Japanese telco NTT DoCoMo set to exit TTSL

Japanese telecom major NTT DoCoMo is moving ahead with its plans to exit India after it sells its stake in Tata Teleservices (TTSL) while Vodafone is expected to acquire the Indian company to create the largest telco in the country by subscribers, according to sources. Reliance Jio expected to launch 4G services by Sept PTI February 24, 2014 "Reliance Jio is engaged in building up team for telecom services which is almost done. Telecom services are likely to be launched in third quarter of 2014 ie July-September period starting from Delhi and Mumbai," a source privy of the development said. Airtel loses Nigeria court case, may face $3bn payout PTI February 20, 2014 Bharti said it will appeal in Nigeria's Supreme Court against the judgement of the court, which held that Econet Wireless remained a bona fide stakeholder in Airtel Nigeria, a unit of the Indian firm. Bharti Airtel first to cross 200 mn mobile-user mark in India PTI February 19, 2014 The telecom firm said in a statement said that it "has crossed the 200 million mobile subscriber mark in India, further consolidating its leadership position in the world's second-largest mobile market." Govt willing to settle tax dispute with Vodafone PTI February 19, 2014 A day after Finance Minister P Chidambaram said it is up to the revenue department to enforce the tax notice on the company, highly placed sources said if Vodafone makes up its mind on conciliation, it can happen in a few days. Telecom M&A guidelines expected within 10 days PTI February 19, 2014 The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM), which has approved the guidelines, has sought legal opinion on whether consolidation of companies would amount to sale of equity, violating the lock-in period rule of the telecom licence. Bharti Airtel to buy Loop Mobile business for Rs 700 cr PTI February 18, 2014 Under the agreement, Loop Mobile's 3 million subscribers in Mumbai will join Airtel's over 4 million subscribers, making it a largest network in the metropolitan city. Bharti Airtel set to buy Loop Mobile in $113 million deal Prashant Mehra February 17, 2014 A newspaper report quoting sources familiar with the deal says Bharti Airtel will get Loop's 3 million subscribers, about 400 telecom towers and optic fibre and electronic equipment on which Loop's network currently runs. Telcos set to press tariff hike button Mail Today Bureau February 17, 2014 Telcos could hike tariffs and a further scale down discounts and freebies as the heavy financial burden of last week's 2G spectrum auction weighs on their balance sheets. Reliance Industries 'eyes' Videocon 2G licences Sanjay Singh February 15, 2014 According to sources, Mukesh Ambani-run Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJI) is inching closer to strike a deal with Videocon Telecommunications in 1,800 MHz for buying its 2G licences in eight circles while Sunil Bharti Mittalled Airtel is eyeing Loop Telecom's Mumbai circle. Bharti Airtel launches '4G on mobile' in Bangalore Nidhi Singal February 14, 2014 For the time being, the service will be available only on the Apple iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C smartphones. 4G battle heats up, spectrum band sees aggressive bidding Sunny Sen February 14, 2014 The current auctions saw massive traction in the 1800 MHz band, which will enable operators to offer 4G data services. Ultimately Airtel acquired 15 circles, Vodafone 11, and Idea Cellular eight, apart from Reliance Jio getting 14 circles, Uninor five, Aircel five an

Places to visit in india

Top 2 Most Visited Places in India The rich history of India, along with its cultural and geographical diversity makes its international tourism appeal large and diverse. Let us have a look at the most visited places in India, where people from all over the world flow into, for an exotic vacation - Agra Agra is the most visited city in India, since it is home to one of the greatest eternal symbols of love-Taj Mahal. This white domed marble mausoleum is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and has an epic love story behind it. Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort, Akbar's tomb, Ram Bagh and Sikandra fort are some of the must visit places in Agra, apart from Taj Mahal. Kashmir The Paradise on Earth, Kashmir's major attraction lies in its scenic beauty, snow clad peaks, lush green valleys, Alpine villages, cascading waterfalls, flower gardens etc. Kashmir is a destination worth visiting, during winter season where you can enjoy the boat ride on picturesque Dal Lake. The other major attractions are Gulmarg, Srinagar, Sonmarg, Nagin Lake, Pari Mahal, Shankracharya shrine and Pehalgam.

