India is a multi-lingual, multi-cultural, multi-religious secular country. It is the largest democratic country in the world. We can write volumes and volumes describing India but very shortly and sweetly it is described in the National Anthem (Jana Gana Mana ….). This is just a small picture, which we are trying to show about the Indian Sub-continent.

India is an ancient land. The Indus valley civilization is the most important early civilization of India. This civilization flourished around 3000 BC, on the fertile valley of the river Indus. The Aryans were the first invaders to enter India around 1500 BC. These invading tribes pushed the original Dravidian inhabitants of the Indus valley further south.

The Aryans brought with them the Sanskrit language and their religion. This played an important role in shaping the Indian culture. In the sixth century BC Mahavira founded the Jain religion and Gautama Buddha founded Buddhism. The third century BC gave rise to the first great Indian empire under Chandragupta Maurya which was the start of the Mauryan era. The greatest Mauryan emperor was Ashoka the Great (286-231 BC). During the 4th to 5th AD the major empire was the Gupta Empire.

Another very important event in Indian history is the arrival of ISLAM.  Arab traders brought Islam to India in the 7th century and the Afghans and Mughals further strengthened the spread of Islam. Islam follows the teachings of Prophet Mohammed based on the holy book of Koran.

In the late 12^th century, Qutub-ud-din Aibak laid the foundation of the Islamic Empire who ruled India for centuries. The Lodis, Tughlaks and Khiljis, are some of the famous empires. In the 16^th century Babar laid the stone of the Mughal Empire which was one the most important empires of the Islamic Empire in the Indian History. During their reign art, culture, architecture flourished. They built great landmarks like the Buland Darwaza, Jama Masjid, Taj Mahal and Red Fort. Akbar the Great (1562-1605) was the greatest of the Mughal emperors. One of the great lover of art was Shahjehan (Akbar's grandson). He built the Taj Mahal in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Mogul Empire started declining after the rule of Aurangazeb, who was the last major Mughal emperor.

A very important historical event was the arrival of Europeans to India. Christianity arrived in India with the arrival of St. Thomas in the south of India. In 1542 St. Francis Xavier established the Roman Catholic faith in India. In the early 17^th century the British, French, Dutch and Portuguese arrived in India establishing trade outposts. But the British emerged as the supreme power and started spreading all over India. The British constructed one of the largest railway networks in India.

But the fire of the freedom movement started burning within the hearts of Indians who wanted freedom from British rule. Thinkers like Raja Rammohan Roy, Bankim Chandra Bose and Vidyasagar conceived the freedom movement.

The Sepoy Mutiny started in 1857 by a group of soldiers who were in the British army led by Mangal Pandey, but it failed drastically. Later the control of the leadership of the freedom movement was taken over by the Indian National Congress in 1855 formed by some western educated Indians.

Balagangadhar Tilak and Aurobindo Ghose by which common people started getting involved in the Freedom Struggle started Swadeshi Movement.

One of the most remarkable leaders of India was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Father of the Nation) who was a British trained lawyer of Indian origin from South Africa.

Under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi the Congress launched mass movements like the Non-cooperation Movement (1912 to 1922) and the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930).

Indians from all classes, castes and creeds participated actively. Quit India Movement was launched in 1942 urging the British to leave the country.

Finally at the end of the 2nd World War, the British decided to leave India. India finally attained independence on 15 August 1947 having Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, as its first Prime Minister.

There are countless tourist attractions in India and hence it is quite impossible to include all.

Agra fort (Agra, Madhya Pradesh), Ajanta and Ellora Caves (Aurangabad, Maharashtra), Darjeeling, Goa, Hawa Mahal (Jaipur, Rajasthan), Jama Masjid (Old Delhi), Jantar Mantar (Delhi), Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), Taj Mahal (Agra, Madhya Pradesh), Charminar (Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh) etc.

India has a population of 840 million, according to the 1991 census. One very unique fact about India is its unity in diversity. It is a secular country with different religions, castes, cultures and languages. This unique Indian culture binds the country together in perfect harmony. India has about 15 major nationally recognized languages. Hindi is the national language, which is spoken by majority of the people, while English is the language used for official communication. Some of the important religions of India are:

Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Christianity, Judaism & Zoroastrianism.

The culture of India is varied and diverse. Indians are great music lovers. The two prominent forms of classical music in India - the Hindustani style (North) and the Carnatic style (South). Folk music can be traced from the rural areas. Western influenced music is also gaining widespread popularity among the young. Ghazals, Film music is also very popular among the masses of India. India has an ancient background of classical dance. Important classical dance forms of India are Bharat Natyam, Kathakali, Kathak, Manipuri, Odissi etc. India has a remarkable array of handicrafts to offer. Fabric weaving and printing are renowned all over the world as Indian silk and muslin are prized all over the world.

Important festivals celebrated in India are:

Christmas, Diwali, Dussehra, Easter and Good Friday, Guru Nanak Jayanti, Holi, Id-ul-Fitr (Ramzan), Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) etc.

 The land

India is a land of snowbound peaks, beautiful cool hills, fertile river valleys, tropical rainforests, blistering hot deserts and breathtakingly beautiful coasts. The Indian peninsula has an area of approximately 3,287,580 sq. kilometers with the Bay of Bengal to its east, the Indian Ocean to its south and the Arabian Sea to its west. To its north lies the world's highest mountain range, the Himalayas. Its neighbors are Bangladesh to its east, China, Nepal and Bhutan to the north and Afghanistan and Pakistan on the northwest. Sri Lanka lies to the south.

India has 3 major seasons: summer, winter and monsoon. Summer months (March to May) are generally hot and humid in most parts of India. Winter months (mid November to early March) are pleasantly cool for most parts of India but severe in the northern plains. India experiences two monsoon spells, the southwest monsoon from June to September and the northwest monsoon from October to early December.

The wild life found in India is varied and exotic. Which includes birds, mammals, animals (carnivores, herbivorous and primates). India also has a large variety of marine lives found in its rivers and seas. The National bird is the peacock and the National Animal in the Tiger.

To know more about and visiting India visit: www.tourismindia.com