Rudyard Kipling extolled her as the "Mother of Cities." Built
expressly for trade by the British, over the years it changed
hands, from the Portuguese conquest to Catharine of Braganza who
took the seven islands of Bombay as her dowry to Charles II of
England.
It is now a center of finance, industry, Indian film and houses
many poor. The film Slumdog Millionaire was filmed in
Mumbai and it is possible to visit this area as well, which is
surprisingly clean and welcoming. No India travel experience would
be complete without a visit to Mahatma Gandhi's house, the bustling
bazaar area around Crawford Market, the beautiful Jain temple on
Malabar Hill and the dhobi ghats-a huge open-air laundry
where hundreds of dhobi-wallahs vigorously thump and scrub
the city's washing.
Elephanta Island
The excursion is a scenic, hour-long boat ride from Mumbai. The
fabulous forested island of Elephanta, now a UNESCO World Heritage
site, is famous for its 7th century cave temple. The huge excavated
caves feature massive carved rock columns and many Hindu
shrines.
Ajanta and Ellora Caves
Explore the enormous complex of caves at Ajanta and Ellora, one
of India's greatest destinations and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Not actually caves in the true sense, this is actually a stunning
series of carvings hewn from rock on a massive scale. They are
particularly noteworthy in that three major Indian
religions-Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism-have laid joint claim to
the caves peacefully since they were created.
Hyderabad
Conceived by Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah in the 16th century as "a
replica of Paradise itself," Hyderabad was at the center of a
flowering culture, which became known as the "Dakhni"-a blending of
the Hindu and Muslim traditions. The city still embodies this
culture of gracious living, gourmet cooking and stylish dressing,
visible in the lifestyles of the Nawabs of the Deccan, descendants
of the Nizam whose fabled wealth once made him the richest man in
the world.
Bangalore
Bangalore has a decidedly upscale and modern feel-for India that
is. In the past two decades many a historic building has been
pulled down to make way for the high-rise, high-wired office
buildings, which comprise the backbone (along with Pune, near
Mumbai) of India's technology industries. The 16th century Bull
Temple makes for an interesting contrast to the glass and
steel.
Mysore
The palaces and royal gardens of Mysore are a testament to its
past grandeur. The rulers of Mysore were connoisseurs of art and
architecture and enjoyed a lavish lifestyle. Thus the Maharaja's
Palace is one of the largest in the country, with stained glass,
domes and turrets giving it an ethereal air. Boasting fabulous
shopping, the elegant city of Mysore is also the ideal location to
find the perfect India travel memento, with its famous Mysore
silks, printed or woven in brilliant colors and beautiful
textures.
Golconda Fort
(day trip from Hyderabad)
The capital of seven Qutb Shahi kings from 1518, this fort is
protected by huge walls and gates studded with iron spikes to keep
the elephants from charging in. Beyond the fort are the 82
beautiful Qutb Shahi Tombs set amid peaceful gardens.
Chennai (Madras)
Chennai, the gateway to the south, was founded in 1639 by lads
from the British East India Company. Colonial history buffs
traveling in India will find Fort St. George and St. Mary's Church
worth exploring. However, Chennai is crowded and polluted: we
suggest going further afield.
Madurai
Like the ghats of Varanasi in the north, the classic,
Dravidian-style Sri Meenakshi Temple in Madurai is at the spiritual
heart of South India, and a visit to this riotously colorful temple
will put your finger on its pulse. One of India's oldest religious
centers, its temples, surrounding courtyards and shrines were
described by Greek ambassadors 400 years before Christ;
astonishingly, the scene appears not to have altered in two and a
half millennia. It's as though a visitor could walk into the
Acropolis today and find crowds of robe-clad worshippers making
offering at a perfectly preserved Temple of Athena.
Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram)
The small seaside village of Mamallapuram, 40 miles from
Chennai, was once the main port of the Pallava dynasty from the 5th
to the 9th centuries. Its exquisite rock-cut temples and carvings
are some of the finest in India and have been declared a World
Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Kanchipuram
(half day from Chennai)
Lying 45 miles southwest of Chennai, Kanchipuram once had a
thousand temples and was a great center of artistic and
architectural learning. The temples still tower above the narrow
streets and it remains the holiest Hindu city in South India,
attracting Saivaite and Vaishnavite pilgrims alike.
Thekkady/Periyar
Columbus was after spice. A mere dusting of a dish with the
precious substances could transform sustenance into cuisine, and
some spices in his day were literally worth their weight in gold
(today, saffron still is). He would have given his right arm for
the sea route to Thekkady. Spend a day on a serenely calm guided
walk through a plantation and revel in the richness of India's
spices. Don't expect tidy rows of monocrop, ala a Nebraska corn
field: the plantation is really a lush, undulating jungle growing
an astonishing 36 varieties of spices, including black pepper,
cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, vanilla and fiery green
chilies.
The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is next to Thekkady, and is home
to monkeys, antelopes, sambar, plenty of bird life and elephants.
There are also a few tigers but it's very rare to glimpse one.
Munnar
At almost 5,000 feet in the Western Ghats, Kerala's major
tea-growing center has an Old World Anglo-Indian atmosphere. Stay
among tea and cardamom plantations in colonial bungalows and guest
houses. Visit the nearby Nilgiri Tahr Sanctuary to see South
India's endemic goat-antelopes in their natural habitat.
Kochi (Cochin)
This port town on the ancient spice route boasts a wealth of
cultural and historical influences. A succession of Portuguese,
Dutch and British colonialists competed for control of its port and
lucrative spice trade, each leaving their own architectural legacy
in the city. Visit the oldest Jewish synagogue in India, housing
four scrolls from the Torah. Follow that up with a look at the
church of St. Francis, the first European church to be built in
India, where the great seafarer Vasco da Gama was originally
buried.
Cruise around Kochi's harbor, passing by the famous Chinese
fishing nets. A most graceful sight suspended from their arced
poles, the nets are said to have been introduced to the region by
the court of Kublai Khan.
Kochi is a great place to catch an evening performance of the
entrancing kathakali dance, an important and ancient
ritual of Southern India, based on the three major Hindu epics.
Performances tend to last all night, but an act or two may be
enough for the uninitiated, and it's not rude to leave during
intermission.
Goa
A beautiful and historically rich stretch of coastline extending
between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, Goa offers miles of
beaches set against a backdrop of swaying palm trees. A former
Portuguese colony, the area has a distinctly Mediterranean flavor
and it is an ideal place to take time out and relax on your
unforgettable tour of India.
Kerala Backwaters (Alappuzha)
The Backwaters are 135 square miles of inland canals and lakes.
Enjoy boat excursions in native kettuvallam floating craft
to water bird sanctuaries, villages built on floating islands and
rice fields. Note how clean and prosperous the area appears. See
children in their smart school uniforms wave and shout greetings in
unison as you drift by. Discover local methods of fish farming,
tapping of coconuts for toddy and the making of coir from coconut
fibers.