Classic routes across India. Golden Triangle

Everyone knows that India has a lot of attractions. it oldest civilization worldwide, wealth natural resources and the amazing culture that has survived to this day. India is one of the most mysterious countries that is changing rapidly, while preserving its traditions.

If you are here for the first time and there is not enough time to appreciate the palaces of the maharajas, it is high time to go to explore the sights of the "Golden Triangle". This is an excursion program that tells about the "most" sights of the state of Rajasthan.

These are three cities where you can see the impressive historical heritage of India: the huge and bustling New Delhi, the famous Agra, led by "postcard" views of the Taj Mahal and the "pink city" of Jaipur.

Capital of India. A huge metropolis with numerous suburbs that have merged together. A mixture of traditions, cultures and architectural eclecticism makes the city the most colorful capital in the world.

The architecture of the Old Town is quite harmoniously adjacent to buildings from the times of the British colonial heritage.

A Tibetan market with a colorful kingdom of amusing trinkets is the best way to tell about the life of simple, everyday India.

New Delhi landmarks

India gate... It is a relatively modern symbol of the capital (and the entire country), located in the modern part of the Old City. They were designed by the English architect Edwin Lutyens to commemorate the soldiers who fought for British India in the First World War. Monument and beautiful park for local residents is a pleasant place for picnics, walks and meetings.

Lakshmi-Naroyan Mandir is a Hindu temple. It is dedicated to the god Lakshmi, who is responsible for wealth and well-being, and Naroyan, who protects the universe. Outside, the temple looks like a giant cake, but inside it is a real sultan's palace... Lakshmi-Naroyan Mandir is recognized as the most beautiful temple in India.

Akshardham listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest temple in the world (it is similar in size to). It was built recently (in 2005) with private donations. Both the temple and the park around it require thoughtful visits. It is advisable to go there on your own without tourist groups.

A large and romantic city that exists around one of the wonders of the world - the memorial complex. On its southern side is the famous bazaar, where European traders came to buy silk, tea and spices in the 17th century.

The most famous building of the complex - the Taj Mahal mausoleum is dedicated to the beloved wife of Shah Jahan, who died in childbirth. This is the main mausoleum, a visiting card of the country.

But in the memorial complex itself there is a lot of interesting things: scenic gardens, picturesque embankments and rivers, giant fountains. On certain days of the year, you can get here at night, but before you buy entrance ticket, will have to stand in a huge queue.

This city is the end point of the journey along the golden triangle. It is quite small, but very beautiful.

The picturesque city center was built according to all the canons of ancient Indian architecture, and the houses were built of pink sandstone. Hence the name - "Pink City".

Jaipur landmarks

Or "Palace of the Winds" - an unimaginably beautiful masterpiece of architecture with a significant facade. This place was built for the sheikh's harem, so that the ladies of the court could observe the city life, while remaining invisible to outsiders.

The palace has recently been restored. The excursion inside is also interesting and worth seeing.

