Alankara
Arts in India Tour

 Photo Gallery

Student and Community Tour
January 3rd - 17th, 2007

Introduction to Arts and Culture of India with Ranjanaa Devi, Director,
Asian Arts & Culture Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA.

The Asian Arts & Culture Program in collaboration with the Travel Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd. presents the unique opportunity of a fully escorted tour of South and North India for students and community members. If you enjoy immersing yourself in a culture filled with all the sensual pleasures of sight, sound, and taste, then India is one of the most intricate and rewarding dramas unfolding on earth. Join Ranjanaa Devi as she guides you through the dance, music, architecture, and art of India.

To find out more about the tour, dates, costs and tour itinerary, please contact the Asian Arts & Culture Program at: devi@admin.umass.edu or call 413-545-1980.

For Five College students: This is a year long course with 4 seminar meetings in Fall 06, the 15 day study tour in January and 4 meetings in Spring 07.

Schedule # 78648, Dance 496Y - Alankara: Arts in India Study / January Tour
Instructor: Ranjanaa Devi
3:35-5:00 pm Location: TBA
3 credits       

Community members: Please contact AACP to recieve a registration form at:
Email: devi@amin.umass.edu Phone: 413-545-1980
Email: smcfarland@acad.umass.edu Phone: 413-577-2486

Deadline for community tour registration is September 30, 2006.

Highlights of the Tour

(Subject to Change)

The Tour begins in Mumbai (previously known as Bombay ). See historic Gothic architectural buildings built during British Raj, tour three prominent museums- Gandhi, Prince of Wales and Victoria and Albert, visit the Elephanta Island cave temples, lunch at Taj Hotel by the Gateway of India, visit Kotchiwadi coastal village, enjoy an evening at the Bayside Jazz Club, meet local people and artists and so much more.

Kochi in the State of Kerala is called God's own paradise. We will have a guided tour of the city seeing the grave of Vasco De Gama, St. Francis Church, The Fort, The Dutch Palace, Jew Town . Then cruising the backwaters, an Ayurvedic massage at Coconut Lagoon, Spice and Tea plantations in Northern Kerala, visit a boat building shipyard, concerts of kathakali dance, martial arts demos, music, Kerala cooking demonstrations and again more activities.

Jaipur - the Pink City in the desert region of North India will be our next stop. Flying across India we will enter the pink city to take a ride an elephant to the Amber Fort, visit the Maharaja's city palace to see traditional visual and craft artists at work and view the planets from the Astrological Observatory. Then there is more.shopping for jewels, carpets, visit to an International School , music, dances and meet great people. Best of all we stay at Jai Mahal palace hotel.

Traveling by road we arrive at Fatehpur Sikri, the original capital city built by Emperor Akbar, view the Agra Fort and then the Taj Mahal in the historic city Agra to get a full exposure to the sheer beauty, romance and artistry of Mughal India . Staying at convention center Jaypee palace hotel we will see a Kathak dance concert in the evening.

Delhi , capital of India will be our final stop. The ancient and the modern, the old and the new are in constant juxtaposition in this ever enlarging city. Staying at the Park hotel in the center of New Delhi , we will take a sight seeing tour of historic sites in Delhi , visit the National Museum , Modern Art Gallery and lots more.

The tour is managed by Travel Corporation ( India ) Pvt. Ltd. India 's premier destination Management Company with offices in every city in India.

Alankar: Arts In India Study Program is presented by the Asian Arts & Culture Program, Fine Arts Center in partnership with the International Programs Office at the University of Massachusetts and the Five College Dance Department.