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Regal India Jaderin Tour of Delhi- Gwalior-Agra- Delhi

November 9- 16 2016

Some of us may have been to India before but it would be no comparison to what we experienced during this trip. Within a week, in addition to visiting the must see cultural sites such as India Gate in Delhi and the Taj Mahal in Agra, we had the opportunity to dine at magnificent estates, attended a palace banquet hosted by the Maharani of Gwalior, visited a Palace museum and a private museum, learnt about Indian architecture and music, and met a ghazal singer and poet at her fabulous home. We also shopped until we dropped with the helpful guidance of Indian pioneer designer and socialite Bina Ramani. All of these were only made possible due to the special relationships that Joan Mahony and Bhagwanti Mohan have with so many prominent individuals in India. We are so thankful to Joan and Bhagwanti for sharing their love and passion for India with all of us during this unique experience of regal India. Last but not least, the origin of this trip was to celebrate Kenneth and Blessing’s wedding. We are delighted to have met this genuine and fun loving young couple, be entertained by Kenneth’s serenades, and became collateral beneficiaries of their generosity.

Day 1

We began the day with a drive around Delhi to take in the sights and different architectures of the Parliament House and India Gate on the way to Humayun's Tomb. Humayun’s tomb is the first monument of the Mughal dynasty built in the 1570’s by a wife for a husband, and inspired the Taj which was built around 1630’s by a husband for a wife.

One can see the similarities in the architectural design between this tomb and the Taj except for the material used, the earlier Humayun’s Tomb which is sand stone vs the stunning white marble of the Taj Mahal. There are prominent Star of David symbols that were used from 11-17th centuries in India as a symbol of black magic for protection.

Lunch at Bikaner House We had a specially arranged lunch at Chor Bizarre at Bikaner House 2 weeks before the restaurant's official opening. This was made possible through Bina Ramani who is a well-known designer, author and socialite in Delhi. The food was excellent and innovative, the shopping at Bikaner House equally delightful. After lunch we were taken by Bina and Bhagwanti to shop for shawls.

Dinner, concert and talk at Satish & Abha Modi’s most fabulous estate in the heart of Delhi. The first day in Delhi was topped off with an enchanting evening at philanthropist, Satish Modi's sprawling 10 acre estate with all the beautiful trees lit up around the enormous lawns for our outdoor dining. Mr. and Mrs. Modi were very gracious hosts and introduced us to the most sumptuous Indian vegetarian cuisine. It was a most memorable experience that one would cherish for years to come.

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Day 2 - Delhi to Gwalior We started the morning with a most eye opening and somewhat intimidating 6am excursion at New Delhi train station for a three hour express train ride to

Gwalior. The chaos at the train station and the condition of the ride are experiences that one will not easily forget

GWALIOR!!

Royal Garden Luncheon After checking in at the lovely Ushan Kiran Taj Palace hotel situated within the palace grounds, with old world charm and luxurious amenities and service, we were welcomed

Royal Banquet at Jai Vilas Palace A grand royal banquet was hosted for us at the Palace by the Maharani and her daughter Princess Ananya. It was coincidentally the brightest and largest full moon evening. In celebration of this special spiritual full moon,

Talk and concert loan Mahony also asked her good friend, the author and prominent architect and musician, Mr. Vikram Lall to present a lecture demonstration of Indian classical music. Vikram introduced 5 Indian musicians including, Ustad Mohsin Khan Niyazi one of India’s most famous Ghazal singers –the softness and breadth of his voice brought to life some of India’s most famous poems. It was an education to hear the powerful rendition of different types of Indian songs by the renowned Indian singer.

with a very special traditional Kerala style luncheon by the pool side under a specially constructed tent decorated with flowers, graciously attended by Joan Mahony’s God- daughter, the Maharani H.H. Priyadarshini Raje Scindia and her very pretty and poised 14 year old daughter, H.H Princess Ananya Raje Scindia.

Gwalior Museum After lunch we had a wonderful private tour of the Gwalior Museum which occupies some 35 rooms at the Scindia’s opulent Jai Vilas Palace. The museum was just a 5 minute walk from the hotel. Our guide was a lovely young lady from London, Lucy Kauser, who showed us different rooms with portraits of the Scindia family, where huda and palankis are kept, with French furniture of various periods and beautiful Indian artifacts.

We learned that the main and most prized attraction of the museum is the Napoleon table which displayed Napoleon’s ancestors with a picture of Napoleon in the center. Only two such tables exist in the world.

Cocktail Reception at Durbar Hall Cocktails were served in the famous and grand Durbar Hall under the gleaming light of two of the biggest chandeliers in the world, each weighing 3.5 tons. Asia's largest one piece carpet measuring 100 x 50 ft is laid in the hall. India's only illuminated crystal fountain still in use was lighted up for us on this special occasion.

the Maharani most graciously prepared gifts of white saris for the ladies and Indian kurtas with white turbans for the men. We felt like princes and princesses. It was a fairy tale and amazing evening!

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Dinner at the Banquet Hall After cocktails, we descended downstairs to the Banquet Hall for dinner. The world renowned silver train with crystal carriages to transport cocktails was running on the track just for our benefit. It was a magical evening that we are unlikely to ever experience again!!!

Day 3 – Gwalior After a relaxed morning breakfast at the hotel, some of us returned to the Gwalior Museum to explore more of the newer exhibitions with Lucy. Lucy showed us the history of famous Gwalior Maharanis, the Indian Banquet hall, and beautiful Indian textiles including the engagement and wedding gowns of the current Maharani Priya.

