- 19 hours ago
Alexander Armstrong In India - Season 1 - Episode 02
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00:00Welcome to India.
00:02If you think you know this incredible country, I urge you to think again.
00:06In this series, I'm going on a journey.
00:09It's the closest I'll ever get to being in the Hell's Angels.
00:12To explore this ancient, vibrant, complex and sometimes bewildering land.
00:17And to experience how old India is rubbing up against the new.
00:21This is a land of staggering contrasts.
00:241.4 billion people, extreme poverty, spectacular wealth, all jostle alongside each other in a full-on riot of colourful
00:34chaos.
00:35From the Taj Mahal, the bustling markets, the slums and Bollywood movies, to million-pound homes and exotic palaces.
00:44And why would it be madness to miss out on all this?
00:48Every step, so impressive.
00:51How are you?
00:55So join me as I get a glimpse of traditional and modern India.
00:59A journey to feel the pulse of a nation and a people on the verge of something big.
01:16Last time, I visited Mumbai, India's billionaire capital.
01:20A city where deep-rooted history and old traditions sit alongside new money.
01:27And Delhi, the most populated city in India, the country's vibrant capital.
01:34Now, I'm following in the footsteps of the 20 million international tourists that visit India every year.
01:41I'm heading to one of its most popular destinations, timeless Rajasthan.
01:48Rajasthan is India's most regal state, home to camels, spectacular ancient forts and a place you might not have heard
01:56of, the impressive Tar Desert.
01:59But first, I need to get there.
02:01And my journey is not quite what I was expecting.
02:06Everywhere you go in India, you see construction, new flyovers, new metro lines, new blocks of flats.
02:12And now, I am on a brand new road.
02:18This 300-kilometre journey from Delhi to Rajasthan's capital, Jaipur, used to take visitors five hours.
02:26But thanks to this freshly laid tarmac, my journey time has been halved.
02:31And there's not a tuk-tuk or a cow in sight.
02:34This will be my first time in Rajasthan.
02:37I can't help but imagine palaces shimmering in the heat,
02:41market stalls overflowing with spices, vibrant colours.
02:49How wrong could I be?
02:52Look, there's a McDonald's here, there's a KFC over there, a subway there.
02:57The question is, which am I going to go for for lunch?
03:00I mean, I just...
03:02No, this way.
03:03I think KFC...
03:04No!
03:06No!
03:07Oh, it's too hot for this indecision.
03:08I'm just going to go for a sandwich over here.
03:11This is what I'm learning about India.
03:13India, the new and the old, sits side by side.
03:16But I'd like some of its old world charm.
03:21Ah, Jaipur, that's more like it.
03:24Jaipur is home to four million people.
03:28It was founded all the way back in 1727,
03:31and it's known as India's first planned city.
03:36Laid out in a grid system, a bit like New York.
03:39It's all centred around the Grand City Palace.
03:43Fast forward to the 19th century,
03:46and Jaipur has established itself as a prosperous city.
03:50Which is when it adopted something that I think makes it particularly special.
03:55Its distinctive pink hue.
03:57And there's an interesting story about that.
04:01In 1876, the Prince of Wales, later who would be Edward VII,
04:06was scheduled to put in an appearance here in Jaipur
04:09as part of his grand tour of the subcontinent.
04:12And to welcome him,
04:13the Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II,
04:18ordered that every building be painted pink,
04:20which is the traditional colour of hospitality and warmth.
04:23And today, these beautiful rosy buildings are as much a part of Jaipur's heritage
04:28as its glittering palaces and its gems.
04:32And gems, this city has aplenty.
04:36Beyond all the forts and palaces,
04:39I was surprised to find that Jaipur is actually famous for something else.
04:44It's the gemstone capital of the entire world.
04:48Now, it's Mrs A's birthday soon,
04:49so I thought I'd pay a visit to the most famous rock shop in all Rajasthan,
04:54if not all India.
04:59So I've got to be able to find something here.
05:03Hi.
05:04Hi.
05:05The Gem Palace is a jewellery shop run by the Kasliwal family,
05:09and it's pretty overwhelming.
05:12The first thing I've stumbled across is this display of cufflinks.
05:17All these numbers on them.
05:18Of course, not one of them is a price,
05:21but they're very shiny.
05:23The sparkling jewels here have drawn in some A-list shoppers over the years.
05:28There's the Queen, Lady Di, Clinton.
05:32Oh, there's Susan Sarandon.
05:35Gwyneth Paltrow.
05:36Amazing.
05:38I mean, they're all very beautiful.
05:41I mean, some very subtle, smaller pieces.
05:44And some...
05:46Not sure Mrs A wants a...
05:48I don't know, maybe that's where I've been going wrong.
05:54Slightly overwhelming.
