While traveling in 13th-century India, Marco Polo described the ornaments of a maharaja: "He also wears...bracelets of gold studded with precious stones and pearls of great size and value...on his toes splendid pearls and other jewels, so that it is a marvelous sight to behold." Written some 700 years ago, these words embody the magical allure of Indian opulence; they speak of an esteem for beauty and craftsmanship and allude to India's rich textures and colors, which cast a spell of exoticism even today. Though we may no longer be able to witness such flamboyant splendor as that captured by the late, great photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson in 1948, above—a dazzling wedding procession in Jaipur—we can now partake of this kind of lavishness ourselves. Thanks to travel companies inspired by the past, today's visitors to India can enjoy itineraries that are fit for royalty, whether journeying to ancient palaces or to the wild landscapes of Rajasthan. One can only imagine the account Marco Polo would bring back from a trip to Oberoi's Vanyavilas, in 21st-century India.
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