Study On India Continent

Introduction
The subcontinent of India lies in south Asia, between Pakistan, China and Nepal. To the
north it is bordered by the world's highest mountain chain, where foothill valleys cover
the northernmost of the country's 26 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 tradition.
Thus, the towering temples of south India, easily identifiable by their ornately sculptured
surface, 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 faith - Buddhism -as well as by the harsh terrain. Yet another facet of
Indian culture is 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, mountaineering and trekking. Its
beaches provide lazy sun-bathing as well as wind surfing and snorkeling, and its jungles
provide shooting wildlife -with a camera.

India's history goes back to 3,200 BC when Hinduism was first founded. Buddhism,
Jainism, Sikhism. Judaism. Zoroashtrianism, Christianity and Islam all exist within the
country today. As a consequence of India's size, the history of the country has seldom
been the same for two adjoining territories, and its great natural wealth has lured a
succession of traders and foreign influences to it, each having left their imprint in the
country, however faint or localized. Thus, Chinese fishing nets in Kerala are a throwback
to that country's ancient maritime trade, while in the north, terra-cotta figurines of the
centuries BC bear distinctly Greek traces.

Modern India is home alike to the tribal with his anachronistic lifestyle and to the
sophisticated urban jetsetter. 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, 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
 Indian Geography

Introduction :

India the seventh largest country in the world , is well marked with off from the rest of Asia by mountains and the sea, which gives

the country a distinct geographical entity.It covers an area of 32,87,2631 sq.km. Lying entirely in the northern hemisphere the

mainland extends measures 3214 km from north south between extreme latitudes and about 2933 km from east to west between

extreme longitudes.It has a land frontier of about 15200 km.

The country lies between 8º4' and 37º6' north of the Equator and is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea

in the west and the Indian Ocean to the south.The total length of the coastline of the mainland, Lakshwadeep group of islands and

Andaman and Nicobar group of islands is 7,516.5 km.

Also,in the east lies the Bangladesh.In the north west Afganisthan and Pakistan border India.The Gulf of Mannar and the Palk

Straits separate India from Sri lanka. The Andaman and Nicobar island in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshwadeep in the Arabian sea

are parts of the territory of India.There are as many as 200 islands in Andaman alone, extending for 350km.There are 19 island in

Nicobar group.

The Arabian sea consist of the Lakshadweep group. They are formed on a coral deposit off the Kerala coast .The southern most

of this lies just to the north of the Maldive island which is an independent territory.

The Indian sub-continent is characterised by great diversity in its physical features. It may be divided into following physical units:

Physical Features :

Himalayan Mountain

The Himalayas and the associated mountains arcs gridling the sub continent on the stretch in a consistent north west- south east

direction for about 2400 km between the gorges of the indus and the Tsango-Bhramaputra.The section between the Indus and the

Sutlej and the Kali is termed as Kumaon Himalayas. The other two sections between the Kali and the Tista and between the latter

river and the Dihangare described as the Nepal and the Assam Himalayas.Kanchanjunga (8598 Mtrs) is the highest mountain

peak in India.The Greater Himalayas which have an average altitude of 6000 m have within them almost all the prominent peaks

such the Everest (8848m) , Kanchenjunga (8598m) Nanga Parbat (8126m) ,Nanda devi (7817m) and Namcha parbat (7756m).

The Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputra Plain

The great plain of india is formed by the Indus, ganga and the Brahmaputra rivers. the plain extends for 3200 km between the

mouths of the Ganga and the indus, all along the foot of the mountain rim, with a width varying from 150 to 300 km. The

longitudinal extent from the banks of the Ravi and the Sutlej to the ganga delta alone is of 2400km. The plain is narrowest in

Assam and broadens towards the west . It is 160 km wide near the Rajmahal Hills and 280 km near Allahabad. The plains are

alluvial in nature.
Peninsular plateau

Rising from the alluvial plains of uttar pradesh and Bihar, south of the Yamuna Ganga line, the great indian plateau extends

towards the south to encompass the whole of Peninsula. With a general elevation of 600-900m,the plateau makes an irregular

tringale with its concave base lying between Delhi ridge and Rajmahal hills and the Apex formed by Kanya Kumari . The outlying

projections of the peninsular plateau presented by the Aravallis,Rajmahal and Shillong hills convey some idea of its original

northerly limits.

The location of another fragment of the peninsular block in the Shillong plateau gives the indication of the possible connection.

The Shillong Plateau a highly dissected and jungly tract, descends in a deep slope towards the Surma valley.The northern outliers

are represented by the Mikir and the Rengma hills.