List of Telecom Companies in India

Get an overview of 3500+ companies across industry verticals. List of Companies in India List of Telecom Companies in IndiaAAircel Cellular Limited Aishwarya Telecom Ltd Aksh Optifibre Ltd. Anco Communications Ltd. Astra Microwave Products Ltd. Avaya Globalconnect Ltd BBhagyanagar India Ltd. Bharti Airtel Bharti Teletech Birla Ericsson Optical Ltd. CCable Corporation of India Ltd. CMI Ltd. Cybele Industries Ltd. DDelton Cables Ltd. Dhanus Technologies Ltd. EEider Infotech Ltd. Ericsson Esskay Telecom Ltd. FFCI OEN Connectors Ltd. Finolex Cables Ltd. GGemini Communications Ltd. Goldstone Infratech Ltd GR Cables Ltd. GTL Infrastructure Ltd. Gujarat Optical Communication Ltd. HHartron Communications Ltd. Hathway Bhawani Cabletel & Datacom Ltd HFCL Infotel Ltd Himachal Futuristic Communications Ltd. Hindustan Cables Ltd. IIdea Cellular Ltd. Intergrated Digital Info Services Ltd ITI Ltd ITI Ltd. KKaleidoscope Films Ltd Kavveri Telecom Products Ltd. Krone Communications Ltd. MMahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd MIC Electronics Ltd. Mobile Tele Communications Ltd Motorola MP Telelinks Ltd. Munoth Communication LtdNNelco Ltd. Nokia India Nokia Siemens Networks Nortel Nu Tek India Ltd OOptel Tecommunications Ltd PParamount Communications Ltd. Precision Electronics Ltd. Punjab Communications Ltd. QQualcomm India RReliance Communications Ltd. RPG Cables Ltd SShyam Telecom Ltd Southern Online Bio Technologies Ltd Spice Communications Ltd. Spice Mobiles Ltd Sterlite Technologies Ltd. Sujana Towers Ltd Surana Telecom & Power Ltd Surana Telecom Ltd. TTamilnadu Telecommunications Ltd Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Ltd. TataCommunications Ltd Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd. Telephone Cables Ltd. Telephone Cables Ltd. Tulip Telecom Ltd VValiant Communications Ltd. Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd. Vindhya Telelinks Ltd Vodafone Group Plc XXL Telecom & Energy Ltd.

Telecommunications in India

India's telecommunication network is the second largest in the world based on the total number of telephone users (both fixed and mobile phone).[3] It has one of the lowest call tariffs in the world enabled by the mega telephone networks and hyper-competition among them. It has the world's third-largest Internet user-base. According to the Internet And Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), the Internet user base in the country stood at 190 million at the end of June, 2013.[4] Major sectors of the Indian telecommunication industry are telephony, internet and television broadcasting. Telephone Industry in the country which is in an ongoing process of transforming into next generation network, employs an extensive system of modern network elements such as digital telephone exchanges, mobile switching centres, media gateways and signalling gateways at the core, interconnected by a wide variety of transmission systems using fibre-optics or Microwave radio relaynetworks. The access network, which connects the subscriber to the core, is highly diversified with different copper-pair, optic-fibre and wireless technologies. DTH, a relatively new broadcasting technology has attained significant popularity in the Television segment. The introduction of private FM has given a fillip to the radio broadcasting in India. Telecommunication in India has greatly been supported by the INSAT system of the country, one of the largest domestic satellite systems in the world. India possesses a diversified communications system, which links all parts of the country by telephone, Internet, radio, television and satellite.[5] Indian telecom industry underwent a high pace of market liberalisation and growth since the 1990s and now has become the world's most competitive and one of the fastest growing telecom markets.[6][7] The Industry has grown over twenty times in just ten years, from under 37 million subscribers in the year 2001 to over 846 million subscribers in the year 2011.[1] India has the world's second-largest mobile phone user base with over 929.37 million users as of May 2012.[5] It has the world's third-largest Internet user-base with over 137 million as of June 2012.[8][9] The total revenue of the Indian telecom sector grew by 7% to 2832 billion (US$45 billion) for 2010–11 financial year, while revenues from telecom equipment segment stood at 1170 billion (US$19 billion).[10] Telecommunication has supported the socioeconomic development of India and has played a significant role to narrow down the rural-urban digital divide to some extent. It also has helped to increase the transparency of governance with the introduction of e-governance in India. The government has pragmatically used modern telecommunication facilities to deliver mass education programmes for the rural folk of India.[11] The Beginning[edit] A microwave tower for short distance (~50 km) communicationThe history of Indian telecom can be started with the introduction of telegraph. The Indian postal and telecom sectors are one of the worlds oldest. In 1850, the first experimental electric telegraph line was started between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour. In 1851, it was opened for the use of the British East India Company. The Posts and Telegraphs department occupied a small corner of the Public Works Department,[12] at that time. Subsequently, the construction of 4,000 miles (6,400 km) of telegraph lines connecting Kolkata (then Calcutta) and Peshawar in the north along with Agra, Mumbai (then Bombay) through Sindwa Ghats, and Chennai (then Madras) in the south, as well as Ootacamund and Bangalore was started in November 1853. William O'Shaughnessy, who pioneered the telegraph and telephone in India, belonged to the Public Works Department, and worked towards the development of telecom throughout this period. A separate department was opened in 1854 when telegraph facilities were opened to the public. In 1880, two telephone companies namely The Oriental Telephone Company Ltd. and The Anglo-Indian Telephone Company Ltd. approached the Government of India to establish telephone exchanges in India. The permission was refused on the grounds that the establishment of telephones was a Government monopoly and that the Government itself would undertake the work. In 1881, the Government later reversed its earlier decision and a licence was granted to the Oriental Telephone Company Limited of England for opening telephone exchanges at Calcutta, Bombay, Madras and Ahmedabad and the first formal telephone service was established in the country.