This site was the garden of Maharaja of Jaipur – An ally to the Mughals from whom emperor Shahjahan bought the land in- order to build the great mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, according to timurid tradition the land for such a mausoleum could not be seized, but had to be acquired correctly and so it was. Records of this incredible monument of love having its own source of revenue, its own fort, with a navy and dedicated military force along with a commander are known. A reflective garden across the river where the emperor visited regularly led to rumours of a Black Taj Mahal being planned- We don’t believe that to be true. What may not be known is that Taj Mahal complex was at times a dormitory, was almost never approached by the emperor through land route and it also played host to orchestra parties during the British Raj.! Lovers have been caught in the act here with tragic outcomes as have those who drank too much wine and fell of the high platform and then, there is the Red Taj Mahal “From Her To Him” – Who Knew.?!

Let us share with you the other history of Taj Mahal when you come to India. This gleaming white marble monument has many colourful stories to share.

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The principal attraction of the Holy City is the string of Ghats that line the western banks of the Ganges River. Most of these ghats are used for bathing and to offer prayers to the holy Ganges, two of them are also used as ‘burning ghats’ where Hindus are cremated. Being the city of Shiva, the Hindus believe that dying here means you achieve Moksh, or freedom from rebirth in an instant.

Our updated Amber program was designed by us personally with 60+ hours on the ground walking 25 km in that time and loving every minute of it! We changed our entire experience here. With very specific walking tours, amazing hidden temples, ancient markets, and wonderful museums, this city has so much to offer. Our boat ride has completely changed and we now take you to visit sites that very few know about or go to. Let us plan your clients visit here.

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The company promptly grew Mumbai into a major trading center and port. Cotton, Spices and Opium were flourishing and a tremendous amount of wealth was generated and a single city was born. With the growth of the population, generation of incredible wealth, new building technologies, and the Backbay reclamation, Art Deco started to grow in popularity over the Indo-Saracenic and Victorian Gothic styles as it is more contemporary and appealed to the Traditional and Business Royalty of the day.

Today there are over 200 buildings in this stunning style and a lot of them are in excellent condition and several of them were incorporated by us into a lovely walking tour! Combine this with our other terrific Mumbai experiences and see this amazing city the way it should be done.

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Visiting Rajasthan during summers, you will be welcomed with these traditional drinks – Sheer ambrosia as each sip slowly inexplicably chills the whole body providing respite from intense heat.!

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The talent that we have in this country is amazing and specially most of these designers work with local artisans and have a fabulous outreach program as well as are sustainable all of which matches my personal mantra.

I found wonderful pieces and also had an amazing time in the cities we travelled to meeting these people, visiting their factories or ateliers and now want to share this experience with guests who May be looking to create an Indian inspired home or space.

Please do write to me with your wish list and I would need about 10 days minimum to cover the basic and most essential. Join me in introducing you to some of the finest people and craftsmen in India.

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The post The recently renovated Taj Mahal Hotel Delhi is spectacular appeared first on Amber Tours.

Travel is definitely coming back, it has some challenges and I feel we should be open to situations that may be beyond our control but for the most part it’s easy. The one place I did feel very insecure was the London tube as no one was wearing a mask and preferred to use Uber’s to get around, otherwise airports and airplanes are doing an amazing job to mandate the usage of the mask including the subway in New York. We received the positive news that WHO has said India is now in the endemic stage which makes us hopeful that our borders will open soon. I recommend the vaccine, usage of mask in public areas areas.

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