WINDMILL TOURS AND TRAVELS PVT. LTD. Heritage Himachal

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1 Heritage Himachal The Toy Train Shimla is most popular hill station in northern India and capital city of Himachal Pradesh in North India famous for its Mall road, the Ridge, toy train etc, visit the Buddhist learning centers and other places of interest at Mcleodganj home to the Dalai Lama visiting Tsuglag Khang; Namgyalma Stupa; Church of St.John s in wilderness; Dal Lake; Bhagsunag; Dharamkot; Triund; Norbulingka & the famous Tibetan Market were you can buy gifts for your loved ones Day 01 Delhi / Shimla Shimla / Mashobra The Kalka/ Shimla train journey popularly called 'Toy Trains' is very famous among tourists. Meandering on these trains is a galvanizing experience as one passes through the breathtaking landscapes of majestic Himalayas, tunnels/ bridges and lush green valleys embellished with pine, oak trees, leaving a long lasting memory of rhapsody and triumph. The train is one of the most unique railway tracks of the world. It is said that this railway line has been first sketched in November 1847, almost 50 years before, it was actually constructed. This magnificent train was inaugurated by the British viceroy, Lord Curzon in November 1903, almost covering the distance of 96 km from Kalka through the curving tracks, up to Shimla hills- the summer capital of colonial India. The toy train trek from Kalka to Shimla is adorned with resplendent panorama of the valley and the picturesque stations along the

2 way. The train passes through 103 tunnels, 969 bridges, 919 curves and 20 railway stations in its entire journey. The Guinness Book on 'Rail Facts and Feats' included Kalka-Shimla Railway as the greatest narrow gauge engineering achievement in India. Upon arrival you will be transferred to hotel. Day 02 Mashobra After buffet breakfast you will proceed to explore the colonial past of this beautiful hill station. Walk down on the Mall, from this central area, the town spills downwards, with winding roads linking up settlements and stone steps connecting each layer. The Cart Road encircles the base of the main settlement, and is the highest motorable road of Shimla. The Mall is open only to pedestrians only. The Mall is the main shopping area of Shimla, lined with shops selling woollen garments and shawls, handicrafts, departmental stores, eateries and old colonial timber houses. There is a palpable change of character from the times when the Mall was strictly out of bounds for all natives except royalty, to the noisy and very Indian crowds that walk down it today. Dominating the eastern end of the Ridge is the Christ Church, which was consecrated in It is a prominent yellow painted building with a Victorian-Gothic spire. Inside, some of the finest stained glass windows in India depict faith, hope, charity, fortitude, patience and humility. Next to the church is the mock-tudor Library, built in It has a collection of historical books and subscribes to most English language dailies. On the other extreme of the central square is the Scandal Corner. The place got its curious name after the daughter of a high-ranking British officer eloped with a Patiala prince from here. The place is now dominated by a statue of the Punjabi freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai and groups of local people gather here in the afternoon for some casual chit-a-chat. Afternoon visit the most impressive colonial edifice of Shimla is the Viceregal Lodge, now known as the Rashtrapati Niwas (President s House). Sitting on the flat top of Observatory Hill, this Elizabethan mansion was built in 1888 for Lord Dufferin. It now houses the

3 Institute of Advanced Studies, and is open only in some parts to the public. The grey building still retains its grandeur, with a lion and unicorn guarding the entrance, immaculate lawns and original brass fire hydrants from Manchester. The lodge has a chapel and an indoor swimming pool. Inside, the rooms have rich woodcarvings and wooden panelling. The ballroom has now been turned into a library, while the conference room has photographs of Jawaharlal Nehru, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi in consultation during the run-up to independence. The lodge also has a botanical garden and a café. Towards the rear is a stone terrace with a view of some major Himalayan peaks. There are streams running down from top of the hill, flowing into the Sutlej, Yamuna and Ganga. Our last stop will be the Jakhu Temple, sitting on top of Jakhu hill at 2,455 metres is the highest point on the ridge. This temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman, the monkey god, is quite appropriately beset with hordes of very aggressive monkeys. It is best to steer clear of them and keep all eatables well out of reach. Return to your hotel after tour. Day 03 Mashobra / Paragpur After buffet breakfast you will be driven to Paragpur (176 Kms / approx 7½ hours), upon arrival check-in at Heritage hotel Judge s Court. The Judge s Court is a Country Manor located in the medieval hamlet of Pragpur, at an elevation of 2000 ft. in the Kangra Valley of the North Indian State of Himachal Pradesh. The property is classified as "Heritage" and this in a way makes it India's first classified Heritage Country Manor with an ambience reminiscent of the turn of the 20th Century Rest of the day is at leisure.

