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India is a vast country
with a history that goes back five thousand years. Its vast geographical
diversity, heritage and culture, fairs and festivals, and monumental
attractions that span a sub- continent cannot be condensed between the two
covers of any book. The sub- continent of India lies in South Asia,
between Pakistan, China and Nepal. To the north, it is bordered by the
world’s highest mountain chain, the Himalayas, where foothill valleys
cover the northernmost of the country’s 28 states. Further south,
plateaus, tropical rain forests and sandy deserts are bordered by
palm-fringed beaches.
Side by side with the
country’s staggering topographical variations is its cultural diversity,
the result of the coexistence of a number of religions as well as local
traditions. Thus, the towering temples of SOUTH INDIA, easily identified
by their ornate sculptured surfaces, are associated with a great many
crafts and performing arts of the region. In the desert of KUTCH, GUJARAT,
on the other hand, a scattering of villages pit themselves against the
awesome forces of nature, resulting in Spartan lifestyles made vibrant by
a profusion of jewelry and ornamental embroidery used to adorn apparel and
household linen. In the extreme North is the high altitude desert of
LADAKH. Local culture is visibly shaped by the harsh terrain. Yet another
facet of India culture can be observed in the colorful tribal lifestyles
of the north eastern states of Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur with
their folk culture. In the central Indian states of Orissa and Madhya
Pradesh tribal village life has resulted in a variety of artistically
executed handicrafts.
India’s mountains provide
heli-skiing, river running, trekking and mountaineering. Its beaches
provide lazy sun bathing as well as wind surfing and snorkeling, and its
jungles provide shooting wildlife- with a camera! Modern India is home
alike to the tribal with its anachronistic lifestyle and to the
sophisticated urban jet-setter. It is a land where temple elephants exist
amicably with the microchip. Its ancient monuments are the backdrop for
the world’s largest democracy where atomic energy is generated and
industrial development has brought the country within the world’s top
ten nations. Today, India is a nation where fishermen along the
country’s coastline fashion simple fishing boats in a centuries old
tradition while, a few miles away, motor vehicles glide off conveyor belts
in state-of-the-art factories.
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Area : 3,287,263 sq.m.
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States: 28
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Union Territories: 6
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Districts: 463
LANGUAGE
The official language is HINDI in Devanagri script. The States are free to
decide their own regional language for internal administration and
education, so there are 14 official languages widely spoken throughout the
country. English is widely spoken.
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