Classical Splendour

Made of white marble and crowned by a gilded onion dome, the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and shimmering pool inside it are places of great sanctity for Indian Sikhs and offer the most atmospheric introduction possible to the capital. The complex in its present form dates from the late-18^th century and was constructed at a place associated with the eighth Sikh Guru, Har Krishnan. At a Langar, or ‘canteen’ in the temple, pilgrims are fed nourishing, free meals of chapatis and black dal by volunteers. If you’re lucky, you may see groups of Akalis, members of a Sikh warrior sect, dressed in traditional ceremonial garb.

Cycle-rickshaws are a relaxing, and eco-friendly, way to explore the lanes of Old Delhi. Different streets are to be given over to different trades in this atmospheric district, which formed the hub of the Mughal city. Dominating its skyline is the massive white dome of the Jama Masjid mosque, your next stop. After admiring the extraordinary views from its minarets, enjoy lunch at one of the famous kebab restaurants in the streets below, before driving past the Raj-era capital to the National Museum, with its world-class collection of Indian antiquities. Keen gardeners may wish to call at the nearby Rose Garden en route to Humayun’s Tomb, one of the India’s greatest early Mughal buildings. A visit to the hip shopping enclave of Haus Khaz, set amid ruined Afghan tombs and madrassas, rounds the day off in style.

Day four of your trip begins with a train ride from Delhi to India’s UNESCO-listed bird reserve at Keoladeo near Bharatpur. Home to a thriving avian population, the reserve centres on an area of wetlands that use to serve as a hunting ground for the local Maharaja. Signature species include man-sized Saras cranes, spoonbills and white-bellied sea eagles. You’ll also see huge nilgai bulls, porcupines and pythons writing through the shallows.

Fatehpur Sikri provides for the focus the afternoon’s sightseeing. Built at lavish expense at end of the 16th century, Emperor Akbar’s beautiful sandstone palace complex was only occupied for sixteen years, but its buildings remain in fine condition and vividly evoke the opulence of the Mughal era.

Dawn, when the delicate sunrise light bathes the white marble in warm hues of peach and crimson, is arguably the most atmospheric time to the visit the Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan, creator of the great tomb, was imprisoned at the end of his life by his son, Aurangzeb, in Agra Fort, just upriver, and is believed to have spent the last years of his life gazing at his wife’s tomb from a domed pavilion overlooking the Yamuna. On the opposite bank, the exquisitely decorated Itimad-ud Daulah tomb provides the final stop on your tour of Agra’s monuments.

A phalanx of Jain colossi, carved from the cliffs below Gwalior Fort, herald your arrival at one of India’s most impressive citadels, whose walls enclose a wonderful array of monuments dating mostly from the 15th century. Among the display of priceless antiquities on display in the Gujari Mahal palace is the famous Salabhanjika – a  curvaceous celestial nymph dubbed ‘India’s Mona Lisa’ for her enigmatic expression.

Of more recent vintage, the 19th century Jai Vilas showcases the extravagant lifestyle enjoyed by the Scindia Maharajas during the British era.

Rising from a rocky plateau on the edge of a small market town, Datia’s palace was built by Maharaja Bir Singh Deo in the 17th century and, with its abundance domed cupolas, collonaded walkways and hidden courtyards, is a marvellous example of Mughal-Rajput fusion architecture – one that’s all the more interesting for lying deserted and largely forgotten.

Orchha, too, has somehow escaped the ravages of over-development. Staying overnight in the village, you’ll be able to experience the essential tranquillity of its empty palaces and riverside cenotaphs in the morning, before the daytrippers arrive.

The temples of Khajuraho owe their survival to their remote location, which ensured they escaped the attentions of the Muslim armies that ravaged the area in medieval times. Erected between the 1oth and 12th centuries, they are famous above all for their sensuous stone decoration, much of which is uncompromisingly erotic! The intricacy of the carving, with figures sporting delicate jewellery and elaborate hairstyles, is astonishing, while the pretty pink hue of the sandstone they’re carved from looks especially gorgeous in the hour before sunset.

Set amid immaculate lawns, the shrines of Khajuraho are grouped into three distinct clusters. It would take literally days to visit all of them, but your guide will know which are the most worthwhile and help to provide some context for the art. No-one is exactly sure of the purpose of so much erotica. The most enduring theory is that the sculptures depict Tantric rituals performed inside the shrines themselves by priests and devadasis, female consorts who were attached to the temple and ritually “married” to the deities in them.

In the afternoon you’ll transfer to Panna National Park, an hour’s drive away, in time for an evening game drive in the reserve.

An expanse of mixed-deciduous forest broken by maidens of open grassland, Panna encompasses classic Jungle Book terrain. It is home to a small population of tigers, though you are less likely to see them as the herds of sambar deer, chital, chowsingha and nilgai on which the big cats prey. Even if you fail to sight any tigers, the park is a delightful place to unwind and boasts some exceptionally good hotels.

The short flight to Varanasi will get you to the city in time for a sunset visit to the bathing ghats – one of India’s defining spectacles.

Rituals on the Ganges begin before dawn, while mist blurs the contours of the sacred ghats, enveloping the shrines behind them in a mysterious half-light. The best vantage point from which to savour the spectacle is a rowing boat on the water itself. Chanting, drumming and the ringing of temple bells intensifies as the sun rises, casting the holy steps and their backdrop of sanctuary towers, pennants and parasols in a sublime glow.

 After watching worshippers perform rituals on the ghats leading to the water’s edge, you’ll return to Dashashwamedh Ghat to watch Ganga Aarti, in which teams of young priests in splendid ceremonial dress wave blazing oil lamps next to the Ganges. Devotional hymns, chants, drumming, bell ringing and gongs combine to create an intense atmosphere.

Although synonymous with the decadence of its former rulers, Lucknow’s most famous monument is the battle-scarred former British Residency, where in 1857 a handful of European soldiers and civilians survived two protracted sieges waged by mutinous Indian troops, lasting 87 and 61 days respectively. A small site museum houses images and artefacts relating to the events.

If the best way to understand a place and its people is through their food, this walk around the aroma-filled alleyways is just perfect. Lucknow is loved for its street food and restaurants, each with their own speciality and cooking technique, whether flame-grilled saffron skewers or curries fused with heady local spices. Visit some of Lucknow’s most authentic eateries with a self confessed gastronome to get a taste of what makes the cuisine here so delicious.

The relics of the Nawabs of Avadh stand proud on the northwest edge of the city. They include the outrageously opulent Bara Imambara – one of the largest vaulted halls in the world – and the fairy tale Hussainabad Imambara, or ‘Palace of Lights’. Both would have hosted sumptuous banquets and performances of amorous Thumri poetry, music and Kathak dance, performed by courtesans in front of sumptuously attired audiences.

In the afternoon, join a heritage tour of the bazaars, where you’ll be able to sample the Nawabs’ culinary legacy at some of the city’s famous street food stalls and restaurants.