There can be no better introduction to
the magic of India, its splendour and diversity, than the words
of India’s great poet Allama Iqbal: “The great civilizations
of Greece, Rome and Egypt have vanished from this earth, but
the unique identity of Indian civilization survives”.
Taj
Mahal, Agra
It is the land about which the great philosopher Rabindranath
Tagore wrote:
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow
domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the
dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward…”
Republic
Day Parade, New Delhi
This is India – the land of magic and mystery, of dazzling
beauty and exotic charms. Where the centuries co-exist and
the
modern blends seamlessly into the ancient. Where hospitality
is a tradition, and development a passion. A beauty beyond
description,
beyond compare. An ancient civilization, as old as history.
India is a glittering mosaic of people of different faiths
and
cultures, of varying climatic zones, of greenery and desert,
river and mountain, wealth and happiness, modernity and tradition.
This is India, a place like none else on this planet. India
means welcome! India is the complete destination, for the
mind,
body and soul.
Known to its people as “Bharat”, this ancient land
fascinates the visitor with its size, culture and diversity,
its colors, scents, styles, customs, languages, architecture
and geography. India is a fairytale, a continent, several countries
rolled into one. India satisfies every taste and desire - from
sun and sand to mountains and snow, from ancient monuments to
adventure holidays, from gentle traditions and customs to rugged
landscapes and daunting rivers and valleys. India is paradise
– at any time of the year! The land blessed by the gods!
India
Gate, Delhi
Fall in love with India, with its legendary palaces, temples
and forts. Savour its spectacular music, dance and folklore.
Excite your mind and body with rafting, gliding, trekking and
desert safaris. And then calm yourself with yoga. Or go tracking
wildlife in one of India’s numerous forest reserves. Treat
yourself to an amazing array of arts, crafts and materials,
at bargain prices.
Great religions took birth and root in India, among them Hinduism,
Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism. Ancient Indian texts like the
Vedas go back several thousand years and are treasure houses
of philosophy, spiritual insight, knowledge and treatises on
subjects like science and medicine. Sanskrit, the root language
of India, was an advanced and well formulated system. It is
the basis of modern computer languages. India invented the decimal
system and bequeathed zero to the world. Astronomy and medicine
are Indian inventions.
Sun
Temple, Konark, Orissa
More than any other building, the Taj Mahal is the symbol of
India to the world. This 17th century monument is a dream in
marble, an eternal symbol of love and fidelity. The focus of
countless romantic stories and colourful fantasies, it has fascinated
artists and photographers, poets and dreamers, travelers and
writers. This supreme example of architectural genius is a tribute
to the wonder that was, is and shall forever be India.
To visit this land of eternal, enchanting beauty all you need
is a valid passport and visa. A special license is required
to photograph protected monuments using a flash and tripod.
There are some conditions for bringing in certain personal goods
such as film, video cameras, liquor, tobacco and weapons, while
all high value articles and professional materials must be declared
on arrival and re-exported on departure. All of India is on
the same time, GMT + 5 hours 30 minutes, throughout the year.
Voltage is 220 AC 50 cycles and international telephone and
postal connections are available everywhere.
Click here for more information on tourist destinations in India.
1. www.tourismofindia.com
2. www.lonelyplanet.com
3. www.journeymart.com
INDIA’S CULTURE
Kathakali,
the magnificent dance of Southern India
With 1,500 dialects and 22
official languages, all the world’s major religions including
Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism
and Judaism, various styles of art, architecture, literature,
music and dance, cuisine and several lifestyles from the urban
and rural to the tribal, Indian culture is a rich confluence
of various diversities.
India’s music spans various traditions, from regional folk
songs and music to tribal music, from classical and semi-classical
traditions to popular and film music.
Indian dance has an unbroken tradition of over 5,000 years, with
themes drawn from mythology, legend and classical literature.
The diversity of Indian dance forms spans folk and tribal dances
with their regional variations, and classical dances, based
on
ancient texts with rigid rules. Some of the major classical dance
traditions are Bharata Natyam, Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri, Kuchipudi,
Mohiniattam and Kathakali.
Indian literature dates to the oral tradition of the Vedas several
thousand years ago, and the great epics, which are still an
integral
part of daily life. The oral tradition continues through folk
songs and dramas. The tradition of dance-drama in India has
ancient
historical roots, and is kept alive by a vibrant tradition of
folk theatre. Indian art continues its vibrant classical and
folk
traditions from painting to sculpture to handicrafts.
And then there is Indian cinema – the largest film industry
in the world. Cinema came to India in 1896, the first Indian film
was made in 1912, and the first talkie in 1931. Today, India makes
more than one thousand films annually, in centers like Mumbai
(Bollywood), Calcutta (Tollywood) and Chennai (Mollywood)!
India, the world’s largest democracy,
is a Sovereign, Secular and Democratic Republic. It became independent
on 15th August, 1947 and a Republic on 26th January, 1950 when
its Constitution came into effect. The Constitution guarantees
fundamental rights including freedom of religion, of occupation
and of speech, and the right to vote. General elections based
on universal adult suffrage are normally held every 5 years.
Today, the Union of India consists of 28 states and 7 union territories
with the Central Government at New Delhi, the capital. The political
structure laid down by the Constitution is federal in nature
but unitary in spirit, with legislative powers and revenues
divided
between the States and the Centre, and residual powers vested
in the Centre. Certain subjects are jointly controlled and enforced
by both the Centre and the States, with the Centre superseding
the States if necessary.
CENTRE
At the Centre and in the States, powers are divided between the
Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. At the Centre,
the
Executive comprises the President, Vice-President and the Council
of Ministers, headed by the Prime Minister. The Union Legislature
(Parliament) has two houses - the Lok Sabha (the lower house,
elected by the people of India from individual, simple majority
constituencies) and the Rajya Sabha (the upper house, elected
by the State Legislatures which in turn are directly elected
by
the people on the same lines as the Lok Sabha). At the apex of
the judiciary is the Supreme Court of India.
STATE
This structure is paralleled in India's States, with the Executive
comprising the Governor (appointed by the President of India),
the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister who is
responsible to the directly elected Legislative Assembly
and the High Court.
Each State is further divided into districts, themselves divided
into municipalities, further subdivided into blocks down
to the
individual village. At each level, legislative, executive and
judicial powers are divided equitably, so as to prevent
concentration
or misuse.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
India is a founder member of the Nonaligned
Movement (NAM), the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation
(SAARC), Bangladesh-India-Myanmar-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic
Co-operation (BIMST-EC), the Commonwealth and several other
organizations. It is an active
member of the United Nations and its various organisations such
as UNESCO and the UNHCR. India is also a member of the WTO and
the Group of 77, and participates actively in the Group of 15.
India looks forward to its rightful place as a permanent member
of a reformed United Nations Security Council
-
