India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (257 page)

If you want to get away from the hotels, you could do far worse than the delicious and satisfying dishes served at
Indiana
(
0562/400-1192;
daily 7:30am–10:30pm), which is hardly an inspiring venue (behind Hotel Ratan Deep on Fatehabad Rd.), but will satisfy any hunger. Portions are rather large (you may even consider sharing some of the dishes between two people). The best dishes are North Indian specialties, although the habit of adding Western and Chinese items persists. If you don’t mind something spicy, order
murg boti masal,
chicken in a wonderfully tasty gravy, or go for the spiced fish curry
(rasili machhli).
If you really can’t decide, opt for a thali, a platter covering all the courses and including dessert or lassi.

You can get a satisfying, reasonably priced meal at
Zorba the Buddha
(E13 Shopping Arcade, Gopi Chand Shivare Rd., Sadar Bazaar;
0562/222-6091
), which serves excellent, nongreasy vegetarian food. This tiny eatery is extremely hygienic, reason enough to go. Go early to get a good table and order the light spinach
parathas,
any of the Indian fare, or even a salad—all quite passable, if a trifle bland. Vegetarians (or others avoiding meat) have another option:
Dasaprakash
(
0562/246-3535
), located in the Meher Theatre Complex at 1 Gwalior Rd., is the city’s best-known South Indian restaurant. Regular fare includes
sada
dosa
(plain rice and lentil pancakes),
masala dosa
(pancake with potato stuffing),
uttappams
(thicker pancakes), and
idlis
(steamed dumplings), all served with coconut chutney and
sambar
(spiced
dal
). No alcohol is served. At some point, you will hear of
Only
restaurant on Taj Road, mentioned in every guidebook on the planet, but we find it avoidable.

Warning:
Agra is renowned for moneymaking restaurant scams. Besides the fact that guides, taxi drivers, and auto-rickshaw
wallas
earn commissions for taking you to certain eateries, you need to be wary of getting caught up in more dangerous pursuits. Some unsuspecting diners have been taken for a ride by unscrupulous restaurateurs working in tandem with rickshaw-
wallas
and so-called doctors. Everyone involved might feign major concern over your health, but you’ll pay dearly for the experience.
Bottom line:
Be careful where you eat, and if you feel sudden illness coming on, don’t rely on the restaurateur to call a “doctor”—insist on being taken back to your hotel.

Esphahan
INDIAN Even if you aren’t staying at Amarvilās, you should dine at this exceptional restaurant—not only are the cuisine, service, and live Indian music superb, but arriving at the flame-lit latter-day palace is one of Agra’s most memorable moments. (When you reserve, ask to have your predinner cocktail on the veranda so you can watch the sunset hues color the Taj and the magnificent pool area below.) Start with
tandoori phool,
stuffed cauliflower in a yogurt and star anise marinade;
tandoori
prawns
or the succulent chicken
tikka,
prepared in saffron and garlic. Highly recommended is
palak ke kofte
(cheese dumplings in spinach gravy) and the
rogan gosht,
lamb braised in kashmiri chilies—beware though as it is rather oily. There’s also delicious Persian-style quail. Alternatively, you could loosen your belt and make
room
for a filling thali (platter), which affords the opportunity to sample a range of tastes. All in all, a most memorable evening out, and the perfect place to celebrate seeing the Taj.

Amarvilās, Taj East Gate End.
0562/223-1515.
Reservations essential. Main courses Rs 550–Rs 1,250. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 7–10:30pm.

SHOPPING

Agra is famous for its marble and soft-stone inlay, as well as
zardori
-embroidered fabrics, leather goods, brassware, carpets, and jewelry. However, it’s hard work dealing with what is probably the worst concentration of touts and scamsters in all India, so if you can, avoid shopping here. Don’t be fooled by Cottage Industries Exposition, which is not a branch of the similarly named government-owned (Emporium) shops in other parts of the country. This one is overpriced, and whatever is sold here can quite easily be obtained in Delhi at half the price. If you absolutely must buy something to remind you of your visit here,
Subhash Emporium
(18/1 Gwalior Rd.;
0562/222-5828
;
www.subhashemporium.com
) sells good-quality inlay work, souvenirs, and other gifts. Or make your way to one of the
official
government emporiums for reasonably priced sources of local handicrafts.

3 Varanasi (Benaras)

320km (198 miles) SE of Lucknow; 765km (474 miles) SE of Delhi

Varanasi

A crumbling maze of a city that rises from the
ghats
(steps) on the western banks of the Ganges, Varanasi is in many senses the quintessential India. With an ancient history—Mark Twain famously described it as “older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together”—it is also one of the most sacred cities in the world today. Kashi, or “City of Light, where the eternal light of Shiva intersects the earth,” as Varanasi is seen by devotees, is the holiest of Indian pilgrimages, home of Shiva, where the devout come to wash away their sins. It is also one of the holiest
tirthas
(literally a “crossing” or sacred place where mortals can cross over to the divine, or the gods and goddesses come to bathe on earth), where many return to die in the hope that they may achieve
moksha,
the salvation of the soul from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

Named after the confluence of two rivers, Varuna and Asi, the city is centered on the
ghats
that line the waterfront, each honoring Shiva in the form of a
linga
—the rounded phalliclike shaft of stone found on every
ghat.
Cruise the waterfront at dawn and you will witness the most surreal scenes, when devotees come to bathe, meditate, and perform ancient rituals to greet the sun. Or even come at sunset, when
pundits
(priests) at Dasashwamedh Ghat perform
aarti
(prayer ritual) with complicated fire rituals, and pilgrims light candles to float along the sacred waters.