0:00:02 > 0:00:03I'm in India,
0:00:03 > 0:00:06with a 1913 Bradshaw's handbook
0:00:06 > 0:00:09to Indian, Colonial And Foreign Travel.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Published at the height of the British Raj,
0:00:14 > 0:00:17my 100-year-old guidebook will lead me
0:00:17 > 0:00:19on a spectacular railway adventure
0:00:19 > 0:00:24through a land of majestic mountains and holy rivers...
0:00:24 > 0:00:29..where magnificent beasts roam, and epic stories are told.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31I'll encounter maharajahs,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34explore ornate palaces,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37witness the technology of modern India,
0:00:37 > 0:00:42and ride some of the most exhilarating trains in the world.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46I'll discover how Imperial railways and the English language
0:00:46 > 0:00:50inadvertently spread ideas of independence
0:00:50 > 0:00:53among hundreds of millions of Indians,
0:00:53 > 0:00:57who today live in the largest democracy in the world.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30I'm in Punjab, meaning "region of five rivers",
0:01:30 > 0:01:34bringing fertility flowing down from the Himalaya mountains,
0:01:34 > 0:01:38making this the breadbasket of India.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Here is the spiritual home of the Sikhs.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Although their empire was overthrown by the British,
0:01:44 > 0:01:49by the time of my Bradshaw's guide they were Britain's loyalest allies.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52After independence in 1947,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56the Punjab was divided between India and Pakistan.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59And this region bore the brunt of the casualties
0:01:59 > 0:02:01in the chaos that ensued,
0:02:01 > 0:02:05including along the line where I will travel.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07I will journey through time,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11from the British Raj to the India of today.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24This is the most northerly of my four journeys in India.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27I'll begin near the border between India and Pakistan,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30in the Golden City of Amritsar.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34I'll travel through fertile farmland to the city of Ludhiana.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36I'll continue to Ambala,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38a centre for silks and saris,
0:02:38 > 0:02:40before stopping in
0:02:40 > 0:02:42the surprisingly modern capital
0:02:42 > 0:02:44of the Indian state of Punjab,
0:02:44 > 0:02:45Chandigarh.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48The final leg takes me from Kalka
0:02:48 > 0:02:50to the foothills of the Himalayas
0:02:50 > 0:02:52and the hill station of Shimla.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59On my travels, I learn of the dark role that trains played
0:02:59 > 0:03:00in India's past...
0:03:00 > 0:03:03There are hordes of people on the rampage,
0:03:03 > 0:03:08and trains, paradoxically, become a very easy target.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11..visit a curious Colonial outpost...
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Here is one of the world's most powerful governments,
0:03:15 > 0:03:20which has jurisdiction over a fifth of the human race,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24being ruled from this tiny village. It's bizarre.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28..and go on a train journey of a lifetime.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Chugging through the foothills of the Himalayas.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Now, this is what I call a great rail adventure.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49My first stop will be Amritsar,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53a city which will always be associated with British infamy
0:03:53 > 0:03:57due to an atrocity there in 1919.
0:03:57 > 0:03:58My Bradshaw's says
0:03:58 > 0:04:01that the principal object of interest in Amritsar
0:04:01 > 0:04:03is the Golden Temple,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05"much venerated by all Sikhs,
0:04:05 > 0:04:10"who consider it a meritorious act to contribute to its adornment."
0:04:10 > 0:04:14I look forward to exploring this gentle religion,
0:04:14 > 0:04:19which paradoxically has produced some of the fiercest warrior lions.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30I'm now one of 23 million passengers
0:04:30 > 0:04:34who use India's vast rail network every day.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40My first experience of an Indian railway station - it's teeming.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Although not the capital,
0:04:46 > 0:04:50Amritsar is one of Punjab's largest and most important cities.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58It was the centre of the powerful Sikh Empire
0:04:58 > 0:05:01during the 18th and 19th centuries.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05The old town with its intricately carved wooden facades
0:05:05 > 0:05:07dates back to that period.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13But like Bradshaw's travellers,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16most visitors today come here to see
0:05:16 > 0:05:19a building made of more-dazzling material.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34The Golden Temple
0:05:34 > 0:05:37is at the spiritual heart of the Sikh faith
0:05:37 > 0:05:42and every day welcomes over 100,000 visitors from all over the world.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46It's part of a huge gurdwara, or place of worship,
0:05:46 > 0:05:49known to Sikhs as Harmandir Sahib.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53With 100,000 pairs of shoes a day being stored,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55I'm hoping I'll see these again.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Thank you. Thank you very much.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03As well as removing our shoes,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05we must cover heads and wash feet
0:06:05 > 0:06:09before entering this spectacular spiritual complex.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47The Bradshaw description is perfect, even for today.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49"The building of white marble is small,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52"the roof is covered with a thin layer of gold.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55"It is placed in the middle of a large tank.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58"A causeway of marble conducts to the Temple,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01"and the marble pavement borders the lake."
0:07:01 > 0:07:06And my first impression is that despite the size of the place
0:07:06 > 0:07:08and the brilliance of the gold,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10you are struck by its elegance,
0:07:10 > 0:07:15and despite the enormous crowd, there's a sense of tranquillity.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Magical.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31To guide me around this magnificent place,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35I'm meeting a British pilgrim.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Well, I think this is one of the most beautiful buildings
0:07:44 > 0:07:46that I have ever seen. Tell me about its origins.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50Michael, this building was founded in 1588
0:07:50 > 0:07:53by our fifth Guru, Guru Arjan.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56He wanted a building which was accessible to all.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00When we go and we see major places of worship in the world,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03they're all grand, majestic, domineering structures.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08And yet here, you see it's lower than the surrounds.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Every feature of this building shows humility.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15You have to step down to go into the building,
0:08:15 > 0:08:17and even the domes are subdued,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20the windows are small, the building itself is very small.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23And I don't want to cause offence,
0:08:23 > 0:08:25but Bradshaw says that,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27"Sikhs never shave or smoke,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30"but indulge in opium or cherry brandy."
