near & far Delhi Delhi and Agra provide insight into the country s rich heritage By Candace Dempsey

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2 near & far Delhi from left, prognone / getty images; Christopher Pillitz / getty images; travelview / shutterstock.com Iconic India Delhi and Agra provide insight into the country s rich heritage By Candace Dempsey The Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, one of the grandest palaces ever built, is my cup of Darjeeling tea. I m enthralled by Indian Summers, The Jewel in the Crown and other dramas set in the twilight of the British Raj a ruling system that controlled the Indian subcontinent from 1858 to Britain created this redsandstone mansion in 1931 to display wealth and power. Many times larger than the White House, and rising to the sky in layers like a wedding cake, it s now home to India s president. Above the dome, which was inspired by the Sanchi Stupa, the national flag waves over the world s largest democracy. I begin my stroll to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, or President s House, in the cool of the morning. Local families walk the broad streets, and young men kick balls across the green lawns. I pass India Gate, a World War I memorial arch, which is as spectacular as Paris Arc de Triomphe. Women in bright saris, riding three to a motorcycle, smile and wave from the roadway as they pass by. British architect Edwin Lutyens design raises the jewel-box President s House above tree-lined boulevards, gardens, fountains, and the neighboring Central Secretariat and Parliament House. One of the world s oldest cities and a survivor of many dynasties, Delhi spans a plain inhabited for 25,000 years. British viceroys moved the capital from Kolkata to Delhi in 1911, calling the area New Delhi to distinguish it from Old Delhi, the capital of the deposed Mughal Empire, about 5 miles away from The Taj Mahal is a breathtaking landmark, opposite. Changing-ofthe-guard ceremonies take place at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, above left. Locals and visitors enjoy the Delhi sights, above right. 165

3 near & far Delhi from top, don mammoser / shutterstock.com; Amit Somvanshi / getty images; Silvia Jansen / getty images; Dinodia Photo / getty images New Delhi s administrative center. Today, Delhi is just Delhi, all one big thing, a resident tells me. Stretching for hundreds of square miles, connected by the Delhi Metro, the metropolitan area could reach 25 million residents by Home to many multinational corporations, it has nudged out Mumbai to become India s business capital. Delhi is also a food paradise. Visitors can feast on the delicious tandoori dishes, kebabs and butter chicken. During my stay, I particularly enjoyed a luscious tandoori chicken dinner at the Caraway restaurant at the Grand New Delhi hotel. Meanwhile, the walled Old City remains a fascinating maze of street stalls, spice markets, Mughal forts, temples and wandering cows. It offers a unique view of India s past. I m visiting Delhi after just having completed two delightful weeks on TransIndus-India s heritage tour of Northern India. We explored the foothills of the Himalayas, where British viceroys enjoyed respite from the summer heat. Now, I want to get a sense of Delhi. I ve hired a car and driver through TransIndus, which also organized my tickets, lodging and itinerary for my individual explorations. Free to ramble without worrying about logistics, I keep in mind that everything here is monumental. India Gate honors World War I soldiers. Indeed, it took 17 years and 700 million bricks to complete the 340- room President s House. Imagine a 330-acre estate with 550 servants. All the staff were male and all wore the headgear denoting their rank, as well as the viceroy s personal badge on their chests, writes Pamela Hicks in her charming memoir, Daughter of Empire: My Life as a Mountbatten. Some ran messages and looked after the offices; others did laundry; and Mughals from South India did the cooking. I was surprised to discover there was a chicken cleaner who did nothing other than prepare chickens for cooking, she writes. History buffs and fans of the BBC series The Crown might recall that Hicks father, India s last viceroy, was Louis Mountbatten, distant cousin of Queen Elizabeth. Hugh Bonneville of Downton Abbey plays him in the 2017 film Viceroy s House the dwelling s original name. Pamela Hicks favorite visitor was Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian leader who practiced nonviolent protest against Brit- From top, I'timād-ud-Daulah has intricate tiled interiors. Two women enjoy falooda kulfi, a refreshing dessert. Markets offer an array of colorful spices. Tips from writer Bharti Kirchner India-born writer Bharti Kirchner, author of seven novels and four cookbooks, shares two of her favorite places in Delhi. Bengali Market in Babar Road: A cluster of shops carrying Indian food, which includes sweets and savories of my childhood. Particularly good are ras malai (white rounds in sugar syrup) and chole bhature (chickpeas with puffy bread). Try fresh red carrot juice. Red not orange carrots are more popular in India. Nirula s at Connaught Place: Once an ice cream shop, it s famous for Indian fast food. I enjoy people-watching while I m drinking tea. 167