[13] On 28 January 1882, Major E. Baring, Member of the Governor General of India's Council declared open the Telephone Exchanges in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. The exchange in Calcutta named the "Central Exchange" had a total of 93 subscribers in its early stage. Later that year, Bombay also witnessed the opening of a telephone exchange.[14] Further developments and milestones[edit]Pre-1902 – Cable telegraph 1902 – First wireless telegraph station established between Sagar Island and Sandhead. 1907 – First Central Battery of telephones introduced in Kanpur. 1913–1914 – First Automatic Exchange installed in Shimla. 1927 – Radio-telegraph system between the UK and India, with Imperial Wireless Chain beam stations at Khadki and Daund. Inaugurated by Lord Irwin on 23 July by exchanging greetings with King George V. 1933 – Radiotelephone system inaugurated between the UK and India. 1953 – 12 channel carrier system introduced. 1960 – First subscriber trunk dialling route commissioned between Lucknow and Kanpur.[citation needed] 1975 – First PCM system commissioned between Mumbai City and Andheri telephone exchanges. 1976 – First digital microwave junction. 1979 – First optical fibre system for local junction commissioned at Pune. 1980 – First satellite earth station for domestic communications established at Sikandarabad, U.P.. 1983 – First analogue Stored Programme Control exchange for trunk lines commissioned at Mumbai. 1984 – C-DOT established for indigenous development and production of digital exchanges. 1995 – First mobile telephone service started on non-commercial basis on 15 August 1995 in Delhi. 1995 – Internet Introduced in India starting with Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai and Pune on 15 August 1995[15] Development of Broadcasting: Radio broadcasting was initiated in 1927 but became state responsibility only in 1930. In 1937 it was given the name All India Radio and since 1957 it has been called Akashvani.[16] Limited duration of television programming began in 1959, and complete broadcasting followed in 1965. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting owned and maintained the audio-visual apparatus—including the television channel Doordarshan—in the country prior to the economic reforms of 1991. In 1997, an autonomous body was established in the name of Prasar Bharti to take care of the public service broadcasting under the Prasar Bharti Act. All India Radio and Doordarshan, which earlier were working as media units under the Ministry of I&B became constituents of the body.[11] Pre-liberalisation statistics: While all the major cities and towns in the country were linked with telephones during the British period, the total number of telephones in 1948 numbered only around 80,000. Post independence, growth remained slow because the telephone was seen more as a status symbol rather than being an instrument of utility. The number of telephones grew leisurely to 980,000 in 1971, 2.15 million in 1981 and 5.07 million in 1991, the year economic reforms were initiated in the country. Liberalisation and privatisation[edit]Liberalisation of Indian telecommunication industry started in 1981 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi signed contracts with Alcatel CIT of France to merge with the state owned Telecom Company (ITI), in an effort to set up 5,000,000 lines per year. But soon the policy was let down because of political opposition.[17] Attempts to liberalise the telecommunication industry were continued by the following government under the prime-minister-ship of Rajiv Gandhi. He invited Sam Pitroda, a US-based Non-resident Indian NRI and a former Rockwell International executive to set up a Centre for Development of Telematics(C-DOT) which manufactured electronic telephone exchanges in India for the first time.[18] Sam Pitroda had a significant role as a consultant and adviser in the development of telecommunication in India.[19] In 1985, the Department of Telecom(DoT) was separated from Indian Post & Telecommunication Department. DoT was responsible for telecom services in entire country until 1986 when Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) and Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) were carved out of DoT to run the telecom services of metro cities(Delhi and Mumbai) and international long distance operations respectively.[18] The demand for telephones was ever increasing and in the 1990s Indian government was under increasing pressure to open up the telecom sector for private investment as a part of Liberalisation-Privatisation-Globalisation policies that the government had to accept to overcome the severe fiscal crisis and resultant balance of payments issue in 1991. Consequently, private investment in the sector of Value Added Services (VAS) was allowed and cellular telecom sector were opened up for competition from private investments. It was during this period that the Narsimha Rao-led government introduced the National Telecommunications policy (NTP) in 1994 which brought changes in the following areas: ownership, service and regulation of telecommunications infrastructure. The policy introduced the concept of telecommunication for all and its vision was to expand the telecommunication facilities to all the villages in India.[20] Liberalisation in the basic telecom sector was also envisaged in this policy.[21] They were also successful in establishing joint ventures between state owned telecom companies and international players. Foreign firms were eligible to 49% of the total stake. The multi-nationals were just involved in technology transfer, and not policy making.[17] During this period, the World Bank and ITU had advised the Indian Government to liberalise long distance services to release the monopoly of the state owned DoT and VSNL and to enable competition in the long distance carrier business which would help reduce tariff's and better the economy of the country. The Rao run government instead liberalised the local services, taking the opposite political parties into confidence and assuring foreign involvement in the long distance business after 5 years. The country was divided into 20 telecommunication circles for basic telephony and 18 circles for mobile services. These circles were divided into category A, B and C depending on the value of the revenue in each circle. The government threw open the bids to one private company per circle along with government owned DoT per circle. For cellular service two service providers were allowed per circle and a 15 years licence was given to each provider. During all these improvements, the government did face oppositions from ITI, DoT, MTNL, VSNL and other labour unions, but they managed to keep away from all the hurdles.