India - JAXFAX Travel Marketing Magazine

NORTH INDIA
Geographically, north India boasts
the towering majesty of the Himalayas,
the breathtaking mountainous
beauty of Himachal
Pradesh and Kashmir, the agriculturally
rich plains of Punjab,
Haryana and the Ganga basin of
Uttar Pradesh that has nurtured
many ancient civilizations to form an incredibly rich visual extravaganza.
The history of this land of the Vedas goes back at
least 5,000 years, the passage of the millennia peppered by the
arrival of explorers, missionaries, envoys and traders. They all
contributed to the cultural kaleidoscope that north India is today,
a very colourful destination for the modern tourist.
Uttar Pradesh is the confluence of the three mighty religions
of the world - Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. Varanasi is one
of the oldest cities in the world and to this day one of the holiest
of the Hindu pilgrimage centres, followed by Gaya.
Regional Flavors Of India
NORTH EAST
WEST SOUTH
Part of this State was called the Middle Land in Buddhist literature,
hallowed by the presence of the Buddha and Mahavira
2,500 years ago. It was also in Uttar Pradesh that Muslim culture
really blossomed in immortal literature, dance, music, art
and architecture.
Rajasthan is a State with an entirely different visage. Its medieval
forts and palaces, the very distinctive nomadic desert
lifestyle and stark scenery are unique in India.
The mountainous States of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal
Pradesh are dream destinations for tourists since they combine
the awesome beauty of the Himalayas with a delightfully distinctive
ethnic culture.
This rich cultural tapestry is woven with brilliant strands of
many hues-dance, music, food, costumes, languages, customs,
festivals for a variety staggering
in its appeal.
SOUTH INDIA
Surrounded by three oceans, South
India is a region of overwhelming
grandeur and pristine beauty. Separated
from north India by the Vindhya
Mountain range, the south Indian
peninsula is doubly insulated by the Arabian Sea and Eastern Ghats
on the east and the Bay of Bengal and Western Ghats on the west.
As a result, this triangular volcanic land that was once part of the
geologically primeval Gondwanaland, remained culturally undisturbed
for millennia, evolving an aura of poised tranquility.
The dominant features of south India are the tropical climate less
harsh than the northern States, lush green tropical vegetation in
the coastal areas and the architecture, culture, languages and
lifestyle, which has remained essentially Dravidian at the core in
spite of repeated exposures to outside influences.
Since the southern culture evolved millennia before the modern
State borders did, there is a racial, cultural and linguistic homogeneity
here that makes visitors perceive the four major southern
States together simply as 'south India', albeit mistakenly.
In spite of the seeming similarity, each State has different
scenery, festivals, architecture and subtle cultural variations to
offer, each State in its own right a fascinating tourist destination.
Pondicherry and Lakshadweep are again utterly different
from the four traditional States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. The southern culture is a tapestry
of magnificent temple architecture going back to the 6th
century, the unaltered traditions of food, religion and lifestyle,
handicrafts, heritage of sandalwood, silk, rosewood and brass,
and of course the grandeur of classical dance and music.
This is a land of temples, a land of the devout, the profusion
of jasmine and 'kanakambaram' flowers and the soft beat of
distant drums as yet another festival starts.
8 SEPTEMBER 2008 • JAXFAX INDIA SALES GUIDE SUPPLEMENT