05:55Excuse me.
05:56Hi.
05:56How do you do? I'm Alexander.
05:57I'm Samarth.
05:58Lovely to meet you.
05:59Welcome to the Gem Palace.
06:00This is a very famous place.
06:03It's been around in this exact location since 1852.
06:06As far as we can trace back, we've always been jewellers.
06:08So ninth generation is jewellers,
06:11and even before, stone cutters, goldsmiths.
06:14It's my wife's birthday in about two weeks' time.
06:18I need to find something.
06:19So Jaipur itself is really well known
06:22for having the most excellent emerald cutters in the world.
06:25So we also end up having some of the nicest emeralds.
06:29These precious green gemstones
06:31clock up some serious air miles to reach Jaipur,
06:34mostly coming from as far away as Zambia and Brazil.
06:37Oh, you see, so they're not from Jaipur or Rajasthan.
06:41They just come through because of the craft.
06:43It turns out that Jaipur is a city known
06:46for its skilled craftsmen and women.
06:49Everything from block printing, textiles and pottery,
06:53as well as jewellery.
06:55Today, Jaipur is one of the world's leading gemstone cutting hubs.
06:59It's estimated that 90% of the world's rough emeralds
07:03pass through Jaipur to be cut,
07:05along with rubies, sapphires, aquamarine
07:09and, not forgetting, diamonds.
07:14Samarth has agreed to show me
07:15some of the valuable pieces
07:16from the family's personal collection.
07:19And, boy, am I in for a treat.
07:21Each and every piece is unique.
07:23If you start repeating,
07:24if you start a factory out of anything,
07:26then it loses its charm.
07:27Come, please have a seat.
07:29For centuries,
07:30India was the world's only known source of diamonds.
07:34This piece truly shows you the workmanship of India.
07:38You have 370 carats of rose-cut diamonds
07:42which have been set so finely together
07:44that, you know, it really feels like fabric.
07:49Oh, my word.
07:49So, you could just as easily wear it that way round?
07:52You technically can,
07:53but this is just...
07:54My father used to call it the wearer's pleasure.
07:56So, it's only for the person wearing it.
07:58The wearer's pleasure.
07:59That's beautiful.
08:00I mean, it's staggering.
08:02The vulgar question that I'm trying not to ask
08:05is what is the value of something like this?
08:10So, because we're never planning to sell it,
08:12so I'm going to keep that a secret.
08:14Yes.
08:15But, you can kind of imagine
08:17it has a few zeros in there.
08:20I should think it probably does.
08:22Thousands?
08:23Hundreds of thousands?
08:24A million?
08:25Oh, I don't know.
08:26Just in case you didn't get to see enough diamonds,
08:28look at this piece.
08:31This is what we call the elephant box
08:34and if you look at it closely,
08:35you can't even count the number of elephants there are.
08:38That's just phenomenal detail.
08:40I feel like a pirate.
08:42I now understand why they leered so much
08:46over their treasure chests.
08:50Samav and his family are on a mission
08:52to reclaim some of India's heritage jewels.
08:55So, from this blue little pouch...
08:58Yes.
08:58..you're going to see something special.
09:01What you're about to see
09:02is 44-carat diamond earrings.
09:05And if that doesn't mean much,
09:07the average rock size of a diamond engagement ring in the UK
09:11is about 0.8 carats.
09:13So 44 is a lot of diamond.
09:17These are old mine diamonds.
09:18What are old mine diamonds?
09:20Old mine diamonds are the diamonds which were found in India
09:23in the 18th century and early 19th century
09:26and those mines are exhausted now.
09:29But French dealers,
09:30British dealers,
09:31Russians,
09:32they all came to India
09:33to collect these diamonds
09:34and they used to buy it for pennies
09:36and then they would sell it for a huge margin
09:39back in Europe.
09:40Our intention now is to actually collect these back.
09:43Can I ask how much these are worth?
09:46Almost 300,000 pounds.
09:49Yeah!
09:51Oops.
09:52Good thing those are diamonds.
09:53Clearly a faux pas.
09:54Diamonds are exceptionally hard
09:56but I wouldn't recommend dropping them in your local jewelers.
09:59Let's move on quickly.
10:00So this is a 4,000 carat pearl necklace.
10:07Hmm.
10:08Is this a look I'm going to be able to pull off?
10:12This goes like that
10:13and you see the weight falls.
10:14The weight is fabulous.
10:17So this is what will transform you
10:20become the Maharaja.
10:21Of course.
10:22I wonder I ever doubt it.
10:24There's just a clip on the back
10:25which I can pull it out from
10:26and this becomes a choker for the weight.
10:27And ah!
10:29I haven't got anything for my wife.
10:38Well that's very successful.
10:40I got some absolutely beautiful
10:43exquisite cufflinks.
