A passage to India
JOANNA LUMLEY’S INDIA ITV, Wednesday, 9pm
JOANNA Lumley returns to the country of her birth for a deeply personal three-part journey around the vibrant and unique country of India.
Joanna was born during the last days of the Raj and both sides of her family called India home for several generations.
In this series she travels the length and breadth of the country, for an immersive and extraordinary exploration of its diverse landscapes, varying cultural traditions and incomparable spirit. Along the way, she meets an eclectic mix of people and discovers how independence has shaped India into a constantly evolving and endlessly fascinating country.
In episode one, Joanna travels from the very south of the country all the way to the foothills of the Himalayas. In Madurai she explores the multi-coloured Meenakshi temple, which comes alive at night with religious celebration. Joanna finds herself caught up in a ceremony celebrating the love of Lord Shiva and his wife, the goddess Parvarti, which has been performed for thousands of years.
At the Western Ghats, Joanna meets old friend Robin Brown, who has spent half his life travelling through India by motorbike. Robin takes Joanna for a hair-raising ride on the winding road to the Valparai Plateau, which climbs 3,500ft over 40 perilous hairpin bends.
The plateau was deforested 200 years ago and replaced with tea plantations, which require vast numbers of workers. Chance encounters with elephants have resulted in five deaths a year and Joanna meets a local team of scientists working hard to track the elephants – and witnesses the exquisite sight of a mother and her calf making their way down a hillside, followed by three more elephants.
After visiting the jewellery markets of Hyderbad, Joanna explores the world’s biggest film studio complex, where she is turned into a literal screen goddess.
Calcutta was the capital of British India for nearly 200 years and the birthplace of Joanna’s great-great-grandfather in 1810. The city has now fallen on harder times and Joanna is moved by the plight of the many people on its streets.
Her journey ends 400 miles north of Calcutta in Sikkim, site of Kangchenjunga – the third-highest mountain in the world.