On a visit to Udaipur in 1990 I’ve been fascinated by India from an early age. My father was posted to the North West Frontier – now the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan – in the 1930s, and used to tell many stories from his time there, as well as speaking fluent Urdu. This kindled my interest in the region. On trips to India in my twenties I was struck by how British influence still pervaded, largely in the buildings and architecture, but in other ways too – in the bu