Hola Mohalla, Punjab, India 2019 Wednesday 13-Mar-19 Arrive in Delhi and transfer to Hotel Vasant Continental. Rooms will be available from midday. Meet the other members of the group and share expectations of the week ahead. This afternoon join a guided tour of Delhi with the group. Dinner and overnight at Vasant Continental, Delhi. Thursday 14-Mar-19 You will be transferred to Delhi train station for a train departing at 07.40. The train has comfortable spacious seating as you would find throughout Europe. Arrive Chandigarh at 11:05. You will be met on arrival and transferred by vehicle to Ramgarh (c.22 kms ) and to the Hotel Ramgarh Fort. www.thefortramgarh.com The fort was built 350 years ago and is famous for its huge wooden door, apparently the world s tallest door. The riding today mainly follows the river bed and is a good opportunity for you to get to know your horse. Sometimes you climb up onto the banks and ride through small villages. You finish riding near to the town of Pinjore and, if time, you will make a visit (on foot) to the beautiful Pinjore gardens, one of the oldest gardens in northern India which is laid out on seven terraces. It is a pretty place, particularly at dusk. Later arrive at your tented camp which is within sight of a Sikh temple, called a gurudawara. Overnight in the Tented Camp Friday 15-Mar-19 After a delicious breakfast in camp, you set off riding. You mostly follow the river bed with occasional detours through small villages. There is much to see as you ride. After lunch at the Fort Ramgarh, you are driven away from the hustle and bustle of town to meet your horses which are ready and waiting for you in the Ghaggar river bed. Updated 12 April 2018 OL Page 1 of 6
You are likely to have attracted quite a crowd of onlookers since the horses are corralled almost in the middle of town just across the road from the Siswan Jungle Lodge. Today, as on each day, the grooms and support vehicle will meet you about midday. The horses are untacked and rested and you have a delicious lunch and a chance to rest. After lunch continue riding following the river bed. It is fascinating to pass by the nomadic people, with their herds of water buffalo, who have set up semipermanent homes right in the middle of the river. In just a few months, they will move on and their homes will be washed away as the river floods (when the snow melts in the mountains and the monsoon rains arrive). Today your ride continues to follow the river bed, sometimes following the many jeep tracks which cross back and forth. You can only imagine the communication problems when the river is in flood. Many people live along the river bank in very basic living conditions, but times are moving fast and many people in modest houses have their own tractor. Later arrive at the town of Siswan and to your accommodation at the lovely Siswan Jungle Lodge. Tonight you are in for a treat with a delicious meal, possibly served in the gardens if the weather is good. Have lunch at a shady spot near to a village. The smell of marijuana plants pervades. It is remarkable to see it growing in widespread abundance everywhere, as far as the eye can see. It is used in tea, lassis and also its own crushed smoothies. This may well account for the Nihangs benevolent disposition, as they consume large amounts of the plant in a variety of ways. As you continue riding after lunch you might see some water buffalo forage and bathe in the shallows. Egrets, grey herons and a variety of raptors feed off the abundant fish and meadow rodents. Overnight at Siswan Jungle Lodge. www.siswanjunglelodge.com Saturday 16-Mar-19 Updated 12 April 2018 OL Page 2 of 6
There are beautiful high cliffs on the left of the river which have been eroded and etched by rain and waterfall into impressive battlements. Ride on crossing and re-crossing the river until you arrive at the town of Nalagarh. Nalagarh Fort is a gateway to Himachal Pradesh and was built in 1421 during the reign of Raja Bikram Chand. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas it offers panoramic views of the Shivalik hills. It is the most handsome of the many forts in the area and within easy access to the others (Palasi in the plains and Ramgarh, Chamba and Malaon in the hills). The rooms are spacious and comfortable, reflecting its heritage status. There is also a pool, a large communal dining room, and lovely gardens and quiet corners that meander around the hilltop as the fort was added to over the years. The rooftop offers some spectacular views over the surrounding hills with the twinkling domes of the Gurudwaras (Sikh temples) in the distance. Weather permitting you might have dinner on the rooftop. Overnight at Nalagarh Fort heritage hotel. Sunday 17-Mar-19 After breakfast drive back to the horses and ride out back to the river bed. It is a fairly short morning ride with a couple of opportunities for fast canters along the tracks until you come close to the ruins of Palasi Fort. You leave the horses about 3 kms short of Nalagarh and drive the final stretch up to the Nalagarh Fort (a heritage hotel). http://nalagarh.in/ You climb up to the Fort for your lunch stop. There is grass for the horses, broken battlements to explore and shady corners to eat and rest in after lunch. After lunch there may well be an opportunity to explore the village, visit a hindu temple and perhaps be invited into one of the village homes. Everyone is very welcoming. Updated 12 April 2018 OL Page 3 of 6
