PLAN YOUR TRIP Welcome to Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra .................... 2 20 Top Experiences ...... 6 Need to Know ................. 16 If You Like... ..................... 18 Month by Month ............. 24 Itineraries ........................ 27 Travel with Children ....... 32 Regions at a Glance ....... 34 YOUR PLANNING TOOL KIT Photos, itineraries, lists and suggestions to help you put together your perfect trip UNDERSTAND Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra Today ...................... 304 History ............................. 306 Rajasthani Way of Life ... 320 Arts, Crafts & Architecture .................... 328 Naturally Rajasthan ...... 333 Rajasthani Food.............. 338 10,000 BC Stone Age paintings Àrst made in the Bhimbetka rock shelters, in what is now Madhya Pradesh; the art continues here for many centuries. Settlements thought to exist across subcontinent. wards sha ing the character of the terrain and its eo le, leaving behind a legacy un aralleled by any other part of the nation. The subcontinent saw Brahmanical empires and Hindu-Buddhist d nasties ebb and Áow for over a millennium before the arrival of the Islamic sultanates, which, along with the Mughals, established Mus lim control over much the region for another several hundred years Princely states in Rajasthan mushroomed along trade routes, and they alternated between bickering and tying allegiances with neighbours, but mostly they just fought. The Mughals were overtaken by the British, who managed to conquer the entire peninsula. But this potted chronology is »Prehistoric rock painting Desert Plants Vegetation in the desert zone is sparse – only and slow-growing thorny trees and shrubs c common tree species are the ubiquitous khejri varieties of acacia. Rajasthan also has some dry ciduous forest, bamboo brakes and subtropical are dwindling as inhabitants scour the landsca The hardy khejri, which is held sacred by th pur district, is drought resistant on account o is heavily utilised. No part of the plant goes to are used to build barriers to keep sheep and g leaves are dried and used for fodder, and the eaten. The latter, when cooked, is known as sa make furniture and the branches are burnt for used in the sacred Àre that’s lit during marriag see the heavily pruned khejri trees around Jod by their staying power. Wild Rajasthan For a place apparently so inhospitable, Rajas array of animals andbirds; the stars are the w now virtually restricted to Rantham hore Na niÀcent migratory bird show of Keo a eo Ghan Animals Desert gerbils are small, but they’re big trouble: they descend on crops in vast numbers, causing untold damage. In the arid zone an incredible 12,000 to 15,000 burrows per hectare have ÀÀand nurtured through patronage of the maharajas. At the other end, village Ra- jasthan is so steeped in tradition that it has been one of the slowest segments of Indian society to modernise. But, just like the rest of India, the pace of change is ever accelerating. Witnessing turbaned men bartering for decorated camels brings history to life, even if the successful deal is relayed home by a mobile phone. Snapshots of the everyday in Rajasthan capture India at its most evocative – the twirl of a moustache, a veiled glance or a Ֆof blue hashish smoke. It will Àll your memory card many times over. Against a backdrop of desert sands, fairy-tale palaces and massive forts, modern and traditional India puts on its greatest show. From elephant rides to colourful festivals, this is India at its high-definition, surround-sound best. 3 “ All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go! ” TONY WHEELER, COFOUNDER – LONELY PLANET PAGE 1 PAGE 303 GET MORE FROM YOUR TRIP Learn about the big picture, so you can make sense of what you see Agra Architecture 333 History 333 Shopping 33 Architecture The Taj Mahal is as breathtakingly proportioned and serenely beautiful as the brochures would have you believe. Follow its moods throughout the day and into the night with a viewing under a full moon. Mughal History Peering at the Taj from where Shah Jahan was im- prisoned in Agra Fort gives a whole new perspective to the famous tomb. While wandering the empty spaces of Fatehpur Sikri, Emperor Akbar’s spectacular but poorly sited city is also evocative. Shopping Agra is renowned for marble items inlaid with semi- precious stones, rec- reating the amazing pietra dura work that embellishes the Taj Mahal. p86 Jaipur Palaces 333 Arts & Crafts 333 Festivals 33 Palaces The Rajput palaces of Jaipur and Am- ber demonstrate the wealth and power of the former royals. They boast mag- niÀcent architecture and accessories such