TOURISM IN INDIA – EXPLORING THE JEWEL OF THE EAST

GUEST BLOGGER: NEENA VILAS TALPADE

From ‘Golden Sparrow’ to ‘Incredible India’, India has traversed a long journey, always attracting the attention of the outside world. Of course, tourism in India is not restricted to foreigners. Indians too love the excitement of exploring the myriad choices that the country offers.

PLETHORA OF TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

We have hill stations, beaches, islands, adventure, deserts, religious places, historical places, wild-life sanctuaries.

Sun, sand and sea: Stretching right from the west coast to the east coast, some of these are:

• Agonda,
• Ganpatipule,
• Kovalam,
• Cherai (better known as the Princess of the Arabian Sea).

The cool slopes: The grandeur of the snow-clad Himalayas is so mesmerizing and awe inspiring, and challenge others in the South:

• Dharamshala – North India
• Darjeeling – North India
• Coorg – South India
• Munnar – South India

For adventure buffs:

• Kaziranga wild-life sanctuary
• Mountain-treks like Triund
• Desert trips to Jaisalmer

A peep into the past:

• Sinhagad fort
• Pratapgad fort
• Ajanta and Ellora Caves
• Badami
• Ayodhya

These delve into epochs of time gone by.

 

For the heart and soul:

There are pilgrimage tours to visit Ashtavinayak, Jyotirlingas, The Shakti Peethas of the Goddesses, Meenakshi Temple, Kamakoti, etc.

These are so ancient that at many places, the stone steps have eroded to a silky smoothness. The very names evoke faith and surrender and we bow our heads in silent prayer.

DRESS CODE AND LOOKING GOOD TOO!

Dress according to the weather. India is vast. Climate varies widely. Dress according to the place that you are visiting. Casuals are appropriate in most places. (However, revealing clothes would draw stares!) Enquire at the hotel reception about the dress code in religious places. Better still – research on Google and you can pack accordingly.

All the instructions and caution that brochures put forth regarding ‘Tourism in India’ are meant as guidelines only. Don’t lose momentum!

Your actual experience is sure to be mind-blowing!!