The Indian tourism industry is experiencing an exponential growth having emerged as one of the most preferred destinations across the world with more than 5 million annual tourist arrivals and 562 million domestic travellers exploring this subcontinent. It is a country that occupies the greater part of South Asia with a diverse terrain – from the Himalayan peaks to Indian ocean coastline and history dating back 5 millenia. With roughly one sixth of the world’s population India is the second most populous country after China.

India has varied lifestyles, cultural and historical heritage and colourful fairs and festivals which makes India a unique destination. India offers enormous diversity in topography, natural resources and climate. The country is a fascinating kaleidoscope of races, languages, religions, customs and traditions.

History

It is known from archaeological evidence that a highly sophisticated urnbanised culture – “ the Indus Valley Civilisation “ dominated the north western part of the sub continent from 2600 to 2000 BCE. Throughout its history India was intermittently disturbed by invasions from beyond its mountain walls, and eventually some of those raiders stayed back and by the 13th century much of the country was under the Muslim rule. The number of Muslims increased steadily until the arrival of the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama in 1498, after which India was exposed to major external influences arriving by sea, that caused the decline of the ruling Muslims elite and the absorption of the sub continent within the British empire. The British administration commenced from 1858 and eventually in 1947 India became independent country free from the British rule. Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism are practiced in this sub-continent and in addition, India is home to innumerable castes and tribes as well as to more than hundreds of linguistic groups from several language families unrelated to one another.

India’s architectural grandeur

India abounds in attractive and well preserved historical sites, ancient monuments of architectural grandeur and not so ancient mosques/durgahs, churches and places of worship of numerous diverse faiths. Taj Mahal at Agra depicting its romantic story - one of the 7 wonders of the world is known the world over for its engineering marvel and architectural grandeur. The Agra Fort, Sikandra, Rambagh and the imperial ruins of the Mughal city Fatehpur Sikri are finest examples of a blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture. The Ajanta and Ellora Caves with magnificent cave paintings are some of world’s most exquisite sculpture. The Elephanta caves of Maharashtra, the Konarak Sun Temple and Jagannath Temple of Odisha, the Khajuraho Temple in Madhya Pradesh , The Golden Temple in Amritsar Punjab, temples of Mamallapuram and Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu and the monuments in Karnataka and many more sites only speak of India’s rich historical and cultural heritage.

Indian Beaches

India has some fine beaches like Goa, Mamallapuram, Kovalam, Puducherry, Puri, Konarak, Gopalpur, etc. In addition island tourism has been developed at Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshwadeep.

India’s Wild Life

Scattered across the country are wild life sanctuaries whose areas extend over several thousands of square kilometers, where wild life can be observed in their natural surroundings. Each sanctuary supports several species of wildlife, being well known for one particular species including some rare or endangered species. The Gir Forest in Gujarat is the only surviving home of the Asian Lion, Manas and Kaziranga in Assam have a significant population of one horned rhinocerous, Periyar in Kerala is best known for wild elephant viewing. Thamin Deer at Keibul Lamjao National Park in Manipur, Hangul or Kashmir stag at Dachigam Srinagar, and black buck at Velavadhar in Gujarat are the only homes of these species.

India’s Adventure tourism

India’s vast geographical diversity provides a wealth of outdoor adventures. The major adventure tourism activities in India are trekking and skiing in the Himalayas, river rafting in Ganges, Water skiing in Goa, Trout Fishing in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, Heliskiing in Himachal Pradesh, wind surfing, scuba diving and yatching in Andamans & Lakshwadeep Islands.

Indian Fairs and Festivals

India is a land of Fairs and Festivals with atleast one fair in each day of the year. These fairs and festivals add colour to the social life of Indian people. Some important fairs are the Pushkar Fair in Rajasthan, Crafts Mela in Surajkund, Holi In North India, Baisakhi in Punjab, Guddi Pahwa in Maharashtra, Rath Festival in Odisha, Gangasagar festival in West Bengal, Poush Melaf in West Bengal, Bihu in Assam, Dance festivals in Khajuraho and Mamallapuram and many more.

Spiritual Tourism

For over 4000 years India, one of the most spiritually enriched places on earth – has been the cradle of spirituality. Being the land of the Vedas and Temples India is known as the spiritual capital of the world. Many sages, philosophers, and founders of religions sought and received enlightenment in this country and the trend continues even today. India is dotted with several spiritual destinations and a visit to one of them is essential for one on the path of self discovery. The many tours are Golden Temple Amritsar (Punjab), Varanasi, Mathura and Vrindavan (uttar Pradesh) , Dargah Kwaja Sahab (Ajmer), Somnath (Gujarat), Haridwar and Rishikesh (Uttar Pradesh), Pushkar (Rajasthan), Gangasagar and Mayapur (West Bengal), Jagannath Puri (Odisha), Bodhgaya (Bihar) ….and many more.

Ayurveda and Spa

India is also known as a centre of various Ayurvedic and spa health therapies and treatment. Ayurveda an intricate system of medicine (known as the science of Life) found its origin in India thousands of years ago. The Spa and Ayurveda tours allow you to visit some of India’s finest centres that are perfect to rejuvenate one’s mind and body from the stress of daily life. You can visit an immaculate resort in Kerala or Rishikesh (Uttar Pradesh) or the Ananda Uttarakhand where they drain out the tensions within you by ayurvedic and aromatic therapies and massages which is sure to boost you and revive you to your happy and pristine self.

Indian Art and culture

Due to its deep cultural heritage India has several forms of art and handicrafts. Bharatnayam, Odissi, Kathakali, Kuchipuri, Mohiniattam are some of the most popular form of classical dances which have their origins in various states across the country. Each dance form has a precise vocabulary of emotions – love, desire, sorrow, etc. which are displayed by gestures that involve the movement of the body, arms, feet, face, eyes and the fingers.

Shopping in India

India has a treasure trove of handicrafts for any discerning shopper, in truly remarkable variety of styles and prices. In India the shopping experience not only will take you through the gamut of air conditioned shopping malls, but also local bazaars in every nook and corner of each city, town, and village. Each city, town or village has some specialized handicraft item to boast about and the visitor is tempted to purchase these artefacts, handicrafts, dress material, carvings, gems, etc. due to its distinctiveness. In fact India is a unique shopping plaza for visitors from around the globe.

Over the years India has developed world standard infrastructure, including hotel accommodations, Road transportation, flights, railways in all cities and towns across the sub continent. And to offer you company during your tour you will have at your disposal English and other language speaking guides to make your visit truly memorable.