After lunch many of us enjoyed some shopping in the city of Gwalior.

Currencies made illegal We also witnessed the continuous long queues in front of all banks as a result of demonetization of 500 and 1000 rupee notes to flush out black market money. Having arrived just a day after the sudden announcement, we experienced the inconvenience of holding illegal banknotes.

It is the second largest fort in India. We were treated to a special 45 mins Sound and Light Show in English which was brought forward to 6:00 pm especially for us. At the courtesy of the Palace, we enjoyed the show in comfort, with special seat cushions on the stone bench steps and refreshing drinks. A grand barbecue was served around the moat on the beautiful grounds of the hotel.

Day 4 – To Agra, Taj Mahal This morning we embarked on a 3+ hour drive from Gwalior to Agra. The city of Agra is the home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World – the Taj Mahal. The architectural splendor of the mausoleums and forts in Agra is a vivid reminder of the opulence of the legendary Mughal Empire. The Taj is celebrated for its architectural magnificence and aesthetic beauty.

Tomb of L’timad-ud-Daulah- The Baby Taj Those who had already seen the Taj Mahal many times ventured to visit ‘The Baby Taj’. The ‘Baby Taj’ is believed to have inspired the Taj Mahal. It was built by Nur Jahan in 1622 to 1628 for her father who happened to be the grandfather of Mumtaz Mahal of Taj fame. Construction of the Taj began five years later in 1632. This tomb though small, is often described as a “jewel box” with beautiful intricate inlay observe that can be observed and admired up close without the crowd. Photos are also allowed outside as well as inside the monument.

Scindia School Luncheon The Scindia School is reputed to be the “Eaton of India”, with annual tuition at a whopping 7 lakhs (over US$10,000). India GDP per capita PPP was reported to be about US$5730 in 2014. The Principal of Scindia School extended a warm welcome at school assembly and kindly hosted a delicious luncheon for us at his residence.

Sound and Light show at Gwalior Fort

It is also a universal symbol of Emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal. This world renowned masterpiece that is synonymous with India, took 17 years to complete.

Thanks to our ‘super guide’, our tour was efficient and hassle free, and we did not have to queue nor remove shoes.

The massive and beautiful Gwalior Fort is an 8th century hill fort with majestic ancient Indian architecture.

Although the drive from Agra to Delhi took almost 5 hours, we were well entertained by beautiful voices and songs by Kenneth and Jessica, and were so impressed by the young stars in our midst.

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Day 5 – Back in Delhi Hauz Khas Village This morning we had the pleasure of being introduced to Hauz Khas Village by its founder Bina Ramani. Hauz Khas is Farsi (Persian) and literally means “royal (Khas) water tank (Hauz). Bina took us to the seldom visited back side of the village complex where we saw lovely ruins of old tombs and temples overlooking the water tank which is a lake/reservoir built in the 13th century.

Bina founded Hauz Khas Village over 30 years ago as an enclave for budding designers and artist. Bina lamented that Hauz Khas has unfortunately developed into a concrete jungle in recent years.

Sanskriti Foundation / Museum From Hauz Khas Village, we were taken to the Sanskriti Foundation which is a non-profit culture and arts promotion organization in Delhi set up in 1979 by philanthropist O P Jain. The Foundation also house 3 museums with Mr. Jain’s private collection of Terracotta, Textiles and Everyday Art. We had a most enjoyable visit of the museums after an excellent vegetarian lunch.

Shopping at Bina’s The shopping highlight of the day was at Bina’s bohemian residence with at least 7 stalls of selected vendors offering shawls, jewelry and designer clothing and accessories. Great fun, and fruitful results for all at this lovely private bazaar! Thank you Bina for making such an effort for us.

Dinner at Minu Bakshi residence Some of us with later flights were treated to a most lavish dinner at ghazal singer, poet and socialite Minu Bashik's beautiful residence. There was a “Rangoli”, a decorative fresh flower carpet at the entrance with flowers that wound all the way up and down the staircase. Minu also read to us some of her ghazal which is poetry written in Urdu, and Jessica entertained us with three songs in her angelic voice. It was a magical evening to wrap up a most memorable tour of regal India!!!

As we reflect on this wonderful experience of regal India

where we dined with royalty, rubbed shoulders with the

highest echelon of Indian society, and explored the

treasures and secret hideaways little known to tourists,

we also had an opportunity to witness how India is a

land of contrasts with the mass still living in poverty

without easy access to urban infrastructure. We are so

blessed with the life we live. We are also inspired by

people like Satish Modi and Bina Ramani who actively

participate to improve the livelihood of people less

fortunate. May we all have the opportunities to play a

personal role in making this world a better place for all.

Thank you Jaderin Club, Joan and Bhagwanti for this

incredible trip and a once in a lifetime experience!

Report by Annie Cheung Nov 19 2016

Between the shopping excursions, there was an opportunity for a brief meeting with a well-known nun Ven Mae Chee Sansanee from Thailand who is reputed to possess very special, spiritual energy that can be shared for the well-being of the receiver.

Day 6 Shop till we drop in Delhi The last day of our tour was reserved for more shopping, first at the high end designer shop Carma owned by the daughter of Satish Modi. Then, we proceeded to a lovely lunch at Good Earth with more shopping at Kahn Market.