Exploring the Golden Triangle in India
Stepping out of the airplane in New Delhi, India in 2017, I felt the familiar assault on my senses that I get in many Asian cities. Humid air, a cacophony of sounds, vivid colors and the odors of a thousand sources overwhelmed my senses, even though it was the middle of the night. The first time I was in South Asia I was four years old, clinging to my mother’s hand as we stepped into the unknown. The humidity had slapped us in the face and we quickly covered our mouths and noses against the smells. Here I was, decades later with my husband, only 300 miles away from my childhood home in Lahore, Pakistan.
First, some quick facts: India, the seventh-largest country in the world, ranks number two in terms of population. With a history in the Indus Valley that dates back to 7,000 years BCE, India is filled with ancient temples, palaces, carvings and natural wonders. I was quite intrigued to learn that somewhere between seven and fifteen cities have been built on the site Delhi now occupies in a vast plain, though the perimeters of the cities varied through five centuries.
The official languages are Hindi and English but don’t expect everyone to speak English; many speak their own dialect and Hindi but their grasp of English may be limited.
Going clockwise from the northwest, the country is bordered by Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar (Burma), the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. With so many neighbors, it’s easy to see that India has had numerous diverse influences. One aspect of these influences is the tension that has existed for a long time between Hindu and Moghul forces, at times blended through marriage and other alliances, other times leading to fractured relations and wars. For the traveler, the benefits of such alliances can be found in fascinating examples of melded architecture, art and cuisine.
Overall Travel Plan
We had a month to tour India but quickly realized that even that generous amount of time would limit our itinerary. We started with the Golden Triangle and added a few other destinations. The Golden Triangle is popular with first-time visitors as it includes the Taj Mahal in Agra, an introduction to Delhi, the nation’s capital, and Jaipur’s many palaces. This article focuses on the Golden Triangle. It’s easy to find tours for the Golden Triangle but we planned our trip independently.
Most of our lodging arrangements were made ahead of time using a combination of resources including the Lonely Planet guidebook, online reviews and Agoda.com to book hotels. Once we arrived in India, we made some adjustments since we weren’t locked into anything. We had an interesting mix of 2-star to 5-star hotels (based on my own ranking).
New Delhi
We started here for several reasons: quite a few international flights were available from the U.S.; it’s a key part of the Golden Triangle and I had a cousin who worked at the U.S. Embassy. It’s as good a place as any to get over jet lag, though it’s the least desirable of any of the other locations due to its poor air quality in November when we were there and truly horrendous traffic congestion. On the plus side, the layers of history and gargantuan size are endlessly fascinating.
It’s a long flight from the U.S. no matter how you do it, around 20 hours or more. We flew from San Francisco to Newark, NJ and then flew 14 hours to Delhi on United Airlines. Upon landing at midnight, we had the unfortunate experience of getting a taxi driver who spoke no English and we had no cell service. Despite our having the address and a small map, it was no easy feat to locate the Corus Hotel (2 stars on the author’s ranking), a small hotel on the second floor of one of the three circular rings that comprise Connaught Circle.
The taxi driver kept gesturing for us to get out in the multi-block retail complex but we persevered, refusing to leave the vehicle until we could see the small sign of the hotel. The entrance from the inner circle was somewhat menacing with just a small door but that’s because the more welcoming main entrance was from the other side of the block. An entourage slowly formed, comprised of all the night staff at the humble hotel as we squeezed through the narrow hallway in a procession to our room. My senses were on high alert but all was well once we indicated our approval of the clean, spacious room, with much smiling and hand-shaking as they left, one by one.
When the sun came up, I was interested to see what Connaught Circle looked like in daylight. Was it still night? No, the clock said it was 7:00 am. I peered through the thickest air pollution I had ever seen. I could barely discern the shadowy outline of a park across the street in the center of the circle, notable for an enormous flag of India waving slowly in a light breeze.
There are a number of sights in Delhi that can be accomplished in one day. There is no need to set up a city tour ahead of time as this can be arranged through your hotel or any of a million tour operators in the tourist areas. It will be much less expensive if you arrange for a driver or join a tour group when in Delhi as opposed to planning it from the U.S. Don’t be afraid to bargain on the price. We chose to hire drivers by the day in cities and for several days for longer excursions as transportation was inexpensive. Prices are generally quite fluid in India and travel agents can be found through your hotel.