10:46And some earrings.
10:50Coming up.
10:51I explore the pink city in all its glory.
10:54Get a very special photograph taken.
10:57It's magic.
10:59It's magic.
10:59And meet Jaipur's most menacing residents.
11:02What's that they say?
11:03Slowly, slowly, catchy monkey.
11:15India is firmly in the modern age.
11:19Somewhat surprisingly, over 95% of households
11:22now own a mobile phone.
11:26On the same road as the iconic 18th century
11:29Havamahal Palace,
11:31I've found a spot that gives a window into a bygone era.
11:36Tickham.
11:36Hello.
11:37How do you do?
11:38I'm well.
11:39Tickham is one of India's last working street photographers.
11:43Please have my photograph taken.
11:45You're welcome.
11:47Excellent.
11:51There's nothing modern about this.
11:54Since the 1970s,
11:56Tickham has been working on this same sunny spot
11:58with his unique 1860 box camera.
12:02Don't move.
12:04An antique that has been in his family
12:06for three generations.
12:08I don't move my head at all.
12:10It's been very precisely positioned.
12:12Perhaps I shouldn't talk.
12:14I don't know if it's been taken yet.
12:19Amazing.
12:20So that was his shutter.
12:22And there it is.
12:24He pulled the cap off the camera,
12:26waved it round in a beautiful, very beautiful motion
12:29and back it went on.
12:30So the exposure was about a second and a half, I'd say.
12:33Known as minute cameras,
12:35they were once widely used across India.
12:38To provide on the spot black and white photography
12:40for identity cards, passports and mementos.
12:44Thanks to its built-in darkroom.
12:47So, I mean, even now,
12:48there is something incredibly exciting
12:52about what is going to be produced from this box.
12:55It's a bit like watching a vet with a cow.
12:58If you can imagine 175 years ago,
13:00this must have been sorcery.
13:02And there is a negative.
13:03Oh, one moment.
13:03It goes in there.
13:05Into the magic liquid.
13:08So the photograph is now being put upside down
13:11on this little extension thing
13:15from the end of the camera.
13:17So the photograph is going to be taken of the negative.
13:23Blimey.
13:24This is complicated, isn't it?
13:26It's your right vet.
13:29So what are you doing in there?
13:31Magic.
13:32Magic.
13:34Magic.
13:35I'm not impressed by digital photography.
13:37This, on the other hand,
13:39seems to come out of the air.
13:41Amazing.
13:41Yeah.
13:43This is skilled photography.
13:45This is skilled photography.
13:45And here it is.
13:46Good.
13:47I think it's absolutely wonderful.
13:49I've got a sort of H on my forehead,
13:50like Rimmer.
13:53There you go.
13:54Red Dwarf fan.
13:55And just like Rimmer from Red Dwarf,
13:56I've time-travelled.
13:58Back to a simpler, more old-fashioned India,
14:02thanks to Tikam's remarkable camera.
14:05Most of Tikam's passing trade is made up of tourists.
14:09Which is big business here.
14:12The city makes up one third of the iconic golden triangle,
14:16along with Delhi and Agra,
14:18the holy trinity of Indian tourism.
14:20And Jaipur has a lot to shout about.
14:24It's just been voted the fifth best city in the world for tourists,
14:28ranking above Venice, would you believe?
14:30If you're craving luxury,
14:32the city has four palaces converted into hotels.
14:36And they won't disappoint.
14:38Many tourists opt to follow in the footsteps
14:41of King Charles and Jackie Kennedy
14:43by visiting the Rambar Palace.
14:48So far in India,
14:49I've discovered how Hinduism plays a role in everyday life.
14:54I'm heading to the east of the city,
14:56to an ancient pilgrimage site,
14:59to discover what happens when traditional beliefs
15:02and modern life collide.
15:18This is the Sun Temple.
15:19Just one of many beautiful adornments in and around the city of Jaipur.
15:25But life in Jaipur is not without its challenges.
15:28In certain districts,
15:28the residents have to share rather more than they'd like
15:31with some very cheeky monkeys.
15:35You see, in India, monkeys are considered sacred
15:38due to the Hindu god Hanuman,
15:41who's half monkey, half man.
15:43So Jaipur's macaque monkeys are extra special around here.
15:51And no one loves them more than this man.
15:53Vijay here has dedicated his life to feeding the monkeys.
15:58In fact, he's been here for the last 50 years.
16:01Every single day,
16:02the same spot,
16:03the same time.
16:11Vijay, hello.
16:12Hello.
16:17Can I ask, what are you shouting now?
16:19What are you calling?
16:20This is my sound.
16:21This is your sound?
16:22Would they know if I did it?
16:26Yes, yes, very good.
16:28Will they know?
