East India Treasure Tour

Package Name: East India Treasure Tour

Duration: 19 Nights – 20 Days

Location: Patna – Nalanda – Gaya – Kolkata – Bhubaneswar – Puri – Ratnagiri – Lalitgiri – Udayagiri – Baliguda – Rayagada – Chatikona – Onukadelli – Lamptaput – Jeypore – Gopalpur – Chilika Bird Sanctuary – Kolkata Departure

Day 1: Arrive At Patna Airport

Meet and assistance. Transfer to hotel. Check in at hotel. Overnight in Patna.

Day 2: Patna – Nalanda – (approx. 90 kms / 02 hrs) – Rajgir – (approx. 12 kms / 30 min) – Bodhgaya (approx. 80 kms / 02 hrs)

After early morning breakfast drive to Nalanda, a great Buddhist centre for more than 1000 years until the monastery, school and library were sacked and burnt by Muslims. The Chinese scholar Hiuen Tsang stayed here for 5 years in the early 7th cent. AD. There were 10.000 monks and students in residence. The remains are still extensive and include the “Great Stupa” with steps, terraces and a few still intact stupas around it. Further drive to Rajgir or Rajagriha. It was the capital of Magadha empire before Pataliputra occupied from 1800 BC. Visit Gridhakuta, the “Hill of Vultures”. It was one of Buddha’s favorite places where he delivered many important sermons. Also visit Saptaparni Cave on Vaibhara Hill. The first Buddhist council was held here and Buddha’s teachings were written down for the first time. Visit Vishwa Shanti Stupa & Venuvana, the bamboo grove where Buddha spent some time. Later continue your drive to Bodhgaya. It was here that Siddhartha meditated for 48 days under a “Bodhi tree” and was enlightened on the 49th day and became Buddha, the enlightened one!!! On arrival in Bodhgaya, check in at the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 3 :Bodhgaya

After breakfast, visit Mahabodhi temple with the tree, below which Buddha was enlightened, the footprints of Buddha & the monastery. Also visit Sujata village and Niranjana River. Overnight at the hotel .

Day 4: Gaya – Kolkata By Train

Check out and transfer to Kolkata by Train. This is a same day train. We will try to book in 2nd AC Train and can carry packed lunch from hotel.

Day 5: Kolkata

Perhaps no other city overwhelms a visitor as Kolkata does – crowded, alive, vibrant, a city with a rich intellectual and cultural heritage. Inhabited by people who are proud to call themselves Kolkattans, this city is over 300 years old and has a fairy tale beginning. Kolkata owes its origin to the British merchant Job Charnock. During the British Raj, Kolkata was known as the Jewel of the East, and was the capital of the country until 1911. Today it is still the most important city in the East, the nerve center of trade and industry, a city bustling with a population of around 15 million. Today the tour of this vibrant city is begun with the Jain Temple also known as the “Jewel Box Temple of Calcutta”. It is situated in the northeast of the city. This temple of exquisite design and construction is dedicated to the 10th of the 24 Jain Tirthankaras and is an ornate mass of mirrors, colored stones and glass mosaics. After this we move to see Kumartuli (place where craftsman make idols). Kolkata is famous for its festivals (Pujas) round the year and this is the place where the idols are made. It is very interesting to see the craftsman making idols without using any machinery. Finally we move to Marble Palace, situated in north Calcutta, it has a collection of statues and original paintings including works of Rubens and Sir Joshua Reynolds. It is a private museum owned by the Mullicks (Zamidars during the British period). We than move to College Street (one of asia’s largest book market), have a cup of coffee at the famous “Coffee Shop” where one can see the young turks gossiping and feel the pulse of the culture. After Lunch visit the Park Street Cemetery and Kali Temple. It is a great pilgrimage center of the Hindus and is situated at Kalighat. The original temple was built some 350 years ago. A legend goes that when the corpse of sati, wife of lord Shiva was cut into pieces by the Sudarshan Chakra, one of her fingers fell here. Overnight at hotel in Kolkata.

