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TOURISM IN INDIA
India is the land of innumerable Gods and Goddesses,
languages, religions and traditions but still in this
diversity one can find a unity. India is a country with
a diverse topography-from the great Himalayan mountains
in the north, the Thar desert in the west, the rain-fed
Delta (the Sunder bans) in east and the coastal areas
in the south. India has a panorama of scenes, which
reflects the spectrum of Indian colours.
According to Ministry of Tourism, the first ten months
(January-October) of the calendar year 2006 witnessed
a total tourist inflow of 34,102,72 as against 30,153,62
in the same period of the last year. The total foreign
exchange earnings earned in the first ten months (January-October)
of the calendar year 2006 stood at US$ 5035.25 million
against US$ 4466.03 million for the same period in 2005.
Further, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council,
India's travel and tourism (T&T) industry is expected
to contribute 2.1 percent to Gross Domestic Product
in 2006(INR 713.8 billion or US$ 16.3 billion)
Rural Tourism
The "Rural Tourism Project" is a joint effort
by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in association
with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The rural tourism in India mainly focuses on the interactive
experiences between the tourists and the villagers.
The main attraction lies with the hand made work of
the villagers (artisans) and the skilled diversity of
these villagers are covered through this project. The
project also recognises the role of women in civil society
and dominance of human development. Further, It also
makes a successful effort to preserve Indian heritage.
For further information on rural tourism, visit the
official portal of the Ministry
of Tourism, Government of India.
Medical Tourism in India
Indian surgical history is well known and is not hidden
to the world. Off late Medical tourism is getting very
popular worldwide.
Ayurveda: this traditional form of Indian medicine
is over 5000 years old, which uses natural herbs for
the treatment of ailments. It is primarily based on
physical exercises and breathing techniques.
Yoga: this is another very popular exercise of India,
which was developed about 5 thousand years ago. Yoga
involves series of poses of deep breathing and meditations
for the relaxation of human body and soul. It even has
its origins in the Vedas, one of the oldest records
of Indian culture.
Wellness Centers: India has some well-known wellness
centres, which are rapidly becoming hub for Indian as
well as foreign tourists. Some popular wellness centres
are:Kairali Ayurvedic centre, Soukya healing centre
and Rajah healthy acres, Kerala
Cruise Tourism
India has a vast and beautiful coastline and hence
the potential to develop cruise tourism.
Convention Tourism
International convention Centres of the global standard
is considered to be one of the important segments for
promoting India as an attractive tourist destination
in the global market. Ministry of finance has already
identified New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Goa and Jaipur
for opening of world-class convention centres. Several
initiatives have been taken up by way of public-private
partnership to develop small convention centres of high
standard. India is undoubtedly a unique Conference Destination
as it offers cultural and heritage sites, the exotic
and mystical, excellent facilities of beach and adventure
holidays which can be combined as pre and post conference
tours.
Hill Stations in India- a Cool Retreat
India has some of the most beautiful hill stations
in the world. The snow -capped peaks, the gushing river
waters, the greenery are simply remarkable.
Indian hill stations are fastly emerging popular tourist
destination across the world. These Hill stations are
becoming extremely popular with both Indian and foreign
tourists as one can find a relaxing and wholesome break
from the day to day stressful and exhausting lifestyles
of the city. Here one can walk across the fields of
wild flowers and see the blooming apple orchards, witness
the rushing streams gush down the mountainside, and
watch the serenity of the snow-capped Himalayas in the
distance. Some of the popular hill-stations in India
are Gangtok, Darjeeling, Dharamshala, Dehradun, Auli,
Kasauli, Kashmir, Khandala, Mahabaleshwar, Mount Abu,
Munnar, Kodaikanal, Dalhousie, Kullu, Lonavala, Manali,
Coorg, Coonoor, Khajjiar, Mussoorie, Nainital, Ooty,
Shimla and Srinagar.
Thar Desert- The Great Indian
Mirage
The beauty of Indian topography is its diverse nature
and the great Thar desert is one which supports its
diversity. The Thar desert is vast with 800 km long
and 400 km wide spreading between India and Pakistan,
between Indus and Sutlej rivers in the west and Aravali
Hills in the east. The famous cities of the desert are:
Rajasthan
- Jodhpur
- Jaisalmer
- Bikaner
- Barmer
Gujarat
Beaches of India
India as the biggest peninsula has one of the largest
coastline; with twelve of its states having some of
the most fascinating beaches in the world.
One can bathe in the sun, surf and sand beckon. Thousands
of sun-deprived tourists are approaching India as it
has the most mind-boggling varieties of beaches than
anywhere in the world.
