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Indiaaah … a timeless experience |
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India will sideswipe you with its size, clamour and diversity - but if you enjoy delving into convoluted cosmologies and thrive on sensual overload, then it is one of the most intricate and rewarding dramas unfolding on earth, and you'll quickly develop an abiding passion for it. Nothing in the country is ever quite predictable; the only thing to expect is the unexpected, which comes in many forms and will always want to sit next to you. India is a litmus test for many travellers - some are only too happy to leave, while others stay for a lifetime. The country's glorious diversity means there's an astonishing array of sacred sites, from immaculately kept Jain temples to weathered Buddhist stupas; there's history around every corner, with countless monuments, battle-scarred forts, abandoned cities and ancient ruins all having tales to tell; and there are beaches to satiate the most avid sun worshipper. On a personal level, however, India is going to be exactly what you make of it. General Info Full country name: Republic of India Area: 3.28 million sq km Population: 1 billion
People: 72% Indo-Aryan, 25% Dravidian, 3% other Language: Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Bengali, Kashmiri, English, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam Religion: 80% Hindu, 14% Muslim, 2.4% Christian, 2% Sikh, 0.7% Buddhist, 0.5% Jains, 0.4% Other Government: federal republic GDP: US$2.2 trillion GDP per capita: US$2,200 Annual Growth: 5.4% Inflation: 5.4% Major Industries: Textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry, fish Major Trading Partners: US, Hong Kong, UK, Japan, Germany, Belgium, Saudi Arabia When to Go India has such a wide range of climatic factors that it's impossible to pin down the best time to visit weather-wise. Broadly speaking October to March tend to be the most pleasant months over much of the country. In the far south, the monsoonal weather pattern tends to make January to September more pleasant, while Sikkim and the areas of northeastern India tend to be more palatable between March and August, and Kashmir and the mountainous regions of Himachal Pradesh are at their most accessible between May and September. The deserts of Rajasthan and the northwestern Indian Himalayan region are at their best during the monsoon. The trekking season in the Indian Himalaya runs roughly from April to November, though this varies widely depending on the trek, altitude and region. The ski season is between January and March. It's worth checking the dates of particular festivals - you may be attracted by them, or conversely may want to avoid the chaos and jacked-up prices that attend them. |
