INDIA...a land for all seasons
The
subcontinent of India lies in south Asia,
between Pakistan, China and Nepal. To the
north it is bordered by the world's highest
mountain chain, where foothill valleys cover
the northernmost of the country's 26 states.
Further south, plateaus, tropical rain
forests and sandy deserts are bordered by
palm fringed beaches .
Side
by side with the country's staggering
topographical variations is its cultural
diversity, the result of the coexistence of
a number of religions as well as local
tradition. Thus, the towering temples of
south India, easily identifiable by their
ornately sculptured surface, are associated
with a great many crafts and performing arts
of the region.
In the desert of Kutch, Gujarat, on the other hand, a scattering of villages pit themselves against the awesome forces of nature, resulting in Spartan lifestyles made vibrant by a profusion of jewelry and ornamental embroidery used to adorn apparel and household linen. In the extreme north is the high altitude desert of Ladakh. Local culture is visibly shaped by the faith - Buddhism -as well as by the harsh terrain. Yet another facet of Indian culture is observed in the colorful tribal lifestyles of the north eastern states of Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur with their folk culture.
In the central Indian states of Orissa and Madhya Pradesh tribal village life has resulted in a variety of artistically executed handicrafts.
India's mountains provide heli skiing, river running, mountaineering and trekking. Its beaches provide lazy sun-bathing as well as wind surfing and snorkeling, and its jungles provide shooting wildlife -with a camera.
India's history goes back to 3,200 BC when Hinduism was first founded. Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism. Judaism. Zoroashtrianism, Christianity and Islam all exist within the country today. As a consequence of India's size, the history of the country has seldom been the same for two adjoining territories, and its great natural wealth has lured a succession of traders and foreign influences to it, each having left their imprint in the country, however faint or localized. Thus, Chinese fishing nets in Kerala are a throwback to that country's ancient maritime trade, while in the north, terra-cotta figurines of the centuries BC bear distinctly Greek traces.
Modern India is home alike to the tribal with his anachronistic lifestyle and to the sophisticated urban jetsetter. It is a land where temple elephants exist amicably with the microchip. Its ancient monuments are the backdrop for the world's largest democracy where atomic energy is generated and industrial development has brought the country within the world's top ten nations. Today, fishermen along the country's coastline fashion simple fishing boats in a centuries old tradition while, a few miles away. motor vehicles glide off conveyor belts in state-of-the-art factories.
CLIMATE
India has a three season year, Summer,
Winter, Monsoon. During the hot summer
months between March and June the tourist
activity in India shifts to the colder
sub-Himalayan, and other popular hill
resorts of India.
Respite from this
hot climate occurs with the onset of the
Monsoon around June in the South and by July
the whole country is covered, it doesn't
rain the whole day long. Some places like
Rajasthan, western and south western states
are at their best during the Monsoons, the
monsoon is also the best period to trek in
the north western Himalayas.
Starting
from October when the monsoons end all the
tourist centers in India come alive with a
buzz. It is the best time of India, every
place is lush green, the temperatures are
delightful, not too hot and not too cold.
During December and January it becomes quiet
cold in the northern parts of India, this is
the time when there is snowfall in the
Himalayas and the lower reaches of
Himalayas, the tourist spots in the
Himalayan shadow like Shimla etc. come
alive. This is also the time when Skiing is
the craze in these places.
Despite the
seasonal variations, with so much variety on
offer India is truly a year round tourist
destination.
Assam
About Assam : Assam......the rich, green land of rolling plains and dense forests is the gateway to the north eastern part of India. The mighty Brahmaputra river that has its origins in Tibet charts its majestic course through this state. This mystic land of eternal blue hills and beautiful rivers is renowned for its tea, rich flora and fauna, the world famous one horned rhinoceros and other rare species of wildlife on the verge of extinction. Barring Africa, there is perhaps no part of the world where such a variety of wildlife exists.
Assam Travel Information :
History of Assam : Assam's
history goes back to ancient times. The
base of this history can be found in
Tantric literature, Buddhist literature,
Assamese folklore and Vedic literature.
However, first mention of the state of
Assam is found in the epics and the
religious legends. The Aryans belonging
to the priestly and warrior classes
found their way into Assam in very early
times. Various places mentioned in the
epics, like Mahabharata etc. are now
identified with sites in this state. ....
Assam People & Lifestyle : Assam
is a mini-India if not more. The human
landscape is as colorful as her
physiographic. This land has been the
meeting ground of diverse ethnic groups
and cultural streams since time
immemorial. Throughout history, people
of different stocks have been migrating
into this land and merged into a common
harmonious whole in a process of
assimilation and fraternisation not to
be seen much elsewhere in India.
Assam Fairs & Festivals : Assam is a land of fairs and festivals. Most of the festivals celebrated in Assam have their roots in the diverse faith and belief of her inhabitants, but a spirit of accommodation and togetherness characterizes the celebration of all festivals. The perfect fusion of heritage of her numerous races has made Assam the home of the most colorful festivals which are passionate, compelling and mesmerizing reflecting the true spirit, tradition and lifestlye of the people of Assam.
Assam Art & Craft : The people
of Assam have traditionally been
craftsmen from time immemorial. Though
Assam is mostly known for its exquisite
silks and the bamboo and cane products,
several other crafts are also made here.
Wildlife in Assam : Kaziranga
National Park, The first and the oldest
National Park in Assam situated in
Golaghat District, is a World Heritage
site. Spread over an area of 430 sq. kms.,
Kaziranga National Park is the natural
home of the one-horned Indian
rhinoceros. Declared a National Park in
1974 the landscape of Kaziranga is of
sheer forest, tall elephant grass,
rugged reeds, marshes and shallow pools.
Adventure in Assam : One of the
world's largest rivers, the Brahmaputra
and it's tributaries flow through the
state offering a wide network of rivers
for various water sports. Angling, the
river Jia Bhoroli, Kapili and Manas are
the best places for angling. The Jia
Bhoroli river is home to the fierce game
fish, the Golden Mahseer, or tiger of
the Himalayan rivers.
Rajasthan - India
Rajasthan
is the Indian state which borders
Pakistan on the western side of the
country. The name means "Land of the
Kings" and the Rajputs who lived here
for over a thousand years are known for
their code of chivalry and honor. They
were never a threat to the Moghul rulers
of northern India, and perhaps that is
why so many of their buildings and
monuments still stand today.
India
continues to offer the type of exotic
charm and colorful architecture and
spectacular landscapes that have lured
travelers for thousands of years. The
Rajasthan program covers visitor
attractions such as Delhi,
Udaipur, and
Jaipur, but the best way to explore
India is on horseback. The villages you
will visit by horse lie far away from
the mainstream of tourism, but the
palaces and castles where you’ll stay at
night are fully equipped with all the
modern comforts you might want. When you
will stay in tents along the way - these tents are exceptionally
luxurious. They are high and roomy, with
separate sleeping, dressing, and toilet
areas. This is an outstanding ride: The
service is excellent, the food nothing
short of grand.
TIPS FOR THE FIRST TIME VISITOR
Exchange your money only through
authorized banks or Money changers and
always insist on a receipt.
Export of most wildlife and its products
are not allowed, some items which are
allowed can be taken back only with an
export permit.
If you wish to
visit any of the prohibited or
restricted area's, check with the
nearest Government of India Tourist
Office for the formalities to be
observed.
Do not encourage touts
for shopping or exchanging your
currency.
All foreign nationals
have to pay their hotel bills in Foreign
Currency only.
Drinking water at
most of the Hotels and towns is safe, If
you are in doubt you should carry a
bottle of Mineral Water with you, these
bottles are available practically every
where.
