40 V i s i t www.theculturalexperience.com C a l l 0345 475 1815 The Victorian Era THE INDIAN MUTINY the british raj gets a wake-up call This is an opportunity to see and walk the ground of one of the most critical periods in the history of India and of the British Empire – the rising of 1857. The Cultural Experience has obtained entry to sites that tourist rarely see, we shall inspect inspiring Moghul architecture with its palaces and gardens while examining the key aspects of the uprising. We shall stay in some of the best 5-star hotels in India: the colonial Oberoi Maidens Hotel in Delhi, the Oberoi Trident in Agra with its landscaped gardens and water fountains, the medieval Taj Usha Kiran Palace in Gwalior, the modern Landmark hotel in Kanpur and the Taj Gomti Nagar (the former Taj Residency) in Lucknow. To facilitate our travel around the edge of Delhi we stay at contemporary Radisson hotels and even the simple and ornate 3-star Amar Mahal in Orchha is a hidden gem, ensuring comfort and style throughout. Of course we will sample delicious Indian food and experience the colour and the flavour of the rich and varied Indian culture, from the magnificence of the Taj Mahal, a memorial to a Moghul Emperor’s love for his dead wife, and the stillness of the memorial to the British women and children murdered and thrown down the well in Cawnpore. The tour is led by military historian, author and TV presenter Gordon Corrigan. He had a distinguished career as an officer in the Gurkhas. As such he served most of his career in the Far East and is an established expert on matters Indian and Nepalese. 4 - 15 November 2017 & 3 – 14 November 2018 12 days with Maj Gordon Corrigan Activity Level 2 Essentials Return flights from London, internal flights, 3, 4 & 5 star hotels, all meals inc. 3-course dinner with drinks each evening, all entrance fees and expert guide throughout. Tour Price: £3195 Single supplement: £650 Deposit: £300 Price without flights: £2645 In 1857 sixty two well-trained infantry battalions and eight cavalry regiments of the Bengal Army mutinied and turned on their British officers in a frenzy of religious fervour – sparked off by the fact that new cartridges issued to the troops (the ends of which they had to bite off to charge their weapons) were believed to be greased with fat from cows and pigs – forbidden to Hindu and Muslim soldiers. Soon the mutinous soldiers were joined by disaffected elements of the civilian population – retrospectively venerated as early nationalists. For a time British power in India – the jewel in the British Empire crown - hung by a thread. With so much at stake on both sides, it was a near run thing, with bravery and treachery in equal measure, and larger-than-life characters on each side - but in the end the rising was defeated, largely by loyal Indian and Gurkha troops under the leadership of their British Officers. Day 1 - Depart London. Day 2 – Delhi – Meerut. Arrive Delhi after midnight (local time) and check-in to the conveniently-located Radisson hotel to get a latenight’ssleep.Afterawelcomelie-inandan orientation lecture: ‘1857 the Background’, we set off late morning for Meerut arriving in time to orientate ourselves in this attractive former garrison and site of the British cantonment where the Mutiny first broke out. Check-in to our modern 5-star hotel for one night. Day 3 – Meerut. We continue our exploration ofMeerutbyvisitingtheparadegroundwhere therefusaltoacceptthecartridgessparkedoff the mutiny; St John’s Church, where evensong was in progress when violence broke out; the Commandant’s house, where British officers took shelter from the mutineers in the latrines; the cemetery, where some of the British victims are buried and the Memorial Park built after independence to glorify the mutineers – an interesting dichotomy which we will explore during the tour. Depart mid- afternoon for the drive down to Agra where we check-in to our luxurious hotel for 2 nights Day4–Agra.WespendarelaxingdayinAgra, one of the great fortified palace complexes of Rajahstan, where we visit the unmissable Taj Mahal,oneoftheSevenWondersoftheWorld. After lunch we pick up the story of the mutiny at Agra’s beautiful Red Fort with its marbled halls and formal gardens and which, in 1857, was a refuge for more than 5000 Europeans and their Indian servants. Day 5 – Gwalior. We travel on to Gwalior, seat oftheScindiaMahrattasandtourthestunning fortress, captured by the rebels in 1858, and visit the site of the skirmish at Kotah ke Serai where the Rani of Jhansi was eventually killed. Check-in to our palatial (literally!) hotel for one night. Day 6 – Jhansi. On to beautiful Jhansi to see its impressive fort and learn more about the extraordinary career of Lakshmibai, the 29 year old widowed Rani of Jhansi – whose Palace still survives – and who may or may not have been responsible for the infamous massacre of the British garrison and their families. Check-in to our ornate hotel at riverside Orchha just outside the city. Day 7 – Kanpur (Cawnpore). Drive to Kanpur where we examine the siege of General Wheeler’s makeshift mud entrenchment SOLD OUT The Queens Bays at the Relief of Lucknow