Tag: tourism

          A glimpse into “Why should you consider visiting India?”

You may be always heard of someone of something describing India as a country with a rich heritage, Cultural \ traditional diversity, the oldest civilization and so many descriptions that are clichéd over many years. However, they are true and significant features of India that everyone is predominantly aware of. Hence let’s drag the spotlight to focus on more unique highlights that one must know before visiting India. On the other way around, if you are not planning to make a visit to India, post reading this blog you can’t resist yourself from packing your bags to head towards this vibrant nation.

Here’s India rolling out a red carpet to welcome you and have a vast incredible travel experience that you must never miss in your lifetime.

1. The Icon of India

The first thing that pops up in your mind when you hear the word “India” would obviously be its rich cultural heritage. India is packed with many monuments, historical sites and artifacts that have stood the test of time tracing back to 5,000 years. However, this cultural heritage still welcomes millions of visitors due to its impeccable ancient architecture that leaves a big challenge to the present day’s modern architecture.

One of the best architectural marvels and the most popular monument in India is the Taj Mahal, and it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The site of the huge structure with White marble, semi-precious stones, and a large dome, dazzling in the sunshine is truly mesmerizing and stands as a symbol of love and tragedy. But when you visit here it turns out to be a symbol of delight and astonishment as you don’t just see the Taj Mahal but with every blink, you will admire the beauty of the monument. Followed by the Taj Mahal, there are other popular monuments that India owns which are reorganized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Like the Khajuraho group of monuments, Elephanta caves The Ajanta and Ellora Caves, the Mahabalipuram group of monuments, Great Living Chola Temples, Hampi, and short time ago added Hoysala temples and Tagore’s home Santiniketan.

Top monuments to visit in India – You cannot miss other enchanting monuments of India like Qutab Minar , Gate way of Mumbai, Charminar , Hawa Mahal, Konark and Modhera sun temple  Rani ki Vav, Golden temple and Mysore Palace which are very famous their exceptional architectures. Whether big or small, attractive or not each monument carries its own significance and royalty.

2. Land that are straight out of fairy tales

You might have heard many stories and imagined yourself being in the middle of a beautiful ambience like snow, mountains, islands, hills and etc; Make your imagination come true before your eyes as there are numerous of destinations in India that look like dreamland. Ranging from the eastern part of India’s Darjeeling, Shillong, Sikkim, to the Western part of India’s Mahabaleshwar Lonavala and Khandala and the Northern part of India’s Uttarakhand, Kashmir and Manali, Ladakh will absolutely leave you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller. Among all the places mentioned above The southern part of India has a special attraction as it possesses God’s own country – Kerala, that is beautified with Munnar, Wayanad and Thekkady. Tamil Nadu is highlighted by Ooty, Kodaikanal, and Nilgiri whereas Karnataka receives thousands of fans for Coorg, Nandi Hills and Chikmagalur. These popular and beautiful hill stations of India welcome to relax rejuvenate and revive.

India is also bestowed with other popular hill stations like –

Kufri, Mussoorie, Haldwani, Khajjiar, Mount Abu, Gulmarg, Sakleshpura, Coonoor, Yelagiri, Velliangiri, Yercaud, Vagamon, Pollachi.

