Namaskar,                            
             Welcome to Incredible India!  A Journey into mysticism through the land of the unexpected. 
Bounded by the majestic Himalayan ranges in the north and edged by an endless stretch of golden beaches, India is a vivid kaleidoscope of landscapes, magnificent historical sites and royal cities, misty mountain retreats, colorful people, rich cultures and festivities. Modern India is home alike to the tribal with his anachronistic lifestyle and to the sophisticated urban jet-setter. It is a land where temple elephants exist amicably with the microchip. Its ancient monuments are the backdrop for the world’s largest democracy.

                
If you’re planning a holiday to India, looking for hotels and accommodation and events information or simply interested in India as a country you are sure to find many insights on the multifaceted travel options to India here.The timeless mystery and beauty of India can be experienced only by visiting this ancient Land. There’s just one thing you’ll need to travel through 5000 years of culture and tradition- A comfortable pair of shoes.

India's History:

 History Speaks..............

Namaste and welcome to India- the land of amazing diversity and stunning landscapes. Stretching from the icy peak of the Himalayas to the tropical greenery of Kerala, and from the sacred Ganges to the sea of sand dunes in Thar desert, the country encompasses incomparable variety. It is steeped in history, and every stone and ancient structure has a story to narrate. India's history is more than just a set of unique developments but it is, in many ways, a microcosm of human history . No matter how many Persians, Greeks, Chinese nomads, Arabs, Portuguese, British and other raiders invaded the land but India always formed a positive way out.

Pre- Vedic and Vedic Age:
The history of this starling land begins with the birth of the Indus Valley Civilisation in such sites as Mohenjodaro, Harappa and Lothal. The twin cities of Mohenjodaro and Harappa now in Pakistan possessed a sophisticated lifestyle, a highly developed sense of aesthetics, astonishing knowledge about town planning together with effective road side drainage system and multi storeyed houses. After surviving for about thousand years the civilisation fell to tectonic upheavals. The coming of the Aryans around 1500 B.C gave the final blow to collapsing Indus Valley Civilisation. The four Vedas or the important books of Hinduism were also compiled during this period.

Buddhism and Maurya Empire:
In 567 B.C , the founder of Buddhist religion Gautama Buddha was born. His Buddhism inspired the great king, Asoka of the Mauryan Empire to give up his warfare and embrace Buddhism and spread the same in many parts of Asia. He built the group of monuments at Sanchi ( a UNESCO world heritage site). The Asoka Pillar at Sarnath has been adopted by India as its national emblem and the Dharma Chakra adorns the national flag.

Blend of religions:
The Mauryas were followed by the Guptas in the North while in the South disparate Hindu empires, the Cholas, the Pandayas and the Cheras spread and grew. During this time Christianity and Zoroastrianism established their roots in India. In the 15th century Guru Nanak Dev laid the foundation of the Sikh Religion in Punjab.

Islamic Sultanate:
In 1192, the history of India took a new turn with the arrival of Mohammad of Ghori from Afghanistan who captured several places in North including Delhi. The rise of Islam was also witnessed during this period. The North region of India strengthened with time, till Timur from Turkey attacked India in 1398. He carried as much as valuables as he could and left India again. After this, the Delhi Sultanate was never that strong and soon lost their grip of the land to Mughals.

Mughal Era ( 16 th Century ):
Babar, the great grandson of Timur came to India in 1526 . He fought and defeated Ibrahim Lodhi, the last ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in the first battle of Panipat and laid the roots of the Mughal Empire. However it was Akbar, his grandson who contributed to a superlative degree in the glorification of the empire. He initiated Din - i - Ilahi, which was an attempt to blend Islam with Hinduism, Christianity, Jainism and other faiths.

