State with second largest tourism industry: TAMIL NADU

Tamil Nadu is the eleventh largest state in India by area and is known for its ancient Hindu temples and classical dance forms like Bharata Natayam. It has most phenomenon temple architecture in the country and tradition of music, dance and fine arts. Tamil Nadu is vulnerable for its temple towns, national parks, hill stations, waterfalls, cuisines and mind boggling Wildlife and natural beauty. The state has the second largest tourism industry in India with the annual growth rate of 16%.

Chennai, Tamil Nadu is the fourth largest of the indian state. Chennai is examined to be gateway of South India. The city of Chennai is mesmerize blend of tradition and vogue. Tamil Nadu is mainly dependent on monsoon rains, and is prone to droughts when the monsoon fails. About 86% of people in Tamil nadu are Hindus. Tamil is the most common language of Tamil Nadu. But as english is also an ordinary language so it is also used there. Tamil Nadu is known to be a literate state and they have reservation in education institutions for socially backward society. 



Tamil Nadu has long tradition of glorious culture. Pongal is the widely celebrated fetival throughout Tamil Nadu. They also have large number of folk dances. These are performed on every occasion, to celebrate the arrival of season, festivals, wedding, birth of a child. tamil cuisine is typically of South Indian cuisine in which rice and rice derived dishes form the major part of the diet. Tamil Nadu was India's fifth producer of rice. Also Kabaddi originated from Tamil Nadu and is considered as a state game.


Tamil is full of adventure and incredible places. So enjoy every span of it with extra ordinary beauty.

(reference from Google and Wikipedia)

                                                                                                               The Blogger
                                                                                                               Shubra Chawla

Capital of two states: CHANDIGARH

Chandigarh is a North Indian state and also the capital of Punjab and Haryana. Chandigarh is known to be the most happening place in North India. It was declared the cleanest city in the year 2010. When one enters the place of Chandigarh one can see the trees flourishing around and so much greenery that gives a chilling and soothing mood to the people. There are forests surrounded all over that sustain many animal and plants species. 


There are different places where one can visit in Chandigarh. Sukhna lake, Rock garden, leisure valley, cactus garden, butterfly park and many more. In sukhna lake one can see the ducks and other species which are protected in one way or the other. As said before Chandigarh is the most happening place for the people. people if they want too get relax after their busy week go to chandigarh to enjoy their weekend. The malls, flora and fauna and the environment over there is totally different from the normal north states like Punjab etc. 


If we talk about the culture of Chandigarh it is similar in the one or the other way like Punjab because most of the people living out there are Punjabis. As the people of different religions are spread all around the country same is in Chandigarh so therefore all the festivals which are popular in North are celebrated here with full enthusiasm. Mostly the western culture is seen over here because people here are more broad minded then the people living in Haryana etc because In haryana intercaste marriage is not allowed at all but it can be seen that in places like Chandigarh the youth is free to do love marriage and sometimes intercaste too.

It can be said that this city is far ahead of the other north region cities in the matter of environment, natural beauty and the mentality of people.


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North Indian state: HARYANA

Haryana is a state located in North India. It was created out of Punjab on the basis of language. Nowadays, Haryana is contributing alot to the total production of foodgrains etc as Agriculture has now become their leading occupation. It is also termed as one of the wealthiest state of India as they have second highest per capita income. Haryana is the hub of Information Technology like Gurgaon has many large automobile companies and same is with other cities which are also industrial hubs.

 The people of Haryana preserved their own religions and cultures or traditions. They celebrate almost same festivals which are celebrated in Punjab as Haryana was part of Punjab only. The festivals are celebrated with great enthusiasm and excitement here. If we talk about their eating habits there is an ediom that says "Hara- Bhara Haryana, Jit Dhoodh- Dahi Ka Khaana"( which means a lush green state where milk and curd are the food). the food and other cuisines are almost similar to Punjab like sarso da saag, makki di roti, lassi etc. 

The famous Yoga guru Ramdev is from Haryana only. And haryana is a socially conservative state as they murder the boy or girl who tries to marry the person of different caste. This is a serious issue here because on one can live their life freely here as they are always bounded by the rules and regulations of elders which are ought to be followed. People over here mostly speak Haryanavi which is sometimes difficult to understand for the people who listen it for the first time.