3. Spiritual Hub of the World

Travelling to India is indeed for people who are in the verge of busy and hectic city life. Being one of the oldest civilizations, India completely resolves the stress and depression of the present lifestyle as it houses many famous and powerful temples that provides a man with a purpose of life. Though Hinduism is predominantly followed in India, every year, every month and every day, thousands of people from different religion and different part of the world swarm the popular temples in India like, Kedarnath – the highest among Jyotirlinga temples, Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Akshardham Temple at New Delhi, Ram Temple at Ayodhya, Lepakshi Temple at Andhra Pradesh, Gomateshwara Temple at Shravanabelagola in Karnataka, Sanchi Buddhist Stupa(UNESCO World Heritage site) at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, and Shirdi Sai Baba Temple at Maharashtra. South India is more rooted and connected to spirituality and customs so you can see the impeccable artistic marvel of the ancient times, hear various stories of incredible incidents of the Vedic Era Dvapara era (period when god lived on earth) when you visit famous south Indian Temples like Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameshwaram, Sri Venkateswara Temple in Andra Pradesh, Virupaksha and Iskcon temple in Karnataka, Guruvayur Krishna temple in Kerala, Thillai Natarajar Temple, Chidambaram and Kanchi Kamakshi Amman Temple in Kanchipuram and the list never ends. Believers would devote themselves to the spiritual solace, whereas the non-believers would end up in devoting themselves to the architecture, beautiful ambience and a high vivid energy of the temple.

4. India – The Mother of Yoga, Meditation and Ayurveda

India serves as an unpaid therapist that boosts people with triad of wellness. Namely the physical, emotional and mental wellness. This triad can be achieved through Yoga and Meditation which is currently popular and has deeply rooted to many countries of the world. But India is the one which sowed the seed for the growth of Yoga, Meditation and as well as Ayurveda. Being originated from Rishikesh, The spiritual discipline – Yoga and Meditation has proved itself to the world for bringing harmony to both body and mind. Contemporarily the world is piled with various ailments that people suffer from. When they seek for healing, they offer to take endless medicines that gives enduring side effects. But would you believe if I say medicine with no side effects was found in India 3000 years ago? Believe it or not India is very famous for Ayurveda Medicines, that comprises of plants, animals (In some cases) metals and other natural ingredients. The main motive of Ayurveda is complete health for all, preventing disease, and prolonging the life without much complications. So when you seek for natural healing India stretches out its arms to heal you.

Popular places in India for Meditation and Yoga – 

Ananda – Himalayas, Vipassana International Academy – Igatpuri, Dhamma Bodhi- Bodh Gaya, Ashiyana Yoga Retreat – Goa, Osho – Pune Isha Yoga and Meditation – Coimbatore Aurobindo Ashram – Pondicherry.

Popular places in India for Ayurveda –

Somatheeram Ayurveda Resort and Kairali Ayurvedic Health Village – Kerala, Ananda – Himalayas, Devaaya – Goa, The Leela – Udaipur

5. Aesthetic Beaches

Definitely there will be no haters for beach.  Everyone will have the same obsession regarding the place but they differ with their choices. Some choose to visit beaches to relax, rejuvenate and get refreshed, while some prefer to indulge themselves in adventurous beach activities. The beaches in India welcomes and unites people of both choices, as it satisfies all your beach day desires. The beaches in India proved that they are truly wonderful and are must visits after it had acquired “The Blue Flag Certification” – An eco-label certification that is given to Beaches, Marinas and Sustainable boating tourism for a well- maintained environment, along with educational safety and accessibility standards. Kadmat beach, Thundi beach, Shivrajpur beach, Ghoghla beach, Kasarkod beach, Padubidri beach, Kappad beach, Rushikonda beach Radhanagar beach and the Golden beach will come under the category of Blue flag certification. Roam around, relax, and be adventurous as you visit these beautiful blue and cleanest beaches in the world that belongs to India.

Most popular beaches in India to enjoy your vacation –

Puri beach – Odisha  Calangute, Palolem and Agonda Baga beach – Goa, Varkala and Kovalam beach- Kerala, Gokarna and om beach – Karnataka, Auroville, Paradise, Mahabalipuram and  Dhanushkodi beach – Tamil Nadu, Havelock island at Andaman and Nicobar and Minicoy Island – Lakshadweep are the top beaches very famous for their scenic beauty.

