Taj Mahal is getting a facial

by Sean McLachlan on


India’s most beautiful monument is going to look even more beautiful after a team of specialists give it a mud facial. The Taj Mahal in Agra is getting treated with multani-mitti , known in English as fuller’s earth, an absorbent mud that sucks up dirt and grime and is normally found in beauty parlors. The Archaeological Survey of India is conducting the cleaning.

The site’s mosque and some of the outlying buildings have already been treated, and the team hopes to start work on the main building in April. The process involves spreading mud over every surface, covering it with a polythene sheet, and waiting for the mud to dry and flake off. Once this happens, the surface is washed with distilled water.

The Taj Mahal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built by Moghul Emperor Shah Jahan in 1648 as a mausoleum to his wife.

[Photo courtesy jrodmanjr via Gadling’s flickr pool. For another of jrodmanjr’s great shots of the Taj Mahal, see one of our previous Photo of the Day entries.]

Daily Pampering: Oberoi’s take on India

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If you’re going to go all the way to India, you need to make the trip worth it. So, don’t waste your time thinking about short stays. Oberoi Hotels & Resorts is offering a new deal: “Oberoi Exotic Vacations. From April 16 to September 30, 2010, you’ll be able to spend at least eight nights at one of its properties in India and enjoy breakfast for two every day, an additional room for two kids (free), a car to take you from the local airport or train station to the hotel, yoga sessions and a 25 percent spa discount. Stay at least 10 nights, and you’ll be upgraded to a suite automatically (based on availability, of course).

You’ll have your choice of cities in India. Oberoi properties in New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Ranthambhore and Kolkata are participating, as well as the Wildflower Hall, Shimla in the Himalayas. Packages start at $3,050 for an eight-night stay. If you’re paying to go all the way to India, do it big.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

Cycle across India in 2011

by Kraig Becker on

Looking for a new kind of travel experience? One that combines cultural immersion with physical challenge across a beautiful and mysterious landscape? Then perhaps Tour d’Afrique, the Toronto based company that specializes in adventure cycling tours, has just the thing for you. As part of their DreamTours program, the company has organized a 46 day ride across India that is set to get underway in early 2011.

Departing from Agra, just south of New Delhi, on January 29th of next year, the Indian Adventure Bicycle Expedition will cover more than 2050 miles. In the process, the route will pass through Rajasthan, the popular Mumbai, and on to the beaches of Goa, before continuing to the confluence of the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Mannar, and the Indian Ocean.

Cyclists who elect to ride the entire route will spend 37 days in the saddle, with nine more rest days built into the schedule. But for those who lack the time for the full tour, there are two other options, allowing for riders to enjoy an abbreviated course. The first is a 995 mile ride from Agra to Mumbai and the other a 1300 mile route from Mumbai to Kanyakumari that requires 25 days to complete.

Tour d’Afrique earned it’s reputation by launching an epic cycling tour of Africa that bears the same name as the company itself. Since then, they’ve also organized an equally epic tour of South America as well as an amazing ride along the ancient Silk Road. Their DreamTours program was launched last year, allowing us to come up with or own grand cycling tours, while the company uses its network of resources to organize the events. The Indian Adventure Expedition is one of the first tours to come from that program.

For more information on this ride, and the others that are available, go to the DreamTours website. Then, break out your bike, and hit the road. You’re going to need the practice.

New luxury trains coming to India

by Alison Brick on

It just goes to show that luxury travel may be as enduring as the Taj Mahal.

Even in this economy, not one but two luxury trains are debuting in India in the next few months.

The Indian Maharaja-Deccan Odyssey, the first privately-operated luxury tourist train in India, will launch on November 18. Its seven-night, eight-day itinerary includes Mumbai-Aurangaba-Ahmedabad-Udaipu-Sawai-Madhopur-Jaipur-Bharatpur-Agra-Delhi.

Maharajas’ Express will launch soon after, on January 9. It’s making the rounds along two routes: either seven nights/eight days through Mumbai-Vadodara-Udaipur-Jodhpur-Bikaner-Jaipur-Ranthambore-Agra-Delhi and back; or six nights/seven days through: Delhi-Agra-Gwalior-Khajuraho-Bandhavgarh-Varanasi-Gaya-Kolkata (with an option of a reverse trip).

The trains will be a throwback to Orient Express standards. On the Indian Maharaja-Deccan Odyssey, the Presidential Suite replicates a five-star hotel, complete with a bedroom, living area, and personalized bathroom. Prices range from $525/per person per night to $1,120 on the Indian Maharaja-Deccan Odyssey, and $800 to $2,500 on the Maharajas’ Express.

So far, the trains are said to have strong bookings, especially with travelers from the UK, Japan, and Germany.

[Thanks, Jaunted]

Photo of the Day (9.29.09)

by Stephen Greenwood on

Today’s Photo of the Day comes from Milan-based photographer, il lele. This photo was taken in the city of Fatehpur Sikri, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It’s a great moment captured – and it’s easy to appreciate the simplicity & contrast of the image. Il lele has alot of great portraits and environment shots on Flickr, so take the time to check them out.

Fatehpur Sikri was constructed in 1570, and served as the capital of the Mughal empire until 1585. That year, it abandoned for unknown reasons – but is now regarded as a center of architectural inspiration. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, featuring several important religious and secular buildings.

Do you have great travel photos you’d like to share? Add them to our Gadling group on Flickr. We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.