But it can se said that this state has so much good that one must visit once and try to experience atleast the new technology that can be seen in Gurgaon.

                           

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Different Dance forms: INDIA

There are different forms of dances which are originated in different parts of India. This includes Classical dance, other folk dances, contemporary dances and many more. Folk dances are generally local tradition of the respective states whereas Contemporary dance is the fusion of folk, classical and western forms. Shiva as Nataraj is worshipped as the lord of dance. In Classical dance forms there are further many different types of dances. In classical dances the dancers try to depict story out of their dance through their gestures and other body languages. Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Orissi and Sattriya are the different types of Classical dance forms.

In the tradition and folk dances the dances are divided into different regions. These dances are performed in groups and at the time of any festival or occasion. Every state has its own Folk dances like Bhangra and Giddha in Punjab, Bihu in Assam, Dandia and Garba in Gujarat, Choliya in Uttrakhand and Ghoomar in Rajasthan. These dances try to depict their culture and their way of celebrating the festivals. Every region has its own dance form and whenever they are happy they try to dance to express their happiness.

So to encourage people in the country dance festivals are also organised by different academies like Sangeet Natak Academy. Nowadays it is possible to learn any form of dance sitting in any part of the country because special teachers who are trained enough give coachings to the students who want to learn. We can see the Reality Show Dance India Dance there the kids of just 7 to 8 years perform such good acts because they have taken proper trainings for that.


So we can say that our folk dances and culture are well known to us. One should try to see the others culture and try to grab the things and learn from their culture too.

                                                                                                            The Blogger
                                                                                                            Shubra Chawla

Knowing about Bengalis: WEST BENGAL

West Bengal is a state in eastern region of India. The state capital is Kolkatta with the neighboring nation of Bangladesh. It is the  most Culturally and Ethnically diverse, the first Capital in the State of India,It is the land of the whilom Zamindars & Nawabs. Bengal is world famous for  Bengali cuisine for its remarkable Mustard fish and Prawn curries. A wide modification of Street Food . In desserts in Rosogolla, Mishti Doi, and the most famous Malda Mangoes. Rice and fish are traditional preferable foods, chiefly to a saying in Bengali, machhe bhate Bengali, that express as "fish and rice make a Bengali. The assortment of fruits and vegetables that Bengal has to offer is phenomenal.

In costumes the six business unit spectacle in hand-loom Sarees worn by the Bengali women and Dhuti Punjabi by the Bengali gentleman. Bengali women generally  wear the shari often evidently designed in manner to local cultural customs. In urban areas, most of women and men wear Western outfits.Bengal is the region of the holy river Ganges which split in west Bengal and the mighty snow top mountain Kanchendzonga. In Bengal geographical area  embraces of 15 wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks. Royal Bengal Tiger in the world’s largest Mangrove forest.

The Bengali language overstate a rich literary heritage, shared with neighboring Bangladesh. West Bengal has a long history in folk literature. Bengal had been the signal of modernism in fine arts. Rabindranath  Tagore who called the father of Modern Indian Art had initiated the Bengal School of Art which was to design styles of art outside the European realist tradition. West Bengal schools are move by the state government or by private institutions, which include religious institutions. Teaching is mainly in English or Bengali, however Urdu  also used, mainly in Central Kolkatta. 

In sports Cricket and soccer are favored sports in the state. West Bengal, unlike many other states of India, which is known for its passion and championship of football. West Bengal has many large stadiums. Eden gardens stadium is the largest cricket stadium in India. 
Once you are in Bengal…Expect more than your expectation. Enjoy the land of passion, captivation, loyalty and incredible natural beauty.


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Soul of India: ORISSA

Orissa is the state which is located at east coast; it is 9^th largest state in India.The capital of Odisha is Bhubaneshwar.Odisha (Formely orissa) is also known as The Soul of India, is a symbolic land where the frosty past and the modern today form a melodious blend – it is land where ancient temples blend with contemporary five star hotels. A land filled with dazzling monuments, thousands of skilful craftsmen and artists and incredible natural landscape.

