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IOL News
14-07-2025
- General
- IOL News
Historic Tongaat temple embarks on a journey of renewal
Tongaat Hindu Samarasa Association, known as the Tongaat Sabha. Image: Supplied The historic Tongaat Hindu Samarasa Association, affectionately known as the Tongaat Sabha, is embarking on a journey of renewal following floods that challenged its very existence. Founded in September 1912, this 113-year-old temple has not only been a spiritual home for many but also a pillar for the broader Tongaat community. However, the impact of the floods has led to the need for financial and community support to uphold its legacy. Soobrie Govender, 66, the temple's chairperson for the past 17 years, said: 'We are situated in a low-lying area on High Street. Following the storms, sponsors assisted with painting projects and providing free labour. However, the carpets and storeroom furniture were destroyed, and the property requires regular maintenance. "But our devotees are mostly pensioners, so we don't get much financial support. We have, however, still endeavoured to replace the carpet with tiles. These are easier and cheaper to clean up after a flood. We need community support." Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The process of the renewal of the Tongaat Hindu Samarasa Association, known as the Tongaat Sabha. Image: Supplied He added: "Our forebears unselfishly donated the land and funded the building for this wonderful temple for the benefit of the community. We are, therefore, striving to ensure the upkeep of the temple to keep our rich cultural heritage alive. We want to pass on this timeless value, our temple, to the younger generation." Govender said they also required artists to paint the deities (statues). "The objective of the organisation is to work in the interest of the broader community in matters pertaining to their social welfare, spiritual education and religion. Over the years, the sabha was a popular venue for cultural activities, weddings, eisteddfods and ceremonies. 'We host satsangs three times a week with about 100 devotees. As a Shiva temple, Maha Shivaratri is our highlight with about 300 devotees attending. A karate and judo institute has used this venue for its zen meditation classes, and it was used as an exam venue by Unisa. If you would like to assist the temple, call Soobrie Govender on 083 788 8485. The POST
India.com
10-06-2025
- India.com
Top 10 Tourist Attractions That Define The Charm Of Pithoragarh
Located in Uttarakhand state Kumaon region, Pithoragarh is a hidden beauty with captivating landscapes, rich cultural heritage and serene surroundings. This quiet town which is often referred to as the 'Mini Kashmir,' is perfect for those who are looking for peacefulness away from the hustle bustle of city life. Pithoragarh holds a promise to make travel an unforgettable experience via historical forts and enchanting valleys. Here are some tourist attractions that one must visit when in Pithoragarh. 1. Pithoragarh Fort One of the most popular landmarks in town, Pithoragarh Fort stands as an epitome of the glorious past of this region. Built by Gorkhas during the 18th century, this fort provides a panoramic view of valleys and hills around it. It's perched on top of this hilltop gives visitors an opportunity to learn about history while enjoying natural splendor. 2. Chandak Hill For nature lovers and adventure seekers Chandak Hill is a true heaven on earth. This hill located 8 kilometers from Pithoragarh boasts picturesque views and verdant vegetation. Additionally, the hill contains Mostamanu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Hiking up Chandak Hill entails a mesmerizing sightseeing experience across Himalayan ranges as well as tranquil Kali Kumaon region. 3. Kapileshwar Mahadev Temple The Kapileshwar Mahadev Temple offers spiritual comfort for all who seek it out;what follows is why you should not afford to miss visiting it once you're within a cave,this ancient temple worships lord cave itself is an architectural wonder blessed with natural rock formations and peaceful adds more charm to the temple is its location near the Soar and tourists flock in large numbers to this holy place for divine blessings and also just to feel the peaceful environment. 4. Thal Kedar In Pithoragarh, Thal Kedar is another important religious site. It stands at 2,000 meters above sea level and is dedicated to Lord Shiva as one of the significant pilgrimage centers during Maha Shivaratri festival. Trekking through thick jungles and having a glimpse at breathtaking scenery of landscapes around is a great deal of excitement before reaching till Thal Kedar serene atmosphere inside the temple makes it ideal for meditation or self-reflection. 5. Askot Sanctuary Askot Sanctuary will be a nice place for lovers of wildlife, especially those who enjoy enthusiasts will find Askot Sanctuary a true sanctuary lies at the meeting point of Eastern Himalayas and Western Himalayas where one can find variety of animals and created primarily for saving musk deer species that were on the verge of extinction, Askot Sanctuary also houses such species like snow leopard, Himalayan black bear as well as numerous bird sanctuary has amazing ecological diversity together with beautiful sceneries which make it an excellent destination for nature walks and photographing animals. 6. Jhulaghat Jhulaghat presents an unusual opportunity for cross-border offers unique border crossing small town lies next to the river Kali which forms a natural boundary between India and foot, visitors can cross this bridge made from ropes joining these two countries giving them rare advantage to have a taste of both shopping arcades on both sides; there are large number souvenirs shops with local handicrafts. 7. Dharchula Due to its appealing nature, Dharchula is a town positioned roughly 90 kilometers away from Pithoragarh. It serves as the starting point for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and Adi Kailash trek. Dharchula, surrounded by mighty mountains and impenetrable forests, provides a peaceful hideaway for holiday-goers. The town's lively culture and welcoming people also make it an ideal place to discover and unwind. 8. Munsiyari Munsiyari, referred to as the 'Gateway to Johar Valley' is a scenic hill station situated about 135 kilometers away from Pithoragarh. This quiet little town has stunning views of the Panchachuli peaks and is the base camp for several treks such as Milam Glacier trekking route and Ralam Glacier trekking route. Munsiyari is teeming with different kinds of birds that fly at different altitudes in this region thus making it a birdwatcher's paradise. Its peaceful atmosphere together with amazing scenery makes it one of the places you cannot miss out on. Conclusion Pithoragarh, with its rich cultural heritage, scenic beauty and serene environment is nothing short of a tourist's paradise. Therefore Pithoragarh is a treasure trove for people who love nature, spiritualism, adventure or all over the town all around picture-perfect landscapes are ideal escapes from daily let us pick up our bags right now! Let us pack up our stuff as we embark on this journey through the beautiful land called Pithoragarh; indeed one would never forget it afterwards!
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Time of India
Temple, mosque encroachments cleared voluntarily for Sambhal road expansion project
Bareilly: A mosque and a temple built illegally along Bahjoi road near Azizpur Asadpur village in the Hayat Nagar police station area in Sambhal were voluntarily dismantled by members of both communities on Monday, a month after demolition notices were issued by the administration for a road widening project. Officials said this clearance was part of a wider anti-encroachment drive in the region, with support from the public works department (PWD). On one side of the road was an unregistered shrine and mosque, and directly opposite stood the Dharmkoop Temple, part of which also extended onto PWD land. In a show of civic cooperation, locals from both communities took down the structures themselves, assisted by bulldozers, under official supervision. Sambhal SDM Vandana Mishra and local police remained present throughout the operation to ensure security. "The shrine was given a notice by the PWD as it was obstructing the road, and people are now voluntarily removing the structure," Mishra said. A video of the voluntary demolition, shared widely on social media, showed members of both communities working side by side to remove the encroachments. An official involved in the drive said, "Road widening work is currently underway in Sambhal. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Capital Gains Exemptions for Seniors SmartAsset Learn More Undo About a month ago, Mishra visited the stretch near Azizpur Asadpur village and inspected both structures. It was found that the mosque/shrine was built on PWD land, and the front part of the temple also fell within PWD jurisdiction. After a land survey confirmed the encroachments, notices were issued to both sides." On Monday, members of the Muslim community began removing the encroached shrine and mosque. Aqeel Ahmed, the caretaker, said, "This is the shrine of Yakub Ali Shah and technically it is within the limits of Azizpur village. The shrine is in the front and the mosque is behind it. Officials instructed us to dismantle it ourselves, as road construction would require the entire front portion to be removed. Measurements were already taken by officials, who also said that some part of the temple would be razed. " Members of the Hindu community also took down a section of the Dharmkoop Temple that was identified as an encroachment. Mahavir Prasad, the caretaker, said, "I have been associated with the temple for 40 years. A notice was served to us, so we are dismantling it ourselves. A small portion, including an overhang and some steps, falls within the encroachment. This is an ancient temple, and a five-day fair is held here during Maha Shivaratri. There's also an ancient banyan tree. However, the shrine and mosque opposite our temple are completely illegal, lacking any registration."