Vijaynagar Empire( 1336- 1646 ):
The Hindu Vijaynagar Empire founded by Harihara, also known as Hakka, lasted for more than two centuries as the dominant power in South India. Urbanisation and monetization of economy were the significant developments of the period that brought all the peninsular kingdoms into highly competitive political and military activities in the race for supremacy. Great part of Vijaynagar Empire's history is obscure but its power and wealth are attested by more than one European traveller.

Europeans:
The quest for wealth and power brought the Europeans to Indian shores . The Portuguese, French Dutch, Danish and British started arriving in India in the early 1600s. All of them held territories in India and got more and more involved with the Indian Politics by making friends and enemies among the Indian rulers. However it was the British who managed to control most of India by their intelligence and made it one of their colonies for about 200 years.

Fruit of Independence:
The spirit of Indian nationalism was intensified with the growing dissatisfaction and discontent with the British rule due to the racial arrogance of the rulers. The

economic exploitation both of the landlords and tenants, destruction of the old and famous royal dynasties such as those of Peshwas, Bhonsle, Avadh, Jhansi, Punjab and Satara, closure of Indian industries and forced land increase in the land revenues were some of the causes that led to the Revolt of 1857 also

called as the Sepoy Mutiny. After a tough long struggle of the masses of India, guided by great national leaders, India managed to gain the fruit of independence on 15 th August 1947. In the years since independence India has achieved outstanding progress in many fields and has coped with several problems.

Cultural:

 Majestic Snow - clad peaks reaching for the sky, shimmering blue lakes, lush green forests, rare flowers, breathtaking scenic beauty and sweeping panoramic view. Wow! everything about India is so beautiful and its diverse unique culture adds cherry to the cake. The Indian culture has been the outcome of many absorptions of customs, traditions and ideas from both raiders and immigrants. It has not died out with the throes of modernity wafted across the Indian Ocean. In spite of the great cultural diversity the entire country is bound as a civilization due to its common history.

Music - Music has always enjoyed a pivotal role in the lives of the Indians. The range of musical phenomenon extends from simple melodies to the most developed systems of classical music in the world. Music also held a significant role during the pre Vedic age as evidence of several strings and wind instruments, drums and cymbals have been found in the Vedas. Ragas on which our Indian music is based came in to existence in the 10th century. By the 16th century the

distinction between the North Indian ( Hindustani ) and South Indian ( Carnatic ) music was recognized in a full fledged manner. Classical Indian music entered a new phase in the 1960's and began to acquire Western students. The sitar of Pd. Ravi Shankar was heard on the Beatles' album. Satyajit Ray, the great Indian director through his neo-realist films brought the Indian classical music to the attention of the Westerners. Indian genres like filmi and bhangra have also gained momentum in the west.

Dance - The classical Indian dance forms have their audiences world wide. Each dance form of India represents the culture and ethos of a particular region. Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri, Kucchipudi, Bhangra and Kathakali are the various dance forms prevalent in India. Besides these there are certain Indian folk dances that are the true representatives of the rich culture of different lands of India.

Architecture - The most significant achievement of Indian civilisation is its architecture. The Taj Mahal of Agra, temple complexes of Khajuraho and Vijaynagara leaves the spectators spellbound. However the real beginnings of the Indian architecture can be dated to the advent of Buddhism, during the reign of king Asoka. The Buddhist art and architecture flourished with the construction of Buddhist monasteries and stupas. The contribution of the southern school of architecture cannot be unnoticed and the notable amongst them are the rock- cut temples of Mahabalipuram and the temples of Kanchipuram.

Art - The paintings and sculpture of India has remain a source of inspiration for many. The earliest Indian paintings were the rock paintings of the pre- historic times. Cave paintings of Ajanta and Ellora exhibits the love for nature and God. Madhubani painting, Rajputana painting, Tanjore painting and Mughal painting are some of the specialties of India.