[17] In 1997, the government set up TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) which reduced the interference of Government in deciding tariffs and policy making. The political powers changed in 1999 and the new government under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee was more pro-reforms and introduced better liberalisation policies. In 2000, the Vajpayee government constituted the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) through an amendment of the TRAI Act, 1997.[22][23] The primary objective of TDSAT's establishment was to release TRAI from adjudicatory and dispute settlement functions in order to strengthen the regulatory framework. Any dispute involving parties like licensor, licensee, service provider and consumers are resolved by TDSAT. Moreover, any direction, order or decision of TRAI can be challenged by appealing in TDSAT.[24] The government corporatised the operations wing of DoT on 1 October 2000 and named it as Department of Telecommunication Services (DTS) which was later named as Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). The proposal of raising the stake of foreign investors from 49% to 74% was rejected by the opposite political parties and leftist thinkers. Domestic business groups wanted the government to privatise VSNL. Finally in April 2002, the government decided to cut its stake of 53% to 26% in VSNL and to throw it open for sale to private enterprises. TATA finally took 25% stake in VSNL.[17] This was a gateway to many foreign investors to get entry into the Indian Telecom Markets. After March 2000, the government became more liberal in making policies and issuing licences to private operators. The government further reduced licence fees for cellular service providers and increased the allowable stake to 74% for foreign companies. Because of all these factors, the service fees finally reduced and the call costs were cut greatly enabling every common middle-class family in India to afford a cell phone. Nearly 32 million handsets were sold in India. The data reveals the real potential for growth of the Indian mobile market.[25] Many private operators, such as Reliance Communications, Tata Indicom, Vodafone, Loop Mobile, Airtel, Idea etc., successfully entered the high potential Indian telecom market. In March 2008 the total GSM and CDMA mobile subscriber base in the country was 375 million, which represented a nearly 50% growth when compared with previous year.[26] As the unbranded Chinese cell phones which do not have International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers pose a serious security risk to the country, Mobile network operators therefore suspended the usage of around 30 million mobile phones (about 8% of all mobiles in the country) by 30 April. Phones without valid IMEI cannot be connected to cellular operators.[27] 5–6 years the average monthly subscribers additions were around 0.05 to 0.1 million only and the total mobile subscribers base in December 2002 stood at 10.5 millions. However, after a number of proactive initiatives taken by regulators and licensors, the total number of mobile subscribers has increased rapidly to over 929 million subscribers as of May 2012. India has opted for the use of both the GSM (global system for mobile communications) and CDMA (code-division multiple access) technologies in the mobile sector. In addition to landline and mobile phones, some of the companies also provide the WLL service. The mobile tariffs in India have also become lowest in the world. A new mobile connection can be activated with a monthly commitment of US$0.15 only. In 2005 alone additions increased to around 2 million per month in 2003–04 and 2004–05.[citation needed] Sectors[edit]Major sectors of telecommunication industry in India are telephony, internet, Data centers and broadcasting. Telephony[edit] Market share of major operators in India as on 29 February 2012 Market share of major operators in India as on 29 February 2012The telephony segment is dominated by private-sector and two state-run businesses. Most companies were formed by a recent revolution and restructuring launched within a decade, directed by Ministry of Communications and IT, Department of Telecommunications and Minister of Finance. Since then, most companies gained 2G, 3G and 4G licences and engaged fixed-line, mobile and internet business in India. On landlines, intra-circle calls are considered local calls while inter-circle are considered long distance calls. Foreign Direct Investment policy which increased the foreign ownership cap from 49% to 74%.Now it is 100%. Currently Government is working to integrate the whole country in one telecom circle. For long distance calls, the area code prefixed with a zero is dialled first which is then followed by the number (i.e. To call Delhi, 011 would be dialled first followed by the phone number). For international calls, "00" must be dialled first followed by the country code, area code and local phone number. The country code for India is 91. Several international fibre-optic links include those to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, and Germany. Some major telecom operators in India include Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, Aircel, BSNL, MTNL, Reliance Communications, TATA Teleservices, Infotel, MTS, Uninor, TATA DoCoMo, Videocon, Augere, Tikona Digital. Fixed Telephony[edit]Until the New Telecom Policy was announced in 1999, only the Government-owned BSNL and MTNL were allowed to provide land-line phone services through copper wire in India with MTNL operating in Delhi and Mumbai and BSNL servicing all other areas of the country. Due to the rapid growth of the cellular phone industry in India, landlines are facing stiff competition from cellular operators. This has forced land-line service providers to become more efficient and improve their quality of service. Land-line connexions are now also available on demand, even in high density urban areas. India has over 31 million main line customers. Mobile Telephony[edit]See also: List of mobile network operators of India, List of countries by number of mobile phones in use, and List of mobile network operators Cellular phone tower atop the roof of a building Typical signboards of STD booths (kiosks from where STD calls can be made) and internet kiosks in India AIR Radio TowerIn August 1995, Chief Minister of West Bengal, Shri Jyoti Basu ushered in the cellphone revolution in India by making the first call to Union Telecom Minister Sukhram.[28] Sixteen years later 4th generation services were launched in Kolkata.[29] With a subscriber base of more than 929 million, the Mobile telecommunications system in India is the second largest in the world and it was thrown open to private players in the 1990s. GSM was comfortably maintaining its position as the dominant mobile technology with 80% of the mobile subscriber market, but CDMA seemed to have stabilised its market share at 20% for the time being. By May 2012 the country had 929 million mobile subscribers, up from 350 million just 40 months earlier. The mobile market was continuing to expand at an annual rate in excess of 40% coming into 2010. According to data provided by Minister of State for Communications and IT Milind Deora, as of 30 November 2012, India has 736,654 base transceiver stations (2G GSM & CDMA, and 3G). Of those, 96,212 base transceiver stations provide 3G mobile and data services. Out of India's 640 districts, 610 districts are covered by 3G services as of 30 November 2012.[30] The country is divided into multiple zones, called circles (roughly along state boundaries). Government and several private players run local and long distance telephone services. Competition has caused prices to drop and calls across India are one of the cheapest in the world.[31] The rates are supposed to go down further with new measures to be taken by the Information Ministry.[32] In September 2004, the number of mobile phone connexions crossed the number of fixed-line connexions and presently dwarfs the wireline segment by a ratio of around 20:1. The mobile subscriber base has grown by a factor of over a hundred and thirty, from 5 million subscribers in 2001 to over 929 million subscribers as of May 2012. India primarily follows the GSM mobile system, in the 900 MHz band. Recent operators also operate in the 1800 MHz band. The dominant players are Airtel, Reliance Infocomm, Vodafone, Idea cellular and BSNL/MTNL. There are many smaller players, with operations in only a few states. International roaming agreements exist between most operators and many foreign carriers. The government allowed Mobile number portability (MNP) which enables mobile telephone users to retain their mobile telephone numbers when changing from one mobile network operator to another.[33] India is divided into 22 telecom circles:[34] Telecom circle Wireline subscriber base in million(May 2012) Wireless subscriber base in million(May 2012) Teledensity (May 2012) Andhra Pradesh 2.33 66.6 80.46 Assam 0.20 14.6 47.7 Bihar & Jharkhand 0.56 62.97 48.37 Delhi 2.9 42.95 239.91 Gujarat & Daman & Diu 1.82 54.32 92.56 Haryana 0.59 23.00 90.86 Himachal Pradesh 0.30 7.41 112.29 Jammu and Kashmir 0.20 6.57 56.92 Karnataka 2.48 56.63 98.22 Kerala & Lakshadweep 3.18 34.51 107.85 Kolkata 1.18 25.25 Not available* Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh 1.13 53.30 55.38 Maharashtra & Goa (excluding Mumbai ) 2.64 71.00 96.71 * Mumbai* 3.0 35.93 Not available * North East ^** 0.25 8.76 64.74 Orissa 0.40 26.27 64.73 Punjab 1.44 31.17 110.22 Rajasthan 1.14 49.52 73.26 Tamil Nadu(including Chennai since 2005)[35] 3.16 78.96 118.29 Uttar Pradesh(East) 1.20 77.74 62.65(Combined)* Uttar Pradesh(West) & Uttarakhand 0.79 55.12 62.65(Combined)* West Bengal(excluding Kolkata)*** 0.62 46.79 80.56 * ^* Population statistics are available state-wise only. ^** North east circle includes Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, & Tripura ^*** West Bengal circle includes Andaman-Nicobar and Sikkim Internet[edit]See also: Internet censorship in India , List of Internet users by country, and List of countries by number of broadband Internet subscriptions Internet cafe in Varanasi, 2001The history of the Internet in India started with launch of services by VSNL on 15 August 1995. They were able to add about 10,000 Internet users within 6 months.[36] However, for the next 10 years the Internet experience in the country remained less attractive with narrow-band connections having speeds less than 56 kbit/s (dial-up). In 2004, the government formulated its broadband policy which defined broadband as "an always-on Internet connection with download speed of 256 kbit/s or above."[37] From 2005 onward the growth of the broadband sector in the country accelerated, but remained below the growth estimates of the government and related agencies due to resource issues in last-mile access which were predominantly wired-line technologies. This bottleneck was removed in 2010 when the government auctioned 3G spectrum followed by an equally high profile auction of 4G spectrum that set the scene for a competitive and invigorated wireless broadband market. Now Internet access in India is provided by both public and private companies using a variety of technologies and media including dial-up (PSTN), xDSL, coaxial cable, Ethernet, FTTH, ISDN, HSDPA (3G), WiFi, WiMAX, etc. at a wide range of speeds and costs. The country has the world's third largest number of Internet users with over 205 million in October, 2013.[38] According to the Internet And Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), the Internet user base in the country stood at 190 million at the end of June, 2013.[4] As of October, 2013 report, it is over 205 million.[38] The number of broadband subscribers at the end of May 2013 was 15.19 million.[39] Cumulative Annual Growth rate (CAGR) of broadband during the five-year period between 2005 and 2010 was about 117 per cent.[37] DSL, while holding slightly more than 75% of the local broadband market, was steadily losing market share to other non-DSL broadband platforms, especially to wireless broadband. There were 161 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offering broadband services in India as of 31 May 2013. The top five ISPs in terms subscriber base were BSNL (9.96 million), Bharti Airtel (1.40 million), MTNL (1.09 million), Hathway (0.36 million) and You Broadband (0.31 million).[39] Cyber cafes remain the major source of Internet access. In 2009, about 37 per cent of the users access the Internet from cyber cafes, 30 per cent from an office, and 23 per cent from home. However, the number of mobile Internet users increased rapidly from 2009 on and there were about 274 million mobile users at the end of September 2010, with a majority using 2G mobile networks.