16:28Very good, very good.
16:30Oh, this is good.
16:30And why do you feed the monkeys?
16:32Hanuman gaur.
16:33Hanuman, I see.
16:34Hanuman gaur.
16:44Today is extra special because it's a Saturday,
16:47the most powerful day of the week to worship Hanuman.
16:50And as a treat, Vijay has brought ice cream.
16:55Many, many monkeys.
16:56Many, many monkeys.
16:56Yes.
16:57So you have to go back and get some more food.
16:59Every day.
17:00Every day.
17:01Same time.
17:06They seem to treat you with respect.
17:09They are my total friends.
17:12And just like that,
17:14the marvellous Vijay cycled off into the distance.
17:21Vijay's love and adoration for the monkeys
17:23reminds me of an extraordinary building
17:25I visited in Delhi.
17:27Standing 33 metres tall,
17:29the Jande Walaan Hanuman Temple
17:31is a great place for the monkeys.
17:31is truly something to behold.
17:34Construction began back in 2008,
17:37but it took 13 years to complete.
17:39I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it.
17:42And that's just the outside.
17:45Nearly 80% of India's population is Hindu.
17:47And I always find it fascinating how unobtrusively
17:50their religion is woven into their everyday life.
17:53Well, I say unobtrusively.
17:54There, you see, next to the metro,
17:56there's a metro line right there.
17:57You see the train going past.
17:58That is Lord Hanuman, the monkey god.
18:00I'll try and give you a rundown of what he's good for.
18:02Protection from evil, loyalty, devotion,
18:07success in difficult tasks,
18:09mental focus and courage.
18:11They're particularly loved by athletes and students.
18:14And above all, relief from anxiety and nightmares.
18:17I mean, he offers a terrific package.
18:20His most auspicious days are Tuesdays and Saturdays.
18:22We're actually here on a Wednesday,
18:24so you might say we've got him on a quiet day.
18:26We could perhaps go and have a look.
18:30Presumably, I've got to cross the road here.
18:37Now, this is lovely.
18:38As every car and particularly every motorbike comes past,
18:41they stop and they turn and offer a little devotion,
18:44which, of course, all the traffic behind gets very cross about.
18:46And then they turn up and they also do the same.
18:48And occasionally, a bus comes by.
18:51And everybody sings a great commotion.
18:55Ah! From the bus.
18:56Very lovely.
19:02Hidden within the giant monkey is a winding temple complex.
19:05You enter via a huge gaping mouth to an elaborate interior
19:11filled with dazzling Hindu iconography.
19:14There's music, incense and prayer.
19:18Passages lead off in every direction,
19:20with a steady stream pouring in to show their devotion.
19:28There's another grotto over here,
19:29I guess, sort of.
19:32It's very exciting.
19:34Down into a grotto beneath the grotto,
19:38a sort of underworld here.
19:40Yeah.
19:47Oh, crikey.
19:52Wow.
19:56This is terrifying.
19:58And so lots of strange decapitations going on,
20:02spouts of blood.
20:03It's incredibly graphic.
20:05It may look gory,
20:06but I'm told that these scenes depict the cosmic struggle
20:09between good and evil,
20:11divine forces fighting to restore order.
20:13The violence isn't gratuitous,
20:16it's symbolic
20:16and meant to terrify evil spirits.
20:20Now, as I understand it,
20:21there is one godhead in Hinduism
20:23and all of these separate personifications
20:28are just other symbols,
20:32expressions of the same godhead.
20:38And so,
20:39this is the sacred pump.
20:50Very dramatic.
20:52You know, what fun to come.
20:54I don't know what fun is the word,
20:55but it's exciting.
20:57It's an enlivening process to come.
20:59And maybe if you're feeling properly protected,
21:03you can come down here and face the nightmares.
21:04Maybe that's the idea.
21:06And you've then kind of wrung them out of your spirit.
21:11After exploring the depths of the temple,
21:13I venture upwards to a revealing outside terrace.
21:17I am at the very top.
21:20It's interesting.
21:21I mean, this is still part of the temple,
21:23but it's very much an everyday space.
21:25This is someone's pants there.
21:27But above here,
21:29you get this view of the heart,
21:32the great heart cavity.
21:33And you can see the fingers there recede.
21:36The hands mechanically reveal this rather pulpy open heart.
21:41And there are these gilded characters inside, waving.
21:45Hanuman is said to have torn open his own chest to show his devotion,
21:50revealing two gods, Rama and Sita,
21:52living inside his heart.
21:54It's a real symbol of unwavering faith.
22:00Wonderful view of the match.
22:07Coming up, I head south and meet some potential roommates.
22:11They're sort of bunk beds.
22:12And find out exactly how much money can be made
22:15from India's incredible traditional silk markets.