as the Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar. Arts & Crafts The maharajas of Jaipur bestowed great importance on the arts, and generations later many of artisans of the very same castes ply their skilled trade in crafts such as jewellery, pottery, carpet weaving and embroidery. Festivals Jaipur is a great place to witness na- tional celebrations such as Teej and Diwali – viewing the city’s Àreworks from Nahargarh is unforgettable. Jai- pur’s own festivals include its famous literature festival. p105 regions at a glance p38 Delhi Mughal Sites 33 Bazaars 33 Food 3 Mughal Sites Wander around Delhi’s sprawling Red Fort and Jama Masjid, and the streets of labyrinthine Old Delhi, and you’ll soon gain a sense of the glories of the Mughal empire. Humayan’s domed tomb was the precursor to the Taj Mahal. Bazaars All of India’s riches sparkle in Delhi’s bazaars and emporiums but you need to be prepared to haggle. You can also browse designer boutiques, 19th-century musical instrument shops and some of the country’s best bookstores. Food Delhi is one of the better places in India to taste everything from cutting-edge cre- ative Indian cuisine in luscious Àve-star hotels, to fresh-from-the-Àre, delectable Dilli-ka-chaat (Delhi street food). 32 Taj Mahal, Agra 1 Framed in its arched gateway, the full-frontal vision of the Taj Mahal (p88) is stunning – a paint- ing somehow made real for you to enter. Even the maddening crowds don’t spoil this vision of proportion and symmetry reÁected in the mirror-like watercourses of the surrounding Mughal garden. Translucent white marble softly glows at dawn, dusk and under moonlight. Closer inspection reveals delicate designs and beautiful calligraphy inlaid with coloured stone, and the two cenotaphs, one of Mumtaz Mahal, the inspiration for the Taj Mahal, and the second of Shah Jahan, its creator. 20 TOP EXPERIENCES Sleeping in a Palace The phenomenal wealth of the feudal kings and princes was as exclusive as it was vast. At that time only by luck of birth or special invitation could one have experienced the splendid interiors. But now the erstwhile royals rely on tourism and the palaces have become luxury hotels where you can sleep like a maharaja. JaipurRegional nobles built palaces around this city, so you’ll Ànd an embarrassment of palatial digs – the former maharaja’s own palace, the Rambagh, is one of India’s best hotels (p###) UdaipurThis ticks all the boxes for the most romantic setting with the picture-perfect Lake Palace, a Áoating wedding cake hotel (p209) JodhpurBoasts one of the last palaces to be built before the royals lost their gravy trains – the Umaid Bhawan Palace is an Art Deco colossus with stunning rooms (p122) Deserts & Camels Rajasthan’s great Thar Desert is criss-crossed by ancient trade routes and dotted with traditional vil- lages where life continues in a fashion very similar to more romantic times. Slow loping camels remain an important method of trans- port even in this frantic era, and they remain integral to traditional desert culture. JaisalmerHome to the very popular but still evocative over- night camel safari – sweeping sand dunes, traditional dance and food and a charpoy under the stars (p291) JodhpurThe centre for explor- ing the desert homelands of the Bishnoi, a people who hold all animals sacred, particularly the blackbuck, India’s desert antelope (p269) BikanerTravel in a traditional camel cart through the arid scrubland, while visiting villages and sleeping on dunes (p297) Mighty Forts The feudal past of Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan has left a sturdy architectural leg- acy of defensive fortresses. These massive buildings evoke the past and are quite rightly the focus of tourists and would-be time travellers. DelhiThe home of Shah Jahan’s Red Fort, where the famous Peacock Throne once resided (p44) AgraView the older and bigger red sandstone fort that was started by Akbar and became the prison of his grandson Shah Jahan (p90) ChittorgarhA massive citadel capping a mountain plateau – its battle-scarred bastions embrace palaces, temples and towers (p191) JodhpurA blue city spread beneath the ramparts of the hulk of Mehrangarh, Rajasthan’s most commanding fort (p257) JaisalmerTravellers are re- warded with a golden sandstone castle that drifts in the desert and is still inhabited (p275) ith d d - om ors d p l- d as s er Fancy Festivals Rich in religion and tradi- tion, Rajasthan has scores of vibrant festivals. Most festivals follow either the Indian lunar calendar (a complex system determined by astrologers) or the Is- lamic calendar (which falls about 11 days earlier each year; 12 days earlier in leap years), and therefore change annually relative to the Gregorian calendar. Diwali The liveliest festival of the Hindu calendar, celebrated on the 15th day of Kartika (Oct/ Nov), featuring crazy amounts of Àreworks (p26) HoliProbably the most exuber- ant Hindu festival – people cel- ebrate the beginning of spring (Feb/Mar) by throwing brightly coloured water and gulal (pow- der) at one another (p24) Pushkar Camel FairRajas- than’s biggest event – part agricultural show, part cultural festival and part Hindu pilgrim- age (p144) Jaipur Elephant FestivalA celebration of all things pachy- derm – pampered elephants are decorated and games include elephant-versus-human tug-of- war (p107) 1
