India Travel Guide

India Travel: General Information

With its geographical diversity and natural wealth in the form of diverse flora and fauna, India has always been a dream-destination for travelers across the globe. Of course, there is more to India – there is the lure of its 5000 years of history, its many World Heritage Sites, its rich culture, heritage and much more. India is mesmerizing, unique in many ways and your visit to India promises you some incredible experiences. The recent rise in terrorist activities in the Indian sub-continent has not really succeeded in dampening the explorers’ vigor and India continues to pull tourists from the world-over.

India Travel: Key Facts

Capital City: New Delhi

Area: 3,287,240 sq km

Population: 1, 147,995,904

Monetary Unit: Indian Rupee

Official Language: Hindi, English

International Dialing code: 91

India Travel: Popular Tourist Destinations

• Mumbai: Mumbai is India’s largest city, both by size and by population, is the commercial capital of India. The entertainment hub of India (being the base of Bollywood, India’s Hindi film and television industry), Mumbai’s top attractions include Church Gate, Film City, Gateway of India, Malabar Hills, Nariman Point, etc. Mumbai’s beaches and their food-stalls are a great attraction with tourists. Mumbai has its share of parks, gardens, lakes and museums, besides promising great shopping and nightlife experiences. If you’re visiting, you can take a look at more info here and compare Mumbai hotels.

• Delhi: The capital city of India, Delhi is an ancient city. The city has been at the helm of political affairs long and so the city is full of archeological sites as well as historic monuments like the Qutub Minar and Red Fort side by side the British-era and contemporary structures. The city of Delhi is famous for its religious shrines like the Akshardham Temple, Jama Masjid, Lotus Temple and so on. If Delhi-addresses like Cannaught Place, Lajpat Nagar allow you to indulge in shopping-sprees, the Delhi-Haat is a must-visit for gastronomes. Delhi also gives easy access to places like the Taj-city, Agra.

• Kolkata: Kolkata, the second largest (by size) city of India, is often tagged the ‘cultural capital of India’ because the Kolkatans are famous for their passionate artistic and literary pursuits. The Howrah Bridge, the Dakhineshwar Kali Temple, the Victoria Memorial and the Maidan have become synonymous with the name of Kolkata, however, the city’s other attractions like the Kalighat Temple, Birla Planetarium, Marble Palace, Nakhoda Mosque, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the city’s many colonial-era buildings/monuments still continue to bewitch tourists. Kolkata has many museums and art-galleries.

• Jaipur: Jaipur, the capital of colorful Rajasthan (the home-land of the Rajputs), is an enchanting tourism destination that promises a bit of everything – history, culture, adventure. Important Jaipur monuments include the likes of Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar; besides, Jaipur has some important shrines. Again, Jaipur is as much famous for its fairs and festivals as it is for its lakes and wildlife reserves. Do not leave Jaipur without picking up its famous handicrafts and jewelry; the city’s leather goods and carpets too are in great demand.

• Kanchipuram: The city of thousand temples, Kanchipuram, is one among India’s seven holy cities. Being the second holiest cities of Hindus (after Varanasi), it has a large number of temples dedicated to Hindu deities like the Kamakshi Amman Temple, Kailasanatha Temple, Varadaraja Temple and similar others. Kanchipuram is famous for its hand-woven silk fabrics and sarees.

India Travel: Economy and Infrastructure

Following the economic reforms of the 1990s, India has become one of the fastest developing economies of the world with prominent roles being played by private players in the service sector. India has been registering an average annual GDP growth rate of 5.8% over the last two decades and is poised to become a driver of the global economy by the 2020s.

Despite its economic growth, India continues to be a low-income country. India has the highest percentage of people living below the poverty line and is continually plagued by problems like flawed infrastructure and sub-standard/inadequate facilities.

India Travel: Culture

India is a land of diverse cultures – here people speak different languages, eat different food, wear different wears, follow different religions, cultures, traditions, etc. The cultural richness of India gets reflected in the people’s patronizing of various dance and music forms – be it classical or folk. The Indian cuisine too has its rich regional flavors as has the many festivities of India.

Despite the fact that field-hockey is the national sport of India, Cricket-mania has become a part of Indian culture. Be it domestic competitions or international matches, people follow cricket madly. Tennis has caught people’s fancy following India’s Davis Cup wins and recently badminton too is gaining popularity.