Heritage Tour
A prince named Siddhartha Gautam (Lord Budhha) came here to attain Nirvana in the sixth Century B.C.; Mahabodhi temple is the holiest destination of Buddhists. Not only Buddhists, but millions of Hindus from around the globe visit this temple to pay their homage to Lord Budhha. This temple of historical and cultural importance has been honouring the Gaya district of Bihar since 260 B.C.
The sacred Bodhi tree dwelling in the complex of the temple is believed to be a spot where Buddha used to meditate for transcending the cycle of reincarnation. Thus, it is looked at as the holiest spot in the complex. Buddha’s place of meditation, next to the Bodhi Tree, is acquired by a Buddha statue on polished sandstone, which was installed by Emperor Asoka in the third Century B.C.
This heritage site of India has several places where Lord Buddha meditated after attaining complete bliss. According to a temple website, there is a site in the premises where he stood meditating for a week without moving his eyes.
Mahabodhi Temple is a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site.
General Information
- Entry Fee: No charges
- Timings: 5 a.m. until 9 p.m.
- Camera: 20 INR, and 300 INR for video cameras.
The meditation park is open from sunrise until sunset. The entry fee is 20 INR for visitors and 25 INR for the ones who meditate.
Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya, Bihar
A courtyard with a capacity of 25000 devotees, Jama Masjid located in Old Delhi is the largest in India. It was constructed between 1644 and 1658 and is Shah Jahan’s last architectural opus. This extravagant mosque possesses three great gates, four towers and two 40 m-high minarets.
About 25000 people can come together in its courtyard. It also has three domes on its roof which are surrounded by two minarets. About 899 black borders remain on the floor. The architectural plan of Badshahi Masjid was built by Shah Jahan’s son Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan, which was exactly like Jama Masjid.
With intricate carvings and verses of the holy Quran etched, the walls add to enhance the beauty of Jama Masjid. The cabinet in the north gate has a collection of Muhammad’s souvenirs – the Quran written on deerskin, a red beard-hair of the prophet, his sandals and his footprints, which are embedded in a marble block.
General Information
- Location: Off Netaji Subhash Marg, west of Red Fort
- Metro Station: Chawri Bazaar
- Open: All days of the week
- Visiting Hours: 7am to Noon, 1.30pm to 6.30pm. Tourists not allowed during prayer hours
- Entry Fee: Free
- Photography: 200 INR
Jama Masjid, Delhi
Satiate your desire of exploring ancient relics by exploring the pompous group of monuments at Hampi, Karnataka. There are several Dravidian temples and palaces constructed during the 14th and 16th centuries and are of great vitality for both historians as well as architects. This spot was declared as a World Heritage Site in 1986.
Heritage holidays at Hampi are heavenly because tourists get to witness larger than life size statues of God, positioned every quarter of a mile. Other wonderful spots of the place are Virupaksha Temple, Hazara Rama Temple, Vithala Temple, Queen’s Bath, Singaradu Hebbagilu, Ugra Narasimha, Lotus Mahal, and the ruins of Achyutaraya Temple.
General Information
- Visiting Hours: Open from sunrise to sunset
- Entry Fee: 10 INR for Citizens of India and visitors of SAARC and BIMSTEC Countries, 250 INR for others and no entry fee for children up to 15 years.
Group of Monuments, Hampi Karnataka
Travel 46 km northeast of Bhopal to get refined in Sanchi, where brilliant Buddhist monuments are honouring the big Indian state – Madhya Pradesh. On your heritage holidays in India explore this oldest Buddhist sanctuary, which was a major Buddhist hub in 12th A.D. This holy centre comprises several complex structures of the renowned Buddhist legends. Besides, there are also several monolithic pillars, temples, monasteries, palaces and most of them are built in1st and 2nd centuries A.D. In this plethora of monuments, a world-renowned monument that gets highlighted because of its beautiful and massive dome is the great Stupa. It was constructed by Emperor Ashoka.
In this plethora of monuments, a world-renowned monument that gets highlighted because of its beautiful and massive dome is the great Stupa. It was constructed by Emperor Ashoka.
General Information
- Visiting Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
- Entry Fee: INR 10 for citizens of India, US $ 5 for foreigners and children up to 15 years can enter without any fee.
Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh
Kamasutra cravings embracing the Khajuraho’s three groups of temples are among the amazing temple art in the world. Situated in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India and about 1000AD years old; the temples of Khajuraho were constructed during the Chandella Dynasty. In these temples, you will also get to appreciate the marvels of Jain and Brahman monuments. It is the sheer beauty and architecture of these monuments, which made them UNESCO world heritage sites.