Every body arriving in
India should possess a Yellow Fever
Vaccination Certificate confirming
to International Health Regulations, if
they are originating or transiting
through Yellow fever endemic countries,
before their arrival in India.
When visiting religious places have
respect for the religious sentiments.
In case of any difficulty, approach
the nearest Government of India tourist
office or any of the state tourism
departments. or the local police
station.
At almost all the places
electric supply is on 220 Volts A.C.,
check your equipment before using the
electrical outlet.
VISA
Foreign nationals require a Visa and a
valid national passport to visit India. A
Visa can be obtained from Indian Missions
located in their country. It is usually
provided on receipt of an application along
with their national Passports with necessary
visa fees. Visitors to India can apply for
any one of the following categories of
Visas.
Tourist Visa
It
is a multi-entry visa granted to tourists
for a period of 120 days, and is valid for
entry into India within six months from the
date of issue.
Transit Visa
Transit visas are provided by Indian
Missions abroad for a maximum period of
three days.
Business Visa
These visas are granted by Indian Missions
abroad for business visits and are valid for
one year with a cumulative stay in India of
not more than 120 days.
Conference
Visa
These are granted by Indian
Missions abroad to delegates for attending
conferences in India and cover conferences
as well as tourism in India.
Other
type of Visa's
A tourist group
arriving in India may be given a collective
landing permit for a period Upto 30 days by
the Immigration authorities on arrival
provided they are sponsored by a recognized
travel agency and a pre-drawn itinerary is
presented along with other details and
passports.
Foreign nationals wishing
to undertake trekking, botanical
expeditions, mountaineering expeditions etc.
in a team may be granted visas for the
required duration on presentation of full
details of the touring members, nature of
event, places to be visited, and other
information desired by the Indian Missions.
Extension of Visa
A
foreign national can have his tourist visa
extended for a total stay in India for six
months. For this they should register with
any Foreigners Registration Officer and
obtain the extension of visa from him after
completion of certain formalities. No
extension beyond six months is usually
provided.
No Exit Visa or any other
formality is required to be executed by a
tourist to leave the country within the
validity period of the visa.
CUSTOM REGULATIONS
Visitors to India are required to make an
oral declaration of their baggage and
foreign currency in their possession. There
are two channels available for customs
clearance, Green Channel for
passengers not having any dutiable articles
or unaccompanied baggage and Red Channel
for passengers having dutiable articles or
unaccompanied baggage or high value
articles.
Visitors should verify the laws
governing the same and also for articles
allowed free of duty at the time of their
arrival in India.
CURRENCY REGULATIONS
Indian rupee consists of 100 units and
each unit is called a paisa. Indian rupee
notes are available in denominations of one,
two, five, ten, twenty, fifty, hundred and
five hundred Rupees.
Coins are available
in denominations of five, ten, twenty,
twenty five, fifty paise and also for one,
two and five rupees.
There are no
restrictions on the amount of foreign
currency a visitor may bring into India,
provided he makes a declaration in the
currency declaration form on his arrival for
amounts exceeding US$ 1,000 in cash,
currency notes, travelers cheques etc.
A visitor is required to exchange
foreign currency including Cheques, Drafts,
Travelers cheques etc. only through Banks
and authorized Money changers, for which he
should take an encashment certificate.
Exchange of foreign currency other than
through banks or authorized money changers
is an offense under Foreign Exchange
Regulation Act, 1973.
Most of the Banks
located in India provide for exchanging of
foreign currency in to Indian Rupees.
Credit Cards like Visa Card,
MasterCard, American Express Cards, Diners
Card etc. are widely accepted in India.
RESTRICTED AND PROTECTED AREAS
Foreign Nationals are not allowed to some
areas which have been designated as either
restricted or closed for tourism due to
security reasons. Visitors desirous of
visiting these areas should get in touch
with Indian Missions to find out if
restricted area permits to some of these
areas can be obtained. Foreign nationals
already in India can contact Foreigner's
Regional Registration Officers for grant of
a restricted area permit to visit places of
tourist interest.
