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Day 1 arrive Calcutta  |
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Arrive Calcutta by international flight. After clearing immigration and customs formalities you are met by a representative from First Tours India and transferred to Oberoi Grand.
(The Oberoi Grand) |
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| Day 2 Calcutta |
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Calcutta, the showpiece capital of the Raj, was the greatest colonial city of the Orient. Begin the day with an early morning visit to the flower market and wrestling grounds on the banks of the Hooghly River. Later visit the Dalhousie Square and St. John’s Church and proceed towards the north of Calcutta to visit Indian Coffee House, Kumartuli and the Paresnath Jain temple. The famous Indian Coffee House at College Street, the heart of Intellectual Calcutta still sell very good cup of Coffee. At Kumartuli the potters make life-size clay images of Gods and Goddess for the festivals and the Shola artists make decorations for the weddings. After lunch visit the Marble Palace and Rabindra Bharati University and Museum. Return to the hotel en route visiting Howrah Bridge - the world’s largest cantilever structure.
(The Oberoi Grand) |
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| Day 3 Calcutta |
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 Today visit the Victoria Memorial and the Indian Museum. Victoria Memorial was conceived by Lord Curzon and consists of numerous hybrid features. The main attraction of the memorial is the huge statue of the Queen, which is flanked by two ornamental tanks. The Indian Museum is the oldest museum in India founded in 1814 that houses the impressive remains of the 2nd century BC Buddhist stupa from Bharhut in Madhya Pradesh and ancient Buddhist sculptures from Sanchi, Gandhara, Amaravati and Sarnath. In the afternoon visit Asutosh Museum located in the University Centenary Building. This museum of eastern Indian art and antiquity houses textiles, terracotta figures and Bengali folk art. Return to the hotel for lunch.
(The Oberoi Grand) |
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| Day 4 Calcutta / Bhubaneswar |
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Transfer to the airport in time for Indian flight IC 7278 Calcutta / Bhubaneswar (0705/0800). Bhubaneswar, the capital of ancient Kalinga is now a bustling centre for commerce and religious activity. It became the modern capital of the state of Orissa in 1948. The striking features of the city are the numerous temples and shrines that reflect the grandeur of high quality workmanship and constitute one of the most distinctive regional styles of religious architecture in South Asia. Today visit the Lingaraj, the Parsurameswar, the Mukteswar and the Rajarani temples. These temples are unique in themselves, not only in their architectural beauty but also in the wonderful sculptures which enhance their presence.
(Trident Hilton Bhubaneswar) |
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| Day 5 Bhubaneswar / Purk / Konark |
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Early morning drive though lush green palm grooves and paddy fields to Raghurajpur to see craftsmen painting Pattachitras on specially prepared cloths and palm-leaves. Later proceed to Puri, one of the four celebrated religious centers of India. It is famous for the Jagannath Temple and the annual festival of Rath Yatra. After lunch drive through picturesque beach and fishing villages to the Sun Temple of Konark. Standing imperiously in its compound of lawns and casuarinas trees, this majestic pile of oxidizing sandstone is considered to be the apogee of Orissan temple architecture and one of the finest religious buildings anywhere in the world. Return to Bhubaneswar en route visiting the colorful patchwork village of Pipili.
(Trident Hilton Bhubaneswar) |
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| Day 6 Bhubaneswar / Nuapatana / Sadaiberini / Bhubaneswar |
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 After breakfast proceed to the textile village of Nuapatana. Here master weavers produce silk and cotton saris, tapestry and bedspreads through Ikat technique. Later Proceed to Sadaiberini to watch craftsmen producing figurines, vases and plates with Brass and Bell-metal by lost-wax process. Return to Bhubaneswar in the late afternoon.
(Trident Hilton Bhubaneswar) |
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| Day 7 Bhubaneswar / Baliguda |
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Today drive 190 miles through scenic countryside and dense Sal forests to Baliguda, the entry point to the tribal highland of Orissa. En route visit roadside villages and observe the difference between the tribal and non-tribal villages in terms of organizations, building material used, size etc. Arrive Baliguda and check in to the hotel.
(Santosh Bhawan) |
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| Day 1 to Day 7 | Day
8 to Day 14 |