1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:03,520 I am in India 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:09,320 with a 1913 Bradshaw's Handbook to Indian, Colonial And Foreign Travel. 3 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:11,880 HORN HOOTS 4 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:14,800 Published at the height of the British Raj, 5 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:16,760 my 100-year-old guidebook 6 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,160 will lead me on a spectacular railway adventure 7 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:23,800 through a land of majestic mountains and holy rivers. 8 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:27,480 Where magnificent beasts roam... 9 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:29,600 ..and epic stories are told. 10 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:34,200 I will encounter Maharajas, explore ornate palaces, 11 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,680 witness the technology of modern India, 12 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:41,320 and ride some of the most exhilarating trains in the world. 13 00:00:42,480 --> 00:00:47,160 I will discover how imperial railways and the English language 14 00:00:47,160 --> 00:00:50,640 inadvertently spread ideas of independence 15 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,680 among hundreds of millions of Indians, 16 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,920 who today live in the largest democracy in the world. 17 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:23,040 This journey, one of four that I'm taking across India, 18 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:25,320 begins in the north-west of the country 19 00:01:25,320 --> 00:01:28,120 on a route that was already a magnet for tourists 20 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:29,880 at the time of my guidebook. 21 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,960 I'm on the battlements of the imposing fort of Jodhpur, 22 00:01:39,960 --> 00:01:42,480 with the great desert to the west 23 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,400 and the vast state of Rajasthan to the east. 24 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:47,880 My Bradshaw's says, 25 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:53,240 "No greater mistake can be made than considering India as one country. 26 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:58,360 "It contains more nations, more climates, more races, more creeds, 27 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,800 "more racial, religious and social feuds, 28 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,880 "and its peoples differ more from one another 29 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:07,840 "than those of the continent of Europe." 30 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:11,400 I look forward to exploring the vivid variety 31 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:13,200 of this vibrant country. 32 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:23,080 My journey begins in the city of Jodhpur, 33 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:24,880 known as the Gateway to the Desert. 34 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,520 After a trek into the wilderness at Osiyan, 35 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,200 I travel to the state capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur, 36 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,600 famous as the Pink City. 37 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:39,240 Passing through Bandikui Junction, I will stop at Agra, 38 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,640 home of one of the world's most celebrated monuments. 39 00:02:42,640 --> 00:02:46,400 Journey's end is in the Indian capital New Delhi, 40 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:50,320 a megalopolis where old and new sit side by side. 41 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,320 As I tour the heart of this energising country... 42 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:01,120 THEY SING AND LAUGH 43 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,920 ..I play the sport of kings with royalty... 44 00:03:05,920 --> 00:03:07,880 Hit it, hit it. 45 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,000 It's your timing. My timing indeed. 46 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:14,720 ..discover that a hole in the ground can be exquisitely beautiful... 47 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:19,200 My goodness, Sanjay, that is a fantastic thing, isn't it? 48 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:23,400 ..I'm moved by India's architecture of passion... 49 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:25,480 For the millions of visitors, 50 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:29,880 the Taj Mahal is the greatest monument to love in the world. 51 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:34,200 ..and relate to some of the country's most revered animals. 52 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:37,840 Was it something I said? 53 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:52,560 At the time of my guidebook, 54 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:54,400 the British Raj colonials 55 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,880 had made some parts of the country a home from home, 56 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:01,240 but other areas remained wild and undeveloped. 57 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:07,080 Before I view some of India's greatest splendours, 58 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,320 I want to experience life at its simplest. 59 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:19,160 Following my guidebook, we plunge into the Great Desert of India, 60 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:23,120 "which might be compared to the Kalahari Desert of South Africa. 61 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:27,440 "It's only within the last few years that the locomotive has penetrated 62 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:30,400 "through the heart of the vast desert." 63 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,040 I'd be interested to know what was the impact of the railways 64 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:36,080 on peoples of this arid region 65 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,840 whose life had scarcely changed in thousands of years. 66 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:46,360 I've come to the ancient oasis town of Osiyan, 67 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,280 an important trading hub in medieval times, 68 00:04:49,280 --> 00:04:50,760 but now a quiet place. 69 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,640 Around it, the Great Desert, also known as the Thar Desert, 70 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,720 stretches for 200,000 square kilometres 71 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:02,040 across the state of Rajasthan, 72 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:05,640 Punjab, Sindh, and into Pakistan. 73 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:07,440 Good to see you. 74 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:09,880 Do we mount up on that camel? Sure. 75 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:21,920 My guide is Raj Bakshi. 76 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:27,880 These are fantastic animals, Raj, aren't they? 77 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,840 They are. They can go without water for three days at a stretch. 78 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,600 I'm quite surprised there are people living in this desert. 79 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:39,120 Yes, it's become much different than what it was. 80 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:41,680 It was very sparsely populated once upon a time. 81 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,120 And in the old days, this was a trading route? 82 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:45,440 This was the trading route, 83 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:47,160 this used to be part of the silk route 84 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:49,920 where they used to have the camel trades. 85 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:54,440 Once the trains and railways started, things changed overnight. 86 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:56,680 So a lot of people started coming here. 87 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:01,720 But though the numbers living here 88 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:04,280 and passing through as tourists have grown, 89 00:06:04,280 --> 00:06:08,000 this desert tribe relies on traditional subsistence farming. 90 00:06:15,280 --> 00:06:19,360 I'm Michael. Michael. What's your name? 91 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:24,680 Gattu. Gattu. Gattu. Gattu. Hello, Gattu. Hello. 92 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:32,880 Thank you very much, thank you. 93 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:37,960 Mm! Very sweet. 94 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:41,120 Tea flavoured with cardamom. 95 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:45,080 Thank you. 96 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:48,720 The staple cereal here is millet, 97 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:52,680 ground by hand to produce flour used to make bread. 98 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:57,560 May I do that? Is that OK? 99 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:02,320 Now this is extraordinary, 100 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:07,040 because I learnt about this in Bible class in primary school. 101 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:12,320 The two round pieces of stone that grind the corn or the seed, 102 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:14,320 or whatever it may be - 103 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:17,680 but what surprised me is although they are clearly very heavy, 104 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:22,520 it goes round very easily with this wooden handle. 