A Tourist Guide to India in Nutshell
By: Alex
Wander
India is a destination of great interest for tourists from all
over the world. The country is vast not only in terms of its area
but also culture and diversity. One will need more than 1 life to
fully explore this great country. Don't be surprised to find that
people here reflect diverse culture, traditions and values and
the rich glories of the past, habits and food that will always
remain truly Indian. It is natural in a country as diverse and
complex as India.
The modern India got its independence from Britain in 1947
after a long struggle led mostly by Mahatma Gandhi. Post
independence, India has made huge progress inspite of many
hurdles. The country has developed its industry and agriculture,
and has maintained a system of government which makes it the
largest democracy in the world. The history of India dates back
to 5000 years back when India's first major civilization
flourished along the Indus River valley. The Indus civilization
at one point of time extended nearly a million square kilometres
across the Indus river valley and existed at the same period as
the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Sumer but far outlasted
them. Aryans came around 1500 BC and were mainly responsible for
collapse of Indus Valley civilisation. The Four Vedas or the
important books of Hinduism/India were compiled in this
period.
Ethnically Indians speak different languages, follow different
religions, eat the most diverse varieties of food all of which
add to the rich Indian culture. Vibrant Indian cities are home to
world-renowned temples and palaces, while the tranquil coast
offers the perfect recipe for rest, recuperation and a sense of
peace. A lot of festivals like Diwali, Holi, Id, Christmas,
Mahaveer Jayanthi are all celebrated by sharing sweets and
pleasantries with family, neighbours and friends.
Weather
India experiences at least three seasons a year, Summer, Wet
(or "Monsoon") and Winter, each of which can vary in duration
from north to south. The heat starts to build up on India's
northern plains from around February, and gradually summer hots
up by April or May and is at its peak in June. In central India
temperatures of 45øC and above are commonplace. Even South India
also becomes uncomfortable during summer season.
The first signs of the monsoon (rainy season) are visible in
some areas of India as early as in the early part of May. It
rains heavily when the monsoon finally arrives around 1 June in
the extreme south and later sweeping north to cover the whole
country by early July. The season as well as the phenomenon that
causes it is called the monsoon. There are two of them, the
Southwest and the Northeast, both named after the directions the
winds come from.
Around October the climate starts becoming cooler and most of
the northern cities become crisp at night in December. In the far
south, the temperatures are comfortably warm rather than hot,
since it never gets cool there. November to January is the winter
season. There is also a brief spring in February and March,
especially in North India.
Places to See
Popular Cities:
Agra
Darjeeling
Delhi
Goa
Jaipur
Kolkata
Mumbai
Landmark Destinations:
Taj Mahal - Agra, Uttar
Pradesh
Historical Ruins - Hampi, Karnataka
Mysore
Palace - Mysore, Karnataka
The Mall - Victorian heritage -
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Ajanta Caves - Near Aurangabad /
Jalgaon
Crawford Market - Kalbadevi, Mumbai
Gateway
of India - Colaba, Mumbai
Humayun's Tomb - Delhi
Jaisalmer Fort - Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
Kerala
Backwaters - Kerala
Khajuraho temples - Madhya Pradesh
Sacred Cities:
Amritsar, Punjab
Bodh Gaya, Bihar
Khajuraho,
Madhya Pradesh
Madurai, Tamil
Nadu
Shravanabelagola, Karnataka
Tirupati, Andhra
Pradesh
Uttaranchal
Varanasi, Uttar
Pradesh
Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh
Large Cities:
New
Delhi
Ahmedabad
Bangalore
Kolkata (formerly
Calcutta)
Chennai (formerly
Madras)
Hyderabad
Jaipur
Mumbai (formerly
Bombay)
When to Go
India have high and low periods for tourism, which correspond
to changes in the weather as well as the timing of holidays and
religious festivals. The best time to visit India is during
October to first week of March. This is the period when climate
is relatively cooler as compared to other part of the year.
About the Author
Alex Wander is a traveller and has travelled major part of
the world. He writes mostly from his travel experiences.
Presently, he is rewriting content for indiatraveltours.com
(ArticlesBase SC #429280)
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - A Tourist Guide to India in
Nutshell