India

India, a country that will enchant you with her beauty and diversity, delight you with her colorful pageantry, enrich you with her culture, stun you with her modernity, embrace you with her warmth, and overwhelm you with her hospitality.

Sanskrit has a phrase "Atithi devo bhava" - The Guest is God and this is how you can expect to be treated.

India, an ancient civilization! With an impressive lineage that over the centuries has amassed a tremendous wealth of grandeur and majesty. India a land of varieties, the cradle of culture that is steeped in tradition, an ageless civilization, colorful customs revered for centuries that reflect social and geographical diversity, and a chequered history which lives in music & dance.

India has a total area of 3,287,263 square kms and falls into three major geological regions. The North is enclosed by the great arc of the Himalaya. Along their Southern flank lie the alluvial plains of the Ganges, and to the South again is the peninsula, separated by the 30 km wide shallows known as Adam's Bridge. From the cold desert of Ladakh to the blazing desert of Rajasthan, from Kanya Kumari, the southern most tip of India, known for its magnificent sunrise and sunsets to the lush green wilderness of Assam, India's landscapes are as varied and arresting as its people.

On this diverse physical environment remains etched the evidence of a succession of political powers, religions and cultures going back to prehistoric settlements over 500,000 years ago. Indian history dates back to 3000 BC and is the mix of Hindus, Aryan, Greek, Muslim, Huns and numerous other cultures, all who came and became a part of this land.

Today, India is the world's largest democracy with a federal form of government.

India is rightfully known as the land of spirituality and philosophy. The most dominant religion in India today is Hinduism with almost 81% of the people being Hindus. One of the truly ancient religions of the world, Hinduism is believed to have developed nearly 5000 years ago. Along with Hinduism, numerous other religions like Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Judaism exit hand in hand in the country as a live example of its belief in 'Unity in Diversity'. India is a country of umpteen diversity with numerous cultures spread over its 28 states with more than 24 spoken languages and innumerable dialects. The National Language is Hindi but English remains the binding common language between people of all cultures. English is also the language of national, political, and commercial communication.