The savages did not dare to go - they chose the Om tour. Of the two proposed flight models from Domodedovo to Delhi - Aeroflot (direct flight) and Qatar Airways - we chose Qatar Airways, which provide for a transfer in Doha. About 4.5 hours flight to Doha, an hour to stretch your legs for duty free (the best I've ever seen) and about 5 hours to Delhi. takes a little longer than with Aeroflot, but it is cheaper and, I think, more comfortable. Departing from Moscow -17, already in Doha, we felt the breath of the south.
Acquaintance with India began after the departure from Qatar. Most of the Indians flew, a company from Denmark, the ubiquitous Germans and, strangely enough, we did not hear Russian. On the plane, we practically fraternized with a Sikh neighbor, because together we filled out customs papers and even though our knowledge of English is approximately at the same level, we completely understood each other. We arrived in Delhi at about 3 am. The first thing that alarmed was the fact that the locals, while still on the plane, began to pull on everything warm that they had. international Airport phenomenal scope, everything is beautiful. Customs passed quickly. At the airport, they changed only 100 bucks for the first expenses (the rate was not profitable - at that time 41 rupees per dollar minus some tax, although even in stores they later changed at 43-44, and in Goa at 45). And then we shake out into the street ... well ... fresh from the beginning ... 15 degrees Celsius, December is still winter. Meeting an English-speaking guide in a warm suit and sweater and here we are in T-shirts. In general, we are used to it, we have this kind of summer, and the Indians are freezing. As it later became clear from a conversation on fingers in Delhi, there is a large difference between night and day temperatures - about +25 during the day, and at night it drops to +6, everything is explained by the proximity of the Himalayas, they are also responsible for the almost constant fog. When we said that it was -17 in Moscow, the guide cringed even more. As it turned out, there were no more people willing to go according to the program, and the tour we got by car was an individual one. The meeting guide threw us into a hotel with the loud name Perfect (I think there are no stars at all, well, so we never came there), and in Russia I have seen worse, the linen and towels are clean, with water there is some kind of tricky system in time, in general, we did not bother much, especially at 5 in the morning, since at 10 we started the tour program. We even went to breakfast in the morning. In most Indian hotels, continental breakfasts are popular - scrambled eggs, tea and coffee, cakes, buns, butter jam, there was some other local stew (they did not dare, even the smell started to burn inside). The Russian-speaking guide Ravindra arrived, provided to us for the tourist program. He didn’t speak Russian so that, but I was still tempted to clarify the incomprehensible in English, and then it became generally incomprehensible because he switched to English, I had to constantly remind him. The program looked like this Delhi-Jaipur-Fatehpur Sikri-Agra-Mathura-Vrindavan-Delhi + Goa. I will not talk about the program especially - we have completed it in full. I'll tell you my impressions. From what I had previously seen about India, it turned out to be true that everyone there really sings and dances, no matter what. That's how they wake up and sing.
About Delhi. The capital, traffic jams like ours and everything is endlessly buzzing. Quite dirty, no one is in a hurry to clean up. True, on the return, some Asian games were held - everything was swept, the central streets in any case. The hotel was located near the main bazaar street in New Delhi, there is a lot to wander in the evening. The prices are reasonable, bargain, they will cut you down to half the price. During the day, the guide drove to a restaurant for dinner, apparently all the tourists were taken there - ripped off full (a dish of potatoes with vegetables (fries with sauce and salad, biriani with chicken (such pilaf), raita (yogurt sauce with green, helped not to burn)), two flat cakes and a small Pepsi cost $ 30 (where $ 4 was prudently paid for service). If there are no prejudices, you can eat quite tasty on the street, Delhi is famous for its street food and it costs a penny, just be careful with all sorts of sauces that are served to all sorts of dishes - incredible pungency.Moreover, Delhi is the place to eat fruits - the pomegranates were most impressed.
About Jaipur. The capital of the state of Rajasthan. Drive from Delhi about 5 hours. Even dirtier than Delhi, we drove in as in a landfill, but the Hava Mahal hotel is gorgeous. A room with a balcony on the main street, it closes tightly, you can not hear anything. They decided not to test fate and dined at the hotel restaurant. Everyone is very friendly and smiling. The food is delicious, the portions are huge and inexpensive, they bring the bill, but you don't have to pay right away, but only when you check out from the hotel. Two dinners cost us about $ 22, cheaper than one lunch in Delhi. In general, breakfast is also continental, but the omelet is cooked in front of you and they throw in everything you stick into. They will bring you freshly squeezed juice, whatever you order (4 types of fruits). There is a coffee and tea set in the room, including cookies, replenished during the day (cookies came in handy to feed palm squirrels and monkeys). Everyone climbs to Amber Fort on elephants (included in the tour price), and the driver must be given 50 rupees. On an elephant it shakes like on a UAZ on potholes, so you hold on with one hand, and you take pictures with the other.
About Fatehpur Sikri. Abandoned city, under Akbar - the capital of the Mughal Empire. It's quiet now, only tourists, lizards and kingfishers.
About Agra. According to the guide - a dirty city, we were preparing for the worst, especially when we saw that the entire suburb of the city was busy making fuel from cow cakes and it was drying everywhere - along the roads and walls of houses. The city turned out to be surprisingly clean, well-groomed and welcoming. If there is an opportunity, the Taj Mahal is better to visit in the evening, in the rays of sunset it is especially beautiful, and in the morning there is often fog. There is not much to say about the Royale Residency hotel, except that we got the room without windows at all, or rather, they were small, closed with shutters, but they went out onto some kind of wasteland. At the time of our presence there was also an Indian wedding. In the courtyard of the hotel, the size of a good football field, there were tables with all sorts of goodies around the perimeter, and probably half the city was fed there. Everyone was invited.
Then we return to Delhi, on the way stopping by Mathura and Vrindavan, small towns associated with the birth and childhood of Krishna. It is almost impossible to shoot inside, but all gentiles are allowed into the temples, only barefoot. Or in socks. Shoe covers were issued in the Taj Mahal.
More about Delhi. Many dogs, no cats (for religious reasons) and with all the dirt did not see a single rat. from birds only crows, parrots and ... eagles, in wild quantities. Overnight at the same hotel, the flight to Goa was supposed to be at 14.30, in the end, it was postponed until 17.40, but we were warned, so we waited at the hotel (no problem, although the check-out after 12.00, no one asked us for money in 3 hours). We flew by local Spicejet, 2.5 hours, we took tickets without feeding. Arrived - it's warm! At the airport we were met by a guide, gave us instructions and sent us with a driver to the hotel. In Goa we had a Chalston hotel Beach Resort 3 * on the border of Calangute and Candolim beaches. Of the three rubles, this is actually the only hotel on the first line of the sea. We got a room on the third floor, went to the balcony and went nuts. Sea ocean!!! At first, they were alarmed by the heap of lights opposite, as if the coast was not supposed to be, it turned out that hardworking Indian sailors were clustered in the sea. The first day turned out to be rainy, it was cool and it was raining, there was no one on the beach except us and the crows. But then the weather settled down and it was on average + 33-35. The sea is very exciting, the sand is singing. On Calangute it is quite calm, on Candolim after 12 - mash. You can have a bite to eat in numerous cafes along the coast, the menu is in Russian in almost all. Expensive, oddly enough fish. Therefore, if the menu says some curry with fish costs 100-150 rupees, in fact, the cost will depend on the fish that you choose by size. People choose to dine on the city streets, fortunately, there are all kinds of cafes and restaurants in abundance. Prices are acceptable everywhere. If not gluttony, 400-600 rupees for a dinner for two is quite enough. Everything is made for tourists, because the food is not as spicy as throughout India.
About purchases: first of all, we bought a local SIM card (they would have done it earlier, but since we need a photo to buy a SIM card, and we didn't have enough time for the guide), the photo was taken in the same place where they took the SIM card, the issue price is 600 rupees - 400 rupees on the account, 30 (like) free SMS, it is more profitable to call - 7 rupees a minute.
We did not go to the night market - we had enough shops nearby. Shopping is a purely individual matter, when you go into a store, everything seems to be necessary. The prices are already ridiculous, but still bargaining cheerfully. As a result, you leave with a bunch of purchases and everyone is happy. You can also shop without leaving the beach, since there is no free minute so that someone does not come up with the goods.
Time flew by somehow quickly. I didn't want to leave at all !!! And despite some negative nuances, the impressions remained the warmest with a desire to return.

