Delhi, the capital, is an amalgam of seven cities, an absorbing pentimento of hints and history. Historians still ponder its secrets, as families stroll through the haunting tombs of Lodhi Gardens. Peruse the majestic Red Fort, or gape at the perfect dome of Humayun’s tomb. Modern Delhi radiates out in almost perfect concentric circles and ramrod straight arteries from Connaught Place to India Gate and the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan harbouring the government secretariat and the president’s residence.

The sacred Ganges flows east, revitalising the plains, coursing past the temples and saffron-robed sadhus and ascetics of Varanasi, before expending itself in the Bay of Bengal. In Bengal, Calcutta, a former colonial capital, still proudly wears its past and maintains a jaunty stride as teeming millions throng its roads, parks and historic sites. The city was the first to run an underground metro train service (now emulated by Delhi).

West of Delhi lies the rugged expanse of Rajasthan and the Thar Desert, dotted with regal palaces, hardy forts and impregnable mountain redoubts. This is the state of legend, its royal families claiming descent from the moon and sun dynasties no less. Shop in the Pink City of Jaipur, visit the Udaipur Lake and wander amidst the camels and minstrels at the annual Pushkar fair. The dunes are easily accessible from Jaisalmer at Sam and, at Ranthambhore, majestic tigers roam free.

Agra, the former Mughal capital, is a two-hour drive from Delhi on a rapidly-improving highway. The city lays claim to one of the wonders of the world, the achingly perfect Taj Mahal, a monument to love built by Emperor Shah Jehan. The best time to visit is early morning as the white marble glints beneath the laundered blue skies of a new dawn. Agra is often combined with Jaipur and Delhi to form the so-called Golden Triangle for visitors seeking a whiff of bottled India and curry in a hurry.