A little Crown👑

India, the only country after which an ocean has been named, is a picturesque and exquisite country situated in South Asia. It has a rich culture and people of all races and religions reside here.

India is known for its incredible architecture, especially the Taj Mahal which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

 

PLACES TO SEE

Each part of India is unique and that is what makes it so special!

The North of the country is known for The Great Himalayas.

The sky-piercing mountains, the sparkling rivers and the marvellous snowfall leaves a terrific impression on the tourists.

The south of the country is known for its beaches, shrines, food and culture. From the coffee plantations in Karnataka to the rich colonial heritage to the yummy idli-sambar, it is loved by all.

The West of the country is known for the gigantic and grand deserts. Taking a camel’s ride and looking at the starry night sky is an amazing experience!

The Seven sisters of the East are counted as one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. They are known for their rich tribes, graceful dances, delicious cuisines and melodious classical music. One would fall in love with these magnificent sisters!

 

Apart from these, the capital city has been rated the twelveth in the world’s top cities. Though Delhi is just a little less than 1500 sq. kilometer, there are about 112 monuments situated in Delhi.

India is also famous for the City of Dreams, Mumbai. Also known as the financial capital, it is the second most popular city in India after New Delhi and is home to most of the Bollywood stars. It is known for its broad-minded residents more than its splendid beaches, monuments, music and fresh rain.

Bangalore is another famous city of India, and is quite similar to New York. It is also called the Silicon Valley of India. Apart from the skyscrapers and glittering malls, the tech hub of India is also known for its impeccable climate and warm hospitality.

Another place to visit would be Agra. Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world is an extremely beautiful sight and people fall in love with the white-marbled monument. The Agra fort, the Fatehpur Sikri and other Mughal monuments are other attractive monuments.

People from all over the world also come to see the smallest state of India, Goa. Also known as India’s pocket-sized paradise, Goa has over 35 beaches within the 100-kilometre coastline. Goa is recognized across the globe for its tempting seafood, beach shacks, elegant cafes and bustling nightlife.

 

Rishikesh is a beautiful city situated a few hundred kilometres from Delhi. The scenic beauty of Rishikesh is due to its location in the Himalayan foothills beside the holy Ganges. Rishikesh offers a centre for yoga and meditation in the temples and ashrams as well as adventure activities such as boating, river rafting and cliff jumping.

 

Spirituality is the soul of India, and people from all over the world come to India to explore it. India is famous for its grand temples (called mandirs in Hindi language). Some of these are Badrinath Temple, Kedarnath Temple, Vaishno Devi Mandir, Golden Temple, and Iskcon Temple.

 

It is rightly said by Mark Twain that ‘India is the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse would not give the glimpse for all the shows of all the rest of the globe combined.'

 

FOOD TO RELISH

India is known for its enticing food. The food is generally rich, spicy and flavourful. Different Spices, herbs and ingredients are grown and used in different areas and that is why the food in India is diverse. All parts of India offer different dishes, though they all are divine.

Some of the Indian spices used in Indian foods are cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric and ginger.

Indian food and spices are considered very healthy. The food generally has no preservatives because everything is made from scratch.

 

North Indian dishes reflect Central Asian influences. Famous North Indian dishes include Sarson ka saag, dal makhani, chole bhature, puri-aloo, pav bhaji, shahi paneer, rajma-chawal and breads like naan, tandoori and rumali.

 

A large part of west India was inhabited by the Marwaris and Rajputs, who preferred vegetarian food and hence, it heavily influences the cuisine. Vada pao, Dal baati choorma, kachoris, poha, sabudane ki khichdi and dhokla are some irresistible western dishes. The Bombay duck, the Goan fish curry and the Laal Maas are some finger-licking non-vegetarian western cuisines.

 

South Indian food is famous all around the world. Coconut is a native to southern India and South Indian food tends to have a lot of coconut in it. Some mouth-watering south-Indian dishes are Idli-Sambar, Dosa, Dal Vada, Aloo Bonda, Kerala Vegetable Stew, Upma and Uthappam. Most of these dishes are eaten with dips such as the coconut chutney and the tomato chutney.