22:18They've outbid you.
22:19Go on, 402.
22:25Back in Jaipur,
22:26I discover that these primates
22:28aren't quite as cute as they seem.
22:30In fact, they're known to terrorize the city.
22:33And every resident has a story to tell.
22:53Controlling Jaipur's menacing monkeys
22:55is a hot topic.
22:5710,000 monkeys are born in the city every year.
23:02That's where Vijay number two comes in.
23:04So, Vijay, what exactly is your job?
23:07My job is to catch the nuisance monkeys.
23:09How many did you catch?
23:19Are there particular monkeys that are a nuisance
23:22or is it just the number of monkeys?
23:35If I know anything about monkeys,
23:37they're fiercely intelligent.
23:39But they learn every day
23:41and then they try to save us.
23:45There are lots of wise old monkeys up there.
23:48We're watching every bit of the set-up.
23:50The food is there.
23:51There's a little filament wire.
23:52What's that they say?
23:54Slowly, slowly, catchy monkey.
23:56I think goody lucky, catchy monkey.
23:59These monkeys up here have been watching everything.
24:02No monkeys were caught today,
24:04but when they are,
24:05they're relocated to forests outside the city.
24:08I'm not sure what the solution is
24:10to Jaipur's monkey problem,
24:11but this situation seems to sum up India.
24:15Well, it feels like a very Indian fudge, doesn't it?
24:17We've got Vijay one and Vijay two,
24:19both doing jobs that pull
24:20in completely opposite directions.
24:22It's just a sort of beautiful, chaotic,
24:26totally dysfunctional cycle
24:27and somehow it just keeps turning.
24:31Very much like India itself.
24:44As the sun goes down
24:45and I bid farewell to the pink city,
24:47it has an entirely different feel.
24:51One where time stands still.
24:56I can see why so many visitors
24:58fall in love with Jaipur.
25:04Jaipur feels like the India of storybooks.
25:08Do you know what I mean?
25:09With its opulent palaces,
25:11forts and jewellery shops.
25:14It's a city that was founded
25:16on strict aesthetic principles,
25:18artisan districts and excellence
25:20and there's a kind of majesty
25:22that still dazzles to this day.
25:26But what's interesting
25:27is that that sits seamlessly, comfortably
25:32in the fabric of modern India.
25:34In fact, this is a country
25:36that lives in its past and its present
25:38simultaneously,
25:39all the while barreling towards its future.
25:44Well, I'm off on my travels again
25:46and after the beauty of Jaipur
25:48I'm now travelling 2,000 kilometres south
25:51to the tropical state of Karnataka.
25:55It's India's sixth largest state
25:57and roughly the same size
25:59as England and Wales combined.
26:03Most people make a dash
26:05for the ancient city of Hampi
26:07where they take a peek
26:09at the rather marvellous rock formations
26:10and magnificent temples
26:13or make a beeline
26:15for the famous city of Mysore
26:17to witness the weekly illumination
26:19of Mysore Palace
26:20one of India's most visited sites.
26:25But I'm taking a less trodden path.
26:28I'm off to somewhere
26:29you've probably never heard of
26:31the city of Ramanagara
26:33and I promise you
26:34it's going to be worth it.
26:36Well, we've now arrived
26:37in a new region of India.
26:39We're down in the south
26:41and you can see
26:42it's a very different landscape.
26:45A lot of agriculture around here.
26:48For the past 240 years
26:50this region has been
26:51a major silk producing hub.
26:54After China,
26:55India is the second largest producer
26:57of silk in the world.
26:59This region is famous for Mysore silk
27:02which is exceptionally luxurious.
27:05All thanks to a strict diet
27:07made up exclusively
27:08of mulberry leaves.
27:10This area
27:11thanks to its perfect blend
27:13of soil, sun
27:14and tradition
27:15has
27:16in a very quiet
27:17rural
27:17understated way
27:19become one of the world's
27:21greatest silk producing regions.
27:23Don't be fooled
27:24Don't be fooled
27:25by this humble set up.
27:26Silk
27:27is big business.
27:29Last year
27:29the entire silk industry
27:30in India
27:31was valued at
27:32five billion pounds
27:33employing over
27:35nine million people.
27:37Now you can't produce
27:38silk without silkworms
27:40but I'll let you
27:41into a little secret
27:42they're actually caterpillars.
27:48They're sort of bunk beds.
27:50We stayed in youth hostels
27:52like this.
27:53Hundreds and hundreds
27:55of great fat caterpillars
27:57just picking out
27:58on mulberry leaves.
27:59They have a kind of
28:01yellowish tinge
28:02when they're ready
28:03and I can see a slight
28:03yellowishness about that one.
28:06But yeah
28:06there's goats downstairs.