Western ghats

The topography of the Deccan and the Karnataka Plateau is dominated by the Western Ghats, which stretch uninterruptedly to the

southern tip of Peninsula.They have a general altitude of 900-1100 m but occassionally rise upto 1600 m or even more.Near Goa

the highly dissected relief of the lava rocks is replaced by smoothly rounded hills of Granite and Gnesis.In this stretch the ghats

dip but rise once again in the Nilgiris.Further south the continuity of the ghats is distributed by the palghat gap and the Shencottah

gap.The Cardamom Hills may be regarded as the continuation of the Western ghats.

Eastern Ghats

The eastern Ghats are generally less impressive than theWestern Ghats and form a discontinous crest on the eastern peripheryof

the plateau.They are repesented by an irregular line of hills, such as the Nallamalais, Velikondas,Palkondas and the

Pachaimalais. This hills are often referred to as the northern hills in the northern sector,Cuddapah ranges in the middle and the

Tamil nadu hills in the south.

The Coastal Plains and the Islands

The plateau is flanked by coastal plains of varid width extending from Kutch to Orissa. There are striking difference between the

eastern and the western coastal plains; with notable exception of Gujarat the west coast has narrow alluvial margin interspersed

by hillty terrain .It has indentation except in the south where the beautiful Lagoons introduce an element of diversity.

The eastern coast on the other hand has a wide plain with well developed deltas of the major rivers. The climatic transition

between the south west monsoon regime of the north and the north -east monsoon regime of the south has given rise to

interesting differences in the alluvial features in the two different stretches of the east coastal plain.

River System of India :

The rivers may be classified as follows :

a. The Himalayan

b. The Deccan

c. The Coastal
 d. The rivers of the inland drainage basin

The Himalayan Rivers

The Himalayan rivers are generally snow-fed and flow throughout the year. During the monsoon months (June to September), the

Himalayas receive very heavy rainfall and the rivers carry the maximum amount of water, causing frequent floods.

The Deccan Rivers

The Deccan rivers are generally rain-fed and, therefore, fluctuate greatly in volume. A very large number of them are non-

perennial.

The Coastal Rivers

The coastal rivers, especially on the west coast, are short and have limited catchment areas. Most of these are non-perennial as

well. The rivers on the inland drainage basin are few and ephemeral.

The Rivers of the Inland Drainage Basin

They drain towards individual basins or salt lakes like the Sambhar or are lost in the sands, having no outlet to the sea.

Others Geographical Facts :

Natural Vegetation

The Himalayan region, which is rich in vegetative life, possesses varieties that can be found practically from the tropical to tundra

regions. Only the altitude influences the distribution of vegetation. In the rest of the country, the type of vegetation is largely

determined by the amount of rainfall. Outside the Himalayan region, the country can be divided into three major vegetation

regions: the tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, the tropical deciduous forests, and the thorn forests and shrubs.

Vegetation of the Assam region in the east is luxuriant with evergreen forests, occasional thick clumps of bamboo and tall

grasses. The Gangetic plain is largely under cultivation. The Deccan tableland supports vegetation from scrub to mixed deciduous

forests. The Malabar region is rich in forest vegetation. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have evergreen, mangrove, beach and

diluvial forests. Much of the country's flora originated three million years ago and are unique to the sub-continent.

Population

The population of India crossed the billion mark at the turn of the millenium. The mammoth census of 2001 is in the process of

being compiled. In 1996, the population was 945 million with 73% in rural areas. In terms of population, India is the world's

second-largest country, after China. 16% of the world's population lives in India. The average population density is 320 per sq km

(in 1996), though it reaches 6,888 per sq km in the larger cities. In July 2003 it was 1,049,700,118 (est.)

Languages
India, according to a recent census has 1,652 dialects. Needless to say that most of them are only spoken dialects. The principal

languages with rich literary heritage are :- Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi,

Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.

Natural resources

Coal (Fourth-largest reserves in the world), Iron ore, Manganese, Mica, Bauxite, Titanium ore, Chromite, Natural gas, Diamonds,

Petroleum, Limestone, Arable land

Environment-current issues

Deforestation, Soil erosion, Overgrazing, Desertification, Air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions, Water

pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides, Tap water is not potable throughout the country, Huge and

growing population is overstraining natural resources

India is a land of incredible diversity. The diversity of the Indian population is matched by the incredible physical diversity. The
sixteen official languages of India, the five major religions, and the caste system create somewhat chaotic conditions for the
nation. It dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important

Climate of India
India has tropical weather. One cannot speak of the climate of India, or else one must speak of several different India's. The

subcontinent has eight climatic zones all of which only have the monsoon rains in common. But even the monsoon comes to

different parts of the country at different times. And you can fly in the space of a couple of hours through a range of weather from

the cold crisp air of the mountains to the burning dry heat of the Rajasthan Desert where summer temperature regularly reach

45°C and beyond.