After lunch set off riding again towards Bharatgarh. Eventually you ride along the side of the canal and will start to see heavily laden motorbikes and lots of tractors pulling trailers full of people. All are flying an orange flag. These are Sikhs either coming from the temple or going to Hola Mohalla. Bharatgarh was built in 1783 and was the most important stronghold of the Singhpuria missile as its location over the banks of the Satluj river gave it a key strategic position. The area of the fort is about 7 acres and it has 100 acres of forest land. Bharatgarh Fort remains with and is occupied by the descendant family and operates as a private family-run hotel with its own unique charm. The fort is small and compact, well maintained and with wonderful views from the roof-top. The rooms are comfortable and pretty. One very much gets the feeling one is staying in a rather unusual bed and breakfast. Overnight at Bharatgarh Fort Monday 18-Mar-19 Ride out after breakfast from Bharatgarh Fort. Your destination tonight is Bharatgarh Fort. www.bharatgarhfort.com You are now on the home run to the Hola Mohalla and will be riding alongside the canals. These canals run from a huge dam called Bhakra one of the highest gravity dams in the world. The dam holds excess waters during the monsoon and releases it into this huge network of canals which provide irrigation and run all the way to western Rajasthan almost 500kms away. The water in the canals flows very fast and is a bright blue. Updated 12 April 2018 OL Page 4 of 6
The back up vehicle will also negotiate the trails along with increasing numbers of motorbikes and small trucks going to the festival. You may encounter fellow pilgrims who have pitched camps along the canals offering tea and refreshments to any and all who pass by. Overnight in tented Camp for two nights. Tuesday 19-Mar-19 In the morning, after breakfast, you will be driven into the town of Anandpur Sahib. You break for lunch at Kiratpur a short distance from the river and the grooms are able to bathe the horses in the shallows. After lunch continue riding along the canal, past a huge dam and to the town of Anandpur Sahib. As you get closer to the town you can hear a huge roar of music and voices coming through loud speakers, as well as the throbbing engine noise and air-horns from turbo-charged tractors and bikes that people are using to get to Anandpur Sahib. In the late afternoon you arrive at your tented camp near to Gogamedi temple, just on the outskirts of the town of Anandpur Sahib. All being well, after an early dinner, you may be able to drive into town just to experience a little of the excitement. Everything is lit up with a million fairy lights and there is a huge carnival atmosphere. You should take the opportunity to visit Virasat-e- Khalsa, the beautiful museum of the Sikhs. The museum, opened in November 2011, celebrates 500 years of the Sikh history and the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Khalsa. The architecture is stunning and the exhibits fascinating. The rest of the day is spent visiting various aspects of the Hola Mohalla. You will visit the main Gurudwara temple where people are relaxing and listening to teachings and music. At some point in the day you will return to camp for lunch. Updated 12 April 2018 OL Page 5 of 6
In the afternoon, you return to town. There may be the opportunity to see some displays of horsemanship or to see the martial arts displays. Later this evening, depending on how much you have seen and how tired you are, you might go back again to town to see further displays. Overnight at camp. Wednesday 20-Mar-19 This morning you will be driven to Chandigarh (about 1.5 hours) in time for your train to Delhi. Those continuing to Shimla will have a separate transfer to Kalka. You will be met on arrival at Delhi and transferred to the international airport in time for your flight. Flights should depart late evening on 20 March or very early morning on 21 March. There is colour and excitement everywhere. Updated 12 April 2018 OL Page 6 of 6