India: Love in Action in Bodhgaya & Holi Celebration in Jaipur

Welcome to India! Upon arrival at Jaipur Airport, you are greeted by our representative and transferred to your hotel where our representative helps you to check in and briefs you about your itinerary. Have some free time on your own to adjust to the new time zone.

Jaipur was established by Maharaja Jai Singh II (1693-1743) and painted pink by Maharaja Man Singh II when Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, visited Jaipur in 1876. The Royal heritage of Jaipur lives in its architecture and culture. The city in pink is symbolic of the hospitality that reigned in the Rajput culture. Overnight at hotel

After our first breakfast together, we’ll spend the day exploring the beautiful city of Jaipur. This morning we visit Amber Fort, the former capital of the royal Jaipurs. Few fail to be moved by the dramatic Rajput grandeur of this hilltop fortress-palace 11 km north of Jaipur. Set on the dry wrinkled Aravali Hills, and surrounded by fortified battlements, the palace straddles two sepia-hued tundra hills overlooking Maota Lake and its sprawling crenelated walls lattice the surrounding hills.

Afterwards we will visit the Hawa Mahal or Palace of the Winds, a five-storied structure of pink sandstone with semi-octagonal and delicately honeycombed windows overlooking the main street of the old city. It was built in 1799 so that veiled royal women could peer down unseen by the world through its 593 stone screens.

In the afternoon we’ll continue to our tour by visitingthe City Palace & Observatory. The City Palace in the heart of the old city is a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. The centre of the palace is a seven storied building called Chandra Palace, with fine vies over the gardens and the city. The palace lies in the heart of the city and occupies the whole central grid. The fortified wall has seven gates and was built for protection from invading armies and animals that lived in jungles which surrounded the wall that time.

Next, we visit the Solar Observatory – an astronomical treasure house, with solar devices that give accurate predictions sill to this date.

In the late afternoon we’ll be taken back to our hotel.

Today you are in for quite a treat as you will celebrate India’s most important colorful festival, the “HOLI”!

With traditional drums and folk dancers, shimmering mounds of organic colour, tubs of cool water, and classic preparations of sweets, eats, and local brews, Holi at the resplendent Diggi Palace, is literally an affair to remember!

So go on, wear your immaculate whites and join in the festivities at the Diggi Palace, to play Holi… Experience pure joy as you watch the first burst of color transform your clothes into a multihued canvas, feel the shower of petals, and the smear of colored powder, as you soak in the superbly intimate, old-worldly surroundings and make new friends…join in the song and dance, taste fabulous foods, and savour every unforgettable moment of your special time here.

AT HOME WITH A ROYAL FAMILY, built in the 1860s, the Diggi Palace stands amidst its havelis (grand old mansions), structures, and gardens, on acres of land, in the heart of Jaipur. Originally, the ancestral haveli of the Thakurs (land owning noblemen) of Diggi, the Palace was also the bagh (garden retreat) of the Diggi family, and soon became the permanent residence of the erstwhile rulers.

Guests arriving at the Diggi Palace will receive a special Welcome with the chung, a traditional music instrument played especially during Holi and are served non-alcoholic welcome drink. You will then be escorted to the exclusive Venue for the Holi celebrations. At the venue, you’ll have the opportunity to meet and interact with the hosts and other guests, enjoying drinks and snacks.

Now it’s time to play Holi in the lawns outside! You can play and enjoy Holi with dry ‘Gulal’ colors, made from an organic cornflower base – the Venue will be stocked with thalis (platters) of Gulal, so there’s plenty for all! You will experience and enjoy live cultural performances, and are keenly encouraged to participate. We will close the ceremony with a sumptuous Buffet Lunch.

After such a happy and exciting day, you’ll be taken back to your hotel for some well deserved rest and free time.

After a nourishing breakfast with everyone, you’ll be taken to the airport to board your flight to your next destination, Bodhgaya.

We will arrive in the sacred, holy pilgrimage town of Bodhgaya, known for the birthplace of Buddhism. It is here where people worldwide flock to see the famous location of the Bodhi Tree, where Siddhartha gained enlightenment and transformed into Buddha.

We will check into our hotel and gently acclimate to our beginning service opportunities.

In Bodhgaya, we will be working daily with two brand new educational initiatives begun by Kaleidoscope Child Foundation. One is an after school program located directly in Bodhgaya where children come for supplemental education. The other location is approximately 14 kilometers in a rural poor village where KCF is establishing a full time presence for the children of this area. It is here where we will spend a great deal of time in establishing relationships with the families, helping clean and organize the classroom space, and offer assistance to both families and children with regards to fresh water, and other basic essentials.

We will also have time to explore the area – visit the famous Mahabodhi Temple and the Bodhi Tree, take a pre-dawn excursion to the Pragbodhi Cave where Siddhartha (Buddha) had sat in meditation for 7 years. All, very powerful experiences.

Note that this trip requires a high level of fortitude and spirit. The service work will bring you face to face with some of the worlds most extreme poverty and the conditions can be startling to our western sensibility.

It is your opportunity to drop deeply into service mentality and experience the oneness of humanity in profound and unpredictable ways.

In time for your flight to Delhi, private transfer to the Gaya Airport.

Upon arrival in Delhi, you will be met and taken to your hotel for your last night in India before your flight home.

Depending on your flight schedule, private transfer to the Delhi Indira Ghandi International Airport to board your homeward bound flight.