105 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:24,840 Although I'm not sure I would want to do it all day. 106 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:35,640 I rejoin the railway at Osiyan 107 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:38,480 to head east across the state of Rajasthan 108 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:40,520 towards its capital, Jaipur. 109 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:49,840 The train is crammed with families snatching sleep and enjoying meals, 110 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,120 each on their own rail adventure. 111 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:58,480 My journey into Jaipur is only about five hours... Hello. 112 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:00,880 ..so I was rather surprised to get on this train 113 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:03,800 and find it was nothing but sleeping compartments - 114 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,680 but I discover that the train goes all the way to Puri, 115 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:10,280 which is nearly 2,000 miles, it's on the Bay of Bengal... 116 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:12,120 Hello! Hi! 117 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:14,120 ..and it doesn't arrive there 118 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,400 until the morning of the day after tomorrow. 119 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:21,440 Hi. So, no wonder people elect to have a kip on the way. 120 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:22,920 How are you doing? 121 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:28,360 Hello, may I join you a moment? Sure. Thank you very much. 122 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:31,120 Thank you. Where are you off to? Jaipur. Jaipur. 123 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:34,920 You are going to Jaipur? I am going to attend my brother's marriage. 124 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:36,440 Oh, wonderful. 125 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:39,000 And how long will that last, will that be days? 126 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:44,480 Three days - and one day they are doing some like...blessings, 127 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:46,680 and we are doing some prayer. 128 00:08:46,680 --> 00:08:49,960 You should come and see, like, how colourful is his wedding. 129 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:53,200 Indian wedding is very colourful. 130 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:55,040 And what colours will you be wearing? 131 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:59,720 OK, I am wearing one day, like, green and red - 132 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:02,800 it's the traditional colour in Rajasthan. 133 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,040 Rajasthan is known as a very colourful state, isn't it? 134 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:09,520 Very colourful. You'll see, like, red, orange, yellow. 135 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:13,960 These colours - very traditional colour in Rajasthan. 136 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:17,720 Those opulent colours for which the state of Rajasthan is famed 137 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,840 are a vibrant link to its royal traditions. 138 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:24,760 At the beginning of the 20th century, 139 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:26,600 this area was known as Rajputana. 140 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:30,040 My guidebook tells me "so called from the Rajput people 141 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:33,840 "who speak Hindi, claim to be the race of blood of kings, 142 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:35,840 "for which the word is 'raja' 143 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:39,040 "and belong to the soldier caste of the Hindus." 144 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:42,600 So, from "raja" comes the expression "British Raj," 145 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:45,840 the word "maharaja" meaning high king, 146 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:49,960 and nowadays the state is Rajasthan, the desert state. 147 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:55,800 I'm about to embark on the Golden Triangle of Jaipur, Agra and Delhi. 148 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:06,840 Within the British Raj, 149 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:11,040 there were over 500 semi-independent princely estates 150 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:12,720 spread across India, 151 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:14,560 each with its own ruler. 152 00:10:14,560 --> 00:10:18,040 In Rajasthan alone there were 22 such dynasties 153 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:20,080 occupying lavish palaces. 154 00:10:30,680 --> 00:10:35,160 Today, the Maharajas of Jaipur maintain a regal lifestyle, 155 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:37,680 but the doors of one of their palaces 156 00:10:37,680 --> 00:10:41,280 have been flung open, as it is now a pampering hotel. 157 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:50,320 Such splendid surroundings and first-class service 158 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:53,120 make me reflect on life under the British Raj. 159 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:01,280 Having a G&T at the Rambagh Palace 160 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:05,280 provides a good opportunity to see what phrases in Hindi 161 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:09,760 Bradshaw's thought were necessary in 1913. 162 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:12,280 So... HE READS OUT PHRASE 163 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:16,080 "Continue moving the punkah," meaning the fan. 164 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:19,560 HE READS OUT PHRASE 165 00:11:19,560 --> 00:11:23,480 "Bring the cold meat in the twinkling of an eye." 166 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:27,520 HE READS OUT PHRASE "Get the carriage ready." 167 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:30,760 And... HE READS OUT PHRASE 168 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:33,440 "He is a blockhead." 169 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:37,320 The arrogance of colonialism leaps off the page. 170 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:49,480 My Bradshaw's describes Jaipur with its carefully planned streets 171 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:52,240 as a modern native capital... 172 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:55,320 ..but it is the city's many beautiful palaces 173 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:56,800 that really impress. 174 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:04,280 The guidebook tells me that Jaipur stands 175 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:08,320 "on a rock in a basin amongst granite hills, 176 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:10,600 "even the broad streets laid out 177 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:12,440 "after the American pattern 178 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:14,840 "cannot prevent Jaipur from being 179 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:18,040 "one of the most picturesque cities in India." 180 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:20,680 Well, rest assured, Bradshaw's, 181 00:12:20,680 --> 00:12:24,000 there is no US influence at all evident 182 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,560 in the wonderful Jal Mahal palace. 183 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:40,600 Jaipur is a busy city. 184 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:42,440 The largest in Rajasthan. 185 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:47,720 Known as the pink city, 186 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:52,360 after a 19th-century maharaja repainted it to welcome Bertie, 187 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:58,000 the future King Edward VII during his tour of India in 1876. 188 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:04,040 Having slept in one palace, 189 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:06,880 I would like to see how maharajahs live today. 190 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:13,560 The current Maharaja and his family 191 00:13:13,560 --> 00:13:16,640 live in the largest of Jaipur's palaces 192 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:18,800 in the centre of the old city, 193 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:20,760 and it will be my privilege 194 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:24,320 to spend some time in royal company later today. 195 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:29,440 Architecture - the palace is a mix of styles, 196 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:31,960 blending Indian Hindu and Rajput 197 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:36,240 with others from the Mughal Empire and the British Raj. 198 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:40,680 Bradshaw's calls it - "a bizarre and fantastic structure, 199 00:13:40,680 --> 00:13:44,400 "a pyramidal pile of innumerable balconies and verandas 200 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,560 "projecting windows and turrets." 201 00:13:47,560 --> 00:13:48,840 Before I meet my host, 202 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:52,320 Pankaj Sharma, chief curator of the palace museum, 203 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:53,680 will show me around. 204 00:13:53,680 --> 00:13:57,560 So, Pankaj, who built the palace in the first place? 205 00:13:57,560 --> 00:14:01,160 Construction of the palace was started in 1727 206 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:02,760 and Maharaja Jai Singh II, 207 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:05,920 he laid down the foundation stone of the Jaipur city 208 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:09,680 and the construction was completed in 1734. 209 00:14:09,680 --> 00:14:13,800 Why would the Maharaja have needed such an enormous palace? 