article_snippet: Painted elephants, marble palaces, magnificent forts, wandering cows, pale pink turbans and flickering candles tell of the noise, smells and rich colours of India.
article_snippet: Made from resin produced by the female lac insect, the female lac insect are embedded with mirror pieces, stones, beads or painted.
article_snippet: The best block-printed fabrics, a craft that dates back to the 1700s, are at Riddhi Siddhi, where cloth is piled from floor to ceiling.
article_snippet: Wander, too, through the spice market, past paan wallahs filling betel leaves and the flower market, where scented roses, fragrant jasmine and marigolds are made into garlands to offer to your favourite deities.
article_snippet: There are iconic landmarks, such as the five-storey, 18th-century Palace of the Winds, with its latticed screen facade allowing street life to be viewed by the veiled ladies within.
article_snippet: The magnificent Amber Fort, to which you can ride on an elephant, offers panoramic views over Maota Lake and the ornamental gardens that seem to float within.
article_snippet: The 16th and 17th century interiors impress with The 16th and 17th century interiors exquisitely carved silver doors, ceilings of alabaster and an Indian version of the Hall of Mirrors with mirrored fragments embedded in vaulted ceilings glinting between arches.