Out of 85, only 22 managed to survive. In most of the monuments, sandstone of various colours is the main element of construction. All the monuments have an entrance, hall, vestibule and a sanctum, and fresh air and proper light can enter from huge windows of the temples.
There are western region, eastern region and southern region of Khajuraho. In the western part, you will find Kandariya Mahadeo, Chaunsat Yogini, Lakshmana Temple, Vishwanath Temple, Chitragupta Temple and Matangeshwar Temple. On the eastern part of Khajuraho, marvellous temples that can be spotted are Adinatha Temple, Brahma temple, Vamana temple, Ghantai Temple, Parsavanatha Temple and Javari temple. In the southern part, explore the Duladeo Temple, and Chaturbhuj Temple.
The Khajuraho Dance Festival is organised every year in the first week of February (1st to 7th). Through this festival, the visitors can relish an opportunity to get introduced with various classical Indian dances.
General Information
- Visiting Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
- Entry Fee: 10 INR for Indians, US $ 5 for foreigners and children up to 15 years can enter without any fee.
Khajuraho Group of Monuments, Madhya Pradesh
To explore an amazing architectural site, you have to go deep into Maharashtra’s Aurangabad to get introduced with the mesmerising Ajanta and Ellora Caves, snugged in the Sahyadri Hills. The cave shrines date back to 2nd century BC and were created by then skilled artisans with their hands. Being one of the popular heritage places around the world, the caves are accepted as an excellent example of ancient Indian architecture.
The 34 caves at Ellora were chipped during the 350 AD to 700 AD period to showcase the three religions – Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. While the 29 caves at Ajanta were carved during a period from 200 BC to 650 AD describe the story of Buddhism.
In the early 19th century, the long-buried Ajanta Caves were unintentionally discovered by a British Army officer. Since then, these beautiful sculpted caves within the Sahyadri hills above the Waghur river came into sight and have been luring the hearts of tourists.
General Information
- Visiting Hours: From 9 am to 5.30 pm. The caves of Ajanta and Ellora remain closed on Mondays and Tuesdays respectively
- Photography Not allowed inside the caves
Entry Fee
- Ajanta Caves – 10 INR for Indians, US $ 10 for foreigners and children up to 15 years can enter without any fee.
- Ellora Caves – Free entry
Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Maharashtra
Renowned worldwide for rock carvings and monolithic sculptures; UNESCO World Heritage site at Mahabalipuram was a port of Pallava Empire in 7th century. These monuments will let you have a glimpse of sculptures and carvings showcasing then artisans’ creativity and craftsmanship.
The sculptures were carved from local granite, and the sculptures are categorised into four categories:
– Rock-cut caves
– Monolithic temples or rathas, hewn out of a large boulder
– Bas-reliefs in the open air (Considered as unique artistic achievements)
– Structural temples
Out of many temples, a lavish shore temple bordered by Nandi bulls, facing the sea, offers fascinating sites to the visitors. This temple was established again stone by stone after it was ruined in a cyclone.
The appeal of Mahabalipuram is packed not only in its monumental architecture but the charm of the place can be felt through its glittering sand beach, wonderful handicrafts and stone-carved items that are exhibited for sale near the shore. Various sculptures of Mahabalipuram have inspired those in Cambodia, Annam and Java.
General Information
- Visiting Hours: Open from 6 A.M. to 6 P.M.
- Entrance Fee: INR 10 for citizens of India and visitors of SAARC (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives and Afghanistan) and BIMSTEC Countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar), US $ 5 for foreigners and children up to 15 years can enter without any fee.
Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu
Western Ghats of Kerala is a wonderful nature paradise and one of the most popular heritage tourism destinations to explore in India.
One of the eight biological diversity places in the world and covering over 1600 km in 6 states which are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, you will be mesmerised by the beauty of nature. Do you know what we call the forests of western Ghats? No? They are considered as the water towers of India, it houses 58 rivers including Krishna, Kaveri and Godavari. There is no dearth of tourist places to explore in western Ghats. From monuments, biodiversity hotspots, awesome wildlife sanctuaries, lofty mountains, waterfalls, serene temples, hill stations, gorgeous plantation towns etc, you will never be able to forget this trip.
Some of the most enchanting places that come under western Ghats which you can explore for the best India Holiday tour are Agumbe, Dandeli, Madikeri, Chikmagalur, Matheran, Ooty, Mahabaleshwar, kudremukh etc. The list is endless. Visiting Western Ghats will be one of the most delightful experiences of Indian Heritage Tourism. It was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012.
General Information
- Best Time to Visit- October to June
- Best Places – Agumbe, Dandeli, Madikeri, Chikmagalur,Matheran, ooty, Mahabaleshwar, kudremukh etc.
Western Ghats Kerala
