Friday, March 13, 2009

India - A wanderer’s paradise




India continues to astound the travelers with its breathtaking rustic natural beauty, exotic myriad cultures and simultaneously stimulating the senses, spiritually !!
To facilitate the exploration of this incredible and varied country, I have compiled the official tourism websites of the various states and union territories for your quick perusal, below.





States
Andhra Pradesh
http://www.aptourism.in
Arunachal Pradesh
http://www.arunachaltourism.com
Assam
http://www.assamtourism.org
Chattisgarh
http://www.chhattisgarhtourism.net
Goa
http://www.goa-tourism.com
Gujarat
http://www.gujarattourism.com
Haryana
http://www.haryanatourism.gov.in
Himachal Pradesh
http://himachaltourism.gov.in
Jammu and Kashmir
http://jammukashmir.nic.in
Jharkhand
http://portal.jharkhandtourism.in/
Karnataka
http://www.karnatakatourism.org
Kerala
http://www.keralatourism.org
Madhya Pradesh
http://olrs.mptourism.com
Maharashtra
http://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in
Manipur
http://manipur.nic.in/tourism.htm
Meghalaya
http://megtourism.gov.in
Mizoram
www.mizoram.nic.in
Nagaland
http://tourismnagaland.com
Orissa
http://www.orissatourism.gov.in
Punjab
http://punjabgovt.nic.in/
Rajasthan
http://www.rajasthantourism.gov.in
Sikkim
http://sikkimtournet.com
Tamil Nadu
http://www.tamilnadutourism.org
Tripura
http://tripura.nic.in
Uttar Pradesh
http://www.up-tourism.com
Uttaranchal
http://www.kmvn.org/
http://www.gmvnl.com
West Bengal
http://www.wbtourism.com

Union Territories
Delhi
http://delhitourism.nic.in
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
http://tourism.andaman.nic.in
Chandigarh
http://chandigarhtourism.gov.in
Dadra and Nagar Haveli
http://dnh.nic.in/tourism.html
Daman and Diu
http://www.damantourism.com
Lakshadweep
http://lakshadweeptourism.nic.in
Pondicherry
http://tourism.pondicherry.gov.in

Happy Exploration !

Cool Facts about India !

Today, I would like to introduce you all to some of the interesting facts about India.
An American historian quoted India as:
"Perhaps in return for conquest, arrogance and spoliation, India will teach us the tolerance and gentleness of the mature mind, the quiet content of the unacquisitive soul, the calm of the understanding spirit, and a unifying, a pacifying love for all living things" Will Durant, American Historian.

Cool Facts about India !

- The World's first granite temple is the Brihadeswara temple at Tanjavur in Tamil Nadu.
The shikhara is made from a single ' 80-tonne ' piece of granite. Also, this magnificient temple was built in just five years (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola.

- The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after levelling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.

- India has the most number of post offices in the world !
- The largest employer in the world is the Indian railway system, employing over a million people.
- The World's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects in this university.
- The world’s rarest bird, the rusty–throated wren–babbler, has been spotted on the slopes of the Himalayas in Arunachal Pradesh.
This species has never before been seen alive in the wild.

- Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicineconsolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place in our civilization.
- Varanasi, also known as Benaras, was called "the ancient city" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C, and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.
- The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra.