Amber Tours

Khajuraho

Shakun Raheja — Fri, 30 Dec 2022 12:17:22 +0000

The Temples at Khajuraho were built between 900 to 1200 years ago by the Chandela rulers and are a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Vishnu, Shiva and Jain temples are really running in their detail and the intricacy of the carvings. They are also well known for the sexually explicit carvings on some of the temple walls and there has been a good bit written about that aspect. One aspect that is not so well known is that these temples were abandoned around the 14th century and the forest reclaimed its own. Legend has it that like the discovery of Angkor Wat, a British Captain T.S. Burt stumbled “Indiana Jones” style onto these amazing structures and they were rediscovered for the world!

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Taj Mahal – The Other Story

Inder Dugal — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 12:39:40 +0000

Agra was the resplendent capital of the Mughal Empire and 27% of the worlds GDP at that time came from India , A large part of that from the pinnacle of the Mughals. The banks of Yamuna river had 58 (the number varies) river gardens and homes, sort of the “BILLIONAIRES ROW” of the time.

This site was the garden of Maharaja of Jaipur – An ally to the Mughals from whom emperor Shahjahan bought the land in- order to build the great mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, according to timurid tradition the land for such a mausoleum could not be seized, but had to be acquired correctly and so it was. Records of this incredible monument of love having its own source of revenue, its own fort, with a navy and dedicated military force along with a commander are known. A reflective garden across the river where the emperor visited regularly led to rumours of a Black Taj Mahal being planned- We don’t believe that to be true. What may not be known is that Taj Mahal complex was at times a dormitory, was almost never approached by the emperor through land route and it also played host to orchestra parties during the British Raj.! Lovers have been caught in the act here with tragic outcomes as have those who drank too much wine and fell of the high platform and then, there is the Red Taj Mahal “From Her To Him” – Who Knew.?!

Let us share with you the other history of Taj Mahal when you come to India. This gleaming white marble monument has many colourful stories to share.

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Varanasi – Older than history & tradition

Inder Dugal — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 12:30:02 +0000

Named thus as the two rivers- Varuna and Assi, mark the boundaries of Kashi, the ancient city of Shiva. This is one of the oldest living cities in the world and its prominence in Hindu mythology is virtually unrivalled. Mark Twain, travelling through India visited here and said `Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together!!” Varanasi offers a breath-taking experience; the rays of the dawn shimmering across the Ganga River – the high banks, the temples, shrines and ashrams along the banks. This city is also a centre of music (classical) and famous for its silk brocade.

The principal attraction of the Holy City is the string of Ghats that line the western banks of the Ganges River. Most of these ghats are used for bathing and to offer prayers to the holy Ganges, two of them are also used as ‘burning ghats’ where Hindus are cremated. Being the city of Shiva, the Hindus believe that dying here means you achieve Moksh, or freedom from rebirth in an instant.

Our updated Amber program was designed by us personally with 60+ hours on the ground walking 25 km in that time and loving every minute of it! We changed our entire experience here. With very specific walking tours, amazing hidden temples, ancient markets, and wonderful museums, this city has so much to offer. Our boat ride has completely changed and we now take you to visit sites that very few know about or go to. Let us plan your clients visit here.

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Art Deco – Mumbai

Inder Dugal — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 07:11:25 +0000

A little-known fact about Mumbai is that it has the second-largest number of Art Deco buildings in the world, right after Miami. In June 2018, UNESCO granted an ensemble of 94 historic buildings the status of a World Heritage Site. Mumbai (Bombay as it was known) started off as seven islands that the Portuguese used as a harbor for their spice trade. When Charles II of England married Catherine of Braganza, these islands were gifted as part of his dowry and were promptly rented out to the East India Company for the princely sum of 10 pounds a year!

The company promptly grew Mumbai into a major trading center and port. Cotton, Spices and Opium were flourishing and a tremendous amount of wealth was generated and a single city was born. With the growth of the population, generation of incredible wealth, new building technologies, and the Backbay reclamation, Art Deco started to grow in popularity over the Indo-Saracenic and Victorian Gothic styles as it is more contemporary and appealed to the Traditional and Business Royalty of the day.

Today there are over 200 buildings in this stunning style and a lot of them are in excellent condition and several of them were incorporated by us into a lovely walking tour! Combine this with our other terrific Mumbai experiences and see this amazing city the way it should be done.

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Mandu – A love story

Inder Dugal — Tue, 31 May 2022 10:39:27 +0000

Talking with a friend when we lived in Pune, he mentioned cycling around Mandu Fort. Despite loving history, I had never heard of it but made a mental note. Several years down the road, now in the travel space, I had the option to visit the region and enthusiastically made my way to this incredible site. Located at an elevation of 2,079 feet on the Vindhya mountain range (which in general divides North and South India) the fort and town go on for about 13 km with the Malwa plain on one side and the mighty Narmada and its valley on the southern side. A fairly large settlement, Mandu won the /Best Heritage City award in 2018 and you really have to visit (day trip) to understand why. Founded in the 11th century, the capital of the Malwa region moved here given its excellent natural defences. Several Sultans changed before Dilawar Khan established the Ghuri dynasty and his son Hoshang Shah made it prosperous. His is the first white marble Tomb built in the country and he built it in his lifetime as he felt his descendants would not spare the coin to do it after his death!

