Kinari Bazaar, Old Delhi
Indian Society and Spirituality (January)
Provisional Itinerary
Note: This will generally run during the two middle weeks in January, though alternate timing can be arranged.
Day 1 (F Jan 10): Gather at O'Hare International Airport, depart for India.
Day 2 (Sa Jan 11): En route. Arrive Delhi early morning, transfer to the hotel.
Day 3 (Su Jan 12): Easy excursion to the Akshar Dham Temple.
Day 4 (Mo Jan 13): Excursions to the Qutb Minar and the Lodi Gardens.
Day 5 (T Jan 14): Morning departure for Amritsar on the Swarn Shatabdi Express. Early afternoon arrival, followed by visits to the Harmandir Sahib (also known as the Golden Temple), the holiest site for the Sikhs, and to the Akal Takht (the adjoining complex of buildings seen as the locus of the Sikh Gurus' temporal power).
Day 6 (W Jan 15): Morning ceremonies at Golden Temple; viewing paintings at the Baba Atal Tower, Evening weapons display at the Akal Takht.
Day 7 (Th Jan 16): Gurudwara Tour of surrounding region.
Day 8 (F Jan 17): Central Sikh Museum, Jallianwala Bagh, and the Amritsar Partition Museum.
Day 9 (Sa Jan 18): Morning departure for Haridwar on the Hardwar-Amritsar Jan Shatabdi. Early afternoon arrival, informal walking tour through the old city.
Day 10 (Su Jan 19):Morning Ganges walk and meeting with local pilgrim guide Virendra Kaushik; excursion to Mansa Devi temple.
Day 11 (M Jan 20): Visit to Kankhal, to view the Daksha Mahadev temple, and the burial shrine of the Hindu mystic Anandamayi Ma, evening ceremonies at the Ganges.
Day 12 (T Jan 21): Local sightseeing/shopping in Haridwar, evening train to Delhi.
Day 13 (W Jan 22): Day Trip to Agra (Taj Mahal, Agra Fort).
Day 14 (Th Jan 23): Morning excursion to Old Delhi (Red Fort, Jama Masjid, and Gurudwara Sisganj), or to another site based on participant interest. Afternoon free for shopping, museums, and packing; late evening departure for the airport.
Day 15 (F Jan 24): Arrival in Chicago, journey's end