INDIAN CUISINE
Contrary to popular belief not all Hindus
are vegetarians. Visitors to India are often
amazed at the variety of Indian cuisine
which is not restricted to only Curry, Each
region in India has its own traditional and
distinctive Cuisine which offers a wide
choice to Vegetarians as well as
Non-Vegetarians.
In all big cities there
is a wide choice of international cuisine
available at the various restaurants, where
the food is impeccable making India a
gourmet country.
Some of the popular
styles of local cuisine in India are Mughlai,
Kashmiri, Punjabi, Hyderabadi, Bengali,
South Indian, Goanese, Gujarati, Malwani
etc. which visitors can try out at the
various restaurants.
ACCOMMODATION
Hotel charges in India are cheap as
compared to those of the same class in many
other countries. Western style Hotels are
present in large numbers in all cities as
well as in all tourist centers catering to
the budget of the tourists. These hotels are
all graded into the internationally accepted
STAR system of classification.
Most
of the 3 to 5 star hotels offer a choice of
restaurants, bar, coffee shop, conference
centers, business services, health club,
swimming pools, shopping arcades, travel
counter and services, currency exchange
service, safe deposit services in addition
to rooms with attached baths, running hot
and cold water, channel music and cable TV,
communication facilities etc.
In
addition to the above mentioned hotels, one
can also find Tourist Bungalows, Lodges,
Resorts, Rest houses, Circuit Houses, Dak
Bungalows, Youth hostels, YWCA's and YMCA's,
at almost all the places.
INLAND TRAVEL
Contrary to popular belief, India offers
a wide range of travel choices for moving
from one place to another.
India has the
second largest Railway network and also the
world's second largest domestic airline
outside USA.
The National Airline,
Indian Airlines covers all the important
places of tourist network, linking 57 cities
in India spanning an area of 3000 Kms.
Reservations on Indian Airlines can be made
from any where in the world. It offers a
variety of special fare packages aimed at
promoting tourist travel in India, these
are:
Discover India
India
Wonderfares
South India Excursion
Youth Fare Concessions
In
addition to Indian Airlines there are a
number of private Airlines operating in
India, linking most of the big cities.
The Indian Railway system is the
largest in Asia and carries more than 11
million people daily, nearly 12900 trains
cover about 62000 Kms of the rail route
connecting 7084 railway stations in India.
The Indian Railways offer different types of
passenger accommodation depending on the
requirement of the traveler, ranging from
Air-conditioned class to the ordinary second
class, Reservations for Foreign tourists can
be made 360 days in advance. One can also
purchase Indrail passes which offer budget
visitors unlimited travel any where within
the validity period of the pass.
The palace-on-Wheels
If you have
ever dreamt of living a Maharaja's
life, then this could be your dream come
true. This unique experience offers you the
choice of discovering India in a princely
style. You travel in royal comforts in
vintage carriages (dating back to the
beginning of this century) which formerly
belonged to the erstwhile Royal families.
Living quarters are preserved as they were,
with each carriage having a lounge,
mini-bar, kitchenette etc. with attendants
dressed in traditional attire always on
hand. Traveling during the night and sight
seeing during the day, this seven-night
eight-day trip departs from Delhi and halts
at Bharatpur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur,
Chittorgrah, Jaipur and then back to Delhi.
At each halt you are met and taken for a
tour of the cities. Details for booking a
place on this can be had from any Government
of India tourist office.
Similar to
the palace on Wheels some more circuits are
to be started soon, covering some of the
other prime tourist destinations of India.
Traveling by road in India is also a
unique experience in itself. besides the
Rent-A-Car services which are now becoming
popular, there are Taxis and Tourist Buses
widely available in almost all the tourist
places and also most of the various towns
and cities. Regular bus services operate in
all the large cities. There are organized
conducted tours available in most of the
tourist centers.
