Standing on the broad sweep of the grand steps at Rashtrapati Bhawan and looking down Rajpath on 10 March this year I felt a huge surge of satisfaction and reflected on the state ceremonial exactly a week before with which the President of the United States was greeted. It is universally acknowledged that India has arrived as a major player on the world's stage, and that significant status has been achieved within her 60th anniversary of her Nationhood.

We flew down by Indigo from Delhi to Bengaloru in January 2010; the flight was excellent and arrived a little early.  A car had been sent to collect us and after a while we arrived at The Leela Palace Kempinski Hotel in Bengaloru.   The Leela Palace gave us a wonderful warm welcome and showed us to a sumptuous suite.  This hotel has partnered with The Golden Chariot management to provide guests with a venue from which to join the train.  The hotel is very lovely and we so enjoyed sitting outside eating delicious food from the buffet after which I strolled around and took photos of the hotel