It is famous for the beauty and craftsmanship of Jagannath ,Konark, , Lingaraj and numberless other temples, Odisha offers a noticeable selection of decorative and effective arts and crafts. The grace and glamour of Orissi handicraft reflects a heritage in its past and present flowing into eternity. Beauty and utility combine in them. It is Filled with elegant temples and unique monuments, home to many thousands of prolific artists and craftsmen; and beaches, wildlife sanctuaries, and natural landscape of often-enchanting beauty, Odisha (Orissa) tourism is a unique and fascinating land that is, nevertheless, still majorly undiscovered by tourists.

Odisha has great network of railways, roads and airports which makes people over there comfortable.The music is the classical art forms. It is world famous for its foods or cuisines and sweets. Rasgulla firstly originated in Orisha then became popular all over the world. Odisha is blessed with around 482 kilometers of coastline and has some of the most attractive beaches in the world. About one-third of Odisha is covered by forest with 18 sanctuaries including 2 national parks.

The land of this East Indian state is known for holding solitary of culture and nature and making Orissa India Tourism worth thing to do. Enjoy Odisha Tour and have a lifetime experience.

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                                                                                                  Shubra Chawla

Land of cosmic natural beauty: GOA

Goa is most splendid place in India. It is located at sea side and one of the most visited tourist destinations of India because the state offers all aspect of travel to its visitors like lush gardens ,churches, temples, culture, and water sports at beaches of Goa. Panaji is headquarters of North Goa district whereas Marago is the headquarters of South Goa district. It is also known as the 'Pearl of the Orient', is located on the western coast of India in the coastal belt known as Konkan On your tour to Goa you can enjoy your holiday with various adventurous activities like water motor bike, scuba diving, swimming, and boating in the beaches of  Goa. Goa have a lot of beaches and some places are really very happening  and adventurous, there are a lot of different type of adventure rides water sports are available to enjoy.

Goa is visited by large numbers of international and domestic tourists each year for its beaches, places of worship and world class heritage. It has also rich flora and fauna that’s why it is classified to biodiversity hotspot. In food rice with fish curry is prominent diet in Goa. Goa cuisines is famous for its rich variety of fish dishes cooked with arranged recipes. Goa has rich wine culture. Coconut and coconut oil is widely used in goa cuisines. The most popular alcoholic beverage in Goa feni which is made from evaporation of the fruit of cashew tree. Goa is also notable for its shallow beer, wine and spirits prices.

It is probably the only state in India where cricket is not estimated as important as any other sports. Goa has its own state football team and league.In sports football is most favored sport in Goa culture. In Transport Goas public transport largely consist of private buses linked with major towns. Goa  architecture is a combination of Indian, Islamic and Portuguese styles. In education Goa has a extreme literacy rate 87%, with 90% of males and 84% of females being literate.

 In short it is land of fascination,zest, devotion, charisma, mysticism, vibrant flora and fauna and cosmic natural beauty Goa never fails to charm its many visitors. 





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                                                                                                                  Shubra Chawla

The taste of India: Different cuisines

Indian cuisines or food includes a wide variety of regional cuisines native to India. Indian food is so different not only in taste but its making or cooking is also different. Every part of India have their own special dishes which tells us about their culture and living. India is a diverse country where  variety of people are there and there comes variety of food too. according to the region the cuisines are there. Like vegetarian or non- vegetarian it depends upon the region. 



In Punjab the main cuisine is sarso ka saag and makki di roti which gives the full image of the Punjab. People here also prefer stuffed paranthas and dairy food. Delhi cuisine is actually amalgamation of different Indian cuisines modified in unique way. In Delhi street food is more important than the other ones. Also kababs and other tandoori items are popular over here. On the other hand if we see on the southern part, sambhar vada, dosa, idli upma all these are termed as their basic cuisine. In Gujarat dhokla, thepla etc is popular. Every region has their own distint food which is their speciality and no one else can cook such food which perfection.

As the people of India migrate from one place to another therefore they carry their culture which includes their food too with them. That is why now one can see any type of food sitting in any part of the country. this is because people of the country are spread across and this helps the people to learn more about different cultures as well as their cuisines.

