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Incredible India
India is a vast country with a history that goes back five thousand years.
It has a vast geographical diversity, heritage and culture, fairs and
festivals and monumental attractions that span the sub-continent. It is
impossible not to be amazed by India. Nowhere on earth does humanity
present itself in such a creative burst of cultures and religions, races
and tongues. Every aspect of the country presents itself on a massive,
exaggerated scale, worthy only of the superlative mountains that
overshadow it.
Location
Set apart from the rest of Asia by the supreme continental wall of the
Himalayas, the Indian sub-continent touches three large water bodies
namely the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Arabian Sea to the west and the
Indian Ocean to the south. From its northern most point India extends 2000
miles to its southern tip. The northern border is dominated by the
Himalayas, the world's highest mountain range. Following the sweeping
mountains to the northwest, its borders pass between Nepal, Tibet,
Bangladesh, and Bhutan, then extends to meet Burma.
Culture & People
It is impossible to speak of any one Indian culture, there are deep
cultural continuities that tie its people together with English the major
language of trade and politics, there are fourteen official languages in
all and there are twenty-four languages that are spoken by a million
people or more and countless other dialects. Religion is central to the
Indian culture and its practice can be seen in virtually every aspect of
life in the country, with Hinduism being the dominant faith of India,
serving about 80 percent of the population. Ten percent worship Islam and
5% are Sikhs and Christians; the rest (a good 45 million) are Buddhists,
Jains, Bahai and more.
Climate
India's climate depends not only on the time of the year, but also on the
location. In general, temperatures tend to be cooler in the north,
especially between September and March with the south coolest between
November to January. In June the southwest monsoon brings heavy rains to
the west coast and between October and December the northeast monsoon
appears in the Bay of Bengal, bringing rains to the east coast.
Shopping
The Indian craftsmen have been perfecting their art for centuries, passing
down tradition and techniques from generations. Each region has its own
specialties, own local craftsmen with particular skills. Today we see a
blend of ancient such as silks, spices, jewellery, carpets, fabrics,
silverware, leatherwork and antiques of India are famous and widely
desired. India is a shopping paradise, where goods are attractive,
beautifully handcrafted and excellent value for money.
Carpets
India has one of the world's largest carpet industries and many examples
of ancient and beautiful crafts can be seen in museums throughout the
world. Carpet making, in Kashmir was influenced by the Persians. Pure wool
and silk carpets can be bought for fraction of the cost that one would pay
in the west. Each region has its own speciality
Jewellery
Rubies, Sapphires, Pearls and a host of precious and semi-precious gems
are found in India. Skilfully cut and mounted in the intricate setting of
India's creative jewellery designers. In Rajasthan 'Kundan' jewellery is
traditionally stunningly and elaborate with India silver-work world
famous. Gems can be bought and mounted including diamonds, with other
stones including lapis lazuli, India star rubies, star sapphires,
moonstones and aquamarine.
Fabrics
This is one of India's main industries, with silk, cottons, and wools rank
amongst the best in the world. Of the silks, the brocades from Varanasi
are among the most famous variety; other major centres include Patna,
Murshidabad, Surat and Kanchipuram. Rajasthan cotton is known for its
attractive "Bleeding" effect after a few washes. India is also known for
it's "himroo" cloth, a mixture of silk and cotton, often decorated with
patterns. Kashmir has beautiful woollens particularly shawls. |
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