India
Taj Mahal in India.
“Time spent in India has an extraordinary effect on one. It acts as a barrier that makes the rest of the world seem unreal.”
– Tahir Shah
India is a Southeast Asian country that is known for many things–the birthplace of yoga, a diverse landscape, natural beauty, food, culture, it’s dense population, classic dances, Bollywood, elusive catfish like the goonch and so much more. As the world’s second most populous country India offers something for everyone.
Incredible India is a land of mystery and intrigue. It is a transformative experience.
Enjoy the warm hospitality of Indian citizens and travel vicariously through the stories that will take you from the beach to the mountains, from the desert to urban areas, from farmland to churning rivers and architectural wonders. We promise that you’ll be inspired, transformed and eager to experience the potpourri of Incredible India on your own.
India cradles an ancient and spiritual culture that draws visitors from around the globe. Spiritual experiences in the country range from temple visits and yoga retreats to 10-day silent Vipassana meditations. While India is best known by tourists for wonders like the Taj Mahal, our six-month sojourn brought us to many lesser-known religious sights including the source of the sacred Ganges River in Uttarakhand.
Sidhpur is deeply rooted in both history and Hindu mythology. Since ancient times, the sleepy little town in North Gujarat, India, has been a sacred pilgrimage site among Hindu devotees who honor their maternal ancestors. The town rose to prominence during the rule of the Solanki Dynasty when it became the capital of the state and was named after the famous king Siddhraj Jaisingh.
Our 4x4 safari vehicle heaves and jolts through the deep recesses of the primeval forest. This is early March, and the dry deciduous jungle is laced with post-winter earthy shades of green. But the towering cotton and palash trees have splashed fiery red hues onto the canvas. The afternoon sun filters through the overhead canopy to illuminate the moss-ridden tract peppered with fragrant flowers and withered leaves.
Dharavi, in central Mumbai, is considered one of the largest slums in Asia, but deep within this neighborhood, below the shanty grey roofs, loosely comprised of scavenged, upcycled metal, lives a resourceful and innovative community that plays an imperative role in Mumbai’s city-wide waste management.
Two and a half centuries later, Murshidabad lies half-forgotten, 215 kilometres from Calcutta, cocooned in its glorious past, waiting for its distinct heritage trail to be rediscovered and restored.
Sunil maneuvered the jeep onto a bumpy dirt track through the fields of wheat and millet that grew sparsely here in the Thar Desert. He stopped the car and switched off the engine. Suddenly, they came. A group of four gazelles, followed by a large herd of blackbuck antelope, the afternoon sun glancing off their elegant backs. I was hesitant to take out my long telephoto lens, lest the herd would scatter. Sunil smiled. “Don’t worry. They will not think that you are aiming a gun at them. They roam fearlessly here because this is the land of the Bishnois.”
India is a country that truly comes alive when explored by road. Forget the usual train rides and tour buses; there's something uniquely exhilarating about driving through this diverse and colorful land. Road trips here are about more than just the destination—they're about the journey, the people you meet, and the unexpected moments along the way.
The last of the sun’s rays fade behind the Aravalli mountain range leaving a heavenly afterglow. A somber melody with rhythmic rhapsodies reverberates down the vast expanse of the plains of Ranthambore and fades away beyond the mountains. It is fascinating to watch how skillfully Tularam plays the Ravanhatha, one of the world’s oldest stringed instruments. The red-turbaned 50-something man swiftly moves his fingers on the holes of the protracted wind. He also uses a curved bow to play the folk instrument and the plaintive melody seems to synchronize perfectly with the twilight hues.
A fog-drenched, grey morning greets us as we set out for our early morning short hike to the viewpoint, the highest point of Chatakpur. On a clear day, it offers a panoramic view of the entire village with majestic Kanchenjunga, the third highest Himalayan peak of the world at the backdrop.
In his sleek and self-illustrated volume ‘Jakhan Choto Chilam’ (When I Was a Child), the great Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray vividly portrays kaleidoscopic cameos of Calcutta (now Kolkata) of the interwar years, a city where he grew up.
Sunlight streamed in as I parted the window curtains of the double-decker luxury bus my husband and I were taking from Mumbai to the popular summer destination of Mahabaleshwar, 264 kilometers East of India’s biggest city. Outside, low-hanging tufts of clouds touched the opulent carpet of green that rolled down the hills.
The tallest paddy plant in the world, Pokkali grows up to 2 metres, with its grain-bearing head staying above the brackish flood waters that inundate coastal Kerala every year, where rising sea levels and frequent floods pose imminent climate threats.