28:09Yeah.
28:09Goats living.
28:10They're very nice
28:11very friendly neighbors.
28:14Once the silkworms
28:15are all grown up
28:16and have a belly full
28:16of mulberry leaves
28:17they're encouraged to
28:18spin their valuable cocoons
28:20and staggeringly
28:22each cocoon
28:23contains nearly
28:24a mile of silk thread.
28:27They look like
28:29little Easter chicks.
28:30These cocoons
28:31are then picked
28:32and taken to the
28:33nearby government
28:34cocoon market
28:35to be auctioned.
28:39The largest market
28:40of its kind
28:41in all Asia.
28:45It's an emporia
28:46of cocoons.
28:47Look at them.
28:48Look at them.
28:49Just crates
28:49and crates
28:50and crates
28:51and crates
28:52and a massive room
28:54full of these
28:55and just more over there.
28:57As far as the eye
28:58can see.
28:59I've been told
29:00to find a man
29:00named Syed.
29:01Do you know
29:02where Syed is?
29:03Syed?
29:04Are you Syed?
29:05Yes, sir.
29:06How do you do?
29:07Very nice.
29:08Jack finally gets
29:09a needle in a haystack.
29:10Syed visits the market
29:12daily to purchase
29:13200 kilos
29:14of cocoons
29:15for his factory
29:16which he then makes
29:17into silk thread.
29:20While silk farming
29:21hasn't changed
29:22for thousands of years
29:23this market
29:24has undergone
29:24a modern revolution.
29:26All the bidding
29:27is now done
29:28on your phone
29:28with a special app.
29:31What time
29:31does the auction open?
29:33The auction opens
29:33at 10 o'clock.
29:34It ends at 10.30.
29:36Exactly.
29:37Oh, 10.30 in the morning?
29:38Yeah.
29:38So it only lasts
29:39half an hour?
29:39Half an hour.
29:40Everybody has to come
29:41before 10.
29:42I see.
29:43And check the cocoons.
29:44This happens
29:45every single day?
29:46Every day.
29:47Around 40,000 kilograms
29:49of cocoons
29:50are sold here daily.
29:52About the weight
29:52of three London buses.
29:55And it's all done
29:56within that tiny
29:57half-hour window
29:58in the morning.
29:59So how did you end up
30:00in this business?
30:01My father used to
30:02do the same business.
30:03Were you always going
30:04to do this?
30:05My background.
30:08How's that?
30:08How's that?
30:10How's that?
30:11How's that?
30:13How's that?
30:14How's that?
30:15Actually,
30:16he's saying
30:16because of you standing
30:18here,
30:18my bid is not working
30:19on it.
30:20Oh, he's worried
30:21that we're affecting
30:22his trade.
30:23But this is as seen
30:24on TV, you can say.
30:25You can put that
30:26on the bottom.
30:27We'll move on.
30:28So how does it all work?
30:31Prospective buyers come
30:32around and check the
30:33quality of their lots.
30:35The aim is to find
30:36the softest cocoons
30:37because they're the
30:38easiest to unravel
30:39and so the cheapest
30:40to process into thread.
30:42Once you've chosen
30:43your cocoons,
30:44you need to find
30:44the lot number
30:45on the app.
30:47Sound easy?
30:48Well, sort of.
30:50So this is lot 84.
30:52Lot number 84.
30:54The bid is going on.
30:55366 rupees.
30:56Is that a good
30:57fair price?
30:58No, this is not
30:59a good one.
31:00And what about
31:01over here?
31:01What are these like?
31:02Is this a good...
31:03This one is a good one.
31:05I mean, even I can feel
31:05that.
31:06I could sleep in that.
31:07I could just curl down
31:09and just...
31:10Well, it is a good one.
31:12Now we just need
31:13to win it.
31:14We've got a lot number
31:15here.
31:16273.
31:17It is going 200.
31:18200.
31:18I mean, this is a steal.
31:20Isn't it?
31:20I will apply 400.
31:22Okay.
31:22There we go.
31:23400.
31:24Our bid is appearing
31:25on a board.
31:26It's just gone up there.
31:27The another person
31:27has bidded.
31:28401.
31:29I bid you.
31:31This is a bidding war.
31:34Go 402.
31:35Go on.
31:35402.
31:36He's gone 402.
31:37That's hilarious.
31:38So the current bid is what?
31:39525.
31:40I will bid at last
31:415 seconds.
31:42What are you going
31:43to put in?
31:445 to 10 rupees extra.
31:46There are 15 seconds left.
31:505 seconds left.
31:52You bid.
31:53I have bid it.
31:54533.
31:54And bid is over.
31:57That's it.
31:57You've done it.
31:58Look at that.
31:58You've got it.
31:59For 533.
