Good morning!

♪ ♪ (Rudy Maxa) All the world goes by from the windows of a car in Delhi.

Grand boulevards turn into teeming alleys.

Mercedes speed past oxcarts and scooters buzz overloaded buses.

But to get deep in the heart of Old Delhi there's only one form of transport... bicycle ricksha.

(woman) "Rudy Maxa's World," proudly sponsored by The Leading Hotels of the World.

Quests for travel begin at LHW.com, where you'll discover a collection of nearly 450 unique hotels worldwide... including the distinctive family of Taj hotels, resorts, and palaces.

♪ ♪ Every quest has a beginning-- online at LHW.com.

Additional funding for "Rudy Maxa's World" provided by Medjet.com... medical evacuation membership protection for travelers.

Take trips, not chances.

And by... Yokoso!

Or "Welcome to Japan."

And by Delta--serving hundreds of destinations worldwide.

Information to plan your next trip available at delta.com.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (Rudy Maxa) In its latest incarnation, Delhi has emerged as the capital of the world's largest democracy.

It contains great wealth and gut-wrenching poverty, sublime beauty, riotous pandemonium, crass commercialism, and deep spirituality, sometimes, all in the same block.

Delhi offers the promise of every experience you can imagine and many you can't.

[horns blast loudly] At the top of India, between the Himalayas and western desert is Delhi, capital of India.

Just southeast is Agra and the Taj Mahal.

There are as many sights, smells, and sounds in Delhi as there are gods in the Hindu Pantheon.

It's such a chaotic collection of contradictions, that the only rational response is just to plunge right in.

The best place to experience the Delhi buzz, is in the middle of Old Delhi.

Teeming with people, pungent with spices, the alleyways contain all the many forms of daily life in India.

Rickshas haul people and goods and bike vendors are common.

It's a glorious mishmash of human enterprise.

Quiltmakers, mechanics, people selling bangles, beads, street food, and load after load after load of goods being hauled on bike and on shoulders and on the head.

The jumble of shops is interrupted now and then by a temple.

This temple to the monkey god, Hanuman, provides offerings to neighborhood monkeys that practice their acrobatic skills on electrical wires.

♪ ♪ Inside, the priest begins the day by bathing the lingam, a Hindu symbol for the center of universe and life itself.

♪ ♪ There's a bazaar here for everything.

Car parts, stationery, silver, saris, ribbons, and bangles and beads.

You can be sure, if you find a shop for one thing, there are going to be hundreds of others selling similar items nearby.

Colorful sari stores mingle with gritty stalls selling hubcaps.

Doctors and astrologers offer their services next to ear cleaners.

It's chaos, but a creative chaos, people carving out a living in ingenious ways.

The power lines are as jumbled as the shop fronts.

By far, the biggest industry in the bazaar is connected with weddings.

♪ ♪ Even middle-class families who have moved out to the suburbs, come to the bazaar to shop for wedding accessories.

Everything from garlands and bangles, to wedding cards and jewelry, are on sale in Old Delhi.

Entire blocks are devoted to wedding invitations.

Wholesale sari shops sell saris in bulk, and people come to buy dozens of them as gifts to give away at weddings.

Most marriages, even for wealthy, well-educated women, are arranged by the parents.

After paying a dowry, which can total as much as $20,000, Indians splurge on the wedding.

Shops in Delhi have been selling gold, silver, and gems for 350 years.

Millions of dollars of precious gems are tucked away in the most unassuming streets.

In the past, a woman's dowry would consist mostly of gold and diamonds.

Upon the birth of a daughter, families start buying jewelry for her.

Does a woman buy gold for her own wedding?

Yes.

For herself or as gifts, or both?

(man) They come with the parents.

Most of the young girls, they come with their parents to buy jewelry.

For themselves, to wear at their wedding.

Yes.

And will they wear that jewelry again, or just for the wedding?

Well you see, the heavier pieces are worn only on the wedding day then maybe when there's another wedding in the family.

It's passed down to someone else.

♪ ♪ Delhi mixes the ancient and modern without batting an eye.

The sitar and the tabla are old instruments which continue to speak to the modern world.

Fateh Ali one of Delhi's bright stars, carries on a family musical tradition with the sitar.

The Hindu word "raag" is derived from the Sanskrit "raaga," which means color or passion.

Compositions color the mind with a mood.

While strict in form, they also leave room for improvisation.

