Tailor Made Holidays in Foothills of The Himalaya, India: Highlights

Enjoy the Baisakhi Festival, Amritsar

Baisakhi is one of the major festivals of Sikhs and is celebrated with lots of enthusiasm and gaiety in the state of Punjab. Baisakhi marks the arrival of the harvesting season. The festival usually falls on 14th April and marks the beginning of the solar year. Just before the festival the farmer returns home with his bumper crop, the fruit of his whole year's hard labour. This festival is in celebration to thank God for good harvest for the coming year as well. Early on the morning of Baiskhai, people take a dip in the holy rivers. The dancers and drummers challenge each other and the scenes of sowing, harvesting and gathering of crops are expressed through zestful movements of the body to the accompaniment of ballads. Fairs are organised at various places where besides other recreational activities wrestling bouts are also held. The occasion has tremendous religious significance as it was on a Baisakhi Day in 1699, that Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru laid the foundation of Panth Khalsa - the Order of the Pure.

Read more about: Amritsar
 
Get off the beaten track in the high Himalaya

Situated in the far north of India over 3500 metres above sea level, Ladakh offers the ultimate 'off the beaten track' experience. The landscapes are incredible and so diverse; snow capped mountains, high altitude deserts, deep turquoise lakes and lush green valleys. This combined with the opportunity to meet and interact with the generous Ladakhi people really does offer a unique experience. As you walk, river raft and are driven between local village houses (which have been made as comfortable as possible) you get to witness this stunning region of India which is often referred to as 'little Tibet'.

 
Explore the flowerfilled area around Heritage Village, Pragpur

The Kangra Valley where Heritage Village, Pragpur is located is panoramic and replete with history. It is the home of the famous Kangra School of painting. Prag in Sanskrit translates to pollen. In a way it aptly describes the area of Pragpur which, in spring is afire with blossoms. There is a lot to see and do in and around Pragpur. Dada Siba and Chinoor can both be reached by a scenic road. "Dada Siba" has an old Temple with beautiful Kangra murals on the inner walls and impressive ruins. Chinor has water mills to grind corn.

Read more about: Pragpur
 
Experience a Puja beside the Ganges

Witnessing a religious ceremony, known as an aarti or puja, on the banks of the Ganges River provides a fantastic insight into everyday life in India and the importance of religion on the Subcontinent. At Haridwar and Rishikesh there are nightly ceremonies with music, chanting and candle lights. Large crowds of local worshipers gather on the ghats (the steps that lead down to the river), and you can either watch from a far or join in!

Read more about: Rishikesh
 
Take a Train Journey to Shimla

If chuff-chuffing up to Shimla in the train is a treat, taking the rail-car is a treat-deluxe, with the feel of a real adventure. There are four operational rail-cars. The driver sits up front just like a bus driver, allowing passengers to watch him drive the little wonder. The cars roll over the narrow gauge track with a kind of lurching, swaying motion and the only thing that's more fun is the hand-pumped track-inspection platform, that makes you feel like one of those doughty engineers who built the line way back in the 19th century. The rail-cars do indeed go back to the days of the Raj. Back in 1903, the Imperial Railways commissioned the carriages for the exclusive use of officials and their families. The view from the rail-car windows is stupendous: peaks, forests, valleys... not to mention the innumerable tunnels. The rail car stops at one of the small stations enroute where the Oberoi Hotels Food & Beverage team provide sumptuous breakfast.

Read more about: Shimla
 
See the unique Wagah Border Ceremony

Just outside of Amritsar, on the border between Pakistan and India, there is a nightly ceremony at Wagah. Every night troops from each side lower their respective flags and the gates are closed amid great pomp and ceremony. Hundreds of people from each side gather to watch this spectacle, the highlight of which is the elaborate marching of the troops which looks like a sketch from Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks!

 
Go walking in the foothills

In Uttaranchal close to Almora, in Kumaon region, you can walk along deserted mountain paths with spectacular views to the snow capped peaks of the Himalaya. With a local guide you get to see how the Kumaon people live and stay in local village houses.

 
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