Original subtitles

BELLS CHIME

It's just before dawn and I'm in one of the most sacred locations

for one of the world's oldest faiths.

The river I'm travelling along is

itself sometimes worshipped as a goddess,

and it flows through the heart of a landscape

that has nurtured the major world religions.

And there's a kind of unusual calm here.

It's a sort of calm before this storm of humanity is going to erupt.

I'm in a country where the deeply sacred collides

and combines with a very...

...a very deeply-felt modern lived experience.

India.

I'm exploring a subcontinent filled with treasures of body and soul.

Meeting old friends...

This is surprising! What a pleasant surprise!

...and making new ones.

OK. Keep it up. Bye, see you!

HE CHANTS

Witnessing rites at Varanasi...

...and the great Golden Temple.

Iconic architecture - from Rajasthan's palaces...

Ooh, I thought there were going to be no difficult questions, you know?

I thought we had an understanding!

...to the Taj Mahal.

It is extraordinary.

THEY CHANT

And incredible traditions.

What an amazing night.

It's a place where ideas are made manifest

in the splendid, redolent treasures of India.

India - in the heart of Asia.

Home to 1.4 billion

and now the most highly-populated country in the world,

with well over 3,000 archaeological sites.

I've been travelling to India for decades

on the trail of the inspirational ideas

and pioneering philosophies that emerge from this subcontinent.

My journey starts in one of India's holier cities.

I'm here to discover an experiential treasure - Varanasi.

This is the wondrous city of Varanasi.

It's actually one of the oldest continually-inhabited settlements

in the whole of India, and I'm here to try to explore

how our understanding of the cycle of life

and our desire to flourish in this world and the next

has generated some extraordinary treasures

and some extraordinary experiences.

Varanasi stretches along the Ganges,

the river adored as the goddess Ganga.

80 ghats - banks of steps - lead directly into this sacred waterway.

Every year, millions upon millions of Hindus come to these banks

to celebrate and to worship and to mourn,

and I've been invited here by a friend of a friend

to take part in one of the ceremonies, which I...

You know, I think it's going to be a very moving experience.

Anchal Sachan moved to Varanasi, or Banaras,

because of it's deep history and spiritual significance.

I mean, this is a really, really

important destination place for pilgrims. Yes.

It really matters that people come here. Yes.

Ganga herself is considered to be a goddess.

Shiva, he himself emerged as a pillar of light, as it is said.

That's right, cos it's the city of light. Yes.

Light and fire's very important here, isn't it? Yes.

Shiva especially happens to be the god of dead or recreation.

Yeah. Like, you destroy something and you start something anew.

Cos people come here to mourn or celebrate,

remember their ancestors, but do you think people also come here

to try to understand what the point of life is?

Yes. Yes, absolutely.

You have feelings and belief expressed in stone

and in tradition. Yes.

So you can almost kind of touch people's ideas here. Yeah.

Anchal wants to show me how ideas

and feelings can become beautiful things.

One of Varanasi's most celebrated crafts

plays an integral part in ceremonies of both life and death -

hand-loomed Banarasi silk.

Have I got this right, that when you get married,

you're always supposed to have a bit of silk from Banaras

at the wedding as part of the ceremony?

Yes. In India, as many regions are there,

you have as many kinds of art, as many types of motifs,

or you can say designs, which are used on the sari,

and wherever you are in India,

Banarasi weave has to find a place in your wedding trousseau.

It's this real combination of trade and spirituality.

Yes, absolutely. The city's own existence is coming together.

It is a blend of spirituality, of opulence all coming together.

And are there any particular colours of silk that are associated

with particular religious ceremonies or rituals?

Is there kind of an appropriate colour that I should be wearing?

When you are sitting for a prayer

or for a ritual of significance - yellow,

or the tones of yellow become a more appropriate colour.

How brilliant, they've got a yellow shawl -

perfect for a ceremony Anchal suggested I experience.