Day 6: Kolkata

Today the tour of this sprawling city begins with the Howrah Bridge; this bridge is built on river Hooghly and connects the city of Kolkata with the industrial town of Howrah. After which you are taken to the daily flower market to see the normal life of the common man with the different colors of flower. We now drive pass the Dalhousie Square where we see the Writers Building (State Secretariat), Raj Bhawan (Governor House), General Post Office Building, Kolkata High Court, Kolkata Town Hall and the St.John’s Church. We than move to the Botanical Gardens situated on the west bank of river Hooghly covering an area of 273 acres. The main attraction of the botanical gardens is the giant size banyan tree that is said to have the second largest canopy in the world. Over here, you can find a plethora of beautiful orchids and other colorful flowers. Immediately after Lunch we see the Victoria Memorial. It is a massive domed building of white marble from Rajasthan. It was inaugurated in 1921 by the Prince of Wales (later, briefly, Edward VIII). It houses a collection of Victoria memorabilia and also history related objects and documents on Bengal. In the park in which the memorial stands are statues of Queen Victoria, Lord Curzon and other figures of the Raj. Here, on weekends, people picnic, families meet for matchmaking, and transiting pilgrims bring flowers to the statue of “Maharani Victoria”. Continue on to one of the largest and most impressive museums in India, the Indian Museum, founded in 1814 on the basis of the collection of the Asiatic Society. Its widely varied exhibits include such oddities as a roomful of meteorites and a number of (stuffed) man-eating crocodiles. It has an impressive archaeology and sculpture department with a superb collection of Gandharan Buddhist art, as well as works from Khajuraho, Bharat and many other important sites. Overnight in Kolkata hotel.

Day 7: Kolkata – Bhubaneswar – Puri

Arrive at Bhubaneswar Airport. Meet and assistance at Airport. Drive to Puri. En route visit Dhauli (the Peace Pagoda) and Pipli (the applique village). Evening relaxation on the beach. Overnight at beach hotel.

Day 8: Puri

Breakfast at hotel. After Breakfast morning excursion to Konark Sun temple. Return to Puri. Visit to Jagannath Temple (exterior). Overnight at beach hotel

Day 09 : Puri – Bhubaneswar

After Breakfast Drive to Bhubaneswar en route visit Raghurajpur craft village. On arrival at Bhubaneswar visit to Khandagiri & Udayagiri Jain caves. Overnight at hotel in Bhubaneshwar.

Day 10: Bhubaneswar

Morning visit to temples including Rajarani, Mukteswar, Brahmeswar, Parsurameswar & Lingaraj. Afternoon visit to Tribal Museum, Sudarshan craft village and Ekamra Haat. Overnight at hotel in Bhubaneshwar.

Day 12: Bhubaneswar – Ratnagiri – Lalitgiri – Udayagiri (Explore the Buddhist Monastery and ancient Ruins)

A day excursion to the Buddhist Monastery to witness the exotic site of the earliest Tantric form of Budha (Mahayana & Kalachakra yana). Also visit excavation site of Udayagiri. Overnight hotel Mayfair.

Day13: Bhubaneswar – Baliguda

Morning drive to Baliguda en route visit typical Odishan villages and Kutia Kondh Tribal village. Overnight at Santosh Bhavan Lodge, Baliguda.

Day 14: Baliguda – Rayagada

Drive to Rayagada en route hiking to Kutia Kondh Tribal Villages in Barakhamba and Belghar area, later Visit the Kotgarh tribal market. Overnight at hotel in Raygada. Hotel Sai International or similar

Day 15: Rayagada – Chatikona – Jeypore

Visit to Dongria Kondh Weekly tribal market at Chatikona (On Wednesdays only) and drive to Jeypore. Overnight at hotel Sai Krishna.

Day 16: Jeypore – Onukudelli – Lamtaput – Jeypore

After breakfast, drive to Onukudelli to visit the famous Bonda tribe who come once every week to the local market. It is a unique opportunity to see such a colorful concentration of tribals at one place. Most interesting is to watch the Bonda women in their colorful jewelleries, marketing commodities. Later continue drive to Lampatput and the nearby villages which are famous for other interesting tribes of Odisha like the Gadaba. Return drive to Jeypore. Overnight at Hotel Sai Krishna.

