Cuisine Tours of India - Delhi

We'd like to begin with a short note about hot food and spicy food. Contrary to popular belief, Indian cuisine is not meant to be hot. There are a great variety of herbs and spices used in Indian cooking. These may add flavor, aid digestion, have medicinal properties, or just bring color to the food (usually it's a combination of a few qualities).

The types and flavors of herbs and spices vary as you travel from one place to another within India. Just as anywhere else, there are people that cook and eat really hot food; however, almost all Indian restaurants will ask for your preference while taking your order. If they forget to ask you, please do let your waiter know.

The cuisine we have chosen this month is called Mughlai. Recipes for some of the dishes mentioned here are included in this issue and you can send your questions about the intricacies of their preparation to our world famous chef consultants.

Most visits to India start with Delhi and explorations of the capital are typically divided between New & Old Delhi. Let us begin our culinary & tourism experience with Old Delhi.
You start your day with a brief stop at Raj Ghat to pay your respects to Mahatma Gandhi at his cremation site & memorial. You then travel a very short distance to two of India's most impressive Mughal era monuments - the amazing Red Fort (A World Heritage Site) and the impressive Jama Masjid (India's largest mosque).

Begin your culinary crusade at the Mughal Durbar Restaurant in Chandni Chowk. The mouthwatering buttered naans (leavened Indian bread) are freshly baked and flavored with aniseed. They will melt in your mouth and are a perfect accompaniment to the large variety of curries available here.

An essential is the popular tandoori specialty - Tandoori Chicken. It is marinated and then cooked to perfection in a clay oven. Round off a highly satisfying repast with the ever-popular Seviyan (vermicelli cooked with milk and sugar) for desert.

After your lunch at Chandni Chowk, head across town to the other end of Delhi and embark on an adventure of a different kind as you explore Delhi's monuments ranging from the medieval period to the magnificent architectural legacy of India's British rulers.
Arrive at the incredible Qutab Minar and explore the 72.5 m (287 feet) high tower. It was built as a symbol of victory by Qutub-ud-din-Aibak at the end of the 12th century. In the vicinity of the Qutab Minar stands the almost mythical Ashoka Pillar. It is amazing how this large 5th century Iron Pillar has not rusted at all in 1600 years, despite the vagaries of Delhi's weather!
Head back towards Delhi's center and drive through the Diplomatic Enclave. "Lutyens Delhi" includes the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan, designed and built by the famous architect Edwin Lutyens in 1931. It is the State residence of the President of India and has over 350 rooms.
Close to Rashtrapati Bhavan is the Parliament House, a domed almost circular structure almost a kilometer in circumference, where the bicameral legislature of India meets for its sessions.
Less than 2 kilometers away is the famous India Gate, a beautiful war memorial constructed in honor of the soldiers who died during World War I and housing an eternal flame in their honor. Built by Maharaja Jai Singh of Jaipur in 1719, the Jantar Mantar Observatory is still remarkably accurate for astronomical calculations and is located next to Delhi's bustling commercial center, Connaught Place.

New Delhi is home to many remarkable monuments, including the Purana Qila (Old Fort), Humayun's Tomb, and the Bahai or Lotus Temple. All these monuments are definitely worth a visit if you are spending more then one day at Delhi. At quite a distance from all the aforementioned monuments, the uniquely shaped Bahai Temple silhouetted against Delhi's skyline, has become synonymous with Delhi itself for its many visitors, much like Sydney's famous Opera House.

After exploring Jantar Mantar you drive in to neighboring Connaught Place and treat yourself to your next delicious Indian meal. The Delhi Durbar Restaurant design and ambiance evoke memories of a Mughal court. Indulge your palate and choose from a wide variety of succulent vegetable, chicken and lamb delicacies to be found here.

We believe that at the end of this day all five of your senses will have been stimulated more then you had anticipated. We hope that the other four senses mirror the extreme satisfaction that your taste buds will have experienced.

Visit Easy Tours of India website for India Tours detail.