4 Top Attractions Chandni Chowk bazaar: In the heart of Old Delhi, a covered market dating to the 17th century, where visitors can find silk, jewelry and trinkets. Connaught Place: Popular shopping and dining center, with traditional restaurants such as Minar Restaurant and innovative terrace bars such as Lord of the Drinks. Gandhi Smriti: The last home of famed leader Mahatma Gandhi, where you can walk Gandhi s final steps, represented in red sandstone, and see his statue (shown at right). Red Fort: The massive sandstone fort, for which construction began in 1939, now features an evening soundand-light show that re-creates events in the fort s history. Statue of Gandhi at Gandhi Smriti. Qutb Minar: Soaring Old Delhi tower, more than 230 feet tall. The structure was built in 1199 by India s first Muslim ruler, Qutbu d-din Aibak. ish rule. Known for his sense of humor, he brought a dish of goat cheese curds a dish unfamiliar at that time to the British palate which he insisted Lord Mountbatten try. The viceroy did take a bite, Pamela recalls, but only one, and only for diplomacy. Pamela notes that her father was in a peculiar position for a viceroy because Britain, greatly weakened economically by World War II, had sent him to hand over power in In less than a year, Britain would partition the subcontinent into two nation states: India and Pakistan. Jawaharlal Nehru, another well-liked guest, would become India s first prime minster. After admiring the grounds, I leave the President s House with one regret: I couldn t go inside the house, because it was closed for the visit of a foreign dignitary that day. Chef-Owned Restaurants JOHN HOWIE STEAK VOLTERRA Chef Don Curtiss Ballard Kirkland volterrarestaurant.com JOHN HOWIE STEAK Chef John Howie Bellevue johnhowiesteak.com SEASTAR Chef John Howie Bellevue seastarrestaurant.com ASSAGGIO RISTORANTE Chef Mauro Golmarvi Downtown Seattle assaggioseattle.com PEARL SEAFOOD & OYSTER BAR Chef/Owner Bradley Dickinson Owner Mikel Rogers Bellevue pearlbellevue.com Dine where the locals dine! *According to ZAGAT, SEATTLE'S BEST PLACES, NWSOURCE.COM 168 alaska beyond march 2018

5 DKart / getty images My next stop is about 4 miles away, and a big step back in time: Humayun s Tomb, the inspiration for the Taj Mahal. Believed to be the subcontinent s first garden tomb, it dates to 1570 and was commissioned for Mughal Emperor Humayun by the first of his six wives. A serene retreat in a crowded city, it does resemble the Taj in its monumental size, white dome and minarets. I stroll through the red sandstone buildings, admiring the Persian-influenced architecture. After my Delhi explorations, we drive to Agra, which I want to reach before 6 p.m. to see the sun set over the Taj Mahal, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Then I ll get up at 6 a.m. to see the Taj at sunrise. This is a popular way to see two parts of the Golden Triangle, the tourist circuit that starts in Delhi, goes south to Agra and west to Jaipur. The road to Agra takes us over flat, dry land. I check into the comfortable Coral Tree Homestay, a blue bungalow just a stroll from the Taj. Guesthouses run by local families are a popular option for visitors seeking immersion in Indian culture. Vandna and Gopal Singh, the cheerful owners, welcome me with a tasty meal of curried vegetables, biryani rice and flat bread, cooked in a tiny kitchen. Then, I m off to get a sunset view of the Taj. The great Mughal emperor Shah Jahan commissioned it as a garden tomb Visitors walk past the Taj Mahal. for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, with construction beginning in By design, the best place to see the sunset over this masterpiece is Mehtab Bagh, a DOWNTOWN ANCHORAGE The only Alaskan place to stay for charm, culture and cuisine. Featuring four distinctive restaurants, full-service espresso bar, 12 shops as well separate men s and women s athletic clubs W 5th Ave., Anchorage, Alaska 169