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Time of India
Haridwar prepares for Kanwar Mela; 5 crore pilgrims expected
SSP Haridwar Pramendra Dobal has issued directives to begin arrangements. HARIDWAR: The police and administration in Haridwar have begun preparations for the upcoming Kanwar Mela, northern India's largest religious gathering. During the Shravan month, devotees from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab journey to Haridwar to collect sacred Ganga water. SSP Haridwar Pramendra Dobal has issued directives to begin arrangements. The Kanwar Yatra will commence on July 13 and conclude on July 23 during Maha Shivaratri. Officials anticipate around 5 crore pilgrims visiting the holy city during the 12-day Kanwar Yatra this year. The authorities plan to establish additional parking facilities for Dak Kawar. The local administration has also ordered enhanced sanitation measures to address the challenge of preventing open defecation. SSP Dobal told TOI, "Crowd and traffic management is the biggest task for us, as the number of Dak Kawariyas has been increasing continuously for the past few years. I ordered the removal of encroachment from the Kanwar route, and a parking space will be increased too.' The SSP said that last year, more than four crore Kanwariyas visited Haridwar. Haridwar Municipal Commissioner Nandan Kumar told TOI, "We will install extra public toilets on the Kanwar Yatra route and the entire Kanwar Mela area. Extra sanitation workers will be deployed for the cleanliness drive,' adding that the locals as well as the pilgrims are being encouraged to keep the Ganga and riverbanks clean.
The Advertiser
14-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Living gods, ancient rites: journey through the heartlands of India and Nepal
"No phones. No cameras. No talking." After delivering these terse instructions, the man disappears from the open window. There's a hush of anticipation from those gathered in the courtyard below before a child's face appears, her lips and cheeks scarlet, her eyes winged with black. Some people bow their heads and fold their hands in supplication, others just look up at her, spellbound. Ethereally beautiful with porcelain skin and an elaborate headdress, she regards us solemnly, seeming to rest her eyes on each person by turn. It feels like barely a minute before she steps back from the window and the man pulls the wooden lattice closed. We have just had a brief audience with the Kumari, the living goddess, a 10-year-old child believed by the Hindus to be the reincarnation of the warrior goddess Taleju, while Nepal's Buddhists credit her with being the tantric goddess Vajradevi reborn. Both believe she's capable of healing the sick with her blessing. This is just one of many pinch-me experiences in an action-packed 12-day tour of Kathmandu and India's Golden Triangle. It's my first time on a group tour and at a meet and greet on the first afternoon, I'm relieved to find everyone seems very nice. There's a mix of older couples and friends, a mother and daughter, plus myself and one other solo traveller, 18 of us in total, from Australia, the US, the UK and Singapore, plus Insight Vacations' tour director Virendra and in Nepal, our local guide Milan. After a bicycle rickshaw ride through the crammed laneways of Thamel, where strings of prayer flags flutter overhead and the smell of cooking wafts from street stalls, our drivers skilfully navigating pedestrians, bikes, sidewalk vendors and surprisingly well-cared-for street dogs, our group gets further acquainted at dinner. Baber Mahal is a series of restored courtyards and stables of the former residence of descendants of Nepal's longest-ruling prime minister and is now home to galleries, shops and restaurants like Baithak, where we enjoy a thali and toast the start of our adventure with a shot of fiery local liquor. The following day is the eve of Maha Shivaratri, Shiva's birthday and our first stop, Pashupatinath Temple is already thrumming with crowds. Milan tells us that Nepal celebrates 401 festivals each year and tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of devotees will flock here to honour the god, making campfires along the river and smoking marijuana, the only day it's legal to do so. We walk along the waterway lined with temples and shrines, where people sit cross-legged selling garlands of marigolds and small lotus lamps that buyers light and launch into the river. We are trailed by vendors - extraordinarily beautiful women entreating us to buy their jewellery or woven cloth purses. Sadhus, holy men with painted faces and knotted ropes of hair, sit on a bench, posing for pictures in exchange for rupees. As non-Hindus, we're not allowed into the actual temple, but we stand on the bank of the sluggish Bagmati River watching the action and listening to the resonant rumble of chants and prayers. Life and death are lived in the public eye here and somehow it doesn't feel intrusive or macabre to be observing from a distance the outdoor crematoriums, where families gather to farewell their loved ones who have been wrapped in white sheets and placed on burning wood pyres. Thick plumes of smoke rise and curl around sloped pagoda roofs where monkeys, indifferent to the human dramas being played out below, groom each other or squabble. Our itinerary includes a visit to Boudhanath Stupa - one of the biggest stupas in the world - with two giant eyes painted on its golden tower. Buddhist monks perform "koras" walking around its base, rolling prayer wheels while other devotees prostrate themselves in the courtyard. We call into the Thangka Painting School beside the stupa to watch artists, seated on the floor who paint intricate mandalas used for prayer or meditation, in colours made from ground semi-precious stones such as turquoise and lapis lazuli, many taking years to complete. Constructed in the shape of a mandala, Patan, in the Kathmandu Valley, once known as: "Lalitpur, City of Fine Arts", dates from 225 BCE. We wander through the Royal Palace buildings, admiring the intricately carved stone and wood temples and browse the bronze and stone sculptures, woodcarvings and photographs at the Patan Museum. On a hill above the valley, up 360-something steps is Swayambhunath, aka the monkey temple, one of the most venerated Buddhist stupas in the world and - at more than 2600 years old - one of the oldest. In addition to the stupa (and the many entertaining monkeys) are shrines, temples and monasteries and if not for the smog, a beautiful panorama of Kathmandu. One of the most ubiquitous local products, sold in every souvenir shop and hawked by countless street traders, is the singing bowl, used for both meditation and healing. They cost just a few dollars but the real deal, made from seven types of metal, can fetch hundreds, we learn at a singing-bowl centre. Despite some initial scepticism, everyone in the group ends up taking a turn standing in a huge bowl while the owner runs a gong around the rim until it begins to hum, the intense reverberations travelling through our bodies supposedly unblocking chakras, and reducing aches and pains. At Bhaktapur, Nepal's former ancient capital where Bertolucci's Little Buddha was filmed, we wander a square filled with temples with intricately carved facades, multi-storied pagodas and shrines. Some are still in a state of disrepair while others have been rebuilt following the devastating 2015 earthquake. Bhaktapur is also famous for its artisans, painters, wood carvers and potters, and in Pottery Square, we watch the latter work in tiny open studios facing the street, spinning wheels with the local dark mud, their wares lined up under the sun to dry. The characteristic brick and wood temples, palaces and pagodas of Kathmandu's Durbar Square, date from the 11th to 17th centuries. Once the homes of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled the city, they've also been rebuilt post-earthquake. After exploring this extraordinary UNESCO site and our audience with the Kumari, at the House of Living Goddess in the south of the square, we amble down "Freak Street", where flower children and musicians such as Jim Morrison and Cat Stevens hung out in the 70s when Kathmandu was an essential stop on the hippie trail. Today, the trail many visitors choose to follow is north to the mountains, to trek or climb. We're not here for either, but on our last night in Nepal, Maya Sherpa, a famous mountaineer and guide who has climbed eight out of 14 of the world's highest peaks, gives a fascinating talk about what it's like to conquer Everest and K2. The closest we get to Nepal's most legendary peaks is the view of the Annapurna Ranges from the plane as we fly across it into India. The city is far greener than I'd imagined, with wide tree-lined avenues. We visit Hindu places of worship