I'd love to honour my ancestors.

You know, is it OK for me to do it?

Cos obviously I'm not Hindu, I'm obviously a westerner.

You know, is it appropriate for me to do that here?

If you have the right intent, the right feeling,

the right motivations, it is appropriate for you to do.

The ceremony is called the Pind Daan,

performed for the liberation of the souls of deceased loved ones.

I'm recently bereaved, so it's an honour to take part.

So, he will be helping you... Sit here?

...do the Pind Daan for your mother. OK. Thank you.

Thank you.

No problem, no problem.

HE CHANTS

I do recognise snippets of the Sanskrit chant,

like the word "Gauh" - "Earth"

root of the ancient Greek Gaia, a reference to Mother Nature.

One blessed pind - a rice ball -

is offered to the soul of the departed.

The rest are for other ancestors.

Honey?

Very good.

I'm feeding my ancestors and I've been given wool to clothe them,

so they have five layers of cloth,

and they're being accompanied by a priest. You say...

HE SPEAKS SANSKRIT SHE REPEATS

They become divine with the flowers.

Taking the offering to the river,

the idea is that the deceased is dissolving back into the universe.

It's an opportunity to come to terms with my loss.

I came here knowing that I was going to honour my mother

because she died quite recently.

And I've been wearing her wedding ring

so that she kind of travels with me,

because she loved the idea that I travelled,

but she never got the chance to travel.

It's lovely that she's coming on the journey.

I'm actively remembering her,

and remembering the thing that she always said is that

you are known by your deeds. It's the deeds that make you,

so you live on in the kind of lessons that you teach other people.

So that's what I'lU try and do.

Well, whatever it's about, it is definitely about some kind of...

...cycle of life and love.

One of the reasons I've always been attracted to this place is

so many different faiths have come here.

As well as the millions of Hindu pilgrims attending

the 23,000 temples every year,

Varanasi is special to Jains, Christians, Muslims and Buddhists.

It is really pretty likely that the Buddha came here.

Not least because, by the sixth century BCE,

this place had already been known as a centre of spirituality

and learning for centuries.

So if you're going to come somewhere to spread your ideas,

then this is a really good choice.

Holy texts say he gave a sermon upriver

fundamental to Buddhist philosophy.

And when Varanasi's railway station was built,

workers stumbled across the city's physical roots,

dating back much earlier - to the 14th century BCE.

These discoveries prove that Varanasi is one of

the oldest continually-inhabited settlements

not only in India, but in the world.

It's hard to overstate the importance of Varanasi

in the story of faith,

because this is a place that's full of clues

of the spiritual experience of the past.

Here there's tangible evidence of what we've felt

about mortality and immortality,

so the treasures and the wonders here aren't just

kind of intellectually and academically interesting.

They're a direct line of communication to the experience

of love and loss through time,

so they are treasures that make us care.

Our next treasure overlooks the plains of modern day Uttar Pradesh -

the vast Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri...

...a capital built from scratch in 1569

by one of India's most significant rulers,

the renowned Emperor Akbar.

Akbar's rule saw the Mughal Empire triple in size across North India

over a reign of almost 50 years, from 1556 to 1605.

But Akbar had a problem.

He didn't have a male heir to inherit his empire,

and so we're told that he travelled across northern India seeking

the advice of Sufi saints.

Akbar's prayers were answered when one of them predicted

the birth of his longed-for son.

Akbar's delight in Sufism,

a mystic, joy-embracing strand of Islam,

would mark a dramatic shift in his reign.

I've travelled to Delhi to encounter Akbar's Sufi world.

And I've never actually been to this place before,

but I know I'm on the right track because it's a really famous

Sufi shrine, or mausoleum called a dargah.

Hello! Hello! You're Rana?

Yes, Rana. So very happy to meet you.

How lovely to meet you. What a place! Yes.

What an incredible place!

