Delhi is capital of one of the world’s oldest and most fascinating civilisations, where religious worship, ceremonies, social life, dress and many other aspects of daily life have in many ways remained unchanged over the centuries. India is the cradle of a civilisation suffused with the influences of the Hindu religion. A mosaic of peoples, languages, religions and cultures, this is a country unlike any other in the world.
NEW DELHI
Downtown New Delhi, with its broad streets lined by office blocks and government buildings, is a clean and tidy district with abundant trees and greenery. Street vendors, fortune tellers and snake charmers wait at spots where tourists are likely to appear. Sacred cows have a tendency to lie down in the middle of the road and block the way, but otherwise the traffic is more orderly than in Old Delhi. The Lakshmi Narayan Temple dating from 1938 is a good place to gain first impressions
of Hinduism and the many Hindu deities.
OLD DELHI
In Old Delhi the streets are narrower streets and there are more sacred cows. Barbers, dentists, snake charmers, ear cleaners, fortune tellers, vendors of innumerable foods, itinerant restaurants, and all the elements of traditional Indian life thronged the streets, just as they have for centuries
TAJ MAHAL
Agra, the last stop in the Golden Triangle, is where the celebrated Taj Mahal is situated. Changes in light throughout the day constantly alter the appearance of this marble masterpiece, and you must get up at 4 o’clock in the morning to see it at dawn. The sun had not yet risen when I arrived, and mist swathed the Taj Mahal. With the first light of day the mist dispersed and a dance of light began on the marble. Words are inadequate to describe the beautiful sight. This exquisite mausoleum was built by Shah Jahan for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and took 22 years to complete.
