herbert of sunshine around. rain and hill snow spreading north around scotland. confined to the mainland around the end of the day. heavy showers in the north and west but not too many. wendy to the south—west with rain heading back in by the end of the afternoon. that'll move northwards to all parts tonight. minorflooding move northwards to all parts tonight. minor flooding possible. strong wind across—the—boa rd. tonight. minor flooding possible. strong wind across—the—board. but stronger winds later tonight across northern ireland as storm dylan sta rts northern ireland as storm dylan starts to roll its way in. into tomorrow morning. the start of new year's eve with travel is disruption, severe gales affecting northern ireland, southern scotland, northern england and north wales. the strongest wind will be in the morning. rain and mountain snow. brief showers will see is all the way to the end of 2017. this is bbc news.

our latest headlines: more than 1100 people are recognised in the new year honours, with knighthoods for the beatles drummer, ringo starr, bee gees singer, barry gibb, and strictly come dancing judge, darcey bussell, is made a dame. the labour peer, lord adonis, says attempts to silence his criticism of the government forced him to step down as its infrastructure adviser. he quit yesterday suggesting whitehall had been "infected" by brexit. thousands of iranian government supporters are attend officially—sponsored rallies across the country, after two days of anti—establishment protests. millennials will enjoy the biggest inheritance boom of any post—war generation — but not until they're into their 60s, a report says. more for you at the top of the hour. now on bbc news — the travel show. india. a vast country, home to over

a billion people, birthplace of illustrious ancient civilisations and today, a fast emerging global power. 70 years after independence, india is still a diverse, ever evolving assortment of cultures, creeds, religions and languages. heading off the well worn tourist path, we're on a journey which spans this vast subcontinent from east to west. travelling from one of the driest places on earth. it is quite incredible the sand. it's just crystal, ha rd cysta ls. incredible the sand. it's just crystal, hard cystals. white salt. you can probably taste it. to one of the wettest. these are areas really for the adventurous traveller. this isn't india on tap. i'm on a quest to find out how history, religion and politics have shaped india. and

also, meet the people who call this intriguing and sometimes overwhelming country, home. it's going to be an amazing journey. for thousands of years, india found its riches and influence through international trade. at the heart of this enterprise was the sea. and the state of gujarat, with a thousand miles of coastline, served as a shipping gateway to africa ah, raba and beyond —— africa, arabia and beyond. this is as far west as you can get in india. it's the influences from overseas that have helped make gujarat what it is today. the region is known as kuch.

and its beaches are a popular domestic tourist attraction. this ancient port town's economy is still anchored in a much older maritime tradition. this is genuinely incredible. i'm in heaven. a huge shipyard with boats and ships at various stage of construction, all made from wood. in an industry dominated by bulky and expensive container ships, these smaller, more agile vessels are still in huge demand. so here we are close up to these incredible hulks really. this one's in mid—construction. we can actually go inside, which i'm going to see how they actually make these things. apparently each of these

ta kes things. apparently each of these takes about two—and—a—half years to make. for many of the workers ship building isa make. for many of the workers ship building is a family tradition. this ancient craft is now attracting unexpected new admirers. the region was home to one of the world's earliest civilisations and can be traced back to prehistoric times. its old royal capital is the city of bujh. its glory days are kind of over. it was badly hit by

the 2001 earthquake. it's a kind of melancholy about this area. this was once the real opulent centre of a rich empire, trading empire any way, and the hub was here. but what is still flourishing is the aso—year—old market, but what is still flourishing is the 450—year—old market, just but what is still flourishing is the aso—year—old market, just a few minutes away, where the trading tradition continues. what do they sell here? they sell everything - fruit, vegetables, fabric, grocery. you see all sorts of community, all cultural background can be seen in the marketplace. here, as you can see, they're like all different community, ethnic groups comes here. but the natural harmony was

disrupted 70 years ago when the british left. the country was divided on religious grounds with muslims mar titianed to the north —— partitioned to the north in pakistan and hindus to the south in india. we drove out of the city towards the border with pakistan. along the way, encountering some herdsmen. they've been living here for 400, 500 years, since they migrated down south. ever since they migrated down south. ever since they migrated down south. ever since the split, there's been tension between the two governments, to these herdsmen national borders and religious differences mean little. for the people, when we say india, pakistan or like hindu, muslim, it's not that important. people are religious, of course. but they are like living in harmony and relationship between these two different group is brotherly. when

two countries were created from one, indelible scars were left on the psyche of the subcontinent. archive: independence has not yet brought peace. rejoicing turned quickly into horror and mourning. in traumatic scenes more than a million people died in religious rioting. many millions more were displaced. this all used to be one, but now it's like divided in two. now the border itself has become a tourist attraction. that way is pakistan. that way is pakistan about 70 kilometres up north. that's where the border is. that lies in the middle of the area, which is of geographical value. at nearly 500 metres above sea level, the highest point allows us a dramatic view of this geological