The Delhi - Agra - Jaipur - Delhi route has become so popular among tourists that it is called the Golden Triangle of India. The route is what is called "found" and it will not be difficult to do it, even for novice Indian travelers. And the fact that it starts and ends in Delhi makes it even easier and very suitable for those who come to India for a short time. You can walk along the triangle in 6 - 8 days.

So, you have a week of vacation, and you plan to visit India on your own and for inexpensive, see some of its main attractions. What to do?

First of all, you decide on the dates of your trip, find and buy the cheapest air tickets. You can find out how to do this by reading the post. How to fly to India on a budget and How to find cheap tickets to India .

Next, book a suitable hotel option in Delhi for 2 days. The easiest way to find such an option is through Hotellook.

A little advice - you don't have much time, it is better to find and book hotels along the entire route in advance, so as not to waste time and energy on this later.

Be sure to make insurance. The simplest and most convenient service for this is

The next step is to get a visa, how to do it and what are the subtleties, read the post Visa to India.

Well, you are in India too. The thread of your route along the Golden Triangle of India will look like this:

The starting point of the arrival point in India is Delhi. Here a maximum of 2 days. See - Red Fort, the largest mosque in India,

walking around Old Delhi.

Take the train and go to Agra. Here, first of all, you are heading to the Taj Mahal - the most grandiose monument of love,

then to the Agra fort.

The next day, drive to the Mughal city of Fatehpur - Sikri.

It is located about an hour's drive from Agra, for this it is better to rent a taxi for the whole day, the cost will not be very expensive. If you have time, you can stay in Agra for another day and visit National park Keoladeo Ghana.

Then take the train again and head to Jaipur - the capital of Rajasthan.

You can spend 2 - 3 days here. Visit the Amber Fortress and the City Palace.

Take a walk around the city and its environs. If you are interested, go to shops and markets where you can buy various souvenirs and inexpensive jewelry.

Well, again on the train, back to Delhi, and from there home with a full baggage of vivid impressions and plans for new adventures. Of course, following this route, you cannot say that you saw real India, but for the first experience independent travel in this country, and even with a time limited to only 8 - 10 days of stay, this is not a bad option.

Have a nice trip!

updated: April 11, 2017 by the author: Sergei

Each country has a number of amazing places, where tourists tend to get to in the first place. There is a route in Russia " gold ring", and in India -" Golden Triangle ". Excursion program so saturated that it is sometimes difficult to immediately perceive the grandeur and beauty of temples, palaces, forts and mausoleums. Ancient country at every step it amazes with an abundance of historical and architectural monuments.

Cradle of ancient culture

The history of the country has several millennia; it is impossible to cover all the sights in one trip. But it is worth trying to visit the most famous cities, plunge into the atmosphere of contemplation and quiet admiration. It takes 1 - 3 days to visit one city, depending on the duration of the tour, so it is worthwhile to outline the main points to visit or follow the recommendations of the tour operator.

