Ahmedabad - Ancient Temple

Ahmedabad stands for the confluence of the old with the new. At the first glance traffic-ridden and polluted, this city of textile mills and millionaires hides the gems of its glorious past.

Beautiful mosques, carved havelis and ancient temples are screened from view behind its steel-and-sky-scraper facade. It's a city on the brink of change, like most urban centres in India, not quite here, not quite there.

So while you have the option of roaming the labyrinthine pols of the old city, drinking in the sites of its atmospheric mosques, the citizens of Ahmedabad are flocking to shopping malls, buying happy meals at McDonalds and strutting around in Levi's.

That said, they are fiercely protective of their city, and gracious hosts. They might throng McDonalds but if you are their guest they will take you to the roadside kiosk serving the best sandwich dhokla in the city and stuff your face with khaman. Soft spoken and friendly, the people of Amdavad will take care of you.

Three bridges connect Old Ahmedabad to New Ahmedabad. Some of India's most prestigious institutes of learning thrive here. The city's beautiful architecture exemplifies Indo-Islamic style and the two communities have lived here in peace since over half a millennium. But the communal riots of 2003 have left their mark. Although peace has returned, some reverberations of tension still reside, deep down. As one of the most prosperous urban centres of Gujarat on the threshold of rapid change, only time will tell what Ahmedabad's destiny is.

TajMahal - Agra

Having been the capital of the Mughals, Agra boasts of a rich culture and heritage which reflects in all its aspects, whether in the style of architecture or the current culture of the place. The language and lifestyle has obviously changed with time but the spirit of the place and its regality, which is the bequest of the Mughal era, still remains in essence.

Three generations of the most dynamic dynasties in the country were responsible for creating the city that is the pride of our country and probably the envy of others. The most famous and definitely the most dominant attraction in Agra is the Taj Mahal, for obvious reasons, but there is a lot more that adds to the charm of the city. It is a city where Mughal Emperors lived out their dreams in their creations and each one has to his credit some unique monument that would be difficult to recreate now even with the best technology available. Each Emperor left his mark on this city, be it the first Mughal Emperor Babur, who laid the foundation for the first Persian gardens on the banks of the River Yamuna; or Akbar, his grandson, who created a whole new city called Fatehpur Sikri and built his own mausoleum at Sikandra besides adding unique features to the Red fort; or Shah Jehan, who built mosques and palaces with gem-inlaid white marble and gave us the one monument that has inspired and bewildered generations of poets and painters and every other person - the precious Taj Mahal.

Agra epitomises the high point of Mughal architectural achievement with its heritage and cultural splendor and in this respect even overshadows Delhi which was the capital of various kings and emperors for over a thousand years.