India is a mystical land that presents the traveller with a bamboozling array of unforgettable experiences. Hinduism, the prominent religion, is intimately woven into the fabric of everyday life, reflected in an extraordinary range of time-honored traditions. Apart from its ancient spiritual framework, India's
vastness also challenges the imagination, being home to one sixth of the world's population.
Its
intoxicatingly rich history can be traced back to at least 2500BC when the first known civilization settled along the Indus River. There was an influx of
Mughals in the 1520s from Central Asia, who maintained effective control of the north until the mid-18th century. At the end of that century, as the
Mughal Empire declined, the
British took control of the whole subcontinent, and India was administered by a single alien power.
The Indian National Congress was formed in 1885, but made little progress on independence until
Mahatma Gandhi began the policy of non-violent non-cooperation with the British. But the Congress itself was later split on the issue of Hindus and Muslims. The Muslims, under Mohammad Ali Jinnah, claimed a separate homeland and in August 1947 the independent states of India and Pakistan came into being. Since this time, India has been a
democratic republic.
Such a rich history has spawned an incredible number of exquisite
palaces,
temples and
monuments. The most frequently visited part of India is the
Golden Triangle, comprised of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Meanwhile, the people-packed cities of
Mumbai (Bombay) and
Kolkata (Calcutta) have a bustling, colorful charm, while the holy city of Varanasi and the awe-inspiring temples of Tamil Nadu are rewarding places of pilgrimage. For those in search of tropical bliss, there are the
palm-fringed beaches of
Goa and
Kerala. And for fresh air and serenity, India ripples with pristine mountains and hills, from the towering beauty of the mighty
Himalayas to a bevy of beautiful pine forests, orchards and babbling streams.
One of the greatest fascinations of India is the startling
juxtaposition of old and new; centuries of history rubbing shoulders with the trappings of modern-day living, from slick Internet cafes and fancy fast-food eateries, to swanky bars and chichi boutiques.
GeographyIndia shares borders to the northwest with Pakistan, to the north with China, Nepal and Bhutan, and to the east with Bangladesh and Myanmar. To the west lies the Arabian Sea, to the east the Bay of Bengal and to the south the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka lies off the southeast coast, and the Maldives off the southwest coast. The far northeastern states and territories are all but separated from the rest of India by Bangladesh as it extends northwards from the Bay of Bengal towards Bhutan. The Himalayan mountain range to the north and the Indus River (west) and Ganges River (east) form a physical barrier between India and the rest of Asia.
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