Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour - Season 2
Season 2
Passage to India
On their second outing for BBC Arts, the pair follow in the footsteps of Rob's favourite author E.M. Forster, who a century ago wrote A Passage to India and changed the way the world saw the country. As they embark on their own passage to India and discover how the country's ancient wisdom, art and culture can challenge them both personally, intellectually and physically.
Episodes
Episode 1
Following their grand tour to Italy, Rob Rinder and Rylan are going out of the art galleries and into the teeming streets of one of the world's oldest and greatest civilisations - India. They hope to travel in the footsteps of Rob's favourite author, EM Forster, who wrote the novel A Passage to India.
They begin their journey in Delhi, India's capital – home to 34 million people, almost four times the population of London. They visit the chaotic street market of Chandni Chowk, where Forster began his journey, the 16th-century architectural masterpiece Humayun's Tomb, and the Lodhi Colony, where the buildings are covered in giant paintings.
The pair meet billionaire art collector Shalini Passi, and activist and rapper Naveen Koomar, who invites Rob and Rylan to perform their own self-penned rap out on the street. And their time in Delhi ends at the Kathputli Colony, where master puppeteer Puran invites Rob and Rylan to try pulling a few strings themselves.
Episode 2
The boys board a packed train to Rajasthan during Diwali, the vibrant festival of lights. Known as the 'land of kings', Rajasthan enchants the pair, with its grand forts and opulent palaces. But they also discover that its cities of Udaipur and Jaipur are home to generations of skilled craftsmanship, from ornate block printing to dazzling traditional jewellery. They try miniature painting, hear a worrying prediction from an astrologer and celebrate Diwali with the crown prince of Jaipur.
Episode 3
Rob and Rylan are on the final leg of their Indian adventure. They're bound for Varanasi, the spiritual heart of India, where millions come to wash away their sins before they die. But first, the boys head to the famous erotic temples of Khajuraho, ancient structures covered in carvings depicting all kinds of carnal pleasure.
In Varanasi, they drift down the sacred Ganges, witnessing pilgrims chasing ‘moksha' - liberation from reincarnation. They join a mud-wrestling club inspired by Hanuman, the monkey god of strength.
There are other forms of spiritual journey available in the city. A guru tells Rob he must walk barefoot through the town, dodging cow dung and existential dread as he goes. Rylan, meanwhile, is told he must find a path to enlightenment through yoga.
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