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Royality and Reality
Delhi is adapting faster to all the many changes of the 21st century
than any other city in India. Delhi, which was chosen as the capital
of India in the 20th century, is divided into two parts: Old Delhi,
which shows the rich history of the country, and New Delhi, which
is fast progressing toward a modern city. Surrounded by ancient
royal monuments, the people of Delhi are confident in their future
Delhi where the past and the present mingle together, is the permanent
heart of India.
Love and Legend
Agra was the capital of the Mughal Dynasty before Delhi. The palaces
and forts of Agra, with their beautiful architecture and artwork,
are a witness to its glorious days. The red sandstone Agra Fort
shows the splendor of the Mughal Dynasty, which once ruled over
India. The creamy white Taj Mahal, built for a dead queen, reveals
the eternal love of a grieving emperor. Agra connects Delhi and
Jaipur as part of the Golden Triangle. The city is a tribute to
enduring love.
Chivalry and Grandeur
Located on the Agra-Deccan main route, Gwalior, with its famous
fort perched 200 meters above the city, has kept the tradition of
chivalry. Its legendary beginning stems from the meeting of a warrior
and a hermit who lived on a hilltop. It is said that the hermit
cured the warrior of an incurable didease who, as a gesture of gratitude,
founded Gwalior. Standing on a steep sandstone hill, Gwalior Fort
is a magnificent monument. The city has now become dynamic center
which has caught up with the rapid changes seen all over India.
Serenity and Grace
Built by the Rajput Dynasty in the 16th century, this small town,
Orchha, has become very populartourist destination. In Orchha one
can enjoy the peaceful and tranquil atmosphere that has become a
rarity in other Indian cities. In the midst of this simple atmosphere,
Orchha reveals the elegant architectural beauty of its Maharaja
palaces and temples. Its delightful serenity will provide a welcome
interlude to tired travelers on their long journey.
Rail travel is an integral part of the Indian travel experience.
The Indian railway system is legendary with over 63,000 kilometers
of track and 6,853 stations. The Shatabdi Express, connecting Delhi,
Agra, Gwalior and Orchha, links some of India’s marvels in
one line.
The scent of India waking you senses: Delhi
Delhi has long been the center of India. One thousand years of
impressive monuments from the reign of the Turco-Afghans to the
British still stand all over the city.
 As
India’s third largest city, Delhi faces many of the challenges
common to large urban centers, including meeting the housing needs
of an ever-expanding population. However, Delhi’s unique character
continues to exist in its colorful bazaars, spectacular gardens
and treasured monuments, such as the Kutub Minar, the Red Fort and
the Royal Tombs.
An auto-rickshaw tour along the Mahatma Gandi Marg (better known
as Ring Road), and which encircles the city, reveals the many shops
that dot the streets for kilometers on end. Take an early walk along
Chanakyapuri, the Diplomatic “Kibbutz” of Delhi, and
you will see the long queues of stoic-looking Indians applying for
visas or people diligently practicing yoga on the lush green grass
of the Rastrapati Bhavan.
Janpath is a popular shopping area for tourists. Shops display
bronze statues of Hindu gods and godesses, traditional, traditional
leather pouches, and saffron colored fabric decorated with religious
designs mixed with strings of beads. If you arrive early at the
Hanuman Mandir (Temple of the Monkey God), you will marvel at the
endless bunches of freshly cut flowers whose delicate perfume fill
the morning air. At noon, you can’t miss the aroma of stuffed
pastries cooked in copious amounts of clarified butter. Delhi is
an insight into innumerable cultures, the breeding-ground of many
dreams. It is a wild assault on your senses, and Delhi cannot be
ignored.
The Mughal emperors’ choice, Agra
 It
is 6 o’clock in the morning at the New Delhi Station. A sharp
whistle blow completes with the sound of loud speakers and the noise
of the crowd: woman in bright saris, men carrying huge bundles on
their turbaned heads, and red-uniformed porters darting trough the
hordes with a half dozen suitcases. The train sets off for its first
destination: Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal. Traveling at a comfortable
1110km per hour, take the time to enjoy a spicy meal of lentils,
basmati rice and samosa, and a glass of tea. In a little less than
two hours, the train arrives in Agra.
Agra’s Taj Mahal is a must-see. The beauty and the perfect
harmony of the Taj Mahal leaves you breathless. Agra was the chosen
city of the Moghal emperors. Emperor Shahjahan was struck with grief
when his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal died in 1631, and had the Taj
built as a memorial to his beloved. It took 20,000 laborers 22 years
to complete the monument.
Things have changed here during recent years. The crowds are still
as large, and foul and grumpy-looking camels still take the more
adventurous tourists to the Wonder, but the dome of the Taj Mahal
is whiter since the government has relocated all heavy industry
in the area away from the monument in as effort to lower pollution.
India’s famous Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, beautifully
described the Taj Mahal as “a tear drop on the check of time.”
At Agra, one should forget about all the legends and tales about
the Taj and just contemplate on the most magnificent building on
earth.
The pearl of fortresses, Gwalior
 The
city of Gwalior is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh, 119 kilometers
from Agra. Take the Shatabdi Express and you can arrive in an hour
and a half. With its exhilarating atmosphere and undeniable aura
of romance, Gwalior is one of the most impressive cities in India.
It was always an important city because of its strategic location
on the Agra-Deccan main route.
Standing on a steep sandstone hill, Gwalior Fort dominated the
city and its most magnificent monument. It has been a place of mementous
events: battles, imprrsonments and self-immolations. It was once
considered one of the most invincible forts in India, and emperor
Barbur called it “the pearl of the fortress of Hindustan.”
Within the fort one can find marvels of medieval architecture, vast
chambers with fine stone screens, and music halls for the royal
ladies.
At the very center of the city is the gigantic Italian style palace
of the royal Scindia family, which combines Tuscan and Corinthian-style
architecture. The 700 rooms are furnished with Persian carpets and
French furniture. If you want to “go royal,” a night
at the residence of the Maharaja’s favorite daughter will
make you forget your humble origins.
Serenity in Magnificence, Orchha
 9:15
am. It’s back to the Shatabdi Express for the hour ride to
Jhansi, where a car is waiting to take you to Orchha (an additional
16 kilometers way). Built along an idyllic river, the old kingdom
of Orchha has a nostalgic beauty. Today it is a big village with
an undeniable charm and where time seems to have stopped four centuries
ago. Orchha’s magnificence has been captured in stone frozen
in time. The palaces and temples built by Bundela rulers in the
16th and 17th centuries retain much of their pristine perfection.
The fort in Orchha houses three beautiful palaces. They are adorned
with delicate towers conveying extraordinary richness.
In the morning, crowds of colorfully dressed women go to the river
to wash their clothes and bathe. Mischievous children ham it up
in front of the tourists while unhurried ox carts pass on the bridge
as they have done for centuries. Orchha leaves toy with a tranquil
feeling of serenity.
5:40 pm. Leave the old tram station of Jhansi. The unforgettable
five days in the extraordinary country that is India and about which
the famous American writer Mark Twain once said, “India, the
country that all men want to visit and when they have seen it even
for a short time, would not exchange that glance for all the wonders
of the world.” Taking the Shatabdi Express to these four gems
of India, you can’t help but run into some of most generous
and optimistic people you’ll ever encounter. Even after the
journey is long over, India will continue to shine in your memory.
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