India

HindustanPhotographs taken in the winter of 2009

Varanasi

The great Hindu city of Varanasi stretches along the crescent of the River Ganges, its

waterfront dominated by long flights of stone ghats where thousands of pilgrims and

residents come for their daily ritual abolutions. Known to the devout as Kashi, the

Lumious-the City of Lights, founded by Shiva- Varanasi is one of the oldest living cities in

the world. It has maintained its religious life since the sixth century B.C. in one continuous

tradition, in part of remaining outside the mainstream of political activity and historical

development of the Subcontinent. Located next to a ford on an ancient trade route, it is

among the holiest of trithas "crossing places," that allow the devotees access to the divine and

allow gods to come down to earth. It has attracted pilgrims, seekers, sannyasins and students

of the Vedas throughout its history, including sages such as Buddha, Mahavira (founder of

the Jain faith) and the great Hindu reformer Shankara.

Anyone who dies in Varanasi attains instant enlightenment. Widows and elderly

come here to seek refuge or to live out their final days, finding shelter in the temples and

assisted alms given by the faithful. Western visitors since the Middle Ages have marveled at

the strangeness of this most alien of Indian cities: at the tight mesh of alleys, the

accoutrements of religion, the host of deities- and at the proximity of death.

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DelhiDelhi is both daunting and alluring, a sprawling metropolis with a stunning backdrop of ancient

architecture. Once you've found your feet and got over the initial impact of commotion, noise,

pollution and sheer scale of the place, the cities geography slowly slips into focus.

Located on the banks of river Yamuna in northern India, Delhi has been continuously inhabited

since at least the 6th century BC, according to archaeological evidence. After the rise of the Delhi

Sultanate, Delhi emerged as a major political, cultural and commercial city along the trade routes

between northwest India and the Indo-Gangetic plains. It is the site of many ancient and medieval

monuments, archaeological sites and remains. In 1639, Mughal emperor Shahjahan built a new

walled city in Delhi which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1649 to 1857. After the

British East India Company gained control of much of India during the 18th and 19th centuries,

Calcutta became the capital both under Company rule and under the British Raj, until George V

announced in 1911 that it was to move back to Delhi. A new capital city, New Delhi, was built to

the south of the old city during the 1920s. When India gained independence from British rule in

1947, New Delhi was declared its capital and seat of government. As such, New Delhi houses

important offices of the federal government, including the Parliament of India.

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JaipurA flamboyant showcase of Rajasthani architecture, Jaipur (known as the City if Victory) is

chaotic and congested and has long been established on tourist itineraries as the third corner

of India's "Golden triangle." At the heart of Jaipur lies the Pink City, the old walled

quarter, whose bazaars rank among the most vibrant in Asia, renowned above all for its

hand-dyed and embroidered textiles and jewellery. Stunning hilltop forts and glorious palaces

fit like footprints from a rich royal past, candyfloss-bright turbans blaze a trail through

brilliant bargain-filled bazaars, as fluttering saris catch the eye like butterflies.

As the gateway to the desert state of Rajasthan, however, it’s also a city permanently under

siege. Package tourists are captivated by (and offloaded on) the bustling bazaars, world-class

hotels and clammy sophistication, while camel carts and cows waddle through diesel-soaked

streets, rampaging rickshaw drivers hustle and burn past businessmen and tourists, and

scores of street children beg outside huge jewellery shops and palatial hotels.

More than anywhere else in Rajasthan , Jaipur evinces the jarring paradox of India's

development: while glistening new shopping malls are being erected for a newly emboldened

middle class, poverty from the city's poorer districts is spilling over into the streets and the

entire city is choked with traffic.

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Agra

The splendor of Agra- capital of all India unde rth Mughals- remains undiminished, from the

massive fort t the magnificent Taj Mahal. Along with Delhi and Jaipur, Agra is the third

apex of the "Golden Triangle" India's most popular tourist itinerary. It fully merits that

status; the Taj effortlessly transcends all the frippery and commercialism that surrounds it,

and continues to make a fresh and immediate impact on all who see it.

The golden age of the city began with the Mughals. It was known then as Akbarabad and

remained the capital of the Mughal Empire under Emperor Akbar, Jahangir and Shah

Jahan. Since Akbarabad was one of the most important cities in India under the Mughals, it

witnessed a lot of building activity. Babar, the founder of the Mughal dynasty laid out the

first formal Persian garden on the banks of river Yamuna. The garden is called the Aram

Bagh or the Garden of Relaxation. His grandson Akbar raised the towering ramparts of the

Great Red Fort besides making Agra, a center for learning arts, commerce and religion. His

son Jahangir had a love of gardens and flora and fauna and laid many gardens inside the

Red Fort or Laal Kila. Shah Jahan known for his keen interest in architecture gave

Akbarabad its most prized monument, The Taj Mahal. Built in loving memory of his wife

Mumtaz.

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