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TRAVEL FEATURE - INDIA MEGAN GOVERNI
INDIA ' S GOLDEN TRIANGLE
A tourist area that many explain shouldn ’ t be visited , the over exploited and commercialism far outweigh the history and grandeur . India ’ s Golden Triangle was an area where I had to ignore the nay-sayers and see for myself .
The area surrounding New Delhi , Agra , and Jaipur is in fact India ’ s main tourist destination . Why wouldn ’ t it be with such sites as the Taj Mahal ? Yet , many only see this marvel , then move on to other areas . Tick , that ’ s another World Heritage Site marked off the list . Not me , I had been coerced here by my partner , a rider that has to move slow so that he can be a part of his environment , taking in all of the history and culture . I ’ m generally not fussed , but this time … oh , this time …
Stepping into New Delhi for the first time is an assault of all senses . Strange sights , smells and noises all attack ones being yet quickly fall into the background as this becomes the norm . Incessant honking of horns becomes white noise in the conscious distance as the traveller marvels at the way the traffic moves , a living organism that knows its purpose and place .
There ’ s nowhere else on Earth like Delhi , that is , until you step into Old Delhi , a world that times seems to have forgotten and yet where the day to day exists and thrives . Narrow lanes , spice markets , rikshaws galore . A microcosm world that could easily take a lifetime to explore . Not our immediate reason for being here .
The Qutb Minar gave indication as to what we could expect . This minaret or ‘ victory tower ’ is just part of the Qutb complex in the old walled city of Lal Kot , dating back almost 900 years it is perhaps the first real signs of Islamic movement into India as they fled the invading Mongols . The truthful history of the
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