0:08:30 > 0:08:34OK, well, Michael, I'm not sure who Bradshaw met in that day,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36but that's not quite true.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Initiated, baptized Sikhs who are practising,
0:08:40 > 0:08:45they will not touch alcohol or intoxication of any kind whatsoever.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50The Sikh religion broke with Hinduism in the 16th century,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54as it rejected its rigid caste system,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57a social hierarchy determined by birth.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Sikhism embraced the idea of welcome to all.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05And here, they practise what they preach on an astonishing scale.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12This is the world's largest free kitchen.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Known as a langar,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18the free canteen was introduced by the first Guru
0:09:18 > 0:09:21and is offered at every gurdwara around the world,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24but not to such numbers.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29Vast quantities of rice and bread,
0:09:29 > 0:09:34and enormous vats of vegetarian food are prepared every day,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37so anyone from any religion can share in the meal.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40And it's served to the thousands of hungry visitors
0:09:40 > 0:09:46by a team made up entirely of volunteers, which I'm going to join.
0:09:48 > 0:09:49Hello. Hello.
0:09:54 > 0:09:59I've never been in such a crowd in my life, nor such a colourful crowd.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03And all these people, Sikhs and non-Sikhs, all of them,
0:10:03 > 0:10:07maybe 100,000 a day, will be fed a meal for nothing.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08Incredible.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22The hall can seat 3,000 people at a time.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28The meal is served with speed...
0:10:30 > 0:10:32..and accuracy.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41HE SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE
0:10:50 > 0:10:54The feeding of the thousands is spectacular.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57And with one sitting over, serving begins again.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04This time, I'll be receiving my own portion.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Leaving the Golden Temple,
0:11:24 > 0:11:28I'm making my way a short distance to the Jallianwala Bagh.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33It's a city park enclosed by buildings,
0:11:33 > 0:11:37where pilgrims and visitors rest after visiting the Golden Temple.
0:11:40 > 0:11:45Nowadays, it's also a memorial to hundreds of lives lost
0:11:45 > 0:11:47in a shocking event that took place
0:11:47 > 0:11:50six years after the publication of my guide
0:11:50 > 0:11:55and which marked the beginning of the end for the British in India.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00On the 13th of April, 1919,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Brigadier General Reginald Dyer
0:12:03 > 0:12:07was unable to get his armoured car into the Jallianwala Bagh
0:12:07 > 0:12:11because of the narrowness of the entrances - thank goodness.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14But he did march in a troop of heavily armed soldiers,
0:12:14 > 0:12:16with horrible results.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Dyer was sent to regain control of Amritsar
0:12:28 > 0:12:33after outbreaks of political unrest amongst Indian nationalists
0:12:33 > 0:12:35calling for independence.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38He banned public meetings,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42but the 13th of April was a religious festival
0:12:42 > 0:12:47and many men, women, and children went to the gardens to celebrate.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Alongside them, many more gathered in peaceful protest
0:12:51 > 0:12:53against the ban.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02This large space was filled with thousands of people.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07Dyer lined up his soldiers and ordered them to fire into the crowd
0:13:07 > 0:13:10and to continue firing for ten minutes.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13People running in every direction,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15hundreds killed.
0:13:15 > 0:13:16thousands wounded.
0:13:26 > 0:13:31General Dyer's troops fired until their ammunition ran out.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36He was later ordered to resign from the Army,
0:13:36 > 0:13:41but his actions damaged Anglo-Indian relations irrevocably
0:13:41 > 0:13:44and strengthened the cause for independence.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50The walls of the Jallianwala Bagh
0:13:50 > 0:13:51still bear the bullet holes
0:13:51 > 0:13:55on a day when hundreds of people were killed
0:13:55 > 0:13:59in relentless firing by British soldiers, without warning.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Surely one of the most disgraceful events in the whole history
0:14:02 > 0:14:04of the British Empire.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15I am leaving Amritsar
0:14:15 > 0:14:17and taking the Shatabdi Express train
0:14:17 > 0:14:21eastbound to the city of Ludhiana,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23a journey of two hours.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43- Hello.- Hello.- My name is Michael.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47How do you do? How do you do? What's his name?
0:14:47 > 0:14:48- That's Abir.- Hello.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52- Say hi. - Does he travel by train very much?
0:14:52 > 0:14:55- This is his second trip.- He looks pretty relaxed at the moment.
0:14:55 > 0:14:56Yeah, so far, so good.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00We were just going to Amritsar, the Golden Temple.
0:15:00 > 0:15:01Now, are you a Sikh?
0:15:01 > 0:15:04No. We're not Sikh, but Hindu.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07- Hindu?- Yeah. - But you go to the Golden Temple?
0:15:07 > 0:15:11- Yes.- Even though I think of that as being the gurdwara...- Yeah.
0:15:11 > 0:15:12..of the Sikh people.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15It's good to learn about different religions, I think.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- That's a very interesting philosophy.- Yeah, yeah.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Chai.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Chai.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Chai, chai.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38I didn't even have to pay for it.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41- Free chai.- Yeah, yeah, free. - Yeah, it's free.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Oh, it's so sweet.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Excuse me. I'm enjoying using the trains in India.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Do you use them a lot?
0:15:58 > 0:16:00I enjoy the trains very much in India.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03But the best thing in the trains about India is, you know,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06- you meet friends very easily in the trains.- So I see, so I see.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09- Like this gentleman, we met him today, only two hours back.- Really?
0:16:09 > 0:16:13And we are already sharing a cup of tea and snacks...
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Well, how very, very nice. And... Oh, thank you!
