Buddha's Steps – Lab1
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From 11 to 27 February 2027
Summary Itinerary
Clicking on the days of travel in the summary itinerary will take you to the detailed itinerary for that day and vice versa clicking on the day in the detailed itinerary will return you to the summary itinerary. In the detailed itinerary, in addition to the images and description of the days, we also have the day of the month and the week
Detailed Itinerary
Flights
The day has arrived! You will probably be heading to the airport for your flight this morning, depending on your city, route and flight combination. We will see together what will work best for your arrival! Guilherme will be in touch from the moment you arrive at the airport until your arrival in Delhi. Have a great flight!
Arrival
Walk
Welcome to India! At the arrival of the group will be received by Guilherme at the airport. We will talk about the arrival in our briefing (more here). Transfer to the hotel located in a central area, with interesting possibilities for tours and cultural activities nearby. Let's see if our hotel will have our rooms available by the end of the morning. Then we can take a walk around the city!
We will walk In the area near our hotel, we will visit temples, including one from the time of the Mahabharata, which is several thousand years old.
We will also visit the Sikh temple, a religion from the 16th century, in the beautiful Punjab region of India. Gurudwara Bangla SahibWe will listen to their songs, watch them pray in the temple and around the sacred tank. We will also be able to visit the kitchen where volunteers provide meals for thousands of people every day, regardless of social class or religion.
We'll have our first really good Indian meal in this city with so much history that you're sure to enjoy!
Old Delhi.
Raj Ghat
Gandhi Smriti
We will begin our tour with what is actually one of the many Delhis that existed in different eras and empires in a succession of neighboring cities. The last and eighth Delhi is where we are staying, built by the English, called New Delhi. The seventh was built by Shah Jahan, one of the great Mughal emperors, the same one who built the Taj Mahal, at the time known as Shajahanabad. Today we call it Old Delhi. Or Old Delhi. We will visit the Emperor's Grand Mosque, the Jama Masjid. There, for those who wish, there is the possibility of a walk up the minaret! From there we have a view of the city and the Red Fort above. Just be very careful on the platform up there, please.
Next, we will walk through the narrow streets of its old bazaar. There is a very old shop, passed down from father to son for a long time, selling essences (sandalwood, etc.) which is a treat in itself. Following the walk through the bazaar streets, to have more contact with the area and get a better look at the bazaar, we will visit a small, very old Jain temple with beautiful paintings. We will then continue until we reach the Red Fort, where the important Lahori Gate is located. It was there that important events in Indian history took place, such as the independence of this country, today the largest democracy in the world, where ancient values and customs coexist with extremely modern knowledge and technologies.
On the way back to our hotel area, we will pay our respects at the memorial where Gandhi was cremated, the Raj Ghat. We will see what his last words were, a sign of great achievement on his spiritual path. Those who like photographs, look for images taken by Cartier-Bresson, one of the greatest photographers who ever lived, who was in Delhi that day.
It will probably be time for a proper meal when we get back to the area with better infrastructure in the city, near our hotel.
Another special visit for our day is the last house where Gandhi lived, known as Birla House or Gandhi SmritiWe will learn a little about this important part of the history of this nation, as well as about the life and final moments of this great leader, an example of the practice of Ahimsa (non-violence) and the culture of peace to this day throughout the world.
Lotus Temple
Iskcon temple
National museum
Kartavya Path (Rajpath)
Today we will start our day further south of the city, where we will visit the beautiful Lotus TempleBuilt in the shape of its name, it belongs to the Bahá'í Faith, founded in the 19th century in ancient Persia. Upon visiting, we will be invited to remain silent for a moment. An interesting opportunity and experience in the midst of this large, bustling city. After the temple visit, there will be an exhibition about the history and work of this religion. Interesting for getting a glimpse into its thoughts.
Near the Lotus Temple, we can visit the temple ISKCON. Very beautiful, it's a good opportunity to see how the Hare Krishna movement, which we've already seen in our countries, is practiced in India. Let's just be mindful of their midday closing times (open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m., then from 16:15 p.m. to 21 p.m.).
A very interesting visit in Delhi is the National museumIt's possible to spend many hours or days appreciating each hall and exhibition about the history, arts, and peoples of India. A good way to take advantage of this opportunity is by visiting, in particular, the Hall of Indo Saraswati Culture and the Buddha relics. In this hall, we will learn a little about the cradle of Indian culture, with objects from 3500 and 1500 BC, such as the seal with what is believed to have become Shiva (possibly in the form of Pashupati), the sculpture of the priest's head, and the dancing girl. In a new building, we have the Buddha's relics. A very special place to sit for a while and do our practice.
Near our hotel is the esplanade built by the English in the 20th century, called Kartavya Path (until recently called Rajpath). Here you will find India Gate, a landmark of the city, built in honor of the fighters in the great war, where you can get off to take some photos. On the other side of Kartavya Path is the house of the current president of India.
We will check the city's cultural agenda for the days in Delhi, as a possibility of a special activity, where great artists from the country perform.
Flight
Walk through the ghats
Aarti Ceremony
Today we will visit one of the oldest cities in the world still alive today. After breakfast, we will head to Delhi airport for our flight. flight to Varanasi. Transfer to our hotel and check-in. Time to freshen up in our rooms and then explore the old part of the city, walking through its alleys, ghats on the banks of the Ganges and through a ceremony ancient. The fire puja or Aarti Puja, conducted by Brahmins (a caste of Hindu priests) and hundreds of pilgrims from all over India on the banks of the sacred Ganges, is full of music, symbols, mantras, smells, lots of devotion and, for those who study the sacred scriptures, a very deep and sophisticated knowledge about the functioning of the human mind. Time to return to our hotel, with all these impressions, practically the same ones that both Hindu saints and yogis, as well as Buddha Sakyamuni himself, had in this same place during their walks, training periods and teachings. A good rest for a special start to the day, very early tomorrow.