♪ ♪ Old Delhi may be steeped in the past, but the rest of the city is leaping forward.

With a population of 16 million and a half million new residents arriving each year, Delhi is one of the fastest growing cities in the world.

"Delhiwalas," as the city's inhabitants are known, have a per capita income twice the national average.

The growing middle class adds 400 to 600 new private cars to the streets each day.

As the economy grows, the landscape of Delhi is rapidly changing.

Modern shopping malls started springing up in the late 1990's.

And today, commercial centers like Citywalk incorporate housing, office space, cinema and retail shops.

At first glance, Citywalk may appear a typical shopping mall.

But the center strives incorporate tradition and modernity.

Shops here pay rent based on what they earn and the center employs more than 5000 people.

Who is your customer?

We are focusing on the global Indian, who's very well traveled, very aware of what is happening all over the world.

And we are focusing on the South Delhi woman.

"The South Delhi woman," what is the South Delhi woman.

She's very aware of fashions all over the world, very demanding, very discerning customer, very rooted to her family, very fashion conscious, she shops a lot and that's what we want to capture.

But you're not going to lose your Indianness here, right?

I don't think we'll ever lose our Indianness because that is what is very intrinsic and interesting part of the Indian experience.

It's about bringing together the best of East and the best of West under one roof.

People have looked to the heavens for answers since the dawn of man.

But the stars and fortune telling, have a particular influence in India.

Indians consult astrologers about everything, from the auspicious placement of furniture, to the right gem to wear.

In fact, in many cases, a wedding won't take place if an astrologer hasn't confirmed that the couple's astrological charts are compatible.

Right hand?

Okay.

(Rudy) Astrology is associated with the ancient text of Hinduism and connected to the laws of reincarnation and karma.

[speaking in his native language] When we do the work abroad there's a chance of success in that kind of project.

Good!

Because I'm doing work abroad right now.

And I need a good chance of success.

I like this guy!

[interpreter laughs] He can also help to tell you more, if you can tell the room number of that hotel in which you are staying.

(Rudy) He can tell something from my hotel room?

Yes.

709.

[interprets] [man speaks in native language] According to that one, the room in which you are staying is not so good.

Not so good, is he going to tell me how things are going to be in the future?

I'm going to live until at least 89?

I've got that many more years of work?!

Yes!

[laughs] (Rudy) Hinduism contains innumerable deities, cults, rituals, and beliefs.

[brass bell rings] ♪ ♪ Priests act as caretakers of the idols and don't dictate practice.

In many ways, it's a free-form faith.

♪ ♪ Everything from animals to ancestors to spirits, and the cosmos itself, is worshipped in Hinduism.

It's dynamic, ever-changing and tolerant.

Most Hindu temples are surrounded by stalls selling sweets and garlands as offering to the gods.

Temples range from tiny shrines to huge modern complexes, with elaborate grounds.

The swastika is an ancient symbol in India and the word "swastika" comes from the Sanskrit meaning "good fortune" or "auspicious."

Hinduism is a religion of pluralism.

There is no one authoritative text and all forms of worship are permitted.

In addition to Hinduism, India is the birthplace of Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism.

On a busy street in Delhi, the monkey god, Hanuman, god of strength, towers 108 feet above the traffic.

Tuesdays are special days of devotion to Hanuman.

Devotees avoid meat and come to pray at his temple in the evening after work.

Worshippers perform "puja," an offering to the god and then spend time praying or honoring the god with personal rituals.

People ring bells to announce their arrival or departure.

Deep in the fantastic cave of the temple are statues of the goddess Kali.

She's a destroyer of demons, a liberator, mother goddess, and ruler of death.

[brass bell rings; men chant] (Rudy) India's 20 million Sikhs live primarily in Punjab and Delhi.

Founded by Guru Nanak in the 15th century, Sikhism sought to combine the best elements of Hinduism and Islam.

It opposes the caste system, the worship of idols.

Guru Gobind Singh, from whom the majority of Sikhs take their surnames, established the traditions of Sikhs.

They don't cut their hair, and they carry a sword, which these days is often a picture of a sword on their comb.

♪ ♪ Dance, music and religion are inseparable in India.

The Odissi dance is a 2000-year-old art form that has its roots as an ancient ritual performed in temples.

World-famous dancer and teacher, Madhavi Mudgal has passed the tradition on to her student, Aarushi.