Transcript
PLAN YOUR TRIP
Welcome to Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra .................... 220 Top Experiences ...... 6Need to Know ................. 16If You Like... ..................... 18Month by Month ............. 24Itineraries ........................ 27Travel with Children ....... 32 Regions at a Glance ....... 34
YOUR PLANNING TOOL KIT
Photos, itineraries, lists and suggestions
to help you put together your perfect trip
UNDERSTAND
Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra Today ...................... 304History ............................. 306Rajasthani Way of Life ... 320Arts, Crafts & Architecture .................... 328Naturally Rajasthan ...... 333Rajasthani Food .............. 338
10,000 BC
Stone Age paintings rst made in the Bhimbetka rock
shelters, in what is now Madhya Pradesh; the art continues here
for many centuries. Settlements thought
to exist across subcontinent.
wards sha ing the character of the terrain and its eo le, leaving behinda legacy un aralleled by any other part of the nation.
The subcontinent saw Brahmanical empires and Hindu-Buddhistd nasties ebb and ow for over a millennium before the arrival of theIslamic sultanates, which, along with the Mughals, established Muslim control over much the region for another several hundred yearsPrincely states in Rajasthan mushroomed along trade routes, and theyalternated between bickering and tying allegiances with neighbours, butmostly they just fought. The Mughals were overtaken by the British, whomanaged to conquer the entire peninsula. But this potted chronology is
» Prehistoric rock painting
, g g
Desert Plants Vegetation in the desert zone is sparse – only and slow-growing thorny trees and shrubs ccommon tree species are the ubiquitous khejrivarieties of acacia. Rajasthan also has some dryciduous forest, bamboo brakes and subtropicalare dwindling as inhabitants scour the landsca
The hardy khejri, which is held sacred by thpur district, is drought resistant on account ois heavily utilised. No part of the plant goes toare used to build barriers to keep sheep and gleaves are dried and used for fodder, and the eaten. The latter, when cooked, is known as samake furniture and the branches are burnt forused in the sacred re that’s lit during marriagsee the heavily pruned khejri trees around Jodby their staying power.
Wild Rajasthan For a place apparently so inhospitable, Rajasarray of animals and birds; the stars are the wnow virtually restricted to Rantham hore Nani cent migratory bird show of Keo a eo Ghan
Mahal lives up to its hype with its perfect proportions and marble tones. For many, though, it’s Agra’s red-stone fort and its sorrowful gaze across the Yamuna River towards the Taj Mahal that captures their imagination.
Land of Kings Rajasthan is literally the Land of the Kings. It is home to the chivalrous Raj-puts, and its battle-scarred heritage has bestowed legacies of pride and tradition. The upper echelons of this medieval so-ciety built magni cent palaces and forts, many of which are now glorious hotels and museums. In addition, stunning handicrafts and ne arts were developed
and nurtured through patronage of the maharajas. At the other end, village Ra-jasthan is so steeped in tradition that it has been one of the slowest segments of Indian society to modernise. But, just like the rest of India, the pace of change is ever accelerating. Witnessing turbaned men bartering for decorated camels brings history to life, even if the successful deal is relayed home by a mobile phone. Snapshots of the everyday in Rajasthan capture India at its most evocative – the twirl of a moustache, a veiled glance or a pu of blue hashish smoke. It will ll your memory card many times over.
OR
IEN
HA
RV
EY
KIM
BE
RLEY C
OO
LE
Against a backdrop of desert sands, fairy-tale palaces and massive forts, modern and traditional India puts on its greatest show. From elephant rides to colourful festivals, this is India at its high-definition, surround-sound best.
