Sacred Steps: A Journey Through Devotion and Awakening

 Parasparopagraho Jīvānām

Let’s start our day with a delicious breakfast at the hotel and prepare ourselves for an exciting journey through the colorful streets of Kolkata.

First, we will visit the Pareshnath Jain temple, a revered shrine that houses not only the 23rd Jain Tirthankar but also four other temples dedicated to different holy preachers, considered as Avatars by the Jains. This is a great opportunity to immerse ourselves in the rich culture and traditions of the Jain community.

Next, we’ll head to the Mullick Ghat Kolkata Flower Market, where we’ll be surrounded by hundreds of stalls offering beautiful flowers and garlands. The market is eastern India’s largest flower market and attracts around 2,000 flower growers from the surrounding areas.

We can’t miss the Kumartoli walking tour, where we’ll witness skilled artisans creating larger-than-life idols of Goddess Durga and her children for the Durga Puja festival. Along the way, we’ll explore Banamali Sarkar Street, home to famous idol merchants, and visit the nearby Dhakeshwari Mata Temple.

As the day progresses, we’ll drive past College Street and Dalhousie Square before stopping at the Victoria Memorial, one of India’s most beautiful monuments. This is a great opportunity to learn more about Kolkata’s history and admire its stunning architecture.

Finally, we’ll visit St. Paul’s Cathedral, another iconic landmark that’s famous for its Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, attended by people of all faiths. We’ll end our day with a peaceful Hooghly River cruise, which is the lifeline of Kolkata and integral to its history and culture. The two opposite banks of the river offer different embankments that are alive with activity at all times of the day.

We’ll return to the hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.