Jasmine Trails

Jasmine Trails Travel to India made easy with Jasmine Trails. Tour operator and travel consultant offering customiz
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Play of light and shadow through delicate jaalis. The days when waking up super early is totally worth it. Taken last wi...
11/04/2024

Play of light and shadow through delicate jaalis. The days when waking up super early is totally worth it. Taken last winter in the Humayun’s tomb complex.

Dung to useful art. Had to stop on this drive in an urban village near Gurgaon to take pictures of this beautiful cow pa...
10/04/2024

Dung to useful art. Had to stop on this drive in an urban village near Gurgaon to take pictures of this beautiful cow pat hut. The dung patties are efficiently stacked and the whole thing turned into an artistic storeroom for them. Love how the simplest and seemingly mundane is executed with passion and care.

23/10/2022

Morning Aarti being sung with fervour and palpable devotion at the Gauri Shankar temple on Chandni Chowk.

The old walled city was founded in the 17th century and even today maintains a distinct culture and lifestyle. If, like me, you're from new Delhi, you can feel that this part of the city offers a certain sense of "belonging" or "rootedness" which you are sadly not a part of but wish you could be.

Take a walk with us through old Delhi and discover the culture and history of this fascinating part of the city.

21/06/2022

The sound of ghungroos or ankle bells fill the courtyards of Haveli Dharampura with a splendid Kathak performance.

This scene transported me into 19th century Delhi when fine culture and soirées were a way of life, when poetry was dripping from everyone's lips, when pleasure gardens lined the Yamuna river and beautiful havelis vied with eachother for attention. Delhi held primacy among cities, not only because it was the centre of the Mughal Empire, but for being one of the world's most attractive and happening urban centres.

Haveli Dharampura lets you experience the historical Delhi with all its old world charm and culture. Painstakingly restored and passionately run, the heritage hotel has lovely rooms, delicious curated food, and is located smack in the centre of the busy, crazy and photogenic old city.

Contact us to know more and plan a tour to India which includes a stay a .

To experience Delhi differently it is difficult to beat Haveli Dharampura, Chandni Chowk   located in Old Delhi. This ha...
21/06/2022

To experience Delhi differently it is difficult to beat Haveli Dharampura, Chandni Chowk located in Old Delhi. This haveli or mansion dates back to 1887 and was lovingly and painstakingly restored to its present condition and now plays host to the discerning traveler. Set amidst the sights, sounds and chaos of the old city, yet insulated in a quiet lane of traditional shops and homes, it makes for a unique stay... lovely rooms, delicious curated menus and some always-welcome royal pampering. The roof top is an amazing place to get a view of the neighborhood and the grand Jama Masjid (mosque). Don't miss a kite flying session with one of the expert staff who'll teach you how to skillfully navigate your kite on the air currents.

Explore Delhi...the original 'Dilli' in style ! Get in touch to know more.

21/06/2022

Fresh tandoori rotis being made at a roadside eatery in Old Delhi where we were late night some weeks ago. Being there at that unusual hour was really a fabulous experience...there is still so much going on in the streets.

People were out grabbing a bite, shop
keepers were winding up for the day, workers were coming home after a long day. It was a contrast to how we usually experience this part of Delhi in the daytime when there's crazy traffic, crowds and immense activity.

This guy making the rotis has such a cool groove, and we love how he'd put in that extra clap before grabbing the next ball of dough 😀.

When you travel with Jasmine Trails you can look forward to getting off the beaten track to see and experience more.

Tomorrow is Women’s Day and I am thinking about a group of inspiring women who I met four years ago in Agra who redefine...
07/03/2022

Tomorrow is Women’s Day and I am thinking about a group of inspiring women who I met four years ago in Agra who redefined the words ‘determination’ and ‘resilience’ for me.

Victims of acid attacks, these women have lived through horrifying pain and disfigurement. Their dreams and plans for a normal life ruined, their confidence and self-image shattered. Worst of all, shunned from society. This, in a world where the odds are already stacked against women.

But here they were, running Sheroes Hangout Café in with complete confidence, not hiding behind scarves and veils, having animated conversations with patrons while serving up a pretty decent menu, telling their stories and taking selfies. The mood was all laughter and smiles and positivity.

No, they didn’t stay hidden in the shadows, didn’t curl up and disappear in a corner, didn’t kill themselves or ‘learn their lesson’ as their perpetrators intended. They stood up again and flourished and made us look at them.

Even though a small percentage of acid attacks are men, the majority is women. Spurning a man’s advances, not bearing sons, jealousy, insufficient dowry, family feuds…these are some of the reasons for which they were attacked.

With a little help from Foundation, these women have shown themselves and others what women are made of.

Visit https://www.chhanv.org/ to know more about the amazing work that the foundation does and to make a contribution to help acid attack victims smile again.

And do visit the cool for a coffee and a bite when you are in Agra or Lucknow next. It can easily be incorporated in your tour.

