India
India - General Information: A beautiful subcontinent rich in culture and heritage. The Thar Desert, the Himalayan range, Indo-Gangetic plain, Deccan Plateau, Eastern and Western Ghats are the geographical treasures of the country. Many rivers like Ganges, Godaveri, Cauvery, Yamuna and more flow through the land paving the way for agriculture as its prime occupation. It houses tropical climate. Being one of the countries with the fastest growing economy it is a place where you may never know what you may find.
Travel to India: India’s prominent international airports are at Delhi, Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Bengaluru (Bangalore) and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum). New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport is about 23km from the city. India’s home airline is Air India. Visit www.airindia.com for more detail. Other important Indian names would be Indian, Jet Airways and Air Sahara. Many other flights reach India of which U.S Airways, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific and British Midland are some. Click on http://delhiairport.com for further information. Buses, coaches and taxis are readily obtainable. Domestic flights are available to move to your desired destination.
Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International would be about 35km from the city. Taxis and buses can take you to the metropolitan.
Attractions:
Taj Mahal: This is every tourists dream. Located in Agra, this was specially made by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. This impeccable piece of Mughal architecture combines with it Indian, Turkish, Persian and Islamic styles of art. Erection of the structure began in 1632 and ended in about 1648. A marble water tank is present to reflect the embodiment of love and a well maintained garden surrounds the place. Notable are the marble work, exterior art work, interior decoration, calligraphy from the Quran, geometric quality, wonderful stucco, gem work and the jail work. This also contains the tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz. Many mysteries prevail here but proof is not found for what is being told. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Fatehpur Sikri: Located in Uttar Pradesh, this was constructed in honour of the Sufi saint Salim Chishti by Mughal king Akbar. The red stand stone is mostly used in construction. This architectural marvel has been inspiration for many upcoming and famous architects. This is also a World Heritage site.
This is definitely not all as India has various places to visit and each city has something to offer.
Language: India is a pure multilingual country which has 23 official languages and they are Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Kannada, Hindi, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. In Pondicherry (now Puducherry) French is one of the official languages and taught in schools. In Goa, Diu and Daman which were a Portuguese colony, Portuguese is still spoken by a minor population. Various other languages are spoken by the minorities in India. English is also an officially recognised language and widely spoken due to the large number of languages.
Shopping: India is famous for its handcrafted works. Various cities have their own specialities. Each city has its own skill. Spices, jewellery and silk are some of the products tourists go for. Fabrics, carpets, silverwork, leather products, antiques, cotton, wool, Kashmiri shawls, himroos, chiffon, bronze work, prestigious silver work, cane work, brass work, rugs, papier maché, marble and ivory inlaid products and leather work are also preferred by visitors. If you are to visit Karnataka then go for the sandalwood products. Kerala and Chennai have good rosewood products. India is famous for the gems and jewellery include Indian star rubies, diamonds, star sapphires, lapis lazuli, moonstone, aquamarines and Hyderabad pearls. Pickels, perfumes, tea, soap, musical instruments, handmade embroidery and more can also be bought. Though you can’t bargain in departmental stores and other shops open markets and outdoor markets allow you to bargain.
The Indian currency is Rupee and foreign currency can be exchanged only at airports, banks and legal exchangers. To exchange through unauthorised means are illegal.
Destinations: Delhi is the capital and the political hub for India. India has many prominent destinations too.
Mumbai: Mumbai (Bombay) is the most happening city in India. Located on the Salsette Island it has a deep natural busy port. The city gets its name from Goddess Mumbadevi and it is believed the city is flourished by her. It holds the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Reserve Bank of India. It is a hot business spot where people from almost all parts of India meet. It is a commercial and entertainment capital too.
Chennai: This is also a metropolitan city known for the various kinds of art. It is also an industrial and commercial hub. It is a centre for outsourcing from the West.
Bengaluru (Bangalore) : This is another important destination and IT (Information Technology) occupies most of the city.
Kerala: This state is also known as ‘God’s own country’. Tourists throng the place mainly for its natural beauty and Ayurvedic wealth. Thiruvananthapuram is its capital.
Kolkata (Calcutta): This is a hub for culture, science, industries and economics.
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