0:16:16 > 0:16:20You have many different classes and possibilities when you buy
0:16:20 > 0:16:24a railway ticket. Tell me what the options are in India.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Options are, for the poorer people we have a 2nd class.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30And maybe for some, you know, people, we have AC class
0:16:30 > 0:16:33and 1st AC, and maybe a chair car like this.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35- We have three or four options. - So AC meaning air conditioning?
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Air conditioning, yes.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39You don't get people riding on the roof any more?
0:16:39 > 0:16:43I can't say that, but it has reduced.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45But still, it has much, much improved.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48The train timings have improved, AC coaches have improved,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50and now we're talking about even bullet trains.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Maybe in the next couple of years, we'll have bullet trains.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54That was a dream but now it's coming true.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20It's nightfall as I arrive in Ludhiana,
0:17:20 > 0:17:22so I'll explore this city in the morning.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Ludhiana is busy.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Full of traffic and noise.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01It's Punjab's manufacturing hub
0:18:01 > 0:18:04and there is industry everywhere you look.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11It's also long been an important centre for education.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Ludhiana, says Bradshaw's, "was once a frontier station
0:18:17 > 0:18:21"close to where the first British victories over the Sikhs
0:18:21 > 0:18:25"were gained in 1845 to 1848,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29"since that time, gradually deserted by Europeans,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32"though it still remains the field of extensive work
0:18:32 > 0:18:36"by the American Presbyterian Mission
0:18:36 > 0:18:39"and of the Female Education Society.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44"The North India School of Medicine for Women is also here."
0:18:44 > 0:18:49Now, I had no idea that women were being educated in medicine in India
0:18:49 > 0:18:52a century ago, but this is the address
0:18:52 > 0:18:55and so this is the place to check up on it.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01Today, India trains around 50,000 doctors a year
0:19:01 > 0:19:05and women make up just over half that number.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11The Women's Medical School referred to in my Bradshaw's
0:19:11 > 0:19:17was set up in 1894 by a British missionary, Edith Brown,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20and today is called the Christian Medical College.
0:19:22 > 0:19:23Hi, Michael.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27- Dr Thomas?- Yeah, yeah, nice to meet you.- Pleasure to see you.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Dr Abraham Thomas is an eminent microsurgeon
0:19:34 > 0:19:37and the director of the college.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Dr Thomas, how was it, then,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43that an Indian medical school for women was founded
0:19:43 > 0:19:47- all the way back in the 19th century?- It's interesting, you know.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52Edith Brown, she saw what was happening in this part of India,
0:19:52 > 0:19:57where the Muslim women had no access to medical care,
0:19:57 > 0:20:01especially the women in the child-bearing age.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Many of them were having difficulties because of it.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Those women would have felt a complete taboo
0:20:06 > 0:20:09- about being treated by a man? - That's right, that's right.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14And she said, "I will start a medical school for women."
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Edith Brown was a qualified doctor
0:20:19 > 0:20:23who travelled to India with the Baptist Missionary Society,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26moved by the plight of the women that she met.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28To help to treat their needs,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31she set about training female doctors and midwives.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37It was very difficult to convince girls to take up medical studies.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40And over the years, gradually it became, you know...
0:20:40 > 0:20:43It attracted a lot of people from the work which was done.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47And the government was very supportive for her work.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51This became one of the important medical colleges in the country.
0:20:54 > 0:20:59Men were admitted as students to the college in 1953.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04Dr Thomas achieved worldwide acclaim in 1994
0:21:04 > 0:21:09when he performed ground-breaking surgery on a nine-year-old girl.
0:21:09 > 0:21:15She needed a complete face and scalp replant after catching her pigtails
0:21:15 > 0:21:17in a threshing machine.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22It was the first operation of its kind and was a huge success.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25The patient, Sandeep Kaur, is now a nurse,
0:21:25 > 0:21:29and works at the college's teaching hospital.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31Hello, Sandeep.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33- Hello.- Hi.- I'm Michael.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36How long have you been a qualified nurse?
0:21:36 > 0:21:38I finished my nursing in 2009 and since that time
0:21:38 > 0:21:40I've been working in this institution.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43- And you enjoy the work? - Yeah, of course I enjoy it.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45I am happy working here as a staff nurse.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50Now, you yourself made medical history on one occasion.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52I don't think so, but...
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Well, was it not the very first face replant ever to be done?
0:21:55 > 0:21:58- Yeah, it was the very first. - I think that's medical history.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00So, when you're treating patients like these,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03are you thinking back to your experience as a patient?
0:22:03 > 0:22:07Because it is very easy for me to understand their pain,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09because when I'm taking care of these patients,
0:22:09 > 0:22:13I'm thinking of my history and when I was a patient.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15I'm thinking of that time.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18- I'm sure you make a wonderful nurse. - Thank you.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24The college that Dame Edith Brown founded,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28which began with just four students, now incorporates a hospital,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31a dental college and a college of nursing.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Does the name Edith Brown mean anything to you?
0:22:39 > 0:22:40Yes, quite a lot!
0:22:40 > 0:22:44I am a product of this college, I've studied here, graduation,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47post-graduation, everything here, really.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50We respect that name, we remember that name.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52I think she was a very brave woman.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55And she did a lot at that point in time,
0:22:55 > 0:22:59when women were not really at the forefront of most fields,
0:22:59 > 0:23:05she took up the cause for providing care to the women in this area,
0:23:05 > 0:23:06and I think she was a great woman.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Punjab is not one of India's biggest states
0:23:18 > 0:23:21but it is one of its most important.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29With fertile soil and an abundance of water,
0:23:29 > 0:23:3382% of all land is used for farming.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39I've come to the countryside surrounding Ludhiana.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45"The popular idea," says Bradshaw's,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48"is that the staple food of India is rice.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52"But this is only the case in Bengal and steamy districts.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55"The bulk of the people of India live on millet,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58"and wheat is largely grown."
