India is a vast country with a history that goes back five thousand years. Its vast geographical diversity, heritage and culture, fairs and festivals, and monumental attractions that span a sub- continent cannot be condensed between the two covers of any book. The sub- continent of India lies in South Asia, between Pakistan, China and Nepal. To the north, it is bordered by the world’s highest mountain chain, the Himalayas, where foothill valleys cover the northernmost of the country’s various states. Further south, plateaus, tropical rain 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 traditions. Thus, the towering temples of SOUTH INDIA, easily identified by their ornate sculptured surfaces, 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 jewelry 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 harsh terrain. Yet another facet of India culture can be observed in the colorful 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 sun bathing as well as wind surfing and snorkeling, and its jungles provide shooting wildlife- with a camera! Modern India is home alike to the tribal with its 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, India is a nation where 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.

Area : 3,287,263 sq.m. States: 29 Union Territories: 6 Districts: 463

LANGUAGE
The official language is HINDI in Devanagri script. The States are free to decide their own regional language for internal administration and education, so there are 14 official languages widely spoken throughout the country. English is widely spoken.