For more informationt Please Visit:
http://www.incredibleindia.org/newsite/cms_page.asp?pageid=785
Heritage India
India is known for its heritage sites, which depicts
its cultural diversity. India has some of the finest
architecture in the whole world. An exhaustive list
of the cultural heritage sites is highlighted herein:
Cultural
- Agra Fort
- Ajanta Caves (1983)
- Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989)
- Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (2004)
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria
Terminus) (2004)
- Churches and Convents of Goa (1986)
- Elephanta Caves (1987)
- Ellora Caves (1983)
- Fatehpur Sikri (1986)
- Great Living Chola Temples (1987)
- Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986)
- Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984)
- Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987)
- Humayun's Tomb, Delhi (1993)
- Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986)
- Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (2002)
- Mountain Railways of India (1999)
- Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993)
- Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003)
- Sun Temple, Konârak (1984)
- Taj Mahal (1983)
Natural
- Kaziranga National Park (1985)
- Keoladeo National Park (1985)
- Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985)
- Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks
(1988)
- Sundarbans National Park (1987)
For more information, visit: http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/in
Palaces of India
India is a land of forts and palaces. The word palace
itself carries several connotations. It immediately
conjures up vision of luxury and lavishness along with
treason, plot and connivance. The most overwhelming
feeling is that of nostalgia, for an era gone by and
never to return again.
Festivals Of India
India is a land of Festivals. There are numerous festivals
and each one is celebrated with great pomp and show.
These stated festivals are a major source for tourist
attraction:
- Ambaji Badra Purnima
- Baisakhi
- Buddha Purnima
- Chhath Puja
- Desert Festival Jaisalmer
- Diwali
- Durga Puja
- Dussehra
- Easter
- Elephant Festival
- Ganesh Chaturthi
- Gangaur Festival
- Holi
- International Kite Festival Ahmedabad
- International Kite Festival Jodhpur
- Janmastami
- Konark Dance Festival
- Lohri
- Teej
- Mahavir Jayanti
- Naag Panchami
- Navratri
- Onam
- Phoolwalon Ki Sair
- Pongal
- Raksha Bandhan
- Rath Yatra
- Rongali Bihu
- Saraswati Puja
Fairs of India
Some of the famous and very colourful fairs are organised
in India:
- Ambubasi Mela
- Chandrabhaga Fair
- Kumbh Mela
- Nauchandi Mela
- Sonepur Cattle Fair
- Surajkund Mela
Trains of India
India possesses some of the most talked about trains
in the world. The toy trains are mainly found on the
hill stations and some of the worlds' most luxurious
and expensive (built for the affluent) trains are operational
in the plain areas of Rajasthan.
Some famous Trains of India
The Toy Train - Shimla - The journey begins
from Kalka to Shimla entertaining with 107 tunnels and
lofty arched bridges and in between stops at the pleasing
and eye-catching stations like Dharmpore, Taksal, Gamma
and Solan .
The Nilgiri Express - Ooty - The Nilgiri Express
connects Mettupalayam with Chennai everyday. The Nilgiri
Express is easily accessible from Coimbatore (only 90kms
away) as buses and trains are easily available from
here.
Darjeeling Hill Railway - The Darjeeling hill
railway is one of the most famous little trains, which
connects the town of New Jalpaiguri (the plains) to
the exquisite hill station of Darjeeling. It has a 2
ft gauge
Toy Train - Matheran The toy train commences
from Neral (Mumbai- Pune line) to Matheran connected
from Mumbai by local train. The toy train runs between
sunrise and sunset.
The Deccan Odyssey - The Deccan Odyssey is a
joint venture between the Indian Railways and the Government
of Maharashtra represented by the Maharashtra Tourism
Development Corporation (MTDC). The train showcases
the tourism assets of Maharashtra, the magnificence
of Konkan coast, the art, culture, the heritage of Maharashtra
as well as local arts, crafts and cuisine of the state
during the journey. It stops at Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg,
Goa, Pune, Aurangabad (for Ajanta and Ellora) and Nashik.
The Fairy Queen: This is a small train that
travels on a short route from Delhi to Alwar. The Fairy
Queen has also been mentioned in the "Guinness
Book of World Records". It is the oldest running
steam locomotive in the world. Another main attraction
is that the guests arriving in Alwar will be taken to
Sariska Tiger Reserve for an overnight stay.
Palace on wheels: The Palace on Wheels trip
was inaugurated on 26th January 1982 and undertook 13
weekly and 13 short trips. It is one of the most popular
trains among tourists as it offers a luxurious journey
worth of the affluent Indian maharajas It offers a first-hand
experience of a royal journey and lavish lifestyles
like that of the Indian kings.
The Royal Orient: The Royal Orient is one of
the world's most exotic trains. It offers an enchanting
experience that will take one back in time to the age
of the Maharajas. The train travels through states of
Gujarat and Rajasthan. It makes the journey an expedition
back in time and mesmerizes one with its picturesque
beauty of serene lakes, ancient temples, a beautiful
sea resort and also its exotic wildlife.
Adventurous sports in India
Some of the most adventurous sports that can be enjoyed
in India are:
- Angling
- Bungee Jumping
- Gliding
- Hot Air Ballooning
- Mountain Biking
- Mountaineering
- Rock Climbing
- Scuba Diving and Snorkelling
- Skiing
- Trekking
- White Water Rafting
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