210 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:18,640 This palace is like a city, because they have a big family. 211 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:20,680 The women's quarters are there, 212 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:23,440 so this is for the concubines for the maharanis, 213 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:27,200 so this is their living apartment, and if Maharaja is going there, 214 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:29,000 then household staff is there. 215 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:30,480 So, in the old days, 216 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:33,880 how many women might there have been in the maharaja's life? 217 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:37,120 Some maharajas, they have five wives, some have seven 218 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:40,000 and maybe, like Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh Ji, 219 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,600 he had a very large number of concubines and maharanis. 220 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:47,720 He had more than 20 maharanis. 221 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:49,160 Over the centuries, 222 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:52,520 the royal family of the princely state of Jaipur 223 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,680 maintained its immense power and wealth 224 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:59,120 by negotiating terms with mighty invaders. 225 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:02,920 First the rulers of the Mughal Empire and then the British Raj. 226 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:07,640 And nowadays, what sort of power does the Maharaja's family have? 227 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:11,400 After the independence of India, they do not have any power, 228 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:15,440 and nowadays they have the Princess of Jaipur - 229 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:19,400 Princess Diya Kumari. She is a member of legislative assembly, 230 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:22,560 but they do not have any power to rule over Jaipur. 231 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:24,120 And the people of Jaipur, 232 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:27,480 do they still show great respect to the royal family? 233 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:31,160 Yes, still we are calling the Maharaja, then, His Highness, 234 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:32,920 and if we are meeting them, 235 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:35,400 then we are greeting them in the traditional manner. 236 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,920 And what does that look like? We are greeting in that manner. 237 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:41,080 So this means we are pleasing her, 238 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:43,640 we have high regards and respects for her. 239 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:47,560 During British rule, the dynasty in Jaipur 240 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:50,760 positioned itself as a leading influence amongst 241 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:54,040 the hundreds of princely states and mixed socially 242 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:56,280 with the British royal family. 243 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:59,160 Tell me about this wonderful artefact. 244 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:01,680 These are the silver urns, and these are recorded 245 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:03,880 in the Guinness Book of World Records 246 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:05,960 as the world's largest silver urns. 247 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:09,760 Because one of the maharaja, Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh Ji II, 248 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:12,600 he was invited to attend the coronation ceremony 249 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:14,800 of King Edward VII in 1902. 250 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:19,480 So he went to England, but he was always using Ganges water 251 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:22,080 for bathing purposes and for drinking purposes. 252 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:26,600 So he carried Ganges water in the silver urns from India to the UK. 253 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:28,280 What is their capacity? 254 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:30,920 The capacity is 900 gallons of water. 255 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:34,560 42,000 silver coins were released... 256 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:36,960 ..to make the three silver urns. 257 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:39,080 Tell me, Pankaj, when you go to London, 258 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:41,000 do you take Ganges water with you? 259 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,800 Actually, I am satisfied with tap water. 260 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:47,480 And I think you would pay a lot of excess baggage, too. Yes! 261 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:57,600 The Jaipuri and British royal families remain close today. 262 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:01,160 It is a relationship cemented by sport. 263 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:04,200 Originating in Persia, polo was considered 264 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:08,480 the national game of India as far back as the 15th century. 265 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:10,320 Formalised by the British, 266 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:12,920 by the time my guide book was published, 267 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:16,600 the sport of kings provided an important social link 268 00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:20,080 between the colonial power and Indian nobility. 269 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:24,400 The present Maharaja of Jaipur, 19-year-old Padmanabh Singh, 270 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:26,720 continues the family tradition. 271 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:29,320 I'm meeting his father, Narendra Singh, 272 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:33,120 at the world-famous Rajasthan polo club - 273 00:17:33,120 --> 00:17:37,080 and it seems the young royal wasn't always so keen 274 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:39,320 to get his hands on a mallet. 275 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:42,080 When he was eight years old and I used to play polo here 276 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:44,720 and my late father-in-law was alive in those days 277 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:49,000 and he himself was a great polo player and great polo patron. 278 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:53,160 So he was very keen that I play and that my son should also play polo. 279 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:54,920 It is in the blood, you know? 280 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:58,120 There is a rich tradition and culture in the royal family of polo, 281 00:17:58,120 --> 00:18:00,120 riding and horses and things like that, 282 00:18:00,120 --> 00:18:03,160 and the first time I brought him here on the ground, 283 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:04,800 I made him sit on the horse's back 284 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,960 and he howled and howled, he didn't like it at all. 285 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:10,680 But it's all worked out well now. 286 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:14,400 Today, if you ask me, in his age group, I think he's the best. 287 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:16,000 He is the outstanding player. 288 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,280 Outstanding player and he's a very good rider, by the way. 289 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:21,240 Why do you enjoy polo so much? 290 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:25,400 Well, you sit on the horse's back, you feel out of the world. 291 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:27,960 It really gives me a lot of pleasure, 292 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:31,120 the game - it looks so beautiful, you're very disciplined, 293 00:18:31,120 --> 00:18:35,200 you have to have passion for it and it's such a beautiful animal. 294 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:37,320 It really gives me a lot of thrill to play polo. 295 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:39,000 But it's very dangerous. 296 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:42,440 It is supposed to be the second-most dangerous sport 297 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:44,800 in the world after car racing. 298 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:46,680 But I don't care. I enjoy. 299 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:50,520 My thrill is so much...than the danger. 300 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:52,960 Well, I don't think I share your passion for polo, 301 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:55,080 but perhaps you will give me a few pointers. 302 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:56,560 Come, come. 303 00:18:57,720 --> 00:18:59,000 Right. 304 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:02,600 Aha. Aha... Aha. 305 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:04,320 That's good. That feels good. 306 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:07,160 Take it like this. Go like this first. 