The Northern region
The Northern region can be called the power of the mountains. This area attracts tourists not only with the incredible beauty of its natural scenery. People strive to reach it in search of spiritual enlightenment. Here you can visit the town of Naggar to see the Roerich family house. McLeod Ganj near Dharamshala is the town of the official residence of Dalai Lama with mainly Tibetan population. There are a lot of Buddhist monasteries in that area. Down the map towards the central part of India there is a holy city of Haridwar, the place where the Ganges flows in its purest form of Haar Ki Pairi, the Footsteps of God. Thousands of pilgrims reach Haridwar to make a holy dip in the waters of the Mother-River as the Ganges is named by the Indians, and to take home some holy water. Tourists can see pilgrims clad in the orange wraps walking towards their homes across the country with containers propped up on brightly decorated triangular holders to avoid their contact with the earth. On the way of the pilgrims temporary camps are put up to offer them some water and food and charpoys to take rest and get prepared for another strenuous distance.
However it is not only spiritual journey that can be offered by the Northern region of the country. Here you can visit tea gardens of the Kullu and Kangra valleys and make yourself acquainted with local traditions of tea growing, to reach high mountain passes an have a look at the majestic snow clad peaks (the Rohtang La, located near Manali, Kullu distr., 3998m. erratically open from June to September), go for trekking and rafting, Rishikesh being one of the possible places, where the river is at its purest.
When came to India the British looked for a shelter from the scorching summer sun at so-called hill stations, thus giving a good start to such towns as Mussoorie, Kullu, Manali, Shimla, etc., located in the modern states of Uttranchal and Himachal Pradesh. There they came to enjoy the sight of snow peaks and fur and birch tress and get a gulp of crispy mountain air.
The state of Punjab, located at the North-west of the country and with predominantly Sikh population is a separate story. Here Amritsar with the famous Golden Temple, the holy place for any Sikh believer is worth seeing.
Central region
The Central region is sure to be a major attraction for lovers and connoisseurs of history and architecture. The regular route in this part of the country is called the Golden Triangle of India and includes the capital of the country Delhi, a prominent example of the Great Moghuls and creations of Sir Serge Lutens of the British colonization period; Agra, the city of the legendary Taj Mahal and the pink city of Jaipur, built in XVIII by maharaja Jay Singh II. This route will not take you more than one week since the cities are located at less than 300 km from each other. However, Rajasthan, the state that saw construction of Agra, Jaipur and other interesting cities the Singh maharajas, is worth a separate look. Hill and desert landscapes, palaces, representing a unique medley of Hinduism and Islam, observatories and temples will make your visit to such places as Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Pushkar, etc an unforgettable experience. It is only in Rajasthan that a daring tourist can take a risk and cross the desert on camels.
Connoisseurs of Hinduism and other curious travelers are recommended to visit Varanasi, the holiest place on earth and the chosen residence of lord Shiva. Those who die in Varanasi are guaranteed moksha, or liberation from the chain of rebirths no matter what they may have done during their lives.
One should definitely not miss the state of Madhya Pradesh, or the Middle State: Khajuraho with the famous temple Kama Sutra dressed in erotic bas-reliefs, Orchha, Mandu and Gwalior, famous fro their unusual architecture and Jainist temples, as we as the city of Sanch with an ancient Buddhist stupa.
To combine trip to the Central India with the beach leisure one can go to Orissa. This place is not yet fully discovered by the tourists but however is very interesting. Near Puri, there are perfect beaches while the city itself is famous for its temples and rich religious festivals. The temples of Bhubaneswar and the Sun temple of Konark are near at hand. Moreover the region can offer you to visit the wild uncivilized tribes of Orissa.
Southern Region
However the beach leisure is the domain of the South of India. The state of Kerala offers its visitors a wide range of leisure and entertainment from the sin-kissed beaches to mountains, jungles, national parks and backwaters to take a boat cruise. Varkala is famous for its beaches while Kochin is interesting for national dance shows and Portuguese churches.
The most famous resort however is Goa. The place is often called the European part of India with the centuries of the Portuguese colonization having had a great impact on the region. One can see ancient Portuguese churches and forts in Old Goa or Panaji and Hindu mandirs in Ponda. This area hosts several national parks and sanctuaries and famous Dudhsagar Falls.
Having time one can escape the beaches and explore the adjacent state of Karnataka. The first place to visit is Hampi to see the ruins of old temples. From there one can go to Bijapur, the city featuring Muslim architecture, and further to see temples in Badami, Aihole, Belur and Halebid, to see the holy Jain place of Srawanabelagola and the palace of maharajas in Mysore.
Covering area from the Himalayan peaks to Thivandrum, the most Southern point of the Hindustan peninsula, the meeting point of the Bay of Bengal and the Arab sea, India make a daring tourist a generous offer of a range of climate zones and climatic impressions. The country can be roughly divided into three regions – the North, the Center and the South.
Posts
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen