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NORTHERN INDIA IS ICONIC
India, an awe-inspiring land of imposing forts,
elegant palaces and impossibly vibrant mar-
kets—none of which have changed all that
much since the days of the Raj, the name given
to British rule over the subcontinent,
which ended in 1947 after almost a
century. But as India hurtles head-
long from the third world to the first as one
of the fastest-growing countries on earth, the
throng of hawkers, beggars and
tuk tuk
drivers
that once unfailinglymet visitors upon arrival
inDelhi is nowhere to be seen at the new Indira
Gandhi International Airport, amodernmarvel
and serene point of entry completed in 2010
( just in time for the city’s turn hosting the
Commonwealth Games).
Today’s Delhi is cleaner and greener than
ever—yet no less intriguing—as you’ll notice
right away while cruising down its
wide, leafy boulevards, where high-
end restaurants and luxury shops
coexist with centuries-old ruins. Delhi’s many
contrasts and contradictions are what make
it such a fascinating city to behold, both for
visitors entranced by its past and for those
looking to boldly ride with it into the glim-
mering future.
URBAN OASIS
The luxurious Aman New Delhi hotel; opposite, Jama Masjid, built by the same Mughal emperor responsible for the Taj Mahal
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MARCH 2012
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