Delhi

India's Golden Triangle usually starts from the capital of the country. The metropolis, which is home to more than 10 million people, offers tourists to visit 6,000 attractions located in the city and its surroundings. You should definitely look at the most famous of them.

• Lotus Temple, symbolizing unity with higher powers. Its difference is in absolutely empty space, which does not distract from union with God.
• Akshardham spread over an area of ​​12 hectares. The complex includes parks with many sculptures, a cinema, a souvenir shop. The building is crowned with 9 domes and covered with intricate carvings, giving the pink marble walls an unearthly lightness.
• Presidential palace is a working residence. There is a charming rose garden nearby.

The atmosphere of ancient India can be felt at the Chatta Chowk market, walking through the stalls and purchasing amazing souvenirs full of hidden sacred meaning.

Jaipur

It will be remembered by travelers for a long time for the special shade of buildings, because of which the city is called "pink". A huge number of palaces have become its hallmark.

• City palace is considered the largest building in the city.
• Hawa Mahal due to its unique layout, it acquired the name "Palace of the Winds". It is always cool there, small drafts walk through the enfilades of halls, creating freshness in any heat.
• Jal Mahal located in the middle of the lake. Looking at it, an analogy comes to mind with a luxury ocean liner.

It is worth a short look at the ancient observatory, the Amber Fort and admire the skill of the architects in the construction of various temple complexes.

Agra

The city is famous for one of the wonders of the world. This is the famous Taj Mahal, built as a mausoleum for the beloved wife of the padishah. It impresses with its size and perfect proportions. The lake of tears leading to the foot of the mausoleum forever captured the ruler's grief over the loss of his beloved woman. Amazing stories are associated with other landmarks of the city.

• Red fort was not only a fortress, but also the residence of the country's rulers.
• Pearl mosque surprises with snow-white domes and the harmony of the building itself.
• Tomb of Itemad-ud-Daula known as a diminished likeness of the Taj Mahal and is unique in its own way.

The text of the article was updated: 05/29/2018

Last year, Mikhail, a longtime blog reader, shared his reports of a vacation trip to India. From the first time he fell in love with this wonderful country with ancient history and have been there four times already. At first, how many Russian tourists, he went to the state of Goa, then to Kerala. Today I begin to publish his review of the trip to the Golden Triangle.

The landing gear touches the runway with a slight push. Braking and a short run of the liner to the passenger terminal is the most pleasant moment of the flight, and the point here is not fear: the many hours of agonizing boredom of waiting is over. It is from this moment that the journey begins for me.

No clap, the ship's captain in three languages ​​(Arabic, English and Hindi) welcomes to Delhi and reports the weather overboard.

With a light step, with a wardrobe trunk on my shoulder and, practically, an empty bag - I, my spouse - with a handbag, smiling, we pass the customs control post. The scent of India is in the air: the smell of spices, flowers and something else elusive - this is how it smells at the airports of only this country. The walls above the check-in desks are decorated with folded fingers in the symbolic mudra language. Impossible to pass - photo for memory.

The last concern is luggage, and we are free ...

Black luggage tape moves in a circle: suitcases, bags, backpacks. The gaze follows the movement - circle by circle. Every now and then, someone's hands grab and drag the prey away. The tape is empty. Everything! The last orphaned suitcases have been removed and piled up. Confusion: our things are gone.

Going to India, to the state of Kerala, in February of the same year, 2012, I read on the Internet an entertaining story of a girl about her forced acquaintance with Doha, the capital of the Emirate of Qatar. The flight was delayed and the narrator was late for the connection. She was offered two options to choose from: to wait for the opportunity to board another flight, or to spend a day in Doha, at the expense of the carrier, and fly the same flight the next day.

Naturally, we kept the likelihood of such or a similar situation in our heads, but the successful connection in February relaxed the almost empty bag (two sweaters and autumn shoes) that was a witness to this.

What kind of adventure travel? Even if it is a forced delay in another city. But stay only in what you are wearing ?!

Statistics for 2011: baggage was lost at the airports of the world every 90 seconds. The most common cause of loss is a transfer from one aircraft to another. The shorter the docking, the more likely it is. There were 40 minutes between our flights.

There is nothing to do, we go to the Lost & Found counter, my wife is filling out the paperwork, I am quietly seething, because it’s not about things - clothes can be bought, but the mood ... Not the best start to a vacation in India. As I pace nervously, I hear my wife's surprised exclamation: "Four hundred dollars?" Luggage in two suitcases was estimated at exactly the same amount (compensation - per kilogram of luggage, if you just do not have a certified inventory of things). Probably for the first time I was glad that I do not speak foreign languages. "Two suitcases for four hundred dollars?" - and, switching to Russian, I add: "Yes, these two, such loose suitcases, empty, cost twice as much!"