32:02700 pounds has got Syed
32:03150 kilograms of some
32:05pretty decent cocoons.
32:07Now all he needs to do
32:08is spin them into silk thread.
32:10A real bargain
32:11if you ask me.
32:13Probably.
32:15Coming up.
32:16I travel west
32:17and journey deep
32:18into rural Karnatica
32:19to meet a woman
32:20who shunned city life
32:22for a slice of paradise.
32:24Did you get evidence right here?
32:25They were here last night.
32:26And go searching for India's
32:28most elusive predator.
32:29The tiger.
32:31Oh, alarm calls.
32:32Tiger.
32:38India's population has more than tripled in the past 70 years.
32:43From 361 million to over 1.4 billion people.
32:49Despite this huge rise,
32:51India has managed to preserve pockets of wilderness.
32:56So I'm making the 100 kilometer journey west
32:59from Ramalagara to Bandipur.
33:02One of 107 national parks across the country
33:05to get a taste of India's wild side.
33:08The national parks have been so incredibly successful
33:12both from a conservation and a breeding program point of view
33:15that they're beginning to run out of space.
33:19Today, India is home to more than 3,600 tigers.
33:24A figure that has doubled in the past 20 years
33:26and now amounts to 75% of the world's entire tiger population.
33:32Success, right?
33:34Well, not quite.
33:36India's tigers are still in danger
33:37and now more than ever,
33:39people and predators are beginning to feel the squeeze.
33:44Look at those beautiful deer.
33:46That, I guess, is free-range food.
33:50I'm meeting wildlife artist
33:52and accidental conservationist Sunita Daryam,
33:56who for the past 30 years
33:58has lived on the extremes of the tiger reserve
34:00in the village of Mangala,
34:02one of 15 villages that border the reserve.
34:05Hi, Alexander.
34:06Hello.
34:07How nice to meet you.
34:08And you.
34:09Sunita runs a charity that compensates villagers
34:12who've lost valuable livestock to the reserve's predators.
34:16Which makes sense when you realise
34:17just how close people are living to them.
34:20What I can't get over, Sunita,
34:21is this is the actual reserve here, isn't it?
34:24Well, this is my land and then the reserve there, yes.
34:27Look at my fence. Elephants are here every day.
34:29Oh, so, hang on. Do you get elephants right here?
34:31Here. Here.
34:33They were here last night.
34:35And what do you hear?
34:36What tells you that an elephant's there?
34:37You can hear them.
34:39Is it breathing?
34:40Taking the leaves and a few farts here and there.
34:44Elephant grass.
34:45Sorry, but it's...
34:46If you have elephants here,
34:48that presumably means you have tigers here.
34:49Yes.
34:50I came out of my room the other night
34:52and there was a tiger here.
34:54While this might sound romantic,
34:55to have a tiger come to tea,
34:57the reality is far from it.
35:00Especially if you own livestock.
35:01You know, in India, some of the poorest communities
35:05share the same space as the wildlife.
35:07The villagers started asking me to come out
35:10and take photographs of their cattle that had been killed.
35:13I realised nobody, no scientists,
35:15no big NGOs coming to help these people.
35:18So what was happening?
35:19Tiger comes, kills their cow.
35:21They go and put poison,
35:22poisoning of carcasses as revenge killing.
35:25The villagers were systematically wiping out
35:28our tiger and leopard population.
35:29But from the farmer's point of view...
35:31They're using their livelihood.
35:32There's their livelihood.
35:33Yeah.
35:33And so they're thinking...
35:35To help put this into perspective,
35:37the average daily wage around here is 400 rupees,
35:41roughly £3.50.
35:43And prized livestock can cost upwards of £700 per animal.
35:48When I started, the Mariamar Charitable Trust,
35:51I said, we need to start paying compensation to stop poisoning.
35:54And people said, you're mad, it cannot be done.
35:56Where are you going to get the money?
35:57So your charity pays the compensation,
35:59and is that sufficient to stop them poisoning?
36:02More or less, its poisoning has completely stopped.
36:06Really?
36:06It's actually worked.
36:08The Mariamar Charitable Trust works across 660 villages
36:12and pays out instant compensation to livestock owners.
36:16But before any money is exchanged,
36:18every kill is evaluated by Sunita's team.
36:21So, Alexander?
36:23Yes?
36:23These are my compensation files.
36:27These pictures aren't for the faint-hearted.
36:29This was my first kill.
36:31Goodness me.
36:32This was a huge hybrid cow.
36:36Yeah.
36:36And right near my house, actually.
36:38And that's unmistakably tiger, is it?
36:40Oh, yes, yes.
36:41So every single kill is identified.
36:43Oh, the teeth marks, claw marks.
36:45And these give all the details of how much we've given,
36:49the check number.
