India

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Entry posted by korver · June 23, 2020

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India, officially the Republic of India, is the second-most populous country, the seventh-largest country by area, and the most populous democracy in the world. This iconic country in Southern Asia is home to some of the world's largest cities, most diverse landscapes, and plenty of famed landmarks - and in today's update we'll be taking a grand tour throughout the country, experiencing 20 of India's most famous and unique sights.

Spoiler

Our tour begins with a quick trip into the past - back to 1980s Bombay - now known as Mumbai. Bombay's film industry - known as "Bollywood" produced many big hits during these years and it's film stars could be seen occasionally on parade as tens of thousands of fans filled the streets.

A look at one of Bombay's most iconic landmarks in the 1980s - the famous Victoria Terminus. The bustling streets during this time were filled with iconic red Routemaster buses and black and yellow Fiat 1100 taxis - but today they're being slowly phased out as the city looks to cut back on pollution.

A look at Mumbai today from above - over the decades, the city has continued to rapidly expand and is now home to nearly 25,000,000 people.

After our stay in Mumbai, the journey gets started with a trip along India's rugged western shoreline until we reach the state of Kerala - which is where you'll find the famous Munnar Tea Plantation. Located at an elevation of 5,200 ft above sea level, this tea industry in this area has thrived for centuries in part due to nearly perfect soil and climate conditions. Today, it's a popular tourist destination offering breathtaking views of the hand-picked plush green tea plants and surrounding landscapes.

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Rice paddies are another typical sight in India's rural countryside. These ploughed fields are enclosed by earth banks and are then flooded - and after a few months, the rice shoots are fully grown and ready for harvesting. Rice production is one of India's most important economic activities - in 2019 India was the world's second largest producer with over 115 million tons.

We trek through India's interior for a couple more days and we've now arrived at our next sight - one of India's most iconic archeological sights, Khajuraho. This group of 22 Hindu and Jain temples in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are famous for their nagara-style architectural symbolism and sculptures.

Surrounding India's interior on both sides are the Ghat mountain ranges - the Western and Eastern Ghats. The Western Ghats are particularly impressive as they stretch for nearly 1,000 miles along the country's Western shoreline and are home to many unique species of animals and plants.

Our next destination comes from one of India's largest and most famous cities - Kolkata. The capital of India's West Bengal state, Kolkata was founded as an East India Company trading post, and was India's capital under the British Raj from 1773–1911. Today, it’s known for its grand colonial architecture, art galleries and cultural festivals. The grand Victoria Memorial is the city's most iconic landmark and was built from 1906-1921 in memory of Queen Victoria and the Empress of India. Today, it's a popular tourist destination and museum.

After our stay in Kolkata, we grab a bus and head northeast along India's border with Bangladesh - and after a few days we've arrived in India's eastern arm, home to the state of Meghalaya and one of the world's most unique destinations - Cherrapunji. The waterfalls here are quite stunning, like Nohkalikai Falls - but even more notable is 450 inches of rain this region gets per year, a world record.

After a few days of traveling north, we've arrived at the foothills of India's tallest point - mighty Kangchenjunga. Reaching a height of 28,169 feet, it's the world's third tallest mountain and it's summit is considered sacred by the people of Sikkim.

After a few weeks of backpacking through the mountainous Indian countryside bordering Nepal, we've reached one of the region's most iconic rivers - the famed Ganges River. Long before the river reaches (and gets heavily polluted) by one of the country's most densely populated regions, the Ganges runs clean through the high altitude terrain of the Himalayan foothills.

Another one of the region's most unique sights are houseboats which can be found on many high altitude lakes and rives in this region. Tourists can hire these boats and study the lives of the natives first hand - and we do just that in Lake Dal, Kashmir.

Our trip through India's north concludes with a visit to Leh. Located in the heart of mountain country, Leh is the joint capital and largest town of the union territory of Ladakh. It's most iconic landmark is the impressive Leh Palace - constructed circa 1600 by Sengge Namgyal, the palace was abandoned when Dogra forces took control of Ladakh in the mid-19th century and forced the royal family to move to the nearby Stok Palace. Over the centuries, the palace has slowly crumbled away but recent renovation efforts are bringing back some of it's former glory.

We head southwards into the famous Indian state of Rajasthan and into it's capital city of Jaipur for our next sight. We hop aboard an elephant for a great view of the city's landmarks above the streets - starting with the iconic Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds). Built in 1799 with red and pink sandstone, it's honeycomb-like design has 953 windows that allowed royal ladies to view the city below and obey the strict rules of purdah - which forbade them from appearing in public without face coverings.

After our brief stay in Jaipur, we catch a bus and after a few hours of traveling west, we've arrived at one of India's most iconic natural wonders - the massive Thar Desert. Also known as the Great Indian Desert, this large arid region in the northwestern part of the India covers an area of nearly 80,000 square miles and forms a natural boundary between India and Pakistan. Camel treks through the desert are one of the most popular tourist attractions here, and for good reason too - they offer an unparalleled view of the desert. We decide to try it for our selves - so we hop on and experience some of the most unique sights of this unforgettable landscape.

Our next stop in our tour across the country is India's sprawling capital city of Delhi. This massive metropolis actually consists of two components: Old Delhi, in the north, the historic city; and New Delhi, in the south, since 1947 the capital of India, built in the first part of the 20th century as the capital of British India. We'll begin with a walk through the streets of historic Old Delhi, where grand forts like the Jama Masjid can be seen towering above the crowded streets below.

Delhi, along with many of India's other large cities are home to some of the world's largest slums. Here we see a typical scene from the city's interior from above.

Delhi's urban sprawl from the air is truly impressive.

Our last scene from Delhi comes from the heart of New Delhi - the Rajpath. This ceremonial boulevard was built between 1914 and 1931 on an imperial scale, lined with huge lawns, canals, and rows of trees - and links the India Gate to the offices of the Indian government. It's also where the annual Republic Day parade takes place every year on January 26th.

The last destination in our tour of India is none other than the iconic Taj Mahal, which can be found in the city of Agra on the banks of the Yamuna River. Built from shining white marble from 1631-1648 by Indian emperor Shah Jahan as a magnificent tomb for his wife, it stands today as an iconic symbol of the country and one of the world's most beautiful buildings.