and elaborate marble mosques and pay homage to one of India's greatest statesmen, Mahatma Gandhi, at his flower-bedecked memorial. Delhi is also home to the largest wholesale spice market in the world, Khari Baoli, which we explore on foot. We are all connected via an earpiece so can hear Virendra's commentary even if we have to walk the teeming narrow alleyways in single file. Men perch on sacks, smoking, or weave through the crowds with bags on their shoulders, while shoppers pick through knobs of yellow-dusted turmeric and small fiery chillies, pods of cardamom, and rolls of cinnamon bark. Back on the bus, our next stop is the golden-domed Gurdwara Bangla Sahib Sikh temple, once a Rajput King's home. Its marble gates are inlaid with semi-precious stone and a holy bathing pond attracts the faithful, seeking a cure for their ailments. The temple also has a cavernous space, called the langar hall where people come to eat, sitting on the floor. The mosque feeds everyone for free, regardless of religion, race or financial circumstance - up to 40,000 per day and more on holidays, Virendra tells us. On a tour through the massive kitchens, we watch volunteers stirring pots the size of witches' cauldrons, filled with fragrant lentil dhal, while outsized deep-fry baskets are plunged into hot oil and women chat around a low table while shaping flatbreads. We end the Delhi visit with a trip to Humayun's Tomb, commissioned by Empress Bega Begum for her husband Emperor Mirza in 1572 at a cost of 1.5 million rupees. A massive red sandstone edifice, almost Taj-like in its grandeur and surrounded by Persian-style gardens, it's a reminder of the astonishing wealth this country once boasted. It's a six-hour drive to Jaipur in Rajasthan, but between taking in the passing scenery and chatting with fellow travellers, it passes quickly. I'm surprised at how green this desert state is, but Virendra tells us there's been an unusual amount of rain over the last few years. Jaipur aka the Pink City dates from 1726 with the buildings painted pink to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876. Our coach deposits us at Man Sagar Lake, where a snake charmer plays a flute-like "pungi", a hooded cobra swaying in its basket and a sign warns that crocodiles inhabit the water. Built in the middle of the lake, seeming to float on its surface, is the Water Palace, Jal Mahal, a Rajput-style palace built in the 1700s by a maharajah as a hunting lodge. We travel by jeep convoy up the plateau to Jaipur's most famous landmark, the Amber Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, passing tourists who have chosen to ride elephants up, a practice I'm grateful Insight eschews. The massive 16th-century stronghold constructed from pink and yellow sandstone feels surreal, like an opulent movie set. With a designated meeting place, our group splits up and we wander through ornate gateways, covered in exquisite Islamic-style tiling and into open courtyards. In a colonnaded hall, a bride in a heavily beaded sari is having a pre-wedding photo shoot with her groom. I walk up the fort's ramparts, for the 360-degree view of the shimmering lake and the Aravalli hills. We also visit City Palace, a royal residence constructed in 1732 combining elements of Mughal and Rajput architectural styles, then experience some of Jaipur's famous arts - printing and gemstones. At an atelier, we watch lengths of pure Indian cotton being hand-stamped with wooden blocks, before moving to a gem showroom to see precious and semi-precious stones cut and polished and turned into exquisite jewellery. I ask to be shown the most expensive piece and the owner fetches an emerald and diamond ring worth a cool $780,000. It's an early morning start to beat the crowds at the Taj Mahal. It's cool and there's a slight haze that only seems to accentuate the ethereal quality of what is said to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. The white marble shrine was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, in 1648 at a cost of 32 million rupees or about $1291 million today. Virendra points out where some of the semi-precious stones in the facade have been chipped out and stolen, in spite of the heavy security. The tomb is surprisingly compact inside but is surrounded by a 17-hectare complex, including gardens and a mosque whose two towers have a slight outward lean, purposefully constructed so that in the event of an earthquake, they'll fall away from rather than onto the tomb. After a visit to the imposing 17th-century Agra Fort, there's a choice of activities, either a guided walk through a local village or a visit to Sheroes Hangout. This cafe is run by women who've been the victims of acid attacks, targeted by rejected suitors or as part of a feud against their families. Their stories are horrifying, but despite their trauma, these brave young women face the public daily, with optimism and self-belief. The bill for the simple but excellent food is by donation and there are handicrafts and souvenirs to buy, with sales contributing to supporting the women in their medical recovery, legal pursuit of their attackers and job training. After flying to Varanasi, we have time to freshen up before heading out again. Running through the holiest of Indian cities is the most revered of rivers, the Ganges, said to have the powers of purification. Below a trio of massive praying hand sculptures on the bank, we climb into a wooden boat for a sail down the river as dusk falls, with flowers and diyas - little oil lamps - floating past. There are 84 ghats along the river, buildings with steps down to the water, where each evening, the Ganga Aarti ritual plays out. We tie up alongside other boats to witness the exuberant Hindu spiritual ceremonies, where priests swing multi-tiered oil lamps, accompanied by the crowd's rhythmic chants and ringing bells to honour the river goddess Ganga. It's frenetic and an utterly mesmerising spectacle. Varanasi is as equally important to the Buddhists. Sarnath, about 11 kilometres from the city, is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for them, as the place where Buddha himself first preached to his five disciples below a bodhi tree, which still exists today. There's a huge stupa and a large expanse of gardens, but the monasteries, once home to nearly 3000 monks and dating from the 3rd century BCE are ruins, destroyed by Muslim invaders, and over subsequent centuries, further looted. Even the bricks of the Dharmarajika Stupa, believed to have contained the bones of the Buddha, were taken in 1794 to use for construction, the bones thrown into the Ganges, the fate of the gems unknown. Other excavations, in the early 20th century, found artefacts now on display at the Sarnath Archaeological Museum. It's our last evening in India and we share a convivial final group dinner at the hotel, comparing our personal highlights, toasting the end of the trip with a very fine glass of local red and vowing to stay in touch. The writer was a guest of Insight Vacations The Tour: Insight Vacation's Classic India and Nepal tour costs from $6995 per person. From December, the company will also be offering the tour on some dates as a women-only trip with a few different experiences, from $7750. Getting around: Travel is by coach and plane. There are two longish travel days on the coach, but there are frequent rest and lunch stops. Three short flights are also included, two on Air India and one with low-cost carrier IndiGo. Accommodation: All hotels are four or four-and-a-half star, with pools, spas and often extensive gardens. The food: Most meals are included. Those that are not are taken at pre-arranged restaurants as a group or can be taken at the hotel. The verdict: Our tour director was excellent and very knowledgeable, as was our guide in Kathmandu. I'm far less apprehensive about the idea of group travel now and would definitely do it again, particularly to destinations that can be more challenging to navigate solo. "No phones. No cameras. No talking." After delivering these terse instructions, the man disappears from the open window. There's a hush of anticipation from those gathered in the courtyard below before a child's face appears, her lips and cheeks scarlet, her eyes winged with black. Some people bow their heads and fold their hands in supplication, others just look up at her, spellbound. Ethereally beautiful with porcelain skin and an elaborate headdress, she regards us solemnly, seeming to rest her eyes on each person by turn. It feels like barely a minute before she steps back from the window and the man pulls the wooden lattice closed. We have just had a brief audience with the Kumari, the living goddess, a 10-year-old child believed by the Hindus to be the reincarnation of the warrior goddess Taleju, while Nepal's Buddhists credit her with being the tantric