Author Rana Safvi, an expert on Indian Sufism,

is showing me the Nizamuddin Dargah.

Look at this place! Look... How extraordinary!

It's so beautiful. So beautiful.

You come here, you get so much of peace. Yes.

And, you know, that feeling of acceptance, of inclusivity. Yes.

And that was again something that was very...

...that helped in making Sufism popular.

Beautiful. Generations worth of approaching God. Yes.

Akbar prayed in Sufi shrines in Delhi...

CHANTING

...as pilgrims still do today,

laying offerings to saints and their disciples.

So, there seems to be this real tradition of writing and song

and poetry and music. It's sort of...words are very important. Yes.

And whoever gets into it drowns.

That doesn't sound good! THEY CHUCKLE

And those who drown in the love of the divine. Oh!

And those who try to swim across it never get across.

So you've got to sort of submit yourself to the divine love. Yes.

As I said, this is the philosophy of Sufism - submission to God. Yeah.

The word "Muslim" and word "Islam" mean "submission".

The word "Muslim" MUSIC AND CHANTING

MUSIC AND CHANTING

This celebration of positivity and tolerance is everywhere here,

particularly in traditional songs.

SINGING CONTINUES

SINGING SLOWS, STOPS

What incredible voices they have!

And I love the fact, I just spoke to them now

and they said, "Do you want a particular song?"

And I said, "Oh, sing a song about love."

And they said, “"Every Sufi song is about love."

I was expecting it to be joyful,

but I wasn't expecting it to be quite so,

just incredibly invigorating and inspiring.

And I can see why Akbar, this great king,

was kind of fired up by Sufism to achieve in the world.

What an amazing night.

HORNS BLARE

This open hearted message spurred Akbar to relocate

his capital closer to his favourite guru.

He decided to move here,

and he renamed his new city Fatehpur Sikri,

the city of victory.

And here it is, in all it's amazing splendour.

Fatehpur Sikri is wonderfully well preserved.

Which allows archaeologists and historians to reconstruct

Mughal courtly life here.

And the brilliant thing, if you think about it,

is that this is the vision of one man.

So, every single building gives us a clue about his ethics

and his values, and how he ruled his vast empire.

Akbar's kingdom was incredibly efficient

and fabulously wealthy.

Taxes funded an opulent court and his borders were expanded

by a 100,000 strong army.

Travellers from across the world were incredibly impressed

by this place, and we have the account of one,

a Ralph Fitch, who came here in the 16th century.

And this is how he described it.

"Hither there is a great resort of merchants from Persia

"and from out of India,

"and very much merchandise of silk and cloth

"and precious stones, rubies, diamonds and pearls."

And it's no surprise really that he was so blown away

by this place, because when he was writing,

England had a population of four million,

whereas Akbar ruled over 140 million people.

In a radical move for a Mughal ruler,

he married a Hindu princess, Jodha Bai.

Favourite of his six wives,

and mother of that longed-for male heir.

In her palace here, he built Jodha Bai her very own Hindu temple.

He clearly adored her.

He described her as a piece of the moon,

and she was supposed to be beautiful and witty and smart,

and an amazing businesswoman. So she traded silks

and other luxuries in her own right.

Akbar and Jodha Bat's success was buttressed by religious tolerance,

a plus in a growing empire that encompassed so many belief systems.

But nowhere is Akbar's religious policy in evidence

more than this gorgeous place, the Diwan-e-Khas,

his private audience chamber.

Because here he'd organise debates

between different religious communities,

between Jains and Hindus and Zoroastrians and Christians

and Muslims, and all the time he would listen and learn.

Dominating the interior is this two storey hall,

and unusually,

the central pillar is crowded with Buddhist and Hindu

and Islamic designs.

Akbar observed the debates from up here in a position

that represented the centre of the world.

And, from what he heard, he came to the conclusion

that no single religion could claim ownership of the truth,

and so, he developed his own religion,

Din-i Ilahi,

which was a merging of all the different faiths in his empire

to reconcile the differences between his divided people.

