The most evocative India in a magical tour: The Golden Triangle

Here are some excerpts from the article by our Pamela Cazzaniga, published on Travel Agenda.

The Golden Triangle, India.

Either you love it or you hate it. India has no half measures. The impact with this country is strong, but I assure you that when you return you will never be the same again. India kidnaps you, enriches you, forges you, shakes you, enchants you… India is India, there are no equals! Visiting it means living a real life experience. With this report I take you virtually to one of the most touristic and most visited areas of India in recent years, the Golden Triangle! Click here now to discover our accessible journey to the Golden Triangle in India! Its capital, New Delhi, is located in the north of the country. Busy, polluted and populous, it is a mix of cultures and history. It is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world and was renamed the capital when India gained independence from British rule in 1947. In the new part of Delhi stands the tallest brick minaret in the world: the Qutb Minar , consisting of five floors for a total of 72.5 meters. It belongs to the Qutb complex, a set of monuments that were erected during the reign of the first ruler of the Delhi Sultanate. Subsequent rulers added the other buildings in the following years. Among the most important, in addition to the famous minaret, are the Quwwat-ul-islam mosque, the Ashoka column and the Ala-I-Darwaza gate . The entire complex is wheelchair accessible . From an ancient to a modern attraction: the Lotus Temple . This Bahai temple was completed in 1986 and looks like a lotus flower bud made up of twenty-seven white marble petals resting on nine pools. A real treat for our eyes! It might seem utopia but this temple is not dedicated to any religious belief. Totally accessible by wheelchair . From New to Old Delhi, the old part of the walled city. It was founded by the Mughal emperor Shan Jahan in 1639 under the name of Shahjahanabab. The atmosphere here is totally different: dirt, poverty and disorder mix in the chaos of the city but, nevertheless, smiles never fail. To experience this harsh reality first-hand, I suggest you rent a rickshaw or a tuk-tuk and wander around the narrow streets where their market extends. Your heart will jump but you will have traveled a stretch of "true India". Unfortunately inaccessible by wheelchair due to numerous steps, in the center of Old Delhi stands one of the most famous mosques in the entire country: Jama Msjid. Its courtyard can hold up to 25,000 worshipers and houses numerous artifacts including a copy of the Koran written on deerskin.

From the capital we reach Agra, a city located in northern India in the state of Uttar Pradesh . Agra has become famous for what has become the symbol of all India: its beautiful Taj Mahal , which has always been considered one of the most remarkable beauties of Muslim architecture in India and has become part of UNESCO as a heritage of the humanity on December 9, 1983. In 2007 it was included among the new seven wonders of the world . The photographs do not do it justice, its majesty and its elegance leaves everyone stunned! Do you think it took 22 years to build it! It is fully accessible by wheelchair except the interior where the tomb of the emperor and that of his wife are kept . Another UNESCO heritage site of Agra is the Red Fort , located about 2.5 km north-west of the Taj Mahal. The fortress takes its name from the red sandstone, a material used for its construction. It is accessible by wheelchair but it is recommended to use an electric propeller to overcome some important climbs. Among its beauties that can be visited inside are the Hall of Public Audience, that for private Audience, the Bazaar of the Ladies, the manicured gardens and what remains of the Akbar palace. The beauty of wandering the streets of Agra is also to see the cows, considered sacred in India, which involuntarily slow down the traffic. The precedence also goes to them, no one moves them or throws them off the street. Here it is normal to find them in the middle of the roadway and pass by with the most disparate means used by the locals. The tour of the Golden Triangle ends in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan that bears the traces of the royal family who once ruled the region and who in 1727 founded this capital which took the nickname of "pink city" for the characteristic color of the buildings Its Royal Palace is among the first attractions to visit in this Indian capital. It is also known as the “City Palace” and is a complex made up of several buildings such as the palaces of the Chandra Mahal and the Mubarak Mahal, authentic architectural masterpieces. Although a part is open to the public, it still serves as a royal residence today. Its pink and cream colors make it enchanting and compare it to one of the palaces that you usually imagine when reading a storybook. Wheelchair accessible. The ancient residence of the Maharajas is instead the Amber Fort , a fortress located 11 km from Jaipur. This Fort, with its imposing walls and series of gates, features Hindu-style artistic elements and dominates Lake Maota, its main water reserve, from above. It was built in sandstone and marble and is spread over four levels, each with a courtyard. Not all levels are fully wheelchair accessible but, with a little help, it's not difficult to get around it entirely . The precious stones set in the doors and in the various rooms will amaze you with their flashiness! I recommend you take the climb to get to the top of the Fort on the back of one of the many elephants available at the entrance. Standing on the canopy placed on the back of this huge mammal is safe, even for those with mobility problems. Have you finished the tour and haven't gone shopping? Don't be alarmed, Jaipur is the city for you! In the old part, along the road, there is a huge bazaar that sells everything from jewelry to pashminas, from clothes to souvenirs. Please, bargain as much as possible!

To read the article in full version: https://www.agendaviaggi.com/lindia-piu-suggestiva-in-un-magico-tour-il-triangolo-doro/