Delhi
In Delhi, admire the Red Fort's palaces, dance halls,
and meeting places…watch the 25,000 worshippers fill the Jami
Masjid courtyard each Friday…learn about Mahatma Gandhi's life at
the Raj Ghat… shop for souvenirs at Connaught
Circus and Janpath and visit the markets at
Paharganj and Chandni Chowk…compare
the Humayan's Tomb with the similar Taj Mahal…stroll
through Nizamuddin, a lively Muslim market area,
as Qawwalis are sung on Thursday evenings.
Mumbai (Bombay)
Visit Elephanta Island with its remarkable Trimurti
sculpture…admire the view from Malabar Hill…travel
to Aurangabad to see the cave temples of Ajanta and
Ellora…visit Daulatabad, with its vast fort
rising out of the barren surrounding plains.
Calcutta
Visit the superb museum, the Victoria Memorial, one
of the world's largest planetariums, and fantastic markets…travel to Darjeeling,
the famed hill station with an unusually diverse history…visit Ghoom
Monastery and other active Tibetan Buddhist monasteries.
Agra
See the sunrise and sunset on the Taj Mahal…visit
Agra Fort and the abandoned city of Fatehpur
Sikri.
Rajasthan
Explore the City Palace in Jaipur, a treasure trove
of wildly painted reception halls and doors decorated with abstract designs…see
the finely toold stonework at the Palace of Winds…wander
the town of Amber, known for its massive fortress…in
Udaipur, visit the City Palace, the Folk Museum,
and take a boat ride on the lake…attend the Camel Fair
in February…take a camel trek in the Thar Desert from
Jaisalmer
Varanasi
Ride a boat in the morning on the Ganges…watch
men do early-morning yoga and women fetch holy water from the river…shop
for dazzling silks and saris.
Additional favorite activities
See the sculptures in Khajuraho…search for chital,
panters, and storks at Ranthambore National Park…ride
along the Kabini River to spy crocodiles…in
Kerala, visit the Government Museum, Kapaleeshwara
Temple, and see the pilgrims at Madurai…in Cochin,
travel by boat along the backwaters.