It is beautiful to see the sand dunes shift and move to the will of the winds, but not at all pleasant to be caught in a sand strom

coming off the Thar. In winter Rajasthan is dry and cold and the skies a translucent blue. There is little rain and the monsoon

winds often pass Rajasthan by leaving the prickly thorny bushes, acacia trees and other native vegetation to pick up what little

dew the night bring with it. Pumps and tube wells lift water for agricultural irrigation but farmers often get only a few distribution of

water, particularly in the more arid areas of Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer, is systematically organized.

The wheat and sugarcane growing areas of the Punjab, Haryana and parts of western Uttar Pradesh suffer from drastic extremes

in climate. It can be very cold from December - January, very dry and hot from the end of March till June, very hot and humid till

the monsoons arrive from July through September. The rest of the year is comfortably pleasant. The fields are full of mustard

flowers, the air is redolent of sugarcane being crushed and molasses on the boil.

India - Weather & Climate

India has hot tropical weather with variatio ns occurring region to region. While the
coolest months are from November to mid-March, hottest are from April to June. From
mid-July to September one can experience Monsoon rains. Winters in India are pleasant
with plenty of sunny days. Most of the North India remains dry, dusty, and unpleasant
during the summer months. For a tourist, India provides ample opportunities to
participate in diverse activities in different parts of the country. You can explore India in
all the seasons, but you will have to be selective about the destinations.

Weather and Climatic Conditions in Different Regions of India

Northern Plains

Northern Plains of India, to the north of River Ganga, has the extreme climate. Summers
are hot, humid, and extremely harsh. Do not forget to carry with you light cottons for this
season. From July to September, Monsoon brings with it most of the rain received in this
region. Winters are the most favoured season to visit North India, but the travellers are
expected to bring with them woollens, as nights can be freezing cold.

Western Himalayas

The summers are the best time to explore Western Himalayas, as the climate remains
pleasant with slightly cold evenings and plenty of sunny days. For the adventure lovers,
Western Himalayas is the best bait with plenty of trekking, hiking, white water rafting,
and mountaineering options during the summers. Heavy snowfall and steep fall in
temperature, makes many areas in the region inaccessible during the winters. But, one
can enjoy the winter sports like skiing in destinations like Auli, Manali, and Kufri.

Central India

Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the two Central Indian states, escape very worst of
hot season but monsoons are heavy between July and September. Temperatures fall at
night during winter. For clothing, bring lightweights most of the year with warmer clothes
during evenings particularly in winter. Waterproofing during monsoon rains is essential.

Western India

The most comfortable months are from November to February; although evenings can
be cold. Summer can be extremely hot with monsoon rainfall between mid-June and
mid-September. Lightweight cottons and linen is required most of the year with warmer
clothes for cooler winter and waterproofing essential in monsoon.

Southwest India

The most pleasant weather is from November to March. Monsoon rains between late
April and July. Summer temperatures hot as high as Northern India although humidity is
extreme. Cooling breezes on coast. Inland, Mysore and Bijapur have pleasant climates
with relatively low rainfall.
 INDIAN FAIRS & FESTIVALS

India is a rich land which has attracted invaders from Central Europe and Asia who left their imprint on this
land, its religions and its lifestyles over 40 centuries. As a result, today, Indian celebrates more festivals than
any other country. Nonetheless, Indians are known to celebrate all the festivals with great fan fare and
importance.
Festivals in India are determined by the Solar & Lunar positions & they may fall in a different month as
specified here.

January
Makar Sankranti, Lohri, Pongal, Thai Pusam, Float Festival, National Kite Festival, Bikaner Festival,
Pattadakal Dance Festival, Id-ul-Fitr, Vasant Panchami

February
Mahashivratri, Goa Carnival, Desert Festival, Nagaur Fair, International Yoga Week, Elephant Festival,
Deccan Festival, Taj Mahotsav, Surajkund Crafts Mela, Chapchar Kut, Islands Tourism Festival

March
Holi, Gangaur, Jamshed-e-Navroz, Ramnavami, id-ul-Zuha, Mahavir Jayanti, Khajuraho Dance Festival,
Elephant Festival, Hoysala Mahotsava, Ellora Festival

April
Good Friday, Easter, Baisakhi, Gudi Padva or Ugadi, Pooram, Maharram, Buddha Purnima, Mewar

June
Ganga Dussehra, Hemis Festival
July
Rathyatra, Guru Purnima

August
Janmashtami, Onam, Nag Panchami, Rakshabandhan, Ganesh Chaturthi

September
Tarnetar Mela

October
Navratri, Durga Puja, Dussehra, Marwar Festival

November
Sharad Purnima, Diwali, Guu Purab, Ka Pomblang Nongrem, Sonepur Fair, Pushkar Fair, Hampi Festival

December
Christmas, Konark Dance Festival
Wildlife In India

Features the comperehensive information on Indian wildlife. This page is dedicated to provide
our visitors the range & diversity wildlife available in India.Learn about Indian wildlife suported
by detailed information of mammals and reptiles like Civets, Bears, Deers and more...

