DELHI – Full day visit of Delhi

After breakfast, check out the colorful bazaars of old Delhi, sacred temples, and colonial monuments in the winding streets of Old Delhi, the capital of Muslim India from the 12th through the 19th centuries. See the sumptuous Red Fort (Out Side) palaces, the symbol of Indian nationhood, and Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial and cremation site. Later Afternoon proceed to visit New Delhi.

Explore New Delhi – a sightseeing excursion shows you the Secretariat buildings, Parliament House, Presidential Palace, and India Gate, commemorating Indian and British soldiers. Visit two UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the five-story sandstone Qutab Minar Victory Tower, built over 8 centuries ago, and Humayun’s Tomb, set in beautiful gardens. This Mughal creation popularized Persian-influenced architecture and was an inspiration for the Taj Mahal. Overnight stay at hotel.

DELHI/  BHUBANESWAR

Breakfast, transfer to the airport and flight to Bhubaneswar, capital of Orissa. Also known as “Temple City”, the city of Bhubaneswar was the capital of the Kalinga kingdom. The city takes its name from Tribhuvaneswara, or “Lord of the Three Worlds”, with reference to the god Shiva. Today, of the 7000 temples built in a time span covering 3 centuries, about 500 remain standing, some in perfect condition and for the most part located around the Bindu Sagar lake. Visit the old city and the most famous temples: the Lingaraj Mandir, the Vaital Mandir dating back to the 7th century. once a place of tantric worship and cruel sacramental rites, the Mukteswar Mandir of the tenth century. in perfect syncretism with the Buddhist style, Jainist and Hindu and the Rajarani Mandir with beautiful sculptures depicting nymphs, couples of lovers and animal figures. Overnight stay at hotel.

BHUBANESWAR / CHILIKA / GOPALPUR

Breakfast and departure for Gopalpur. Along the way stop to admire the largest salt lake of Asia: the Chillika, famous for the huge number of migratory birds that come from distant Siberia and the rare dolphins of Irrawaddy. Navigation on the lake. Second breakfast in progress. Arrival in the afternoon in Gopalpur. Overnight stay at hotel.

GOPALPUR / TAPTAPANI / RAYAGADA

Breakfast and departure for Rayagada. Along the way visit the hot springs of Taptapani and some local villages, especially the tribal ones of the Saura ethnic group, particularly skilled in metalworking. These tribes are mainly concentrated in the Ganjam district, a maze of valleys and hills. Lunch at local restaurant. Overnight stay at hotel.

RAYAGADA / CHATIKONA / JEYPORE

Breakfast. At about 48 km from Rayagada you reach the lively and colorful market of Chatikona which is held on Wednesdays every week. In the surroundings of Chatikona, on the surrounding hills of Niyamgiri, the Dongria Kondh live. Dongria means “inhabitants of the hills”, precisely because they live on the heights of Niyamgiri, completely immersed in the forest. They practice agriculture “cut and burn” and grow mainly pineapples, papaya and mango. The Dongria are also known as Jharnia, meaning “those who live along the rivers”. Hundreds of rivers in fact flow from the hills of Nyamgiri, on top of which they believe their God alive, Niyamraja (Lord of the Law), guardian of the rivers and mountains. For this reason they believe they refrain from cultivating, hunting or cutting trees on the top of the hill, so as not to disturb Nyamraja, since they believe that their whole existence depends on his will. The Dongria, as you will have occasion to notice, give great importance to aesthetics. In fact, both men and women use hair styling with dozens of clasps, they carry rings on the nose and hands and earrings made by themselves that also sell to the markets. Second breakfast and in the afternoon continuation to Jeypore. Overnight stay at hotel.

JEYPORE (ONKADELLI)

Breakfast and departure for Onkadelli, a village located about 70 km south-west of Jeypore. We will be able to visit the picturesque weekly market held here every Thursday. This market is the only opportunity to meet the Bonda tribe, one of the most primitive peoples of Orissa who, choosing to live in isolation, have kept their customs and traditions intact more than others. Unfortunately, today their number has decreased considerably due to many factors, one of these is their bellicose spirit that leads them to kill members of their own clan. The Bonda are easily recognizable for their clothing and above all women are very beautiful. They wear their hair completely shaved and are dressed only in a striped kilt, while the chest is covered with innumerable rows of colored beads and have large metal collars around their necks. The head is shaved because, as told in the Ramayana, Sita (Rama’s partner) with long hair was mocked by a group of Bonda women while taking a naked bath. This unleashed the wrath of the goddess who cursed them by requiring them to shave their heads and go around forever undressed. Overnight stay at hotel.

JEYPORE / PURI

Breakfast and departure very early for a day of transfer from Jeypore to Puri which is reached after traveling about 500 km. Moving away from this incredible landscape, full of tropical forests and wild animals (not infrequently along the way you will meet monkeys standing on the side of the road waiting for some fruit) ends the part of the journey dedicated to these beautiful people. An India perhaps little known, which could bring to mind Africa for certain aspects. Arrival in the late afternoon. Overnight stay at hotel.

PURI (KONARK)

Full board. Excursion to visit the Sun Temple in Konark. This majestic temple has been declared “World Heritage Site” by UNESCO. It was built in the thirteenth century. by King Narasimhadeva I to celebrate the victory against the Muslims. The whole temple has the shape of the cosmic chariot of the god Surya, the god of the Sun, equipped with 24 wheels. The monument is resting on a platform 5 meters high and along the wall are carved 5000 mythological figures that in many respects reminiscent of the erotic of the famous temple of Khajurao. Seven mighty horses were originally depicted in the act of towing the big chariot: 7 as the days of the week and 24 wheels as the hours of the day. The position of the temple, with its entrance to the east, was conceived in such a way that the light of dawn illuminated the interior of the temple where the statue of the deity is situated. The temple is preceded by a splendid pillared pavilion on a high base once covered by a pyramidal structure and with a coffered ceiling, with rich decoration. The detailed depictions of Devadasi, the maiden dancers of the god, called in Orissa Mahari, girls dedicated by their families to the ritual service and educated in dance and other refined arts, have allowed to reconstruct the positions of the local classical dance, the Odissi dance , which was losing at the beginning of the 1900s.

Breakfast and free day for relaxation and rest being able to walk on the beach. Overnight stay at hotel.

PURI/ RAGHURAJPUR / BHUBANESWAR

Breakfast and return to Bhubaneswar. Stop at Raghurajpur, a village of artists located 14 km north of Puri. The houses of this village are decorated with murals that depict geometric patterns or mythological scenes. Raghurajpur is renowned for the production of pattachitra, fabrics made of a double cotton cloth joined together by an adhesive glue made from tamarind seeds and then polished. On this basis the artists trace with extreme precision images of flowers, animals and deities. Second breakfast in progress. Overnight stay at hotel.

BHUBANESWAR/ DELHI

Breakfast, in good time transfer to the airport and flight to Delhi. Arrival and transfer to the hotel. Afternoon free for shopping. Overnight stay at hotel.

DELHI – Departure

In good time transfer to the airport and departure for home.