0:23:58 > 0:24:01With many more than a billion mouths to feed,
0:24:01 > 0:24:05agriculture in India has had to come a long way.
0:24:05 > 0:24:10And whilst manual labour is still widespread,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12the adoption of modern farming techniques
0:24:12 > 0:24:16has helped to secure Punjab's title as the granary of India.
0:24:16 > 0:24:22This small state produces around a seventh of all India's food grain.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Much of this wheat goes into industrial food production
0:24:29 > 0:24:32but women in the countryside still hand-make
0:24:32 > 0:24:37one of India's most ubiquitous foods, the chapati.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41The oven is known as a chulha, and it's very well-insulated,
0:24:41 > 0:24:47I suppose, made of clay, but here it's very hot on the metal pan.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50The ladies seem to have no difficulty just picking the bread up
0:24:50 > 0:24:53with their fingers and flipping it over.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56And when you do flip it over finally, there is a fascinating
0:24:56 > 0:25:00moment when it bubbles up. One more turn,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02and then we will...
0:25:04 > 0:25:07..hand it over for the addition of the clarified butter.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10And the next one goes in.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Thank you very much. Thank you.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Mm! The bread is absolutely delicious.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Mm! Fantastic. Lovely.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Wow, that is so fresh, that's wonderful.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Thank you.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45For the next leg of my journey, I'm leaving Ludhiana
0:25:45 > 0:25:49and heading south-eastwards on the Shan-e-Punjab Express,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52a train that runs the important route that crosses the border
0:25:52 > 0:25:55from India into Pakistan.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13The view from the window is glorious,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16but this line has been part of some very dark history.
0:26:17 > 0:26:22I'm joined by a professor of modern history.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27This line has a very unfortunate place in history
0:26:27 > 0:26:31and it's known as a place where a lot of blood was spilt. Why?
0:26:31 > 0:26:35In 1947, right after Partition, this railway line,
0:26:35 > 0:26:39this particular route from Lahore or Peshawar,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Lahore to Delhi and beyond,
0:26:42 > 0:26:46became the line on which thousands, indeed millions of people
0:26:46 > 0:26:50moved on to these strains, imagining that with a train ticket
0:26:50 > 0:26:53they were going to get somewhere safe
0:26:53 > 0:26:59and then found that these trains became just moving sites, in a way,
0:26:59 > 0:27:01for terrible tragedies.
0:27:03 > 0:27:10In August 1947, after 200 years, British rule in India ended.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12The subcontinent was partitioned
0:27:12 > 0:27:17into Hindu-majority India, and Muslim-majority Pakistan,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20which was split into two halves, East and West.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25The new border was hurriedly and secretly drawn up
0:27:25 > 0:27:27by a British lawyer
0:27:27 > 0:27:31and revealed two days after independence came into effect
0:27:31 > 0:27:33and the British had withdrawn.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39For the masses, it's the weary trail of the road.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Carrying their few possessions, they flee from savagery and butchery
0:27:42 > 0:27:45that has never been exceeded, even in India's stormy history.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49What followed was one of the greatest migrations
0:27:49 > 0:27:51in human history,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54as Hindus and Sikhs fled to India,
0:27:54 > 0:27:58and Muslims in the opposite direction to Pakistan.
0:27:58 > 0:28:03And this exodus was accompanied by brutal violence.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14Some people take to the trains, believing they can escape to safety.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Well, isn't that the real irony of it all?
0:28:17 > 0:28:21Railway is a state enterprise, so when you get onto a train
0:28:21 > 0:28:24you believe that ticket is going to get you to where it's supposed to get you.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27But rather than that, it becomes...
0:28:27 > 0:28:31They become most vulnerable because there are hordes of people
0:28:31 > 0:28:34on the rampage, and trains, paradoxically,
0:28:34 > 0:28:40become a very easy target for people to loot and murder,
0:28:40 > 0:28:43and women being abducted and raped. I mean, one could go on.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47I remember seeing, as a child, and being very shocked, in a movie,
0:28:47 > 0:28:50one of these train massacres.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Do they loom very large in the Indian imagination?
0:28:54 > 0:28:56I think you put that very well.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Every big event of this kind,
0:28:58 > 0:29:02whether it's the Holocaust or genocide or whatever,
0:29:02 > 0:29:06there is always an iconic image which gets associated with it.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09And very clearly with the Indian Partition,
0:29:09 > 0:29:13it is the image of the moving trains, loaded with corpses.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17There are no reliable numbers of how many people were killed
0:29:17 > 0:29:20in the months following Partition
0:29:20 > 0:29:25but estimates range from a few hundred thousand to two million dead,
0:29:25 > 0:29:28and more than ten million displaced.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34What was the role of the Indian government,
0:29:34 > 0:29:36the Pakistani government and the British Empire?
0:29:36 > 0:29:38Well, first of all, the British government,
0:29:38 > 0:29:42their attitude was one of complete indifference.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46In fact, there was a kind of secret satisfaction, if I can call it that,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49that, well, you know, India's going to pieces,
0:29:49 > 0:29:51and this is what...
0:29:51 > 0:29:55"We were there to bring unity and you guys messed it all up."
0:29:55 > 0:29:56It was madness.
0:29:56 > 0:30:0172 days was announced by Mountbatten
0:30:01 > 0:30:04to divide a subcontinent of this proportion.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07I mean, I'm sorry to say, but this was nothing short of lunacy.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10They left without anything in place.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12Nothing was properly handed over.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19It's clear to me that there is a sense of incomprehension and
0:30:19 > 0:30:21betrayal at Britain's handling of Partition.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25And there is continuing hostility between India and Pakistan.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29Sadly, India's longed-for independence
0:30:29 > 0:30:32began with hatred and recrimination.
