India
"India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only. If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India” - Mark Twain.
A melting pot of different cultures, languages and religions, all of which coexist happily together. A land peopled by almost a hundred races, speaking as many different languages and local dialects, each with its own distinct culture and history and let the centuries roll on…India, since time immemorial, has beckoned the intrepid travelers and has captured the imagination of the world.
Folklore, native arts, traditional ceremony and a prodigious variety of dress and manners combine to create a travel experience unlike any other. India is a continuous visual and mental stimulation; you can admire the masterpieces of architecture, the art in temples and the ancient caves, live in ornate palaces, see unique craftsmanship and meet the diverse people of India from all facets of life. To most visitors India is a wonderful surprise.
DELHI
Delhi stands as the capital of Modern India. Here you can see the mingling of the Old and New India, the ancient and the modern. Delhi is made up of seven ancient cities, spanning the period from the 11th to 20th centuries. Delhi has seen the rise and fall of many emperors, which has left behind a plethora of monuments that commemorate the grandeur and glory of bygone ages. Very few cities in the world can express such a profusion of architectural styles. Old Delhi was an ancient walled city. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1650 switched the Mughal capital from Agra to Delhi. Shah Jahan possessing an exquisite talent, especially in architecture, created the seventh city and in the process brought about Delhi's glorious renaissance.
MUMBAI
Mumbai is a cluster of seven Islands and derives its name from Mumba Devi, the patron goddess of the Koli fisher folk, its oldest inhabitants. In the four hundred years since then, the city has grown by a series of land reclamations which now link the original islands into one mass. Today, Mumbai pulsates with activity. It is a city that is disciplined by no time frame, neither by day nor by night. Mumbai is also the country's financial powerhouse, the nation's industrial heartland, and its economic nerve center. With dazzling shopping arcades, exciting sport activity, night clubs & discotheques, theatre & music, gourmet restaurants and interesting sightseeing, Mumbai offers visitors a heady mix of all this and more.
AGRA
At the time of the Mughals, in the 16th & 17th centuries, Agra was the capital of the grand Mughal Empire. During this period, the city became a leading center of art, science, commerce and culture. Akbar the Great made Agra great. The city's origins are dim, but Akbar's grandfather Babur is credited with Agra's founding. Its many wonderful monuments and the Taj Mahal, the greatest of them all, have given it a unique position as a major tourist center.
JAIPUR
The rose-pink capital of Rajasthan, is surrounded on all sides by rugged hills, the city was founded in 1727 by the astronomer-king, Sawai Jai Singh II and built according to the Shilpa Shastra, the ancient Hindu treatise on architecture and sculpture. It is a walled city with seven rectangular blocks. The Maharajah's palace stands in the center of the city amidst lovely gardens. Jaipur is aptly called the ‘the pink city’ of India.
AMRITSAR
Founded in 1577 by Ram Das, the fourth guru of the Sikhs, Amritsar is both the centre of Sikh religion and the major city of the Punjab state. Literally Amritsar means ‘Pool of Nectar’ referring to the sacred tank around which the Sikhs Golden Temple is built. Golden Temple is the holiest shrine of the Sikh religion and is also known as the Hari Mandir, the residence of God. Golden Temple is a two-storied marble structure with a blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture and has a golden dome which is said to be gilded with 100kg of pure gold and is supposed to represent an inverted lotus flower.
VARANASI
Varanasi is the religious centre of Hindu religion. Situated on the banks of the holy river Ganges, Varanasi is among the oldest living cities of the world and has been a centre of learning and civilization for centuries. Varanasi holds special significance in the lives of the Indian people. Every year hundreds of thousands of pilgrims make a long journey to this vibrant city where you can find the richest of the rich living side by side with the poorest of the poor. Travel to Varanasi with an open mind and see what faith can do to people and what their devotion to god leads them to achieve. The old city of Varanasi is a maze of small streets and alleyways hiding in disorderly array no less than 2000 temples and shrines. Domes, minarets, pinnacles and towers, and derelict eighteenth century palaces dominate the sacred left bank of the river.
JODHPUR
Among Rajasthan's many princely settlements, Jodhpur is one of the most distinctive. This five-hundred-year old settlement was the headquarters of the Rathore Rajputs celebrated for their tales of daring. This princely state is also referred as "The Blue city". Founded in 1459, the oldest of Rajputana's great cities, During the British Raj, the state of Jodhpur was the largest in Rajputana, by land area. Jodhpur prospered under the British Raj. Its merchants, the Marwaris, flourished endlessly. They came to occupy a dominant position in trade throughout India. In 1947 India became independent and the state merged into the union of India. Jodhpur became the second city of Rajasthan..
