India – The Land of Unity in Diversity

31 states, 1618 languages, 6400 castes, 6 ethnic groups, 29 festivals – all in only one legendary country – India! I find it really difficult to introduce India in a statement other than this that is a summarized image of this vast ocean of diversity to enchant persuasively the riddle of this powerful land. Independent but still bound by different amazing traditions, developing but still facing some crucial challenges; this is an incredible nation that has withstand in difficult circumstances of the horrible past of invasions and British Raj and the shocking present of terrorism. All thanks and my heartily tribute to the united people here!

The North and West is full of sky touching snowy peaks, legendary pilgrimage centres, ruined forts, sand dunes, hill stations, and national monuments; while the South is full of alluring beaches, mountain scenery, magical temples, backwater cruising, and World Heritage Sites. This is just to name a few famous tourist sites. No matter where you go, what you do, how you plan; you will appreciate coming to India again and again.

India Tourist Attractions

North

New Delhi, The Historic Capital of India

This is one of the major tourist destinations and it is precisely from here that you can plan to explore the north and North West cities such as Kashmir, Shimla, Rajasthan, Agra, and so on. Here, we explored the following long list of tourist sites.

• Red Fort: Famous for Independence and Republic Day’s celebrations
• Jama Masjid: The popular Islamic pilgrimage site in India
• Chandni Chowk: A renowned area of the city famous for its hustle and bustle
• Qutub Minar: A five-storey tower of victory in the Qutub complex
• India Gate: A salute to the fighters with an eternal burning flame

• Humayun’s Tomb: An attractive mausoleum of the Mughal Emperor and father of Akbar
• Lotus Temple: A new architectural marvel whose structure is shaped of a lotus having spiritual significance and belonging to the Bahai’s faith
• Akshardham Temple: A complex of 20,000 statues of the divine characters, an IMAX theatre, a Swaminarayan temple, and an elaborate musical fountain where you need a day to explore on the National Highway
• Birla Temple: A beautiful sacred shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu and his divine consort, Goddess Lakshmi where attractions include the man-made rocky landscape, Lord Buddha temple, gallery, and idols of other Hindu deities
• ISKON Temple: A holy shrine dedicated to Lord Krishna with big and mind-blowing idols of the Hindu deities

We also explored the Jantar Mantar, Parliament House, President House, and the Old Fort here.

Taj Mahal – The Seventh Wonder of the World

Situated on the banks of River Yamuna in Agra of the Uttar Pradesh state, this is an architectural marvel of eternal love built in white marble. It was made by the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife Rani Mumtaz Mahal after her demise. Simply a worth visiting monument whose each fine corner is another wonder in itself.

Jammu and Srinagar – The Ultimate Paradise

A Himalayan city where houseboats, chilled lakes, mountain trekking, blooming flower gardens awaits each visitor. However, we spent here only a night in a houseboat as our final target was the pilgrimage spot of magical Shree Vaishano Devi.

Shree Vaishno Devi – The Protector and Wish-fulfilling Goddess

Some 67 km away from Jammu, a taxi drive from the Jammu airport, we reached Katra from where we had to trek 13 km visiting different stunning mythological scenes and idols. After 4 hours, we reach the shrine in a cave on the sacred Trikuta Hills where our tiredness was simply taken away by the sacred shrine. The celibate goddess is enshrined as three rocks (pindis) appearing to be one and dedicated to its three divine forms: Maha Kali (the destroyer of darkness, evil), Maha Lakshmi (the giver of wealth), and Maha Saraswati (the giver of knowledge). Then, we visited the Bhairo Nath that is the boulder body of this demon who harassed the goddess, but asked for forgiveness later at the time of his death that was generously given by the divine mother.

West

Mumbai – The Financial Capital

From New Delhi, we then took the Rajdhaani Express to reach Mumbai. This was another satisfying experience. Here, we stayed at Hotel Oberoi, the Trident on the Nariman point near to the Churchgate local railway station. We took a bus labeled ‘Mumbai Darshan’ that cost us some 400 Rs. per person excluding lunch to visit much of the places in Mumbai from early morning until late evening.

We started with the famous ‘Shree Siddhivinayak Temple’ of Lord Ganesha where each wish gets fulfilled if it is genuinely asked followed by the beautiful Mahalakshmi Temple with the seashore in its backdrop. Then, we headed towards the nearby Arcadia mall where we saw a 25 minutes 4-D animation costing 300 Rs. per person. Next, we explored the Nehru Planetarium and Nehru Science Centre where we watched a documentary of 45 minutes of the African wildlife. From the bus, we simply looked at the Mahalakshmi race course, Shivaji Park, Shrimati Lata Mangeshkar – the famous singer’s home, and Mayor’s house. We took a motorboat ride on the Chowpatty to explore the huge buildings of the Nariman Point.

Then, we spend some time at the Gateway of India and did some photography of the Taj Hotels in its facade. In the evening, we went to the Malabar Hill where we refreshed ourselves in the Kamla Nehru Park and the Hanging Gardens nearby. Then, we directly went to the famous Juhu Beach in the evening to taste its spicy dishes of ‘Pav Bhaji’ and ‘Pani Puri’ – mouthwatering and see the spectacular sunset! Lastly, we just had a glimpse of the bungalows of some film stars such as Shree Amitabh Bachchan.

South

Mahabalipuram Temples in Tamil Nadu

Located at 60 km from Chennai, this is the World Heritage region properly preserved. Here, it is worth visiting the 7 Ratha Temples (chariot shrines) made from a single boulder of Buddha Vihara style dedicated to the famous Pandavas and their wife in the Mahabharata epic – Dharmaraja Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Draupadi Ratha, Ganesa Ratha, and Nakul Sahadev Ratha.

Next, comes the man-made cave sanctuaries surrounded with bas-reliefs namely the Varaha Cave Temple, Krishna Cave Temple, Pancha Pandava Cave Temple, and the Mahishasuramardini Cave Temple.

The Giant Open Air Rock (Bas) Relief symbolizes the grandeur of Lord Shiva (the perpetuator of life) and Descent of the Ganges (the Arjuna’s Penance or Bhagiratha’s Penance). Lastly, a few structured Temples made from single rock cut are dedicated to Hindu gods and goddesses.

Visit the monuments from 6 am to 6 pm with the nominal entrance fee, but free for children under 15.

Kanyakumari Shore in Tamil Nadu

This is the southernmost tip of India where Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean meets. The amazing monument here is the Swami Vivekananda Rock amid the sea – an ideal place for meditation. However, swimming is not allowed due to risky waters, but is famous for its unmatchable sunset view.

Accommodations

In Mumbai:

• The Taj Mahal – 5 star deluxe
• The Oberoi – 5 star deluxe
• Sun-N-Sand – 5 star
• Hotel Heritage – budget
• The Residency – budget

In Delhi:

• Hotel Le Meridien and Hyatt Regency New Delhi – 5 star deluxe
• Hotel Metro City, Hotel Chand Palace – Budget

In Mahabalipuram:

• Fortune Chariot Beach Resort – Deluxe
• Hotel Sea Breeze, Mahabalipuram – Standard
• Mamallaa Heritage, Mahabalipuram – Standard

In Kanyakumari (Only Rooms):

• Hotel Cape Residency – 3 star
• Hotel Parvathi Residency – Standard
• Indian Hermitage Resort & Hotel – Standard