India
is one of the most attractive tourist
destinations in Asia
Alternative meanings: Asia (mythology),
Asia Minor.
Extent
1.
The continent of Asia is
defined by subtracting Europe and
Africa from the great land mass
of Africa-Eurasia. The boundaries
are vague, especially between Asia
and Europe: Asia and Africa meet
somewhere near the Suez Canal. The
boundary between Asia and Europe
runs via the Dardanelles, the Sea
of Marmara, the Hellespont, the
Black Sea, the ridges of the Caucasus,
the Caspian Sea, the Ural River
and the Ural Mountains to Novaya
Zemlya. See also Eurasia.
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. Bounded by the Himalayan
ranges
The
Himalayas (the Himalayan
Range) are a mountain range
in Asia, separating India and Pakistan
on the south and southwest from
the vast Tibetan plateau (occupied
by China) on the north. Nepal and
Bhutan are sovereign nations in
the southern foothills. The Himalayas
connect with the Hindu Kush mountain
range in Afghanistan. The word Himalaya
is of Sanskrit origin and means
abode of snow.
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in the north, and surrounded
on three sides by water (the Arabian
Sea
The Arabian Sea is the part
of the Indian Ocean between the Arabian
Peninsula and India. In the northwest
it connects to the Gulf of Oman which
in turn connects to the Persian Gulf.
The countries with coastlines on
the Arabian Sea are India, Iran,
Oman, Pakistan, Yemen, and United
Arab Emirates.
Cities on the coast include Mumbai
(Bombay), (India) and Karachi, (Pakistan).
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, Bay
of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal is a sea
that forms the northeastern part
of the Indian Ocean. It resembles
a triangle in shape, and is bordered
on the east by the Malay Peninsula,
and on the west by the Indian subcontinent.
On the northern tip of the "bay"
lie the Indian state of West Bengal
and the country of Bangladesh, thus
the name. The southern extremes
reach the island country of Sri
Lanka, and the Indian Union Territory
Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
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, and the Indian
Ocean
The
Indian Ocean is the third-largest
body of water in the world, covering
about 20% of the Earth's water surface.
It is bounded on the north by southern
Asia(the Indian Sub-continent);
on the west by the Arabian Peninsula
and Africa; on the east by the Malay
Peninsula, the Sunda Islands, and
Australia; and on the south by the
Southern Ocean. It is separated
from the Atlantic Ocean by the
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), with a long history and
diverse culture, India
The Republic of India, located
in South Asia and comprising most
of the Indian subcontinent is the
second most populous country in
the world and is the world's largest
democracy, with over one billion
people speaking more than one hundred
distinct languages. The Indian economy
is the fourth-largest in the world,
in terms of purchasing power parity.
India borders Bangladesh, Myanmar,
China, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan,
with Sri Lanka and the Maldives
just across the Indian mainland
in the Indian Ocean.
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offers a wide array
of places to see and things to do.
Perhaps India's best-known site
is the Taj
Mahal
The
Taj Mahal, located in Agra
in northern India, is a tomb constructed
by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in
memory of his wife Arjumand Bano
Begum. She is popularly known as
Mumtaz Mahal, which in
Persian means "the light of
the palace". She died in 1630
while giving birth to their fourteenth
child. Construction began in 1632
and ended in 1648. Among the 20,000
persons who worked on the monument
were master craftsmen from Europe
and Central Asia.
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, one of the world's greatest
architectural achievements. It was
built between 1631
Centuries: 16th century - 17th
century - 18th century
Decades: 1580s 1590s 1600s 1610s
1620s - 1630s - 1640s - 1650s
1660s 1670s 1680s
Years: 1626 1627 1628 1629 1630
- 1631 - 1632 1633 1634 1635
1636
Events:
- February 5 - Roger Williams
emigrates to Boston
- May 10 - During the Thirty Years'
War imperial troops storm the
German city of Magdeburg and commit
a massacre. About 20,000 inhabitants
are killed.
- May 18 - In Dorchester, Massachusetts,
John Winthrop takes the oath of
office and becomes the first Governor
of Massachusetts.
- Moses Amyraut's Traite des
Religions is published.