Day 17: Jeypore – Gopalpur (6 To 7 Hrs Drive)

Check out and transfer to Gopalpur on sea .Arrive and check in hotel. Evening free and relax at sea beach. Overnight at hotel Swosti

Day 18: Gopalpur – Chilika Bird Sanctuary – Local Train Ride From Chilika To Bhubaneswar

Check out from Gopalpur. Arrive at Chilika Bird Sanctuary. Boat ride and visit some Island to see the Birds. Proceed to Bhubaneswar by Local Train from Chillika. You will carry your handbag only. Other luggages will be in your car only. The same Driver and vehicle will pick you up from Bhubaneswar Railway station. Check in at hotel and overnight at hotel.

Day 19: Bhubaneswar – Kolkata

Check out and transfer to Kolkata. Overnight at hotel.

Day 20: Kolkata Departure

Morning after breakfast check out and transfer to kolkata airport. Drop at airport, you can board your onward Flight.

Nalanda is a great Buddhist centre for more than 1000 years until the monastery, school and library were sacked and burnt by Muslims. The Chinese scholar Hiuen Tsang stayed here for 5 years in the early 7th cent. AD. There were 10,000 monks and students in residence. The remains are still extensive and include the “Great Stupa” with steps, terraces and a few still intact stupas around it.

Rajgir or Rajagriha was the capital of Magadha empire before Pataliputra occupied from 1800 BC. Gridhkuta, the “Hill of Vultures”. It was one of Buddha’s favorite places where he delivered many important sermons. Saptaparni Cave on Vaibhara Hill. The first Buddhist council was held here and Buddha’s teachings were written down for the first time.

Bodh Gaya is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is famous as it is the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained Enlightenment under what became known as the Bodhi Tree. For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most important of the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath.

Outram Ghat, Ganges riverfront : A pleasant walk . View the majesty of the busiest bridge in the world, the Howrah Bridge and the Vidyasagar Setu – an awesome structural feat . Or enjoy a cruise on the river in a panshi.Walk in to a varied collection of exhibits that include unique fossils, Buddhist Gandharan art, an Egyptian mummy and a roomful of memories !The 48 mt tower of Ochterlony Monument , now renamed Shahid Minar , holds command at the northern end of the Maidan. And the mighty river Hooghly beckons. At the northern end of the Maidan, towards the river, is the Old British Government house now called Raj Bhavan.

Kolkata -Kalighat is Kolkata’s oldest pilgrimage site with a temple of Goddess Kali, it is especially packed with visitors on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The place is considered to be the origin of the famous Kalighat pats, a distinct style of Bengal painting done on paper with water-based paints and depicting scenes from daily life. Mother House is the headquarters of Missionaries of Charity, set up by Mother Teresa. The unassuming building is also the final resting place of the saint.

Puri also known as Sri Jagannath Dham after the 12th-century Jagannath Temple located in the city. It is one of the original Char Dham pilgrimage sites for Hindus. Konark Sun temple.

Bhubaneswar is the capital of the Indian state of Odisha. It is the largest city in Odisha and is a centre of economic and religious importance in Eastern India. Temples Rajarani, Mukteswar, Brahmeswar, Parsurameswar & Lingaraj. Tribal Museum, Sudarshan craft village and Ekamra Haat. Khandagiri & Udayagiri Jain caves.

Jeypore the interesting weekly market ( takes place once in a week i.e WEDNESDAY) of Dongaria Kondhas ,the primitive Dongoriya Kondha group , Who once in famous for their Human sacrifices now the substitute is water buffalo. In morning dongariyas trek down from hills with their forest produce to sell to non tribals later entering to main market to buy essential commodities salt , dry fish , chicken etc.

Onukudelli the famous Bonda tribe who come once every week to the local market. It is a unique opportunity to see such a colorful concentration of tribals at one place. Most interesting is to watch the Bonda women in their colorful jewelleries, marketing commodities. Lampatput and the nearby villages are famous for other interesting tribes of Odisha like the Gadaba.

Chilika lake is a brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha state on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of over 1,100 km2. It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest coastal lagoon in the world after The New Caledonia barrier reef in New Caledonia. It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian subcontinent. The lake is home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals. The lake is an ecosystem with large fishery resources. The lagoon hosts over 160 species of birds in the peak migratory season. Birds from as far as the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea and other remote parts of Russia, Kirghiz steppes of Mongolia, Central and southeast Asia, Ladakh and Himalayas come here. These birds travel great distances; migratory birds probably follow much longer routes than the straight lines to reach Chilika Lake.