India

Trips to the land of thousand colors

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Katrin vor dem Taj Mahal

India is the land of colors, smells but also the land of stark contrasts grace and poverty.

The Himalayas form the border to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south. Neighboring countries of India are Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The longest river in the country is the Ganges.

The vegetation of the Land has a lot to offer, no country can be more different. High mountains in the Himalayas, cultural landscapes, deserts, forests, and tropical rain forests in the south.

India is the seventh largest State in the world.

India consists of 28 states. The official languages are Hindi and English.

A little history, faith and religion

In India there is freedom of religion, most Indians are Hindus, then come Muslims and Christians. The original religions and beliefs such as the Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains are also represented. But the caste system still determines the hierarchy.

What is probably the oldest high culture in the world comes from India, the Indus culture. Persians immigrated to northern India as early as 1,500 BC and the Vedic culture arose. Sacrificial rituals and hymns to the gods experienced their first heyday.

The end of the Vedic period was a religious and political upheaval. The belief system of rebirth of samsara and deeds, as the karma that affect us in our next life. Siddharta Gautama the prince who taught us Dharma and Buddhism.

The first Indian empire

Maurya Empire ca 321 BC The first Indian empire came into being.

Gupta Empire 320-510 in North India and in the 5th century the first Buddhist university was established in Nalanda. Until the Hunas attacked and devastated, it was the largest place of learning in antiquity.

Harsha Realm 606-647. Harshavardhana was the last great promoter of Buddhism.

In the Middle Ages, people mostly lived in rural communities. The kings lost more and more power and thus Buddhism was further pushed back. The population did not want to continue to support the monasteries. Hinduism grew.

Chola Empire one of the most important Indian kingdoms and the most influential Hindu empire.

Islamic Empire of the Delhi Sultanate from the 8th century began conquest in India. The Muslim victory over the Rajputs near Delhi in 1192 brought Islam to power.

The Mughal emperors ruled from 1526-1857. Historical buildings of this time are e.g. the Taj Mahal and the Fort of Agra as well as the Humayun's tomb. The heyday of trade between Asia and East Africa.

British colony from 1757, the British pushed out the Portuguese and French. The result of the power and pressure to supply at low prices was a famine of about 1770. However, the British only hold power over Northeast India. In the south, however, the rulers of the rest of India fought each other. In 1857 there was an uprising against the British. With the triumph of the British, India officially became a crown colony. On January 1, 1877, Queen Victoria of Great Britain became the "Empress of India".

In 1949 India was recognized as a republic but remained in the Commonwealths.

Tourism in India

In India, too, tourism has become the most important source of income. As everywhere in the world, COVID has also caused great damage here due to the lack of tourists.

There are 31 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 7 World Natural Heritage Sites in the country. The most famous and most visited sight is the Taj Mahal in Agra.

But India also has a lot of national tourism or rather from Indians living and working abroad.

Education linked to tourism through students coming to India for Yoga or Ayurveda education.

What is the best way to get to India

By plane. I'll make a note of some of the most important destination airports in India with the respective IATA code to simplify your search for your flight, on Exedia, etc.:

- Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport – DEL

- Mumbai-BOM

- Bangalore BLR

- Island of Goa Dambolim Airport – GOI

- Varanasi – VNS

- Jaipur - JAI

- Udaipur – UDR

- Cochin International Airport – COK

- Kolkata Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport – CCU

- and many more

What to do in India

India is a very big country, so there are of course endless possibilities, here are some tips I can report on:

- Visiting the Taj Mahal and Fort in Agra is a must in my opinion

- Jaipur - the city and the fort have so much to offer

- The state of Rajasthan - round trip simply fantastic because of its history

- Udaipur – Palace and Lake

- Varanasi

- Kerala and its backwaters

- Island of Goa

- Educational leave – Yoga and Ayurveda

- Trekking

- Rafting

- And so much more

Where to sleep:

In India, too, there is something for every budget. However, I find it simply fantastic how many old palaces and mansions are rented out as hotels. I felt it was a gift to myself to partially use these accommodations. fantastic!

I always book with booking.com!

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Country destinations already described:

The history of the Taj Mahal

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Coming soon to my page:

• - Agra - Fort built between 1565 & 1571. The fort with beautiful palace complex from the time of the Mongul emperors. Listed as a UNSECO World Heritage Site since 1983
• - Fort Amber - The fort and especially the palace are a real must-see when visiting Jaipur. The palace is just 11km from Jaipur in the state of Rajasthan.
• - Jaipur &Hawa Mahal Tour - Visit the city center of Jaipur. The Palace of the Winds, built in 1799, for the ladies of the court, who could watch city life from the windows.
• - Temple of the Monkeys - Galata Ji - pilgrimage site about 10km from Jaipur. Fascinating colors of the painted buildings, but mostly populated by monkeys, hence its nickname.
• - Delhi - Humayun's Tomb Cities. The complex was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
• - Delhi Lotus Temple - A nice idea to unite all religions and theories of these.
• - Palace in Udaipur - Venice of the East
• - Saheliyon Ki Bari Park in Udaipur
• - Jag Mandir Island – Udaipur
• - Varanasi and its streets. Cows in the hallway and goats on the terrace.
• - Varanasi Holy City on the Ganges - A city that celebrates death as a gift.
• - Gangaa Aarti - Evening spectacle best viewed from a boat on the Ganges.