The Din-i llahi which Akbar created and led

literally means the divine faith.

You know, it's genuinely moving because this Din-i Ilahi

is in many ways symbolic of the high point of Akbar's rule,

and the whole of Fatehpur Sikri is it's embodiment.

But this great flowering of the rule of this great man

was destined to end.

In 1585, after just 14 years,

Akbar abruptly moved his court,

first to Lahore and then to Agra.

Without the optimistic can-do energy of the man

who created this out of nothing,

the city of Fatehpur Sikri was all but abandoned.

Akbar is cited by some as one of India's greatest leaders.

And in fact, he and his Hindu wife, Jodha Bai,

often appear as hero and heroine in Bollywood epics.

But, you know,

they're not just lionised for the physical conquest

and wise governance of pan India,

but to their synergistic, listening approach.

Akbar's vision was big and bold and beautiful,

and experimental.

And Fatehpur Sikri is it's embodiment.

Which is why this place is a broad-minded treasure of hope.

I've travelled 400 miles across North India

on the trail of our next treasure.

This story starts here in the south west corner of Rajasthan.

It's India's largest state and laced with rugged hill forts

like this. And those waterways that you can see over there

and the islands and the distant citadels are confections of nature

and constituents of my next treasure,

the lakeside palaces of Udaipur.

Udaipur is in the far west of India on the fringes

of the Thar Desert.

The city's home to a proud clan of Rajputs,

a warrior culture whose royal family,

the maharajahs of Mewar,

would reshape the environment with huge man-made lakes.

These are expressions, not just of belief,

but of self-belief.

And they tell us not just about love of beauty of the soul,

but of extreme physical beauty too.

My first destination is the formidable City Palace.

Completed in 1559, the largest in Rajasthan.

The network of at least 11 separate palaces

reveals a passion for artistic beauty and defensive military nous.

Because the palace was also a defensive citadel,

the corridors are incredibly labyrinthine,

and they're designed to disorientate and out-fox any potential invaders.

But then suddenly the palace opens up

into these perfectly proportioned, aesthetically beautiful courtyards.

The maharajahs didn't just use their substantial cash

to weaponise their fortresses.

But also to adorn them with potent symbols celebrating

the natural world.

Like rooms decorated in the colours of peacocks,

and suns smiling with the faces of royal warriors.

Descendants of the family still live in the palace complex today.

Now, I was hoping that I might get to talk to the current heir

of this place, and I've just heard that I've been granted an audience.

So I've whipped out my posh silk scarf,

and I'm on my way to chat to him.

Beautiful.

Maharaj Kumar Lakshyaraj Singh Ji of Mewar

is the son of the current custodian of this palace.

What a spot to sit and have a conversation.

But, it does feel like there's a sort of harmony here

between the palaces and the lakes and the islands.

I think Udaipur is one of the greatest examples

from that perspective of being able to create things in tandem

with nature, and when you don't poke and prod too much

and let things be natural, they flourish better.

And also, just the fact that nature is so inspirational to us as humans.

But it's amazing seeing all around the images of the sun,

everywhere in this palace, because your ancestors,

they didn't just worship the sun,

they said that they were descended from the sun.

Yes. Well, sun is life. So, at the end of the day,

in other words, you're really worshipping life.

Even water is worshipped in our part of the world.

The greatest reason is so that it's not wasted,

it's not abused, it's not taken for granted.

So those were the elements that I think from our history

and our culture, it's really to be able to make sure that we are in

a situation today to pass it onto the next generation

better than what we received it.

So we're sitting here in the beautiful palace

that's witnessed so much history, your family has created history.

What is the one lesson, do you think,

that we should learn from the past?

Ooh, I thought there were going to be no difficult questions, you know!

I thought we had an understanding, all easy questions!

I think the past certainly teaches us one thing,

and if I can sum it up in one word, it would be respect.

