North India : South India : East India : West India : Central India

Jammu & Kashmir - Jammu and Kashmir are really three regions: the foothill plains of Jammu; the lakes and blue valleys of Kashmir rising to alpine passes, the high altitude plains and starkly beautiful mountains of Ladakh, which lies beyond those passes. It's enough to move one to poetry. Srinagar is Kashmir's summer capital and Jammu, the winter capital.

One of Kashmir's greatest attractions are the Dal Lake houseboats. The Mughal Gardens of Srinagar is another tourist haunt. Pahalgam, Gulmarg, near Srinagar are picturesque towns, the first a by-route to Amarnath, the second a premier skiing resort. The famous Shankaracharya temple is perched high on top of the valley. Jammu is a templed town. Ladakh, the land of high passes, draws tourists to its Hemis Gompa, Stok Palace and Museum.

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Himachal Pradesh - Himachal Pradesh is wrapped in snow most of the time. Many parts of the Himachal state have a distinctly Austrian look with conifer-clad mountains, chalet-like huts with overhanging balconies and serene blue valleys watered by snow-fed streams. Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, is still very much a Raj township in appearance and atmosphere.

Himachal Pradesh stores numerous wonderful hill stations, which are particularly cool in summers. Shimla, Dalhousie, Kullu , Kasauli, Manali, Chail and Kufri are a few of the hill Stations in Himachal Pradesh which offer breathtaking scenery. Dharmasala, where the Dalai Lama lives, is another important centre on the tourist map. The foremost shrine in Kangra town is the Brajeshwari Devi temple. 30-km from Kangra is Jwalamukhi, one of the most revered temples in northern India. The Kangra Museum has an impressive art collection.

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Punjab - Punjab leads by example. A hearty and robust attitude to life and work has dulled the pains of Partition. Green fields, fields ripe with corn, tractors busy with work; Punjab presents a pretty picture of a prosperous farm life. The Punjabis' work ethic is indistinguishable from his religion. He brings to his work the passion of a devotee and worships his gurus with the energy he ploughs his fields. The most distinctive Punjabis are the Sikhs with their martial identity.

While in Punjab, head for Amritsar and the Golden Temple , which is the most revered temple for the Sikhs. Other noteworthy stops are the Durhiana Temple, a Hindu shrine with features resembling the Golden Temple's; the Rambagh Gardens, a prince's summer palace now a museum; and Jallianwala Bagh, a national monument honouring the martyrs of India's freedom movement. Patiala has several attractions worth a look. Visit the Moti Bagh Palace with its mirror-studded Shesh Mahal and fine collection of miniature paintings.

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Haryana - Haryana was carved out of Punjab in 1966. It is a land of fat, flat fields and villages where the patriarch is still the venerated figure and politics revolves around rural and village-community loyalties. Its history lies buried in the ground beneath our feet with excavations, daily revealing its distant past. Its roads merge with those of Delhi's: it's difficult to know where one begins and the other ends.

Tourist attractions of Haryana are mainly centred in the capital, Chandigarh. Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake, Rose Garden are worth seeing. The Sultanpur National Park, which houses many birds including flamingoes is also a must-see.

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Rajasthan - Rajasthan, this wild desert land invites you to a memorable tryst with itself. Savor Rajasthan's unique culture that is a blend of the ancient and the modern. Travel Rajasthan, check out must visit forts, palaces and monuments; enjoy a luxurious stay at famous heritage hotels of Rajasthan or take a heritage tour of distinct cultural heritage sites of Rajasthan.

Rajasthan Travel Guide : Amber Fort Baneswar Fair City Palace Ajmer-e-Sharief Eklingji Fateh Sagar Gadsisar Lake Hawa Mahal Jain Temples Jantar Mantar Kalibanga Lake Palace Nagaur Fair Palace of Padmini Pushkar Fair Ranthambore Sam sand dunes Shri Mahavirji Fair Shilp Gram Sisosia Rani Bagh Umaid Bhawan Vijay Stambh

Jaisalmer Jaipur City Palace Bikaner Pushkar Fair Udaipur Palace

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Delhi - DELHI

Location : North India.

Famous As : The Capital Of India & It's Administrative Center

English, Hindi, Urdu And Punjabi

Delhi is no fairytale city but a city where dreams come to reality. Its strategic location was one of the prime reasons why successive dynasties chose it as their seat of power. Delhi is truly a symbol of the old and the new; a blend of ancient well preserved monuments and temples along with jam-packed burger joints and upmarket shopping malls.

The earliest reference to a settlement at Delhi is found in the epic Mahabharata, which mentions a city called Indraprastha, built about 1400 BC. The first reference to the place-name Delhi, seems to have been made in the 1st century BC, when Raja Dhilu built a city near the site of the future Qutub Minar and named it after himself.

