ABOUT: 7DY-DVD-148 - Rajasthan, Land Of Kings and one of the most unique and colourful provinces in northern India on the border with Pakistan. The barren desert landscape was once the home of the Rajputes that ruled over the land for more than a thousand years. Our journey begins in Agra. Situated on the border with Rajasthan this imposing metropolis of the Moguln monarchs is an ideal starting point. The palace city, the Red Fortress, was three generations in construction. A two and a half kilometre long wall with many bastions surrounds a spacious inner courtyard and numerous palace buildings. Although artistic stone masonry decorates a number of red sandstone arcades, most of the buildings are of marble. The ruling monarch and his royal household once held official events in the public audience hall, the seventy metre long, Diwan-I-Am. The city on the Jamuna River is full of life. Hustle and bustle are typical within the crowded streets of the former capital of the Mongul realm. It is like a medieval city with market stalls and tiny workshops, narrow lanes, colourful shops and traditional buildings. The Etimad-Ud-Doulah Mausoleum is a jewel of Mogul architecture. Around ten kilometres north of Agra close to Sikandra is the large tomb of Emperor Akbar who was one of the wisest Mogul monarchs. He ruled over the Indian Empire for almost half a century and was known to be extremely tolerant of religions other than his own. The sleepy desert town of Mandawa captures the unique charm of this extraordinary region like no other. Gravel roads and sandy lanes travel past old houses with romantic inner courtyards. India's flair and diversity is very much alive here. The Land Of The Maharajas in all its splendour: Rajasthan is a living fairy-tale beneath the desert sky.