0:30:46 > 0:30:52I leave the train at Rajpura Junction outside Ambala,
0:30:52 > 0:30:55close to the 19th-century Baradari Palace,
0:30:55 > 0:30:57which is now a heritage hotel.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02Good evening.
0:31:02 > 0:31:03Thank you very much.
0:31:27 > 0:31:28Thank you very much indeed.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40I've been joined by a friend for breakfast.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42And it's an Indian breakfast.
0:31:42 > 0:31:43It's called aloo curry,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46so this is a spicy vegetable soup,
0:31:46 > 0:31:48and this is a dough that you dip in it.
0:31:50 > 0:31:55My Bradshaw's tells me that, "early rising is an essential custom,
0:31:55 > 0:31:57"as it enables the European
0:31:57 > 0:32:00"to perambulate in the cool of the morning."
0:32:00 > 0:32:04I intend to perambulate in the city of Ambala.
0:32:15 > 0:32:20I'm taking a rickshaw into Ambala's busy centre.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23It's an important railway and transport junction
0:32:23 > 0:32:26which connects the major cities of North India.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30This strategic location has given birth to the largest cloth market
0:32:30 > 0:32:32in India.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44I'm going to do some shopping while I'm in Ambala
0:32:44 > 0:32:48and Bradshaw's has some very good advice -
0:32:48 > 0:32:54"Hawkers are abundant and are always accompanied by two or three coolies
0:32:54 > 0:32:57"who carry their enormous large packs on their heads.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01"It's impossible to transact business with them
0:33:01 > 0:33:05"without much haggling, to which the European must submit."
0:33:14 > 0:33:19There are close to 1,000 wholesale shops selling silks and saris,
0:33:19 > 0:33:21and tailors are everywhere.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35India is absolute chaos
0:33:35 > 0:33:41but after a while you begin to think of it as vibrancy, colour and life!
0:33:41 > 0:33:43These people really know how to live.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53In a place like this it's hard to resist the urge to shop.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59- Hello!- Hello, hello, sir, hello.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02- As you see, I quite like bright colours.- Yeah.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04I wondered if I could get maybe...
0:34:04 > 0:34:09- Kurta?- Yes. And the trousers? - Pyjama.- And the pyjama.
0:34:09 > 0:34:10Yeah, I will show you the colours.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13Colours, yes, please. Bright colours, please. Yes.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15Don't bother with the dull ones.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17Look at that! That's spectacular.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23- Maybe a bit brown for me. - What about this colour, sir?
0:34:23 > 0:34:27- Wow!- This is a wonderful colour, sir.- That is amazing.
0:34:27 > 0:34:28I will get your measurements.
0:34:28 > 0:34:33- Please.- After that, I will tell you how much it will cost.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37Chest size, sir. You can breathe easy, sir.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39You're not in a gym.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42I think there must be a fault with your tape measure.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Here, most kurta and pyjama
0:34:48 > 0:34:51are made to measure by a team of seamstresses.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55And in just a couple of hours, a tailored outfit is ready.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00Oh, Michael! Looks very nice.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02Thank you.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05- Are these the ladies who were responsible?- Yes, yes.
0:35:05 > 0:35:06Thank you very much.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09They have made your kurta and pyjama.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12What's this? Ooh!
0:35:14 > 0:35:15This as well?
0:35:17 > 0:35:20- I will help you, sir. - Thank you very much.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27What do you think? Does that look nice?
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Very nice.
0:35:29 > 0:35:30It's so elegant, isn't it?
0:35:30 > 0:35:32- Very elegant.- It's a lovely style.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36Now you are looking in full Indian dress-up.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39- Thanks to you. Thank you so much. - Thank you.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52I'm halfway through my journey and about to leave Ambala.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09My route turns north to the Punjabi
0:36:09 > 0:36:11state capital of Chandigarh.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13My next stop will be Kalka
0:36:13 > 0:36:15and here I'll take my place
0:36:15 > 0:36:17on one of the world's most famous
0:36:17 > 0:36:18mountain rail routes,
0:36:18 > 0:36:20ascending into the Himalayas
0:36:20 > 0:36:23to my final destination, Shimla.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41My Bradshaw's guide, dated 1913, tells me that,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44"Lahore is the capital of the Punjab,
0:36:44 > 0:36:48"one of the most ancient and famous cities in India,
0:36:48 > 0:36:51"seat of the Lieutenant Governor and military command."
0:36:51 > 0:36:55But nowadays, Lahore is in Pakistan.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59I'm headed for the capital of the Indian state of Punjab, Chandigarh,
0:36:59 > 0:37:01and it's not even in the state of Punjab
0:37:01 > 0:37:04but the neighbouring one of Hariana.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07I smell something highly political.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30Hello.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32Chandigarh is a relatively new city.
0:37:32 > 0:37:37It was created in 1950 after independence and Partition.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41To get a sense of this modern capital, I'm taking a taxi
0:37:41 > 0:37:44to the administrative centre, the Capitol Complex,
0:37:44 > 0:37:49and I'm already noticing some rather curious sights, such as roundabouts.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56Chandigarh is quite different from anywhere I've been in India.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58It's so clean and tidy.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02The traffic is orderly, there are white lines painted on the roads
0:38:02 > 0:38:04and people respect them!
0:38:04 > 0:38:07There is greenery and flowers everywhere.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10It's like travelling to a different planet.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15It is extraordinary to find such an orderly city
0:38:15 > 0:38:18in the commotion of India.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21Architecturally, it is overwhelmingly modernist.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25I'm meeting an architect,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28to find out how this city came to be.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37Why and when was Chandigarh built?
