Slowly along the Ganges

Tracing one of the greatest rivers on Earth from Calcutta on the Bay of Bengal through its floodplains in northern India; this private tour along the river revered by Hindus as the Mother Goddess will take you off the beaten track to reveal a succession of little explored historical sites and highly atmospheric spiritual centres. In the words of Nehru ‘the story of the Ganges is the story of India’s civilisation and culture’. Begin your journey in British built Calcutta on the Hooghly River – an artery of the Ganges – where you will see some of the subcontinent’s finest colonial monuments. On flying to Bodh Gaya, Buddhism’s most sacred site, view the spot where Buddha attained Nirvana, then continue to Varanasi, the spiritual home of the Hindus and attend the evening Aarti prayer ceremony held in honour of this most sacred of rivers. Proceed to Sarnath where Buddha gave his first sermon and visit imposing tomb of Lord Cornwallis at Ghazipur, then continue to Allahabad (ancient Prayag) located at the confluence (sangam) of  three of India’s most revered rivers (the Ganges, Jamuna and the mythical Saraswati). In Allahabad, witness hundreds of pilgrims seeking Nirvana at the river ghats, and row out to the spot where the three sacred waters embrace. Drive on to Lucknow to explore the splendid late Mughal monuments and visit the battle-scarred British Residency, whose walls echo the Indian Mutiny of 1857. Next, at Kanpur visit the infamous sites related to the Mutiny and then continue to Rampura, a quiet village that is nestled amongst the ravines of the scenic Chambal Valley. After two nights at Fort Rampura discovering rural Bundelkhand your explorations along the Ganges will conclude in Delhi.