Behind the counter is a tall, handsome Hindu in a turban and a red caftan. However, it is possible that the caftan was black, and the turban was red, I do not remember very much, but I see the face under the turban as it is now: hefty mustache turning into sideburns, a benevolent smile on his lips, and in his eyes - mockery. It flashes in my head: “He understands me and he is amused by my bubbling irritation. Stop! Calmly". We sign the papers - and on the way out ... I regret not having photographed.

I would not like to dwell on this topic for a long time. A month later, at home, we could not recall this incident without laughing, which at first threatened from a simple everyday situation to develop into a problem. Suffice it to say that you can't buy swimsuits in India, but there were more to come beach vacation in Kerala. A quick inspection of the Delhi shops only confirmed my fears. But our wardrobe has been enriched with elements of national clothing, and several branded items made in India (for example, I still take Pumov's shorts and a baseball cap on all my trips).

A day later, the fate of our suitcases became clear, here the full merit of our guide Ajay Singh: he literally did not "get off" the phone, calling either Delhi airport or Doha airport. True, the luggage was in no hurry to reunite with us, but preferred to travel on its own, we don't even know which country he visited as a "hare", but the journey was stormy, judging by the broken locks and shabby appearance. He caught up with us only in Agra.

Stepping over the threshold of the Indira Gandhi airport, I will not say for my wife, and I have already given up on the missing things - there was a seven-day journey ahead of three states: Delhi, which has the status of a union territory (national capital district), Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (Uttar Pradesh). It was necessary to drive approximately 700 kilometers by car along Indian roads, to see the wonder of the world Taj Mahal and the ancient capital of the Great Mughals - the city of Agra.

The impetus for such a trip was, as well as for a trip to Kerala (as I said in previous reports, I wanted to see a giant blue squirrel), an accidental photo. Leafing through the pages with photos on the Internet, I came across a picture of an openwork pink palace - Hawa Mahal. Graceful, almost weightless, slightly reminiscent of the lace kokoshnik of a Russian beauty, in the soft evening light - it beckoned with some understatement.

The book of ethnographer Natalia Guseva "These amazing Indians" added oil. Leaving aside the controversial "Arctic theory" - an absolutely wonderful story about India and Indians.

Pandavas, Great Mughals, Rajputs - it sounded like music. You should definitely go and see these legendary places. The Golden Triangle is a surprisingly accurate name. The summit is Delhi, and at the base is Agra and Jaipur. In the capital of India we will start our journey and here we will board a plane to fly to Kerala beach.

Delhi is the second largest city, one of the ancient settlements in India, it is sometimes said: he is the capital of seven empires. One of them is the Empire of the Great Mughals and a story about it is ahead, but about the first empire - the state of the Pandavas, it is necessary to say at least a few words. In the Mahabharata, the sacred book of the Hindus, it is said that when it became impossible for cousins ​​of the Kauravas and Pandavas to live together in Hastinapura (a place about a hundred kilometers from Delhi), the capital of the Kuru kingdom, the country was divided into two unequal parts, and the Pandavas were allocated a site in the dense jungle on the banks of the Djamna. The brothers cleared the site with fire and built a beautiful city called Indraprastha. This city, just, was located within the city limits of present-day Delhi, and the event itself took place about 3000 years BC.

For three millennia, the city has seen everything: prosperity, and the glory of kings, and periods of complete desolation. On his golden throne were the sultans of the Afghan dynasty Lodi, the warlike Rajput rulers, the emperors of the Mughal dynasty; he survived the plundering and burning by Timur and the colonial yoke of the British. Since 1757, the British ruled British India from Calcutta, but in 1911 Delhi again returned its capital status, the residence of the British Viceroy was transferred here from Calcutta, and from 1947 Delhi was the capital of independent India.

It is impossible, and not entirely correct, to retell the story of such ancient city... I will only note that the history of Delhi is the history of a great civilization.

On the way to the hotel, looking at the city through the glass of the car, I was somewhat embarrassed: for me, who had lived all my life in Moscow, the view of the capital of India was strange. A huge territory, an intricate system of roads, low-rise buildings, temples, palaces, elevated metro lines, a crowd of cars and people. One indisputable advantage is a lot of greenery, sometimes completely hiding buildings.

From the window of our room at the Aura De Asia 3 * hotel from the height of the fourth floor, a view of Patel Road opened up - a wide highway loaded with transport with a mesh fence separating opposite lanes and a light metro line above it in a house on Volgogradsky Avenue, in Soviet times, in the seventies, the opposite lanes of which were also divided by a chain-link fence). Right and left - nothing remarkable. What surprised me was the presence of pedicabs in the traffic. Of course, we have heard about them, but in prosperous states of Goa and Kerala have not seen.

