Tourism in India
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India is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Asia. Bounded by the Himalayan ranges in the north, and surrounded on three sides by water (the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean), with a long history and diverse culture, India offers a wide array of places to see and things to do. In 2004, foreign tourists visiting India spent 15.4 billion USD - the ninth highest in the world. India is also ranked among the top 3 adventure tourism destinations.
Perhaps India's best-known site is the Taj Mahal, one of the world's greatest architectural achievements. It was built between 1631 and 1653 by Emperor Shah Jahan in honor of his wife, Arjumand Banu, more popularly known as Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal serves as her tomb.
One of the popular tourist circuits is called the Golden Triangle: the cities Delhi; Agra (site of the Taj Mahal); and Jaipur. Delhi is approximately 200 kilometers away from Agra, and 250 kilometers from Jaipur.
India also has a large variety of protected wildlife. The country's protected wilderness consists of 75 National parks of India and 421 Sanctuaries, of which 19 fall under the purview of Project Tiger. Its climatic and geographic diversity makes it the home of over 350 mammals and 1200 bird species, many of which are unique to the subcontinent. Some well known national wildlife sanctuaries include Corbett, Kanha, Sariska, Periyar, Ranthambore, and Bharatpur.
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Rajasthan
Image:Hawaimahal.JPG Rajasthan, the "Land of the Kings", is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Northern India. The vast sand dunes of the Thar Desert attract millions of tourists from around the globe every year. Major visitor attractions in Rajathan include:
- Jaipur - The capital of Rajasthan, famous for it's rich history and royal architecture
- Jodhpur - fortress-city at the edge of the Thar Desert
- Jaisalmer - famous for its golden fortress
- Barmer - Barmer and surrounding areas offer perfect picture of typical Rajasthani villages.
- Bikaner - famous for its medieval history as a trade route outpost
- Mount Abu
Delhi
Image:BahaiLotusTemple.JPG Template:Main
Jammu and Kashmir
Image:Manasbal.jpg Tourist destinations in Jammu and Kashmir include:
Other cities of interest in Northern India include Gwalior, Khajuraho, Varanasi, Mathura, and Haridwar.
Moving south, many places are a mix of ancient historic sites as well as industrial/technological hubs. Some of these are listed below.
Kerala
Template:Main Image:A nice view of Munnar.JPG Kerala is an evergreen lush state, tucked away in the southern corner of India. It is one of the most haunted visits of tourists in India. The state has its own tourism brand name - "God's Own Country", which has super-brand status. Kerala is famous for its backwaters and lagoons. Kerala is also known for its Ayurveda. The state was nicked as one of the "10 paradises of the world" by the National Geographic traveller. The government of Kerala offers tourism packages related to Ayurveda also. The major attractions in Kerala include:
- Backwaters, lagoons, tropical beaches and spice farms.
- Hill stations at Thekady and Munnar
- Enchanting waterfalls at Athirapilly and Vazhachal
- An exquisite flora and fauna at its wildlife santuries.
- Its historical monuments.
- The housboats of Alapuzha.
More information on Kerala can be had from Official Site of the Kerala Tourism Development Board [1]
Karnataka
The southern state of Karnataka offers:
- Bangalore, the IT capital of India, is also significant for its history
- Mysore, about 140km from Bangalore, has palaces, KRS Dam, several temples, a Hindu temple atop Chamundi hills
- Srirangapatna, where nearby fortresses can be found (Tipu's)
- Hampi the city of ruins (1500's when the Muslim kings destroyed the prosperous Vijayanagar empire)
- The Belur and Halebid temples are famed for their sculptural beauty.
- Sravanabelagola has a Jain temple dedicated to king Bahubali. The statue is massive and a MahaMasthakaAbhishekham performed one every year, attracts a huge number of pilgrims
- Sringeri, located in the western ghats, has a wonderful temple dedicated to Sarada devi.
- The Western Ghats offer many other places of exceptional beauty like Agumbe, Horanadu etc.
- Madikeri, Kodagu, Talakaveri, Kemmanagundi all places of immense natural beauty.
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu has a rich culture and offers a wide selection of temples famed for their architectural beauty. Some of the more popular temple tour destinations include:
- Chennai - The capital of Tamil Nadu has the second longest beach in the world, the Marina Beach.
- Madurai - known for the beautiful Meenakshi temple
- Rameshwaram - The temple here the longest corridor in the world
- Swamithoppe - The Pathi here is the head quarters of Ayyavazhi religion and is known for its non-idolatory system of worship.
- Kanyakumari, located at the tip of India, is at the confluence of the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Recently a massive statue of Thiruvalluvar has been installed here.
- Kumbakonam, known for the numerous temples in the town. The Mahamaham festival is held here once in every twelve years and attracts millions of devotees to the place.
- Tiruchirapalli known for its Akhilandeshwari temple and Rockfort temple
- Thanjavur has the famous Brihadeeswara temple.
- The famous hillstations Kodaikanal and Nilgiris offer the visitors a welcome relief from the usually hot climate in the state.
Andhra Pradesh
Pondicherry
- Aurobindo Ashram
- Auroville
Orissa
Orissa has been a preferred destination from ancient days for people having interest in spirituality, religion, culture, art and beauty of the nature. Ancient and medieval architecture, pristine sea beaches, nature at her beautiful best, the classical and ethnic dance forms and a variety of festivals, all in combine attract tourists from far off places to explore this state to a have a divine exposure of love and hospitality. Orissa has kept alive Buddhism and the Buddha in its ancient womb. The spirit of Buddhism still haunts the very air of Orissa. Rock-edicts that have challenged time stand huge and over-powering by the banks of the river Daya. The silent stones sing out songs of peace and non-violence. The torch of Buddhism is still ablaze in the sublime triangle at Udayagiri, Lalitgiri & Ratanagiri, on the banks of river Birupa. The surrounding hills of Langudi and Kayama stand as mute witness to the quirks and twists of history. Precious fragments of a glorious past come alive in the shape of stupas, rock-cut caves, rock-edicts, excavated monastries, viharas, chaityas and sacred relics in caskets. Rock-edicts of Ashoka are a bonus for your eyes. Orissa is the home for various tribal communities who have contributed uniquely to the multicultural and multilingual character of the state. Their handicrafts, different dance forms, jungle products and their unique life style blended with their healing practices have got world wide attention.
Goa
Image:India Goa Coastline Tiracol.jpg Goa is another popular destination, famous for its excellent beaches, churches, and temples.
North East India
Image:ZemathangGlacierView.jpg Another popular tourist destination is the mystic state of Sikkim and its capital Gangtok. Places near Sikkim include Darjeeling and Kalimpong.