(left) Jagdish Temple (p201), Udaipur (below) Image of the goddess Parvati, Mewar Festival (p177)
3
“All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!”TONY WHEELER, COFOUNDER – LONELY PLANET
PAGE
1
PAGE
303GET MORE FROM YOUR TRIP
Learn about the big picture, so you
can make sense of what you see
Agra Architecture History Shopping
Architecture The Taj Mahal is as breathtakingly proportioned and serenely beautiful as the brochures would have you believe. Follow its moods throughout the day and into the night with a viewing under a full moon.
Mughal History Peering at the Taj from where Shah Jahan was im-prisoned in Agra Fort gives a whole new perspective to the famous tomb. While wandering the empty spaces of Fatehpur Sikri, Emperor Akbar’s spectacular but poorly sited city is also evocative.
Shopping Agra is renowned for marble items inlaid with semi-precious stones, rec-reating the amazing pietra dura work that embellishes the Taj Mahal.
p 86
Jaipur Palaces Arts & Crafts Festivals
Palaces The Rajput palaces of Jaipur and Am-ber demonstrate the wealth and power of the former royals. They boast mag-ni cent architecture and accessories such as the Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar.
Arts & Crafts The maharajas of Jaipur bestowed great importance on the arts, and generations later many of artisans of the very same castes ply their skilled trade in crafts such as jewellery, pottery, carpet weaving and embroidery.
Festivals Jaipur is a great place to witness na-tional celebrations such as Teej and Diwali – viewing the city’s reworks from Nahargarh is unforgettable. Jai-pur’s own festivals include its famous literature festival.
p 105
regions at a glance
p 38
Delhi Mughal Sites Bazaars Food
Mughal Sites Wander around Delhi’s sprawling Red Fort and Jama Masjid, and the streets of labyrinthine Old Delhi, and you’ll soon gain a sense of the glories of the Mughal empire. Humayan’s domed tomb was the precursor to the Taj Mahal.
Bazaars All of India’s riches sparkle in Delhi’s bazaars and emporiums but you need to be prepared to haggle. You can also browse designer boutiques, 19th-century musical instrument shops and some of the country’s best bookstores.
Food Delhi is one of the better places in India to taste everything from cutting-edge cre-ative Indian cuisine in luscious ve-star hotels, to fresh-from-the- re, delectable Dilli-ka-chaat (Delhi street food).
3 2
CR
ED
IT
Taj Mahal, Agra
1 Framed in its arched gateway, the full-frontal vision of the Taj Mahal (p 88 ) is stunning – a paint-ing somehow made real for you to enter. Even the maddening crowds don’t spoil this vision
of proportion and symmetry re ected in the mirror-like watercourses of the surrounding Mughal garden. Translucent white marble softly glows at dawn, dusk and under moonlight. Closer inspection reveals delicate designs and beautiful calligraphy inlaid with coloured stone, and the two cenotaphs, one of Mumtaz Mahal, the inspiration for the Taj Mahal, and the second of Shah Jahan, its creator.
KE
RE
N S
U 20 TOP EXPERIENCES
Sleeping in a Palace The phenomenal wealth of the feudal kings and princes was as exclusive as it was vast. At that time only by luck of birth or special invitation could one have experienced the splendid interiors. But now the erstwhile royals rely on tourism and the palaces have become luxury hotels where you can sleep like a maharaja. Jaipur Regional nobles built palaces around this city, so you’ll nd an embarrassment of palatial digs – the former maharaja’s own palace, the Rambagh, is one of India’s best hotels (p ### )
Udaipur This ticks all the boxes for the most romantic setting with the picture-perfect Lake Palace, a oating wedding cake hotel (p 209 )
Jodhpur Boasts one of the last palaces to be built before the royals lost their gravy trains – the Umaid Bhawan Palace is an Art Deco colossus with stunning rooms (p 122 )
Deserts & Camels Rajasthan’s great Thar Desert is criss-crossed by ancient trade routes and dotted with traditional vil-lages where life continues in a fashion very similar to more romantic times. Slow loping camels remain an important method of trans-port even in this frantic era, and they remain integral to traditional desert culture. Jaisalmer Home to the very popular but still evocative over-night camel safari – sweeping sand dunes, traditional dance and food and a charpoy under the stars (p 291 )
Jodhpur The centre for explor-ing the desert homelands of the Bishnoi, a people who hold all animals sacred, particularly the blackbuck, India’s desert antelope (p 269 )
