The following is the itinerary for the north trip.  You will be able to follow along with our journey north filled with sacred and secular architecture.  We will be gone from this Saturday and return on March 10^th. I doubt I will be able to post while we are travelling.  DBell leaves very little downtime!  Google the places and see some wonderful pictures.

We are not going to Allahabad, but there is a festival going on there for 55 days.  It is when Hindus from across the world come to bathe in the Ganges. The festival is called Maha Kumbh Mela. The opening weekend, there was an estimated crowd of 30 million.   This year the estimated attendance for the complete festival will be 110 million which is 1/3 of the population of the United States. It will be the largest gathering of humanity in a single place in history.  Already, 275,000 people have gotten lost from their family.  I have no idea how they will reconnect.   I cannot get my head around these numbers. 

DAVID BELL

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

110 EIGHTH STREET

TROY, NY 12180

USA

ASSOCIATED WITH CEPT UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

AHMEDABAD

PROPOSED ITINERARY FOR FIELD TRIP FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 10, 2013 FOR 13 PEOPLE (SELF, WIFE, 11 RENSSELAER STUDENTS)

REQUESTING 1 COACH, ROUND TRIP FLIGHT DELHI TO VARANASI (COACH IN VARANASI), TRAIN FRPM FOR 18 PEOPLE, TRAIN FROM DELHI TO AHMEDABAD

FEBRUARY 23

Depart at 6:00 am from Presidency Enclave, 7 Darshan Society, Samved Hospital Road (near Nidhi Hospital), Navrangpura, Ahmedabad 380009

2 nights in Udaipur (February 23 & 24)

    Visit: Jag Niwas (Lake Palace), City Palace, Mor Chowk

    Depart for Jaipur on February 25 at 7:00am

    Visit either Kumbhalgarh Fort or Chittogarh Fort on the way to Jaipur

2 nights in Jaipur (February 25 & 26)

    Visit: Pink City, Jantar Mantar, Jami Masjid (mosque), City Palace Museum, Jawahr Kala Kendra (20^th c.,             Charles Correa) The Amber Fort

    Depart for Agra on February 27 at 7:00am

    Visit Chand Baori step well near Abhaneri on the way to Agra

2 nights in Agra (February 27 & 28)

    Visit: Taj Mahal, Fatepur Sikri (Jami Masjid complex), Mathura

    Depart for Delhi on March 1 at 7:00am

2 nights in Delhi (March 1 & 2)

    Visit: Chandini Chowk, Jantar Mantar

    Depart for Amritsar on March 3 at 7:00am

2 nights in Amritsar (March 3 & 4)

    Visit Golden Temple, Guru ka Langar (free kitchen), Border closing ceremony

    Depart for Chandigarh on March 5 at 7:00am

1 night in Chandigarh (March 5)

    Visit: Le Corbusier buildings

    Depart for Delhi on March 6 at 1:00pm

1 night in Delhi (March 6)

    Depart by air for Varanasi on March 7 before noon, coach for 18 picks us up at Varanasi airport and we will have the coach available while we visit Varanasi

2 nights in Varanasi (March 7 & 8)

    Visit: Ghats, Jantar Mantar, Vishnawath Temple, Dhamek Stupa

    Depart on morning flight to Delhi on March 9, coach for 18 picks us up at Delhi airport

    Leave Delhi on overnight train to Ahmedabad (March 9)

ARRIVE IN AHMEDABAD ON MORNING OF MARCH 10

Nameste!    T I I