Later, having gone on an excursion, under the subway overpass near the intersection, we were amazed at the sight of a small colony of beggars in rags and their completely naked children of different ages and sex, scurrying between cars standing at a traffic light and begging for alms. The sight of this spectacle did not add light colors to the first impressions of Delhi.

It is impossible to get to know any city in a short period of time. What can we say about such a metropolis as Delhi! Visiting some of the sights allowed only to touch the history and modern life of the capital of India.

Judging by the program drawn up by the travel agency " Sightseeing tour in Delhi: you will see the Gate of India (gate - with a small letter), drive through the city center near the Presidential Palace, see Qutb Minar, the Gandhi memorial, etc. ", the acquaintance promised to be the most superficial. Here it is worth remembering once again with a kind word our wonderful guide Ajay: he not only managed to turn the survey routine into an entertaining historical journey, but also, having mastered the time, expanded the scope of the excursion program.

Having put ourselves in order after the road, having made a forced shopping, we were ready to look and learn. First stop - New Delhi, which is the capital modern India... Formally, this is the district of the union territory of Delhi, located on the banks of the Jamna River or, as the Rajasthanis call it, Yamuna, and bordering Old Delhi, the government of the state and the presidential palace are located here.

A small note: going on the first excursion, either under the impression of the city seen from the car window, or not recovering from the accident at the airport, I took a telephoto camera, leaving the wide-angle lens in the hotel room. Therefore, for the photographs of Delhi, I almost entirely owe my wife, low bow to her for that!

At this point, I want to note that we had a small dispute with Mikhail. He was embarrassed to exhibit his photographs, because he considers them not professional enough. My opinion is that there really are a lot of complaints about the pictures, if we consider their artistic component. But, reading such an exciting text, you do not pay attention to the flaws in the photo. The pictures are a great addition to the story that Michael is telling us.

Now I believe - the capital! Wide Rajpath is the King's front road framed by pompous ministerial mansions and alleys with fountains, originating from the presidential palace (in the old days it was the palace of the Viceroy of India) and ending at the Gateway of India arch. The author of the Gateway project is Edwin Lachens, however, as well as the project of the whole New Delhi) is a memorial to the Indian soldiers who died in the Anglo-Afghan wars and during the First World War. Eternal flame, guard of honor, 90'000 names carved in stone.

Photo 5. Rajpath Street in Delhi is the main street in the country. India Golden Triangle Travel Reports

But India would not be India if a cow was not walking alongside all this pathos. Beggars, an impromptu barber shop next to a pedestal, a fountain that does not work and some person trying to clean it with a piece of wire are scenes familiar to us, who have already visited this country twice, adding a kind of charm to the epic picture of ceremonial Delhi.

The second stop is Old Delhi. In fact, Old Delhi (then simply Delhi) was the political and economic center of India in ancient times, in the Middle Ages, during the reign of the Great Mughals. Its current appearance was formed under Shah Jahan, the padishah of the Mughal Empire (1627-1658). It is to this ruler that we owe the Taj Mahal.

The British ruled India from Calcutta since 1757, but in 1911, for internal political reasons, moved the capital to Delhi again, and in the same year, construction began on New Delhi.

Red Fort is a citadel of the 17th century, Jama Masjid is the most big mosque in India, the circular Konat square remained visible only through the car window. Our target is the Qutab Minar minaret. The forced delay at the airport made additional adjustments to the excursion plan, no matter how “individual” tour, but the lost time cannot be returned. I had to sacrifice something.

I do not regret at all that the choice fell on Qutub-Minar. Huge architectural complex, mainly, the ruins of monuments from different historical eras: the Kuvvat-ul-Islam mosque (the power of Islam), the Ala-i-Darwaz gates, the tomb of Imam Zamin, and above all this, the Qutb Minar minaret rushed high into the sky. Built of red sandstone, Qutb Minar (or Qutab Minar) is today the tallest brick minaret in the world (72.6 meters high, 14.74 meters in diameter at the base). Fine stone carving adorns four circular balconies (sherefe), under which surahs of the Koran are carved. The last fifth balcony, from which the muezzin should shout, is so high that the details cannot be seen.

The minaret was built by several generations of the rulers of the Mughal dynasty, starting with the first Muslim ruler of India, Qutb ad-Din Aibek, who only laid the foundation of the minaret in 1193, and ending with Firuz Shah Tughlak, who completed the tower in 1368.

An interesting fact: in 1311 Sultan Alauddin (Ala-Eddin) Khilji, I think out of vanity, decided to build a minaret next to it twice as high: 183 meters. But his death in 1315 did not allow his plan to come true, only the first tier was built. The ruins of this 25-meter structure can be seen even now.

Photo 14. Tours to India from Moscow. Excursions to Delhi. Minaret of Qutub Minar

Another interesting fact: for their construction, the Delhi sultans used details of Hindu and Jain temples, which were also destroyed by them (for example, the remains of seven Jain temples went to the construction of the Kuvvat-ul-Islam mosque), which gave a peculiar flavor to the buildings - the ornament of some details of the monuments, especially the columns, in no way does not agree with the requirements of canonical Islam.

