Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/321747
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 1 JUNE 2014 34 TRAVEL Sights and smells of India Emirates ups services to India Delhi DELHI is a city that bridges two different worlds. Old Delhi, once the capital of Islamic India, is a labyrinth of narrow lanes lined with crumbling havelis and formidable mosques. In contrast, the impe- rial city of New Delhi created by the British Raj is composed of spacious, tree-lined avenues and imposing government buildings. Delhi has been the seat of power for several rulers and many empires for about a millennium. Many a times the city was built, destroyed and then rebuilt here, where Delhi's rulers of- ten played a double role of destroyer, then creator. The city's importance lies not just in its past glory as the seat of em- pires and magnificent monuments, but also in the rich and diverse cul- tures. What to do? The Red sandstone walls of the massive Red Fort (Lal Qila) rise 33-m above the clamour of Old Delhi as a reminder of the magnifi- cent power and pomp of the Mughal emperors. The walls, built in 1638, were designed to keep invaders from a treasure trove of buildings, includ- ing the Drum House, the Hall of Public Audiences, the white marble Hall of Private Audiences, the Pearl Mosque, Royal Baths and Palace of Colour. The main gate, Lahore Gate, is one of the emotional and symbolic focal points of the modern Indian nation. The vaulted arcade of Chatta Chowk, a bazaar selling tourist trinkets, leads into the huge fort compound. An evening sound and light show re-creates events in India's history connected with the fort. Just across from the Red Fort is India's largest mosque, Jama Masjid, one of the last architectural works of the Mugal emperor Shah Jahan, completed in 1658. Constructed in red sandstone and marble the mosque contains a central court- yard to accommodate thousands of worshippers with separate en- trances used by the emperors. Some of the prophet Mohammad's relics are stored here including the Koran written on deerskin, a red beard- hair of the prophet, his sandals and his footprints, implanted in a mar- ble block. The tomb of Mughal Emperor Humayun, commissioned by his wife, was the first garden-tomb on the Indian sub-continent, with geometrically shaped gardens and criss-crossing water channels, prob- ably symbolic of a paradise setting. Humayun's Persian wife's influence is evident in the double domes, simi- lar structures were later used for the Red Fort and the Taj Majal. If you can spare the time take a trip 200km out of Delhi to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World – the Taj Mahal. English poet Ed- win Arnold called it "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passion of an emperor's love wrought in living stones." The building is a tribute of Shah Jahan, emperor of India to his wife Mumtaz Mahal who died giv- ing birth to their 14th child. He was so saddened by her death that he ordered the court into two years of mourning and built the world's fines mausoleum which took 22 years to construct employing the services of 22,000 men. Khari Baoli, the street that runs from the Fatehpuri Mosque to the western edge of the old city, is Del- hi's bustling wholesale spice market. It's well worth a wander simply to take in the sights and smells because things have changed little here for centuries. Huge sacks of herbs and spices are still brought to the whole- salers on long, narrow barrows pushed by labourers, and there are eye-catching displays of everything from lentils and rice to giant jars of chutneys, pickles, nuts and tea. Where to stay? For five-star luxury, visit The Up- pal Hotel, www.uppalhotels.com, in New Delhi, where 48 rooms occupy an enviable location, close to the industrial suburbs of Gurgaon and Delhi. The hotel is situated on 10.5 acres of scenic grandeur and lush green- ery, with around 200,000 plants be- ing nurtured for the hotel itself. The chic rooms all have private balconies overlooking the fantastic gardens or the inviting pool. The Taj Palace Hotel, www.tajho- tels.com, is the perfect embodiment of world-class service and hospital- ity. Located in the very heart of the Indian capital, the location is quin- tessentially Taj. The hotel is only a few minutes drive from both the air- port and the city centre and is near to most of the embassies in New Delhi. The Bajaj Home Stay, www.in- dianhomestay.com is a unique ex- perience offering different rooms, which offer a completely different experience. Every room is named after an Indian mythological or his- torical character and has a special story to tell. The guest rooms are aesthetically decorated and retain traditional themes. Equally popu- lar among Indians as well as tour- ists, accommodation is on a bed and breakfast basis. How to get there? Emirates offer daily flights be- tween Malta and Delhi. Flights de- parting from Malta on 12 June and returning on 26 June were priced at €803.36 including taxes, at the time of going to print. Total flying time is approximately 10.5 hours EMIRATES, a global connector of people and places will expand its A380 network to 28 destinations, when it launches a daily A380 service to Mumbai International Airport on 21st July. EK 500 and EK 501 between Dubai and Mumbai will be up-scaled to a three-class A380 aircraft, represent- ing with a capacity increase of 2,127 seats per week in each direction. This offers passengers flying to India from key destinations in North America and Europe the chance to experience Emirates' hugely popular flagship aircraft on this route. In addition, Emirates will deploy larger Boeing 777 aircraft to Delhi and Hyderabad to serve growing demand. A combined total of 3,779 one- way weekly seats will be deployed on Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad through these aircraft upgrades. This follows the recent bilateral dis- cussions between the governments of Dubai and India, which provided a phased increase of 11,000 seats for Dubai carriers. "Emirates has been serving India since our founding year in 1985, and it is our largest market today which we serve with 185 flights each week. We look forward to working with the new Government in India to grow India's economy through enhanced aviation connectivity and to realize India's ambition to grow its interna- tional aviation market to 85 million passengers by 2020," said Ahmed Khoory, Emirates' Senior Vice Presi- dent, Commercial Operations- West Asia & Indian Ocean. India's National Council of Ap- plied Economic Research (NCAER) recently modelled the impact of Emirates up-gauging daily services to Mumbai from Boeing 777s to an Airbus A380. The Emirates A380 operating on the Mumbai route will feature 14 private First Class suites, 76 Business Class lie-flat seats and a spacious cabin for 399 Economy Class pas- sengers. On board, passengers can experi- ence a range of unique facilities in all cabins - from the famous Shower Spas in First Class, to the A380 On- board Lounge where passengers in the premium cabins can relax in a social environment during the flight; as well as 11.4" touch screen LED personal TVs. The latest technology allows passengers to stay connected throughout the flight with high- speed Wi-Fi access and mobile phone and data services. Emirates currently has 48 A380s in service, more than any other airline globally. Emirates received 12 of the giant double decker aircraft over the last year. More than 25 million pas- sengers have travelled on the Emir- ates A380 since it was first launched in 2008. Emirates operates 185 flights per week to 10 gateways in India. This of- fers travelers on Emirates global net- work, which includes 85 cities in the Americas, Europe, Africa and Mid- dle East, a range of convenient flight options to one of Asia's most exciting leisure and business destinations. Emirates operates daily scheduled flights from Malta to Dubai using a Boeing 777 aircraft. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Satur- days Emirates flies via Larnaka, Cy- prus, while on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, the airline operates di- rect flights from Dubai to Malta and return flights fly via Tripoli. From 1st August, Emirates will be operat- ing twice daily flights between Dubai and Malta – one service will fly daily via Larnaka and the second service will return to Dubai via Tripoli. Made of red sandstone, the Red Fort was designed to protect the city from invaders Humayun's Tomb was the first Persian influenced garden-tomb, which later reappeared in the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal Built as a tribute for Shah Jahan's wife who died in childbirth, the Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World Emirates unique A380 Onboard Lounge for First and Business Class passengers