Civets
The Large Indian Civet (Viverra zibetha linn)
It is a sturdily built animal with long head, long flattened body, stumpy legs & small rounded
feet. An adult Civet measures nearly 4 ft. in length.

Wild Cats
Size : Males 1.7 - 2.5 mts. long, 150 - 250 kg. Females 1.4 - 1.75 mts., 120 - 182kg.
Tail : 70 - 105 cms., 1 - 1.2 cms. tall.
Life span : 12 - 16 years in the wild, females longer.
Babies : 1-6 cubs. Gestation : 105 - 112 days.
Maturity at 3 - 4 years.
Social life : Smaller prides of 2 - 5, male - female bond not strong.

Bears
This species was fairly common in India and Sri Lanka until as recently as 20 years ago. Now
they are harder to find. Sloth bears have a shaggy black coat, especially over the shoulders.
Brown and grey hairs are found on the coat. The length of Sloth bear is 1.50 to 1.90 mts.

Deers
It is the most beautiful of all the deer. They are mostly seen in large herds of 30 - 50 females
with a few stags. However, it is not uncommon to see large herds of bachelors numbering
upto 100.

Bulls & Cows

The Banting commonly represents the wild life of Burma. In India, it is found mainly in jungles
of Northeast provinces. However, the sighting is only occasional.
 Snakes
Of the over 2000 species of snakes in the world, about 200 are found in India. These range
from the worm snakes having a length of about 10 cms.

Asiatic Elephant
The elephant is the largest of the land mammals. There are 2 species of Elephants in existence
- The Indian & African. These are the sole survivors of the a great assemblage of species
which once inhabited the earth.

Wild Boar
Size : Body Length: 90-200 cms. / 3-6.6 ft.
Shoulder Height : 55-110 cms. / 1.8-3.6 ft.
Tail Length : 15-40 cms. / 6-16 in.
Weight : 44-320 kgs. / 91-711 lb.

Sheep & Goats

The Shapoo or Urial : Known as Shapoo in Ladakh or Urial in Punjab, this wild sheep lives
under the varied climatic conditions. There are three different varieties of wild sheep.

Antelopes
Also called as Kala Hiran It is the sole representative of the genus Antilope. In Hindu religion
Black buck is a vehicle of Chandrama (soma or chandra) (moon).

Indian Rhinoceros
The great Indian Rhinoceros is probably the largest of all living Rhino. The usual weight of an
Indian Rhino is 2,000 kg. It may reach over 6 ft.

Crocodiles
Commonly known as "Mugger", this species is not only found in freshwater lakes, ponds, and
marshes, but it has adapted well to reservoirs, irrigation canals, man-made ponds, and even
recently in coastal saltwater lagoons.
 Other Reptiles

Apart from Snakes & Crocodiles some other common reptiles found in India are :
National Parks in India

Bandhavgarh National Park

Situated in the Vindhya Mountain Range of Madhya Pradesh, Bandhavgarh National park is
195 kms. from Jabalpur and 237 kms. from Khajuraho. The park has got mixed variety of
forest. It has grassy fields.

Bori Wildlife Sanctuary

125 kms. from Bhopal, the sanctuary is situated in the southern slopes of Satpura Range in
Hoshangabad Distric. The park is located among the mixed deciduous and bamboo forests.

Bandipur National Park

Bandipur is situated among the foothills of Western Ghat Mountains. It is a typical South
Indian forest. The Park is situated on Mysore - Ooty highway. This place is 80 kms. south of
Mysore.

Corbett National Park

Just 300 kms. north east of Delhi, at the foothills of Himalayas lies the Corbett National Park.
It has beautiful location by the Ramganga River. In 1952, park was named Corbett National
Park after the name of legendary hunter late Jim Corbett who shot the man-eaters of this
area.

Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary

Located 125 kms from Goa , it is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka. with area over
834.16 sq.km the Dandeli wildlife sanctuary is contiguous with the Mahaveer sanctuary in
Goa.

Eravikula National Park

Located 135 Kms. from Kochi, this Wildlife Sanctuary is set up for the preservation of the
endangered Nilgiri Tahr,an endangered specie of the wild goat and the only one to be found
south of the Himalayas.
 Kanha Tiger Reserve
Situated 160 kms. southeast of Jabalpur. lies the India's largest National Park. "Kanha" is 945
sq. kms. in area. The valley of Kanha is consequence of ancient volcanic activity.