6. Thrilling Wildlife sanctuaries and Enchanting Bird Sanctuaries –

You are very familiar that India is very famous for its Cultural diversity as many people who belong to different culture, language and tradition live here. But do you know that this country is also famous for rich biodiversity as it is a home to a variety of incredible of plants, animals and other living creatures of earth? The wildlife sanctuaries are a haven to the animals as a lot of conservation plans are formulated by the government, where they ensure to protect the wildlife from harmful activities like hunting and poaching. For those who crave for thrilling experience of a dense forest journeys, jeep safaris, and a bone chilling wildlife encounters visit the popular wildlife sanctuaries in India that are recognised by the UNESCO as world heritage sites like Kaziranga and Manas Wildlife Sanctuary – Assam Sundarbans National Park- West Bengal, Great Himalayan National Park-Himachal Pradesh Keoladeo National Park-  Rajasthan Khangchendzonga National Park- Sikkim, Nanda Devi National Park and Valley of Flowers National Parks- Uttarakhand. Those who are sensitive to thrills spend time in Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, Kumarakom and Thattekad Bird SanctuaryBird Sanctuary – Kerala, Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary – Goa, Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary -Andhra Pradesh and Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Rajasthan

Most popular Wildlife sanctuaries and Bird sanctuaries in India for Wildlife enthusiast

Jim Corbett National Park, Gir National Park, Bandipur National Park, Periyar National Park, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Parambikulam forest reserve, Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Chilka Lake Bird Sanctuary, Mayani Bird Sanctuary, Maharashtra.

7. Land of frequent Vibrant Festivals –

When you feel happy you celebrate. But people of India celebrate to be happy and sustain the happiness. India is popular for not just celebrating famous festivals but for celebrating life, social bonds, womanhood, and unity. Every festivals that are celebrated in India has its own significance and flavour that you must definitely experience first-hand. Though people of India differ from culture, tradition or religion they all get united by a festival called “Diwali” – The most popular Indian festival that represents the triumph of good over evil and is celebrated with lights, lamps and crackers. The sky turns pink, blue green and various other colours as fireworks in sky are lit up from all the parts of India. Sparkling lights, sounds of music, dance on the streets, strangers meeting and greeting each other is truly an event to enjoy. When you visit India you just don’t witness or capture the wonderful moments in festival, rather you will be made to part take in the celebration and you will be treated as their own community people. Followed by Diwali there’s Makar Sankranti – A harvest festival that is celebrated all over India but with different name. In South India, people call this festival as “Pongal” which means to boil and overflow. Pongal is highlighted by the world famous event called “Jallikattu” – A competitive sport where the participants attempt to grab the hump of a furious bull. You must definitely experience the loud cheering, applause and the energy levels of the Tamil People that could be found nowhere but in Madurai – the birth place of Valour. Be a part of the world’s largest cattle fair known as the Pushkar festival held in Rajasthan where you will be surrounded by colourfully decorated set up, camels, traditional music, dance and etc.; Followed by Pushkar there is The Puri festival which attracts enormous number of people from all over the world due to its electrifying ambience.

Other popular festivals of India that you must part take –

Onam, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Mahashivratri, Eid Ul Fitr/Eid, Christmas, Holi, Navratri and Dussehra.