6 PROFESSIONAL MARINER TRAINING AFFORDABLE PRICES CONVENIENT SCHEDULES COMPASSCOURSES.COM Stay Breast Aware I wanted to create a place where patients can come to receive breast imaging services with the latest technology and the highest possible quality of care. Our hand selected team is as passionate about breast health care as I am. Marita Acheson MD director and founder of bbic graduate of oxford university, england university college medical school, london residency & fellowship in chest radiology & mammography, university of washington Call for your appointment today (425) bellevue washington fragrant garden set up in perfect alignment to view the Taj. Because it s across the narrow Yamuna River from the monument, and since the bridge crossing the river is about 3 miles away, we take the car. We park under towering trees and stroll white paths through a grassy flood plain dotted with trees. Fragrant white neem blossoms wave gently in the breeze. Tiny thick-billed flowerpeckers and other small birds circle overhead. There at last is the Taj, shimmering in the twilight. It sparkles from top to bottom, across the silvery river. Softer and lovelier than its photos, this marble shrine was erected by more than 20,000 workers aided by 1,000 elephants. Many see it as an ode to love. Its beauty fills me with an unexpected happiness. In the Mehtab Bagh garden, I stand with a small group of people on a gravel path. We chat for a bit as the sky starts to darken and the air cools. We can see throngs of tourists, looking like colored dots, lined up on the Taj s ramparts. Two smaller domes flank the sides of the main dome, mimicking its shape. We fall silent as the Taj s white dome turns pink and then a darker pink. Suddenly, flocks of birds, which I later find out are called jungle babblers, rise up, squawking, as if at the moon. The sun disappears behind the marble dome. We linger in the sweet-smelling garden until true darkness begins to descend. By the time I return to The Coral Tree, a sliver of golden moon hangs in a black sky. I sleep restfully and return to the Taj in darkness the next morning, this time on foot. While the shift from dark to light isn t as dramatic without the moonlight, the Taj is breathtaking in the morning mist and delicate light. 170 alaska beyond march 2018

7 near & far delhi It s thrilling to stroll around the famous rectangular pool and wander through the buildings, admiring the inlaid semiprecious jewels and intricate craftsmanship. The marble walls remind me of bridal lace. Gradually, the crowds grow bigger, until they fill the gardens. I wait in line to be photographed on the Diana bench, named for the British princess who posed for an iconic photo beside the pool. Then it s off to Agra Fort, where Shah Jahan s son imprisoned him for his last eight years. A guard shows us the only window from which the Shah could get a peek of the Taj. Upon his death in 1666, he was buried there next to his wife. I also tour I'timād-ud-Daulah, known as the Baby Taj. Built for a Persian nobleman by his daughter, it has a fabulous garden of flowering trees. Inside, the walls are decorated with whimsical tiles with shapes of flowers, wine bottles, vases and other staples of everyday life. As we drive out of Agra, I m already thinking about finishing the Golden Triangle on my next trip, with a Jaipur stopover. I m curious about Mumbai, Kolkata and South India. I want to try Delhi s chickpea fritters and slow-cooked Mughal stews. Still, I m content for now. The happiness I felt in the moonlight garden stays with me all the way back to the capital, where I catch a midnight flight for home. Candace Dempsey is a Seattle-based adventure travel writer. Earn or redeem Mileage Plan miles when you visit Delhi on Alaska Global Partners airline Emirates. For information or to enroll in Mileage Plan, go to alaskaair.com. $9 75 /day SeaTac Airport Parking -SeaTac Airport Parking -Safe, Secure, & Convenient Location -Park & Lock Your Own Car -Professional, Helpful Drivers -24-Hour Shuttle Service 3610 S. 158th St Coupon expires 6/30/18. Must present coupon to receive rate. Taxes and fees not included 171