India Incredible - A Country of Great Natural & Cultural Diversities! India Invites; Festivals of India; World Heritage Sites

Introduction

India is a country of bewilderingly great diversities. We keep marveling at the incredibly harmonious co-existence of various religions & culture; its varied landscapes from Kashmir to Kannyakumari and from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh, the different cuisines, etc! In fact every single home is like a school of kitchen! India is also a place for Ayurveda, Yoga, learning, amazing arts & crafts, mountains, backwaters, nature, rivers, deserts, wildlife enthusiasts. India is a jigsaw of people - of every faith and religion, living together to create a unique and colourful mosaic. There is a festival for every reason and every season.

The Indian subcontinent lies to the north of equator and is surrounded by the Arabian Sea on the west, Indian Ocean in South, Bay of Bengal in the East, the Himalayas in North to North – East and Pakistan on North West frontier. It measures 3214 km from north to south and 2933 from east to west with a total area of 3,287,263 sq km. It has a land frontier of 15200 km and a coastline of 7516.5 km. Andaman & Nicobar Islands and the Bay of Bengal and the Lakshadweep islands are also a part of India.

India shares its political borders with Pakistan & Afghanistan on the west and Bangladesh & Burma in the east. The northern boundary is adjacent to China, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. India is separated from Sri Lanka by a narrow channel of sea.

Mountain ranges: There are seven mountain ranges namely 1) The Himalayas 2) the Patkai and other ranges bordering India in the north & north-east 3) the Vindhyas, which separate the Indo-Gangetic plain from the Deccan Plateau 4) the Satpura 5) the Aravalli, 6) the Sahayadri, which covers the eastern fringe of the West Coast plains and 7) the Eastern Ghats, irregularly scattered on the East Coast and forming the boundary of the East Coast plains.

Desert: Western India has a big desert region which can be divided into two parts – the great desert and the little desert. The great desert extends from the edge of Rann of Kutcch beyond the Luni river northward. The whole of Rajasthan – Sind Frontier runs through this. The little desert extends from the Luni between Jaisalmer and Jodhpur upto northern wastes.

Rivers: There are many big rivers flowing through our country. The Indus (Sindhu), The Ganges, The Brahmaputra, the Deccan rivers (Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery, Pennar, Mahanadi, Damodar, Netravati, Periyar, Narmada & Tapti to name a few. The Gangetic basin forms the biggest fertile plains in India.

Climatic Conditions: India is so vast that the climatic conditions vary a lot. It has mainly 3 seasons a year – Rainy (June – September: South West monsoon; October – November: North West monsoon), Summer (April – July) and Winter (mid – October – February). The best time to visit most of the India is October – mid April, though there are many places which can be visited during the summer time too, e.g. cooler places up in the mountains of Leh – Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Darjeeling, parts of South India including Tamilnadu & Kerala. Goa has become quite popular during the rains due to its unparalleled greenery. TOP

General Information

PASSPORT & VISA: Citizens of all the country need to have a valid passport and an entry , transit or tourist visa obtained from the Indian Mission in their country. Tourist Visa is normally valid for 120 days. Visa extensions can be got by applying to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Lok Nayak Bhavan, Khan Market, (Ph: 011-24693334 ,24612543 and 24617649) The letter should be handed over at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office at Hans Bhavan, Tilak Bridge, near ITO, New Delhi (Ph: 23319489/8179). It is open from 0930 hrs to 1330 hrs and 1400 hrs to 1600 hrs. (It is closed on weekends and national Holidays) Those wishing to visit a neighbouring country like Sri Lanka or Nepal, and then coming back to India, should obtain a double/multiple entry Visa.

CUSTOMS CLEARANCE: Those without any dutiable goods or high value articles or foreign exchange more than US $2,500 or unaccompanied baggage which need to be declared, can walk through Green Channel. All others need to pass through the Red Channel. Goods up to Rs 750 (Rs. 12,000 for persons of Indian origin) for personal use or as gifts are exempt from duty. Beyond the free baggage limit, the duty rate is 52% plus 2% special duty.

