You’ve
arrived at Delhi. The months of planning and curiosity are
over; you’re actually in India. Every experience, every
sound, every smell shouts that you’ve arrived somewhere
magical, somewhere Special. It is here that the deep love
of one man for one woman created the Taj Mahal; where the
King of Kings ruled; where the sacred Ganges flows past
holy cities; where the Himalayas stand silent and
magnificent; where 5000 years of culture waits to be
absorbed.
Delhi
- the Old and the New
Delhi
is above all an historic city, an elegant capital, content
to leave to Calcutta and Bombay the roles of commercial
and business supremacy. It is in fact really two distinct
cities; the energy and colour and the thronged bazaars and
Moghul architecture of Old Delhi contrast with the formal
splendour of New Delhi, whose wide boulevards offer
ever-changing perspectives of Lutyen’s landscaped city.
Delhi has several world-famous luxury hotels, with the
comfort and style to ensure relaxation after your journey;
from here, set forth to experience the sights and sounds
of the city. The gracious Red Fort, the Jama Masjid (the
largest mosque in India), the Qutab Minar complex with its
soaring tower - all are waiting to be explored. Allows
some time to wander round the inexpensive modern shops and
handicraft centres. Magicians and dancing bears entertain
crowds in the marketplaces, while fortune tellers may
offer glimpses of the future. The heat of the day gives
way to balmy evenings; enjoy a meal in one of the many
splendid restaurants, the exotic music of sitars and
veenas and the subtle rhythms of the tabla accompanying
the delicious cuisines from throughout the country.
Flights and trains and buses run from Delhi all over north
India, so it is always easy to reach the next destination.
The
Romance of the ’Golden Triangle’
There
are so many wonders in the area south of Delhi known as
’the Golden Triangle’; in this area is the sublime,
world famous Mahal, the old ghost city of Fatehpur Sikri,
and the exotic pink city of Jaipur in Rajasthan. Agra can
be visited first, as it is only 200 kilometres south of
Delhi, Weep at the beauty of the Taj where love created
the world’s most beautiful building, and spend a day
wandering around the huge and truly magnificent Red Fort.
Here the romantic emperor who built the Taj was imprisoned
by his own son, and one can sit in the room where he died
looking at his own masterpiece. The road from here leads
to Fatehpur Sikri. The glorious Moghul courtyards and
palaces conjure up dreams of the mysterious wonders of the
past - a golden age of tragedy and love, the harem of
beautiful wives enclosed in the women’s quarters, of
powerful emperors, of magical prophesies and potent
charms. Southeast of Delhi, in the state of Madhya
Pradesh, are the sculptured temples of Khajuraho where
enormous friezes of entwined human figures practise the
’arts of love’. Nowhere else in the world is
mankind’s sensual nature celebrated in such intriguing
and graceful tableaux. By now one will understand a tiny
part of India, but even this will not prepare the
traveller for the exotix fantasy of the State of
Rajasthan. The region was controlled for thousands of
years by a warrior race of honour and valour who would
fight to certain death to protect their homeland, and the
landscape is dotted with their impressive battle-scarred
forts. A proud and beautiful people in their many-coloured
garments will extend a warm welcome in this powerful land
of kings. Nowadays, anyone can be a king or queen for a
while by staying in a fairy-tale palace on one of the
beautiful lakes in Udaipur. From here, the ’Arabian
nights’ fantasy can be extended to magical Jaisalmer –
a yellow city with every building radiating the colour of
the sun. Every dream of’ riding a camel or seeing a
tiger stalking in the distance will come to life in
glorious Rajasthan.
The
Timeless Ganga
It
is commonly believed that bathing in the Ganges (Ganga) at
certain holy places purifies the soul. The Ganges is a
sacred and holy river, worshipped by the Hindus, and
numerous holy towns line its banks, all waiting to be
explored: Varanasi, Allahabad, Rishikesh and Hardwar are
some of the more famous, and it is a delightful experience
to mingle with the thronging crowd of pilgrims. This
is yet another experience of India, no less fascinating
and no less mysterious. It is uplifting to see one of the
oldest religions in the world still so alive and
passionately followed. The ’eternal’ city of Varanasi
is quite different again a mass of winding narrow alleys
and picturesque lanes full of colourful pilgrims,
wandering sadhus (holy men), Hindu priests (Brahmins)
giving offerings to the gods, sights and sounds all
mingling with the aroma of incense wafting from ancient
Hindu temples. In the clear early morning light pilgrims
perform their devotions on the steps leading down
to the river, women bathe discreetly in their colorful
saris and groups of children, no less colourful with
flashing smiles and dark shining eyes, play nearby. The
delightful holy towns of Rishikesh and Hardwar can be
visited in the way up to the cool of the mountains, the
shimmering grandeur of towering peaks, the fragrant fresh
air...