307 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,200 Wait, wait, now hit it. 308 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:13,040 Bend a bit. 309 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:18,520 Bend a bit. Bend, bend, bend. Hit it! Hit it! 310 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:21,280 No, bend a bit. You have to bend. 311 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:24,640 I have to bend, indeed I do! Yes. 312 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:28,280 Oh! Hit it. 313 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:34,400 Oh. It's timing. My timing, indeed. 314 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:39,880 Oh, well done. Ohh! LAUGHTER 315 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:42,760 Yes. Yes. 316 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:45,720 See? Now the ball starts travelling. 317 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:48,560 Yes, well done. 318 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:52,520 Well done, Michael. 319 00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:55,600 You're really doing good. I'm impressed. 320 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:05,360 Another animal is strongly associated with Indian royalty. 321 00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:10,920 The elephant is part of the national psyche, a treasure, a work of art, 322 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:13,320 a deity and a beast of burden. 323 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:17,840 I have travelled just a few miles from Jaipur to Amer, 324 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:20,920 where alongside the tourist elephant rides, 325 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:25,520 there are now signs of more concern for the animal's welfare. 326 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:30,200 This mesmerising piece of grandeur is the fort at Amber or Amer. 327 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:34,280 The Maharaja is having built this wonderful defensive fort 328 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:38,400 then moved to Jaipur, so that by the time of my Bradshaw's guide, 329 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,040 it was already a tourist attraction. 330 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:44,440 "At the palace, you avail yourself of transport, 331 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,000 "elephants provided at the gate." 332 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,280 For at least a century, people have been travelling by Jumbo. 333 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:58,080 Today, elephant rides up to the fort remain popular, 334 00:20:58,080 --> 00:20:59,840 but concerns about cruelty 335 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:03,320 have inspired an alternative attraction for tourists 336 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:05,800 who want to engage with the animals. 337 00:21:08,120 --> 00:21:11,360 Not far from Amer, I meet Rahul Choudhary, 338 00:21:11,360 --> 00:21:14,440 a fourth-generation mahout, or elephant driver, 339 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:19,200 and the founder of a sanctuary which is now home to 24 animals. 340 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:22,120 ELEPHANT TRUMPETS 341 00:21:22,120 --> 00:21:24,160 Rahul, this is a tremendous sight for me, 342 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:26,320 seeing these elephants playing in the water 343 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:28,440 and they're apparently so happy. 344 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:29,920 What is the origin of the farm? 345 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:33,560 We used to work at the fort, doing weddings, festivals, 346 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:35,800 that sort of thing with the elephants 347 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:38,040 and after a while I started realising 348 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:40,440 this is not something they are meant to do. 349 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:44,680 Getting people in a heavy saddle and backing and forwards up and down 350 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:47,320 and doing weddings and noisy firecrackers - 351 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:49,240 and somehow I had this idea - 352 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:53,240 let's do something that is more interesting for the people 353 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:55,600 who really want to see the elephants 354 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:58,360 in their own atmosphere, in their own life. 355 00:21:58,360 --> 00:22:00,200 How close does the bond become 356 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:02,560 between a human being and an elephant? 357 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:06,120 These elephants are domestic elephants. 358 00:22:06,120 --> 00:22:07,800 So their nature is not wild. 359 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:10,280 Their nature is social with human beings. 360 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:13,680 They do consider us as their family, as their herd. 361 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:19,640 So relationship is the same as mum and child or father and son. 362 00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:21,840 They are very intelligent animals. 363 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:24,200 And very different, one from another? 364 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:26,600 Oh, yes. Each elephant has a different personality, 365 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:27,840 the same like us. 366 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:30,600 Some are more naughty, more mischievous, some are more gentle, 367 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:33,040 some are just teenager behaviour. 368 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:36,320 Don't listen to you at all and just do what they want to do. 369 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:39,480 Just going through a phase? Yes. 370 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:43,840 Rahul believes that human-elephant interaction benefits both. 371 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:47,920 I want to find out whether that is true. 372 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:52,760 The sensitive parts of the elephants are here, around the eyes, 373 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:57,440 behind the ears, or the cheeks and here on the trunk. 374 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:00,160 What you have to do is come close to the elephant 375 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:03,400 and try to give them a very good massage on these parts, 376 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:05,320 then she will be comfortable with you 377 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:07,560 and you will be very comfortable with her - 378 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:11,120 and even you will become good friends in a few minutes. 379 00:23:11,120 --> 00:23:13,240 Hello, elephant. Hello. 380 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:15,200 And, really, around the eyes? 381 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:17,080 That seems extraordinary. 382 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:24,240 And behind the ears. Yes. Or the cheeks. And over the cheeks. 383 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:26,880 Below the chin. And below the chin. 384 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:29,800 So when you offer the food to the elephant, 385 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:31,960 you need to learn the command. 386 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:35,280 First, legs to take from your hand, 387 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:39,080 into the trunk, second to eat from the trunk into the mouth. 388 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:42,440 OK. Leh. 389 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:44,440 Aha. Dharr. Dharr. 390 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:45,640 Duh. 391 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:48,960 D-H-A-R-R. Dharr. Dharr! 392 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:50,760 Yes. Dharr! 393 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:58,920 Whoa! In it goes. How was that? 394 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,240 Ooh, Ellie, what a big tongue you have. 395 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:05,720 Was that good? 396 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:07,200 Gourmet. 397 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,440 And after dinner comes bath time. 398 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:17,320 Ah! 399 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:34,320 Mother always told me to wash behind the ears, but it's a mammoth task. 400 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:40,960 Was it something I said? 401 00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:44,720 I thought we were going to get on so well. 402 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:50,040 Oh! 403 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:12,200 From Jaipur, the Golden Triangle route continues eastwards. 404 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:17,880 At the time of my guidebook, Indian trains boasted lavish dining cars. 405 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:22,720 Nowadays, many people simply pick something up before they board. 406 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:24,400 Excuse me interrupting you, sir. 407 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:26,200 I hope you're enjoying your breakfast. 408 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,960 What do you like to eat for breakfast? 409 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:33,160 What is that? This is a South Indian dish. South Indian. 410 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:37,400 Quite spicy? No, medium spicy. Medium spicy... 411 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:39,840 ..but even so, you like spicy food in the morning? 412 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:43,240 Yes. Where are you travelling to today? 413 00:25:43,240 --> 00:25:45,320 I am travelling to Delhi. Delhi - 414 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:47,760 and what is the purpose of your visit? 