The Taj Mahal
We often hear of the special relationship between Britain and America, but there is another relationship which is at least as special, and that is between us and our former “jewel in the crown”, India. We have a long, shared history and the two countries have absorbed many aspects of each other’s culture.
For many Brits, the days of the Raj rouse a certain affection and nostalgia. In fact, the whole notion of India – from Kipling’s Jungle Book to the British film Slumdog Millionaire – is practically hard-wired into our national DNA.
Now the country is more fashionable and exciting than ever. It has the glitz and glamour of Bollywood, more IT wizards than you can shake a mahout’s stick at, an enviably driven entrepreneurial flair and a booming economy.
It’s the perfect time to visit this astonishing land – the world’s biggest democracy and a 21st-century powerhouse. David Cameron clearly thought so, when he paid a high-profile trade visit there last July.
And Caroline Quentin’s journey was chronicled in her three-part ITV travelogue, A Passage Through India.
She zigzagged from India’s far north to its southern tip – 3,500 miles of contrasting landscapes, thronging cities and wide social diversity. So, why not follow in the footsteps of the PM and the actress?
In the northern, semi-desert region of Rajasthan lies the Golden Triangle, encompassing the regional capital Delhi, the pink city of Jaipur and Agra, home of the glorious Taj Mahal. The broad streets, parks and grand public buildings of the nation’s capital, New Delhi, are a sharp contrast to the old city’s narrow lanes, jam-packed with traditional little shops and stalls. I once spent an hour exploring that ancient district on my own, agog at the exotic sights and smells, and there wasn’t a single other non-native there besides me. An odd sensation.
The city of Jaipur has some of the region’s loveliest architecture. Many of its buildings are made of red sandstone, giving the whole place a warm, pinkish glow. There are forts and palaces, monuments and temples galore, but one of the most famous sites is the Palace of the Winds, the screened balconies on its opulent façade designed to let the women of the royal household observe everyday city life without being seen themselves.
The iconic Taj Mahal at Agra – backdrop to perhaps the most poignant picture ever taken of Princess Diana – was built in the 17th century by the Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. If you get there early in the morning you can catch the first rays of sunlight reflecting off its glistening white marble.
Further to the west is Jodhpur, nicknamed the Blue City due to the countless blue-painted houses. Not to be missed are the 15th-century Mehrangarh Fort and white marble Jaswant Thada cenotaph built in 1899. And yes, Jodhpur is where the name for those horse-riding trousers comes from, just one of many Hindi words – from avatar to verandah – embedded in the English language.
The final destination in Rajasthan is Udaipur, the picturesque City of the Lakes. Its 18th- century, white marble Lake Palace – originally a royal summer residence but now a hotel – covers an entire island on Lake Pichola, and it was the setting for some scenes in the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy.
Southern India is hotter and more humid than the north, its food is spicier and the mood is a tad more languorous. Its chain of interesting destinations includes the city of Mysore, famous for the Dasara festivities that take place there over a 10-day period each autumn, and the hill-station of Ootacamund in the Nilgiri Hills (situated in the protected Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve), which features a 19th- century botanical garden and mountain railway with steam locomotives.
The port city of Cochin in the State of Kerala, on the south-western coast – once called the Queen of the Arabian Sea – was the centre of the Indian spice trade and well-known since ancient times to the Greeks, Romans, Jews, Arabs and Chinese. Successive waves of migration over the centuries have created a mixed population from all over India. It has a busy fish market where porters carry heaving baskets of fish on their heads, and nets line the shore.
Kerala’s backwaters are a network of canals, lakes and rivers, where you can spot kingfishers and flying fish as you float past thatched huts and coconut plantations. Another boat ride takes you across Lake Periyar, an even better way to observe flying squirrels, bison, elephant, the endangered lion-tailed macaque and more than 260 bird species.
Madurai, in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, is a labyrinth of temples, bazaars and narrow streets crammed with stalls, rickshaws and free-roaming livestock. The Meenakshi Temple is resplendent with stone carvings and columns, and the 17th-century Tirumalai Nayak Mahal Palace is a striking mix of Islamic and European architectural styles.
To the east, on the coast of the Bay of Bengal, is Chennai (formerly Madras), founded by the East India Company and India’s commercial hub at the height of the British Empire. Today, it’s a major centre for music, art and culture, famed for its classical dance shows, Hindu temples and the annual Chennai Sangamam festival, which showcases the native arts of Tamil Nadu. The suburb of Kodambakkam is the base for the flourishing Tamil film industry, which is known, inevitably, as “Kollywood”.
The best introduction to a country of such extraordinary richness and variety is perhaps an escorted tour with a knowledgeable guide. That way you can travel in style and pack in as much as possible.
Finally, you must experience the brilliant chaos of an Indian train journey on the railway system built by the British in the mid-19th century, which linked the diverse regions in this vast country. Enjoy the ride!
Written by Monica Porter, this article first appeared in the May 2011 edition of Saga Magazine.