Bikaner Travel in a traditional camel cart through the arid scrubland, while visiting villages and sleeping on dunes (p 297 )
Mighty Forts The feudal past of Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan has left a sturdy architectural leg-acy of defensive fortresses. These massive buildings evoke the past and are quite rightly the focus of tourists and would-be time travellers. Delhi The home of Shah Jahan’s Red Fort, where the famous Peacock Throne once resided (p 44 )
Agra View the older and bigger red sandstone fort that was started by Akbar and became the prison of his grandson Shah Jahan (p 90 )
Chittorgarh A massive citadel capping a mountain plateau – its battle-scarred bastions embrace palaces, temples and towers (p 191 )
Jodhpur A blue city spread beneath the ramparts of the hulk of Mehrangarh, Rajasthan’s most commanding fort (p 257 )
Jaisalmer Travellers are re-warded with a golden sandstone castle that drifts in the desert and is still inhabited (p 275 )
ith
d
d
-
om
ors
d
p l-
d
as s er
Fancy Festivals Rich in religion and tradi-tion, Rajasthan has scores of vibrant festivals. Most festivals follow either the Indian lunar calendar (a complex system determined by astrologers) or the Is-lamic calendar (which falls about 11 days earlier each year; 12 days earlier in leap years), and therefore change annually relative to the Gregorian calendar. Diwali The liveliest festival of the Hindu calendar, celebrated on the 15th day of Kartika (Oct/Nov), featuring crazy amounts of reworks (p 26 )
Holi Probably the most exuber-ant Hindu festival – people cel-ebrate the beginning of spring (Feb/Mar) by throwing brightly coloured water and gulal (pow-der) at one another (p 24 )
Pushkar Camel Fair Rajas-than’s biggest event – part agricultural show, part cultural festival and part Hindu pilgrim-age (p 144 )
Jaipur Elephant Festival A celebration of all things pachy-derm – pampered elephants are decorated and games include elephant-versus-human tug-of-war (p 107 )
CH
RIS
TE
R FR
ED
RIK
SS
ON
» Holi festival (p 25 )
1
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India has its fair share of scams, particularly in cit-ies such as Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, but most problems can be avoided with some common sense and caution. Scams change as tricksters try to stay ahead of the game, so chat with travellers and tourism o cials to keep abreast of the latest cons. Look at the India branch of Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree Travel Forum (www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree) for timely warnings from on-the-road travellers.
Contaminated
seal is intact and the bottom of the bottle hasn’t been tampered with.
» Crush plastic bottles after use to prevent them being misused later.
» Use your own water bottle and water-puri cation tablets or a ltration system.
Gem Scams » This long-running scam
involves charming con artists who promise foolproof ‘get rich quick’ schemes.
goods if they arrive at aare worth a fraction of whyou paid, and the ‘represeatives’ never materialise.
» Don’t believe hard-lucstories about an inabilityobtain an export licencedon’t believe the testimonials they show you fromother travellers – they arall fake.
» This scam is particularprevalent in Jaipur (p 131 )
Transport Scam » Agree on prices before
hand when agging downautorickshaw or arranginan airport pick-up from yhostel or hotel.
» Make sure you’re com-pletely clear what is incluin the price of any tour toavoid charges for hidden‘extras’ later on; get this writing.
» Be extremely wary of anyone o ering tours to Kashmir.
» Some travel agents exptravellers’ safety concernto make extra money fro
Scams & Touts
PAGE
36
PAGE
343
The Golden Triangle This book’s fi rst steps take in the famous Golden Triangle, a traveller’s trigonomet-ric survey of emblematic India. It starts at the daunting mega-metropolis of Delhi with its majestic Mughal heritage, and then directs you to Agra, where one of the world’s most famous tombs, the Taj Mahal, defi nes a city. The third apex is the gateway to Rajasthan, Jaipur – a city painted pink with the Palace of the Winds and some of the most colourful bazaars in India. From here, the rest of Rajasthan beckons. The colours of this region are impossible to ignore and the eff ect of emerald green, canary yellow and fi re-engine red turbans and saris is simply dazzling. Rajasthan is
India’s major drawcard and once you step into a palace, stare up at a fort or see your fi rst lac bangle being made, you will soon appreciate why this is so.