Several stories about the area abound, but the most interesting is the love story of Rani Roopmati & Baaz Bahadur. The latter was king of Malwa and was a famed musician. Rani Roopmati was a poet and renowned for her melodious voice and incredible beauty. It all started with a ritual. The queen, followed the daily custom of gazing upon the holy Narmada river before breaking her overnight fast. However, her marital home was not close to the holy river, so she almost starved to death before hurriedly being sent back to her family. She continued to sing in her home and follow her religious rites.

Rani Roopmati Mahal

Legend has it that once he heard her sing, Baaz Bahadur fell in love and asked her to move to Mandu. She agreed to come to the palace on the condition that she was allowed to gaze upon and worship the river daily. Rani Roopmati’s pavilion was built and it still stands beautifully. One can still see the mighty river in the distance. All was going well with an acoustically designed palace and many musical nights, but news of the party and her beauty spread!

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A Summer Evening

Aditya Veer Singh — Mon, 30 May 2022 12:37:20 +0000

As the scorching heat begins to cast its fiercest rays, the human body craves some flavourful hydration and that is why @ambertours brings you tales of cherished memories from every Indian household and centuries-old culture to soothe and counter the effects of summer heat. From Rooh Afza to Khus, or Bel (Wood Apple), different types of jewel-toned and chilled sharbats have entrenched themselves in the consciousness of India, becoming a household beloved at the same time a customary offering to guests during summers. With the fragrances of its sweetness and the brilliance of its old recipe that remains unchanged, healthy and simply irresistible. Gathering friends and family on an open veranda in summer evenings, where they share stories, plan their next vacation, occasional politics and stock market talks – A short interlude in an otherwise hard working day and the joys of slurping in equal enthusiasm by both five and 70-year-olds. There’s not enough we can say about these summer chillers but can try to word their popularity among the people of India making it a perfect blend of an experience unlike any other.

Visiting Rajasthan during summers, you will be welcomed with these traditional drinks – Sheer ambrosia as each sip slowly inexplicably chills the whole body providing respite from intense heat.!

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Project ‘Avirita’

Shanti Kohli — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 11:40:37 +0000

The last two years since the Pandemic began apart from travelling through India, I have spent this time doing something that I love, sourcing for our new Project ‘Avirita’ which eventually will be a collection of warm, stylishly Indian home stays and that helped me work and meet some of the most amazing textile, carpets, furniture designers as well as artists and collectors.

The talent that we have in this country is amazing and specially most of these designers work with local artisans and have a fabulous outreach program as well as are sustainable all of which matches my personal mantra.

I found wonderful pieces and also had an amazing time in the cities we travelled to meeting these people, visiting their factories or ateliers and now want to share this experience with guests who May be looking to create an Indian inspired home or space.

Please do write to me with your wish list and I would need about 10 days minimum to cover the basic and most essential. Join me in introducing you to some of the finest people and craftsmen in India.

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The recently renovated Taj Mahal Hotel Delhi is spectacular

Shanti Kohli — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 19:38:00 +0000

Lovely being at the wonderfully renovated Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi today and to see old friends. The view is so spectacular and the new rooms really well done, calm colors yet you feel like you are in India. Loved the new feel of Chambers, the private members only club. The warm hospitality of the…
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The Amber Team is ready and rearing to go!

Team Amber Tours — Sun, 05 Sep 2021 19:14:00 +0000

The Amber team remains resilient and in place. A couple of people have left for other opportunities outside travel and we bid adieu to two of our tenured staff that chose to retire. While COVID19 has slowed down our work, we have taken this time to train our team further, connect with our partners, travel the country designing new experiences keeping in mind the new protocols.

Weathering lengthy lockdowns, we have fully vaccinated 90% of our team and the Amber office is now physically open with proper guidance on masks, sanitization and social distancing. It feels good to be back in action.

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Vaccinations are Up!

Team Amber Tours — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 19:45:00 +0000

INDIA: The country has administered over 625 Million jabs so far. The progress is about 4.7 Million jabs per day using the incredible infrastructure that vaccinates 300M per year on Polio, Rubella, BCG and Typhoid / Cholera. All Amber staff have been double vaccinated and maintain mask protocols. Our partner hotels have vaccinated their entire staff, the staff families and also their Vendors, truly amazing! We continue to move forward here and Amber will keep you updated as the news media fails to report this. With a population of 1.4 Billion, India is reporting under 40,000 cases on average over the last two weeks. Strict and fine-able protocols for masks exist in most metros.

BHUTAN: Over 770,00 Covishield (Astra Zeneca) vaccines have been administered and the second round has been 550,00 Moderna shots from the USA. The combination is apprently more powerful as it mixes the Virus vector with an mRNA vaccine, reportedly providing higher immunity. The country is currently closed for inbound travel

NEPAL: 35 % of the entire population have received their full vaccine. The progress is about One Hundred Thousand doses administered daily.

SRI LANKA: 70% of the population above 18 has so far been vaccinated with a variety of Vaccines and the trend continues for under 18 now.

MALDIVES: 55 % of the eligible resident population have received their vaccine. Administration of the rest population is also ongoing.

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