Temples, tuk-tuks and tigers: India's Golden Triangle

It's best to close your eyes when travelling in a tuk-tuk through the chaos of Delhi. The drivers of these motorised rickshaws seem to have second sight, for there are very few mishaps as they expertly criss-cross through the streets heaving with buses and cars honking their horns – and woe betide anyone who bumps into a sacred cow plodding its way against the traffic. Embrace the city with all its bustle and noise, knowing that you have the sanctuary of your hotel to return to in the evening and tales to exchange with your fellow travellers over a dinner of superb, authentic cuisine.

India Gate, New Delhi

English architect Edwin Lutyens designed New Delhi between 1911-31 as a showcase of the British Empire. The India Gate commemorates the Indian and British soldiers who died in World War One, and in the College of Art you'll find a statue of Queen Victoria, one of 50 in India, even though HRH never once visited the sub-continent. In Old Delhi, the pre-British, historic centre, you'll see the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi: a black marble platform with an eternal flame marks the spot where his remains were cremated.

I found that after a few hours' sight-seeing, an escape to the National Crafts Museum offered a haven of calm, especially as we could take the air-conditioned and easy-to-navigate Metro, avoiding the mayhem at street level. There are segregated sections for women on the trains, but we entered a mixed one and two young lads immediately jumped up to give us their seats. The Museum contains more than 35,000 items representing Indian craftsmanship through painting, embroidery, textiles, clay, stone and wood. There is an excellent shop where you can buy reproductions of some of the pieces exhibited.

If you visit in March, you may experience the Holi festival at Mathura, which lies within the Triangle. Marking the end of winter and beginning of spring, the exact date is determined by the lunar calendar – this year it falls on Friday 14 March, though festivities often last for several days. Known as the Festival of Colours, bonfires are lit on the eve of Holi, then the next day, crowds gather to throw colourful powders and water balloons at each other. The custom is said to derive from the childhood antics of the Hindu deity Lord Krishna (born in Mathura), who used to pull tricks on young ladies by drenching them in colourful hues and water. You'll witness all the exuberance you would expect from an Indian celebration, which is replicated at other locations in India.

Red Fort, Agra

The second city in the Golden Triangle is Agra, the Mughal capital in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Agra Fort (also known as Agra's Red Fort to distinguish it from the Red Fort in Delhi), was built by the emperor Akbar in 1565 and extensively restored by Lord Curzon as Viceroy of India, 1899-1905. The red sandstone walls enclose a marble mosque, palaces, halls, courtyards and fountains. In its heyday, there was a moat filled with crocodiles, while lions and tigers patrolled the ramparts, and boiling oil was poured on unwelcome visitors. In the Hall of Private Audiences once stood the Peacock Throne, inset with precious stones that included the Koh-i-noor diamond, controversially 'acquired' by the British to place among the crown jewels of Queen Victoria in 1849.

The Agra Fort, though impressive, is but the overture to what everyone wants to see on a trip to north India – the Taj Mahal. Our guide persuaded us to arrive at 5.00am for the sunrise, and before the hoards arrived. We were glad we did, as we were able to gaze on the glistening white marble edifice with the reverence it deserves. 'How does it remain so white?' I asked our guide, Ajay. 'Agra is not allowed any high-carbon industry,' he explained, 'because air pollution would damage one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.'

Taj Mahal

You can sit on the 'Diana' bench and wander through the Paradise Gardens while your guide relates the love story of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his favourite wife Mumtaz, who died giving birth to their fourteenth child. Heartbroken, he commissioned an exquisite mausoleum that took 20,000 workers around 20 years to complete. Until my visit, however, I hadn't known the dark back story – how in a battle for succession, one aggrieved son named Aurangzeb killed his elder brother, heir to the throne, and imprisoned his father in a small tower inside the Agra Fort – where his only consolation was a view of the Taj Mahal – for eight years until his death in 1666. Aurangzeb planned to toss the body in the river, but his sister pleaded for their father to be enshrined next to wife Mumtaz. The actual tombs are in the basement of the Taj Mahal, but the shrines of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz are on public display.

Sikri Fatehpur

Setting off in the direction of Jaipur, we visited Emperor Akbar's 'ghost' city of Fatehpur Sikri, so-called because it was abandoned 14 years after its construction in 1571, probably because water was scarce. A complex of elaborate buildings carved out of red sandstone contains marble halls, golden pavilions and extensive pools. Akbar reputedly had up to 500 wives and concubines in his harem, closely guarded by eunuchs. One his more bizarre acts was to appoint his favourite elephant as judge and executioner. If it stamped on the prisoner and killed him, then he was deemed to be guilty. If it did not touch him, he was set free. It gives another meaning to 'the full weight of the law'.

Bengal tiger

For a good chance to spy a Bengal tiger, Ranthambore National Park is high on the list. Once a royal hunting ground, thanks today to Project Tiger the only shooting is by photographers lucky enough to come across one of these 3,000-plus big cats. One of our party, celebrating his 60th birthday, had set his heart on finding one and, thanks to the expertise of our guide, his wish was granted. But even if you are not as fortunate, the Park has many other wildlife highlights. These include sloth bears, hyenas, leopards, and many avian species. Even with my basic binoculars and a copy of Birds of Northern India I spotted the Indian Grey Hornbill, serpent eagle, bronzed-winged jacana and great-horned owl.

Jaipur, capital of Rajasthan and the third point of the Golden Triangle, is called 'the pink city', not because of its stonework but because it was painted that colour to welcome Prince Albert in 1876. This was my favourite of the three main cities we visited because it is a centre of artisan craft. In the workshops you can follow the whole process of block-printing, from chiselling intricate patterns on to wooden blocks, dyeing the fabric in copper vats, to printing, all done by hand. The city gained its reputation as a centre of decorative arts when its founder in 1727 opened 36 art schools for experienced craftsmen to pass on their skills, which remain alive today.

Indian kites

Tearing myself away, my dayback filled with exquisite hand-woven fabric and paper made from cloth and silk, I joined the rest of the group to visit Amber Fort, a massive hilltop palace in yellow and pink sandstone, and white marble, with temples, gardens and courtyards on four levels, overlooking a large lake. Previously the Fort was accessed by elephant ride but, for animal welfare reasons, this has been banned and tourists are now taken up by Jeep.

Our last stop in Jaipur was Hawa Mahal or 'Palace of Winds', an intriguing five-tier building with tiny windows and latticed stone screens, supposedly to enable ladies of royalty to people-watch without being seen.

By the time we arrived back in Delhi, I felt I had seen and heard enough new sights and sounds to last me until...well, my next visit. India can be addictive.