phenomenon, the desert, which continues into pakistan. i wanted to get up closer to this natural wonder. it's quite incredible. it'sjust cysta ls , it's quite incredible. it'sjust cysta ls, ha rd cysta ls, it's quite incredible. it'sjust cystals, hard cystals, white salt. probably taste it. really unusual to see something like this. the further out i walked, the less lovely it became. it's actually quite incredible. it's more like snow or sludge than white sand or cystals. twh it gets wet —— when it gets wet around here, i'm deep into it. whoa! today, this shimmering wilderness is a healthy source of income for the region. thanks mainly to a three month long festival throughout the winter. it is amazing what was a vast barren

landscape has been transformed into this colourful complex, whereby night, there's live music and other performances and by day, there's plenty of activities and just here, what you might call the glamping headquarters. 50,000 people have come here in the last month alone. i guess this is like a cross between a weekend festival and a resort. it's a honey pot for the booming middle classes in india, in what has been one of the fastest growing economies in the world. the revival of interest in kutch culture boosted by the festival has been a life line for one group of locals in particular. ; folk musicians. music

in particular and it's very, very rich over here. previously they used to perform with their kettles, then afterwards, when they come home, they'd get together and spiritual songs are being performed. one person plates two flutes at the same time? yes, yes. now, for example, 500 kettles are there and only one zefer is there. he will sit below a tree and start playing this and whatever this musical notes, the kettles will not go out this afternoon range. wow. and they enjoy the music so the milk output increases. almost like meditation. yeah, yeah. things are change definitely, as you say tourism. so many music festivals

are there. so they are invited in various parts of india and abroad. of course, they're very well paid. not only do i get a demonstration, but also the privilege of playing along. as lead tinkler. yet again, i'm made aware that kutch culture is all about a sense of community and certainly not about religious segregation. from the bottom of my heart, i'm telling you till today, in spiritual, in music forms, hindus and muslims sit together and perform today. for the next part of myjourney, i'm

heading to the south—east of gujarat, to the town ofjunagadh. the classic indian railway station. to me, nothing sums up this country better than the indian railway network. more than any political act, they say this is what unifies this country. i remember as a small child being on an indian train and being totally overwhelmed by it. but i love it. ah, this feels imminent. who knows when this is made, this train. it looks pretty damn old to me. but wow, look at that. it's a network that ferries millions

of passengers daily across tens of thousands of track to nearly 7,000 stations. it's one of the world's biggest employers. if there's one defining legacy of british rule, it's the vast, sprawling, creeking indian railway network. it's still the lifeblood of the country today. singing i'll tell you this, you wouldn't get this on a suburban train ona wouldn't get this on a suburban train on a cold wednesday morning in london or any other western city. this is unique. you know everyone on this carriage? yeah. from the train journey? train journey, yeah. train friends.

excellent, you have a community. very good. is it lucky to have a seat on the train? yes. very lucky. she's very lucky. very lucky - ok! so here we are, the ancient fortified city of junagadh, so here we are, the ancient fortified city ofjunagadh, crowded and noisy as i expected. let's go explore. just a few minutes from the station,

along a dusty, busy road stands this jaw—dropping and little—known architectural wonder. built in the late 19th century, this is an elaborate mausoleum blending indian and european architecture. the intricate carvings took over a decade to complete and the whole structure reflects the opulence and influences of the time. back in the day, under the british raj, there we re day, under the british raj, there were hundreds of so—called princely states run by maharajas, powerful and wealthy men. there was one here, who made decisions which still has ramifications for relations between india and pakistan, even today.

they led lavish life styles, in stark contrast to ordinary indians. the nawab ofjunagadh was no different. archive: the state celebrates the marriage of all the p°mp celebrates the marriage of all the pomp and splendour of a princely wedding. harish was ten in 1946 and recalls the splendour of the ceremony. archive: escorted by the royal guard, the bride groom drives through the streets. there's a profusion of wedding gifts. all princes were there. princely patrons with turbans on their heads. dance girls used to be brought there, musicians and all that. that lasted for several days. and he recalls getting his first taste of this other world. for the first time, i

saw bread, butter, sandwich, everything. because that was not known to us here. my father said you eat this, this is bread and this is butter. i liked it. there were small pastries. i still remember that made in england, london, there was huntly and palmer biscuits. important thing is that the formal photograph of his highness. the nawab's own most legendary indull yens r german chancellor was his love of animals. —— indulgence was his love of animals. i think almost all brands and varieties of dogs from all the world were here. he used to arrange marriages for dogs and celebrated parties and then they were sent for honeymoon. honeymoon? !yeah, used to do it. with the advent of independence, the

power and influence of india's royal rulers was coming to an end. come partition, the muslim nawab wanted to make junagadh part partition, the muslim nawab wanted to makejunagadh part of the newly created islamic pakistan. even though the town is more than 80% hindu and hundreds of kilometres from the border. infuriated, the new indian government rallied its troops. the news started coming that the army is coming, in its compound, huge tanks and trucks and jeeps and artillery and guns and everything is there. junagadh state was besieged on three sides also. an economic blockade was ordered, cutting off supplies of foot and resources into the region. eventually, junagadh