The
Majesty of the Himalayas
On
the journey towards the peaks of the Himalayas yet another
totally different and magnificent experience beckons. Imagine
standing alone in the top of the world with the swirling
white clouds beneath you and yet another snowy ridge
towering ahead. Journeys can easily be made to silvery
Kashmir, cool and beautiful Shimla, or the lush green Kulu
Valley, Relax sitting on the balcony of one of the
beautiful hotels in the mountains, breathing in the clear
mountain air and idly watching the sparkling river
cascading down the mountainside. The ancient Moghul
emperors, once the greatest dynasty on earth, devoted
their entire resources to the task of complementing the
natural beauty of Kashmir with gardens and waterways to
create a ’Paradise on Earth’. Later, the British
popularised the use of houseboats moored in the tranquil
Nagin and Dal lakes. Many travellers join groups trekking
into the heart of the Himalayas and return to laze in
their houseboats. Shimla, the ’Summer Capital’ of
India for the British, is a place designed for complete
relaxation, a delightfully situated hill station retreat.
Wander down the Mall, to watch a11 the local people doing
the same; breathe the pine scented air in the tall and
beautiful forests with the sun casting light through the
trees on the sparkling brooks. North of Shimla is the
beautiful forested Kulu Valley, with its flowing rivers
and flower strewn walks, known as the ’Valley of the
Gods’. You can bite into a crisp apple plucked from one
of the many orchards, or watch the local people in their
homespun woollen clothes and bright Kulu caps drying
apricots in the sun. So many wonders. So much to feel and
see. So different. So exotic. Sri Paramahansa Yoganada, a
famous Indian guru, observed how mankind is engaged in an
eternal quest for that ’something else’ he hopes will
bring him happiness, complete and unending. We don’t
promise India will completely fulfill this, but she will
certainly put you on a new and different path. You will
never be quite the same again.
SIGHTSEEING
The
subcontinent of India lies in south Asia, between
Pakistan, China and Nepal. To the north it is bordered by
the world’s highest mountain chain, where foothill
valleys cover the northernmost of the country’s 26
states. Further south, plateaus, tropical ruin forests and
sandy deserts are bordered by palm fringed beaches. Side
by side with the country’s staggering topographical
variations is its cultural diversity, the result of the
coexistence of a number of religions as well as local
tradition. Thus, the towering temples of south India,
easily identifiable by their ornately sculptured surface,
are associated with a great many crafts and performing
arts of the region. In the desert of Kutch, Gujarat, on
the other hand, a scattering of villages pit themselves
against the awesome forces of nature, resulting in Spartan
lifestyles made vibrant by a profusion of jewellery and
ornamental embroidery used to adorn apparel and household
linen. In the extreme north is the high altitude desert of
Ladakh. Local culture is visibly shaped by the faith –
Buddhism – as well as by the harsh terrain. Yet another
facet of Indian culture is observed in the colourful
tribal lifestyles of the north eastern states of Nagaland,
Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur with their folk culture. In
the central Indian states of Orissa
and
Madhya Pradesh, tribal village life has resulted in a
variety of artistically executed handicrafts. India’s
mountains provide heli skiing, river running, trekking and
mountaineering.
Its
beaches provide lazy sunbathing as well as wind surfing
and snorkeling, and its jungles provide shooting wildlife
– with a camera. India’s history goes hack to 3,200 BC
when Hinduism was first founded. Buddhism, Jainism,
Sikhism, Judaism. Zoroashtrianism, Christianity and Islam
all exist within the country today. As a consequence of
India’s size, the history of the country has seldom been
the same for two adjoining territories, and its great
natural wealth has lured a succession of traders and
foreign influences to it, each having left their imprint
in the country, however faint or localised. Thus, Chinese
fishing nets in Kerala are a throwback to that country’s
ancient maritime trade, while in the north, terra-cotta
figurines of the centuries BC bear distinctly Greek
traces. Modern India is home alike to the tribal with his
anachronistic lifestyle and to the sophisticated urban
jet-setter. It is a land where temple elephants exist
amicably with the microchip. Its ancient monuments are the
backdrop for the world’s largest democracy where atomic
energy is generated and industrial development has brought
the country within the world’s top ten nations. Today,
fishermen along the country’s coastline fashion simple
fishing boats in a centuries old tradition while, a few
miles away, motor vehicles glide off conveyor belts in
state-of-the-art factories.
|