0:38:37 > 0:38:41Chandigarh was actually made after India gained independence,
0:38:41 > 0:38:43there was a very traumatic partition.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46The capital of this whole state of Punjab, which was Lahore,
0:38:46 > 0:38:49went into Pakistan, there was a hunt for a new city,
0:38:49 > 0:38:50"How can we make a new capital?"
0:38:50 > 0:38:53They tried many cities, "Maybe you could expand this one or that one."
0:38:53 > 0:38:57Ultimately, they came to the conclusion, "Let's make a new city."
0:38:57 > 0:39:00What was intended with the building of Chandigarh?
0:39:00 > 0:39:02Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India,
0:39:02 > 0:39:06what he wanted to show the world was that India is no longer a regressive
0:39:06 > 0:39:11country of villagers and backward people. In his own words,
0:39:11 > 0:39:13what he said was that Chandigarh
0:39:13 > 0:39:17will be a symbol of the nation's fate in the future.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25To design this new city, in keeping with his bold vision for India,
0:39:25 > 0:39:30Nehru hired celebrated Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier,
0:39:30 > 0:39:35famous for designing unique, private houses, public buildings,
0:39:35 > 0:39:38and housing projects.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Le Corbusier had never before been given the chance
0:39:41 > 0:39:44to implement the town planning ideas
0:39:44 > 0:39:47that he'd been working on for 20 years.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50What was his philosophy of town planning?
0:39:50 > 0:39:54He broke down the needs of a modern man into very four, clear,
0:39:54 > 0:39:55distinct categories -
0:39:55 > 0:39:59living, working, circulation and care of body and spirit.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02So, living basically meant your sector, which was self-sufficient,
0:40:02 > 0:40:05it had all the needs that you had.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08Circulation had to be very efficient because he felt the more efficient
0:40:08 > 0:40:11the roads, the more efficient people will be in their lives.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15Working, he had dedicated areas for offices and markets.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17And, of course, care of body and spirit you see everywhere
0:40:17 > 0:40:20in Chandigarh, the greens and the lakes, and the Leisure Valley.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22So, basically, he had a very clear-cut definition
0:40:22 > 0:40:26- of what a modern city should be. - OK, a new city.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28But there is nothing Indian about these buildings.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31That is where the genius of Corbusier comes in.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33There is no nothing in any building.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36You can't say it is British, it is Colonial, it is Mexican.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38It does not belong to any era.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41He wanted a very timeless kind of architecture, which you could not
0:40:41 > 0:40:45put into any slot. It is deliberately not Indian.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51The city is internationally recognised
0:40:51 > 0:40:55as a modernist masterpiece, and the Capitol Complex
0:40:55 > 0:40:59has recently been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03One of the sectors that the architect created
0:41:03 > 0:41:07to take care of the body and spirit of Chandigarh's residents
0:41:07 > 0:41:10is Sukhna Lake.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14A man-made reservoir at the foothills of the Himalayas,
0:41:14 > 0:41:16it's become a favourite place to go boating
0:41:16 > 0:41:19or to relax with an early evening walk.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26- Hello.- Hi.- Beautiful evening.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29- Are you from Chandigarh? - Yes, I'm from Chandigarh.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32Very interesting. Do you enjoy living in Chandigarh?
0:41:32 > 0:41:34I do. It's amazing.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38- Why?- Because the weather here is very nice,
0:41:38 > 0:41:40and we have a lot of greenery around here.
0:41:40 > 0:41:41I am born and brought up in Delhi,
0:41:41 > 0:41:44so as compared to that, this is amazing.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48It strikes me as very different from everywhere else I've been in India.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50Yeah, actually, it is a planned city.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53This is what I have experienced, being from Delhi.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56You don't feel that it's too planned?
0:41:56 > 0:42:00No, I just love it because, you know, you can breathe.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12This park is also the place of much entertainment,
0:42:12 > 0:42:15including traditional Indian dance.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21Bhangra is associated with the farmers of the Punjab.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24The choreography reflects their daily activities,
0:42:24 > 0:42:27like sowing seeds and cutting wheat.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33I'm struck by its exuberance.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36And you know me - I'm itching to have a go.
0:42:48 > 0:42:53And if I'm going to engage I need to look the part.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55- Very nice.- Thank you, madam.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58Well, now you've got me all dressed up, what is this dance?
0:42:58 > 0:43:00This is the dance of Punjab.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02We will celebrate Vaisakhi festival,
0:43:02 > 0:43:06we will perform dance only to feel happy.
0:43:06 > 0:43:07What is Vaisakhi? What does that mean?
0:43:07 > 0:43:13That is the festival of Punjab. There is, like...farmer festival.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15Harvest festival? So, for a traditional dance
0:43:15 > 0:43:18you look rather modern to me. It looked a bit like Bollywood.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21- So, Bollywood copies our folk dance. - Ah!
0:43:21 > 0:43:23So, bhangra is the origin of it all?
0:43:23 > 0:43:27- Yeah, bhangra. Bhangra.- Bhangra.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29Let the music begin.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07Thank you.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11Thank you very much.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15Another unforgettable moment in my dance career.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36I'm leaving Chandigarh on a commuter train.
0:44:36 > 0:44:40But my next ride will be anything but routine.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59There's a fresher breeze blowing now
0:44:59 > 0:45:02and that's because I'm within sight of the Himalayas,
0:45:02 > 0:45:05my first view of these gorgeous mountains.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08And this train will take me to Kalka,
0:45:08 > 0:45:11which is the starting point for a railway journey
0:45:11 > 0:45:15that enthusiasts will know to be one of the most beautiful in India -
0:45:15 > 0:45:20indeed, on many people's lists of the things that have to be done
0:45:20 > 0:45:22while you're on this Earth.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38The Kalka to Shimla line opened in 1903,
0:45:38 > 0:45:43and today is one of the world's most celebrated mountain railways.