Those not entitled: Persons from Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and China do not get any free allowances, while in case of nationals of Sri Lanka and the Maldives, it is Rs. 6000 if they stay for more than three days and Rs. 3000 if the stay is less.

Tourist Baggage Form: On arrival, a TBRE (tourist baggage re-export form) is to be shown with the entered articles to Customs for verification at the time of departure

Landing certificate: It is required if you are expecting unaccompanied baggage as also for mishandled baggage.

Bringing in currency: Any amount in the form of currency, travellers' cheques and the like can be brought in and the same amount can be taken back. In case the amount exceeds US $10,000 in the form of currency notes, travellers' cheques or bank notes / or currency notes alone of more than US $2,500, they have to be declared on arrival on the Currency Declaration Form (CDF), duly attested by the Custom Officer.

Indian currency: No Indian currency can be brought in or taken out, and while remitting money to India the full address of the bank should be given.

Money changing: The unit of currency is the rupee and all money should be changed with authorised money changers available at various places. You should insist on a receipt which will help in reconverting the money whenever you desire so. It is better to avoid touts who may offer higher sums than the prevailing value.

Export curbs: All articles brought in can be taken back. from India one can take back souvenirs worth Rs. 1,00,000 in value and more than that after getting permission from the Reserve Bank of India. Jewellery or precious stones of high value need an advance RBI permit as also appraisal by the Customs Appraiser at the airport in advance.

Antiquities, art objects: Restrictions exist on art objects more than 100 years old. Any doubts should be got cleared from Director Antiquities, Archaeological survey of India, Janpath, Ph: 3017220. Export of wildlife items is prohibited and in some cases regulated.

Foreign Travel Tax: Rs 500 and only Rs 150 for citizens of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

ARRIVAL, LEAVING THE AIRPORT: Transport of various sorts is available at our International Airports. These include auto-rickshaws, taxis, and even buses most of which are operated by private operators. There is also a prepaid taxi service and it is advisable that this facility is made use of as it proves to be the most economical.

TIME DIFFERENCE: The standard time for India is calculated from Allahabad and is common to all cities. During summer time, Indian Standard Time (IST) is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of London, 4 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Paris, 3 hours and 30 minutes behind Tokyo and 4 hours and 30 minutes behind Sydney.

CREDIT CARDS: American Express, Master Charge, Visa and Diners Club credit cards are generally accepted by large establishments including hotels, shops and airlines. TOP

The National Flag of India is made up of Khadi (type of cloth), with three bands of colour. Top Band is of Saffron colour, indicating the strength of the country. The white middle band, indicates peace with Dharma Chakra. The last band is green in colour shows the fertility of the land. The National Anthem of the country is Janaganamana composed by Ravindranath Tagore and the National song is Vande Mataram composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. The National Emblem adapted by the Government of India on 26th January 1950, is taken from the Lion capital of Sarnath erected by Ashoka - the great Mauryan King. In the emblem only three lions are visible and the fourth one is hidden from the view. In the centre of the Abacus, there is a wheel symbolising the Dharma Chakra (Eternal wheel of law) with a bull on the right and horse on the left. The word Satyameva Jayate (Truth alone triumphs) from the Upanishadas have been inscribed in Devanagari script. The emblem is the official seal of the President of India and Central and State Governments of the Indian union. Used only for official purposes, it commands utmost respect and loyalty, while proclaiming independent India's identity and sovereignty.

National Emblem The state emblem of India is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Asoka as preserved in the Sarnath museum. The emblem was adopted on 26 January 1950 – the day India was declared a republic with its constitution coming into effect. There are four lions standing back to back, an elephant, galloping horse, a bull and a lion separated by intervening wheels (chakras) over a bell shaped lotus. Carved out of a singe block of polished sandstone, the Capital is crowned by the Wheel of Law (Dharma Chakra).

National Bird Symbolic of many qualities - grace, joy, pride, beauty, love and mysticism, the Peacock is depicted in picture with the company of Indian Gods and Goddesses. It is the sacred bird of the India, protected not only by a religious sentiment but also by parliamentary statute.

