Across
the length and breadth of India are thousands of enchanting tourist
destinations. Such is the volume and diversity of her tourist attractions
that it may not be possible to visit all of them in a lifetime. Most of
India's cities are acquiring a modern outlook but have carefully preserved
their ancient heritage for the future generations. India also has diverse
flora and fauna which could be best seen in the wildlife sanctuaries. Along
the long coastline of India are some of the most picturesque beaches. If the
Indian summer heat becomes unbearable, plenty of mesmerizing hill stations
are available to beat the heat. But India is most popular for her pilgrimage
destinations. India being an ancient civilization, most of these pilgrimage
destinations date back to thousands of years. There are pilgrimages for
every religion in India.
The Indian Cities :
A travel to India should always begin with New Delhi, the capital and pride
of India. The monuments of Delhi mutely tell the story of her eventful
historical past. Some of the popular monuments dotting the landscape are
Qutab Minar, Red Fort, Humayun's tomb, Jantar Mantar, Jama Masjid and India
Gate. Agra to the east of Delhi houses the Taj Mahal-one of the wonders of
the world. A symbol of eternal love, the beauty and grandeur of Taj could
hardly be surpassed by any other monument in the world. Jaipur, the pink
city is actually a riot of colours where some of medieval India's best
palaces and forts could be seen. Mumbai, the commercial capital has
everything for tourists. The attractions include Gateway of India, Mahatma
Jyotiba Phule Market, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, National Gallery of
Modern Art, Mahalaxmi Temple and Siddhivinayak Temple. Bangalore with its
swanky restaurants, glitzy malls, multi storied multinational offices and
shopping complexes is the new face of corporate India. On the other hand,
Hyderabad is a city both with an old and a new look. Old Hyderabad has some
magnificent monuments that are the best specimen of Islamic style of
architecture. Char Minar is the best example. New Hyderabad, like Bangalore
has seen the mushrooming of gorgeous restaurants, malls, shopping complexes
and offices of software companies. The metropolis of Chennai also has an old
and a new order. Marina beach, the second longest beach of Asia is Chennai's
best attraction. Kolkata, another metropolis in eastern India has some
magnificent legacies left behind by the British . The best are the Victoria
memorial and Howrah bridge.
Wildlife
Sanctuaries :
The best thing about India's wildlife sanctuaries is that many of them are
popular for one animal species. Corbett National Park in Uttaranchal is
India's first national park. Located in the foothills of Garhwal Himalayas,
it is famous for tigers. Equally famous for tigers are the national parks of
Ranthambhore and Sariska located in Rajasthan. Ranthambhore is regarded as
one of the best places in the world to see the big cat. Keoladeo Ghana in
Bharatpur of Rajasthan is a world famous bird sanctuary having over 400
varieties of birds. Gir in Gujarat is the only remaining habitat of some 300
Asiatic lions. Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is thronged by nature lovers to
have glimpses of the gigantic elephants. Kanha National Park in Madhya
Pradesh is another safe habitat of the tiger which also boasts of a diverse
variety of fauna. Sundarbans in West Bengal is a sanctuary of a different
kind. The largest delta in the world, the tigers of Sundarbans reside in the
midst of water. Sundarbans also has the biggest mangrove forests in the
world. To India's extreme east, more than half of one horned rhinos of the
world roam in their safe habitat of Kaziranga. Kaziranga National Park is
also a bio diversity hotspot.
Beaches
:
India has a long coastline along which are many picturesque beaches. The
tiny Indian state of Goa is known as a paradise for beach holidaying. Near
the beaches are many exotic resorts that rank among the best in the world.
While the beaches of Baga and Varca are known for their serene ambience,
Candolin , Majorda and Covla are beaches where a host of activities take
place. Water sports activities like sailing, skiing and swimming are very
popular in the beaches. Anjuna beach is known for a great nightlife. The
beach remains in party mode all the time. Calangute is Goa's most commercial
beach offering everything from scenic beauty to water sports. Down south,
the beaches of Tamil Nadu are no less beautiful. Marina beach offers some of
the most mesmerizing sunrise and sunset views. Mahabalipuram beach has a
spiritual tilt with some ancient monuments right on the shore like Shore
temple and Arjuna's Penance. Kerala's best beaches are Kovalam, Varkala and
Alleppey having great scenic beauty and serenity.
Hill Stations :
The mind relaxing hill stations of India are visited in large numbers. To
India's north, Shimla, Kullu, Manali and Dharamshala perched on the lap of
Himalayas rank among India's best hill stations. The whole of Kashmir is
full of snow capped mountains. In Rajasthan, Mount Abu at an altitude of
over 1000 metres is the state's only hill station. To India's south, Ooty
and Munnar are hill stations known for lush greenery and splendid hills.
Picturesque Mahabaleshwar is a popular hill station of Maharashtra. To
India's east, Darjeeling and Gangtok are great places for a summer break.
Located strategically, the hill stations offer a great view of the snow
capped Himalayas.
Pilgrimage :
The pilgrimage destinations are spread all over the country. Starting with
small communities, Sikhs have the Golden Temple at Amritsar as their most
revered pilgrimage destination. The gold plated temple is also an
architectural masterpiece. The Jain community visits the Dilwara temples of
Mount Abu and Palitana in Gujarat in large numbers. The temples of Dilwara
display splendid carvings in marble. There are many Buddhist pilgrimage
destinations also most of which are located in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Bodhgaya is where Lord Buddha had attained enlightenment. The attractive
Mahabodhi temple stands at the place. At Vaishali, Lord Buddha had delivered
his last sermons. Ragjir is where he spent considerable part of his life.
Buddhists also hold Nalanda, Sarnath, Dharamshala, Leh and Tawang in great
reverence. The list of Hindu pilgrimage sites in the country is endless.
Most devotees throng to India's south where some of the magnificent and most
revered temples belonging to ancient period dot the landscape. The most
prominent temples are Meenakshi and Rock Fort in Tamil Nadu, Tirupati in
Andhra Pradesh, Badami Caves in Karnataka, Sabarimala and Guruvayur in
Kerala. Rameshwaram is also a sacred pilgrimage destination with many
temples. In Orissa, the Jagannath temple of Puri, Sun temple of Konark and
Lingaraja temple of Bhubaneshwar are the most visited. The temples of
Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh display the best art forms of ancient India in
the form of exquisite carvings and sculptures. However, some of India's most
sacred pilgrimages are either located on the banks of holy river Ganges or
perched on the lap of Himalayas. They include Haridwar, Rishikesh,
Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The last four are regarded as
Char Dham and it is believed that a pilgrimage to them paves the way for
one's salvation. Varanasi has a number of ghats belonging to the ancient
period where river Ganges is worshipped regularly. The temples of Mathura
and Vrindavan are dedicated to Lord Krishna. The festival of Holi and
Janmastami are celebrated in a big way in these places.
