| Introduction | | | | kilometers away from Agra, and 250 kilometers |
| India is one of the most attractive tourist | | | | from Jaipur. |
| destinations in Asia. India is a large country in | | | | Culture & People |
| southern Asia. It's the second largest country in | | | | The people of India speak 14 major languages |
| the world in population, ranking only behind China. | | | | and more than 1000 minor languages & dialects. |
| In 2004, foreign tourists visiting India spent 15.4 | | | | India has three main land regions :a. The |
| billion USD - the ninth highest in the world. India is | | | | Himalayasb. The Northern Plainsc. The Deccan or |
| also ranked among the top 3 adventure tourism | | | | the Southern Plateau |
| destinations. One can expect to spend about | | | | With nearly 1 billion citizens, India is the second |
| $1,750 in 2005 dollars for a two week visit, | | | | most populous nation in the world. It is impossible |
| staying in accomodations equivalent to Western | | | | to speak of any one Indian culture, although there |
| ones. | | | | are deep cultural continuities that tie its people |
| India is a land of often bewildering diversity. It is a | | | | together. English is the major language of trade |
| jigsaw puzzle of people of every faith and religion, | | | | and politics, but there are fourteen official |
| living together to create a unique and colourful | | | | languages in all. There are twenty-four languages |
| mosaic. There is a festival for every reason and | | | | that are spoken by a million people or more, and |
| for every season. Every celebration centres | | | | countless other dialects. India has seven major |
| around rituals of prayer, seeking blessings, | | | | religions and many minor ones, six main ethnic |
| exchanging goodwill, decorating houses, wearing | | | | groups, and countless holidays. |
| new clothes, music, dance and feasting. | | | | When to Visit India |
| India also has a large variety of protected wildlife. | | | | India has such a wide range of climatic factors |
| The country's protected wilderness consists of 75 | | | | that it's impossible to pin down the best time to |
| National parks of India and 421 Sanctuaries, of | | | | visit weather-wise with any certainty. Most of |
| which 19 fall under the purview of Project Tiger. | | | | India has three seasons :a. Cool Season - October |
| Its climatic and geographic diversity makes it the | | | | to February.b. Hot season - march to June.c. Rainy |
| home of over 350 mammals and 1200 bird | | | | / Monsoon - monsoons start from mid June to |
| species, many of which are unique to the | | | | September. |
| subcontinent. Some well known national wildlife | | | | October to March tend to be the most pleasant |
| sanctuaries include Corbett, Kanha, Sariska, | | | | months for most of the parts of the country. |
| Periyar, Ranthambore, and Bharatpur. | | | | The mountainous areas in North India usualy have |
| Perhaps India's best-known site is the Taj Mahal, | | | | snowfall between December and March. Kashmir |
| one of the world's greatest architectural | | | | and the mountainous regions of Himachal Pradesh |
| achievements. It was built between 1631 and 1653 | | | | are at their most accessible between May and |
| by Emperor Shah Jahan in honor of his wife, | | | | September. |
| Arjumand Banu, more popularly known as | | | | The best time to visit Sikkim and the areas of |
| Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal serves as her tomb. | | | | north-eastern India is March and August. |
| One of the popular tourist circuits is called the | | | | The best time to visit deserts of Rajasthan and |
| Golden Triangle: the cities Delhi; Agra (site of the | | | | the north-western Indian Himalayan region is |
| Taj Mahal); and Jaipur. Delhi is approximately 200 | | | | during the monsoon. |