[37] Mobile Internet subscriptions as reported by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in March 2011 increased to 381 million. One of the major issues facing the Internet segment in India is the lower average bandwidth of broadband connections compared to that of developed countries. According to 2007 statistics, the average download speed in India hovered at about 40 KB per second (256 kbit/s), the minimum speed set by TRAI, whereas the international average was 5.6 Mbit/s during the same period. In order to attend this infrastructure issue the government declared 2007 as "the year of broadband".[40][41] To compete with international standards of defining broadband speed the Indian Government has taken the aggressive step of proposing a $13 billion national broadband network to connect all cities, towns and villages with a population of more than 500 in two phases targeted for completion by 2012 and 2013. The network was supposed to provide speeds up to 10 Mbit/s in 63 metropolitan areas and 4 Mbit/s in an additional 352 cities. Also, the Internet penetration rate in India is one of the lowest in the world and only accounts for 8.4% of the population compared to the rate in OECD counties, where the average is over 50%.[8][42][43] Another issue is the digital divide where growth is biased in favour of urban areas; according to 2010 statistics, more than 75 per cent of the broadband connections in the country are in the top 30 cities.[37] Regulators have tried to boost the growth of broadband in rural areas by promoting higher investment in rural infrastructure and establishing subsidized tariffs for rural subscribers under the Universal service obligation scheme of the Indian government. Wireless Internet[edit]2nd Generation Internet is the most prevalent in India. Wireless ISPs in India use both CDMA and Edge technologies for 2G. India's wireless Internet Frequencies are[44] 2G : GSM 900 MHz, GSM 1800 MHz 3G : UMTS 2100 MHz 4G : TD-LTE 2300 MHz Data centres[edit]BSNL Internet Data Centers, in collaboration with Dimension Data[45] Sify Technologies Limited CtrlS Datacenters Ltd Tata Communications Limited Netmagic Solutions Reliance Datacenter Web Werks IDC Net4 Datacenter RackBank Datacenter Broadcasting[edit]Main articles: Media of India, Television in India, and List of Indian television stations INSAT-1B satellite: Broadcasting sector in India is highly dependent on INSAT system.Television broadcasting began in India in 1959 by Doordarshan, a state run medium of communication, and had slow expansion for more than two decades.[46] The policy reforms of the government in the 1990s attracted private initiatives in this sector, and since then, satellite television has increasingly shaped popular culture and Indian society. However, still, only the government owned Doordarshan has the licence for terrestrial television broadcast. Private companies reach the public using satellite channels; both cable television as well as DTH has obtained a wide subscriber base in India. In 2012, India had about 148 million TV homes of which 126 million has access to cable and satellite services.[47] Following the economic reforms in the 1990s, satellite television channels from around the world—BBC, CNN, CNBC, and other private television channels gained a foothold in the country.[11] There are no regulations to control the ownership of satellite dish antennas and also for operating cable television systems in India, which in turn has helped for an impressive growth in the viewership. The growth in the number of satellite channels was triggered by corporate business houses such as Star TV group and Zee TV. Initially restricted to music and entertainment channels, viewership grew, giving rise to several channels in regional languages, especially Hindi. The main news channels available were CNN and BBC World. In the late 1990s, many current affairs and news channels sprouted, becoming immensely popular because of the alternative viewpoint they offered compared to Doordarshan. Some of the notable ones are Aaj Tak (run by the India Today group) and STAR News, CNN-IBN, Times Now, initially run by the NDTV group and their lead anchor, Prannoy Roy (NDTV now has its own channels, NDTV 24x7, NDTV Profit and NDTV India). Over the years, Doordarshan services also have grown from a single national channel to six national and eleven regional channels. Nonetheless, it has lost the leadership in market, though it underwent many phases of modernization in order to contain tough competition from private channels.[11] Today, television is the most penetrative media in India with industry estimates indicating that there are over 554 million TV consumers, 462 million with satellite connexions, compared to other forms of mass media such as radio or internet.[48] Government of India has used the popularity of TV and radio among rural people for the implementation of many social-programmes including that of mass-education. On 16 November 2006, the Government of India released the community radio policy which allowed agricultural centres, educational institutions and civil society organisations to apply for community based FM broadcasting licence. Community Radio is allowed 100 Watt Effective Radiated Power (ERP) with a maximum tower height of 30 metres. The licence is valid for five years and one organisation can only get one licence, which is non-transferable and to be used for community development purposes. Next-generation networks (NGN)[edit]Historically, the role of telecommunication has evolved from that of plain information exchange to a multi-service field, with Value Added Services (VAS) integrated with various discrete networks like PSTN, PLMN, Internet Backbone etc. However, with decreasing ARPU and increasing demand for VAS has become a compelling reason for the service providers to think of the convergence of these parallel networks into a single core network with service layers separated from network layer.