Everyone should try to visit at least one of these stunning buildings in India.
The Amritsar Golden Temple
The Golden Temple in Amritsar (Enzo Coribello)
The Golden Temple in Amritsar is the holiest place for Sikhs, and one of the most beautiful buildings I have seen in my life. The white marble walls and walkways, the golden cupolas and the Amrit Sarovar (or the “pool of nectar”) where pilgrims bathe around the temple are simply stunning, but it is also the peaceful, almost magical atmosphere inside the temple complex that makes one of the most special sacred sites in India.
The building of the temple, Harmandir Sahib, was started by the fourth Sikh guru Ram Das (1534 –1581). Sikhism’s holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, is kept in the temple complex and verses from the holy book are sung continuously in the Harmandir Sahib.
Located in Amritsar, in the Punbjab, the temple is easy to visit from Delhi. Daily trains connect Delhi to Amritsar, the fastest is the Shatabdi Express. It is a good idea to book train tickets in advance, especially for the Shatabdi. If trains are full, there are also buses between Delhi and Amritsar.
The Taj Mahal
The most famous monument in India is, of course, the Taj Mahal. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Taj was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal in the 17th century. The construction work took two decades and involved thousands of craftsmen, but the result is one of the most famous buildings in the world.
Taj Mahal is located in Agra, a city you would never want to visit unless it was to see the Taj. My advice is, get in, visit the Taj and get out fast. Agra is a few hours’ drive or train journey from Delhi, and there are frequent trains and buses between Delhi and Agra. It is also possible to hire a car for a daytrip to the Taj from Delhi.
The Red Fort in Delhi
The same Mughal emperor Shah Jahan was also behind the construction of the Red Fort, or Lal Qil’ah in Delhi. Located in Old Delhi, the Red Fort was built in the 17th century and was for some time the location of the headquarters of the Mughal Empire. Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the fort is now one of Delhi’s main tourist attractions.
The City Palace in Jaipur
The City Palace is a huge palace complex in Jaipur, the capital of one of the most fascinating states in India: Rajasthan. Once the headquarters of the Maharaja of Jaipur, the complex now includes several old palaces, museums, gardens and courtyards, and the former royals still live in a part of it. The building of the palace complex was started in the early part of the 18th century by the Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, but other rulers later added to the architecture.
Jaipur is connected to Delhi and to many other major cities by train and by bus, and is on most India tour itineraries.