From nature, to people, to food, to environment.

And we need to ask ourselves that.

How much of it is...how much of that are we really doing?

The City Palace is magnificent,

but not the only royal residence in town.

Perhaps most breathtaking is Jagat Niwas Palace,

commonly known as the Lake Palace.

By the way, if this palace looks familiar,

it's because you'll have seen Roger Moore arriving at it

in the James Bond film, Octopussy.

The Lake Palace, now a very swanky hotel,

was built by Mewar ruler, Maharaja Jagat Singh II,

as a pleasure palace to retreat from the blistering Rajasthani summers.

And throughout there are open pavilions and verandas

and colonnades to tempt in the lake's cooling breezes.

Built between 1743 and 1746,

decorative details like glass inlays and courtyard pools

reflect the beauty of the lake.

The whole palace is orientated east,

so its inhabitants could worship the dawn,

the rising sun, the god Surya.

And this corner is called the Kush Mahal, the happy palace,

because the sun's rays play through these beautiful

stained glass windows to create a kind of kaleidoscope

of living light.

The lakeside palaces of Udaipur emerge

from the glorious and sometimes gritty past,

but they have this kind of fairy tale quality to them,

don't they? And they're a treasure in India,

because they celebrate the beauty of the natural world,

and the inspiration of beauty itself.

I am incredibly lucky to be here,

because these are the abandoned private gardens

of a man who built one of the wonders of the world.

They were a place that were full of feeling in their heyday,

and they are fabulously atmospheric now,

because this was a place of mourning of Shah Jahan.

The man who conceived and created this architectural jewel,

the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal complex with its stunning secret gardens,

is in Agra, the historic capital of the Mughal Empire.

Conceived by Shah Jahan, ruler from 1628 to 1658,

it's a testament to his ability to harness the perfection of nature,

to glorify his reign.

Taj Mahal, or "crown of palaces" is one of the new seven wonders

of the world, and a monument to love.

The Taj Mahal was built as a tomb,

and as a tribute to Shah Jahan's favourite wife, Mumtaz,

who tragically died in 1631 giving birth

to their 14th child.

And basically Shah Jahan was saturated with grief

and he went into mourning for two years.

And, when he emerged, he ordered the construction

of this magnificent, majestic memorial.

How are you? Good, how are you?

Where do you live? I'm from London.

OK, keep it up. Bye, see you!

Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore called the Taj Mahal

"a tear drop on the cheek of eternity,"

and it doesn't disappoint.

This is the main gateway through which most get their first glimpse

of the Taj Mahal.

But this whole complex was designed by Shah Jahan,

and actually that inscription there, a quote from the Koran,

it reads, "Enter among my servants, enter my paradise.”

The idea is that this is a kind of paradise on Earth

to reflect the heaven that Mumtaz is hopefully inhabiting.

It is extraordinary.

So you can see why it's world famous,

and why it draws crowds from around the world.

Millions of visitors come to enjoy these glorious gardens

that surround the brilliant, white marble mausoleum.

Good to see you.

Including, a happy coincidence, my old friend and philosophy expert,

Shantum Seth.

This is my first time. No! I don't believe it.

I know! And I hope that you'll be pleased with me,

because why I'm here is talking about the gardens.

I tell you what, it's a bit like paradise meeting you here.

No, it's a special place. Paradise made real.

Yes, it is paradise. That's the word, no?

That's what they use in Persian and in Sanskrit.

So we've entered paradise.

And of course with Muslims, having anything green, you know,

that whole religion meaning "born in the desert,”

it's so important to have greenery and a garden.

Floral details everywhere are a nod to the celebration

of the natural world.

But this initial design of the gardens was quite different.

They were originally a central part of Shah Jahan's vision.

But you have to completely wipe from your mind everything

that you see here now,

because this was designed by Lord Curzon during British rule,

and it's basically a kind of manicured English lawn

version of perfection.