- Algerine pirates sack Baltimore,
Ireland
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and 1653
Centuries: 16th century - 17th
century - 18th century
Decades: 1600s 1610s 1620s 1860s
1640s - 1650s - 1660s 1670s
1680s 1690s 1700s
Years: 1648 1649 1650 1651 1652
- 1653 - 1654 1655 1656 1657
1658
Events
- February 2 - New Amsterdam (later
renamed New York City) is incorporated.
- December 16 - Oliver Cromwell
becomes Lord Protector of England,
Scotland and Ireland.
- End of the first period of republican
government called the Commonwealth
of England. The Rump Parliament
was disbanded by Oliver Cromwell.
See also the Long Parliament and
Southamptonshire.
- Marcello Malpighi becomes a
doctor of medicine.
- Stephen Bachiler returns to
England.
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by Emperor Shah
Jahan
Padshah Shah Jahan I (January
5, 1592 - January 22, 1666) was the
ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1627
until 1658. He commissioned the building
of the Taj Mahal in Agra, for his
first wife Empress Mumtaz Mahal (meaning
'the first lady of the palace'). But
for the last five years of his life
he was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb
in a room Agra Fort, tended only by
his eldest daughter Jahanara Begum,
with a direct view of the building.
This was punishment for his endorsing
Dara Shikoh, Aurangzeb's older brother
in the fight for succession, but it
was a better fate than he might have
expected; most Mughal Emperors killed
their fathers upon succession.
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in honor of his wife,
Arjumand Banu, more popularly known
as Mumtaz
Mahal
Arjumand Banu Begum was born
April 1593 in Agra. Her Father was
Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan, the brother
of Noorjehan, wife of Jahangir. She
was married at the age of 14, on 10
May 1612, to then Prince Khurram,
who would later ascend the Peacock
Throne as Mughal emperor Shah Jahan
I. She was his third wife, and named
Mumtaz Mahal, which means in Urdu
"beloved ornament of the palace".
She became his favourite wife. She
died June 17 1631 in Burhanpur in
the Deccan, during childbirth of her
daughter. Buried in the Taj Mahal
in Agra.
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. The Taj Mahal serves as her
tomb.
One of the popular tourist circuits
is called the Golden Triangle: the
cities Delhi
Alternate meanings: Delhi, California,
Delhi (village), New York
Delhi
forms the 'National Capital Territory'
of the Republic of India. It contains
the newer city of New Delhi which
is no longer a distinguishable urban
area, but contains many of the administrative
institutions of the national government,
and is formally considered the national
capital. A name change to either
Indraprastha or Dilli
is currently being debated.
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; Agra
Agra is a city on the Yamuna
River in India.
It was most celebrated when it
was the capital of the Mogul sovereigns
(1526 to 1658). Many splendid buildings
of that time are still there to
be seen, among them the fortress
built by Akbar, within the walls
of which are the palace of Shah
Jahan and the Pearl Mosque. Still
more noted is the Taj Mahal, built
by Shah Jahan as a tomb for himself
and his wife.
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(site of the Taj Mahal);
and Jaipur
Jaipur, also popularly known
as the Pink City, is the capital of
Rajasthan state, India, and was built
by Sawai Jai Singh, the ruler of Amber.
It is known for its pink colored
buildings, big palaces, and archaeological
marvels like the Hawa Mahal (the
palace of winds). It is considered
one of the best planned cities of
its time. The
population in 2003 was approximately
2.7 million.
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. Delhi is approximately
200 kilometers away from Agra
Agra is a city on the Yamuna
River in India.
It was most celebrated when it
was the capital of the Mogul sovereigns
(1526 to 1658). Many splendid buildings
of that time are still there to
be seen, among them the fortress
built by Akbar, within the walls
of which are the palace of Shah
Jahan and the Pearl Mosque. Still
more noted is the Taj Mahal, built
by Shah Jahan as a tomb for himself
and his wife.
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, and 250 kilometers from Jaipur
Jaipur, also popularly known
as the Pink City, is the capital of
Rajasthan state, India, and was built
by Sawai Jai Singh, the ruler of Amber.