                                                                                                                    

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Different Attires: India

Clothing in India varies from region to region depending upon the climate and the culture of the people living in that region. In India there are n number of cultures due to which people of different culture has their own way of getting dressed. India is divided in four parts i.e North, East, West and South and under these parts lie different states which follow their own dressing styles. Indian clothing includes sarees, salwar kamiz, and Ghagra and Indian folk costumes best explain the traditional clothes and dresses of Indian states.

The primary fabric which is used in North India is cotton because of the weather but woolen clothes are equally important because in winters people wear woolen clothes.The traditional attire in North is salwar kameez, Ghagra etc. Punjab is known for its Phulkari which means flower work on the shawl which is taken with choli and ghagra. Although western outfits are worn by Punjabi people but the main attire is this only. In the North East states the dressing style is totally different, They wear ankle length skirts, jackets and traditional caps. Traditional costume if assam is Mekhla Chadar. Costume of Nagaland includes shawls which are extensively used item of the state.

In western and eastern part of the country sarees are common. The men wear dhoti and punjabi lungi here. costumes of Maharashtra contains nine yard saree called Nauvari. Silk is most common in South as the climate of this region is smooth therefore people wear cotton and silk clothes only. At the time of marriage ceremonies the attires change and people try to dressup themselves in a different way. With all these different dresses the most commonly worn attire is salwar kameez, and saree for women and kurta for men. Besides the differences in India unity and diversity is there which make people realize the importance of every culture which includes their dresses too.

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Jewel of the west: GUJARAT

Gujarat is 7th largest state in India, it is located in the western part of India with a coastline of 1600 km which is calculated longest coastlines in the country . The public  and primary language spoken is Gujarati. Gujarat derives its name from the word 'Gujarat ta' .Gujaratta means the land of gurjars. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. The state is putative for its rich cultural heritage, historical magnitude , handicrafts and numerous tourist attractions. 

 Gujarat had vast diversity of mosques, temples, historic forts and innumerable places of historic importance. Beside this Gujarat is well known for its rich culture. The folk art of Gujarat form a major part of the culture. It conserves the rich tradition of dance, songs and drama. In dance form Dandiya Raas is a passionate, dynamic, colorful and playful dance originating in the state of Gujarat.  Garba is a very graceful form of dance generally performed by females in a circular formation. Moreover Gujarat is being famous for Gujarati cuisines and betel chewing is part of Asian countries.
The state of Gujarat is well-renowned all over the world for its temples, landmark hill resorts, fascinating handicrafts,capitals, wildlife sanctuaries, beaches, , mouth watering cuisine and colorful lifestyle of the people of Gujarat.Gujarat is land of handicrafts include bandhani,  kutchhi work,patalos of patan, khadi, Bamboo craft, metal crafts, block and rogan painting and many more handicrafts. The Indian luxury tourism train Royal Orient Train that runs between Gujarat and Rajasthan , covering important tourist locations in the these two states.

 Gujarat is famous for the joyous wedding day which begins with the Mangal Vadya, the playing of Shehnai (a traditional wind instrument) and Dhol (Indian drum). Further marriage is performed with several stages of customs and tradition Swagatam(Welcoming the groom and his family) Ganesha Puja(The worship of Lord Ganesha) Madhuparka(Welcoming the groom,Kanyaa Daan(Giving away of the daughter) Viva aha(Wedding) Man-gal Phera (Circumambulation of the sacred fire) Saptapadi(Seven sacred steps) This is the most important rite of the entire ceremony. Here the bride and the groom take seven steps together around the sacred fire (Agni) and make the seven promises to each other. Apart from this it is sprinkled with captivating beach resorts, divine temples and blue lagoons Gujarat is hub of some of the finest stretches of beaches in the country.



All in all it is a land of magic,passion, devotion, charisma, mysticism, vibrant colors and cosmic natural beauty Gujarat never fails to charm its many visitors. 

It is well said Jya Jya Vase gujarati, Tya Tya Vase Gujarat
(Meaning:Wherever in the world Gujarati’s live, there exists a Gujarat) 


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                                                                                                                    Shubra Chawla

Marriages are made in heaven: Indian marriages

Diversity of India reflects on every dimension well it be food, clothing and following different types of culture. Indian wedding is also one out of this.It is said "marriages are made in heaven" and it is one of the prime event of life. It is a social occasion for a family and relatives. Indian marriages are no less than a festival as the people of India tries to show their heritage in every possible way. Different types of wedding can be Hindu wedding, Punjabi wedding, Muslim wedding , Christian wedding etc.

