Salman Rushdie describes it as ?a gigantic place... manifestly a rough diamond two thousand miles long and more or less as wide, as large as Europe... populated by around a sixth of the human race?
GOING TO INDIA isn?t as costly as it may sound.

A round-trip economy ticket to New Delhi via Jet Airways, a leading Indian international airline, costs about $600 (P27,000). Jet Airways flies out of HK daily; from Manila to HK aboard Philippine Airlines is a one-hour flight, followed by five hours from HK to Delhi.

Prices in India are quite cheap; one rupee is worth about a peso. Factor in mid-priced hotel accommodations and pocket money for food and shopping, and P50,000 to P60,000 would be good enough for an Indian holiday.

That amount, believe us, is more than worth it once you?ve waded into the maddening, marvelous, mystical subcontinent once sketched by Salman Rushdie as ?a gigantic place... manifestly a rough diamond two thousand miles long and more or less as wide, as large as Europe... populated by around a sixth of the human race, home of the largest film industry on earth, famous as the ?world?s biggest democracy.??

A description, of course, that barely scratches the surface of India, but tantalizing enough to provide a framing context to the imagery that overwhelms you once you?re on Indian ground?the heaving, throbbing masses everywhere you look, the riot of sound and smell and color, the constellation of palaces and temples and ruins and royal gardens, the dusty chaos of the road as well as the stillness of the Jumna River behind the Taj Mahal?the sheer life force percolating in this ancient land.

The ?Golden Triangle? of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur alone, in the northern part of India, has some of the country?s most indelible cultural treasures?the Taj Mahal, the abandoned royal complex of Fatehpur Sikri, Qutub Minar and its brick minaret, the hilltop Amber Fort, as well as the modern metropolis of New Delhi with its wide boulevards and stately buildings, the capital of the former British Empire of which India was the crown jewel.

For Filipinos in search of unusual travel destinations, India offers an alluring option. ?The Philippines is an emerging market for us,? confirms Sanjeev Chopra, AVP of Go India Journeys, the country?s biggest tour operator.

Chopra has been ushering an increasing number of young, travel-savvy Filipinos into India (about 77,000 passengers last year, according to a Jet Airways bulletin). Brought up on the Internet, influenced by a global pop culture that has embraced Bollywood and Aishwarya Rai, and comfortable with the growing Indian expatriate community in Manila whose restaurants enrich the city with the flavors and textures of Indian cuisine, many Pinoys are taking a second look at their giant Asian neighbor.

For first-time travelers to India, a Delhi-Agra-Jaipur tour offers a heady mix of monumental sights and immersive experiences. Here are some essentials:

Taj Mahal

It?s a cliché to say a visit to India wouldn?t be complete without gazing at this architectural wonder, but?yes, the cliché is no match to the reality. The apogee of the might and splendor of the fabled Moghul empire, this white-marble mausoleum, built by the 16th-century emperor Shah Jahan for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, is in Agra, five hours? drive from Delhi.

The road offers a picturesque view of India beyond the city skyscrapers?a land still rooted in agriculture, rural markets bursting with produce of all kinds, the women invariably dressed in colorful sari, cows and monkeys?sacred animals in the Hindu pantheon?an undisturbed part of the hubbub.

Agra Fort

Unmistakable for its red sandstone coloring, this massive palace complex, now a Unesco World Heritage site, was the home of the Moghul kings for about 350 years. As early as 1080 AD, parts of the fort were already up.

The legendary Peacock Throne?a chair literally swarming with emeralds, sapphires, rubies, pearls and other precious stones, commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan and later carted off as booty by invading Persians, thus becoming the inheritance of the Shah of Iran?used to occupy pride of place in one of the palace?s grand halls.

Other notable sights: a ?hall of mirrors??an airy pavilion of white marble with walls of sheer glass inlay; a medieval oddity?the enormous stone bathtub of Emperor Jahangir (Shah Jahan?s father), now sitting at the fort courtyard but which used to be hauled into the battlefield for use by the bath-loving Moghul; the tower balcony where Shah Jahan, in his sunset years, was kept a prisoner by his usurper-son Aurangzeb. From there, it was said he spent innumerable moments gazing at the ethereal vision of the Taj Mahal in the distance.

Fatehpur Sikri

A ?ghost city,? because after having built it from scratch as his royal capital, Emperor Akbar and his court decamped from it after only 14 years, reportedly for lack of water. What remained under the ministrations of caretakers was a striking assembly of red sandstone buildings that blended three distinct cultures?Persian, Islamic and Indian?softened by green, flowery patches built by the garden-loving emperor himself.

Jaipur, the ?Pink City?

Rajasthan?s capital earned the moniker because, by law, all establishments and buildings within the walled city are washed in a pink hue (more like pale ochre, actually).

The first planned city in India, Jaipur acquired its rose palette in 1853 when the then-Prince of Wales (later Britain?s King Edward VII) visited Rajasthan. The state?s monarch ordered the city-wide repainting to welcome him.

Along the main avenue is Hawa Mahal, a palace whose five-story façade blossoms with tiny lattice-like windows, behind which the maharajah?s wives could discreetly view the city scene below.

Amber Fort

A mountaintop citadel with a commanding view of the surrounding countryside, the sprawling Amber Fort dates back to the 1500s, and was the seat of power of the state?s royals before Jaipur. You can either drive up to its gates in a jeep, or take a leisurely elephant ride up to the main courtyard, which opens up to ever more lavish palaces and halls within.

As in the Agra Fort, a ceremonial hall has walls and ceiling completely embedded with thousands of tiny, glittering mirror pieces. Viewing the fortress from across Maota Lake, the structure perfectly reflected in the still waters, is a transporting experience.

More sights, shopping haunts

In Delhi stands Qutub Minar, said to be the world?s tallest brick minaret. The base was first built in the 1100?s by Muslim conquerors from Afghanistan. It stands on a garden compound that, on the Sunday we visited, was brimming with schoolchildren and local visitors.

Jaipur?s main streets are a shopping mecca for everything from bags and brocades to bangles and handicrafts, most of them handmade. Prices are a steal?a lavishly beaded bag can cost from 60-150 rupees, depending on your haggling skills.

At every tourist attraction, a horde of sellers thrusts souvenirs literally in your face?mini-Taj Mahals, keychains, pencils, scarves, jewelry boxes. It pays to feign disinterest until the prices get slashed, usually to less than half the original.

For a more upscale shopping place complete with demonstrations of traditional Indian crafts and ethnic performances, the Kalakriti Cultural and Convention Center is a virtual palace offering rooms and rooms of the country?s portable attractions: marble inlay tables, carpets, wood and ivory carvings, ceramics, plates from Kashmir, gilded statues, brassworks, silverware, embroidery, tea and spices. The spectacular array is India in a nutshell: kaleidoscopic, multicolored?incredible.

E-mail gcadiz@inquirer.com.ph, visit www.gibbscadiz.blogspot.com, follow on Twitter www.twitter.com/gibbscadiz

HOW TO GET THERE

For visa application, the Indian Embassy in Manila is at Dasmariñas Village, Makati City. Application fee for tourist visa is P2,100; the village charges P150 for transport from the gate to the embassy.

Jet Airways flies daily to Delhi from Hong Kong. (From Manila to HK, passengers can take Philippine Airlines, which has a tie-up with Jet Airways). In Manila, call 0920-9633297, 8140507-08, fax 8121512 or visit www.jetairways.com.

Go India Journeys arranges tours and accommodations in partnership with some Philippine travel agencies. Call Sanjeev Chopra +91-9810408761 or +120-4615909, or visit www.goindiajourneys.com/