Kaziranga National Park

This Reserve Forest is situated on the banks of river Brahmaputra. The national park is well
known for the preservation of SINGLE HORNED RHINOCEROUS. It is the home of the great
Indian one -horned Rhinoceros (Unicornis).

Manas Tiger Reserve

In the foothills of Himalayas, 176 kms. northwest of Guwahati, Manas Tiger Reserve is an
absolutely spell binding place. 'Manas' is Assam's only tiger reseve

Nagarhole National Park

Located 80 kms. from Mysore, it is India's largest stretch of protected forest, an area which
include, besides Nagarhole, the neighbouring sanctuaries of Bandipur, Mudumalai and
Wynaad.

Pench National Park

93 kms. from Nagpur, Pench National park is situated along the border of MAHARASTRA. The
park has got same name in Maharashtra also. The park has got tropical Moist deciduous forest
and was recently declared as Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger.

Palamau National Park

170 kms. from Ranchi lies the beautiful forest of Palamau National Park or Betia. The reserve
has undulating land scape of Sal forest. Palamau was originally established in 1960 and then
extended to present area .

Panna Tiger Reserve

Panna Tiger Reserve (MP) Panna National Park is situated along the river Ken, which is 32
kms. from Khajuraho. Unspoiled with landscape of rocky hills, Panna National park is declared
as Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger in the year 1995.
 Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Among the Cardmom Hill region of Western Ghats lies one of the largest and most popular
wild life sanctuaries of India. Periyar is situated close to the border of Kerela and Tamil Nadu.
It is one of the most picturesque wildlife sanctuaries in the world.

Ranthambhore National Park

132 kms. from Jaipur lies a small junction of Swai Madhopur and 10 kms. east from this place
is Ranthambore National park which is last and virgin forest of Central India and what is left is
very small stretches of verdant bush.

Sasan Gir National Park

Situated 64 kms. from Junagarh town ,Gir Forest is today the only place in the world outside
Africa, where the Lion can be seen in his natural habitat. Park is located among the low,
undulating and excellently irrigated hills in the Junagadh district of Gujrat.

Sunderbans Tiger Reserve

Sunderbans means beautiful forest. This place is the part of world's largest delta formed by
river Ganges,.Brahmaputra and Meghna. Almost half of the delta is in India (8371 sq. kms. )
and rest is in Bangladesh.

Simplipal National Park

The national park is situated at the North Eastern part of Orissa, which is 250 kms. from
Calcutta and 320 kms. from Bhubaneshwar. The landscape is thickly wooded slopes and ridges
with beautiful varied hills.

Sariska Tiger Reserve

Sariska is situated 200km from Delhi and 107 km from Jaipur, surrounded by barren Aravali
Hills in the Rajasthan. National Park was once a part of the princely state of Alwar and was the
favourite hunting gorund of late Maharaja Jai Singh.
 A Brief History of India

India's people have had a continuous civilization since 2500 BC, When the people
from the Indus river valley came up with an urban culture based on communication
and sustained by agriculture trade. This civilization went down hill around 1500 BC.

During the second millennium, BC pastoral Aryan-speaking tribes migrated from the
northwest into the subcontinent. As they settled the middle Ganges River valley,
they adapted to ancient cultures.

The political map of ancient and medieval India was made up of myriad kingdoms
with fluctuating boundaries. In the forth and fifth centuries AD, northern India was
under the rule of the Gupta dynasty. During this period known as India's golden age,
Hindu culture and administration reached new heights.

Islam spread across the subcontinent over a period of 500 years. During the 11th
and 12th centuries, Turks and Afghans invaded, and established sultanates in Delhi.
In the early 16th century, descendant of Genghis' Khan swept across the Kyhber
pass and established the mural Dynasty; it lasted for 200 years. From the 11th -
15th centuries, southern India was dominated by Hindu Chola and Vijayanagar
dynasties. During this time, the two systems - the prevailing Hindu and Muslim
mingled, leaving lasting cultural influences on each other.

The first British outpost in South Asia was established in 1619 at Surat on the
Northwest coast. Later in the century, the East India Company opened a permanent
trading stations at Mandras, Bombay and Calcutta under the protection of native
rulers.

The British expanded their influence from these footholds until, by the 1850's they
ruled over most of present-day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. In 1857, a rebellion
in the north led by the mutinous Indian soldiers caused the British parliament to
transfer all political power from the east India Company to the Crown. Great Britain
began administrating most of India while ruling the rest through treaties with local
rulers.

In the late 1800's, the first steps were taken to have government for them-selves.
Beginning in 1920, Indian leader Mutaman Gandi transformed the Indian National
Congress into a big movement to campaign against British rule. They non-violently
got what they wanted.

On August 15,1947, India became a dominion within the commonwealth, with

Jawaharla Nehru as Prime Minister. India became a republic after propagating its
constitution on January 26, 1950.