The institute was established by my father in 1939 and it's a school for Indian classical music and dance.

It's called the "Gandharva Mahavidyalaya."

It's one of the most renowned institutes in New Delhi.

When you learn something, a tradition like classical dance forms, you have to pass it on.

I think these are values, very special to a region.

The concept of the teacher and student relationship.

You have to be with a teacher for many, many, many years, because the teacher is not just a dance instructor.

A Guru leads you on in life, gives you the different values, philosophy, the way of living.

♪ ♪ Today, Delhi is largely a Hindu city, but wasn't always so.

Prior to its independence in 1947, Delhi was predominantly Muslim.

Muslim conquerors from Persia and later, Mogul emperors from Afghanistan, ruled Delhi for 850 years until the British formally took over in 1858.

The Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal, moved his capital back to Delhi in 1648 and built the Red Fort as his palace.

The public hall of audiences, where emperor heard complaints from his subjects, and the private hall of audiences, where he met with members of his court, hearken back to tents in the desert, with their open walls and crenellated arches.

The emperor watched elephant fights from the ramparts, which stretched more than two kilometers around the fort.

Shah Jahan, also built the Jama Masjid, or Friday Mosque, where he prayed every week.

The biggest mosque in India, it holds more than 20,000 worshippers.

When India gained independence from British rule in 1947, it was split into Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan.

The partition forced Hindus to flee Pakistan and Muslims tolee India.

Some 15 million people left their homes.

Almost overnight, Delhi changed from a mostly Muslim city to a predominantly Hindu city, most of them refugees from Pakistan.

Delhi is no longer a Muslim city but Mogul cuisine is still very much a staple in restaurants here.

And there's no better place to try it than at Karim's located in a back alley near Jama Masjid.

The Karim family cooked for Mogul emperors more than 300 years ago.

Today, their unassuming but wildly popular eatery, serves delicious meats grilled in a tandoor oven.

Biryani, naan, rotis, and dall-- They still use secret spice mixes the family used in the Red Fort for the Emperor.

♪ ♪ As Delhi changes, so does the music scene.

Artists flock to the city from all over India.

Dhritiman Deori comes from Assam, a state in the northeast of India, near China.

He takes his traditional music and infuses it with modern life, a style he calls "ethnoelectronica."

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I love experimenting; I just love ambient sounds, major reverses, wind.

(Rudy) It seems you create a mood.

Yeah, exactly, you can describe my music as a mixture of lounge, world folk, and experimental.

♪ ♪ (Rudy) World-class accommodations are on the rise in Delhi.

Business people from around the globe come to the city to start new ventures and Delhi is ready for them.

The Taj Mahal Hotel's client list is a virtual who's who in national business and politics.

Heads of state regularly make the Taj home.

♪ ♪ There's an amazing number of English language newspapers in Delhi.

Some recent stories: "Psychologists warn of parents drilling their children too hard for nursery school admission interviews."

And last night, 30,000 couples married in Delhi because astrologers determined that it was the last auspicious day in the month for weddings.

♪ ♪ Fashion in Delhi is an easy medley of the modern and traditional.

Jeans are as ubiquitous as brilliant silks... anything goes.

Is there a more elegant or simple garment than the sari?

A single piece of cloth, about 4 feet wide and more than 20 feet long, a sari's color and pattern used to provide a signal of what region a woman was from, her caste and marital status.

Traditionally, married women wore red saris and widows wore white.

Girls begin wearing saris when they get married.

In Hinduism, uncut and unsewn cloth is considered cleaner, purer, and therefore, more appropriate for rituals.

The other major style of women's apparel is the salwar kameez, a long tunic worn over baggy trousers.

Traditionally worn by Sikhs, and women from Kashmir in northern India, the salwar kameez, has been adopted by college students of all religions.

The tailors of Delhi can make just about anything quickly and inexpensively.

I need a dress shirt, so I'm going to try my luck here at Bedi tailors.

Good morning, I am Rudy Maxa, I need a dress shirt.

Yes sir, I get.

And how long might that take?

I think I should have it ready for you by tomorrow evening.

That's pretty fast, you can do that?

Yes sir.

How 'bout up here, the 5th one in the blue with the white stripe.

That one right there, right.

I like this.

♪ ♪ [speaking in his native language] ♪ ♪ Rudy, I'm going to give you one pocket in the shirt.