Magnifi cent Monuments Most travellers to this region will arrive by air in the nation’s capital. Delhi is an overwhelming, bursting-at-the-seams city that still manages to charm visitors with its magnifi cent heritage and heady cocktail of old and new. The former capital of Shahja-hanabad, the seventh city on this ancient site, anchors the Old City with its massive Red Fort while evocative tombs of empires past are islands in the sprawl of New Delhi. A short train journey to the south, the Taj
Welcome to Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra
Mahal lives up to its hype with its perfect proportions and marble tones. For many, though, it’s Agra’s red-stone fort and its sorrowful gaze across the Yamuna River towards the Taj Mahal that captures their imagination.
Land of Kings Rajasthan is literally the Land of the Kings. It is home to the chivalrous Raj-puts, and its battle-scarred heritage has bestowed legacies of pride and tradition. The upper echelons of this medieval so-ciety built magnifi cent palaces and forts, many of which are now glorious hotels and museums. In addition, stunning handicrafts and fi ne arts were developed
and nurtured through patronage of the maharajas. At the other end, village Ra-jasthan is so steeped in tradition that it has been one of the slowest segments of Indian society to modernise. But, just like the rest of India, the pace of change is ever accelerating. Witnessing turbaned men bartering for decorated camels brings history to life, even if the successful deal is relayed home by a mobile phone. Snapshots of the everyday in Rajasthan capture India at its most evocative – the twirl of a moustache, a veiled glance or a puff of blue hashish smoke. It will fi ll your memory card many times over.
OR
IEN
HA
RV
EY
KIM
BE
RLEY C
OO
LE
Against a backdrop of desert sands, fairy-tale palaces and massive forts, modern and traditional India puts on its greatest show. From elephant rides to colourful festivals, this is India at its high-definition, surround-sound best.
(left) Jagdish Temple (p201), Udaipur (below) Image of the goddess Parvati, Mewar Festival (p177)
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Udaipur Rajasthan’s romanticcity of palaces (p197)
Shekhawati DistrictPainted havelis and
marvellous murals (p229)
Jodhpur Blue City with
massive fort (p253)
Chittorgarh Enormous battle-weary
fort (p191)
JaisalmerDesert citadel
among the dunes (p275)
JaipurElephant rides atAmber Fort (p105)
PushkarCamel fair and
cultural festival (p162)
GUJARAT
BIKANER
JAISALMER
JODHPUR
SIROHI
BARMER
PALI
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Indira GandhiCan
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RanthambhoreNational Park
Tigers in the wild (p171)
BundiRajasthan for the
connoisseurs (p180)
Fatehpur SikriEmperor Akbar’s short-
lived capital (p102)
Red Fort, DelhiOld Delhi’s Mughal fort
(p44)
Taj Mahal, AgraMarble monument
to love (p88)
Humayun’s Tomb, DelhiMughal tomb of grand
proportions (p49)
Jama Masjid, DelhiOld Delhi’s enormous
mosque (p48)Qutb Minar, Delhi
Islam’s bold proclamationof victory (p84)
BARAN
KOTA
BUNDI
AJMER
TONK
DHOLPUR
ALWARJAIPUR
NAGAUR
SIKAR
CHURU
BHILWARA
BANSWARA
UDAIPURJHALAWARGandhi
Sagar
RanaPratapSagar
SambharSalt Lake
KhatlingGlacierSutlej
Bana
sCha
mbal
Sa
raswa
ti
Ganges
NawalgarhPatan
Baran
Sambhar
FatehpurSikri
Rajgarh
Aklera
Dausa
Pushkar
Bassi
Shahpura
Baggar
Galiakot
Rajgarh
Suratgarh
Deoli
Amber
Bansur
Bijolia
DidwanaMathura
Sardarshahr
Fatehpur
Beawar
Banswara
Jhalawar
Sirsa
Ganganagar
Ratlam
KotaBhilwara Shivpuri
Firozpur
Dholpur
Ratangarh
SawaiMadhopur
Hisar
Nimach
Kishangarh
RewariJhunjhunu
Tonk
Sikar
Chittorgarh(Chittor)
Bundi
Ludhiana
Ajmer
Agra
Chandigarh
Alwar
Bharatpur
Bhopal
Jaipur
Shimla
Delhi
DarrahWildlifeSanctuary
Tal ChhaparWildlife
Sanctuary
Jaisamand Lake &Wildlife Sanctuary
Keoladeo GhanaNational Park
RanthambhoreNational Park
SariskaTiger
Reserve
UTTARPRADESH
INDIA
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Top Experiences ›
One route is so well loved it even has a name: the Golden Triangle. This classic Delhi–Agra–Jaipur trip can be squeezed into a single week.
