Aaaahhhhh. (Feel free to interpret that as a jubilant song of exultation or as a simple sigh of content. both apply) We've just experienced one of the eight wonders of the modern world, and India's crown jewel. Yes, I mean eight. It's definitely eight (not seven). No, I'm not talking about the Taj Mahal. Nothing so ostentatious (by the way, I hold the right to retract that comment once I've actually seen the Taj).I'm talking about Tea! Or ...

How is it possible to get a cold in 45 degree heat?! I'm blaming it on breathing-in Varanasi: the constant dust, incense, smoke from ceremonial torches and... well, the other thing doesn't bear thinking about! If its possible, I think Bodhgaya is even hotter. As I have strength for little else, we've taken to seeking rest bite from the heat by spending our mornings meditating in the shade of the Bodhi Tree -- undoubtedly the most sacred fig tree ever ...

Varanasi takes no prisoners. It's probably the most unrelentingly chaotic and unapologetically indiscreet places on earth. Here the most intimate rituals of life and death take place in public and the sights, sounds and smells in and around the ghats can be a little overwhelming.The population is booming as its litterally the beating heart of the Hindu universe: being a particularly auspicious place to die, since expiring here liberates you from the cycle of ...

I know what you're going to say: "what, more temples!?". You'd think we'd have had enough of them by now; that the lure of more monkeys couldn't possibly interest me... Yeaterday I would have agreed with you but this relatively off-the-beaten-track little town really was an intriguing place to spend some time. And that's before you considered the religious significance of the place -- birthplace of Rama, one of Hinduism's seven holiest cit...

Crowded around a deep, green volcanic lake, the hill resort of Nainital is a favourite getaway for Delhi-ites. Perched in the mountains, up at 1938m -- an altitude which we became painfully aware of yesterday, after we ran up the hill to get out of the rain -- it's a idillic place this time of year to escape the heat of the city.Imagine sitting on the shore of one of England's National Trust protected Lakes (this colourful town was founded by homesick Bri...