goddess Vajradevi reborn. Both believe she's capable of healing the sick with her blessing. This is just one of many pinch-me experiences in an action-packed 12-day tour of Kathmandu and India's Golden Triangle. It's my first time on a group tour and at a meet and greet on the first afternoon, I'm relieved to find everyone seems very nice. There's a mix of older couples and friends, a mother and daughter, plus myself and one other solo traveller, 18 of us in total, from Australia, the US, the UK and Singapore, plus Insight Vacations' tour director Virendra and in Nepal, our local guide Milan. After a bicycle rickshaw ride through the crammed laneways of Thamel, where strings of prayer flags flutter overhead and the smell of cooking wafts from street stalls, our drivers skilfully navigating pedestrians, bikes, sidewalk vendors and surprisingly well-cared-for street dogs, our group gets further acquainted at dinner. Baber Mahal is a series of restored courtyards and stables of the former residence of descendants of Nepal's longest-ruling prime minister and is now home to galleries, shops and restaurants like Baithak, where we enjoy a thali and toast the start of our adventure with a shot of fiery local liquor. The following day is the eve of Maha Shivaratri, Shiva's birthday and our first stop, Pashupatinath Temple is already thrumming with crowds. Milan tells us that Nepal celebrates 401 festivals each year and tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of devotees will flock here to honour the god, making campfires along the river and smoking marijuana, the only day it's legal to do so. We walk along the waterway lined with temples and shrines, where people sit cross-legged selling garlands of marigolds and small lotus lamps that buyers light and launch into the river. We are trailed by vendors - extraordinarily beautiful women entreating us to buy their jewellery or woven cloth purses. Sadhus, holy men with painted faces and knotted ropes of hair, sit on a bench, posing for pictures in exchange for rupees. As non-Hindus, we're not allowed into the actual temple, but we stand on the bank of the sluggish Bagmati River watching the action and listening to the resonant rumble of chants and prayers. Life and death are lived in the public eye here and somehow it doesn't feel intrusive or macabre to be observing from a distance the outdoor crematoriums, where families gather to farewell their loved ones who have been wrapped in white sheets and placed on burning wood pyres. Thick plumes of smoke rise and curl around sloped pagoda roofs where monkeys, indifferent to the human dramas being played out below, groom each other or squabble. Our itinerary includes a visit to Boudhanath Stupa - one of the biggest stupas in the world - with two giant eyes painted on its golden tower. Buddhist monks perform "koras" walking around its base, rolling prayer wheels while other devotees prostrate themselves in the courtyard. We call into the Thangka Painting School beside the stupa to watch artists, seated on the floor who paint intricate mandalas used for prayer or meditation, in colours made from ground semi-precious stones such as turquoise and lapis lazuli, many taking years to complete. Constructed in the shape of a mandala, Patan, in the Kathmandu Valley, once known as: "Lalitpur, City of Fine Arts", dates from 225 BCE. We wander through the Royal Palace buildings, admiring the intricately carved stone and wood temples and browse the bronze and stone sculptures, woodcarvings and photographs at the Patan Museum. On a hill above the valley, up 360-something steps is Swayambhunath, aka the monkey temple, one of the most venerated Buddhist stupas in the world and - at more than 2600 years old - one of the oldest. In addition to the stupa (and the many entertaining monkeys) are shrines, temples and monasteries and if not for the smog, a beautiful panorama of Kathmandu. One of the most ubiquitous local products, sold in every souvenir shop and hawked by countless street traders, is the singing bowl, used for both meditation and healing. They cost just a few dollars but the real deal, made from seven types of metal, can fetch hundreds, we learn at a singing-bowl centre. Despite some initial scepticism, everyone in the group ends up taking a turn standing in a huge bowl while the owner runs a gong around the rim until it begins to hum, the intense reverberations travelling through our bodies supposedly unblocking chakras, and reducing aches and pains. At Bhaktapur, Nepal's former ancient capital where Bertolucci's Little Buddha was filmed, we wander a square filled with temples with intricately carved facades, multi-storied pagodas and shrines. Some are still in a state of disrepair while others have been rebuilt following the devastating 2015 earthquake. Bhaktapur is also famous for its artisans, painters, wood carvers and potters, and in Pottery Square, we watch the latter work in tiny open studios facing the street, spinning wheels with the local dark mud, their wares lined up under the sun to dry. The characteristic brick and wood temples, palaces and pagodas of Kathmandu's Durbar Square, date from the 11th to 17th centuries. Once the homes of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled the city, they've also been rebuilt post-earthquake. After exploring this extraordinary UNESCO site and our audience with the Kumari, at the House of Living Goddess in the south of the square, we amble down "Freak Street", where flower children and musicians such as Jim Morrison and Cat Stevens hung out in the 70s when Kathmandu was an essential stop on the hippie trail. Today, the trail many visitors choose to follow is north to the mountains, to trek or climb. We're not here for either, but on our last night in Nepal, Maya Sherpa, a famous mountaineer and guide who has climbed eight out of 14 of the world's highest peaks, gives a fascinating talk about what it's like to conquer Everest and K2. The closest we get to Nepal's most legendary peaks is the view of the Annapurna Ranges from the plane as we fly across it into India. The city is far greener than I'd imagined, with wide tree-lined avenues. We visit Hindu places of worship and elaborate marble mosques and pay homage to one of India's greatest statesmen, Mahatma Gandhi, at his flower-bedecked memorial. Delhi is also home to the largest wholesale spice market in the world, Khari Baoli, which we explore on foot. We are all connected via an earpiece so can hear Virendra's commentary even if we have to walk the teeming narrow alleyways in single file. Men perch on sacks, smoking, or weave through the crowds with bags on their shoulders, while shoppers pick through knobs of yellow-dusted turmeric and small fiery chillies, pods of cardamom, and rolls of cinnamon bark. Back on the bus, our next stop is the golden-domed Gurdwara Bangla Sahib Sikh temple, once a Rajput King's home. Its marble gates are inlaid with semi-precious stone and a holy bathing pond attracts the faithful, seeking a cure for their ailments. The temple also has a cavernous space, called the langar hall where people come to eat, sitting on the floor. The mosque feeds everyone for free, regardless of religion, race or financial circumstance - up to 40,000 per day and more on holidays, Virendra tells us. On a tour through the massive kitchens, we watch volunteers stirring pots the size of witches' cauldrons, filled with fragrant lentil dhal, while outsized deep-fry baskets are plunged into hot oil and women chat around a low table while shaping flatbreads. We end the Delhi visit with a trip to Humayun's Tomb, commissioned by Empress Bega Begum for her husband Emperor Mirza in 1572 at a cost of 1.5 million rupees. A massive red sandstone edifice, almost Taj-like in its grandeur and surrounded by Persian-style gardens, it's a reminder of the astonishing wealth this country once boasted. It's a six-hour drive to Jaipur in Rajasthan, but between taking in the passing scenery and chatting with fellow travellers, it passes quickly. I'm surprised at how green this desert state is, but Virendra tells us there's been an unusual amount of rain over the last few years. Jaipur aka the Pink City dates from 1726 with the buildings painted pink to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876. Our coach deposits us at Man Sagar Lake, where a snake charmer plays a flute-like "pungi", a hooded cobra swaying in its basket and a sign warns that crocodiles inhabit the water. Built in the middle of the lake, seeming to float on its surface, is the Water Palace, Jal Mahal, a Rajput-style palace built in the 1700s by a maharajah as a hunting lodge. We travel by jeep convoy up the plateau to Jaipur's most famous landmark, the Amber Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, passing tourists who have chosen to ride elephants up, a practice I'm