415 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:50,320 Attending a marriage. Marvellous. 416 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:53,160 And you, madam, have beautifully-decorated hands. 417 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:56,840 Tell me about... This is mehndi. 418 00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:59,240 Because she attended a marriage yesterday. 419 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:01,280 So, looking nice. 420 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:04,560 This is one type of make-up. 421 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:15,680 My next stop will be Bandikui. 422 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:19,840 My Bradshaw's says the district suffers constantly from drought - 423 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:22,760 the soil produces enough in ordinary seasons 424 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:26,480 for the vast herds of camels, horned cattle and sheep, 425 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:31,760 but the people depend on the south-west and east monsoons. 426 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:34,040 Famines every 40 or 50 years. 427 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:37,720 One step people could take was to dig a well, 428 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:40,120 and they were deeply resourceful. 429 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:54,600 Bandikui Junction wasn't an alluring stop for tourists 430 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:56,760 at the time of my Bradshaw's - 431 00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:00,440 but for the inhabitants of this very arid region, 432 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:02,720 it was an important hub, 433 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:05,520 and I'm curious to see what had brought them here. 434 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:08,480 I'm heading for a village called Abhaneri. 435 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:19,640 It's 43 degrees, the earth looks parched 436 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:25,120 and yet somehow there is no shortage of people somehow living here. 437 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:31,080 Despite the desert conditions described in my guidebook, 438 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:34,400 people have managed to survive here for hundreds of years. 439 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:38,440 Historian Dr Sanjay Sharma will show me 440 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:44,040 how they sourced precious water by building an extraordinary stepwell. 441 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:47,560 Such a narrow entrance. 442 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:50,160 Yes, that's right - but quite beautiful, as well. 443 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:51,680 This is lovely. 444 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:54,240 Absolutely. Very ornate. Lovely. Yes. 445 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:03,880 My goodness, Sanjay, 446 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:06,880 that is a fantastic thing, isn't it? 447 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:20,600 That is so different from what I imagined. 448 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:22,080 I mean, to me, a stepwell 449 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:24,240 meant a well is a round thing, I thought, you know, 450 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:28,400 quite a big round thing, I had no idea it would be on this scale - 451 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:33,680 and so fantastically decorated, these wonderful geometric designs. 452 00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:38,680 64 feet deep with 13 floors, 453 00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:42,000 it's one of the largest and deepest stepwells in India 454 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:44,440 and was built a thousand years ago. 455 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:48,760 You get such a sense of the scale when you begin to go down inside. 456 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:50,640 It is absolutely stunning, isn't it? 457 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:59,320 The Chand Baori stepwell reflects as much grandeur and ambition 458 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:02,200 as any palace that I have visited... 459 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:05,840 ..but this was always intended as a palace for the people. 460 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:11,120 What do you think the scene would have been here a thousand years ago? 461 00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:14,600 In the desert, you will have caravans passing, 462 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:17,960 people who would actually not have access to water anywhere else, 463 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:19,480 so they would come here. 464 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:22,000 It would have been a place bustling with people 465 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:24,160 and there would be, I can imagine, 466 00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:27,400 lots of women with pots on their heads going down, 467 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:31,040 perhaps singing in the process and filling water, 468 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:33,680 early morning, late in the evening - 469 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:37,640 and it would be an activity full of mirth, I suppose, 470 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:40,200 of happiness. 471 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:44,720 Parts of the structure would be reserved quarters for the elite, 472 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:46,920 for the more important people, 473 00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:49,160 but the rest of the community 474 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:53,480 would also have access to the water and also the cattle. 475 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:56,840 Now, this area, unfortunately, has suffered from terrible famines. 476 00:29:56,840 --> 00:29:58,480 Tell me about those. 477 00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:01,320 This particular area has had droughts 478 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:03,880 leading to famines, historically, 479 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:07,200 but there were ways in which the communities 480 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:12,640 know how to use water very carefully and how to use it rationally, 481 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:14,560 how to use it frugally - 482 00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:17,720 and perhaps this attitude enabled people 483 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:23,200 living in various parts of Rajasthan to avoid acute starvation deaths. 484 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:27,840 By the time of my Bradshaw's, 485 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:32,640 most of the 3,000 stepwells in India had fallen into disuse... 486 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:36,840 ..and today fewer than 1,000 remain. 487 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:51,360 From one of the less well-known treasures of India, 488 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:53,800 I'm moving on to one of the most legendary... 489 00:30:56,480 --> 00:30:59,080 ..but first, there's the little matter 490 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:02,120 of negotiating the platform at Bandikui Junction. 491 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:07,040 How rude. 492 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:10,880 I am now halfway through my trip 493 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:12,760 around the Golden Triangle, 494 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:14,640 heading for the city of Agra 495 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:17,080 en route to my final destination, 496 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:19,240 the capital of India, New Delhi. 497 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:28,440 The railway line crosses the border from Rajasthan into Uttar Pradesh, 498 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:32,200 India's fourth largest state and its most heavily populated. 499 00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:38,040 My next stop will be Agra. 500 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:42,200 My Bradshaw's tells me that the architectural monuments 501 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:44,960 of the Mughal sovereigns at Agra 502 00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:48,320 are amongst the finest in the world. 503 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:52,480 Indeed, I expect to find there one of the most beautiful, 504 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:54,120 one of the most perfect, 505 00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:58,000 one of the most sublime buildings ever conceived. 506 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:17,400 Already a popular destination at the time of my Bradshaw's, 507 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:19,680 today, Agra is on the itinerary 508 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:23,000 of a quarter of all foreign tourists to India... 509 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:26,200 ..but most of the 13.5 million 510 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:30,240 passengers who pass through this station each year are Indian. 511 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:37,800 They arrive at a busy industrial town 512 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:42,240 which is also home to three Unesco World Heritage sites. 513 00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:00,120 In India, says Bradshaw's, 514 00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:04,840 good hotels are rare outside the largest towns and as a whole 515 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:08,280 accommodation is not luxurious. 