acceded to india and the nawab fled to pakistan. yet to this day, 70 yea rs to pakistan. yet to this day, 70 years on, his great grandson still lays claim to junagadh. years on, his great grandson still lays claim tojunagadh. and the episode lingers as a reminder of the last days of the raj in india. and 65 kilometres down the road, the nawab's legacy as an animal lover extraordinaire continues, with the most regal of creatures. lions may have iconic status here. they're a royal symbol. they're in hindu mythology. at the beginning of the last century, they were threatened with extinction. i'm going somewhere now, which is the only natural abode of the asiatic

lion. these lions are smaller and paler than their african relatives. and these are their modern day protectors, india's first female forest rangers, the so—called lion queens. now they're part of a team that performs more than mall rescues than any other wildlife park in the world. 0n on average, the unarmed rangers cover 25 kilometres a day and have to tackle venomous snakes, leopards and poachers as well as lions. if they did get agitated, how would you be able to tell from the animal?

how would you know if you're safe or not being this close to the animal? and it did get dangerous early on in her career here. applications from women for these

posts have rocketed and the rangers are role models and trail blazers in the region today. look, look at that mouth! the good news is that from once being in danger of extinction numbers have climbed to over 500. the next murch more welcome problem is if the sanctuary is actually big enough for their growing population. so the first part of my travels across india come to a close. but next week, i head to the north—east of the country. i'm on the banks of the mighty river and about to go to a very spiritual place. the amount of people crammed on here as well — it's going to be an experience! a region that prides itself on tradition and creativity. and a passionate desire to protect this unique part of the world for future

generations. hello. there wintry weather for many of you will take a back seat over the next 36 hours, pushing into the driving seat will be some very strong and blustery winds. slightly milderairas strong and blustery winds. slightly milder air as well. not for everyone yet. we still have chilly conditions across scotland. area of rain, sleet and hill snow pushing northwards. a further few centimetres of snow over the higher ground here as that system pushes its way into the north of the mainland by the end of the day. temperatures still two, three degrees by the afternoon across the far north—east. elsewhere, climbing up far north—east. elsewhere, climbing up to eight degrees across parts of dumfries and ayrshire. thunder with those. same too for northern

ireland. lots of sunshine in between. not too many showers, a better afternoon for northern england compared with this morning. the rest of england and wales, lots of sunshine into the afternoon, strong and gusty winds across the south and south—west. temperatures in double figures, if not the teens. after some sunshine, we finish the day with cloud, outbreaks of rains, channel islands, devon, cornwall. that wetter weather pushes northwards tonight. given the saturated ground, the risk of flooding in the south—west approaches. winds strengthening across the board. the exception is the far knowledge of scotland. frost and ice here and again return of snow over the grampians. the big story tonight into tomorrow morning is this — the development of storm dyla n, is this — the development of storm dylan, named by the irish weather service, republic of ireland bearing the brunt. but we could still see damaging winds — northern ireland, southern scotland, northern england and north wales. these areas into the start of new year's eve, there could be travel disruption. check with the weather warnings online. also on bbc local radio when you're on the move. 0utbreaks also on bbc local radio when you're on the move. outbreaks of rain widely. snow over the mountains. the strongest of the winds are in the

morning, extending northern ireland, southern scotland, northern england and north wales. easing down a bit into the afternoon. a blustery day across the board. it clears to sunshine and a few showers. takes longerfor sunshine and a few showers. takes longer for things sunshine and a few showers. takes longerfor things to sunshine and a few showers. takes longer for things to brighten up sunshine and a few showers. takes longerfor things to brighten up in eastern scotland. temperatures similarto eastern scotland. temperatures similar to those of today, if not a degree or so down. but strong winds to end the day and that will bring showers across the border as we —— board as we head into midnight. temperatures should be clear of frost. maybe a bit in northern scotland. wherever you are, take a water proof just in scotland. wherever you are, take a water proofjust in case. there could be a few showers just about anywhere. clear skies in between. but into the start of new year's day, it's a risk of heavy and persistent rain, just moving through the channel. that will depart. sunshine and then a few wintry showers to the north and the west. this is bbc news. i'm shaun ley. the headlines at 11:00am. a beatle, a bee gee and a ballerina. ringo starr and barry gibb are knighted in the new year honours. strictly judge darcey bussell is made a dame. the labour peer lord adonis, who's quit as the government's infrastructure adviser, claims brexit is infecting

the entire conduct of government. and one of the really depressing things about the government at the moment, which i think is unfortunately a reflection of the brexit malaise which is sweeping whitehall. is the government has become hyper—sensitive to any criticism. thousands of iranians take to the streets of tehran in a show of support for the government after two days of opposition protests. millennials will enjoy the biggest "inheritance boom" of any post—war generation, but not until they're into their 60s, a report says. captain steve smith scored yet another century as australia batted out the final day to save the fourth test against england in melbourne. the draw means england avoid a whitewash.