Incredible India

India is a multi-lingual, secular, culturally diverse country full of scenic spots, salubrious hill resorts, enchanting lakes, quaint monuments, awesome religious sites, rich flora and fauna. There are tourist attractions galore in India and these tourist attractions are sporadically scattered all over the the country and are visited by thousands of tourists throughout the year.

Heritage sites

Since time immemorial, India was ruled by a succession of invaders and each state of India boasts of monuments of different era with variegated architecture. Charminar is a splendid piece of architecture located in the heart of the Hyderabad city of Andhra Pradesh. Charminar derives its name from four aesthetically designed and intricately carved minarets. Gigantic in its size and structure, this imposing monument of India exudes an ancient charm.

Kalarippayattu or Kalaripayattu (a form of martial arts) of Kerala, India

The famous Ajanta and Ellora , situated in Maharashtra, are cave shrines manually cut out of rock. Some of the most remarkable specimens of ancient Indian architectural heritageare found in the 34 caves at Ellora and the 29 caves at Ajanta. Red fort, the pride of India’s capital city Delhi, looks splendorous with massive walls of red sandstone.

Taj Mahal, situated on the banks of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India, is a magnificent marble wonder and India’s most priceless monument. Taj Mahal is without a parallel on earth as a tomb, for verily the mortal remains of a person have never been housed in such grandeur.

Ganapathy Idols During Vinayak Chathurthi in Mumbai, India

The Taj Mahal, one of the 7 wonders of the world, Agra, India

Religious sites

India has consistently practiced secular values and Hindu temples, mosques, gurudwaras, Buddhist shrines abound.

Jama Masjid located at central Delhi is the largest mosque in India and a final architecture extravaganza. The JamaMasjid is built in yellow sandstone and involved around 5000 workers, and took 20 years to complete. Lord Venkateshwara temple at Tirumala, 853 m above the sea level in Andhra Pradesh is considered one of the most sacred Hindu temples in India. Considered as the richest temple in the world, the Cupola over the sanctorum is covered entirely with gold plate. The Golden Temple is the supreme temple of Sikhism and the magnificent structure reflects resoluteness and indestructibility of the Sikh faith.

The Temple is situated in the midst of a pool symbolizing the dichotomy of the spiritual and temporal facets of human existence. You have a plethora of Buddhist shrines spread all over Eastern India and parts of North India.

Qutab Minar, Delhi, India

Beaches in India

Sun washed beaches are aplenty in India which is surrounded by water on three sides. Though most of the beaches are picturesque, a few deserve special mention. Marina Beach is a picturesque 4.5 kms long stretch along the eastern coastline atChennai and is acknowledged as the world’s second longest beach.

Calangute Beach, located on the shores of the Arabian Sea of North Goa, is the most sought-after holiday resort in Goa. Once upon a time Calangute was the most haunted beach all hippies when psychedelic hell broke loose. Kovalam Beach, situated 16 kms from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, is internationally renowned and it consists of three adjacent crescent beaches. The southernmost, 'Lighthouse Beach', is the most fabulous and draws a huge tourist crowd all round the year.

Jallikkattu(a form of bull fight), Tamil Nadu, India

Kathakali - an art form of kerala

Hill stations

If you want get away from the heat and the dust urban India the hill resort of Darjeeling in West Bengal is an ideal choice. Darjeeling offers the beauty and of nature is at its best. The sunrise and sunsets are spectacular sights at Darjeeling. The hill resort has enormous appeal for botanists, ornithologists, trekkers, photographers and holidaymakers alike. The hill resort of Gangtok, the capital of the State of Sikkim, is an enchanting place with the imposing Himalayas in the backdrop. The virgin natural beauty of Gangtok and its peaceful atmosphere offer a truly unique experience for tourists to India.

Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya at an altitude of 1, 496 mts above sea level is an adorable hill station. You will be struck by its extraordinary scenic beauty, tall pines, stately mountains and green meadows. Shimla is arguably the best refuge from summer heat in the plains of Northern India. The natural beauty of the 2159 m highShimla and its unique serenity attracts thousands of tourists year after year.

Visit India

India is a dream tourist destination replete with spots of scenic beauty, snow-capped mountains, lush green valleys, verdant hills, gorgeous rivers, numerous world heritage sites as well as time-honored monuments and modern day architectural wonders. India is also well-known for its natural diversity and you can make your way to several wildlife sanctuaries of that are the natural habitats of exquisite flora and fauna.

Playing with snakes!

Gate way of India, Mumbai, India

Mumbai!

Houseboats in Backwaters of Kerala

A Street Performer

PS: The pictures used here belongs to their respective owners. All this photos are compiled from various emails I received over a period of time and I don't claim ownership to them.