Fairy Queen - Exciting Train Journey

Visitors looking for something different, have another treat in store for them at the capital, New Delhi. Indian Railways is all set to signal the revival of Fairy Queen, a tourist train hauled by the world's oldest working steam engine. Beginning this month, the train will ply on the Delhi Cantonment - Sariska (Alwar) circuit, covering the journey to Sariska in seven hours. Keeping the winter cold in mind, you board the train at a leisurely pace, in time for its 9 a.m. departure from Delhi cantonment. The Fairy Queen will commence its return journey the following afternoon, reaching Delhi at the reasonable hour of 6.45 p.m. In action since 1855, the engine is a National Award recepient. It is sturdy and still going strong. So train lovers and wildlife enthusiasts, get geared for 'a slice of the wild life' in the company of a trusted oldie!

Sponsored by Easy Tours of India.

An 'Aura' of rejuvenation for travellers at The Park, New Delhi.

Travellers, desirous of indulging in the luxury of wellness therapies during their trip to India, now need not travel as far as Kerala for rejuvenating massages and related therapies. The Park, New Delhi has recently launched Aura, a luxury day spa and gym that offers unique treatments
with regional specialities.
Some of the finest wellness therapies from around the world are delivered by specially trained therapists. Its relaxing treatments include traditional Ayurvedic therapies; a wide range of specialised massages including deep tissue, acupressure, Swedish and reflexology techniques; signature beauty treatments using rare combinations od natural herbs, flowers and spices, inspired by rich ancient traditions and fruit based body wraps and scrubs using milk, honey, lavender, sweet basil etc. The packages include Aura's soul balancing face massage - a treatment to rebalance the bio-energy of the body, through activation on specific points on the face, scalp and feet.
Aura, with its magnificent views of Jantar Mantar and Lutyens' Delhi, also boasts of a state of the art gymnasium, a beauty salon, a relaxing sauna chamber and yoga classes for those in search of holistic healing. It is a must for the intrepid traveller, to keep the body in a state of fitness and the mind relaxed and receptive to new and exciting experiences which travel in
India is bound to offer.

Sponsored by Easy Tours of India.

Boutique Hotel opens in Hyderabad.

Hyderabad, popularly referred to as the the Charminar City on account of this well known monument, now plays proud host to a new boutique hotel - The Residency. The Bangalore-based Boutique Hotel and service Apartments has forayed into into the capital of Andhra Pradesh with this new property.
The Residence Hyderabad resembles a private residence rather than a hotel. The interiors of this small but exclusive property, are truly unique. They have been fashioned and designed by the duo of Deepika Govind and Shankar Prasad, who are known for their understated luxury and exquisite detailing. Original paintings and sculptures by young, upcoming artists have been
handpicked by the talented designers and create an intimate ambience.

Sponsored by Easy Tours of India.

Honor For Metropolitan Hotel, New Delhi.

The Metropolitan Hotel, a five-star hotel located in Connaught Place, New Delhi 's premier business and shopping district, has now joined the elite Preferred Hotel Group under the Summit Hotels and Resorts Collection. It has the distinction of joining three other signature hotels in India, namely The Imperial, Devi Garh and Samode Palace, under the prestigious Preferred Hotels and Resorts banner. In accordance with its new enhanced status, each of the Metropolitan's 180 guest rooms and suites have been refurbished and now offer their guest the ultimate in modern conveniences.


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Gorgeous Gajner

Located approximately 30 kilometers west of Bikaner (in Rajasthan), Gajner is a tiny oasis in the Thar desert. Filled with blackbuck, chinkara, neelgai, wildboar and fox, it was once the private hunting reserve of the maharaja of Bikaner. A palace was originally built here on the banks of a manmade lake in the mid-eighteenth century, but it was only in the early nineteenth
century, about a hundred and seventy years later, that the astute Maharaja Ganga Singh converted it into a modern, luxurious resort .
Known as the Gajner Palace, this gorgeous heritage hotel is a flamingo-pink sandstone palace with jharokas, jaalis, and cupolas carved to a fragile filigree - a classic Rajput pleasure palace designed by a British knight. A secluded retreat in which to enjoy a luxurious holiday and be pampered like royalty!
Located four and a half hours by road from Jaipur(which is also the nearest airport), Gajner is also connected by rail.. The nearest railhead is Bikaner and Gajner Palace organises a pick up for its guests from the railway station - 36 kms from the hotel.
For those interested in experiencing the ambience of this desert region, a new metre gauge Heritage on Wheels luxury train by the Rajasthani State Tourism Corporation now takes in the areas of Bikaner and Shekhawati. For the wildlife enthusiast, the hotel organises jeep safaris into the reserve and a variety of excursions to other places to cater to every taste.