Spend a day or two in Delhi fi nding your feet and seeing the big-draw sights, such as the magnifi cent Mughal Red Fort and Jama Masjid, India’s largest mosque.
Then catch a convenient train to Agra to spend a day being awed by the world’s most ex-travagant monument to love, the Taj Mahal, and exploring the mighty Agra Fort. Only an hour away is Fatehpur Sikri, a beautiful Mughal city dating from the apogee of Mughal power. It is amazingly well preserved and deserves a full day of exploring.
If you have time, take a rural respite at Keoladeo Ghana National Park, one of the world’s foremost bird reserves. Having relaxed at this beautiful and rewarding place, you can then take a train to Jaipur. Spend a couple of days in and around Rajasthan’s hectic, dusky-pink capital, seeing the City Palace and Amber Fort, and stocking up on blue pot-tery, dazzling jewellery and Rajasthani puppets before heading back to Delhi.
One WeekThe Golden Triangle
Itiner-aries
Whether you’ve got six days or Whether you’ve got six days or 60, these 60, these itineraries provide a itineraries provide a starting point for the trip of a starting point for the trip of a lifetime. Want more inspiration? lifetime. Want more inspiration? Head online to lonelyplanet.Head online to lonelyplanet.com/thorntree to chat with other com/thorntree to chat with other travellers.travellers.
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With a fortnight to spare, you can for-get triangles and go all out for a mul-tifaceted loop taking in Rajasthan’s most spectacular cities, all erstwhile
capitals of former princely states, boasting fairy-tale palaces and stern fortresses.
Again, you will most likely start from the nation’s capital of Delhi to see the Mughal monuments, such as the massive Red Fort. No trip to India is complete with a visit to the Taj Mahal at Agra. Spend two days here viewing the Taj during the day, at night and from the maze-like Agra Fort. Spend a day exploring the ghost city of Fatehpur Sikri, before heading to the bird-watching mecca that is at Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Next stop is the pink city of Jaipur where you will want to spend two or three days exploring the palaces of Jaipur and Amber.
From Jaipur, take a short trip to the sa-cred lake of Pushkar, where you can re-lease your inner hippie or attend the camel fair. Move on to the romantic lake-town of Udaipur, visiting the fi ne City Palace and the impressive Jagdish Temple as well as doing some shopping and relaxing on roof-tops while peering at the lake and its famous palace. From Udaipur head towards the ex-
traordinary, bustling, blue city of Jodhpur. Take time to stop at the milk-white Jain tem-ple complex of Ranakpur and the isolated, dramatic fortifi cations of Kumbhalgarh – as they are fairly close together, you can visit them en route to Jodhpur within a day. In Jodhpur, visit the spectacular Mehrangarh, a fort that towers protectively over the city like a storybook fortress.
Next take an overnight train to the Gold-en City, Jaisalmer, a giant sandcastle in the desert, with its beautiful Jain temples and exquisite merchants’ havelis (traditional, ornately decorated mansions). Take a short camel safari through the bewitching land-scape of sweeping dunes and sleep under the stars. If you have the time, break your journey back to Delhi with a stop in the des-ert city of Bikaner, home of the impregna-ble Junagarh Fort, and nearest city to the famous rat temple of Deshnok.
Two WeeksRoyal Rajasthan
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Ranakpur
Pushkar
Fatehpur Sikri
Deshnok
Kumbhalgarh
Jodhpur
Agra
Udaipur
Jaisalmer
Bikaner
Jaipur
DELHI
UTTARPRADESH
INDIA
PAKISTAN
Keoladeo GhanaNational Park
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After arriving in Delhi and exploring the city sights, take the train down to Agra to gaze at the picture-perfect Taj Mahal, explore Agra Fort and
have a day-trip out to the abandoned Mu-ghal city of Fatehpur Sikri. To experience Rajasthan’s wild side, fi rst head to the World Heritage–listed bird-watching paradise of Keoladeo Ghana National Park, where the sheer numbers of nesting birdlife will astound you. This can be followed by a tiger safari or three at Ranthambhore National Park, one of your best bets of spotting a ti-ger in all India.