On the one hand, there is vandalism. Along the way, I will note that in Tunisia, admiring the cathedral mosque of Kairouan, I noticed that the columns are antique, with a different order. This phenomenon is of the same order. On the other hand, the borrowing of details and techniques of Indian architecture has enriched India with masterpieces of the symbiosis of Islamic and Indian architecture, which can be distinguished in a peculiar style, and some examples of such a merger have even become a symbol of India: Taj Mahal or Fatehpur Sikri, for example.

It is impossible to pass over in silence this not the most cheerful fact: until recently, the minaret was a favorite place for female suicides. According to the guide, these suicides are connected with the tradition of Sati (self-immolation of the wife after the death of her husband), which is forbidden in modern India. Whether this is true or not, I do not undertake to say, nor do I undertake to assess or analyze the reasons forcing Indian women to take this step in modern India. I will only note that tradition in Indian society is still as crucial as before. But the entrance to the minaret has recently been tightly closed.

And now it's time to confess your ignorance: on the territory of the complex, among the ruins, there was a legendary Iron Column. I knew about its existence and presence in Delhi, but it was a complete surprise to me that it was here.

There are many miracles in the world! The ancients made a list of the seven wonders of the Ecumene, every schoolchild knows it by heart. Of the seven, only the pyramid of Cheops has survived to our times. There are several versions of modern lists of "wonders of the world" - there are also creations of human hands, they are unsurpassed in beauty, architecture and engineering solutions! I'm talking about other wonders, such as Stonehenge or drawings (geoglyphs) of the Nazca desert, for example. There is something fantastic in them, and no matter how scientists fought over their clues, no matter what the skeptics say, there is still no intelligible answer to the "how" and "why".

The Iron Column in Delhi is a mystery of the same order. The column itself, or stambha, is an indispensable element of a Hindu temple. With the installation of this element and its dedication to a specific god, the marking and construction of the temple begins. Material for construction can be any, the only condition is uniformity.

Dry facts: seven meters above the ground, weight - six tons, approximate age -1600 years. It is said to have been erected by King Kumaragupta I (Kumaragupta I). It was originally located in the city of Mathura, in a temple dedicated to the god Vishnu. On the column there are inscriptions dedicated to God Vishnu and King Chandragupta (375-413 years). Its top was once decorated with the figure of Garuda (Vishnu's riding bird, half-eagle, half-man).

The column does not corrode. Everything! The rest that is written and said is hypotheses that give rise to questions. Welded or Forged? Meteorite iron or melting down the wreckage of a starship?

Wrote and physically felt the grin of a skeptic reader. Don't jump to conclusions, I myself only believe in what you can touch with your hands, and to provoke you, look at the photo taken last year in Karnataka: a detail of the bas-relief of the Hoisaleshwar temple (12-14 centuries AD) in the city of Halebid ... Even without having a rich imagination, it is easy to see the suits on the figures.

What helped the column resist corrosion: phosphorus in the alloy or the high ammonia content in the atmosphere of ancient Delhi? Questions, questions and questions! Indians believe: if you stand with your back to the column and wrap your arms around it, all your wishes will come true! Only now it is impossible to verify this - in 1997, in order to avoid vandalism, an iron pillar was fenced off, and a policeman with a bamboo stick is walking alongside, on watch.

After wandering among the ruins, enjoying the view of the park inhabited by the ubiquitous cheerful chipmunks, we go to the hotel.

It is already dark in southern latitudes at seven in the evening, but it is still early to go to bed. After dinner, we set off to wander around the block in the hotel area. As the sun sets, life in the cities of the East comes to life: shops open, shopkeepers and fruit and vegetable traders lay out the goods, the air is filled with smells. In my memory, the aroma of guava dominates over all the smells - the evening Delhi smells of this fruit.

Having no special purpose, we wandered the streets for a couple of hours, moving from one shop to another. I do not know if this is so, but the impression was that our hotel is located in the quarter of the gold merchants, and they are all Sikhs.

The showcases display a scattering of jewelry: finger-thick chains, seals with diamonds, mountains of pearls, rings decorated with huge sapphires, emeralds, garnets and the Star of India. And all this is set in a huge amount of gold.

I have noticed the love of Hindus for massive gold jewelry before. It seemed that such beauty should pull the fingers to the ground, but picking up a couple of samples, I was struck by their low weight: stamping, gold - the frame is no thicker than foil. Having oversaturated with the glitter of gold, having bought fruit, we go to bed - tomorrow is an early road.