Cinema - Indian film industry holds the pride of being one of the oldest in the world. Dadasaheb Phalke, commonly called the father of Indian cinema made and screened the first film of India- Raja Harishchandra which became a huge commercial success and motivated other people thereby giving birth to umpteen classic directors like Bimal Roy, Satyajit Ray, Hrishikesh Mukherjee , Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt. Satyajit Ray, Bimal Roy and Guru Dutt took the Indian cinema to the new zenith and gave it the international recognition by making neo- realist films inspired by Vittorio De Sica's " Bicycle Thieves".The Neo-Realist cinema captured the real life of humans and did not regard them as superheroes in fabricated situations.

Cuisine - The Indian cuisine has undergone a great change with the passage of time. Wheat, lentils, rice and occasionally meats were the earliest Indian food. The modern Indian cuisine offers great variety and each reason has its own distinctive flavours. North Indian staple food consists of Rotis, Rice, Dal, Curry, Yogurt, Chutney and Achars. On the other hand south India dishes comprises sambhar, dosa, Rasam, Yogurt and Curries. Fish is quite popular in the coastal areas of West Bengal, Orissa and Kerala. Street food like Panipuri, Bhelpuri, Samosa and Vada are enjoyed in every nook and corner of India. It is said that vegetarianism gained importance with the spread of Buddhism and Jainism.

Festivals - India is the land of some of the most fascinating festivals which adorns the canvass called life with rainbow colours. Most of the festivals celebrated here have religious associations like Holi, Dussera, Janmasthmi, Hanuman Jayanti, Ganesh Chaturthi, Muharram and Deewali which are enjoyed in most part of the country with pomp and gaiety. Pongal- Sankranti are harvest festivals celebrated with full fervour in south India. Whereas Karwa Chauth is strictly observed by the Hindu married woman. Festivals give people a reason to smile.

Literature- India has always used writing as a major means of putting across any piece of idea or any other expression. It has a long tradition of poetry and prose writing. The Ramayana and Mahabharata are the two Indian epics that are not only the epics of India and Hinduism but also serves as the folk epics of other Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.        

                                                                     
Dressings - Dresses in India are worn according to the region. However sarees among Indian women and dhoti among Indian men are the everyday dress form with a slight variation in various regions. Working class and Muslims wear a Lungi. In Punjab loose- fitting pajamas called Shalwar are worn. In Bengal and Maharastra sarees and dhotis are the major dress forms but the wearing style varies.

Fair Festivels:

Hindus Festivels:

India's biggest religion, Hinduism is followed by large portion of country's total population. Followers of Hinduism are referred as Hindus and they believe in gods and goddesses. Hindus celebrated hundreds of festivals round the year especially dedicated to their deities.

Buddhist Festivals

Buddhism has strong connection with India. In fact, Lord Buddha - the founder of Buddhism, spent his life at various places in India and given his teachings. Even today, those important sites are visited by Buddhists from across the globe and they also participate in Buddhist festivals.

Christian Festivals

One of the major religions of the world, Christianity is followed by large number of people in India. Christians celebrate a number of festivals related to Jesus Christ and his life. Christmas is the most important festival of Christians, celebrated by Christians as well as people of other religions alike.

Muslim Festivals

World's second largest religion Islam has a huge number of followers in India. Usually to celebrate any festival, Muslim observe fast, offer namazs (prayers), do fateha (special prayers) and distribute sweets among themselves. Muslims have very few festivals and Eid is the most important of them.

Eid- Ul Fitr

Regional Festivals

India is a vast country having a population of over one billion and large geographical area. The cultures and traditions of India differ from one region to another region. People of the country living in various regions have their specific festivals related to crop, animal, local deities or old traditions.

Thrissur Pooram              Onam         Taj Mahotsav   Goa Carnival

Fairs in India

Like festivals, the fairs are also an important part of the life of Indian people and celebrated with great pomp and grandeur. Related to any particular town, suburb or village, the fairs are genreally held once in a year. Locals as well as people from far flung areas participate in fairs to enjoy various activities including trading.

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