We saw the following over a day and a half in Delhi, arranged in order of our enjoyment. If you’re pressed for time, lop off the ones at the end. The Delhi Tourism website has a succinct list of tourist destinations that I used to build our list.
Red Fort: The first four places listed here are very close to each other so it’s worth including all of them at one time. The huge Red Fort is spread over 255 acres and is distinctive for its red sandstone walls that were built in 1639. There are several buildings and a couple of small museums. If you have a driver, he can help you secure a bicycle rickshaw driver or you can haggle yourself for the next two activities.
We crossed through the Lahori Gate that led the way to Lahore. I paused there among the throng of people feeling the connection to my childhood and imagining a time before I lived there when Pakistan was part of India.
This was the first of many places where we experienced unexpected attention. I noticed a crowd of young men eyeing us, which initially made me nervous when we were in the far reaches of the complex. I stuck close to Steve and secured my belongings. There were increasing sly glances and whispers until finally one boy was pushed forward by the others. Haltingly, he asked if he could get a selfie. Was that what this was all about? I smiled and said yes, of course. He snapped a selfie, which caused gales of laughter among the young men. I asked if others wanted a photo. They eagerly grouped around and snapped away. This selfie fascination was to become a theme throughout our trip.
Grand Mosque (Jama Masjid): Built in 1656, it’s the largest mosque in India and can hold 25,000 people. It cost a few cents to rent a colorful cover-up gown for me. It was a powerful experience to stand inside the majestic walls and imagine it full of worshippers standing shoulder to shoulder.
Old Delhi: From the Grand Mosque, a bicycle rickshaw driver took us through a few narrow lanes in Old Delhi, a hodge-podge of timeworn buildings, shops and stalls that assailed our senses, usually in a good way. The drivers love to point out the jumble of electrical wires hanging over the streets looking like a terrific fire hazard.
Spice Market (Khari Baoli): The rickshaw driver cycled to the Spice Market next, established in the 17th century and reputed to be the largest in all of Asia. Our driver escorted us up a narrow staircase in the Garodia Market building where many vendors displayed their colorful, aromatic wares. Inevitably you’ll be taken to a spice merchant, who will likely give the driver a commission. We like to cook so we bought some spices, which they effectively sealed so our suitcase didn’t reek of curry. I resolved to cook my mom’s curry recipe with the spices when I got home.
Humayun’s Tomb: Built in 1565, this complex contains a number of fine examples of Mughal architecture. It was the first garden tomb built in India and likely formed the inspiration for the Taj Mahal. We enjoyed strolling through the peaceful grounds and appreciated the building techniques. When I saw some boys glancing our way, I smiled. The designated “asker” came over and politely asked for a selfie.
Lodi’s (or Lodhi’s) Garden: This large 90-acre park contains the tombs of Muhammad Shah and Sikandar Lodi dating back to the 15th century when the Afghan Lodi Dynasty was in power. It was a nice place to stretch our legs in well-tended gardens and one of the few places we felt like we could get some exercise, in spite of the polluted air, since the streets are so congested. We were fascinated by the intricate construction of octagonal buildings, a mosque, domed buildings, tombs, bridges and turrets.
India Gate: We saw this enormous war memorial situated at the ceremonial axis of Delhi several times as we crisscrossed the city. If you have time you can stroll around the large grounds; sunset is a popular time to gather.
Raj Ghat: This small memorial in a vast expanse of a grassy park, is dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. An austere black marble platform holds a perpetual flame that marks the spot of Gandhi’s cremation. It was an interesting bookend since we were able to visit Gandhi’s residence in Mumbai, where we learned more about this remarkable man.
It was here where the first girls approached us for selfies, primly dressed in their school uniforms. And it was here that I first turned the tables, allowing them their selfies but then getting one myself. This never failed to generate looks of surprise and more peals of good-natured laughter.
Lotus Temple: The traffic was so horrible and the drive so exhausting that we didn’t even go into this Baha’i Temple comprised of 27 marble-clad lotus petals. Even our driver was disgusted with the traffic so he just took us to a spot for viewing. We stood on top of the car to get a photo from outside the wall, a pretty lame way to get the shot. It’s worth a visit if you have a special interest but it’s out of the way in relation to other attractions.