Sponsored by Easy Tours of India.

Bhopal Bonanza

Bhopal, the capital of the massive State of Madhya Pradesh with its myriad attractions, boasts of an architectural legacy that is as diverse as it is fascinating. While an appealing amalgam of Rajput, Gond, Afghan, British, French and Mughal influences define the old city, luxuriant sprawling spaces and contemporary structures dot the new areas. Architectural hallmarks include the famous Charles Correa's Bharat Bhawan, an arts complex and the new Vidhan Sabha.
What is unique about this charming city situated at different altitudes and fringed by the Arera hills is, as an intrepid traveler so aptly put it, 'the bequest of the begums'. From Begum Qudsia's elegant Gohar Mahal, standing opposite the Bara Talab or Upper Lake, to the Moti Masjid or Pearl Mosque built in 1860 A.D. by Begum Sikander Jehan and the old city's most celebrated landmark, architectural marvels abound. Patterned on the style of Delhi's Jama Masjid in red sandstone, it has a prayer hall built in striking white marble. Opposite the mosque stands what is known as the 'royal ensemble' - an intriguing concept of buildings. Basically divided into two distinct blocks comprising the Sadar Manzil Maidan and Khirniwala Maidan, a number of palaces
bearing the distinctive artistic stamp of its rulers, were constructed around these two courtyards over a period of a hundred years, beginning in the early 19th century.
The Khirniwala Maidan, thus christened because of the many khirni trees in the compound, evolved into the Diwan-i-Aam. Around it stand Shaukat Mahal, Hira Masjid, Zeenat Mahal and Sheesh Mahal with Moti Mahal partitioning the two courtyards . This quad, with its projecting turrets on the parapets, endows it with a disdinct French ambience.
An ornate arched gate leads to the second quad, the Diwan-i-Khas, meant for private audiences.Around it are the administrative units Sadar Manzil, Hamid Manzil and Humayun Manzil, now mostly home to government offices.
Bhopal's many lakes still provide water to the inhabitants of this city. These lakes are manmade, created over 1,000 years ago by cleverly exploiting the terrain and constructing three small dams. They are also the venue for national aquatic tourneys and short boat rides for tourists to the city.
It would only be fitting to pay homage to Shahjehan Begum before we bid adieu to this city of many flavors! Credited with the construction of the Taj-ul- Masjid, considered to be one of the
biggest mosques in Asia, she took over the reigns of Bhopal in 1868 A.D. She beautified her capital rapidly, erecting buildings in quick succession including three palaces for herself - Taj
Mahal, Ali Manzil and Benazir Mahal. The legacy she left behind, however, goes beyond the
erection of beautiful monuments - to the living art of elaborate beadwork, which the women of
Bhopal's Pari Bazaar have diligently kept alive with their artistic creations.

Sponsored by Easy Tours of India.

Blazing a Buddhist Trail

For those interested in visiting some of the cities associated primarily with Buddhism but also important destinations on the tourism map of India in their own right, here is some heartening news.
Known as the Mahaparinirvana special train, this train takes travelers throughout the Buddhist circuit and covers major Buddhist sectors like Bodhgaya, Rajgir, Nalanda, Varanasi, Kushinagar, Lumbini, Shravasti, as well as Agra in seven /eight days. The package includes the train journey, meals, transfers, sightseeing, entrance fee and much more. A fantastic deal, it surely can't get better than this for visitors who are keen to explore some of these places!



Sponsored by Easy Tours of India.

Monuments of Delhi - Qutab Minar

A towering emblem of Delhi's skyline, the magnificent Qutab Minar or 'tower of victory' as it is
popularly known, is a reassuring symbol of India's might. Begun by Qutab-ud-Din Aibak, the
founder of the Slave dynasty, it is 239 ft high. Started in 1193 A.D. , the Qutab Minar was
completed by Iltumish, Aibak's successor and is the highest stone tower in India. It is no
surprise that today the Qutab Minar and its monuments ,which include the famous Iron Pillar,
the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque and the aborted Alai Darwaza, today comprise a UNESCO
World Heritage Site for being, "an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural
ensemble which illustrates a sdignificant stage in human history."