[49] Next-generation networking is such a convergence concept which according to ITU-T is:[50] A next-generation network (NGN) is a packet-based network which can provide services including Telecommunication Services and able to make use of multiple broadband, quality of Service-enabled transport technologies and in which service-related functions are independent from underlying transport-related technologies. It offers unrestricted access by users to different service providers. It supports generalized mobility which will allow consistent and ubiquitous provision of services to users. Access network: The user can connect to the IP-core of NGN in various ways, most of which use the standard Internet Protocol (IP). User terminals such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and computers can register directly on NGN-core, even when they are roaming in another network or country. The only requirement is that they can use IP and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). Fixed access (e.g., Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), cable modems, Ethernet), mobile access (e.g. W-CDMA, CDMA2000, GSM, GPRS) and wireless access (e.g.WLAN, WiMAX) are all supported. Other phone systems like plain old telephone service and non-compatible VoIP systems, are supported through gateways. With the deployment of the NGN, users may subscribe to many simultaneous access-providers providing telephony, internet or entertainment services. This may provide end-users with virtually unlimited options to choose between service providers for these services in NGN environment.[49] The hyper-competition in telecom market, which was effectively caused by the introduction of Universal Access Service (UAS) licence in 2003 became much tougher after 3G and 4G competitive auction. About 670,000 route-kilometer (419,000-mile) of optical fibres has been laid in India by the major operators, including in the financially nonviable rural areas and the process continues.[citation needed] Keeping in mind the viability of providing services in rural areas, the government of India also took a proactive role to promote the NGN implementation in the country; an expert committee called NGN eCO was constituted in order to deliberate on the licensing, interconnection and Quality of Service (QoS) issues related to NGN and it submitted its report on 24 August 2007. Telecom operators found the NGN model advantageous, but huge investment requirements have prompted them to adopt a multi-phase migration and they have already started the migration process to NGN with the implementation of IP-based core-network.[49] Recent government policies and growth targets[edit] This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2013) All villages shall receive telecom facilities by the end of 2002.[dated info] A Communication Convergence Bill introduced in the Parliament on 31 August 2001 is presently before the Standing Committee of Parliament on Telecom and IT.[dated info] National Long Distance Service (NLD) is opened for unrestricted entry.[when?] The International Long Distance Services (ILDS) have been opened to competition.[when?] The basic services are open to competition.[when?] In addition to the existing three, a fourth cellular operator, one each in four metros and thirteen circles, has been permitted.[when?] Cellular operators have been permitted to provide all types of mobile services including voice and non-voice messages, data services and PCOs utilising any type of network equipment, including circuit and/or package switches that meet certain required standards. Policies allowing private participation have been announced as per the New Telecom Policy (NTP), 1999 in several new services, which include Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) Service, digital Public Mobile Radio Trunked Service (PMRTS) and Voice Mail/ Audiotex/ Unified Messaging Services. Wireless Local Loop (WLL) has been introduced to provide telephone connexions in urban, semi-urban and rural areas promptly.[when?] Two telecom PSUs, VSNL and HTL have been disinvested.[when?] Steps are being taken to fulfill Universal Service Obligation (USO), funding, and administration.[when?] A decision to permit Community Phone Service has been announced.[when?] Multiple Fixed Service Providers (FSPs) licensing guidelines were announced.[when?] Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have been allowed to set up International Internet Gateways, both Satellite and Landing stations for submarine optical fibre cables.[when?] Two categories of infrastructure providers have been allowed to provide end-to-end bandwidth and dark fibre, right of way, towers, duct space etc.[when?] Guidelines have been issued by the Government to open up Internet telephony (IP).[when?] National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN), a project aimed to ensure broadband connectivity to over two lakh (200,000) gram panchayats of India by 2016. Regulatory environment[edit]LIRNEasia's Telecommunications Regulatory Environment (TRE) index, which summarises stakeholders' perception on certain TRE dimensions, provides insight into how conducive the environment is for further development and progress. The most recent survey was conducted in July 2008 in eight Asian countries, including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Thailand, and the Philippines. The tool measured seven dimensions: i) market entry; ii) access to scarce resources; iii) interconnection; iv) tariff regulation; v) anti-competitive practices; and vi) universal services; vii) quality of service, for the fixed, mobile and broadband sectors. The results for India, point out to the fact that the stakeholders perceive the TRE to be most conducive for the mobile sector followed by fixed and then broadband. Other than for Access to Scarce Resources the fixed sector lags behind the mobile sector. The fixed and mobile sectors have the highest scores for Tariff Regulation. Market entry also scores well for the mobile sector as competition is well entrenched with most of the circles with 4–5 mobile service providers. The broadband sector has the lowest score in the aggregate. The low penetration of broadband of mere 3.87 against the policy objective of 9 million at then end of 2007 clearly indicates that the regulatory environment is not very conducive.[51] In 2013 the home ministry stated that legislation must ensure that law enforcement agencies are empowered to intercept communications.[52] Revenue and growth[edit]The total revenue in the telecom service sector was 867.2 billion (US$13.9 billion) in 2005–06 as against 716.74 billion (US$11.5 billion) in 2004–2005, registering a growth of 21% with estimated revenue of FY'2011 of 8.35 billion (US$130 million). The total investment in the telecom services sector reached 2006 billion (US$32.1 billion) in 2005–06, up from 1788 billion (US$28.6 billion) in the previous fiscal.