NATIONAL TREE Commanding a central presence in the timeless setting of India's countryside, is the mighty Banyan, a tree endemic to the Indian subcontinent. What's amazing about this tree is the fact that it is a veritable micro habitant for countless creatures. For man it provides shelter and is a point where the village community gather and transact much of its affairs.

NATIONAL FLOWER Rich in meaning and metaphor, the Lotus symbolises divinity, fertility, wealth, knowledge and not to forget enlightenment. Lending to its uniqueness, the flower grows in murky waters and rises on a long stalk above the surface to bloom glorious. Untouched by the impurity, lotus symbolises the purity of heart and mind. Human beings are instructed by Indian scripture to live a life of non-attachment, which is very hard. Then in Indian thought, there is the last and final lotus - Charan Kamal or lotus feet of the Almighty. It was this depth of thought that made the founding fathers of modern India enshrine the lotus in the Constitution as the National Flower.

NATIONAL ANIMAL The Tiger - Lord of the Indian Jungles, evokes royalty, majesty and power. With its position at top of the ecological pyramids, the tiger is the symbol of India's wealth of wildlife. India homes nearly half the world-wide population of tigers and thus tiger remains synonymous with India. To protect this royal animal Project Tiger was launched in 1973. Today, the tiger advances as a symbol of India's conservation of itself its wildlife heritage. TOP

Significance of Namaskar, Tilak, Bindi, Mangalsutra, etc.

Namaskar: Namaskar or Namaste is the most popular form of greeting in India. Folding the hands politely is a general salutation for welcoming someone or bidding farewell. While doing this, both the palms are placed together and raised to below the face. It is believed that both the hands symbolise one mind or the self meeting the self.

Tilak: Tilak is the the ritual mark on the forehead. It can be put in many forms as a sign of blessing, greeting or auspicious. This is usually made out of a red vermilion paste (kumkum) which is a mixture of turmeric, alum, iodine, camphor, etc. It can also be made of sandalwood paste (chandan) blended with musk. It is applied on the spot between the brows which is considered the seat of latent wisdom and mental concentration and is very important for worship. This also indicates the point at which the (third) spiritual eye opens. All thoughts and actions are supposed to be governed by this spot. Putting of the third eye symbolises the quest for the `opening' of the third eye. All rites and ceremonies of the Hindus begin with a tilak topped wit a few grains of rice placed with the index finger or the thumb.

Aarti: It is performed as an act of veneration and love. It is often performed as a mark of worship and to seek blessings from God, to welcome the guests, for children on their birthdays, family members on auspicious occasions or to welcome a newly wed couple.

For performing Aarati, five small lamps called niranjans are filled with ghee or oil, and arranged in a small metal tray. A wick is made out of cotton wool and placed in the lamps. A conch-shell filled with water, auspicious leaves or flowers, incense or lighted camphor are also placed in the tray. The lamps are lit and the tray is rotated in a circular motion in front of the deity of the person to be welcomed. The purpose is to ward off evil effects and malefic influence of the `evil eye'!

Garlanding: Flower garlands are generally offered as a mark of respect and honour. They are offered to welcome the visitors or in honour to the Gods and Goddesses. These are generally made with white jasmine and orange marigold flowers. They are woven in thread and tied at the end with the help of a knot.

Bindi: A bindi is an auspicious mark worn by young girls and women. It is derived from Bindu a sanskrit word for dot. It is usually a red dot made with vermillion powder which is worn by women between their eyebrows on the forehead.

Considered a symbol of Goddess Parvati, it signifies female energy and is believed to protect women and their husbands. Traditionally a symbol of marriage, it has also become decorative and is worn today by girls and women as well. No longer it is restricted in colour and shape, bindis are seen in many bright colours and different shapes and designs embellished with coloured glass or glitter.

Mangalsutra: This is a necklace made of black beads and a golden pendant, worn ONLY by the married women as a mark of being married. It is the Indian equivalent of the western wedding ring. The mangalsutra is tied by her groom around her neck. These are supposed to protect against evil and the life of their husband.

Read on ...India on a lighter note! TOP