10 Most Incredible Indian Cave Temples

Gktambe

Imagine being so powerfully determined in your devotion to your god that when confronted with a vertical stone mountain, your first thought is: 'I must carve this into a cave temple with my bare hands'. Centuries ago, Indian monks and artists would take years creating incredible rock-cut architecture manually out of sandstone, cliffs, and rock formations. After this amazing feat was achieved, they would then intricately design the walls with carvings and murals, and fill the interior with statues. India's cave temples show early traces of human life and culture and the importance of Hinduism and Buddhism in the country's history.

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1. Ellora Caves, Maharashtra

Pratheepps

The 30 caves of Ellora were carved out of a vertical face of the Charanandri hills in the 5th century AD. The cave temples are devoted to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism – demonstrating the religious harmony of the time. The Buddhist caves were primarily designated as monasteries, the Hindu caves boast paintings of the various gods, and the Jain caves feature intricately painted ceilings.

2. Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra

Soman

Most cave temples have some scratches on the walls which we can admire for their historical worth, but not so much aesthetically. However, the paintings of the Ajanta Caves are still considered masterpieces in Buddhist Art. Dating back to the 1st century BC, every inch, besides the floors, of these 34 caves is saturated in intricate murals.

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3. Varaha Cave Temples, Tamil Nadu

Vsundar

The four-temple complex of the Varaha Cave is a stunning example of Pallava architecture. The Pallavas were a powerful Southern Indian dynasty in the 7th century AD that transitioned cave-carved rock architecture into freestanding stone carved temples, extremely prevalent in India today. The Varaha Cave Temples honor the Hindu god Vishnu and the earth goddess Bhumi.

4. Undavalli Caves, Andhra Pradesh

Manne Praveen

In the 4th century AD, the seven cave temples of Undavalli were carved out of sandstone to honor the Trimurti – the Hindu Gods: Shiva, god of transformation; Brahma, god of creation; and Vishnu, the supreme god. Often, these gods are worshiped separately, but the Undavalli caves seek to highlight the harmonious relationship between the three.

5. Elephanta Caves, Mumbai Harbor

Elroy Serrao

The Elephanta Caves are located on an island in the Arabian Sea. The seven caves are split into two groups – the first dedicated to the Hindu God, Shiva, and the second, to Buddhism. Since its creation in the 5th century AD, until Portuguese rule in the mid-16th century, the Hindu caves were active temples of worship. Large sculptures of elephants surrounded the caves, many of which have been relocated for display.

6. Amarnath Temple, Jammu and Kashmir

Gktambe

Unlike many of the cave temples of India, the Amarnath Temple was developed in a natural formation. Inside the cave is an ice stalagmite – an icicle jutting from the ground. The stalagmite grows and shrinks, modeling the phases of the moon. In the 3rd century BC, the Amarnath Cave was carved and painted in dedication to the Hindu god Shiva.

7. Udayagiri Caves, Madhya Pradesh

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The Udayagiri Caves were excavated into the middle Indian hillsides in the 5th century AD to serve as Buddhist sanctuaries. The complex of 14 temples includes a passage of natural rock canyon, which a river used to run through. The Udayagiri Caves are most noted for their elaborate T-shaped doors and gigantic boar-headed sculptures.

8. Kanheri Caves, Mumbai

Ting Chen

The awe surrounding the 109 temples of the Kanheri Caves is only amplified by their location, nestled in the dense forests of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The green trees roughly embrace the black basaltic rock of the temples, and massive stone pillars complete this Buddhist shrine. The caves were inhabited in the 1st century BC, and evidence of canals and waterways through the temples attests to this.

9. Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, Madhya Pradesh

Raveesh Vyas

When we think of a life in terms of 80 years, it is somewhat daunting to imagine how long 100,000 years stretches into the past. In the 1950s, when anthropologists discovered that the 700 caves of Bhimbetka were created between 100,000 and 30,000 years ago, they were amazed to see how India's earliest humans pictorially represented their lives with scenes of agricultural bartering, hunting, and animal sacrifice.

10. Badami Cave Temples, Karnataka

Dineshkannambadi

The 5 temples of Badami are extremely picturesque – located at the mouth of a green ravine. The caves were all carved manually in the 6th century AD from the sandstone hills of Southwestern India. They honor the Hindu gods Vishnu and Shiva, and Jain principles. The fusion architecture is most admired for its artistic adoption of stylistic elements from Northern India and Southern India.

Dineshkannambadi

The incredible cave temples of India illuminate the daily truths of life for early humans, demonstrate the determination of faith, and offer wonderful arenas of art. So unique and grand in their structure, rock-cut architecture is the cathedral of the East – where centuries of men are united in their shared place of worship.