Enjoy Saturday morning exploring Mehrauli Archaeological Park. (and enjoy the gorgeous weather we have these days!)From ...
21/02/2022

Enjoy Saturday morning exploring Mehrauli Archaeological Park. (and enjoy the gorgeous weather we have these days!)

From the ruins of the first city of Delhi to bizarre British contributions to its architecture, to stories of djinns...this complex is a gem hidden in plain sight.

Sign up and see you soon!

Come sister, drink cool water!On a recent visit to Rajasthan to the Bhangarh Fort and temple complex, I met this lady, s...
21/02/2022

Come sister, drink cool water!

On a recent visit to Rajasthan to the Bhangarh Fort and temple complex, I met this lady, sitting perched up on a small platform at the entrance, sweetly offering me drinking water on a rather warm afternoon.

Called 'Pyaus', such 'water huts', pop up across the country, mostly now only in villages and small towns, to provide relief to thirsty travelers, animals and birds. This service is free for everyone, a kind of public service.

Earthen pots keep the water cool due to condensation, adding a delicious earthy flavour which is so subtle but somehow really helps to quench the thirst.

There are no glasses for drinking...rather, the drinker bends forward, cupped palm touching the pursed lips, and the water is poured from above. One must gulp quickly, the hand serving as a kind of funnel to the mouth. This way the water and the pouring beaker stay uncontaminated for every one to drink.

City folk like me are not confident enough to drink this water though I am sure it is clean. Unfortunately we have delicate tummies and are too used to our filtered water from electronic filters.

The lady sits here for several hours each day. I imagine she is paid by the temple priests next door for her work. The long stick next to her is to keep the numerous, bold monkeys away, who are playing just a few feet away.

Travel with Jasmine Trails to experience India, not just 'see' it.

There is something about traveling through India that never ceases to amaze me even as an Indian tour operator who has d...
21/02/2022

There is something about traveling through India that never ceases to amaze me even as an Indian tour operator who has done her fair share of traversing the country: the element of surprise, the unexpected, the disarming authenticity of people.

Abhaneri, a sleepy little Rajasthani village which owes its recently acquired fame to a 9th century stepwell and temple, suddenly sprang to life on my last morning there, on a recent visit.

While exploring the fabulous sculptures in the temple, I heard drumbeats and the blaring of music from loudspeakers, and then I was scurrying down the steps to get closer to the riot of colour which followed.

A procession of perhaps 150 women carrying earthen pots on their heads, all dressed in a gorgeous shade of yellow, were making their way to a nearby temple for a local religious fair (Dev Narayan Kalash Yatra). Every few steps they would stop to allow for some dancing and rejoicing to the beats belted out by the ‘band’.

As I got close, I got engulfed in the crowd… and the veils began to be lifted to make eye contact with me, revealing beautiful, happy and curious faces. Soon I was asked to take selfies with the ladies, not just with my phone but with theirs too.

And as the procession took a turn around the corner, the music faded, and it became as quiet as it was 20 minutes ago. Almost as if we had imagined this crazy, breathless celebration, the brief but friendly connection we had made.

Could we have planned this in our visit? No way.

But this is India – you never know what magical and incredible experiences await you.

A new week has begun already but, hey, Saturday is not far 🥳. Join me at the Qutub Minar Complex for a morning of fun an...
14/02/2022

A new week has begun already but, hey, Saturday is not far 🥳.

Join me at the Qutub Minar Complex for a morning of fun and discovery. It's one of my favourite sites, a treasure trove of immense beauty and history. Allow me to bring it alive for you 🤩
See you on Saturday!

Blue skies, lovely sunshine, flowers in bloom, chirping of birds and great company on our Lodi Garden walk this morning....
12/02/2022

Blue skies, lovely sunshine, flowers in bloom, chirping of birds and great company on our Lodi Garden walk this morning. 🌻🌞🦜

Join me next Saturday at Qutub Minar for another great start to the weekend.

You know Lodi gardens but do you know who the Lodis were? Do you know that these gardens were once called Lady Willingdo...
06/02/2022

You know Lodi gardens but do you know who the Lodis were? Do you know that these gardens were once called Lady Willingdon Park?

Rediscover this site from a historical and architectural perspective on a walk with me through these lovely gardens. Make Saturday a fun day!

Hello again everyone. Due to weekend curfews last month we obviously could not run our walks. Now, we're ready to roll a...
05/02/2022

Hello again everyone.

Due to weekend curfews last month we obviously could not run our walks. Now, we're ready to roll again 🤩.

Here's our February calendar, so do join in to explore and discover beautiful Delhi with us. Good weather will last only a couple of months more, so make the most of it now! (and by next weekend we should have sunny mornings again ☀️ )

Our first walk is in Lodi Gardens, and it's the perfect time and place to mix nature with history.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Bored on the weekends? Looking for something different and interesting to do? And worried about staying safe while you d...
02/01/2022

Bored on the weekends? Looking for something different and interesting to do? And worried about staying safe while you do it?

Our walks are the perfect answer to that. All our walks are outdoors, we take only a small number of participants and masking is mandatory.

So, make the most of Delhi’s winter mornings exploring the incredible sights, history and stories of this ancient city with an expert who can bring it all alive for you.

