The Majesty of the Himalayas
On the journey towards the peaks of the Himalayas yet another totally different and magnificent experience beckons. Imagine standing alone in the top of the world with the swirling white clouds beneath you and yet another snowy ridge towering ahead. Journeys can easily be made to silvery Kashmir, cool and beautiful Shimla, or the lush green Kulu Valley, Relax sitting on the balcony of one of the beautiful hotels in the mountains, breathing in the clear mountain air and idly watching the sparkling river cascading down the mountainside. The ancient Moghul emperors, once the greatest dynasty on earth, devoted their entire resources to the task of complementing the natural beauty of Kashmir with gardens and waterways to create a ’Paradise on Earth’. Later, the British popularised the use of houseboats moored in the tranquil Nagin and Dal lakes. Many travellers join groups trekking into the heart of the Himalayas and return to laze in their houseboats. Shimla, the ’Summer Capital’ of India for the British, is a place designed for complete relaxation, a delightfully situated hill station retreat. Wander down the Mall, to watch a11 the local people doing the same; breathe the pine scented air in the tall and beautiful forests with the sun casting light through the trees on the sparkling brooks. North of Shimla is the beautiful forested Kulu Valley, with its flowing rivers and flower strewn walks, known as the ’Valley of the Gods’. You can bite into a crisp apple plucked from one of the many orchards, or watch the local people in their homespun woollen clothes and bright Kulu caps drying apricots in the sun. So many wonders. So much to feel and see. So different. So exotic. Sri Paramahansa Yoganada, a famous Indian guru, observed how mankind is engaged in an eternal quest for that ’something else’ he hopes will bring him happiness, complete and unending. We don’t promise India will completely fulfill this, but she will certainly put you on a new and different path. You will never be quite the same again.Sightseeing
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 ruin 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 jewellery 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 colourful 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 sunbathing as well as wind surfing and snorkeling, and its jungles provide shooting wildlife – with a camera. India’s history goes hack 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 localised. 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 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, 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.
source by india-tourism.com
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