Introduction to India - Explore Incredible India through Insights 2 India® (i2i)

As rich in natural beauty as in historic sites, North India is a much visited region. A wide variety of landscapes can be enjoyed here, from the snowcapped peaks, alpine valleys and pine forests of Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, to the flat plains of Haryana and Punjab, dappled with fields of golden mustard and wheat. In sharp contrast is the urban sprawl of Delhi, a bustling metropolis and the nation’s capital. Ladakh’s dramatically sited cliff top monasteries and pristine trekking trails are major attractions for visitors, as are Shimla’s Raj-era ambience and Dharamsala’s distinctive Tibetan flavour. Amritsar’s great Sikh shrine, the Golden Temple, and Delhi’s magnificent Mughal monuments are other popular destinations.

Some of India’s most visited destinations are in this vast and varied region, which covers the flat Gangetic Plains, several Himalayan ranges and the verdant forests of the Central Indian heartland. These include the Taj Mahal at Agra, the holy city of Varanasi, the exquisitely sculpted temples of Khajuraho, and the great Buddhist sites of Sanchi and Bodh Gaya. Other attractions in Central India include the game sanctuaries of Kanha and Corbett, the medieval forts and palaces of Gwalior and Orchha, and the hill stations of Mussoorie, Nainital and Ranikhet, which are the base for many treks.

This region has some of India’s most popular destinations. In Rajasthan, the desert forts of Jaisalmer and Jodhpur, the palaces and lakes of Udaipur, and the Ranthambhore National Park evoke all the romance and splendour of the state’s princely past. Gujarat’s Jain temples and intricately designed stepwells are architectural marvels, while its natural wonders can be enjoyed on the beaches of Diu and at the lion sanctuary at Gir. The landscapes in this region range from the sand dunes of Rajasthan to the vast salt flats of Kutch, to the urban bustle of the two state capitals, Jaipur and Ahmedabad

Encompassing the three states of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka, Southwestern India contains the central Deccan Plateau, the narrow Konkan coastline and the craggy Western Ghats that run parallel to the coast. Its major city is Mumbai (Bombay), India’s vibrant commercial capital. The region’s varied attractions include Goa’s idyllic beaches and Portuguese churches, the ancient caves and temples of Ajanta and Ellora, and the magnificent ruins of Hampi. Further south are Bengaluru, often described as Asia’s Silicon Valley, the former princely state of Mysore, and the great Hoysala

temples of Belur and Halebid

South of the Vindhya range, India’s Dravidian heartland has all that a visitor could look for. Dramatic coastlines, both on the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, meet at Kanniyakumari on the Indian Ocean. Isolated beaches, dense forests and Mumbai game reserves are among its natural wonders. Tamil Nadu has some of India’s most magnificent ancient temples, still active centres of religious practice. A different culture prevails in Pondicherry, which retains a strong French influence. Kerala is rich in beautiful scenery as well as in cultural heritage, while Andhra Pradesh has some of the region’s most fascinating historic sites.

India is situated north of the equator between 8°4' north (the mainland) to 37°6' north latitude and 68°7' east to 97°25' east longitude. It is the seventh-largest country in the world, with a total area of 3,287,263 square kilometres (1,269,219 sq mi). India measures 3,214 km (1,997 mi) from north to south and 2,933 km (1,822 mi) from east to west. It has a land frontier of 15,200 km (9,445 mi) and a coastline of 7,516.6 km (4,671 mi).

On the south, India projects into and is bounded by the Indian Ocean—in particular, by the Arabian Sea on the west, the Lakshadweep Sea to the southwest, the Bay of Bengal on the east, and the Indian Ocean proper to the south. The Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar separate India from Sri Lanka to its immediate southeast, and the Maldives are some 125 kilometres (78 mi) to the south of India's Lakshadweep Islands across the Eight Degree Channel. India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands, some 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) southeast of the mainland, share maritime borders with Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia. The southernmost tip of the Indian mainland (8°4′38″N, 77°31′56″E) is just south of Kanyakumari, while the southernmost point in India is Indira Point on Great Nicobar Island.