19th century photos show what the gardens looked like

before Curzon's restoration of 1909.

And you can see that originally the garden was much more

kind of verdant and pastoral and almost mystical.

You'd have glimpsed it through these Cypress trees.

And it makes complete sense, that,

because actually the word "paradise" stems from

an old Persian root that originally meant a walled garden.

So what was being created here was literally

a kind of sacred landscape.

And on the far side of the Yamuna River,

there's another garden, often overlooked,

that's revealing clues to Shah Jahan's vision.

This magical place is called the Mehtab Bagh,

or the midnight garden.

And 18th century drawings tell us that this was part

of the concept of the original complex with that river over there,

the river Yamuna, representing one of the rivers of paradise.

This is lost world that's only now being carefully reconstructed.

A few years ago,

there was a brilliant bit of botanical detective work

that happened here, because archaeologists dug down

and they discovered the seeds of plants

that were originally planted here.

So, there was the Cockscomb plant with a wonderful red flower

that attracted birds.

Red cedars that would flower fragrantly at night,

and the jujube tree which is still here,

laden with fruit that could be plucked for a midnight feast.

But the grieving Shah Jahan wasn't free to wander these gardens

for long.

In 1658, a mere decade after the Taj Mahal was completed,

he was imprisoned in Agra's red fort until his death

by one of his own sons.

From his cell, we're told that the grief-stricken emperor

could see the monument of devotion that he'd constructed

for the wife he so loved.

After his death,

the Mughals remained the dominant military,

administrative and cultural force in India for much of the next century,

and they continued to put enchanting gardens

at the heart of their inspired creations.

This great dynasty has left behind an unparalleled inheritance.

Some of the finest monuments in world history.

The very best of which, like the Taj Mahal,

harnessed the soul-lifting beauty of nature in their grand designs,

which is why the Taj Mahal and its secrets

will always be a wonder of India.

TRAIN HORN BLASTS

Our next treasure takes me to the northern state of Punjab,

to a city that is the heart and soul of the Sikh religion,

the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

I've never actually been here before,

so I've arranged to meet a man who's as passionate

about history as I am.

And we've only spoken on the phone. I think this is...

Oh, this is him. Tarundeep? Hello! Hello, Bettany dear. How are you?

Such a long time that we've been talking about things,

and finally, great to have an acquaintance with you.

So, so lovely, and thank you. And welcome to Amritsar.

Thank you, I'm a stranger in this city.

Amritsar is infamous as the place where more than

370 civilians were killed by the British in 1919.

That atrocity is commemorated by memorials throughout the city,

and galvanised India's drive for independence.

This was the site of an abominable massacre

effected by the British. You know, is it OK that I'm here?

Should I be here?

It was an abominable act,

but at the same time I think the root of the belief,

the Sikh belief system, is in compassion,

is in forgiveness. You should feel welcome,

because you're coming to the house of the Golden Temple,

and anyone who comes here with a seeking heart is welcome.

Great. I definitely have a seeking heart!

Amritsar is also home to the Sri Harmandir Sahib,

the Golden Temple.

It's taken us a lot of time to get permission to film here,

because it is an incredibly sacred, spiritual place.

And, the people here don't want it to seem like

a kind of tourist attraction.

But we have got permission and I'm allowed in,

so I'm not going to go in kind of as a historian or a visitor,

but I'm going to go in and feel it spiritually by myself.

Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak in the 15th century.

In 1601, just over 60 years after his death,

this complex was completed.

A five metre deep pond gives the city its name.

"Amrit" means nectar of immortality,

and "sar" - pool.

A dip in the sacred water is believed to wash away bad karma.

At its heart is the magnificent Golden Temple.

Protecting the holiest Sikh text, Guru Granth Sahib.

A record of Sikh leaders,

this scripture is honoured as the religion's ultimate guide.

Tarundeep is taking me to see a part of the temple

that incarnates the nature of Sikhism.

