Michael Portillo resumes his rail journey from the Thar Desert in Rajasthan to the Indian capital, New Delhi, his Bradshaw’s 1913 Handbook of Indian, Foreign and Colonial Travel in hand. From his Agra hotel, Michael enjoys a ringside view of the glorious Taj Mahal before heading out for a closer look and to hear the love story behind its construction. He learns how a Mughal emperor’s monument to passion was restored by a British viceroy at the time of his Bradshaw’s.

En route to Delhi, Michael joins the crowds in 'unreserved class' for an authentic experience of Indian train travel. It is a sociable journey spent chatting with fellow passengers, enjoying a thali lunch pre-ordered on his mobile phone and delivered direct to his seat and dancing in the aisles.

Journey’s end is at New Delhi, designed by British architect Edwin Lutyens and built to house the rulers of the Raj when the capital moved from Calcutta in 1911. In the grounds of what was once the Viceregal Lodge and is now the official home of the President of India, Michael meets an Indian MP to hear his take on the origins of this stately enclave. Show less