PLACES OF STUDY TOURS OF NORTHERN INDIA          

Study Tour is a very attractive and informative tour for students of painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, archeology, history and political science. Partial scholarships may be available for Fresno State students.

This Study Tour of Northern India introduces the art, sculpture, architecture, archeology, history, religions and culture of the biggest democratic country in the world. The participants will be invited to attend a very educational and informative orientation seminar before departure. Many audio-visual presentations with lectures are planned during the study tour to inform the participants of the upcoming visits. The participants will visit India’s premier art museums—The National Museum, the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, and the Diwan-I-Am Art Gallery in Maharaja’s City Palace in Jaipur—to view artifacts of art, sculpture and architectural decoration from 5 millennia of India’s past.

Apart from visiting the Shahjahabad and the new areas of India’s capital the participants will visit following places during the study tour: Varanasi – Hinduism’s eternal city; Sarnath – the Birthplace of Buddhism; Khajuraho – famous for its Vaishnav and Shaivite Tantric Temples as well as for its Jain Temples; Agra – the Mughal capital and city of the Taj Mahal; Fatehpur Sikri – the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s deserted capital; Jaipur – one of India’s first planned cities; Amber – the ancient capital of Kachwaha Rajput rulers; Udaipur – the city of lakes, palaces and temples; Ranakpur – one of the most profusely carved Jain temples; Gangtok – Sikkim’s capital at the foot of the world’s third highest Kanchenjunga Mountain, where they will experience the world of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism; and Darjeeling – the city that delivers the famous tea to the world’s breakfast tables. The tour will introduce India’s four indigenous religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism—apart from learning about the impact of Islam on India’s art and culture. The participant will stay in first class hotels including one heritage hotel. The lunches during sightseeing are also planned in some of the most famous restaurants in India.

For information on the travel study program, contact:

Joan Sharma, Assistant Professor, Department of Art and Design, California State University, Fresno  
Brijesh Sharma; 559-446-0499 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Course: Art 110T – three units of academic credit

Instructors:  
Joan Krejcar Sharma was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia. She holds a BFA degree in Painting from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, where she received the “Edith Weil Hecht Outstanding Painting Award.” During her junior year at Tyler, Joan had the opportunity to live and study in Rome, Italy. She received her Master’s degree in Painting from Indiana University in 1981. At Fresno State, Joan is an assistant professor in the Department of Art and Design where she teaches a variety of art courses including color theory, two and three dimensional design and photography. She visited India for the first time in 1989 and has made subsequent trips to various regions of India. She is keenly interested in the diverse art, architecture and culture of India.

Brijesh Sharma was born in Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal, where he received his school and college education. After earning his BA from St. John’s College, Agra, he studied for the Government of Uttar Pradesh Tourist Guide License in Lucknow and then for the Government of India Tourist Guide License in Jaipur, the capital of the state of Rajasthan. He worked as a freelance government-approved tourist guide and tour escort initially in Rajasthan and later in northern Indian tourist centers in the regions of Jaipur, Agra, Mathura, New Delhi, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Sariska Tiger Sanctuary, Gwalior and Khajuraho. He has traveled extensively throughout the whole of India from Kashmir in the north to Tamilnadu in the southern part of the Indian Subcontinent. In 1981 he moved to Switzerland, where he studied German language in Zurich. He completed a diploma course in Commerce and Banking and worked with various Swiss and International Banks in Zug, Zurich and Geneva. In addition, he organized tours to northern India and Nepal for individuals and family groups as a hobby. An avid traveler, Brijesh has also traveled throughout central, eastern and southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean, Turkey, Egypt, Singapore and Nepal. Brijesh speaks fluent English, Hindi and German languages.

The fee of $3,995 includes: 
• Round-trip international flight with Air India. 
• Hotels on double occupancy basis, with breakfast and dinner. 
• Six domestic flights in India with Jet Airways. 
• Greeting and assistance at airports, railways stations and hotels. 
• All lunches in good restaurants during sightseeing, including lunch in the historic Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur and at Usha Kiran Palace in Gwalior. 
• Elephant ride at Amber Fort and boat rides in Udaipur and Varanasi. 
• Sound and Light Show entrance fee at the Temples in Khajuraho. 
• Use of Conference Room and screen for up to 1-1/2 hours in the evenings. 
• 2nd class AC chair car train journeys, all transportation with AC motor coach except in Sikkim and Darjeeling where the motor coaches are non-AC. 
• All entrance fees in monuments, museums and galleries and tourist guide fees. 
• All applicable government taxes in India. 
• Services of a local travel agent in all cities.

Not included in the above price (single room supplement is $653): 
• Items of personal nature like tips and drinks, etc. 
• Still Camera Fees in some monuments of less than $1 per place. 
• Video Camera Fees in some monuments of up to $4 per place. 
• Visa fee for India and Inner Line Permit Fee for entering the state of Sikkim. 
• Travel Insurance, available for an additional $61 per person, is required for participation in this tour study program.

The fee is subject to change due to any future increase in airfare or cost of land arrangements in India. If the group consists of less than 30 participants, the fee may increase or the program may be cancelled. Each participant must have a valid International Student ID Card. The participants must have a passport valid up to six months after the end of stay in India.

A deposit of $900 is required at the latest by September 26, 2005. Reservations will be confirmed after receipt of the deposit amount. Balance of payment is due by October 30, 2005. A cancellation fee of $300 per person will be levied after October 30, 2005.

California State University, Fresno will adhere to all rules and regulations regarding airfare refunds established by the airlines for any cancellation. Notification of cancellation must be submitted in writing to the Division of Continuing and Global Education. California State University, Fresno is responsible for furnishing academic instruction and appropriate credit