This is a map showing the journey we are going to be taking through India. The dark red line shows our journey down from Dehli to Kolkata (Calcutta) via Agra and Varanasi. Whilst we are in India, we are going to be travelling by train, mini bus and plane.
Delhi is the capital of India, and it’s also the travel hub of northern India. We are going to be flying into Delhi.
We are going to visit the Taj Mahal on our way down to Udayan. We are going to see it at sunset, moonlight and dawn. Be prepared for some stunning pictures!rnrn”The Taj Mahal, described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love, has become the de facto tourist emblem of India. This poignant Mughal mausoleum was constructed by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his second wife Mumtaz Mahal, whose death in childbirth in 1631 left the emperor so heartbroken that his hair is said to have turned grey overnight. Construction of the Taj began in the same year and was not completed until 1653.”
“For over 2000 years, Varanasi, the ‘eternal city’, has been one of the holiest places in India. Built on the banks of the sacred Ganges, it is said to combine the virtues of all other places of pilgrimage and anyone who ends their days here, regardless of creed and however great their misdeeds, is transported straight to heaven. The easternmost city in Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi is an important seat of learning, and is the home of novelists, philosophers and grammarians. This has been reflected in its role in the development of Hindi – the closest thing to a national language in India.”
Kolkata is where we are going to be spending the majority of our time. Udayan is based here, and most of the children in Udayan are from the slums on the outskirts of Kolkata.rnrn”It may have changed its name, but for many Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) still conjures up images of squalour, poverty and urban disaster. Too few bother to discover its enchanting colonial beauty, the energy and humour of its people and the charm of the city’s distinctly Bengali soul.rnrnWhile the teeming humanity, chaotic streets and crumbling colonial heritage are all too real, Kolkata is also acknowledged as the cultural capital of India and its friendliest metropolis. It is also home to India’s heaviest concentration of political activists, poets and artists. rnThe city undoubtedly has its share of problems – chronic labour unrest, population overload, political ineptitude, environmental degradation and traffic snarls that bite. Yet time and again entranced visitors tell of its beauty and the dignity and altruism of its people.”rn