New Delhi - Agra - Amritsar
2023 November 4 - 11
Delhi was a dream destination, so started charting dates, searching trains, finalised for Nov 4 to Nov 13
As budget travelers booked sleeper tickets to & fro New Delhi, Delhi to Amritsar bus, Amritsar to Delhi train. Booked Hotel Peace Point a small hotel near New Delhi 5 mins walk from station. Amritsar accomodation booking window was 15 days, booked at Saragarhi Nivas a SGPC run NRI guest house with all amenities like a hotel 500 mts from Goldentemple
Booked Hop on Hop off bus :
Delhi - Agra - Mathura - Vrindavan
Booked Hop on Hop off bus :
Delhi darshan
Booked Hop on Hop off bus : Amritsar - Wagah
4.11.2023 12.40 pm Ernakulam boarded Sampark Kranti express
6.11.2023 6.15 am reached New Delhi
DAY 1 6.11.2023
Yamunaghat
Ladakh budha vihar
Jama masjid
Agrasen ka baoli
Masjid khairulamanazil
Purana qila
Safdarjung tomb
Qutb minar (light & sound show at 7pm)
We used all sorts of transport cycle rickshaw, e-rickshaw, auto, metro, bus, DMRC app was very useful for getting down at stations for interchange
DAY 2 7.11.2023
by HOHO Delhi - Agra bus
Agra fort
Tajmahal
Mathura
Vrindavan
Picked up from our hotel at 8 am moved thru Yamuna expressway, a stop over for breakfast, reached Agra fort at 12pm, only 1 hour was only given to explore Agra fort, we missed the bus, took an auto to Taj Mahal, no bags are allowed, only mobile phones and cameras.
Taj Mahal, symbol of love, an exquisite work in marble, usual photo stops one near the entrance and one at the platform infront of the fountains, we got about 4 hours moved around all corners of Taj, not much people on the Yamuna side and the backside. Taj would be more beautiful on sunrise and sunsets. Taj opens 30 mins before sunrise and closes 30 mins before sunset. A ₹200 ticket for viewing the masouleum which is inside the Taj, we didn't opt for this.
Mathura the birth place of Krishna is high security area no ele gadgets allowed, a Barbari masjid mosque like building with 3 domes and a temple below that structure, a new temple nearby, spend sometime as aarti was going on
Vrindavan have numerous temples as it was very late could no see any instead took to a diety and a poojari, spend some time there and he explained the importance of donations and returns some fell and others just moved out, reached hotel at 2am. Delhi - Agra is about 200kms ride
DAY 3 8.11.2023
HOHO Delhi darshan bus
Birlamandir (Lakshmi Narayan temple)
Lal qila (Red fort)
Rajghat
India gate
Kartavyapath (Raj path)
Indiragandhis home
Qutb minar
Humayuns tomb
Lotustemple
Akshardham temple
Rama Krishna Ashram metro was the pickup point, a guide was on the bus, informing the important places moved around New Delhi, a brief stop over at India gate for lunch.
Akshardham temple,6th largest temple in world, no ele gadgets allowed, it's like a small heritage township, the temple is spread in acres surrounded by waterfalls, The domes with intricate work in sand stone and marbles a must visit place in New Delhi.
Akshardham metro was nearby took tickets to Central Secretariat the nearest metro to see India gate adorned in colorful lights
Delhi - Amritsar bus was from ISBT Kashmere gate 10:30pm. The uncomfortable journey just 1 feet leg space and over the head just six inches, a volvo bus converted as sleeper, honking all the way, somehow got some sleep reached Amritsar at 6am
DAY 4 9.11.2023
travel mode : HOHO Amritsar
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Maharana Ranjith Prathap Singh statue
Durgiana temple
Govindgarh fort
Khalsa College ( drive pass)
War museum
Attari (India ) Wagah (Pakistan ) border
Golden temple opens at 3 am, saw long queues when I reached at 6am, have to cover your head when you enter the temple complex, bags are frisked by Sikh security guards at all entry points. Amrit sarovar the sacred pond, temples, big and small, dedicated to different Hindu deities are located around the pool.
Free shoe, baggage counter & toilet complex outside the temple.
Free bus to and from Amritsar railway station.
The colorful Hop on Hop off double decker bus was parked at Maharaja Ranjith square, boarded and moved around Amritsar, lunch break at Govindagarh fort moved to Attari / Wagah border this place was thronging with people, separate queues for men & women for security checks. Wagah border have a mini stadium first sections are for VIP's and the rest for public. Patriotic movie songs are played and girls have the opportunity to dance on the border. Beating retreat border ceremony starts at 4.15 pm in winters and 5.15 pm in summers.
The ceremony unfolds with march past of BSF jawans, opening the border gates, lowering the flags & closing of border gates.
The emotion at the viewing gallery, literally swell with true pride as you cheer for your country, the feeling must be euphoric, cant be explained truly in words, too good, its going to be a very special memory of my life.
After the ceremony the people will be running behind the BSF jawans for selfies, back to our accomodation at Amritsar
Golden temple and all entry points are immersed in colorful lights,at night and it's feast for the eyes
DAY 5 10.11.2023
Golden temple
Harmandirsahib
Jalianwalabagh
Khairuddin masjid
travel mode : walk
Amritsar was having thunder, lighting and showers in the morning, after the rain stopped, went to Jalianwala bagh, a historic garden and memorial in memory of the massacre, moved to Khairuddin masjid, back to golden temple in queue for darshan, took the steps leading to the top of the temple, and sat inside the temple with kirtans in background.
Took the free bus to Amritsar railway station, boarded the train to New Delhi at 18.55 pm
DAY 6 11.11.2023
Rashtrapathi bhavan
Lodhi gardens
Sarojini nagar
travel mode : metro & auto
Rashtrapathi bhavan is open to public for Main building, Museum, Amrit udyan ( August - September) Change of guard only on Saturday online booking window is one week.
We got entry for main building, reached at gate 37 after security checks moved to Rashtrapati bhavan saw the horses participated in change of guard.
A guide took us thru Asoka hall, the meeting rooms, banquet hall after that photo ops infront on Rashtrapathi bhavan, when we moved out we can see the Jaipur column to celebrate the transfer of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi and as a token of allegiance of the princely state of Jaipur to the British Crown.
Lodhi gardens the place we missed on our 1st day in New Delhi, a beautiful place, home to the tombs of several rulers from the Lodhi dynasty that are architectural marvels, moved around the gardens took an auto to Sarojini Nagar
Diwali eve the place was jam packed with people on the move flanged by textile shops, a small shopping, off to New Delhi railway station collected the bags from cloak room boarded Kerala express at 20.10 pm, reached home on 11.11.2013 Monday 17.10 pm
Food : Karims hotel, Jama masjid roti and panneer masala and rest of the days we were mostly on street food Musambi, Orange, sugar cane juice, charmuri, bananas, panneer sandwich, masala dosa, veg thali, fried rice, kersar malai, masala tea, tender coconut and free prasad from golden temple langar rotis, daal, rice and kheer
Travel gear Decathlon forclaz 60, forclaz 40, forclaz 20 back packs
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