 

Due to the wet climate, Eastern region of the country grows a lot of rice, green vegetables and fruits, thus eastern India offers exceptional dishes. Some of the appetizing eastern dishes are Litti Chokha, fish curry, Dalma, Machcher Jhol, Sikkimese momos and thukpa.

 

A very important element in the Indian dishes is curd which also called ‘dahi’ in India. Dahi is a dairy product made by curdling the milk with edible acidic substance such as lemon juice or vinegar.

 

Indian food is also known for its spicy chaats. The chaat, is a traditional savoury snack sold by street vendors in India that originated in the country's northern region and is now popular throughout South Asia. Indian chaats are mixed with a plethora of tangy aromatic spices and sour Indian chillies. Aloo chaat, papri chaat, bhel puri, dahi vada, golgappa, raj kachori and samosas are some flavoursome chaats of India.

 

Moving on from the savoury food to the desserts, Indian sweets stand out from the rest of the world. Indian sweets are collectively called Mithai which is derived from the word ‘mitha' meaning sweet. Indian sweets are made with sugar, flour, ghee and condensed milk.

Rasgulla, Ladoo, Barfi, Rasmalai, Malpua, Peda, Ghewar, Modak, Halwa, Petha, Kalakand, Gulab Jamun, Gujiya and Jalebi are the famous desserts of India. Sweets like Rasgulla, Rasmalai and Gulab Jamun are eaten with a sugar syrup called chashni.

 

Indian beverages add up to the splendour of Indian food. Some of the famous beverages of India are masala chai, aam panna, chaach, lassi, shikanje and jal jeera.

 

EXPERIENCES TO REMEMBER

India is a land of different cultures, traditions, customs, languages and religions. The vivid, lively and enchanting country holds so many new experiences for tourists and residents.

 

An Indian wedding is a very zestful event. The bright colours, the upbeat Bollywood music and the wedding games make it very exciting. The marriage includes interesting rituals and traditions. The bride and groom conduct dancing competitions which make it very vivid.

 

Festivals of India are very lively. The Holi festival is celebrated at the arrival of spring. The festival of colours, as its name suggests, is one in which people rub bright colours on each other’s faces and eat a sweet called Gujiya. Children splash water and throw water balloons at each other. The sight is a very remarkable one, where all streets and houses are decorated with vibrant colours.

 

The festival of lights, Diwali is one of the most auspicious festivals of Hindus. Lights, diyas and candles are lighted everywhere. People wear traditional dresses, make rangolis and eat lots of Indian sweets. The decorated houses reflect the light in the hearts of all.

 

Tourists can also experience the world’s largest human gathering, the Kumbh Mela in India. It is held every 12 years in different places. In 2019, around 60 million people came to attend the mela.

 

Spiti Valley is a beautiful place to be and it holds many adventures. Snow leopard is an endangered animal, but it can be seen in the Spiti Valley and is a stunning sight!

Moreover, Spiti Valley has very clear skies. At night, not only can tourists view shooting stars but also the milky way, galaxies and planets! This is one of the most alluring sights that India holds.

 

In Maharashtra, something astonishing has been discovered, a waterfall that that moves upwards in the monsoon season! Tourists from all around the world come to see this phenomenon.

 

Assam is known for its tea, but one of the hottest peppers, ghost pepper is also grown in Assam. People from all over the world come to enjoy this spicy treat.

 

Ladakh is known for its beauty. An amazing experience can be seeing The Pangong Tso lake, which has colour changing abilities. The colours range from red, blue and green. It is a truly marvellous sight.

 

Another experience one can have in Ladakh is trekking on a frozen lake (Chadar Trek). The adventure is definitely worth the cold.

 

The valley of flower trek is not as adventurous as the Chadar Trek, but it is considered the most beautiful trek of the world. The Valley of Flowers is known for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers such as orchids, poppies, primulas, daisies. Along with the thriving flowers, there is a variety of rare fauna also present in the Valley. Some of these are Asiatic black bear, musk deer and blue sheep.

 

The national bird of India, the peacock, can be best seen in India in the monsoon season near the Indus river, in states like Mizoram and the Indian peninsula. The birds dancing in the rain is truly very scenic.

 

Quoting Tahir Shah: “Time spent in India has an extraordinary effect on one. It acts as a barrier that makes the rest of the world seem unreal.”