36:49Yeah.
36:50Who has killed it, whether tiger, leopard, wild dog, thumbprint,
36:54if they can't write.
36:56The data you're assembling here is extraordinary.
36:58Yes.
36:58You can really have it.
36:59It's years of data.
37:00Yeah.
37:00Years and years.
37:02And are you seeing increases as the years go by?
37:04Yes.
37:05Because there are more tigers and not enough space.
37:08This is a result of a good thing, because of the success of the wildlife programs.
37:13But it's going to get more and more tigers.
37:14There are going to be more kills.
37:15You know what?
37:15We need to share the same space with all the wildlife.
37:19Ultimately, it's very difficult to farm in these areas.
37:22They have the tolerance, but when they lose something that's costing them money,
37:26these are very poor people.
37:27Yeah.
37:27And you're dealing with poverty.
37:29The whole thing is to make people financially secure.
37:33If we can help them there, people are very happy to live side by side.
37:40India's growing middle class is driving a tourism boom across the country.
37:45And safaris have now become a popular weekend getaway.
37:49Every day, around 600 people visit the Bandipur National Park.
37:54And they're all hoping for one thing, to see a tiger.
37:59I've never seen one in the wild before.
38:02Sunita has kindly agreed to let me join her on an evening safari.
38:06And there have been whispers of a tiger roaming nearby.
38:11Just a couple of hours ago, this tigress tried to catch a spotted deer.
38:15They saw her actually hunting.
38:18And she missed.
38:22Oh, alarm calls.
38:24Alarm calls.
38:26Which means a tiger approached him.
38:28What animal's making the alarm call?
38:30Spotted deer.
38:31There, can you hear that?
38:32I like that.
38:38Quieting down now.
38:40All the spotted deer were on high alert.
38:42So, the tiger's moving.
38:57Chatting with the peacocks.
38:59Peacocks.
38:59That was not bad actually.
39:02Oh, look at that.
39:04Wild elephants.
39:05Oh, here are more.
39:07Wow.
39:13Indian elephants are a subspecies of the Asian elephant.
39:18They're smaller than their African cousins.
39:20And just like India's tigers, they are an endangered species.
39:24They are part of the same herd.
39:26Yeah.
39:27Look at that little boy.
39:28He's got tusks.
39:30Oh, yes.
39:30There he has.
39:32It's very precocious.
39:34Yes.
39:37That was an alarm call.
39:38Did you hear it?
39:39So, that's over there.
39:40That's, yeah.
39:41So, I mean, that's where the tiger is.
39:43Whatever has moved, it's moved from here and gone that side.
39:46She's hunting.
39:48She's hunting at speed.
39:52Quickly, hold on, hold on.
39:54Something is there.
39:55That's just come through, is it?
39:56Yes.
39:57Amazing.
40:02Hang on.
40:03Hang on.
40:09Somewhere here.
40:12Tiger.
40:14Spot a deer.
40:14Alarm calls.
40:16There, there, there.
40:16But she's moving around.
40:20One sec.
40:21One sec.
40:22All the deer are coming this way.
40:26They are mighty nervous.
40:29They can sense something.
40:33She's that side somewhere.
40:36The ever-elusive tiger.
40:38You know?
40:42Oh, Alexander, you have to see this.
40:45There is a leopard sitting on a fork of the tree.
40:50Oh, there!
40:51Can you see it?
40:52It's got a kill, also.
40:54It's quite high up.
40:55It's safe from other scavengers.
40:57Right.
40:57You know?
40:58It looks terribly relaxed up there, I must say.
41:01Very relaxed.
41:01He has no, he has no time for us.
41:03So, he's like, bugger off everybody.
41:05Oh, look, turning to look at us.
41:07Oh!
41:08Oh, my.
41:12Now the sun's going down.
41:14So picturesque.
41:15It's so beautiful.
41:18I love it.
41:19With a passion.
41:20That's beyond reason.
41:25Spending just a short while here in the park, I can totally understand Sunita's love for this place.
41:30It's a corner of India where the air is fresh, the land is untamed, and wild animals roam free.
41:41Next time, I'm in the modern city of Bangalore, where the future is galloping towards us.
41:48But the luxury of the past still very much lingers.
41:52Would I be thrown out?
41:53These shoes would not be allowed.
41:56And I discover plenty of surprises.
41:59I hadn't even heard of it, too.
42:01Yeah.
42:02In a city that's bursting at the seams.
42:05It's the closest I'll ever get to being in the Hell's Angels.
42:17And with our 179TH they'll get away.
42:20Through your 16th gels, you will have enfinn training on the battle in the cal cow.
42:22Aye, aye.
42:35Oh, right!
42:36Aye, aye.
42:37Well, OK, LYING JOHN?
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