8. Best country for foodies –

You can’t give an answer to the question “Whether we eat to live, or live to eat?” Because some will go with the first category and some belong to the second one. But when you visit India you will definitely make yourself to fall into the second category. You will actually live to eat as there numerous varieties of dishes, and this one life time will not be enough to taste them all. From north, east, west and south and from sweet, spice, sour and salt, The Indian flavour is always ready to gift your taste buds. Northern part of India mainly add wheat, Maida, lentils curd and sweets to their Cuisine. One of the popular North Indian dish is the Amritsari chole bhature – Chickpea Curry with deep Fried puffy breads. Crispy layer of the bread with spicy chickpea curry will give you a different taste vibe that you never had before. Rajma Chawal – A dish consist of rice and red bean gravy that is highly rich in protein. Dhahi Vada- Lentil based fried cakes that are dipped in curd. Samosa – A spicy deep fried crispy north Indian snack stuff with potatoes and peas. They also add famous sweets to their meal like Gulab Jamun, jelebi, and Ras Malai. South Indian cuisines are famous for its plethora of flavors. South Indians mostly prefer Food to be spicy both for vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. One of the famous spicy dish of South India Hyderabad biryani – A rice dish that has a mixture of spices vegetable and meat (Without meat in some cases) it is well known for its brilliant aroma and flavor. Kerala is very famous for Puttu and kadala curry – A steamed rice cake with chickpea gravy that will make you feel light and healthy. Also you will crave for Malabar barota, prawn gravy and aapam when you taste them once. Tamil Nadu cuisine will always contain tamarind, coconuts and more chilies as they are essential for maintaining a good health. Idly with sambar – rice cake with lentil gravy is a popular dish in Tamil Nadu that will have no haters. Followed by idly there is Pongal,- a rice dish added with ghee,  Dosa– crisp savoury pancake and Puliyotharai – Tamarind rice is are of must try dish in Tamil Nadu. 

Also taste these popular foods in India –

Dal Makhani, Rasagulla, Halwa, Kulfi, Butter Chicken, Aloo Paratha, Pulao, poha, Thali, Tandoori chicken, Bonda, Idiyaapam, Methu vada, Cotton seed milk, Mango Lassi and the list goes on… In India you will find many multi cuisine restaurants so you can opt to visit and try all your favorite as well as many new dishes.

9. The biggest shopping spot to buy rarest things

Be it a men or women or a children, everybody has craze for shopping. For all the people who are ready to dedicate more time into shopping, India serve as a “Shoppers Paradise”. Shopping in India will make you feel like you are actually in a wonderland. Surrounded by colorful clothes, paintings, sculptures, accessories, spices and many other rarest and original things that can be bought only in India. You must definitely consider buying the Rajasthan clothes that has impeccable mirror works and intricate embroideries that will make you feel like princess. Find astounding jewels made of precious stones, grab Madhubani Painting, Warli Painting, and Kalighat Painting, and never miss to shop Ayurvedic skin care products, First quality tea from Himachal and Assam and best quality spices from Kerala. Buy original silk and cotton sarees from Tamil Nadu’s silk city Kanchipuram, gold foil embellished painting from Tanjore and many other things like pottery, handicraft, and miniatures that represents the excellent skills of the craftsmanship.

Other Popular things to buy in India-

pashmina shawl, Natural perfumes, Herbs, rare gem stones, Rajasthan sling bags, kolhapuri slippers, Jhumkas, Jaipur bangles, Terracotta and Sandalwood statues from Tanjore, world famous jasmine flower from Madurai, Essential Oil from Tamil Nadu’s Hill station, antique statues and home decors from Mahabalipuram and there’s lots of things to take away from India to your home.

10. India – Your Companion Country

While focusing on India’s beautiful landscapes, beaches, hill stations and many other tourist spots, you must definitely shift your focus towards the people of India, and their generosity, kindness, and reverence that they express to each other and as well as towards the people who come from other country. Indians usually admire people who belong to other countries and their lifestyles. Thus when people from abroad travel to India, the natives stretches their arms of warmth to make the travelers experience an intense cordiality. Indian society is very famous for a deep ingrained hospitality, and the travelers are well treated with utmost care concern and respect. There is famous quote from Baghavat Geeta that says – “Atithi Devo Bhava” which means “The guest is equivalent to God”. To be more specific, Baghavat Geeta affirms that it is the duty of human beings to respect and treat the guest with great reverence, in order to attain a spiritual reward. Right from ancient days till the present period people have been following the same, and because of that, the qualities of honouring, respecting and fulfilling the needs of the guests are naturally in built in them. Right from your arrival until your departure you will never be alienated, instead the Indians will make you feel the way that you are their own people.

We welcome you to India, to experience the supreme hospitality and embrace the diverse legacy of the country. Celebrate world tourism day, and turn that into the days of hog heaven by your visit to our Bharat.