UDAIPUR
In Udaipur the visitor finds his dream of India come true, for the city combines real beauty with picturesque associations of a great and glorious past. It stands in a valley, amid green hills on the banks of the wide, steel blue Lake Pichola. On little islands in the lake, from the water's edge, rise marble palaces of pure white that glisten like fairy castles. Crowning the ridge, in which the city clusters, along the shores of the lake is the palace of the Maharana. Within the palace is all the magnificence of the East - peacocks in mosaic on the walls, floors inlaid with tiles of rare beauty, and roof gardens affording thrilling views of the panorama below.
JAISALMER
Jaisalmer, also known as ‘Golden city’ because of the color imparted to the stone ramparts of the Fort by the setting suns. The city is an endless vista of sand and cacti, broken by a solitary camel in the horizon. Yet this desert fortress is straight out of the Tales of Arabian Nights and you could easily be forgiven for imagining that you have been transported back to medieval Afghanistan.
CHENNAI
The gateway to the sunny south, the capital of Tamil Nadu is also the seat of an ancient civilization, with a rich heritage of fine arts, sculpture and architecture. Historically, Chennai has formidable credentials, going back 2000 years, when its old temple quarter, Mylapore, was a port on the fabled Coromandel Coast, busily trading with the Chinese, the Phoenicians, the Greeks, Romans, and later, the French, Portuguese, Armenians and Arabs. St. Thomas, Christ's own Apostle, landed here in 58 A.D. and was martyred in 72 A.D. on an inland hillock. St. Thomas, Christ's own Apostle, landed here in 58 A.D. and was martyred in 72 A.D. on an inland hillock. Nearly three and a half centuries later, Madras, the modern city, now sprawls over 174-sq. km and is home to nearly four million people!
KUMARAKOM
Kumarakom is a cluster of little islands on the Vembanad Lake, and this small water world is part of the Kuttanad region. The bird sanctuary here, which is spread across 14 acres, is a favorite haunt of migratory birds and an ornithologist's paradise. Egrets, darters, herons, teal, waterfowl, cuckoo, wild duck and migratory birds like the Siberian stork that live there in flocks are a fascination for visitors. The best way to watch the birds of the Kumarakom sanctuary is a boat trip round the islands.
NEPAL
Nepal is a mystical country nestled in the folds of the magnificent Himalaya mountain ranges. With 50peaks over 25,000 ft high these legendary mountains provide a spectacular sight. The grand Mount Everest and other awe-inspiring peaks of the Himalayas tower above the populated valleys and forested plains-realm of the tiger and rhinoceros. The people of Nepal can always be seen to be smiling. The fertile, mountain-sheltered Kathmandu Valley is the historic heart of Nepal, where the Himalaya's most sophisticated kingdoms rose and fell and where Nepalese art and culture were developed and refined.
BHUTAN
The Kingdom of Bhutan hidden in the heart of the high Himalayas between India and Tibet, is an exotic land of snow-clad peaks and lush valleys, dense forests and clear running springs, a pristine ecology and an incredible wealth of wildlife. But for centuries, it has been a nation shrouded in mystery, with priceless historical evidence lost to fires and earthquakes. A sparsely populated country of just six hundred thousand people, this landlocked nation is the last surviving Mahayana Buddhist state in the world today. A land that offers travelers a rare opportunity to discover the richness of nature and the simplicity of life, among warm-hearted and friendly people.
TIBET
Tibet, with vast high altitude landscapes, untouched touristic trails, colorful festivals and a fascinating ancient culture to discover. It has so much to offer travelers seeking the paths less travelled. Tibet is often referred to as the ‘roof of the world’, it’s phenomenal landscape is like no other place on Earth: rugged, remote and unforgettable. The vast Tibetan plateau contrasted against the snowcapped peaks of the world’s highest mountains will leave you in awe. Tibet is a deeply religious land with an ancient culture that is still preserved today. Visiting the sacred places where the Tibetan people worship is inspiring. It is an experience that remains with those fortunate enough to visit for many years.
YOGA
The word ‘Yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘Yuj’, meaning ‘to join’ or ‘to yoke’ or ‘to unite’. As per Yogic scriptures the practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with that of the Universal Consciousness, indicating a perfect harmony between the mind and body, Man & Nature. Yoga is essentially a spiritual discipline based on an extremely subtle science, which focuses on bringing harmony between mind and body. It is an art and science of healthy living.
AYURVEDA
The term Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit words ‘Ayur’ (life) and ‘Veda’ (science or knowledge). Ayurveda translates to knowledge of life. Based on the idea that disease is due to an imbalance or stress in a person's consciousness, Ayurveda encourages certain lifestyle interventions and natural therapies to regain a balance between the body, mind, spirit, and the environment. It evolved around 600 BC in India. Today, it's a unique, indispensable branch of medicine - a complete naturalistic system that depends on the diagnosis of your body's humors - vata, pitta and kapha - to achieve the right balance.