The Golden Triangle is a triangle shaped tourist circuit in northern India. It encompasses three cities that will certainly capture your imagination - Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The full length of the circuit is 720 km. by road, each leg being around 4 to 6 hours of drive, providing a marvelous spectrum of the country’s landscape.
The Golden Triangle guides in discovering the best of North India, from the unique style of the spectacular Indian architecture to a peek into the lavish lifestyles of the Mughals and the Maharajas.
Mughal Empire Under Auran-gaseb -: (1658-1707)
Aurangaseb ascended the throne after killing his three brothers shuja, Dara and Murad, and also imprisoned his father ,Shah Jahan , who died the prison . He was one of the longest ruled emperors in the history of India , as he ruled for 48 years.
Aurangzeb was a war-mongering ruler of the Mughal empire who followed the policy of expansionism and let go of the policy of the religious tolerance, as he didn't entertain any other religion or culture other than Islam
1-The emperor abolished the Departments of the official history.
2- Playing music in his court was forbidden .
3- Intoxication of liquor and cultivation of Bhang and other drugs were prohibited.
4- Stopped the practice of "Jarokha Dharshan"- ruler appearing in front of the crowd".
5- Festivals like Dusshera and Navros were stopped under his reign.
6- Banned the practice of building new Hindu temples.
Here are the Highlights of the famous Golden Triangle -:
The journey of the tour embarks from the heart of the country - Delhi, or as they call it - “Dilwalo ki Delhi.” Starting exploring Delhi can be a struggle because of the narrow alleyways of the Chandni Chowk, but the struggle will be worth it because you will be getting choose from the countless parathas in the Paranthe Wali Gali, and tasting Delhi’s arguably most famous culinary destination - Karim’s.
Heritage exploration in Delhi can be commenced with the massive red sandstone castle, known as The Red Fort or Lal Qila. Located at the bank of Yamuna, this palace was once adorned with precious stones of every hue.
The centre of the city has India Gate, a war memorial paying homage to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country. Then there’s Raj Ghat, the crematorium place of India’s great leader Mahatma Gandhi. At a small distance from the Raj Ghat is an enormous mosque known as the Jama Masjid which can accommodate over 25,000 people.
Heritage exploration in Delhi can be commenced with the massive red sandstone castle, known as The Red Fort or Lal Qila. Located at the bank of Yamuna, this palace was once adorned with precious stones of every hue.
The centre of the city has India Gate, a war memorial paying homage to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country. Then there’s Raj Ghat, the crematorium place of India’s great leader Mahatma Gandhi. At a small distance from the Raj Ghat is an enormous mosque known as the Jama Masjid which can accommodate over 25,000 people.
Delhi also has some UNESCO World Heritage sites which include Humayun’s Tomb and Qutub Minar, which is the tallest minaret in the world made up of bricks and still has scientists in awe.
Next stop of the journey is Agra. But before reaching Agra, Fatehpur Sikri is a recommended visit. It was once the capital of the Mughal Empire and still provides interesting insight into the life of Emperor Akbar.
Agra is the abode to the symbol of eternal love, the Taj Mahal. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz.
Near the lush gardens of the Taj Mahal is a powerful fortress of red sandstone, known as the Agra Fort. This present-day UNESCO World Heritage Site used to be the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638.
Moving to the next destination is a transition from the Mughal ambience to the dusty desert landscape of Rajasthan. Jaipur, described as the Pink City, is a bliss to explore.
It is called the Pink City because of its trademark building colour, which can be found on the buildings of the Old Jaipur.
One of the monuments which will grab your attention here the Hawa Mahal. This five storey palace is unique because its architecture is similar to a honeycomb. Because of having 953 small windows called jharokhas, the women of the palace were able to secretly observe the life outside the palace.
Another attraction here is the City Palace which has a mix of Rajasthani and Mughal Architecture. Across the City Palace is a heaven for science and astronomy geeks, the Jantar Mantar, which has a lot of scientific instruments including sun dials and a 27-metre high gnomon.
Moving to the next destination is a transition from the Mughal ambience to the dusty desert landscape of Rajasthan. Jaipur, described as the Pink City, is a bliss to explore.
It is called the Pink City because of its trademark building colour, which can be found on the buildings of the Old Jaipur.
One of the monuments which will grab your attention here the Hawa Mahal. This five storey palace is unique because its architecture is similar to a honeycomb. Because of having 953 small windows called jharokhas, the women of the palace were able to secretly observe the life outside the palace.
Another attraction here is the City Palace which has a mix of Rajasthani and Mughal Architecture. Across the City Palace is a heaven for science and astronomy geeks, the Jantar Mantar, which has a lot of scientific instruments including sun dials and a 27-metre high gnomon.
To the north of the old city is the ancient capital of Jaipur, Amber. The capital has the principal tourist attraction, the Amber Fort, which has been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Coming back to the city from the Amber Fort, you might want to check out the ethnic handicrafts, silver jewelry and semi-precious stones Jaipur is famous for, and take them home as a memory of this beautiful royal city.
Situated a bit off-track from the golden triangle is Sawai Madhopur, located in the southeastern Rajasthan. It has the 40th largest national park of North India, The Ranthambore National Park.
It is the home to the ferocious and mighty Bengal Tigers. The beautifully striped predator can be spotted basking under the sun or walking casually even during the daytime.
Examples of unique fauna that can be found in the park are Nilgai, Sambar and Chital. The flora of the park is mainly deciduous forests, which are the characteristic examples of the jungles found in North India. The best way to travel around the park is a vehicle-based safari or a jungle walk with a local guide if you don’t have a weak heart. The best time to visit the national park is between October and May, and the park remains closed between July to September.
Other tourist attractions around it include the Ranthambore Fort, Jogi Mahal and the Trinetra Ganesh Temple.
Exploring the history and culture rich Golden Triangle is an adventurous journey after which you will return as a different person from the one you were before.