grateful Insight eschews. The massive 16th-century stronghold constructed from pink and yellow sandstone feels surreal, like an opulent movie set. With a designated meeting place, our group splits up and we wander through ornate gateways, covered in exquisite Islamic-style tiling and into open courtyards. In a colonnaded hall, a bride in a heavily beaded sari is having a pre-wedding photo shoot with her groom. I walk up the fort's ramparts, for the 360-degree view of the shimmering lake and the Aravalli hills. We also visit City Palace, a royal residence constructed in 1732 combining elements of Mughal and Rajput architectural styles, then experience some of Jaipur's famous arts - printing and gemstones. At an atelier, we watch lengths of pure Indian cotton being hand-stamped with wooden blocks, before moving to a gem showroom to see precious and semi-precious stones cut and polished and turned into exquisite jewellery. I ask to be shown the most expensive piece and the owner fetches an emerald and diamond ring worth a cool $780,000. It's an early morning start to beat the crowds at the Taj Mahal. It's cool and there's a slight haze that only seems to accentuate the ethereal quality of what is said to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. The white marble shrine was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, in 1648 at a cost of 32 million rupees or about $1291 million today. Virendra points out where some of the semi-precious stones in the facade have been chipped out and stolen, in spite of the heavy security. The tomb is surprisingly compact inside but is surrounded by a 17-hectare complex, including gardens and a mosque whose two towers have a slight outward lean, purposefully constructed so that in the event of an earthquake, they'll fall away from rather than onto the tomb. After a visit to the imposing 17th-century Agra Fort, there's a choice of activities, either a guided walk through a local village or a visit to Sheroes Hangout. This cafe is run by women who've been the victims of acid attacks, targeted by rejected suitors or as part of a feud against their families. Their stories are horrifying, but despite their trauma, these brave young women face the public daily, with optimism and self-belief. The bill for the simple but excellent food is by donation and there are handicrafts and souvenirs to buy, with sales contributing to supporting the women in their medical recovery, legal pursuit of their attackers and job training. After flying to Varanasi, we have time to freshen up before heading out again. Running through the holiest of Indian cities is the most revered of rivers, the Ganges, said to have the powers of purification. Below a trio of massive praying hand sculptures on the bank, we climb into a wooden boat for a sail down the river as dusk falls, with flowers and diyas - little oil lamps - floating past. There are 84 ghats along the river, buildings with steps down to the water, where each evening, the Ganga Aarti ritual plays out. We tie up alongside other boats to witness the exuberant Hindu spiritual ceremonies, where priests swing multi-tiered oil lamps, accompanied by the crowd's rhythmic chants and ringing bells to honour the river goddess Ganga. It's frenetic and an utterly mesmerising spectacle. Varanasi is as equally important to the Buddhists. Sarnath, about 11 kilometres from the city, is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for them, as the place where Buddha himself first preached to his five disciples below a bodhi tree, which still exists today. There's a huge stupa and a large expanse of gardens, but the monasteries, once home to nearly 3000 monks and dating from the 3rd century BCE are ruins, destroyed by Muslim invaders, and over subsequent centuries, further looted. Even the bricks of the Dharmarajika Stupa, believed to have contained the bones of the Buddha, were taken in 1794 to use for construction, the bones thrown into the Ganges, the fate of the gems unknown. Other excavations, in the early 20th century, found artefacts now on display at the Sarnath Archaeological Museum. It's our last evening in India and we share a convivial final group dinner at the hotel, comparing our personal highlights, toasting the end of the trip with a very fine glass of local red and vowing to stay in touch. The writer was a guest of Insight Vacations The Tour: Insight Vacation's Classic India and Nepal tour costs from $6995 per person. From December, the company will also be offering the tour on some dates as a women-only trip with a few different experiences, from $7750. Getting around: Travel is by coach and plane. There are two longish travel days on the coach, but there are frequent rest and lunch stops. Three short flights are also included, two on Air India and one with low-cost carrier IndiGo. Accommodation: All hotels are four or four-and-a-half star, with pools, spas and often extensive gardens. The food: Most meals are included. Those that are not are taken at pre-arranged restaurants as a group or can be taken at the hotel. The verdict: Our tour director was excellent and very knowledgeable, as was our guide in Kathmandu. I'm far less apprehensive about the idea of group travel now and would definitely do it again, particularly to destinations that can be more challenging to navigate solo. "No phones. No cameras. No talking." After delivering these terse instructions, the man disappears from the open window. There's a hush of anticipation from those gathered in the courtyard below before a child's face appears, her lips and cheeks scarlet, her eyes winged with black. Some people bow their heads and fold their hands in supplication, others just look up at her, spellbound. Ethereally beautiful with porcelain skin and an elaborate headdress, she regards us solemnly, seeming to rest her eyes on each person by turn. It feels like barely a minute before she steps back from the window and the man pulls the wooden lattice closed. We have just had a brief audience with the Kumari, the living goddess, a 10-year-old child believed by the Hindus to be the reincarnation of the warrior goddess Taleju, while Nepal's Buddhists credit her with being the tantric goddess Vajradevi reborn. Both believe she's capable of healing the sick with her blessing. This is just one of many pinch-me experiences in an action-packed 12-day tour of Kathmandu and India's Golden Triangle. It's my first time on a group tour and at a meet and greet on the first afternoon, I'm relieved to find everyone seems very nice. There's a mix of older couples and friends, a mother and daughter, plus myself and one other solo traveller, 18 of us in total, from Australia, the US, the UK and Singapore, plus Insight Vacations' tour director Virendra and in Nepal, our local guide Milan. After a bicycle rickshaw ride through the crammed laneways of Thamel, where strings of prayer flags flutter overhead and the smell of cooking wafts from street stalls, our drivers skilfully navigating pedestrians, bikes, sidewalk vendors and surprisingly well-cared-for street dogs, our group gets further acquainted at dinner. Baber Mahal is a series of restored courtyards and stables of the former residence of descendants of Nepal's longest-ruling prime minister and is now home to galleries, shops and restaurants like Baithak, where we enjoy a thali and toast the start of our adventure with a shot of fiery local liquor. The following day is the eve of Maha Shivaratri, Shiva's birthday and our first stop, Pashupatinath Temple is already thrumming with crowds. Milan tells us that Nepal celebrates 401 festivals each year and tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of devotees will flock here to honour the god, making campfires along the river and smoking marijuana, the only day it's legal to do so. We walk along the waterway lined with temples and shrines, where people sit cross-legged selling garlands of marigolds and small lotus lamps that buyers light and launch into the river. We are trailed by vendors - extraordinarily beautiful women entreating us to buy their jewellery or woven cloth purses. Sadhus, holy men with painted faces and knotted ropes of hair, sit on a bench, posing for pictures in exchange for rupees. As non-Hindus, we're not allowed into the actual temple, but we stand on the bank of the sluggish Bagmati River watching the action and listening to the resonant rumble of chants and prayers. Life and death are lived in the public eye here and somehow it doesn't feel intrusive or macabre to be observing from a distance the outdoor crematoriums, where families gather to farewell their loved ones who have been wrapped in white sheets and placed on burning wood pyres. Thick plumes of smoke rise and curl around sloped pagoda roofs where monkeys, indifferent to the human dramas being played out below, groom each other or squabble. Our itinerary includes a visit to Boudhanath Stupa - one of the biggest stupas in the world - with two giant eyes painted on its golden tower. Buddhist monks perform "koras" walking around its base, rolling prayer wheels while other devotees prostrate themselves in the courtyard. We call into the Thangka Painting School beside the stupa to watch artists, seated on the floor who paint intricate mandalas used for prayer or meditation, in colours made from ground semi-precious stones such as turquoise and lapis lazuli, many taking years to complete. Constructed in the shape of a mandala, Patan, in the Kathmandu Valley, once known as: "Lalitpur, City of Fine Arts", dates from 225 BCE. We wander through the Royal Palace buildings, admiring the intricately carved stone and wood temples and browse the bronze and stone sculptures, woodcarvings and photographs at the Patan Museum. On a hill above the valley, up 360-something steps is Swayambhunath, aka the monkey temple, one of the most venerated Buddhist stupas in the world and - at more than 2600 years old - one of the oldest. In addition to the stupa (and the many entertaining monkeys) are shrines, temples and monasteries and if not for the smog, a beautiful panorama of Kathmandu. One of the most ubiquitous local products, sold in every souvenir shop and hawked by countless street traders, is the singing bowl, used for both meditation and healing. They cost just a few dollars but the real deal, made from seven types of metal, can fetch hundreds, we learn at a singing-bowl centre. Despite some initial scepticism, everyone in the group ends up taking a turn standing in a huge bowl while the owner runs a gong around the rim until it begins to hum, the intense reverberations travelling through our bodies supposedly unblocking chakras, and reducing aches and pains. At Bhaktapur, Nepal's former ancient capital where Bertolucci's Little Buddha was filmed, we wander a square filled with temples with intricately carved facades, multi-storied pagodas and shrines. Some are still in a state of disrepair while others have been rebuilt following the devastating 2015 earthquake. Bhaktapur is also famous for its artisans, painters, wood carvers and potters, and in Pottery Square, we watch the latter work in tiny open studios facing the street, spinning wheels with the local dark mud, their wares lined up under the sun to dry. The characteristic brick and wood temples, palaces and pagodas of Kathmandu's Durbar Square, date from the 11th to 17th centuries. Once the homes of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled the city, they've also been rebuilt post-earthquake. After exploring this extraordinary UNESCO site and our audience with the Kumari, at the House of Living Goddess in the south of the square, we amble down "Freak Street", where flower children and musicians such as Jim Morrison and Cat Stevens hung out in the 70s when Kathmandu was an essential stop on the hippie trail. Today, the trail many visitors choose to follow is north to the mountains, to trek or climb. We're not here for either, but on our last night in Nepal, Maya Sherpa, a famous mountaineer and guide who has climbed eight out of 14 of the world's highest peaks, gives a fascinating talk about what it's like to conquer Everest and K2. The closest we get to Nepal's most legendary peaks is the view of the Annapurna Ranges from the plane as we fly across it into India. The city is far greener than I'd imagined, with wide tree-lined avenues. We visit Hindu places of worship and elaborate marble mosques and pay homage to one of India's greatest statesmen, Mahatma Gandhi, at his flower-bedecked memorial. Delhi is also home to the largest wholesale spice market in the world, Khari Baoli, which we explore on foot. We are all connected via an earpiece so can hear Virendra's commentary even if we have to walk the teeming narrow alleyways in single file. Men perch on sacks, smoking, or weave through the crowds with bags on their shoulders, while shoppers pick through knobs of yellow-dusted turmeric and small fiery chillies, pods of cardamom, and rolls of cinnamon bark. Back on the bus, our next stop is the golden-domed Gurdwara Bangla Sahib Sikh temple, once a Rajput King's home. Its marble gates are inlaid with semi-precious stone and a holy bathing pond attracts the faithful, seeking a cure for their ailments. The temple also has a cavernous space, called the langar hall where people come to eat, sitting on the floor. The mosque feeds everyone for free, regardless of religion, race or financial circumstance - up to 40,000 per day and more on holidays, Virendra tells us. On a tour through the massive kitchens, we watch volunteers stirring pots the size of witches' cauldrons, filled with fragrant lentil dhal, while outsized deep-fry baskets are plunged into hot oil and women chat around a low table while shaping flatbreads. We end the Delhi visit with a trip to Humayun's Tomb, commissioned by Empress Bega Begum for her husband Emperor Mirza in 1572 at a cost of 1.5 million rupees. A massive red sandstone edifice, almost Taj-like in its grandeur and surrounded by Persian-style gardens, it's a reminder of the astonishing wealth this country once boasted. It's a six-hour drive to Jaipur in Rajasthan, but between taking in the passing scenery and chatting with fellow travellers, it passes quickly. I'm surprised at how green this desert state is, but Virendra tells us there's been an unusual amount of rain over the last few years. Jaipur aka the Pink City dates from 1726 with the buildings painted pink to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876. Our coach deposits us at Man Sagar Lake, where a snake charmer plays a flute-like "pungi", a hooded cobra swaying in its basket and a sign warns that crocodiles inhabit the water. Built in the middle of the lake, seeming to float on its surface, is the Water Palace, Jal Mahal, a Rajput-style palace built in the 1700s by a maharajah as a hunting lodge. We travel by jeep convoy up the plateau to Jaipur's most famous landmark, the Amber Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, passing tourists who have chosen to ride elephants up, a practice I'm grateful Insight eschews. The massive 16th-century stronghold constructed from pink and yellow sandstone feels surreal, like an opulent movie set. With a designated meeting place, our group splits up and we wander through ornate gateways, covered in exquisite Islamic-style tiling and into open courtyards. In a colonnaded hall, a bride in a heavily beaded sari is having a pre-wedding photo shoot with her groom. I walk up the fort's ramparts, for the 360-degree view of the shimmering lake and the Aravalli hills. We also visit City Palace, a royal residence constructed in 1732 combining elements of Mughal and Rajput architectural styles, then experience some of Jaipur's famous arts - printing and gemstones. At an atelier, we watch lengths of pure Indian cotton being hand-stamped with wooden blocks, before moving to a gem showroom to see precious and semi-precious stones cut and polished and turned into exquisite jewellery. I ask to be shown the most expensive piece and the owner fetches an emerald and diamond ring worth a cool $780,000. It's an early morning start to beat the crowds at the Taj Mahal. It's cool and there's a slight haze that only seems to accentuate the ethereal quality of what is said to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. The white marble shrine was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, in 1648 at a cost of 32 million rupees or about $1291 million today. Virendra points out where some of the semi-precious stones in the facade have been chipped out and stolen, in spite of the heavy security. The tomb is surprisingly compact inside but is surrounded by a 17-hectare complex, including gardens and a mosque whose two towers have a slight outward lean, purposefully constructed so that in the event of an earthquake, they'll fall away from rather than onto the tomb. After a visit to the imposing 17th-century Agra Fort, there's a choice of activities, either a guided walk through a local village or a visit to Sheroes Hangout. This cafe is run by women who've been the victims of acid attacks, targeted by rejected suitors or as part of a feud against their families. Their stories are horrifying, but despite their trauma, these brave young women face the public daily, with optimism and self-belief. The bill for the simple but excellent food is by donation and there are handicrafts and souvenirs to buy, with sales contributing to supporting the women in their medical recovery, legal pursuit of their attackers and job training. After flying to Varanasi, we have time to freshen up before heading out again. Running through the holiest of Indian cities is the most revered of rivers, the Ganges, said to have