It is known for its pink colored
buildings, big palaces, and archaeological
marvels like the Hawa Mahal (the
palace of winds). It is considered
one of the best planned cities of
its time. The
population in 2003 was approximately
2.7 million.
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.
Another set of destinations covers
the desert cities of Jodhpur, Jaiselmer,
Bikaner, and Barmer, in the state
of Rajasthan
Date of formation 1948
Capital Jaipur
Governor Madan Lal Khurana
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia
Area 342,239 kmē Rajasthan
is a state in northwestern India.
It borders Pakistan to the west,
Gujarat to the southwest, Madhya
Pradesh to the southeast, Uttar
Pradesh and Haryana to the northeast
and Punjab to the north. Rajasthan
covers an area of 342,239 sq km
(132,139 sq mi). Population in 2000
numbered 56,000,000.
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, the "Land of Kings."
Jodhpur is a fortress-city at the
edge of the Thar
Desert
The Thar Desert (also known
as the Great Indian Desert)
is a desert located in the state
of Rajasthan in northwest India.
It continues into Pakistan as the
Cholistan Desert. It is a region
of constantly shifting sand dunes,
with sparse vegetation in some areas.
The
area turned to desert relatively
recently: perhaps around 2000 BC
- 1500 BC. Around this time the
Ghaggar ceased to be a major river
and now terminates in the desert.
The area receives between 12 and
25 cm of precipitation annually.
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. Jaisalmer is famous for
its golden fortress, and Bikaner
for its medieval history as a trade
route outpost. Barmer and surrounding
areas are a perfect picture of typical
Rajasthani villages.
Other cities of interest include
Gwalior
Teli-ka-Mandir Gwalior
is a city in Madhya Pradesh, India.
It lies 76 miles (122 km) south of
Agra with a population of 690,342.
Gwalior is an industrial and artisanal
center.
Gwalior is interesting first as
a very ancient seat of Jain worship;
secondly for its example of palace
architecture of the best Hindu period
(1486-1516); and thirdly as an historic
fortress. There
are several remarkable Hindu temples
within the fort. One, known as the
Sas Bahu, is beautifully adorned
with bas-reliefs. It was finished
in AD. 1093, and, though dilapidated,
is still picturesque.
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, Khajuraho
Khajuraho is a city in the
Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located
about 385 miles southeast of Delhi,
the capital city of India.
One of the most popular tourist
destinations in India, Khajuraho
has the largest group of medieval
temples famous for their erotic
sculpture. The name Khajuraho is
derived from the Hindi word khajur
meaning a date palm.
The
city was once
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, Varanasi
Benares (also known as Banaras,
Kashi, Kasi and Varanasi)
is a Hindu holy city on the banks
of the river Ganga or Ganges in
the modern north Indian state of
Uttar Pradesh. It has been a seat
of knowledge from about 700 BC onwards.
Its universities attracted students
from all over the then-known world.
Benares
is the site of the holy shrine of
Lord Kasi Viswanatha (a form of
Lord Shiva); this, along with its
positional advantage of being on
the banks of the Ganga, has given
it a place at the forefront of the
Hindu religion. It is believed that
bathing in the Ganga or dying in
the holy city circumvents re-incarnation
and hence provides a permanent place
in the
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, Mathura
Mathura is a city in India,
located ~50km north of Agra; Mathura
is to the south of Delhi. During
the ancient period, this was an
economic hub -- located at the junction
of some relatively important caravan
routes.
This
is the reputed birthplace of Krishna.
A temple, built on the site of Krishna's
supposed birthplace (an underground
prison), was partially destroyed
by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb,
who built a mosque in its place.
Archaeological evidence seems to
indicate that, by 100 BC, there
was a group of Jainists living in
Mathura. (Bowker)
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, and Haridwar
Haridwar is a holy city in
the state of Uttaranchal in northern
India. Known as the Gateway
to the Gods, Haridwar is considered
one of the seven holiest places
according to Hindus, as the gods
are said to have left their footprints
there. The city also stands as a
gateway to three other important
pilgrimage destinations: Rishikesh,
Badrinath, and Kedarnath.
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.
