India
is a vast country with a history that goes back five thousand
years. Its vast geographical diversity, heritage and culture,
fairs and festivals, and monumental attractions that span
a sub- continent cannot be condensed between the two covers
of any book. The sub- continent of India lies in South Asia,
between Pakistan, China and Nepal. To the north, it is bordered
by the world’s highest mountain chain, the Himalayas,
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 traditions. Thus,
the towering temples of SOUTH INDIA, easily identified by
their ornate sculptured surfaces, 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 harsh terrain.
Yet another facet of India culture can be 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,
trekking and mountaineering. Its beaches provide lazy sun
bathing as well as wind surfing and snorkeling, and its jungles
provide shooting wildlife- with a camera! Modern India is
home alike to the tribal with its 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 where atomic energy is generated and industrial
development has brought the country within the world’s
top ten nations. Today, India is a nation where 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.
Area : 3,287,263 sq.m.
States: 26
Union Territories: 6
Districts: 463
Language
The official language
is HINDI in Devanagri script. The States are free to decide
their own regional language for internal administration and
education, so there are 14 official languages widely spoken
throughout the country. English is widely spoken.