the powers of purification. Below a trio of massive praying hand sculptures on the bank, we climb into a wooden boat for a sail down the river as dusk falls, with flowers and diyas - little oil lamps - floating past. There are 84 ghats along the river, buildings with steps down to the water, where each evening, the Ganga Aarti ritual plays out. We tie up alongside other boats to witness the exuberant Hindu spiritual ceremonies, where priests swing multi-tiered oil lamps, accompanied by the crowd's rhythmic chants and ringing bells to honour the river goddess Ganga. It's frenetic and an utterly mesmerising spectacle. Varanasi is as equally important to the Buddhists. Sarnath, about 11 kilometres from the city, is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for them, as the place where Buddha himself first preached to his five disciples below a bodhi tree, which still exists today. There's a huge stupa and a large expanse of gardens, but the monasteries, once home to nearly 3000 monks and dating from the 3rd century BCE are ruins, destroyed by Muslim invaders, and over subsequent centuries, further looted. Even the bricks of the Dharmarajika Stupa, believed to have contained the bones of the Buddha, were taken in 1794 to use for construction, the bones thrown into the Ganges, the fate of the gems unknown. Other excavations, in the early 20th century, found artefacts now on display at the Sarnath Archaeological Museum. It's our last evening in India and we share a convivial final group dinner at the hotel, comparing our personal highlights, toasting the end of the trip with a very fine glass of local red and vowing to stay in touch. The writer was a guest of Insight Vacations The Tour: Insight Vacation's Classic India and Nepal tour costs from $6995 per person. From December, the company will also be offering the tour on some dates as a women-only trip with a few different experiences, from $7750. Getting around: Travel is by coach and plane. There are two longish travel days on the coach, but there are frequent rest and lunch stops. Three short flights are also included, two on Air India and one with low-cost carrier IndiGo. Accommodation: All hotels are four or four-and-a-half star, with pools, spas and often extensive gardens. The food: Most meals are included. Those that are not are taken at pre-arranged restaurants as a group or can be taken at the hotel. The verdict: Our tour director was excellent and very knowledgeable, as was our guide in Kathmandu. I'm far less apprehensive about the idea of group travel now and would definitely do it again, particularly to destinations that can be more challenging to navigate solo. "No phones. No cameras. No talking." After delivering these terse instructions, the man disappears from the open window. There's a hush of anticipation from those gathered in the courtyard below before a child's face appears, her lips and cheeks scarlet, her eyes winged with black. Some people bow their heads and fold their hands in supplication, others just look up at her, spellbound. Ethereally beautiful with porcelain skin and an elaborate headdress, she regards us solemnly, seeming to rest her eyes on each person by turn. It feels like barely a minute before she steps back from the window and the man pulls the wooden lattice closed. We have just had a brief audience with the Kumari, the living goddess, a 10-year-old child believed by the Hindus to be the reincarnation of the warrior goddess Taleju, while Nepal's Buddhists credit her with being the tantric goddess Vajradevi reborn. Both believe she's capable of healing the sick with her blessing. This is just one of many pinch-me experiences in an action-packed 12-day tour of Kathmandu and India's Golden Triangle. It's my first time on a group tour and at a meet and greet on the first afternoon, I'm relieved to find everyone seems very nice. There's a mix of older couples and friends, a mother and daughter, plus myself and one other solo traveller, 18 of us in total, from Australia, the US, the UK and Singapore, plus Insight Vacations' tour director Virendra and in Nepal, our local guide Milan. After a bicycle rickshaw ride through the crammed laneways of Thamel, where strings of prayer flags flutter overhead and the smell of cooking wafts from street stalls, our drivers skilfully navigating pedestrians, bikes, sidewalk vendors and surprisingly well-cared-for street dogs, our group gets further acquainted at dinner. Baber Mahal is a series of restored courtyards and stables of the former residence of descendants of Nepal's longest-ruling prime minister and is now home to galleries, shops and restaurants like Baithak, where we enjoy a thali and toast the start of our adventure with a shot of fiery local liquor. The following day is the eve of Maha Shivaratri, Shiva's birthday and our first stop, Pashupatinath Temple is already thrumming with crowds. Milan tells us that Nepal celebrates 401 festivals each year and tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of devotees will flock here to honour the god, making campfires along the river and smoking marijuana, the only day it's legal to do so. We walk along the waterway lined with temples and shrines, where people sit cross-legged selling garlands of marigolds and small lotus lamps that buyers light and launch into the river. We are trailed by vendors - extraordinarily beautiful women entreating us to buy their jewellery or woven cloth purses. Sadhus, holy men with painted faces and knotted ropes of hair, sit on a bench, posing for pictures in exchange for rupees. As non-Hindus, we're not allowed into the actual temple, but we stand on the bank of the sluggish Bagmati River watching the action and listening to the resonant rumble of chants and prayers. Life and death are lived in the public eye here and somehow it doesn't feel intrusive or macabre to be observing from a distance the outdoor crematoriums, where families gather to farewell their loved ones who have been wrapped in white sheets and placed on burning wood pyres. Thick plumes of smoke rise and curl around sloped pagoda roofs where monkeys, indifferent to the human dramas being played out below, groom each other or squabble. Our itinerary includes a visit to Boudhanath Stupa - one of the biggest stupas in the world - with two giant eyes painted on its golden tower. Buddhist monks perform "koras" walking around its base, rolling prayer wheels while other devotees prostrate themselves in the courtyard. We call into the Thangka Painting School beside the stupa to watch artists, seated on the floor who paint intricate mandalas used for prayer or meditation, in colours made from ground semi-precious stones such as turquoise and lapis lazuli, many taking years to complete. Constructed in the shape of a mandala, Patan, in the Kathmandu Valley, once known as: "Lalitpur, City of Fine Arts", dates from 225 BCE. We wander through the Royal Palace buildings, admiring the intricately carved stone and wood temples and browse the bronze and stone sculptures, woodcarvings and photographs at the Patan Museum. On a hill above the valley, up 360-something steps is Swayambhunath, aka the monkey temple, one of the most venerated Buddhist stupas in the world and - at more than 2600 years old - one of the oldest. In addition to the stupa (and the many entertaining monkeys) are shrines, temples and monasteries and if not for the smog, a beautiful panorama of Kathmandu. One of the most ubiquitous local products, sold in every souvenir shop and hawked by countless street traders, is the singing bowl, used for both meditation and healing. They cost just a few dollars but the real deal, made from seven types of metal, can fetch hundreds, we learn at a singing-bowl centre. Despite some initial scepticism, everyone in the group ends up taking a turn standing in a huge bowl while the owner runs a gong around the rim until it begins to hum, the intense reverberations travelling through our bodies supposedly unblocking chakras, and reducing aches and pains. At Bhaktapur, Nepal's former ancient capital where Bertolucci's Little Buddha was filmed, we wander a square filled with temples with intricately carved facades, multi-storied pagodas and shrines. Some are still in a state of disrepair while others have been rebuilt following the devastating 2015 earthquake. Bhaktapur is also famous for its artisans, painters, wood carvers and potters, and in Pottery Square, we watch the latter work in tiny open studios facing the street, spinning wheels with the local dark mud, their wares lined up under the sun to dry. The characteristic brick and wood temples, palaces and pagodas of Kathmandu's Durbar Square, date from the 11th to 17th centuries. Once the homes of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled the city, they've also been rebuilt post-earthquake. After exploring this