Perfect.

All right.

(Rudy) Textiles played a role in overthrowing British rule in India.

And the man behind boycotting cloth from England was Mohandas K. Gandhi.

The National Gandhi Museum tells the story of his incredible campaign of nonviolent civil disobedience for Indian independence.

Known as "Mahatma," or "Great Soul," Gandhi grew up a shy boy in a middle-class family.

His strategy of noncompliance with imperial laws, empowered Indians to fight the British without arms, and forced Britain to face the unjustness of its rule.

He urged boycotts of British taxes and goods and he used his own fasting from food and water to encourage and prod Indians to refrain from violence in their fight for freedom.

Gandhi's boycott of British textiles, and his emphasis on homespun cloth, led to a renewed appreciation of Indian craftsmanship.

That appreciation of local artisans continues today.

In 1960, an American founded Fabindia, to partner with artisans around India to blend indigenous techniques with contemporary designs and then market them to the world.

(Radhika Diesh) The goal of Fabindia is to keep alive the traditions the culture, the craft of India.

We're supporting more than 15,000 artisans and craftsman.

(Rudy) Those artisans aren't in a big factory somewhere.

(Radhika) No, they're in small villages that have been supported by Fabindia.

We have schools for their children.

It's basically trying to sustain the rural development at our own level without the government being a part of it.

Gandhi's strategy of self-sufficiency defeated the British, but it didn't make for great economic policy.

After nearly 50 years of a stagnant economy, in the 1990's, India opened up to world trade and foreign investment.

The results have been dramatic.

In the past 16 years, India's economy has grown at an annual rate of 6% or more.

The number of people below the poverty line has been cut by half.

The per capita gross domestic product has doubled.

In Delhi, much of the growth has been in the service sector, which has especially benefited women and members of lower castes.

[woman announcer speaking in her native language] (Rudy) The Taj Mahal in Agra, is an easy day trip from Delhi by train.

The trip takes about two hours and is worth every minute for the shouting vendors, rural scenery, and compartments of traveling families.

It's not just the fact that it's made entirely of marble, or that it seems to glow from within, it's the exquisite combination of sorrow and love imbued in its architecture that makes this one of the most unforgettable sites in the world.

Built in 1653 by Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan, as a mausoleum for his beloved queen, the Taj Mahal in Agra, draws two million visitors a year.

♪ ♪ The story of Shah Jahan is the story of a long line of moguls who ruled India.

Waging military campaigns and frequently murdering their brothers and overthrowing their fathers, these emperors would hardly be described as sentimental.

But Shah Jahan's third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, captivated him completely.

She was his companion, confidant, and great love.

She died delivering their 14th child.

For the next 22 years, laborers and elephants hauled huge marble blocks to build her tomb.

♪ ♪ The result is something unearthly, utterly moving.

So beloved to India is the Taj, that when pollution began to threaten its pure white marble, the government ordered 200 factories to clean up or leave town.

♪ ♪ Worlds collide in this friendly, frenetic city.

Just when you think you have it figured out, something unexpected takes your breath away.

From the teeming streets of the old town, super posh shopping centers, to supremely spiritual temples, nothing in Delhi stands still long enough to be completely captured or completely understood.

That it will remain an enigma is the only thing that's absolutely certain.

According to my astrologer, it's auspicious for me to stay a little longer in this chaotic, captivating capital.

That's just fine with me.

Repoing from Delhi, I'm Rudy Maxa, (ph) Nah-mah-stay.

(woman) For information on the places featured in "Rudy Maxa's World," along with other savvy traveling tips, visit... To order DVDs of "Rudy Maxa's World" or the CD of world music from the series, call or visit... ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Cc--Armour Captioning & Twin Cities Public Television ♪ ♪ "Rudy Maxa's World," proudly sponsored by The Leading Hotels of the World.

Quests for travel begin at LHW.com, where you'll discover a collection of nearly 450 unique hotels worldwide, Including the distinctive family of Taj hotels, resorts, and palaces.

Every quest has a beginning, online at LHW.com.

Additional funding for Rudy Maxa's World provided by Medjet.com, medical evacuation membership protection for travelers.

Take trips, not chances.

And by... Yokoso!

Or "Welcome to Japan."

And by Delta--serving hundreds of destinations worldwide.

Information to plan your next trip available at delta.com.

[orchestral fanfare] ♪ ♪