516 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:11,840 Well, if so, that is something that has most certainly changed... 517 00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:13,800 Good evening. Good evening. 518 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:17,560 ..and the Oberoi Amarvilas hotel is a case in point. 519 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:46,840 What makes for the perfect early-morning ablution? 520 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:50,880 Is it the softness of the towel, the quality of the soap, 521 00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:53,400 the fragrance of the rose petals? 522 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:56,440 No, it is the view. 523 00:33:56,440 --> 00:34:00,720 I believe this bathroom has the greatest vista on the planet. 524 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:31,200 "The Taj Mahal..." says Bradshaw's, 525 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:33,360 "..a mausoleum built by Shah Jahan 526 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:35,680 "for his beautiful queen. 527 00:34:35,680 --> 00:34:37,920 "The light of the world. 528 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:41,160 "A graceful dome structure of polished white marble 529 00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:43,760 "as fresh as when first built, 530 00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:45,880 "decorated with rich mosaics, 531 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:48,520 "inlaid with jasper, agate, 532 00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:52,200 "carnelian and other precious stones." 533 00:34:52,200 --> 00:34:55,800 From here, it seems to hover weightless 534 00:34:55,800 --> 00:35:02,040 above the garden of the hotel, built by a man out of love, out of grief, 535 00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:05,560 it is the world's greatest monument to passion. 536 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:13,680 Historian Najaf Haider 537 00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:17,000 is my guide to the husband-and-wife relationship 538 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,560 at its heart and to the grandeur 539 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:23,120 of the vast empire over which they reigned. 540 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:03,880 Najaf, this is not the first time I have seen the Taj Mahal, 541 00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:06,680 but I'm still absolutely smitten by its beauty. 542 00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:08,600 It is a fantastic building, isn't it? 543 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:13,320 It is indeed. Partly because it is a product of love and passion 544 00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:17,640 and partly because of the enormous amount of resources, 545 00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:20,040 work material and intellectual 546 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:23,280 that went into the making of this monument. 547 00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:25,840 And tell me about the love story that lies behind it. 548 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:29,640 Shah Jahan was married to Arjumand Banu Begum, 549 00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:32,280 who was given the title of Mumtaz Mahal. 550 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:35,320 Even though he was married to two other women, 551 00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:38,320 she was the one who spent most of the time with him, 552 00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:42,160 and travelled with him and produced children with him. 553 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:46,000 So it is fair to say there was a strong bond 554 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:48,400 and love between the two - 555 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:52,400 and once she died, Shah Jahan was devastated. 556 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:03,080 When he came out of the statutory mourning period, 557 00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:06,240 his moustache and hair had turned grey 558 00:37:06,240 --> 00:37:08,240 and he looked much older, 559 00:37:08,240 --> 00:37:10,840 and one way to address the grief, 560 00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:13,440 this enormous amount of grief, 561 00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:17,400 was to plan a monument of this proportion - 562 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:21,360 which Shah Jahan could, because he was an ambitious builder. 563 00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:23,880 He was also a mighty emperor, 564 00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:26,400 able to summon 20,000 craftsmen 565 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:29,840 and to use the best and costliest materials. 566 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:33,000 It took 20 years to complete the building 567 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:37,680 which now stands as a testament to the wealth, political power 568 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:41,160 and cultural influence of the Mughal Empire, 569 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:45,640 which ruled India for over 200 years from the 16th century. 570 00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:50,480 The Mughals were an invading race, tell me about them. 571 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:54,720 The Mughals came from Central Asia and Afghanistan, 572 00:37:54,720 --> 00:37:58,040 they were part Turk, part Mongol. 573 00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:04,040 They built a huge empire which survived for over three centuries 574 00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:07,800 and they not only politically united the country, 575 00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:11,600 but also left a rich legacy in terms of culture 576 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:16,240 which one could see in a large corpus of literature, 577 00:38:16,240 --> 00:38:19,680 manuscript, some of them beautifully illustrated 578 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:21,760 and brilliantly illuminated, 579 00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:25,680 which you can find in museums and libraries outside India. 580 00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:33,480 When Shah Jahan died in 1666, he was interred here alongside his wife. 581 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:39,640 In the two centuries that followed, the monument fell into disrepair. 582 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:42,360 There were marauders and invaders 583 00:38:42,360 --> 00:38:46,760 who did not treat the monument with the same kind of respect 584 00:38:46,760 --> 00:38:50,320 that it had during the classical Mughal period. 585 00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:52,160 There were cases of vandalism. 586 00:38:53,200 --> 00:38:56,320 It took the representative of another great empire 587 00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:58,800 to restore what had been lost. 588 00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:02,880 Lord Curzon, the British Viceroy, had a deep interest 589 00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:07,240 in preserving the cultural and material heritage of India. 590 00:39:07,240 --> 00:39:10,960 He was extremely fascinated by the Taj, 591 00:39:10,960 --> 00:39:13,520 and visited Agra many times, 592 00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:17,680 and then decided to undertake a huge project 593 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:21,560 repairing the monument and its ancillary buildings, 594 00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:24,000 but also landscaping the garden. 595 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:27,480 The garden really took the lion's share of his attention. 596 00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:30,920 The people who come here, what do you think they take away from it? 597 00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:36,320 Well, they take away the memory of the Mughal era. 598 00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:40,440 They find the monument extremely beautiful, 599 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:45,680 and for the millions of visitors who come here every year, 600 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:49,960 the Taj Mahal is the greatest monument to love in the world. 601 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:06,680 I will now complete the Golden Triangle 602 00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:11,160 as I embark on the final leg of my journey to India's capital. 603 00:40:13,640 --> 00:40:17,880 My train to Delhi is unfortunately 50 minutes late, 604 00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:21,120 which is not an unusual occurrence in India. 605 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:31,520 On a rail network of 71,000 miles of track and 8,000 stations, 606 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:33,560 delays are par for the course. 607 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:36,360 Hello. Thank you. 608 00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:45,760 23 million passengers per day use the system, 609 00:40:45,760 --> 00:40:47,880 so feeding them is big business 610 00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:49,640 and requires innovation. 611 00:40:51,480 --> 00:40:54,360 Indian trains sometimes strike you as a little old-fashioned, 612 00:40:54,360 --> 00:40:59,200 but when it comes to ordering food, this country is bang up to date. 613 00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:01,600 For my lunch, I'm going to use an app 614 00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:03,920 and I'm going to choose the thali, 615 00:41:03,920 --> 00:41:07,840 I'm going to ask for my food to be delivered to coach A1, 616 00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:13,640 seat number 11 at the next station which is Mathura Junction. 617 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:15,560 Oh! My mouth is watering already. 