0:45:43 > 0:45:48Its regular services attract both domestic and international tourists.
0:45:48 > 0:45:53INDISTINCT CHATTER IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:45:53 > 0:45:57So, this is the train that's going to take me up to Shimla.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01Narrow gauge and, at first sight, it seems almost like a toy railway.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03These carriages are kind of cute.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07But, actually, it must be immensely powerful because we're going to rise
0:46:07 > 0:46:12up to 7,000 feet over a distance of 60 miles.
0:46:13 > 0:46:17I've always wanted to ride this railway.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26And I'm excited to begin the five-hour trip
0:46:26 > 0:46:30up into the highest mountain range in the world.
0:46:39 > 0:46:43Bradshaw's says that, "The railway has been carried from Kalka
0:46:43 > 0:46:48"by a fine piece of mountain engineering to Shimla."
0:46:48 > 0:46:51My guidebook is guilty of an understatement.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54When this railway was completed at the beginning of the 20th century,
0:46:54 > 0:47:02it had 107 tunnels, 864 bridges and viaducts, and spectacular views.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04It was - and remains -
0:47:04 > 0:47:07one of the great achievements of the railway age.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15These feats of engineering have put this railway
0:47:15 > 0:47:17on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26At 2'6", it's a narrow gauge railway,
0:47:26 > 0:47:30its lightweight vehicles able to navigate the winding route
0:47:30 > 0:47:32up and down the mountain.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45May I ask you, are you travelling for the first time
0:47:45 > 0:47:48- on this wonderful train?- Yes, first time.- And are you enjoying it?
0:47:48 > 0:47:50Yes, very enjoying.
0:47:50 > 0:47:52Definitely, yes. We are enjoying it.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55I think it is a very hilly area.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58And the weather is very cold.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01You're expecting quite cold weather, I see.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04You've got me quite worried because I haven't brought a coat like that.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06Do you think I'll be OK?
0:48:11 > 0:48:14Oh, that's beautiful, look at that.
0:48:20 > 0:48:25As the train ascends for 60 miles, the air cools.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27In summer, temperatures below
0:48:27 > 0:48:30can be a sweltering 43 degrees,
0:48:30 > 0:48:33while up the mountain they average 28.
0:48:33 > 0:48:36Like most long-haul Indian train journeys,
0:48:36 > 0:48:41there is much camaraderie and spontaneous entertainment.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02Chugging through the foothills of the Himalayas.
0:49:02 > 0:49:06Now, this is what I call a great rail adventure.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15With no-one telling you to keep the doors closed,
0:49:15 > 0:49:19passengers are rewarded with gorgeous views.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33If you're wondering why such a great train service
0:49:33 > 0:49:37was built into these mountains, then Bradshaw's has the answer.
0:49:38 > 0:49:40"Shimla," my guidebook tells me,
0:49:40 > 0:49:43"is the residence of the Viceroy and the Commander in Chief
0:49:43 > 0:49:48"between April and October, called the summer capital of India,
0:49:48 > 0:49:50"on a ridge near the Sutlej River,
0:49:50 > 0:49:54"7,000 feet above the sea, in sight of the Himalayas."
0:49:54 > 0:49:57I like to think of the British Raj in the late spring,
0:49:57 > 0:50:02loading up the trains with typewriters and filing cabinets,
0:50:02 > 0:50:07embossed Imperial paper, rubber stamps and ink pads, and then,
0:50:07 > 0:50:11in October, bringing it all back down again.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37The stop at the end of this spectacular line was,
0:50:37 > 0:50:42for over 80 years, the place to which India's British administration
0:50:42 > 0:50:44decamped for the summer.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51And I'll be excited to explore it tomorrow.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11This morning, I'm exploring Shimla,
0:51:11 > 0:51:13a curious Himalayan town.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21While some areas feel typically Indian,
0:51:21 > 0:51:24the historic centre resembles a corner of England.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27Tibet may be on the horizon
0:51:27 > 0:51:31but the architecture is distinctly Home Counties.
0:51:35 > 0:51:40At its heart is the Viceregal Lodge built in 1888,
0:51:40 > 0:51:44which served as the seat of power for several months each year.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46Towards the end of British rule,
0:51:46 > 0:51:51this was also where Indian leaders met Viceroy Lord Louis Mountbatten
0:51:51 > 0:51:55to discuss the partition that would follow independence.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59I'm meeting a historian and Shimla resident.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03My Bradshaw's says,
0:52:03 > 0:52:07"Shimla is often regarded as the doyen of the hill stations.
0:52:07 > 0:52:11"Indeed, for some six months of the year, Shimla, and not Delhi,
0:52:11 > 0:52:14"is the political capital of the Indian Empire."
0:52:14 > 0:52:17- What was that Empire?- That Empire,
0:52:17 > 0:52:22if one was to look at it in terms of area, was all of today's India,
0:52:22 > 0:52:25Pakistan, Bangladesh and Burma.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27Today's UAE,
0:52:27 > 0:52:33even Sri Lanka, and Singapore, were all governed from this little town.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35- How extraordinary. - Absolutely extraordinary.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38And when you mention six months, it's more like eight months.
0:52:38 > 0:52:42Here is one of the world's most powerful governments,
0:52:42 > 0:52:47which has jurisdiction over a fifth of the human race,
0:52:47 > 0:52:51being ruled from this tiny village up on a hilltop,
0:52:51 > 0:52:54connected to the rest of the world, at least in the early years,
0:52:54 > 0:52:58by one narrow mountain path. It's bizarre.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01What sort of paraphernalia of government had to be moved
0:53:01 > 0:53:04from the winter to the summer capital and back again?
0:53:04 > 0:53:07It was almost like a city on the move.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09The time when Kolkata was the capital and Shimla
0:53:09 > 0:53:14the summer capital, here is this distance of 1,200 miles.
