The first jewel in the Golden Triangle will be our point of assembly, Delhi. Delhi is like learning to swim by being thrown in the deep end of the pool: it is overwhelming and you can only deal with it in small portions without drowning. But what an introduction! We will visit markets and bazaars, temples and monuments; we will walk the streets and ride the tri-shaws. Mostly, we will try not to use all our film or discs on the first day.
Our second major destination in the Golden Triangle is Agra, the city of the inimitable Taj Mahal The most romantic tomb ever created, the Taj Mahal houses the tombs of the emperor Shah Jhan and his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal. This wonderful marble edifice took over 21 years to build and is the finest jewel of art and architecture of the Mughal period. The pure white marble of the tomb takes on subtle changes in sunshine, and indeed moonlight, and seems to change color throughout the day and night.
The Taj Mahal has a wonderful, romantic history. Its magnificent beauty has survived the test of time; it has seen the rise and fall of empires, kings, and lesser men. Being at the epicenter of the Indian political scene, it has endured India's transition from an empire to being part of an empire, India's fight for independence, and finally its emergence as the largest democracy in the world. Through all this, the Taj has retained its serenity and quiet majesty.
The Agra Fort and nearby Fatehpur Sikri are not merely rich legacies of Mughal historythey are the finest examples of architecture combining both Hindu and Muslim elements.
Jaipur, the third jewel of the Golden Triangle, is in Rajasthan, India's desert state. Rajasthan was once a collection of princely kingdoms; many feudal traditions still survive amidst forts and palace hotels in this isolated and colorful state. The capital city, Jaipur, is still considered a "Royal City." It was the stronghold of a clan of rulers whose three hill forts and series of palaces in the city are important photographic attractions. Known as the Pink City because of the color of the stone used in the walled city, it was India's first "planned" city built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. Built primarily of pink sandstone, the city is said to "blush like a new bride" at every sunset. Whether that is an accurate description is for you to decide, but it definitely seems to glow pink in the last light of day. Its palaces and forts, Jharokhas and Jalis, are typical of a style of architecture seen throughout Rajasthan. Much of the color of the city comes not from the stones but from the saris and bangles worn by Rajasthani women. Made of silk and other materials, these flashes of color are indescribable photographic opportunities.
This page requires frames for proper display. If your browser does not support frames, please see our text-only site for complete information about this workshop or tour.
If your browser does support frames and you reached this page directly through a search, it will look much nicer on the frames page.