After independence India's Congress Party ruled over India under the influence of
Nurah's daughter and then his grandson.

Prime Minister Nurah governed India until he died in 1964. When 1966 rolled around,
power passed on to his daughter, Indira Gandhi Prime minister from 1966 to 1977.
She decided because of the political and economical problems, that it was time for a
state of emergency and suspended may civil rights. She called for elections and lost
to Morali Desal, who headed the Jahata Party.

In 1979 Desai's government failed. Charan Singh Formed an interim government,

which followed by Mrs. Gandhi's return to power in 1980 On October 31, 1984 she
was assassinated, her son Rajiv, was chosen by the Congress Party to take her
place.

Monuments

India is blessed with number of world heritage monuments showcasing the

breathtaking architecture and intricate work. Taj Mahal, a unique master-piece is the
wonder in itself, an absolute epitome of Indian culture, heritage and civilization.
Behind each monument is an underlying sense of mystery, intrigue and romance.
Five thousand years of Indian History has given us the treasure of thousands of
monuments across the country, monuments belonging to Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims
and Christians. Visit the monuments of India, they are not only fairy tales carved out
of stones, bricks, and mortar narrating the tales of valor and courage of Indian
rulers.

Monuments in India forms a great heritage of India and they are evidence of India's
historical past. These monuments reflects the culture and the heritage of yore days.
Visit India in order to spectacle the miraculous beauty of Indian monuments. Be it
Taj Mahal or Khajuraho temple, Indian monuments forms an attractive tourist spots
for travellers from all over the world. Plan your monument tour to India and come
across the diversity of culture and heritage.
INDIAN FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

A country of many climates, many languages and many beliefs, Indians are constantly celebrating
a festival or a fair. Some mark the passing of seasons; there are six seasons and each one is
ushered with festivities in different ways in the many parts of India. Local faiths being many -
festivals in India are many too. The land being ancient - old customs, traditions continue to be
followed and culminate in celebrations of varied order. The varied fairs and festivals of India add
color and integrity to this beautiful land of culture.

Fairs are the focal point of socio, economic activities and attract people from far and near - a
camel to be sold – like the Pushkar camel cattle fair, a land deal to be negotiated, a marriage to
be fixed- a meeting place is necessary & fairs are ideal!

The Fairs and Festivals in India celebrated round the year showcase the resplendence of its arts
and crafts tradition.

Two cycles of the moon per month, 365 days in a year - there is a fair, a festival in some isolated
corner, perhaps unnoticed elsewhere - all the same a celebration! Some of these functions make
a pleasant interlude for visitors who chance upon them, while others are worth the effort of a
special trip!

The Indian calendar is a long procession of festivals in india; if you can find yourself in the right
place at the right time, it is possible to go through your visit with a festival each day ! Pongal, the
harvest festivals of the South India the immersion of Ganesh in Mumbai, Ratha Yatra, the car
festival of Puri, snake-boat races in Kerala, Republic Day celebrations in Delhi….. every region,
every faith has something to celebrate. Let us look at them month wise

Send tour enquiry

January/February

• Republic Day: - 26th January of every year.

(A spectacular March Past by armed forces/cultural tableau/folk dances)
• Beating The Retreat Ceremony - 28th January of every year.
A poignant event at sun set with the back drop of the Presidential building.
• International Kite Festival of India: - at Ahmedabad in Gujarat,
• Bikaner Festival in India: - in Rajasthan,
• Pongal: or Harvest Festival of India
• Mainly in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka - usually on 15th Jan every year
• Vasant Panchami: - the advent of Spring celebrated mainly in Eastern India
• Float Festival of India: - elaborately illuminated barge carrying decorated temple deities at
Madurai and few other temple towns of South India on the Full moon of Jan/Feb

February/March

• Surajkund: - Craft Mela (Surajkund near Delhi), from 1st to 14th February of every year
• International Yoga Week: - (Rishikesh),
• Desert Festival of India: - (Jaisalmer, Rajasthan), full moon of January/February every
year.
• Taj Mahotsav: - (Agra - Uttar Pradesh),
• Nagaur Fair: - (Nagaur - Rajasthan),
• Deccan Festival: - (Andhra Pradesh),
 • Maha Shivratri: - (worship of Lord Shiva, Special celebrations at Chidambaram, Kalahasti
- in South India, Khajuraho,Varanasi and Mumbai), new moon of February / March of
every year.
• Holi: - Mainly in North India, full moon of March of every year. Popularly called the festival
of colours. Advent of spring.
• Lively festival with much throwing of colored water and powders. (Public Holiday).
• Mardi Grass: - Goa, mainly three days before the commencement of Lent.

