Tourism in India – Home
India is the largest state of Indian subcontinent. It is believed as the biggest Democratic Republic of the World. Its territory is divided in 7 territories and 28 States, created following linguistic criteria, cause in this Nation people speak 22 different official languages but, if we count the non official ones and dialects, the total surpass the 200.
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India is a nation of incredible contrasts. You can find, side by side, magnificent skyscrapers and decadent houses, rural villages and large metropolis, big industries and small hand-crafted laboratories, modern pieces of architecture and ancient monuments, poverty and richness.
From north to south the Indian territory comprehends the majestic Himalayas and a beautiful coastline, surrounded by three seas. The inland presents many archeological sites, royal cities, colorful people and a rich variety of cultures, festivities and fairs.
You can visit the India in every season. In summer, when the climate is very hot, you could prefer the north and the west, while during the Indian winter all the cities became alive with a multitude of cultural events and festivals of music and dance.
From North to South we intend to give you a series of suggestions about the tourism in India.
In the North, you can start with three cities that constitute the so-called “Golden Triangle”: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The first one is the capital city of the nation and you can find a large variety of modern and ancient monuments besides big commercial centers. Agra is known all over the World for the Taj Mahal, but this is not the only wonder of the area. Jaipur is a kaleidoscope of colors and you can’t miss the Amber Fort. Beyond these three cities, there are incredible towns with spectacular palaces and forts as Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Bikarner and Jodhpur. In the region of Madhya Pradesh you can find medieval cities like Orcha, Mandu and Gwalior or the temples at Khajuraho. In the Uttar Pradesh you can visit its capital, Lucknow, and the pilgrimage trail along the Ganges, the Indian holy river, that includes Yamunotri, Rishikesh, Allahbad, Varanasi and other towns.
Heading to the East, you’ll find Kolkata (the former Calcutta), the capital city of West Bengal, with its imperial buildings and its incredible charm. We suggest to visit this metropolis during the Durga Puja, from October to November, celebrating the ten-armed goddess of fertility and plants and the third embodiment of the Devi, Durga. Travelling northwards, you can find the Brahmaputra Valley with its exciting trekking trails and cities as Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. Always from Kolkata, but in south eastern direction, you’ll find the Andaman Islands, a group of 300 islands in the Bay of Bengal. Along the coastline, the is the state of Orissa, with temples in Negara style.
In the South, you can’t miss Chennai (the former Madras), the capital city of the state of Tamil Nadu, founded by the British more than 350 years ago. Other fascinating towns in this region, thanks to their incredible temples, are Madurai, Thanjavur, Kanchipuram, Tiruchirapalli. Mamallapuram is a real open air museum. Along the coast there is Pondicherry, displaying the heritage of French domination. Bangalore and Mysore are two splendid cities, symbol of the royal tradition. At Hyderabad there are a large number of domes and minarets. The entire state of Kerala is dotted with beautiful beaches and ancient port towns. Don’t miss the beach resort of Kovalam.
In the West, Mumbai (the former Bombay) is a good starting point. It is ideal for the shopping, but you can also find interesting museums and galleries. Not so far from Mumbai there is Mahabaleshwar, a delightful hill resort, with lakes, waterfalls and sprawls of colorful flowers. Located on the Deccan Plateau there is Pune, with its spectacular forts. If you’re searching for various monuments of the Mughals era, Aurangabad is the right place. Lothal, Ahmedabad, Vadovara, Palitana and Somnath are the most important tourist cities of the state of Gujarat.