It's a kitchen and dining hall of mind-boggling scale,

the Langar, open to all.

So the idea of this is that no person should go to bed hungry.

Thank you.

Oh, baby!

The idea is that everyone who comes to Amritsar is welcome.

It's between 75,000 and 100,000 a day,

a day, are fed here. And that's 24/7 as well.

It's a kind of representation of Sikhism this, isn't it?

This idea that you have to help people with your deeds?

Yeah. Yeah.

The food's simple and delicious.

Eating together with hundreds of other people

in companionable silence is an unexpectedly poignant experience.

And I'm allowed behind the scenes to witness

the incredible mechanics that make this possible.

These extraordinary pans cook almost two tons of dahl,

and a ton and a half of rice every day.

The scale of the production is incredible.

So there are five tons of wheat that are used here every day

to make chapatis. So that's not a cement mixer,

that's a chapati maker.

It's a humbling fact that 80% of the workers here are volunteers.

This is the most impressive logistical exercise.

But it must say something fundamental about Sikhism too.

Yes. So the most basic thing is this concept of service.

Yes. Serving others, with no expectations in your heart.

When you see stories about Sikhism internationally,

often if there's some massive natural disaster

like an earthquake or a kind of conflict,

then you see Sikh communities often kind of preparing help

of some kind. But, is that something,

is that part of your service to your faith as well?

100%, 100%. You see, ultimately,

food is the most important thing. Yes.

And on a disaster,

the first thing that people then seek is the food.

Yes. And the concept of it being so beautifully ingrained

in the Sikh system or in the Sikh psyche,

means that you bring this also to the world when the world needs it.

Yes. Wow, that's a beautiful thing.

Every feature of the complex, the Golden Temple itself,

the pool, the langar, offer clues to Sikh values and belief.

I mean, I've just come from the temple.

It was genuinely moving,

because people really feel the spirit there.

You could see them praying. I'm so glad to hear that.

Oh, it's just such a beautiful, calm atmosphere.

Did you notice that in the sanctum,

you walk down the stairs to the sanctum? Yes.

And the sanctum sanctorum actually is below the level of the city.

Yeah. The one symbolisation of which is that you are supposed

to be humbled when you enter the house of God, right?

The other thing that you will probably notice is that there are

four entrances. Which means everyone,

irrespective of the cast, creed, colour, belief system, is welcome.

Which, in that time, would be something very, very special.

I mean, and very radical for its time.

Very, very radical. I like to call it a living monument, right?

With the people's energies always being a part of creating this space,

or the monument, so to say.

But, I mean, I've been coming here for 35 years on the trail

of philosophies and faith systems and beliefs.

Why do you think it is that India has nourished

and nurtured so many different religions,

so many different ways of thinking?

That is a big question. But, I would say that,

in my understanding,

I think this only speaks about the nurturing

and the welcoming space that India has to offer

to all these belief systems.

I mean, that's great for me to hear as a historian,

because you realise that it really is one generation after another

learning from each other. Yes, isn't that beautiful?

We ought to learn from each other, and consciously so. Yeah.

HE CHANTS

On this incredible journey,

I've been welcomed by spiritual seekers,

devoted pilgrims, artists, musicians,

all dedicated to sharing India's interwoven history.

Quite rightly India, is famous as a well spring

of so many different philosophies and faiths...

Are you OK; is it free?

...and beliefs and all kinds of systems,

meta physical and spiritual journeys that have generated incredible,

physical remains. So, if you think about it,

there's Hinduism and Jainism and Sikhism

and the flowering of Islamic culture here too.

Quests for understanding that have left behind remarkable treasures.

So that this rich, beautiful, deep, diverse place

doesn't feel like one nation,

but a whole world of wonders.

I spoke to the Open University about my exploration of India.

To watch this exclusive interview,

and to discover more about past and present global cultures,

go to the Open University's website at...

Subtitles by Red Bee Media