Jaipur
The second leg of the Golden Triangle was Jaipur. Jaipur is all about palaces. The Jaipur Kingdom (now Rajasthan) existed for several generations from 1128–1974. Kings were succeeded by their sons or other male heirs and several built huge, ornate palaces that are spectacular to behold. For the five palaces we saw, the first three took a couple of hours each while the last two were quick viewing visits.
Amber Fort: This impressively large palace was first the first royal residence, built high up on a hill in Amer, surrounded by a Great Wall that is similar to a miniature version of the Great Wall of China. It was built and rebuilt several times by various rulers starting in 1036.
City Palace: Sawai Jai Singh II, the fifth ruler in the Amber area, built the City Palace between 1729 and 1732. Jaipur is named after him. This is the most ornate of the palaces. The royal family still lives here but has made part of the palace public. The intricate mirrored walls, expansive views of the city and opulent rooms made this a highlight.
Jantar-Mantar: This astronomical observatory is one of five built by Jai Singh during the period 1727–1734 in north India. The one in Delhi is still there but observations are not possible due to sight-line obstruction by tall buildings. The observatory consists of fourteen major geometric devices (or yantras in Hindi) for accurately measuring time, predicting eclipses, tracking stars in their orbits, ascertaining the declinations of planets and determining the celestial altitudes. This is located on the same grounds as the City Palace so they can be visited together. I found this fascinating and could have spent all day exploring all the astronomical features.
Jal Mahal (Water Palace): Set in a lake, this was a quick stop to view the palace, surrounded by water, from the shore.
Hawa Mahal (Palace of Breeze): Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Singh as part of City Palace, it was an extension of the women’s chamber. Its purpose was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen. It is a five-story high red sandstone structure complete with over 950 windows. This was a drive-by visit as no one is allowed inside.
The surrounding area is known for its gemstones and block printing, so expect to visit a factory store for each if you’re on a tour or if you hire a private driver. It’s understood that they get a commission and you’ll pay slightly higher prices but that’s the game. It’s still pretty inexpensive. If either of these is of particular interest to you, do some research, determine your needs and negotiate.
We felt like we stayed in our own special palace at the Hotel-Alsisar Haveli (5 star). This was one of my favorite places of the entire trip. It was a miniature palace, built in traditional Rajput architectural style, adorned with tiny concave mirrors set in gilt and carved plasterwork as part of an elaborate ceiling design. Narrow twisting passageways, semi-private courtyards, rooms built around a sitting room, rooftop gardens, pool, spa and attentive service all pointed toward luxury but the price was relatively reasonable. It’s a peaceful oasis set in a typical chaotic neighborhood, like so many Indian cities.
Agra
The final leg of the Golden Triangle, The Taj Mahal, is a required stop, being one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The famous white marble mausoleum sits on the bank of the Yamuna River, a tributary of the Ganges River in Agra. The Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, who reigned from 1628 to 1658) built the structure to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Dense fog mixed with pollution hung over the Taj Mahal but it was still impressive with its symmetry, serenity and loyal devotion.
The Emperors resided in the nearby Agra Fort, which is currently occupied by the Indian Army. A small portion of the Agra Fort is open to the public.
Ranthambhore National Park (Tiger Preserve)
A popular extension to the Golden Triangle is a tiger safari at Ranthambhore National Park, a five-hour drive from Agra. Tickets to the tiger safari can be obtained from local travel agents but the safari itself is government-run.
Our modest but entirely adequate hotel, Vatika Resort (3 star), had just a few rooms. Our small, bright room was comfortable with a porch and patch of grass in front. Breakfast and dinner were served in the dining room in the front, prepared in a small kitchen by the same few staff that seemed to do everything.
Final Thoughts
This was only one segment of our trip and I look forward to sharing the rest of our itinerary in another installment when I get even closer to my childhood memories.
If you are planning a trip and only have ten days, the Golden Triangle activities described above could be accomplished in that timeframe. We enjoy making our own travel arrangements for the most part but if you don’t, any number of tours would include many of these destinations in a typical package.