A typical Hindu wedding starts with a selection of auspicious day by pandit. Then henna mehendi is applied on the hands of the bride. Procession of groom is the most important in Hindu wedding as the baraat is headed by the fireworks accompanied by Dance enters the place of bride for marriage. Today the scenario is changing from arranged marriages to love marriage but the way the marriage is done is totally same. Indian wedding starts from pre wedding day celebrations which in some parts of the country starts a week before. In HINDU Indian Wedding firstly the auspicious day is selected and the priest chant mantras in front of sacred fire. Playing shehnai and other music instruments are popular in North India. In the mandap groom ties knowt with the bride and they together take seven rounds around the sacred fire. Then there are seven promises which the bride wants from her groom and then the marriage is completed by putting sindoor.And the couple is then declared married.

In Muslim wedding two things are done first is the Mangni where the bride and the groom exchange rings and on this day only marriage day is decided. second is to apply mehendi on the hands and feet of the bride. then the procession comes with the band to the bride's place. the nikah is done in a close association where the priest gives proposal and takes acceptance of both bride and groom. document named nikahnama is signed as a marriage certificate. Punjabi wedding is one of the most exciting wedding ceremonies. It starts with a Shagun ceremony where both the families exchange gifts with each other. The ceremonies start one week before the marriage. On the day of marriage both bride and groom sit in front of Guru Granth Sahib and ardaas is done and they take 4 rounds of Guru Granth Sahib and then Doli ceremony is done where bride leaves her house throwing handful of rice behind.

Therefore it can be said that India is a diverse country and every caste has their own way of doing marriage ceremonies which explains their culture as a whole. one should try to go to every different caste's marriage once to learn in what sense it is different from the other.

City that never sleeps: Aamchi MUMBAI

Mumbai which is the capital city of Maharashtra and it is one of the most populous city of India. Mumbai is known to be financial and entertainment capital of India as the top centres of commerce in terms of financial flow are from Mumbai and also the city houses for Hindi( bollywood) industry which is a entertainment source for the people. The business oppurtunies and the potential to offer high standard of living attracts people from different parts of the country to come and stay there and that is why it has become a melting pot of many communities and cultures.India's biggest business of Bollywood industry runs mainly from Mumbai and all the revenue related to this is being generated from here only and is called economic hub of India. Mumbai is the birthplace of Indian Cinema.


In terms of politics Mumbai was the birthplace of Indian National Congress as the first session of Indian National Congress was held in Mumbai. If we talk about the culture of Mumbai it offers a diverse lifestyle with variety of different foods, and night life as other capitals of the world. It has unique blend of cultures as people from different regions migrated to Mumbai so they brought different cultures with them which are followed here. They celebrate both western and Indian festivals such as Diwali, Id, Holi, Christmas etc. Gudi Padwa which is new year for Marathi people is celebrated. Beaches in Mumbai are the major tourist attractions here. Juhu beach, marve beach etc. Essel World is a theme park and amusement centre and is Asia's largest theme water park. 

If we talk about fashion Mumbai is the most fashionable city in whole day. The people of Mumbai tries to follow fashion and think what should they wear in order to look more smart. People try to wear cotton clothes here because of the weather which is hot. The street food of Mumbai is very popular which is sold by the hawkers on the road. Pani puri, Pav bhaji, Vada pav Bhelpuri etc are the main things that are mostly eaten by the people out there. There are many tourist attractions in Mumbai which includes different types of beaches, forts and many gardens etc and the most important is the bollywood industry here. This is the city which is known to be "the city that never sleeps" because the people work day and night over there and is the most bussiest city in India which generate high amount of revenue for our country which adds to our GDP.

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                                                                                                                 Shubra Chawla

Dilwalo ka shehar: DELHI

Delhi, the heart of India is the National Capital territory of India and is one of the Metro cities of India. It has second largest population and highest land area of the whole India. Delhi is considered to be the cluster of so many cities which are spread across this metro city and that is why it is sometimes called as the "City of Cities". Also Delhi is considered to be one of the most populous cities all over the World. Delhi, which is a political hub of India is not only famous for its historical importance but it is also famous for its rich culture. people from all parts of the country lives here.

