The rich and vibrant cultural
diversity of India will not be experienced to the
full even with a lifetime of travel. Stop at any
town and you will be surprised by the strikingly
different customs of the place even from the nearest
one. Lively spirited dances, colorful costumes,
religions, languages and numerous cuisines – India
is a beautiful mish-mash of these diverse factors.
The architecture styles of the temples, palaces
and forts are also unique to each region.
In order
to promote cultural tourism in India, the Government
of India has come up with the “Incredible
India Campaign”. This
has been a tremendous success thrusting India forward
in the international tourism sector.
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh
and Uttaranchal present the fullest picture of the
country’s cultural richness. Rajasthan is a
favorite and many tourists go to experience the Camel
Festival, Marwar Festival, and Pushkar festival.
Also, the state has many palaces and forts that are
quite a sight for the eyes. But best is the music,
vibrant dances and the colorful costumes worn by
the natives.
The temples of Tamil Nadu showcase the Dravidian
culture and tradition. These massive temples sometimes
spread over the whole town. The temples of Tanjore,
Madurai, Mahabalipuram, temples of Badami and Pattadakal,
and temples of Kanchipuram have been noted specially
for their architectural splendor.
Having been
invaded by a number of foreign rulers, a number
of festivals are celebrated in India; some to mark
the end of season, some religious and some during
harvest. No matter the reason, the festivals are
celebrated with equal pomp and fanfare with dancing,
loud music and bright costumes. Some of the festivals
are the Goa Carnival, Kerala’s Alleppey Boat
Race and the Bihu Festival of Assam, the Hindu
faith’s festivals of Diwali, Raksha Bandhan
and Dussehra.
A country of
diverse races is also bound to have a number of different
religions. This is why pilgrimage tours have gained
a significant part in Indian tourism. Some of the
well-known destinations for this are Haridwar, Amarnath,
Amarnath Cave, Vaishno Devi and the Jagannath Temple.
The Himalayan region is believed to be the abode
of the gods and goddesses. |