March/April

• Khajuraho Dance Festival: - (Khajuraho),

• Mahavir Jayanti: - National; Jain festival in India, birth of Mahavira, the 24th and last
Tirthankara, full moon of April every year.

• April/May

• Baisakhi: - Northern India, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu; Hindu Solar New Year. Known
as Bihu in Eastern India - Orissa and Assam. Ushering Summer Celebration and Dances
Almost always on the 14th of April every year
• Pooram: - Trichur, New Moon of April/May. Spectacular sight of large number of
elephants carrying ceremonial umbrellas going round the temple; midnight firework
display,
• Id-ul-zuha: - (Bakri id), Muslim, National.The most celebrated Islamic festival in India,
commemorating the sacrifice of Issac by Abraham,
• Id-ul-fitr: - (Ramzan id), Muslim, National. Celebration to mark the end of the holy month
of Ramzan,
• THE ABOVE TWO FESTIVAL OF INDIA WILL VARY ACCORDING TO THE MUSLIM
CALENDAR
• Meenakshi Kalyanam: - Madurai, Marriage of Meenakshi with Lord Shiva. Colourful
temple festival. Deities borne by colossal chariot. Ten day festival, ending with the float
festival In April May accordiong to the constellations
• Fair Rajasthan, Urs Ajmer Sherif: - Ajmer, 6 days religious, cultural and commercial
extravaganza dedicated to the Sufi.
• THIS DATE WILL ALSO VARY ACCORDING TO THE MUSLIM CALENDAR..

Send tour enquiry

June/July

• Hemis Festival: - (Leh-Ladakh), DATES DETERMINED ANNUALLY BY THE TIBETAN

CALENDAR
• Rath Yatra: - Mainly Orissa. Greatest festival in honour of Lord Jagannath (Lord of the
Universe). Three colossal chariots drawn from Puri temple by thousands of pilgrims.
Similar festivals, on a smaller scale, take place at Ramnagar (near Varanasi), Serampore
(near Calcutta) and Jagannathpur (near Ranchi).Mostly in July
 July/August

• Teej: - Rajasthan - Particularly Jaipur, Procession of the Goddess Parvati

to welcome monsoon; elephants, camels, dancers, etc. Women wear
colorful clothes.
• Raksha Bandhan: - Northern and Western India. Legendary reenactment,
girls tie 'rakhis' or talisman on the wrist of their brothers for protection. Full moon of
July /August
• Nag Panchami: - Mainly in Rajasthan and Maharashtra, dedicated to the thousand-
headed mythical serpent called Sesha. The day is also observed in different ways in
many other parts of Western and Eastern India,
• Amarnath Yatra: - Lidder Valley, Kashmir on the full moon of July/August. Pilgrims visit
the place where Lord Shiva explained the secret of salvation to his consort Parvati .

August/September

• Nehru Trophy Boat Race: - Kerala, 2nd Saturday of Aug.

• Independence Day: - 15th August of every year. The Prime Minister of India addresses
the people of India from Red Fort, Delhi.
• Janmashtami: - Eight day after the full moon of August celebrated all over India
particularly in Mathura and Brindhavan the supposed birth place of Krishna.
• Onam: - Kerala's Harvest Festival; spectacular snake boat races in many parts of Kerala,
full moon of August/September
• Ganesh Chaturthi: Fourth day after the New Moon of August. Celebrated all over India
particularly in a grand manner particularly in Maharashtra

September/October

• Dussehra - The most popular festival in the country, celebrated in different ways in
different parts of the country. In the north and particularly in North India, where it is known
as Ram Lila, plays and music recall the life of Rama; in Kullu considered the land of
Rama, the festival is an equally colorful celebration. In Bengal and many parts of Eastern
India it is known as Durga Puja, and in the South as Navratri - the nine nights dedicated
to the Mother Goddess.
• Fair, Himachal Pradesh: - Kullu Valley to coincide with Dussehra (10 days),
• Gandhi's Birthday: Mahatma Gandhi's birthday - 2nd October of every year.
• Diwali: - One of the most lively and colourful festivals in India. In some parts, it marks the
start of the Hindu New Year. In Eastern India, the goddess Kali, the destroyer of evil is
particularly worshipped. Elsewhere, it is Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, who is
venerated. Everywhere there are magnificent illuminations and fireworks.