India also has a large variety
of protected wildlife. The country's
protected wilderness consists of
75 National Parks and 421 Sanctuaries,
of which 19 fall under the purview
of Project
Tiger
Project Tiger is a wildlife
conservation project launched in
India in 1972 to protect the depleting
numbers of tigers in India. It was
formed in 1972 and launched on April
1st, 1973.
This
was a pet project of Indira Gandhi.
Because of this, it is suspected
that number of tigers might have
been exaggerated until her death
in 1984. The funding and political
support for Project Tiger has also
reduced after her death.
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. 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
Jim Corbett National Park
is India's first national park,
located in the northern state of
Uttar Pradesh. It was established
as a national park in 1936 under
the United Provinces National Parks
Act of India. It is known for its
varied wildlife, and as the site
for the launching of Project Tiger.
The
wildlife found in the Corbett National
Park include the hedgehog, the common
musk shrew,
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, Kanha, Sariska
Sariska is a national park
in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
It covers an area of about 800 square
kilometers and has sambar, spotted
deer, wild boar, and tigers. Project
Tiger, the project launched in India
to protect and preserve tigers,
has been in charge of the sanctuary
since 1979.
The
national park also contains ruined
temples, a fort, and pavilions,
built by the maharajas of Alwar.
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, Periyar
Periyar or EVR or Thanthai
Periyar or Periyar Ramasami
(1879-1973) is the well known Rationalist,
Atheist, freedom fighter and Activist
from Tamil Nadu state of India. Though
he was born in an affluent Naicker
(an upper caste) family, he fought
against the untouchability practiced
by Brahmins and the rituals in Hinduism
and the caste system.
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, Ranthambhor, and Bharatpur.
Moving south, many places are a
mix of ancient historic sites as
well as industrial/technological
hubs. Some of these are listed below.
The southern state of Karnataka
Karnataka is one of the
four southern states of India. Bangalore
is its capital. Other major cities
include Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli-Dharwad
and Belgaum. There are many noteworthy
Hindu holy places in Karnataka,
of them, Udupi, Dharmasthala, Sringeri,
Horanadu, Kollur are well known.
It
has Goa to its northwest, Maharashtra
to its north, Andhra Pradesh to
its east, Tamil Nadu to its east
and southeast, and Kerala to its
southwest. The western border is
the shore of the Arabian Sea.
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offers:
- Bangalore
Bangalore
Classification City
Nick Names Silicon Valley of India,
Pub City, Garden City
Country India
State Karnataka
District Bangalore
Language Kannada
Time zone GMT+5:30
Importance Capital of Karnataka,
Known for Software exports
Population
- Total
- Density
- Sex Ratio
- Growth Rate
60,24,800 (2004) http://www.world-gazetteer.com/t/t_in.htm
,
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, the IT capital of India,
is also significant for its history
- Mysore
Mysore is a city in the
Indian state of Karnataka.
It was the capital of the kingdom
of Mysore, which forms a large
part of modern-day Karnataka,
and which was abolished following
Indian indepdence in 1947.
One of the best (some would
say worst) times to visit Mysore
is during the annual nine-night,
ten-day Dussera or Navaratri
festival, which usually occurs
in early October.
University
of Mysore (named Manasa
Gangotri) one of the oldest
universities in India is located
in this City. Other institutions
include the Central Food and
Technology Research Institute
CFTRI, Defense Food and Research
Laboratory DFRL.
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, 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,
Coorg,
Talacauvery, Kemmanagundi all
places of immense natural beauty.
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 TamilNadu has the
longest marina in the world
- Madurai -
known for the beautiful Meenakshi
temple
- Rameshwaram
- The temple here the longest
corridor in the world
- 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 Ooty offer
the visitors a welcome relief
from the usually hot climate in
the state.
Kerala
- It is famous for its backwaters,
tropical beaches and spice farms.
- The govt of Kerala now offers
tourism packages related to Ayurveda.
- Alappuzha(Alappey) is known
as the venice of the east and
is very beautiful
- Thiruvananthapuram (formerly
Trivandrum)
Andhra
Pradesh
Pondicherry
- Aurobindo Ashram
- Auroville
Goa is
another popular destination, famous
for its excellent beaches, churches,
and temples. preview
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