is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic styles. Overnight in Agra.

Day 4: We begin the day with a second unhurried visit to the Taj as it opens out to the world at sunrise, then return to our hotel for breakfast. Afterward we drive out of town to visit the fortified ghost city of Fatehpur (“city of victory”) Sikri (UWHS), a short-lived capital built by Shah Jahan’s grandfather, Mughal emperor Akbar. The audience halls, palaces, and mosques are still in a state of perfection, as are the tomb of Shaikh Salim Chishti, the Panchmahal pavilion, and the Buland Darwaza gate.

Back in Agra, in the afternoon we visit the Agra Fort (UWHS). The maze of courtyards, mosques, and private chambers echo the story of the Mughal Empire. Emperor Akbar began construction of the massive fort in 1565, and additions were made until the time of Shah Jahan. Whereas in Akbar's time the fort was principally a military structure, by Shah Jahan's era the fort had become partially a palace.

Toward late afternoon we transfer to Agra’s main railway station to board the Gondwana Express overnight train to Jabalpur, our gateway to Kanha National Park. Indian Railways is said to be the world’s second largest employer. It boards 14 million passengers per day, seven times the total number boarded in the U.S. by all airlines combined. Curtains divide our air-conditioned sleeping car into compartments, with upper and lower berths, on either side of the corridor. Bedding is provided. Toilet facilities at the ends of the car are shared. The train stops almost every hour, people board and descend, food and drink vendors circulate; although most travelers are not especially noisy, the journey is somewhat less restful than in the closed compartments of American or European trains. Overnight on train.

Day 5: Our train arrives in Jabalpur in the morning, and we transfer to vehicles for the five-hour drive to our lodge outside Kanha National Park. This is one of India’s most famous tiger preserves. Today, tigers are rare throughout India but have been saved from extinction by India's successful Project Tiger. Kanha offers one of the best chances anywhere in India of seeing tigers in the wild. In addition to the royal Bengal tiger, it is home also to leopard, the common gray langur (monkey), the (insectivorous) sloth bear, dhole (Indian wild dog), barasingha (swamp deer), and chital (spotted deer), as well as hundreds of species of birds. In the afternoon we go for our first game drive. Overnight in an lodge near the park.

Days 6 and 7: For two full days our focus is game viewing. Early morning and late afternoon we’ll head into the reserve for a game drive in jeeps, with a naturalist guide. We may occasionally transfer to elephants (the consummate off-road vehicle) to approach the tigers more closely. The rest of the time will be spent in our comfortable lodge, from which we may be able to see some of the wildlife. Overnight at Kanha.

Day 8: After an abbreviated last morning game drive (time permitting), we drive back to Jabalpur. This time we enjoy a three-hour daytime train ride to Satna, where we transfer to a bus. After two more hours we arrive at the town of Khajuraho (UWHS). Driving through villages and countryside should give us a good look at rural Indian life – not to mention a greater appreciation of American roads! Overnight in Khajuraho.

Day 9: We devote the first of two mornings to visiting Khajuraho’s many surviving temples. Although the erotic carvings that embellish the stone are the main source of the site's fame, the temples are actually superb examples of 10th- and 11th-century Indo-Aryan art and architecture. Many are Jain temples with beautiful marble statues of Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, which started at about the same time as Buddhism in the fifth century BCE. The carvings depict what Indian life was like 1,000 years ago. Warriors, musicians, gods and goddesses, real and mythological animals, and celestial maidens all adorn the temple stonework, which dates from the Chandella dynasty and survived for five centuries before the Moghuls conquered the area. This is temple art at its best, rivaling Angkor and Athens. The afternoon is at leisure, and in the evening we attend a sound and light show. Overnight in Khajuraho.

Day 10: In the morning we visit the most important of the temples not included in yesterday’s tour. After lunch, we transfer to the airport for the 40-minute scheduled airline flight to Varanasi (formerly Benares), the spiritual heart of Hindu India. Dating to 1400 BCE, this city of more than a million inhabitants claims to be one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Its spiritual life centers on the 80 or so ghats, some of them used for cremation, but most of them for bathing in the sacred – but extremely polluted – Ganges River. We observe evening prayers at the river. Overnight in Varanasi.

Day 11: We will rise before dawn to take a boat ride on the Ganges as it becomes alive with pilgrims. We may also see some of the endangered and protected blind Ganges dolphin. After breakfast, we drive a few miles to visit the ruins and monasteries of Sarnath, in whose deer park Buddha gave his first sermon. This is one of the four important sites of the Buddhist circuit in India and Nepal. In the afternoon we visit the 17th-century Ramnagar Fort overlooking the river. Overnight in Varanasi.