extraordinary UNESCO site and our audience with the Kumari, at the House of Living Goddess in the south of the square, we amble down "Freak Street", where flower children and musicians such as Jim Morrison and Cat Stevens hung out in the 70s when Kathmandu was an essential stop on the hippie trail. Today, the trail many visitors choose to follow is north to the mountains, to trek or climb. We're not here for either, but on our last night in Nepal, Maya Sherpa, a famous mountaineer and guide who has climbed eight out of 14 of the world's highest peaks, gives a fascinating talk about what it's like to conquer Everest and K2. The closest we get to Nepal's most legendary peaks is the view of the Annapurna Ranges from the plane as we fly across it into India. The city is far greener than I'd imagined, with wide tree-lined avenues. We visit Hindu places of worship and elaborate marble mosques and pay homage to one of India's greatest statesmen, Mahatma Gandhi, at his flower-bedecked memorial. Delhi is also home to the largest wholesale spice market in the world, Khari Baoli, which we explore on foot. We are all connected via an earpiece so can hear Virendra's commentary even if we have to walk the teeming narrow alleyways in single file. Men perch on sacks, smoking, or weave through the crowds with bags on their shoulders, while shoppers pick through knobs of yellow-dusted turmeric and small fiery chillies, pods of cardamom, and rolls of cinnamon bark. Back on the bus, our next stop is the golden-domed Gurdwara Bangla Sahib Sikh temple, once a Rajput King's home. Its marble gates are inlaid with semi-precious stone and a holy bathing pond attracts the faithful, seeking a cure for their ailments. The temple also has a cavernous space, called the langar hall where people come to eat, sitting on the floor. The mosque feeds everyone for free, regardless of religion, race or financial circumstance - up to 40,000 per day and more on holidays, Virendra tells us. On a tour through the massive kitchens, we watch volunteers stirring pots the size of witches' cauldrons, filled with fragrant lentil dhal, while outsized deep-fry baskets are plunged into hot oil and women chat around a low table while shaping flatbreads. We end the Delhi visit with a trip to Humayun's Tomb, commissioned by Empress Bega Begum for her husband Emperor Mirza in 1572 at a cost of 1.5 million rupees. A massive red sandstone edifice, almost Taj-like in its grandeur and surrounded by Persian-style gardens, it's a reminder of the astonishing wealth this country once boasted. It's a six-hour drive to Jaipur in Rajasthan, but between taking in the passing scenery and chatting with fellow travellers, it passes quickly. I'm surprised at how green this desert state is, but Virendra tells us there's been an unusual amount of rain over the last few years. Jaipur aka the Pink City dates from 1726 with the buildings painted pink to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876. Our coach deposits us at Man Sagar Lake, where a snake charmer plays a flute-like "pungi", a hooded cobra swaying in its basket and a sign warns that crocodiles inhabit the water. Built in the middle of the lake, seeming to float on its surface, is the Water Palace, Jal Mahal, a Rajput-style palace built in the 1700s by a maharajah as a hunting lodge. We travel by jeep convoy up the plateau to Jaipur's most famous landmark, the Amber Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, passing tourists who have chosen to ride elephants up, a practice I'm grateful Insight eschews. The massive 16th-century stronghold constructed from pink and yellow sandstone feels surreal, like an opulent movie set. With a designated meeting place, our group splits up and we wander through ornate gateways, covered in exquisite Islamic-style tiling and into open courtyards. In a colonnaded hall, a bride in a heavily beaded sari is having a pre-wedding photo shoot with her groom. I walk up the fort's ramparts, for the 360-degree view of the shimmering lake and the Aravalli hills. We also visit City Palace, a royal residence constructed in 1732 combining elements of Mughal and Rajput architectural styles, then experience some of Jaipur's famous arts - printing and gemstones. At an atelier, we watch lengths of pure Indian cotton being hand-stamped with wooden blocks, before moving to a gem showroom to see precious and semi-precious stones cut and polished and turned into exquisite jewellery. I ask to be shown the most expensive piece and the owner fetches an emerald and diamond ring worth a cool $780,000. It's an early morning start to beat the crowds at the Taj Mahal. It's cool and there's a slight haze that only seems to accentuate the ethereal quality of what is said to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. The white marble shrine was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, in 1648 at a cost of 32 million rupees or about $1291 million today. Virendra points out where some of the semi-precious stones in the facade have been chipped out and stolen, in spite of the heavy security. The tomb is surprisingly compact inside but is surrounded by a 17-hectare complex, including gardens and a mosque whose two towers have a slight outward lean, purposefully constructed so that in the event of an earthquake, they'll fall away from rather than onto the tomb. After a visit to the imposing 17th-century Agra Fort, there's a choice of activities, either a guided walk through a local village or a visit to Sheroes Hangout. This cafe is run by women who've been the victims of acid attacks, targeted by rejected suitors or as part of a feud against their families. Their stories are horrifying, but despite their trauma, these brave young women face the public daily, with optimism and self-belief. The bill for the simple but excellent food is by donation and there are handicrafts and souvenirs to buy, with sales contributing to supporting the women in their medical recovery, legal pursuit of their attackers and job training. After flying to Varanasi, we have time to freshen up before heading out again. Running through the holiest of Indian cities is the most revered of rivers, the Ganges, said to have the powers of purification. Below a trio of massive praying hand sculptures on the bank, we climb into a wooden boat for a sail down the river as dusk falls, with flowers and diyas - little oil lamps - floating past. There are 84 ghats along the river, buildings with steps down to the water, where each evening, the Ganga Aarti ritual plays out. We tie up alongside other boats to witness the exuberant Hindu spiritual ceremonies, where priests swing multi-tiered oil lamps, accompanied by the crowd's rhythmic chants and ringing bells to honour the river goddess Ganga. It's frenetic and an utterly mesmerising spectacle. Varanasi is as equally important to the Buddhists. Sarnath, about 11 kilometres from the city, is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for them, as the place where Buddha himself first preached to his five disciples below a bodhi tree, which still exists today. There's a huge stupa and a large expanse of gardens, but the monasteries, once home to nearly 3000 monks and dating from the 3rd century BCE are ruins, destroyed by Muslim invaders, and over subsequent centuries, further looted. Even the bricks of the Dharmarajika Stupa, believed to have contained the bones of the Buddha, were taken in 1794 to use for construction, the bones thrown into the Ganges, the fate of the gems unknown. Other excavations, in the early 20th century, found artefacts now on display at the Sarnath Archaeological Museum. It's our last evening in India and we share a convivial final group dinner at the hotel, comparing our personal highlights, toasting the end of the trip with a very fine glass of local red and vowing to stay in touch. The writer was a guest of Insight Vacations The Tour: Insight Vacation's Classic India and Nepal tour costs from $6995 per person. From December, the company will also be offering the tour on some dates as a women-only trip with a few different experiences, from $7750. Getting around: Travel is by coach and plane. There are two longish travel days on the coach, but there are frequent rest and lunch stops. Three short flights are also included, two on Air India and one with low-cost carrier IndiGo. Accommodation: All hotels are four or four-and-a-half star, with pools, spas and often extensive gardens. The food: Most meals are included. Those that are not are taken at pre-arranged restaurants as a group or can be taken at the hotel. The verdict: Our tour director was excellent and very knowledgeable, as was our guide in Kathmandu. I'm far less apprehensive about the idea of group travel now and would definitely do it again, particularly to destinations that can be more challenging to navigate solo.