618 00:41:19,040 --> 00:41:22,840 There's a little time before my thali and I coincide. 619 00:41:24,080 --> 00:41:26,080 I will pass it as many Indians do 620 00:41:26,080 --> 00:41:28,840 on journeys that can last for several days 621 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:32,640 by striking up conversation with fellow passengers. 622 00:41:35,600 --> 00:41:38,200 Are you travelling a long way? 623 00:41:38,200 --> 00:41:41,120 Yes, we are coming from the southern region of India. 624 00:41:41,120 --> 00:41:44,000 That is a long journey. How many hours? 625 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:47,560 It is approximately 40, 48 hours to Delhi. 626 00:41:47,560 --> 00:41:49,320 40 hours on the train. 627 00:41:49,320 --> 00:41:51,800 Obviously there will be a lot of stops. 628 00:41:51,800 --> 00:41:54,160 Yes. Train travelling is something 629 00:41:54,160 --> 00:41:56,880 of a different experience all the times. 630 00:41:56,880 --> 00:42:00,240 Different languages, different people, different lives - 631 00:42:00,240 --> 00:42:01,520 but it's amazing sometimes. 632 00:42:01,520 --> 00:42:03,880 All the people you meet on the trains. It's funny. 633 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:07,360 All parts of the train reach the destination at the same time. 634 00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:12,440 Same time. Yes. Would you prefer to fly or do you prefer the train? 635 00:42:12,440 --> 00:42:14,400 Train. Really? 636 00:42:14,400 --> 00:42:17,080 Even though it takes so long - aren't you tired? 637 00:42:17,080 --> 00:42:19,280 No, it's not a problem. 638 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:21,360 Not a problem. That's nice. 639 00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:23,520 We've got young train fans here. Yeah! 640 00:42:38,080 --> 00:42:40,760 Oh, thank you. Perfect. Thank you very much indeed. 641 00:42:42,040 --> 00:42:44,200 Thank you. 642 00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:47,400 Well, I must say I am mightily impressed - 643 00:42:47,400 --> 00:42:50,120 my thali was delivered to the right carriage, 644 00:42:50,120 --> 00:42:53,200 to the right seat, and it looks very good. 645 00:42:53,200 --> 00:42:56,440 A thali is a complete Indian meal in itself. 646 00:42:56,440 --> 00:43:02,400 Rice with cumin, this is a cottage cheese curry, this is a pea curry, 647 00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:04,720 that is chickpea in yoghurt. 648 00:43:04,720 --> 00:43:08,920 Here is my dahl, spicy lentils, little salad 649 00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:12,480 and what I do is I dip my bread in my curry 650 00:43:12,480 --> 00:43:15,040 and I put a little pickle on... 651 00:43:17,720 --> 00:43:19,960 And the flavours explode in the mouth! 652 00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:33,360 The 120-mile journey from Agra to Delhi 653 00:43:33,360 --> 00:43:36,640 on the Kerala Express takes about three hours. 654 00:43:40,120 --> 00:43:42,320 Excuse me, please. 655 00:43:42,320 --> 00:43:45,000 For a taste of India in the raw, 656 00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:48,440 I have moved into that compartment which is known as unreserved. 657 00:43:48,440 --> 00:43:51,120 Of course it is un-air-conditioned, 658 00:43:51,120 --> 00:43:52,480 it is extremely crowded. 659 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:55,240 At each station it turns into a sort of bazaar, 660 00:43:55,240 --> 00:43:58,400 because all the hawkers get on and sell food and water 661 00:43:58,400 --> 00:44:02,080 and I'm struck by these people resting on the luggage racks 662 00:44:02,080 --> 00:44:05,680 which look about as comfortable as a bed of nails. 663 00:44:07,560 --> 00:44:10,600 How are you up there, are you OK? Achha, OK? 664 00:44:14,400 --> 00:44:17,080 Hello! Do you speak English? 665 00:44:17,080 --> 00:44:19,240 Yes. Where are you going today? 666 00:44:19,240 --> 00:44:21,280 New Delhi. You are going to New Delhi. 667 00:44:21,280 --> 00:44:24,360 New Delhi. Where have you come from? Agra. 668 00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:28,320 Agra, like me - and how do you find the unreserved class, 669 00:44:28,320 --> 00:44:29,920 are you comfortable? 670 00:44:29,920 --> 00:44:34,640 Yes, small journey, two or three hours I'm going to...easy. 671 00:44:34,640 --> 00:44:37,160 In the unreserved class. Yeah. 672 00:44:37,160 --> 00:44:39,240 How much was your ticket? 673 00:44:39,240 --> 00:44:42,200 90 rupees. 90 rupees. 674 00:44:42,200 --> 00:44:44,680 In Britain, just over £1. 675 00:44:44,680 --> 00:44:46,600 Is that good value? 676 00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:51,920 Bus, I'm going to bus, ticket is 135 rupees. 677 00:44:51,920 --> 00:44:56,040 Ah. On train only for 90 rupees. 678 00:44:56,040 --> 00:44:58,560 So the train is better. Yes. Train is better. 679 00:44:58,560 --> 00:45:00,680 Very, very good. Enjoy your journey. 680 00:45:00,680 --> 00:45:03,080 Thank you. Thank you for talking to me. Thank you very much. 681 00:45:06,840 --> 00:45:12,120 The British built railways in India in order to export raw materials 682 00:45:12,120 --> 00:45:13,760 and to transport troops - 683 00:45:13,760 --> 00:45:17,160 but the provision of fast and affordable transport 684 00:45:17,160 --> 00:45:19,560 had unintended consequences. 685 00:45:19,560 --> 00:45:21,240 It spread ideas... 686 00:45:22,280 --> 00:45:24,800 ..and the idea which swept through the nation 687 00:45:24,800 --> 00:45:29,000 at the turn of the 20th century was independence for India. 688 00:45:30,720 --> 00:45:34,600 From 1915, nationalist leader Mohandas Gandhi 689 00:45:34,600 --> 00:45:38,480 travelled the length and breadth of the country by train, 690 00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:42,520 greeted everywhere by adoring crowds. 691 00:45:42,520 --> 00:45:46,480 Today, cheap transport is still important in India, economically, 692 00:45:46,480 --> 00:45:48,600 politically and socially, 693 00:45:48,600 --> 00:45:51,720 but you have to travel unreserved class 694 00:45:51,720 --> 00:45:54,560 to find out how it really brings people together. 695 00:45:54,560 --> 00:45:57,120 CLAPPING 696 00:46:07,960 --> 00:46:11,360 Oh, thank you. APPLAUSE 697 00:46:14,120 --> 00:46:16,880 Where are you going, Delhi? 698 00:46:16,880 --> 00:46:19,640 You going to Delhi? Punjab. 699 00:46:19,640 --> 00:46:21,680 You're going now to Punjab. Punjab. 700 00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:24,960 Where? Amritsar? Amritsar. 701 00:46:24,960 --> 00:46:27,840 Very good. Have a good journey. Thanks for the dance! 702 00:46:27,840 --> 00:46:30,320 Balle, balle. Balle, balle. 703 00:46:30,320 --> 00:46:33,000 LAUGHTER 704 00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:35,680 TRANSLATION: 705 00:46:44,600 --> 00:46:46,880 OK? OK! 706 00:46:51,880 --> 00:46:57,640 Bye-bye. Bye-bye! Bye! Bye-bye. 707 00:46:57,640 --> 00:47:00,560 TRAIN HOOTS Bye-bye. 708 00:47:02,880 --> 00:47:07,640 Finally, my journey has brought me to the capital of modern-day India. 709 00:47:11,960 --> 00:47:15,520 Arriving in Delhi, I am plunged into a teeming metropolis 710 00:47:15,520 --> 00:47:17,080 full of contrasts. 711 00:47:17,080 --> 00:47:20,800 With 19 million inhabitants and growing fast, 712 00:47:20,800 --> 00:47:24,400 it is on track to be the second-largest city in the world. 713 00:47:28,360 --> 00:47:30,760 At its heart is the Red Fort, 714 00:47:30,760 --> 00:47:34,720 another grand project built in the 17th century 715 00:47:34,720 --> 00:47:36,600 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, 716 00:47:36,600 --> 00:47:39,000 this time as his imperial seat. 717 00:47:41,320 --> 00:47:42,920 According to Bradshaw's, 718 00:47:42,920 --> 00:47:47,160 the most interesting parts of Delhi can be explored only on foot. 719 00:47:47,160 --> 00:47:50,440 The guide says the visitor can wander for days, 720 00:47:50,440 --> 00:47:55,000 meeting fresh studies of the real East at every turn. 721 00:47:56,880 --> 00:48:00,200 For shopping, my Bradshaw's has brought me to Chandni Chowk, 722 00:48:00,200 --> 00:48:02,080 it means Moonlight Square. 723 00:48:02,080 --> 00:48:04,880 It was created by the daughter of Shah Jahan, 724 00:48:04,880 --> 00:48:07,280 the man who built the Taj Mahal - 725 00:48:07,280 --> 00:48:10,200 and today it is the place where you find mithai wallahs, 726 00:48:10,200 --> 00:48:12,960 namkeen wallahs, paratha wallahs - 727 00:48:12,960 --> 00:48:18,400 vendors of sweet, savoury and bready Indian delights. 728 00:48:20,240 --> 00:48:24,920 Chandni Chowk is known as the food capital of India. 729 00:48:24,920 --> 00:48:28,040 Many a Bollywood star has been tempted to these streets 730 00:48:28,040 --> 00:48:30,960 in search of the legendary paratha. 731 00:48:30,960 --> 00:48:34,920 Hello. I'm going to have a paratha. 732 00:48:34,920 --> 00:48:39,640 Potato? Yeah, potato would be nice. Yes, let me have a potato paratha. 733 00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:45,960 A paratha is a filled, flaky bread soaked in ghee or clarified butter 734 00:48:45,960 --> 00:48:49,280 and has been popular in India for hundreds of years. 735 00:48:51,760 --> 00:48:54,120 Thank you. Thank you. 736 00:49:12,760 --> 00:49:18,120 Today, in Delhi, old and new sit side by side. 737 00:49:18,120 --> 00:49:22,840 Around the ancient streets, gleaming modern commercial districts 738 00:49:22,840 --> 00:49:25,520 have sprouted, but the meteoric growth 739 00:49:25,520 --> 00:49:27,160 has come with a cost. 740 00:49:27,160 --> 00:49:30,840 This is one of the most polluted cities on earth. 741 00:49:30,840 --> 00:49:36,160 The modern way to escape the gridlock above is to go underground. 742 00:49:36,160 --> 00:49:38,720 One journey, please. Central Secretariat. 743 00:49:49,800 --> 00:49:53,120 After Mughals, Maharajas and the British Raj, 744 00:49:53,120 --> 00:49:55,320 it's time for some modern India. 745 00:49:55,320 --> 00:49:59,280 The Delhi Metro was inaugurated in the 21st century. 746 00:50:11,040 --> 00:50:15,720 Already more than 200km of track, 160 stations, 747 00:50:15,720 --> 00:50:17,320 much more planned. 748 00:50:17,320 --> 00:50:19,960 It's new, it's clean, it's air-conditioned. 749 00:50:19,960 --> 00:50:22,200 If you've risked your sanity - and your life - 750 00:50:22,200 --> 00:50:23,800 in the congestion of Delhi, 751 00:50:23,800 --> 00:50:27,760 why wouldn't you want to travel reliably and rapidly underground? 752 00:50:27,760 --> 00:50:31,280 And just think about all the pollution that we're saving. 753 00:50:33,160 --> 00:50:34,880 Hello, ladies. BOTH: Hello. 