0:53:14 > 0:53:18We are talking about a point of time of no roads, no railways,
0:53:18 > 0:53:21people moved in these almost mind-boggling combinations
0:53:21 > 0:53:23of elephant-back, horseback,
0:53:23 > 0:53:27on these flat-bottomed boats, up the River Ganges,
0:53:27 > 0:53:29and from the foothills, even piggyback
0:53:29 > 0:53:31because they were carried up
0:53:31 > 0:53:33often enough on palanquins.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36For example, the Viceroy Lord Northbrook, when he came to Shimla,
0:53:36 > 0:53:42it's about 500 men were employed simply to move his kitchen utensils
0:53:42 > 0:53:45between point A and point B.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47What was the impact of the railways?
0:53:47 > 0:53:51It killed the old bullock train which existed,
0:53:51 > 0:53:53which was a convoy of bullock carts
0:53:53 > 0:53:56which just moved 24 hours up the hill,
0:53:56 > 0:53:59carrying things as diverse as cases of champagne,
0:53:59 > 0:54:01to stone to make this building.
0:54:01 > 0:54:07Interestingly enough, almost all the great, grand buildings of this town
0:54:07 > 0:54:11were built before the railway came into Shimla. The sheer scale
0:54:11 > 0:54:14of things and the sheer logistics that went into it
0:54:14 > 0:54:16are quite remarkable.
0:54:21 > 0:54:26Throughout its more than 75 years as India's summer capital,
0:54:26 > 0:54:30Shimla's society was a whirl of picnics,
0:54:30 > 0:54:33amateur dramatics and cricket tournaments,
0:54:33 > 0:54:36with the social scene centring on the Mall.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42How did the British Raj conduct itself here
0:54:42 > 0:54:44on the ridge and on the Mall?
0:54:44 > 0:54:47For one, the early mornings, they would have had the nursemaids,
0:54:47 > 0:54:50coming out with the children in their prams,
0:54:50 > 0:54:52airing the children for the day.
0:54:52 > 0:54:54Mid-morning would have had the single ladies
0:54:54 > 0:54:56coming up for their shopping.
0:54:56 > 0:55:02This is where everybody came to show off, to see and be seen.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05Shimla, despite it having been such a tiny, little place,
0:55:05 > 0:55:08ended up having a very cosmopolitan atmosphere.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13Isolated from the rest of Indian society,
0:55:13 > 0:55:17the elite relaxed and enjoyed themselves,
0:55:17 > 0:55:20and the town gained a rather racy reputation.
0:55:20 > 0:55:24As we come into the closing years of the 19th century,
0:55:24 > 0:55:28the town somewhat does start getting steamier and steamier.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31You have the... the fishing fleet coming in.
0:55:31 > 0:55:35These young girls coming in to India in search of husbands.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38The ones who went back without an engagement ring or a wedding band
0:55:38 > 0:55:41were the ones who were termed as "returned empties".
0:55:41 > 0:55:43And, then, more interestingly,
0:55:43 > 0:55:48what you have is the somewhat older widows,
0:55:48 > 0:55:51middle-aged women who came up, generally, to have a good time,
0:55:51 > 0:55:55more than just mild flirtations and, of course, as we know,
0:55:55 > 0:55:59Kipling wrote an enormous amount about these women.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03Born in India in 1865,
0:56:03 > 0:56:07writer and poet Rudyard Kipling spent several summers in Shimla
0:56:07 > 0:56:10as a journalist for the Civil And Military Gazette,
0:56:10 > 0:56:14covering the social season. During this time,
0:56:14 > 0:56:18he garnered plenty of material for his novels and poems.
0:56:19 > 0:56:23We have this point where... this middle-aged lady
0:56:23 > 0:56:27who draws all the young men to her side and the young teenagers
0:56:27 > 0:56:32are rather jealous of it. And the last line of that poem goes,
0:56:32 > 0:56:34"They walk beside Her 'rickshaw-wheels
0:56:34 > 0:56:35"None walk beside mine
0:56:35 > 0:56:37"And that is because I'm Seventeen
0:56:37 > 0:56:39"And She is Forty-nine."
0:56:40 > 0:56:44And what was the particular attraction of the older women?
0:56:44 > 0:56:47The safety that she has, and the experience that went with it.
0:56:47 > 0:56:49THEY LAUGH
0:56:58 > 0:57:02The British lived an idyllic life during the Raj here in Shimla,
0:57:02 > 0:57:05drinking tea, playing croquet
0:57:05 > 0:57:10and falling in love, attended by squads of servants.
0:57:10 > 0:57:14But British India was not designed for Indians,
0:57:14 > 0:57:17and after years of struggle against British rule,
0:57:17 > 0:57:20key negotiations about independence
0:57:20 > 0:57:25were held here in the foothills of the Himalayas. When freedom came,
0:57:25 > 0:57:30it was accompanied by Partition between India and Pakistan
0:57:30 > 0:57:34and appalling levels of violence. And it was perhaps with that in mind
0:57:34 > 0:57:39that India's first Prime Minister Nehru designed Chandigarh
0:57:39 > 0:57:43as a new city that would leave behind the old India
0:57:43 > 0:57:47and commit his country to modernity.
0:57:56 > 0:58:00Next time, I play the sport of kings with royalty.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02- Hit it, hit it.- Oh!
0:58:02 > 0:58:04- It's your timing.- My timing, indeed.
0:58:04 > 0:58:08I'm moved by India's architecture of passion.
0:58:08 > 0:58:10For the millions of visitors,
0:58:10 > 0:58:15the Taj Mahal is the greatest monument to love in the world.
0:58:15 > 0:58:19And relate to some of the country's most revered animals.
0:58:21 > 0:58:23Was it something I said?