Day 12: This morning we will enjoy a walking tour of the old city. After lunch, we take an 80-minute scheduled airline flight from Varanasi back to Delhi. We share a farewell dinner, use our hotel rooms as late as we need to, and then transfer to the airport in time for our international flights. Overnight (if required) in Delhi.

Day 13: Those whose flights do not depart until today will be transferred to the airport.

Preparation
Before flying to India, you will need to obtain a visa from the Indian consulate that serves your state of residence. The trip leader will help participants as needed.

No immunizations are required for entry into India, but we recommend that you follow the guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control. The trip leader will keep you informed concerning current recommendations and other health information.

Our city hotels will be comparable to those of three- to four-star category in the U.S. The forest lodge will be comfortable but may not be luxurious; it will allow us access to natural settings we could not otherwise explore. Our clean, comfortable twin-bedded rooms everywhere will have private baths with running hot water and showers.

Breakfast will usually be a light buffet. Lunches and dinners will be taken sometimes at hotels and sometimes at independent restaurants. We may occasionally have a packed meal on long travel days. Food will be plentiful, ranging from spicy to bland. India is a haven for vegetarians.

Potential trip members should be aware of the nature and demands of adventure travel. You do not have to be in excellent physical condition to make this trip, but there will be bumpy jeep and elephant rides on rough terrain. There will also be some long stretches of road and train travel between itinerary sites. Otherwise, we will be on foot for a fair amount of time each day. Our opportunities for walking will be restricted, however, when we are in tiger habitat. Emotional balance, flexibility, maturity, and a spirit of adventure are essential to making this an enjoyable experience.

We will be visiting India when weather conditions are optimal – after the monsoons and after the summer heat. Nonetheless, it is possible that we will have some 90-degree (F.) temperatures when we are in open, non-forested areas. It will be a dry heat, however, and should be tolerable. The weather should mostly be in the 70s and 80s by day, and 50s and 60s at night, but could drop into the 40s at night when we are in our forest lodge. Occasional rain is possible, but heavy or prolonged rains are rare outside of the June-August monsoon season.

Modest attire is recommended for men and women. No special clothing or equipment is required. A detailed suggested packing list will be sent to participants.

The following books will get you started. A fuller reading list will be sent to participants.

The last 100 years have not been good for India's natural heritage. India's ever-increasing population (which recently topped a staggering one billion) has turned vast areas of pristine forest into farmland or, worse yet, barren wasteland. Since 1900, India has lost almost 90 percent of its forest land and 94 percent of its tigers. The cheetah is already extinct in India, and the Asiatic lion – only about 350 remain – is now confined to a small pocket in the Gir forest of the state of Gujarat. It is a sad irony that so many species are disappearing or endangered in the land that fostered some of the world's most compassionate religions. However, not all the news is bleak. Since the early 1970s, strong government legislation and programs such as Project Tiger have resulted in increased protection of wildlife and preservation of critical habitat.

Compared to Africa or even South America, there has been a paucity of publicity and international attention given to India's wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. Only recently has the Indian government increased its efforts to open up these areas for ecotourism, and more ecotourism is needed to reinforce government support for habitat preservation and protection of endangered species.

During the course of our outing, we will have opportunities to witness how overpopulation and poverty affect not only the human species but also the entire natural world. There is much fertile ground for discussion when one immerses oneself in the frothy, aromatic cauldron of one of the most fascinating and complex countries in the world – India!

The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.

The Sierra Club accurately and fairly budgets and prices our trips. However, unforeseen costs such as devaluation of the dollar compared to other currencies and fuel surcharges assessed by our international providers, may necessitate adjustment in trip price. We will make every effort to mitigate and absorb these fees. If a price increase is necessary, however, you will have 14 days after announcement to cancel without penalty.

Peter Calingaert has led Sierra Club trips to Costa Rica, Peru, and Turkey. He has lived in five foreign countries, traveled to scores of others, and speaks several languages. His outdoor experience includes trekking, river rafting, and leading bicycle rides and local Sierra Club day hikes. A retired computer professional, his principal non-travel activities are contra dancing, playing classical music on the piano, and attending plays and concerts. His travel interests include the architectural, natural history, and cultural aspects of his destinations. He looks forward to sharing his knowledge and experience, and welcomes your questions about the trip.