Take a Kota-bound train southwest for a stop at the charming small town of Bundi, to explore the crumbling palace. From here, it is a short train ride to Chittorgarh where one of Rajasthan’s most impressive fortress-es occupies a mountain plateau. Next stop is Udaipur, where you can relax from your travels with a few easy days of sightseeing, elegant dining and souvenir shopping.
From Udaipur it’s worth side-tripping to Mt Abu to see the magnifi cent Dilwara Temples before going north to Jodhpur. Alternatively, head north to Jodhpur, stop-ping on the way to see the Jain temples
of Ranakpur and the magnifi cent fort at Kumbhalgarh. From Jodhpur it’s an easy train or bus ride to Jaisalmer, the desert town with a romantic picturesque fort rising from the golden sands. Here you can spend a few days exploring havelis and palaces, before taking an overnight camel trek into the desert. After Jaisalmer, head to Bikaner via Phalodi and Kichan, where you can observe the fearless fl ocks of the village’s re-nowned demoiselle cranes.
Travel south from Bikaner, stopping at the fascinating rat temple of Deshnok and the sleepy cattle-fair town of Nagaur before coming to rest at the sacred pilgrimage town of Pushkar. At Pushkar you may be in time for the famous camel festival; otherwise, just put your feet up for a few days and soak in the serenity.
From Pushkar it’s a short hop to Jaipur with its fabulous citadel at Amber and great shopping. Head north to Shekhawati for a few days, inspecting havelis at Mandawa, Nawalgarh and Fatehpur, before return-ing to Delhi.
One MonthA Month-Long Sojourn
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INDIA
PAKISTAN
SHEEKHAWATI
Ranakpur
Pushkar
Mt Abu
FatehpurSikri
Deshnok
Mandawa
Kichan
Phalodi
Chittorgarh
Bundi
Fatehpur
Jodhpur
Agra
Udaipur
Jaisalmer
Nawalgarh
Nagaur
Kumbhalgarh
Bikaner
Jaipur
DELHI
KeoladeoGhana
NationalPark
RanthambhoreNational Park
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Fabulous Fortresses A Three-Week Itinerary Water may be a problem, but fortresses that look like they’re straight out of a fairy tale are not in short supply in Rajasthan. You’ll definitely want to bag as many of these architectural wonders on your trip as you can.
» Start your fort appreciation in Delhi (p 38 ), with the city-centre Red Fort introducing you to massive Mughal architecture.
» Head south to Agra (p 86 ), where the red-sandstone Agra Fort has exquisite architec-ture and views to the Taj Mahal.
» From Agra, it is a short day-trip to the forti-fied ghost city of Fatehpur Sikri (p 102 ).
» Spend a couple of days in Jaipur (p 105 ) to visit the citadel of Amber and the ridge-top forts of Jaigarh and Nahargarh.
» For something straight out of the Jungle Book, head to Ranthambhore National Park (p 171 ), where Ranthambhore Fort perches on a craggy mountain, surrounded by jungle (and the odd tiger).
» Slow down the pace at Bundi (p 180 ), where Taragarh is an overgrown, crumbling fortress for a ramble.
» Take the train to Chittorgarh (p 178 ), where Rajasthan’s most legendary fort covers a mountain plateau.
» Even more evocative is Kumbhalgarh (p 216 ), a remote edifice between the tourist centres of Udaipur and Jodhpur.
» The prize for most dramatic fort goes to Mehrangarh in Jodhpur (p 253 ), rising from a sheer rock above a blue-washed city.
» Looking like an Arabian Nights movie set is the still-inhabited, golden-sandstone fortress in the desert city of Jaisalmer (p 275 ).
» On the way back to Delhi, drop into Bikaner (p 292 ), where the never-conquered Junagarh boasts spectacular interiors.
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Fatehpur Sikri
Chittorgarh
Bundi
Udaipur
Jodhpur
AgraJaisalmer
Bikaner
Jaipur
DELHI
Kumbhalgarh
RanthambhoreNationalPark
RAJASTHAN
UTTARPRADESH
PAKISTAN
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Clockwise from top left1. Mehrangarh, Jodhpur 2. Jaisalmer Fort, Jaisalmer 3. Agra Fort, Agra
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On the Road
See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.
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