754 00:50:34,880 --> 00:50:37,520 I'm using the Delhi Metro for the first time and, I must say, 755 00:50:37,520 --> 00:50:39,160 I'm enjoying it very much. 756 00:50:39,160 --> 00:50:41,640 Do you use it lots? Yeah, we use it daily. 757 00:50:41,640 --> 00:50:44,760 Do you? On a daily basis. How do you like it? We love it. Yes? 758 00:50:44,760 --> 00:50:48,640 Because there's no option. We have to commute through this, er, metro. 759 00:50:48,640 --> 00:50:50,320 Through this. 760 00:50:50,320 --> 00:50:53,000 You could go by car, or bus, or rickshaw? 761 00:50:53,000 --> 00:50:56,360 We'll be stuck in traffic and all, because of that. 762 00:50:56,360 --> 00:50:59,120 Yeah. So this is the convenient way. And it's cool. Yeah. 763 00:50:59,120 --> 00:51:01,200 It's air-conditioned. It is pretty cool. 764 00:51:01,200 --> 00:51:02,880 How hot is it today outside? 765 00:51:02,880 --> 00:51:05,400 It's about 43 or 42 degrees outside. 766 00:51:05,400 --> 00:51:07,560 Yes - and in here, what, we're...? 767 00:51:07,560 --> 00:51:09,120 Around 22. It's much better here. 768 00:51:09,120 --> 00:51:11,720 At least we're not sweating, and it's all good. 769 00:51:11,720 --> 00:51:14,960 It's much better. So, you give the thumbs-up to the metro? 770 00:51:14,960 --> 00:51:17,240 Two, double! 771 00:51:17,240 --> 00:51:19,960 Are you a frequent user of the Delhi Metro? 772 00:51:19,960 --> 00:51:22,520 Yes, I am. And how do you find it? 773 00:51:22,520 --> 00:51:25,520 So, it's very much comfortable. We have a ladies coach. 774 00:51:25,520 --> 00:51:28,560 The Delhi Metro is providing a different facility 775 00:51:28,560 --> 00:51:31,200 for those who are travelling alone, for the ladies. 776 00:51:31,200 --> 00:51:33,560 Is it important to have a ladies carriage to you? 777 00:51:33,560 --> 00:51:36,600 Yeah, when it's a matter of women's safety, 778 00:51:36,600 --> 00:51:38,000 then I think Delhi Metro has done 779 00:51:38,000 --> 00:51:40,400 a good job of providing a ladies' coach. 780 00:51:49,840 --> 00:51:53,800 I'm leaving the metro at the Central Secretariat station, 781 00:51:53,800 --> 00:51:55,360 heading for the seat of power. 782 00:52:00,600 --> 00:52:02,480 "Delhi..." comments Bradshaw's, 783 00:52:02,480 --> 00:52:05,760 "..is the one city which can claim to rank 784 00:52:05,760 --> 00:52:10,040 "both as an historic capital and an imperial city." 785 00:52:10,040 --> 00:52:14,200 "Calcutta is but a mushroom city by comparison. 786 00:52:14,200 --> 00:52:16,440 "The present Delhi is the fifth or sixth city 787 00:52:16,440 --> 00:52:19,080 "which has been raised upon its sites, 788 00:52:19,080 --> 00:52:23,560 "but the glamour of its glories under the Mughal emperors 789 00:52:23,560 --> 00:52:25,720 "still hangs round its walls. 790 00:52:25,720 --> 00:52:29,560 "Delhi is indeed an architectural palimpsest," 791 00:52:29,560 --> 00:52:31,760 meaning one of those parchments 792 00:52:31,760 --> 00:52:34,520 that was written and then overwritten. 793 00:52:34,520 --> 00:52:36,960 Perspicacious words, because in the centuries 794 00:52:36,960 --> 00:52:41,440 since Bradshaw's was published, several other cities have arisen, 795 00:52:41,440 --> 00:52:48,120 including this one - designed by and for the British - New Delhi. 796 00:52:54,280 --> 00:52:56,600 The planned elegance of New Delhi 797 00:52:56,600 --> 00:52:59,400 is in sharp contrast with the organic chaos 798 00:52:59,400 --> 00:53:01,880 that created other parts of the city. 799 00:53:05,520 --> 00:53:08,160 In the grounds of the official home of the president, 800 00:53:08,160 --> 00:53:10,280 I'm meeting someone who can help me 801 00:53:10,280 --> 00:53:13,320 to unpick the origins of this stately enclave - 802 00:53:13,320 --> 00:53:17,760 Swapan Dasgupta, Member of Parliament and political journalist. 803 00:53:19,280 --> 00:53:24,440 Swapan, my Bradshaw's, published in 1913, recalls that in December 1911, 804 00:53:24,440 --> 00:53:28,160 "The most magnificent durbar in Indian history 805 00:53:28,160 --> 00:53:31,160 "was held at Delhi by the King Emperor - 806 00:53:31,160 --> 00:53:33,200 "King George V - himself." 807 00:53:33,200 --> 00:53:34,320 Tell me about that. 808 00:53:34,320 --> 00:53:37,840 Well, this was the first time a reigning monarch 809 00:53:37,840 --> 00:53:39,440 actually came to India. 810 00:53:39,440 --> 00:53:43,200 Queen Victoria was made the Empress of India, but she never came here. 811 00:53:43,200 --> 00:53:44,520 Edward VII never came here, 812 00:53:44,520 --> 00:53:46,440 although he did come as Prince of Wales. 813 00:53:46,440 --> 00:53:49,280 But this time, a reigning monarch, so it was a grand event. 814 00:53:49,280 --> 00:53:51,320 It was really the high noon of the Empire. 815 00:53:53,040 --> 00:53:57,280 Durbar is an Urdu word meaning "a reception held by a ruler." 816 00:53:58,400 --> 00:54:01,360 For this exceptionally lavish one in 1911, 817 00:54:01,360 --> 00:54:05,000 65 square kilometres were occupied by tents 818 00:54:05,000 --> 00:54:08,680 for thousands of guests and their servants. 819 00:54:08,680 --> 00:54:12,440 It was British pageantry at its best. 820 00:54:12,440 --> 00:54:14,040 It was everything. 821 00:54:14,040 --> 00:54:17,880 Exotica, colour, show of might, 822 00:54:17,880 --> 00:54:23,560 the Maharajas, the masses coming in, the spectacle. 823 00:54:23,560 --> 00:54:28,040 In every respect, the British wanted to show that, "Here we are, 824 00:54:28,040 --> 00:54:32,120 "ruling over a traditional country, but a modernising force, 825 00:54:32,120 --> 00:54:33,480 "and a benign force." 826 00:54:33,480 --> 00:54:34,960 It was benign up to a point, 827 00:54:34,960 --> 00:54:39,600 because the Maharajas combined a bit of grovelling with self-respect. 828 00:54:40,720 --> 00:54:43,440 Now, during that durbar of December 1911, 829 00:54:43,440 --> 00:54:46,240 a surprise announcement is made that 830 00:54:46,240 --> 00:54:50,080 the capital is moving from Calcutta to Delhi, why? 831 00:54:50,080 --> 00:54:53,880 Well, they thought Calcutta was becoming a hotbed of sedition, 832 00:54:53,880 --> 00:54:57,800 and Delhi was seen as really the natural place 833 00:54:57,800 --> 00:55:00,800 where Indian empires were ruled from. 834 00:55:00,800 --> 00:55:04,760 So they decide to make a very special capital here, 835 00:55:04,760 --> 00:55:07,800 and they employ Edwin Lutyens to make a new Delhi. 836 00:55:07,800 --> 00:55:10,200 What does Lutyens do? How successful is he, do you think? 837 00:55:10,200 --> 00:55:12,640 Well, there was always a pressure on Lutyens - 838 00:55:12,640 --> 00:55:15,760 accommodate Indian motives, accommodate Indian designs, 839 00:55:15,760 --> 00:55:17,640 we have to be seen to be more Indian. 840 00:55:17,640 --> 00:55:20,200 So if you look at this, it's not the Indo-Saracenic stuff 841 00:55:20,200 --> 00:55:21,800 which you see in Mumbai. 842 00:55:21,800 --> 00:55:25,200 It's not the same Gothic stuff you see in Calcutta. 843 00:55:25,200 --> 00:55:26,720 It's very different. 844 00:55:26,720 --> 00:55:29,320 The Indian motifs are very much there. 845 00:55:29,320 --> 00:55:33,480 But by the time that architect Edwin Lutyens and his colleague, 846 00:55:33,480 --> 00:55:36,960 Herbert Baker, had completed the imperial capital, 847 00:55:36,960 --> 00:55:39,920 political pressure was building up. 848 00:55:39,920 --> 00:55:42,520 The year after the great durbar, 849 00:55:42,520 --> 00:55:45,600 agitators threw a bomb at the Viceroy, 850 00:55:45,600 --> 00:55:47,960 injuring him and killing a servant. 851 00:55:50,040 --> 00:55:54,000 By then, the sunset of the British Raj was approaching, 852 00:55:54,000 --> 00:55:58,560 and in August 1947, New Delhi was formally handed over 853 00:55:58,560 --> 00:56:01,960 by the last Viceroy, Lord Mountbatten, 854 00:56:01,960 --> 00:56:04,760 to the newly independent Indian Government. 855 00:56:06,720 --> 00:56:09,600 New Delhi is grand, it's on a fantastic scale - 856 00:56:09,600 --> 00:56:11,960 and this building here, what is this? 857 00:56:11,960 --> 00:56:14,440 This was originally the Viceregal Lodge. 858 00:56:14,440 --> 00:56:16,920 It's called the Rashtrapati Bhavan now, 859 00:56:16,920 --> 00:56:19,120 which is the home of the President of India. 860 00:56:19,120 --> 00:56:22,640 It was really the centrepiece of New Delhi, 861 00:56:22,640 --> 00:56:25,800 as was envisaged by Sir Edwin Lutyens. 862 00:56:25,800 --> 00:56:29,920 Do you like it? Personally speaking, I love it. 863 00:56:29,920 --> 00:56:34,120 I love it, because I think it represents grandeur - 864 00:56:34,120 --> 00:56:37,560 and personally speaking, I think the Indian Republic 865 00:56:37,560 --> 00:56:40,200 is the legitimate inheritor of the British Raj. 866 00:56:54,000 --> 00:56:58,080 In arid Rajputana, the Maharajas clung to power 867 00:56:58,080 --> 00:57:01,040 in their little states by doing deals 868 00:57:01,040 --> 00:57:03,400 with the powerful invaders. 869 00:57:03,400 --> 00:57:06,760 First, the Mughals, and then the British - 870 00:57:06,760 --> 00:57:10,800 but those imperial powers brought together diverse ethnic groups 871 00:57:10,800 --> 00:57:13,960 on the subcontinent under one ruler, 872 00:57:13,960 --> 00:57:16,320 thus making possible the idea 873 00:57:16,320 --> 00:57:19,240 of a united India that might one day be free. 874 00:57:19,240 --> 00:57:23,200 The railways helped to spread that idea, 875 00:57:23,200 --> 00:57:28,280 and by the time that Edwin Lutyens' New Delhi had been built, 876 00:57:28,280 --> 00:57:31,560 independence was becoming unstoppable. 877 00:57:31,560 --> 00:57:35,240 For 70 years now, India has ruled itself - 878 00:57:35,240 --> 00:57:39,080 from the powerhouses constructed for the British Raj. 879 00:57:44,560 --> 00:57:47,400 Next time, I travel to Southern India, 880 00:57:47,400 --> 00:57:50,400 where I try to keep pace with India's tech revolution. 881 00:57:50,400 --> 00:57:53,400 "Your food is ready. Please turn off your burner." 882 00:57:53,400 --> 00:57:54,640 Thank you very much, I will. 883 00:57:54,640 --> 00:57:57,440 "Your food is ready." OK, OK! "Please turn off your burner." 884 00:57:57,440 --> 00:58:01,640 I discover that silk manufacturers have gone to great lengths... 885 00:58:01,640 --> 00:58:04,520 How long may the yarn be, then, from a single silk flower? 886 00:58:04,520 --> 00:58:07,520 Each silk flower produces about a thousand metres of silk. 887 00:58:07,520 --> 00:58:09,800 That's absolutely extraordinary! 888 00:58:09,800 --> 00:58:14,240 ..and learn how Britain succeeded in its colonial ambitions. 889 00:58:14,240 --> 00:58:17,520 They understood the Indian psyche exceedingly well, 890 00:58:17,520 --> 00:58:21,600 and so they managed to get their hands on what they wanted.