A Conglomerate Of Seven Cities:

One of the most fascinating aspects of Delhi is the visibility of its historic past. Some of the large portions of the city could be well earmarked as archeological parks because the rulers of successive dynasties between the 13th and the 17th centuries established seven cities in different parts of Delhi. A chronological review of these cities fortunately also serves as suitable itinery for tourists and highlights the important monuments amongst the 1300's.

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Uttar Pradesh -Uttar Pradesh is bounded on the north by Nepal and Tibet and, in India, by Himachal Pradesh state on the northwest, Haryana state and the union territory of Delhi on the west, Rajasthan state on the southwest, Madhya Pradesh state on the south, and Bihar on the east. Lucknow is its capital.

Taj Mahal is the most famous landmark of UP. Lucknow's Residency, Bara Imambara, Chota Imambara, are other star attractions. Other memorable places to visit are the historic cities of Agra and Jhansi; the pilgrim towns of Varanasi, Allahabad, Mathura-Vrindavan, Rishikesh and Chardhams; Buddhist centres like Sarnath and the enchanting hills of Kumaon and Garhwal.

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South India

Andhra Pradesh - Andhra Pradesh, the symbol of true spirit of Indian secularism where people of all faiths -Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu form a symphony of religions. History has forged, and left behind vital links with the state, as is evident from the many edifices, monuments and architectural ruins, the legacy of dynasties as old as 300 B.C. Traces of the diverse and variegated facets of the culture of the Mauryas, Pallavas, Cholas, Satavahanas, Chalukyas and Vijayanagar, offer imposing vistas, that continue to fascinate the observer. Situated south of the Vindhyas, it shares a common history with its neighbours, Maharashtra , Orissa , Madhya Pradesh , Tamil Nadu and Karnataka . The medieval city of Hyderabad is its capital.

Andhra Pradesh is known for the famous Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirupati, Charminar, Salar Jung Museum, Golconda Fort in Hyderabad and Buddhist viharas at Nagarjunasagar. Also visit the wildlife and bird sanctuaries of Kolleru, Manjira, Kawal and Papikonda. Andhra has a nearly 1000 km-coastline with eight of its 23 districts having direct access to the sea. Famous beaches are Visakhapatnam Bheemunipatnam, Kakinada, Chirala, Kalingapatnam and Mypad.

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Karnataka - Karnataka, the "Lofty land" is bounded by Andhra Pradesh in the east, Maharashtra in the north and Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the south. A long coastline hedged by miles and miles of tall, waving, palmgroves frames this pretty land. The majority of the Karnataka state lies on the Deccan Plateau. Bangalore is the state capital.

Karnataka boasts a diverse flora and fauna, which make it a nature tourist's paradise. The state's long and colourful history, and the many forts, temples, mosques, and churches make Karnataka a great place to explore.

Garden city Bangalore, Jog Falls,the beaches of Karwar and Malpe, Golgumbuz in Bijapur, the stone temples of Belur and Halebid, Mysore Palace, the list is endless.

Tamil Nadu - Tamil Nadu is bounded by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the north and Kerala in the west. The eastern and western tips of the Tamilnadu are defined by the Point Calimere and Mudumalai wildlife sanctuaries while the northern extreme is Pulicat lake and the southernmost tip is Kanyakumari, the land's end. Tamil Nadu is principally washed by the Cauvery, originating in Coorg in neighbouring Karnataka . Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu is known for its beautiful beach resorts.

Mahabalipuram, Kanchipuram, Chidambaram, Kumbakonam, Rameswaram, Palani, Srirangam, Tiruttani and Kanyakumari are some of the famous pilgrim centres in Tamil Nadu. The famous Meenakshi temple of Madurai is a must see. The Nilgiri Panorama,Annamalai Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu.

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Kerala - Kerala Tourism - a perfect blend of cultural & natural bliss. Travel though the relaxed and laid back atmosphere of the Kerala cities or indulge in some eco friendly tourism activities on a leisurely pace at the beaches and tranquil Kerala backwaters.

Kerala Tourism - Places to see

Kovalam Athirapilly Waterfalls Bekal Fort Edakkal Cave Guruvayoor Napier Museum Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary Ponmudi Sabarimala

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Lakshadweep Islands - People and Culture

Ethnically, the people of the islands are very similar to the people of Kerala, even their language is the same except in Minicoy where Mahl is spoken. As Muslims, they have conservative customs and traditions and yet they are liberal in approach.

Pondicherry - Pondicherry - the undiscovered land. Welcome to the land of Aurbindo Ashram, the serene world of enchanting backwaters and lagoons and a palace reputated in the tourism world as the land of Dawn.

Pondicherry renowed as Pondy among tourists sums up the shared felling of belonging, of having come home. Pondicherry welcomed the tourists with its dream like tranquility at its sea beaches that relieves the people from stress and fatigue.