4 Day 04 Paragpur / Kangra / Dharamshala After leisurely breakfast you will be driven to Dharamshala (75 Kms / hours including visit), en-route visiting Kangra Museum in Kanga. Kangra Museum - The Erstwhile Royal Family of Kangra has dedicated their Museum to honor Maharaja Sansar Chandra their ancestor who s reign was known as the golden age of Kangra. Maharaja Sansar Chandra inherited the throne of Kangra when he was just 10 years old. By the age of 21 he had defeated the Mughals and had won back his ancestral fort of Kangra. True to the saying He who hold s the Fort rules the hills The young Maharaja ushered in an age of prosperity and the Indian renaissance of paintings. The period was the Golden age of Kangra. Maharaja Sansar Chandra established law and order in his vast empire, at its peak it his empire stretched from Lahaul-Spiti to the plains of Hoshiarpur [18000 sq.miles]. The important Galleries are Darbar Hall - The central gallery is the Kangra Durbar or the hall of audience. This has been recreated to show the visitors how Rajput Kings held court. Kangra Paintings - The Kangra Miniature paintings are by far the finest Rajput paintings of India. The are considered to be the renascences of Indian art. In the time of Maharaja Sansar Chandra the master artist of his court produced some paintings. Some of the Famous series were the Bara-masa, Naika, Bihari Sat-Sai, Bhagavata-Purana, Gita-Govind, Raghmala. In the museum you will get to see some examples of these paintings. Costume - The Museum has exebited Royal clothes, textiles made of gold and silver thread, uniforms from the British period all from the Royal Families personal collection. Some of the costume have been worn by the Family themselves. The piece the resistance is the shawl presented to the Family by the Emperor Jahangir himself [it is the red shawl with paisley motifs in side the floor display table]. Maharani s Bedroom - This gallery depicts the silver furniture used by H.H Rajmata Shailendra Kumari a princess of Tehri-Garhwal and Armory - Displays here show the various kinds of weapons used from the time of Maharaja Sansar Chandra to his greatgreat-great grand son H.H Maharaja Jai Chandra.

5 After visit continue driving to Dharamshala, upon arrival check-in at hotel. Rest of the day is at leisure. Day 05 Dharamshala After breakfast at the hotel, proceed for half-day city tour of Dharamshala. Spend the day visiting the Buddhist learning centers and other places of interest Mcleodganj, home to the Dalai Lama visiting Tsuglag Khang; Namgyalma Stupa; Church of St.John s in wilderness; Dal Lake; Bhagsunag; Dharamkot; Triund; Norbulingka & the famous Tibetan Market. at Return to your hotel after the tour. Day 06 Dharamshala / Amritsar After breakfast drive to Amritsar (200 Km / approx 06 hours), upon arrival check at hotel. Amritsar is one of the most ancient and fascinating cities of India. It is an important seat of Sikh history and culture. Being the gateway for travellers coming to India on the overland route from central Asia it soon became the centre of various commercial activities. Amritsar has various historical and religious sites. The most famous of them all in the Golden Temple which was founded by the fourth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Ramdas and completed by his successor Guru Arjan Dev. Another revered shrine is the Durgiana Temple which is dedicated to goddess Durga. Day 07 Amritsar / Delhi

6 After a leisurely buffet breakfast at the hotel, proceed for sightseeing tour of Amritsar visiting Golden temple and Jallianwala Bagh. Shining in the morning light, the gilded splendor of its paneling and big dome and small minarets, this temple is a fairy world palace to the devotees of the Sikh faith. Certainly, the first look brings onto the innocent eye the image of a transcendent fact The 'loving sight' peering into heaven from the legends of the miraculous cures by the touch of the water in the pool of nectar, in which the shrine stands makes for ecstatic awareness. The vision has been received by millions of pilgrims who have come here for centuries from near and far. The actual construction had modest beginnings: A mud-house was constructed by Guru Amar Das, who is said to have found on the edge of the pool the magical herb which cured a skin ailment of his master Guru Angad. The Amrit Sarovar remained a village tank, until the fourth Guru Ram Das began to carry out the plans of his mentor for a more permanent structure in brick. Chak, Chak-Guru, Guru-ka-chak, Chak-Guru-Ram-Das, Ram-Das-Pura, were the names of Amritsar in those times. The temple on the banks of the pool of nectar was surrounded by the houses of the craftsmen from the towns of Patti, Kasur and Kalanur, who came to build the holy place. The only market was then called Guru-ka-bazar, still known by that name, though more populous Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth. master, who came to the spiritual throne in 1581, felt from the growing popularity of the shrine as a pilgrim center the need to have the tank paved on the four sides and the steps of Hari Mandir bricked. The devotees joined to construct the temple, which would be lived in during the everyday life, where the infinite mystery would be revealed to those who may want to see. Already, however, the demand to create a paradise on earth became urgent, from the vision of Arjan Dev, of many simple hearts coming, with dipped eyes over joined hands, to pray and touch the holy water on their foreheads. So this Guru had the structure of the Hari Mandir planned in such a way that the outsight, might afford the insight. The present causeway leading to the Hari Mandir was then designed, with the rectangular shape of the circumambulatory walk ending at the gateway, from which the path to Reality began. And to combine, symbolically, the noblest truth of Islam about One God with the faith in the Hindu God Hari and his many incarnations, the Muslim divine, Mian Mir of Lahore, is said to have been invited by Guru Arjan Dev to lay the foundation stone of the temple in A.D The structure of the shrine also mixed the rectangular form of the Hindu temple with the dome and minarets of the Muslims Continue to visit the Jallianwala Bagh - the historic site where hundreds of innocent Indian men, women and children were massacred by British General Michael Dyer on April 13, A memorial and Garden have been created here as a national monument.

7 Later in the evening a our representative will transfer you to Amritsar railway station to board train for Delhi. ***End of Tour***