PICTURES IN PERFECTION

When I announce my holiday plans to family and friends, I usually have to correct them: my destination is India, not “India again”. Himalayan peaks, desert landscapes, inviting tropical waters: it’s a place you can return to over and over – and enjoy a different experience every time. For me, one of the key attractions is the culture – as alive today as it was hundreds of years ago when ancient empires were at their height. This is evident in daily life and in the many and varied temples scattered across the country. These amazing buildings are intricately interwoven with the culture and religion of the land; they’re not mere relics for tourists to gawp at, but vibrant, working shrines still prayed and marvelled at hundreds of years after their construction. This is my pick of the best.

 

 

Amritsar, Punjab
Amritsar is the spiritual centre of the Sikh religion,and its most revered monument is the Golden Temple.Its domes are covered with gold leaf – reputedly 400kg of the stuff – it houses the Sikh holy scriptures: the Granth Sahib.Head here if you’re hungry – the temple’s kitchen whips up enough lentil curry to feed 30,000 pilgrims a day.

 

 

Orchha, Madhya Pradesh

This well-preserved, fortified city sits in a picture-book setting on an island in the Betwa River.The old town is dominated by three beautiful temples and the impressive 17th-century Jehangir Mahal  alace.Orchha is one of the most unspoilt medieval cities in India; watch women washing at the river’s edge as children splash happily in the shallows.

 

 

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

This holy city on the banks of the Ganges is one of the world’s oldest living communities.Devout Hindus aim to visit at least once – and many desire to die here, to give the greatest chance of a good start in the next life. Head to the river’s edge at dawn to witness unforgettable, timeless scenes of worship and purification.This is the essential, spiritual India.

 

 

Hampi, Karnataka

Hampi was the showpiece city of the mighty Vijayanagar Empire; its well-preserved and unique architecture is now a Unesco World Heritage site.The incredible ‘Lost Empire’is a bit off the beaten track,but well worth making the effort to get to – allow at least two days to explore the temples, pavilions and palaces of this enormous complex.