It rained at night. The rainy season in India lasts from June to October, in September it pours from the sky, albeit abundantly, but briefly, mainly at night. For 7 days (from September 2 to 9) of traveling along the Golden Triangle, we got into a real downpour only in Agra, during a visit to the Red Fort.

In the morning we were in for a surprise: according to the program of the trip, we immediately had to go to Jaipur, but the guide expanded the scope of excursions in Delhi. After delaying the departure for several hours, he introduced us to two modern architectural masterpieces of Delhi: the Lotus Temple and the Akshardham temple complex.

If you look on the map, then the Akshardham Swaminarayan temple (Swaminarayan Akshardham) is located on the other bank of the Jamna, opposite the Gate of India. The high overpass that leads from the ring road to the temple opens beautiful view on the complex. The palace is the only epithet suitable for this temple, and what he saw on the territory of the complex and inside the temple only confirmed the first impression of what he saw.

A bit of etymology. In the center of the Vaishnava (Vaishnavas - Hindus who worship the god Vishnu) temple there is a three-meter statue of Nilkantha Varmi - the incarnation of God Swaminarayana. Sahajananda Swami (1781-1830) is also known as Bhagavan Swaminarayan, the founder of the trend in Hinduism known as the Swaminarayan Movement. His devotees worship him as an avatara of Narayana, one of the forms of Vishnu and emanating from Krishna.

Are you confused? There are 33 million gods in Hinduism, try to keep everything in your head without being born a Hindu!

To get to the temple, I had to not only take off my shoes and hand over all the gadgets, but also pull everything out of my pockets - because of the terrorist threat, nothing can be brought into the temple (money is allowed).

Photo 20. The Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple is the grandest Hindu cathedral in India. Drive along the Golden Triangle.

It is impossible to describe what was seen in words! The complex is located on a huge territory and includes the temple itself, a huge singing fountain in the form of a lotus, ponds with fountains, and everything is surrounded by covered galleries around the perimeter. All buildings are made of pink sandstone, no concrete, the interior decoration of the temple halls is made of white marble, the main dome (and there are nine in total) is of transparent marble, the same that was used in the construction of the Taj Mahal. From the inside, the dome is inlaid with thousands of diamonds, the walls of the main hall are gold and precious stones, the statue of God Swaminarayana is covered with gold, and a huge ruby ​​flaunts on the forehead.

To complete the picture, I will add a few numbers: the outside of the temple is decorated with 234 hand-carved columns, 148 elephants carved from stone, 125 figures of people and 42 figures of animals. All figures are represented in scenes from the myths and legends of India. Water for the fountains was brought from all the rivers of the country. According to the official version, the construction of the temple cost five hundred million (500,000,000) American dollars, collected by the followers of Swaminarayan, and according to our guide, the amount is many times more, I do not even dare to voice it.

I am far from any religious delight, I am not a church member, but joint participation in prayer, even as a spectator clapping his hands, touched him to the depths of his soul.

Akshardham, for all its unusualness, is still a traditional Hindu temple. Another thing is the Lotus Temple - the temple of the adherents of the Bahá'í teachings. Bahaism is a monotheistic religion. Its founder is Iranian Hussein-Ali-i-Nuri. Another name is Bahá'u'lláh (hence the name of the religious movement). Bahá'u'lláh taught in his sermons that all prophets are sent to earth to establish the "Kingdom of God on earth." The adherents revere Bahá'u'lláh as the last in a row (Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zarathustra, Krishna, Jesus Christ, Muhammad and Baba) the appearance of God. The religious center of Bahaism is located in Haifa.

For India, this is not the first attempt to unite all confessions into one. Suffice it to recall Akbar the Great, who created the new doctrine of Din-i Illahi (Divine Faith). True, after his death not a single adept of Din-i Illahia was found. Moreover, evil tongues claim that it was not so much religious beliefs that pushed him to create a new faith, but rather a harem, among whose inhabitants there were women of different faiths. But let's leave the gossip to the gossips.

The temple is built in the shape of a white lotus flower. No decoration inside or outside. The style is structural expressionism. Looking at the "stone flower", the Sydney Opera House comes to mind, only there the shape of the ceilings personifies the sails. For the future traveler: it is good to visit both temples in the late afternoon, because both there and there are wonderful illumination of both the temples themselves and the fountains. If in Akshardham you get just aesthetic pleasure, then the Lotus Temple can also be photographed.

After admiring the surroundings from the stylobate of the temple, the beautiful garden, trimmed lawns, following the flight of the eagle circling over the red temple of the supporters of Krishna consciousness (ISKCON), we go back to the car, it's time to go, Rajasthan awaits us.

This concludes the first part of the review about the next vacation in India. In the next chapter, Michael will talk about a trip to Jaipur, sometimes called the Pink City. If you liked the story I will be very grateful for a few words of support to its author. He spent time, effort (the report takes 23 pages of printed text in A4 format) and put his soul into this review ...