There are many monuments that can be seen in Delhi. Jama Masjid- India's largest mosque, the Red Fort, Purana Qila, Qutab Minar, Jantar Mantar, India Gate, Raj Ghat and many more. there are in total 175 monuments. the festivals like Republic day, Independence day etc are celebrated in Delhi only because of its history and political hub in Delhi. Also Holi, Baisakhi , Lohri are celebrated with great excitement over here. People save money to buy colorful and new clothes at the time of these festivals. They celebrate all these festivals with love and harmony among them all. Delhi is a place where people from all over the country reside and it has become the melting point of all the sub- cultures. People from different cultures tries to bring their culture or cuisines with them that is why Delhi is sometimes called as MINI INDIA. Mainly tandoori items such as kababs etc, pulao, parantha, chat etc are popular. In India every state has their own way of getting dressed same is the case in Delhi. The women wear churidar or salwar kamiz and men wear kurta and pajama. and at the time of marriage, the men adorn themselves with sherwani or western suits and women wear saris.



Delhi Metro is also there which is used for the best use of the people and it helped the people in saving time as Delhi is the largest in area therefore earlier people use to take lot of time to reach from one place to another but with the advancement in technology and Metro it became easier for people. So Delhi as a hub is growing day by day and it has n number of tourist spots because of which it earns high amount of revenue.


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                                                                                                                    Shubra Chawla

The land of five rivers:PUNJAB

Punjab, which is popular for so many things is the place which is located in the northern part of India. The word Punjab when divided in two words- Punj which means 'five' and Ab which means 'water' says "LAND OF FIVE RIVERS". If we want to explain the beauty of Punjab it can be seen through the biggest tourist spot The Golden Temple which is a prominent Sikh Gurudwara in Amritsar. It is mainly build so that men and women from all walks of life and religions come and worship God equally.


On the other hand Punjab has largest Agriculture industry and also the producer of so many things. All the agriculture produce is mainly sent from Punjab to the other parts of the country. It is the largest producer of 'wheat' in India. If we talk about the culture in Punjab like music,dances,cuisine and traditions, all the things are extremely popular all over the country. Punjabi music is considered to be the most enjoyable music and many western musicians use punjabi music by mixing it with compositions and win many awards. If we talk about the dances- Bhangra is considered to be the men's high energy dance and Giddha or Jhumar performed by women. the women's traditional dress is salwar suit and men's wear Kurta Pajama.

In Punjab, at the time of wedding ceremony the celebrations go on for so many days rather it be a girl's wedding or boy. Sikhs culture of getting married is to go to the Gurudwara Sahib and take 4 rounds of "Guru Granth Sahib" which is called "Anand Karaj". Also the Hindus wedding goes same by mantra by Pandit. The punjabi weddings are popular in sense that the people try to show off and spend a lot of money on it. Also in food "sarso ka saag" and "makki ki roti" is popular all around the world. The main festivals which are celebrated in Punjab is Lohri, Diwali and Baisakhi.

So its my personal request that in life try to visit Punjab once to know how people over there live and experience the different way of living and living in different culture as the people of Punjab are really warm hearted.

Heaven on Earth: KASHMIR

The great Mughal Emperor Jehangir once visited Kashmir and said "If there's a heaven on earth, it's here, it's here, it's here".

Kashmir has always been praised for its beauty by the locals and tourists alike. It is a place where one can actually go and say "yes" this is it, the most beautiful place ever created by the hands of God. The state is known as Jammu and Kashmir and both of them in actual are a separate, capital is Srinagar. The state has so much to offer to the tourist in the form of snow- clad mountains, lakes, gardens etc. Many writers have glorified Kashmir in their books and this is because they were so captivated by the eternal beauty of the place. Kashmir is well connected by the flight from all the major Airports of the country and train goes till Jammu so from there need to take a taxi or car from there. When i went there in the year 2012, I went along with my parents and that was in the month of February when the cherries were in full bloom giving a majestic view and the snow's slowly fading away, only to return the next winter. we went from Ludhiana to Delhi and from there took the flight to Srinagar.