Send tour enquiry

November/December

• Sonepur Mela: - (Sonepur-Bihar),

• Hampi Festival: - (Hampi-Karnataka),
• Muharram: - Muslim. Commemoration of Imam Hussain's Martyrdom. Tiger dancers lead
processions of colourful replicas of martyr's tomb. Colourful, particularly at Lucknow .
DATES CHANGE ACCORDING TO THE MUSLIM CALENDAR
• Cattle Fair, Bihar: - Largest cattle fair in the world; lasting one month in Sonepur, Patna;
on banks of Ganges. Full Moon of November
 • Pushkar Mela: - Pushkar, near Ajmer, Rajasthan. Important and
colourful. Camel and cattle fair attended by people from miles around.
Camel races and acrobatics etc.Full Moon of November.
• Shilpgram Crafts Mela: - Udaipur-Rajasthan - dates are announced
annually.
• Kurukshetra Festival: - Kurukshetra, Haryana - dates are announced annually.
• Konark Dance Festival: - Konark-Orissa- dates are announced annually.
• Gurpurab: - The birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the first Guru of the Sikhism spiritual
teacher or preceptor of Sikhism,. Full moon of November
• Christmas Day: - Celebrated all over India on 25th December every year

Special Events/Fairs
Kumbh Mela: - The oldest and most important of the Hindu festivals. It takes place once in three
years, at one of the four great holy cities; Nasik on the banks of river Godavari, in Maharashtra,
Ujjain on the banks of River Sipra in Madhya Pradesh, Allahabad on the banks of the confluence
of rivers Ganga and Yamuna ,and Haridwar on the banks of the river Ganga .
Allahabad and Haridwar are in Uttar Pradesh. Kumbha Melas are attended by millions of pilgrims
who take a holy bath in these sacred Rivers

As you will notice - all Festivals and Fairs of India fall on the lunar cycle-the New Moon and the
Full Moon playing an important role. Hence, dates vary from year to year.

The fascinating fairs and festivals of India reflects the expression of joy and happiness.

Please reach us for dates for the current & coming year. We will be happy to help!!

"To know more or to have us design a program specially for you - kindly get in touch with us"
 Wildlife In India

Features the comperehensive information on Indian wildlife. This page is dedicated to

provide our visitors the range & diversity wildlife available in India.Learn about Indian wildlife
suported by detailed information of mammals and reptiles like Civets, Bears, Deers and
more...

Civets
The Large Indian Civet (Viverra zibetha linn)
It is a sturdily built animal with long head, long flattened body, stumpy legs & small rounded
feet. An adult Civet measures nearly 4 ft. in length.
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Wild Cats
Size : Males 1.7 - 2.5 mts. long, 150 - 250 kg. Females 1.4 - 1.75 mts., 120 - 182kg.
Tail : 70 - 105 cms., 1 - 1.2 cms. tall.
Life span : 12 - 16 years in the wild, females longer.
Babies : 1-6 cubs. Gestation : 105 - 112 days.
Maturity at 3 - 4 years.
Social life : Smaller prides of 2 - 5, male - female bond not strong.
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Bears
This species was fairly common in India and Sri Lanka until as recently as 20 years ago. Now
they are harder to find. Sloth bears have a shaggy black coat, especially over the shoulders.
Brown and grey hairs are found on the coat. The length of Sloth bear is 1.50 to 1.90 mts.
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Deers
It is the most beautiful of all the deer. They are mostly seen in large herds of 30 - 50 females
with a few stags. However, it is not uncommon to see large herds of bachelors numbering
upto 100.
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Bulls & Cows

The Banting commonly represents the wild life of Burma. In India, it is found mainly in jungles
of Northeast provinces. However, the sighting is only occasional.
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 Snakes
Of the over 2000 species of snakes in the world, about 200 are found in
India. These range from the worm snakes having a length of about 10
cms.
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Asiatic Elephant
The elephant is the largest of the land mammals. There are 2 species of Elephants in existence
- The Indian & African. These are the sole survivors of the a great assemblage of species
which once inhabited the earth.
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Wild Boar
Size : Body Length: 90-200 cms. / 3-6.6 ft.
Shoulder Height : 55-110 cms. / 1.8-3.6 ft.
Tail Length : 15-40 cms. / 6-16 in.
Weight : 44-320 kgs. / 91-711 lb.
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Sheep & Goats

The Shapoo or Urial : Known as Shapoo in Ladakh or Urial in Punjab, this wild sheep lives
under the varied climatic conditions. There are three different varieties of wild sheep.
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Antelopes
Also called as Kala Hiran It is the sole representative of the genus Antilope. In Hindu religion
Black buck is a vehicle of Chandrama (soma or chandra) (moon).
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Indian Rhinoceros
The great Indian Rhinoceros is probably the largest of all living Rhino. The usual weight of an
Indian Rhino is 2,000 kg. It may reach over 6 ft.
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Crocodiles
Commonly known as "Mugger", this species is not only found in freshwater lakes, ponds, and
marshes, but it has adapted well to reservoirs, irrigation canals, man-made ponds, and even
recently in coastal saltwater lagoons.
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 Other Reptiles
Apart from Snakes & Crocodiles some other common reptiles found in India are :
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