Our first walk on 2022 is at the fabulous Mehrauli Archaeological Park which is home to numerous gems of architecture which tell the story of Delhi right from the times of Lal Kot to the times of the British.

Hurray! 2022 is finally here and I hope it is everything we want it to be. Wishing all my friends out there a year of fu...
01/01/2022

Hurray! 2022 is finally here and I hope it is everything we want it to be. Wishing all my friends out there a year of fulfilled (😊travel) aspirations, joy and good health.

Photo: Flora that we photographed on our many rambles through the Aravalli hills in Gurgaon.🌿🍂🌺

Isn't it a pity that most of us never go out to explore our own cities eventhough we've been living in them for so many ...
29/12/2021

Isn't it a pity that most of us never go out to explore our own cities eventhough we've been living in them for so many years?

Delhi is an absolute treasure trove for anyone even vaguely interested in history, architecture and culture. You'd be surprised at how much this city has seen.

So start the new year with a resolution to with our heritage walks. Check out our January 2022 calendar.

Hope to see you on these heritage walks and do spread the word 😊.

Join us this coming Sunday, 26th December, for a heritage walk at the beautiful Lodi Gardens. Learn all about the histor...
22/12/2021

Join us this coming Sunday, 26th December, for a heritage walk at the beautiful Lodi Gardens. Learn all about the history of the area and the structures that dot this expansive greenery. A great way to start your morning!

Our Heritage Walk today with some lovely participants who braved the early morning cold to come out to Qutub Minar. We h...
18/12/2021

Our Heritage Walk today with some lovely participants who braved the early morning cold to come out to Qutub Minar. We had the place to ourselves and were able to enjoy the quiet and greenery of the complex. The only 'noise' was screeching of the beautiful parakeets who were having fun sunning themselves on the ruins of the monuments.

We’ll announce our next walk soon and hope you’ll join us.🙂

Hi Friends, I look forward to seeing you on Saturday, 18th December at my favourite heritage site in Delhi. Register on ...
14/12/2021

Hi Friends,

I look forward to seeing you on Saturday, 18th December at my favourite heritage site in Delhi.

Register on [email protected] and for any questions call me on 9899116467.

Note: Please join only if you are fully vaccinated. Masks are mandatory too. 😷

On my way home this afternoon, I stopped by at the local market to pick up a few things for Diwali. The market was busy,...
03/11/2021

On my way home this afternoon, I stopped by at the local market to pick up a few things for Diwali. The market was busy, lots of diya (earthen lamps), sellers, sweet sellers, idol sellers. Fairy light shops were full of customers. Vendors were selling powder colours to make rangoli designs on the floor. After such a long time it felt like a breath of fresh air, seeing so many people, feeling alive.
But what drew my attention was a deep, vibrating strumming and singing. There in the middle of all this buying and selling, in the middle of this fairly modern area was a couple sitting on the ground, singing devotional bhajans. They were clearly from deep rural India...It was so unexpected and out of place but then that's India!
I spent some time listening. It had an almost magnetic attraction for me. They sang with devotion, closing their eyes, completely engrossed in their art. The man was playing a tambura (what poet-saint Meera Bai played in her devotion to Krishna) and the woman played cymbals. He told me that they were from Rawatbhata, near Udaipur in Rajasthan. They came all the way to Gurgaon to sing and make money during Diwali time.
I was mesmerized but I seemed like an anomaly as no one else seemed to have noticed them.

#

07/10/2021

A little song and dance is in order to celebrate the good news. India reopens its borders to international tourists from this month onwards.

For those coming on chartered flights, visas would be granted starting October 15. Travelers coming on regular flights will get visas from 15 November onwards.

We're super excited at the thought of getting back to work, creating fabulous experiences for our clients and seeing them here.

Start planning your dream tour to India now. You deserve that holiday!

Tomorrow is World Tourism Day and this year we celebrate it with the theme 'Tourism for inclusive growth'.Tourism has th...
26/09/2021

Tomorrow is World Tourism Day and this year we celebrate it with the theme 'Tourism for inclusive growth'.

Tourism has the power to bring social and economic benefits to entire communities.

In India alone tourism employs nearly 89 million people, directly and indirectly. The past 1.5 years have been devastating for the industry, negatively impacting many allied professions.

So because you make a difference!

Contact us to design your travels to India in 2022.

If you are in Delhi don't miss this fabulous exhibition of Baltazard Solvyns' etchings of the people and customs of East...
16/08/2021

If you are in Delhi don't miss this fabulous exhibition of Baltazard Solvyns' etchings of the people and customs of East India during his years in Calcutta at the end of the 18th century. Curated by Giles Tillotson, it's on at Bikaner house till the 20th of August.
Brilliant colour etchings with watercolor washes. The colours are absolutely beautiful in bright yet pastel shades. I loved it all. Detailed observations and studies, some even amusing...the organutan begging for alms is a delightful mystery. That's displayed upstairs.

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Gurugram
122003

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm

Telephone

+919899116467

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