I look at the scenic view surrounding me and without a doubt I could clearly understand why the Late Yash Chopra ( the king of bollywood romance)was so so fascinated by Kashmir. This is one place where the Hindus and the Muslims co-exist in peace and harmony. Terrorism and cross- boundary conflict might have disturbed the peace in the valley for many years (since India's Independence), most days the citizens see the bloodshed and shooting around them but these kind of activities even failed to dampen the spirits of Kashmiris. Anyone visiting Kashmir should never miss the chance to visit Gulmarg, a few kilometers away from Srinagar, to enjoy skiing (a very beautiful sky resort). Then there's the world famous Dal lake where the shooting of uncountable bollywood movies have taken place till now because of the breathtaking view and the exotic houseboats where one can hop into for few hours or even spend an entire holiday in it with all the proper five star facilities.

The green golf course in Gulmarg is the highest in the world so when we went there it gives me the high by just standing and staring at the people playing golf and when the most amazing part is that I heard one of them saying that he his feeling is at top of the World playing there. Sonamrg and Pahalgam are also worth visiting. The tulip garden is counted among the best of its kind in this world and then there's the beautiful Shalimar Bagh garden which is the hard thing to resist. There are so many shrines( the place of worship of the sufis)which are very famous and visited by tourist from India and Abroad and one of them is Harathal Shrine. Apart from all these attractions there are hundreds of others but for that need atleast 10-15 days, and enjoy the paradise that God created on earth. No matter how much conflict arises or failures of the Government in tackling terrorism activities in this beautiful valley, the place will always be called "heaven" and people beautiful, warm and wonderful.

Festivals of India- celebrations in the land of diversity

India is called as the land of "Unity and Diversity" because of the numerous festivals depending on the regions,varying from religion to religion,creed, caste and states. It is a nation where the citizens are from different religions namely Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam,Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism and many more. For all the occasions,from small or big there's festivals which is celebrated with joy, pomp and grandeur. People wait for certain festivals throughout the year and when it comes they buy beautiful clothes, decorate their homes, exchange gifts with family members, friends and neighbors.

These are festivals like Christmas, Diwali, Id, Holi and Durga Puja, celebrated all over the country by people from all walks of life. In India people are very much rooted to their religions and misunderstanding do often takes place in the name of religion but then when it comes to celebrating festivals they forget all their differences and celebrate the different festivals with love and peace. Then comes Pongal and Onam the major festivals in the Southern part of the country. In the North- Eastern part of the country lives the tribal people and so there are many festivals, be it the harvesting or New Year celebrated in a different and unique way depending on each tribes. Here the traditional dances performed by men and women wearing colorful ornaments and attire and also showcase rich varieties of food items. Lohri is the festival celebrated in Punjab.And there is Ganesh Chaturthi which is considered as a biggest festival in the state of Maharashtra (especially in places like Mumbai and Pune), this festival is celebrated in dedication to Lord Ganesh, the elephant headed God. Gurupurab is the birth anniversary of Guru nanak ( the founder of Sikhism religion), it is one of the most important festivals of Sikhs. Janmashtami is the birthday of Lord Krishna which is celebrated all over India, especially in North India and Gujarat. Maha Shivratri is the festival dedicated to Lord Shiva where the devotees keep fast for a certain period of time (or days). Good friday and Easter sunday are observed by the Christians in honor of the death and rising again of Jesus Christ. And Raksha Bandhan is celebrated in honor of the brothers which is to remind them that they are here to protect them, Independence day and Republic day are also worth mentioning.

There are thousands of festivals in India or many i should say ten of thousands and the simple reason behind this is that the ancestors of the Indians living in the country today migrated from different parts of the world and form one nation i.e INDIA. It might have happened thousands or millions of years back but then history is the backbone of our existence and so it is always re-told. In Hindu religion alone it is said that there are more than a million Gods and Goddesses and so we can all imagine from where these numerous festivals comes. people be it rich or poor, old or young do spend so much on these festivals to make it a grand celebrations (some have to save for months and months to celebrate their favourite festivals). Tourist from all over comes to witness and take part in the Indian festivals. No matter what but at the end of the day every Indians love their festivals in whatever way it is celebrated.

                                                                                                              The Blogger
                                                                                                              Shubra Chawla