[53] Telecommunication is the lifeline of the rapidly growing Information Technology industry. Internet subscriber base has risen to more than a 121 million in 2011.[54] Out of this 11.47 million were broadband connexions. More than a billion people use the Internet globally. Under the Bharat Nirman Programme, the Government of India will ensure that 66,822 revenue villages in the country, which have not yet been provided with a Village Public Telephone (VPT), will be connected. However doubts have been raised about what it would mean for the poor in the country.[55] It is difficult to ascertain fully the employment potential of the telecom sector but the enormity of the opportunities can be gauged from the fact that there were 3.7 million Public Call Offices in December 2005[56] up from 2.3 million in December 2004. The Total Revenue of Indian Telecom Services company is likely to exceed 2000 billion (US$32 billion) ( US$44 Bn approx) for FY 11–12 based on FY 10–11 nos and latest quarterly results. These are consolidated numbers including foreign operation of Bharti Airtel. The major contributions to this revenue are as follows:[57] Airtel 65060 (US$1,000) Reliance Communications 31468 (US$500) Idea 16936 (US$270) Tata Communications 11931 (US$190) MTNL 4380 (US$70) TTML 2248 (US$36) BSNL 32045 (US$510) Vodafone India 18376 (US$290) TataTeleservice 9200 (US$150) Aircel 7968 (US$130) SSTL 600 (US$9.60) Uninor 660 (US$11) Loop 560 (US$9.00) Stel 60 (96¢ US) HFCL 204 (US$3.30) Videocon Telecom 254 (US$4.10) DB Etisalat/ Allianz 47 (75¢ US) Grand Total 2019 billion (US$32 billion)

Tourisam In India

Jump to: navigation, search Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, Every year more than three million tourists visit it. City Palace in Udaipur (also known as the Venice of the East).The tourism industry of India is economically important and grows rapidly. The World Travel & Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated INR6.4 trillion or 6.6% of the nation's GDP in 2012. It supported 39.5 million jobs, 7.7% of its total employment. The sector is predicted to grow at an average annual rate of 7.9% from 2013 to 2023.[1] This gives India the third rank among countries with the fastest growing tourism industries over the next decade.[2] India has a large medical tourism sector which is expected to grow at an estimated rate of 30% annually to reach about ₹ 95 billion by 2015. According to provisional statistics 6.29 million foreign tourists arrived in India in 2011, an increase of 8.9% from 5.78 million in 2010. This ranks India as the 38th country in the world in terms of foreign tourist arrivals. Domestic tourist visits to all states and Union Territories numbered 1,036.35 million in 2012, an increase of 16.5% from 2011.[3]The most represented countries are the United States (16%) and the United Kingdom (12.6%). In 2011 Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Delhi were the most popular states for foreign tourists. Domestic tourists visited the states Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu most frequently.[4] Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Agra have been the four most visited cities of India by foreign tourists during the year 2011. Worldwide, Chennai is ranked 41 by the number of foreign tourists, while Delhi is ranked at 50, Mumbai at 57 and Agra at 65 and Kolkata at 99.[5] The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2013 ranks India 65th out of 144 countries overall. The report ranks the price competitiveness of India's tourism sector 20th out of 144 countries. It mentions that India has quite good air transport (ranked 39th), particularly given the country’s stage of development, and reasonable ground transport infrastructure (ranked 42nd). Some other aspects of its tourism infrastructure remain somewhat underdeveloped however. The nation has very few hotel rooms per capita by international comparison and low ATM penetration.[6]As per the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, December 2013, India’s rank in the World Tourism Receipts during 2012 was 16th and rank in international tourist arrivals was 41. The rank of India was 7th among Asia and the Pacific Region in terms of tourism receipts during 2012. [7] The Ministry of Tourism designs national policies for the development and promotion of tourism. In the process, the Ministry consults and collaborates with other stakeholders in the sector including various Central Ministries/agencies, state governments, Union Territories and the representatives of the private sector. Concerted efforts are being made to promote new forms of tourism such as rural, cruise, medical and eco-tourism.[8] The Ministry also maintains the Incredible India campaign. India's rich history and its cultural and geographical diversity make its international tourism appeal large and diverse. It presents heritage and cultural tourism along with medical, business, educational and sports tourism. Main article: Tourism in Andhra Pradesh Amaravati Stupa, an important Buddhist site in South India, the antiquity of Amaravati dates back to 500 BCE. The stupa was then adorned with limestone reliefs and free standing Buddha figures A View of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple Charminar, Hyderabad Rushikonda beach, Visakhapatnam Rock-cut Buddha Statue at Bojjanakonda, Visakhapatnam district Ethipothala Water Falls Pakhal Lake, Warangal district, Andhra Pradesh Araku Valley, Eastern Ghats, VisakhapatnamThe state of Andhra Pradesh comprises like scenic hills, forests, beaches and temples. Also known as The City of Nizams and The City of Pearls, Hyderabad is today one of the most developed cities in the country and a modern hub of information technology, ITES, and biotechnology. Hyderabad is known for its rich history, culture and architecture representing its unique character as a meeting point for North and South India, and also its multilingual culture, Andhra Pradesh is the home of many religious pilgrim centres: Tirupati, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, is the second richest and most visited religious centre (of any faith) in the world. Srisailam, the abode of Sri Mallikarjuna, is one of twelve Jyothirlingalu in India. Amaravathi's Siva temple is one of the Pancharamams, Vemulavada temple, one of the old abodes of Lord Shiva, reputed as Dakshina Kashi – Benaras of South India. Vemulavada temple is built by Chalukya Kings between AD 750 and 975. Yadagirigutta, the abode of an avatara of Vishnu, Sri Lakshmi Narasimha. Birla Mandir, on the Naubath Pahad is a Hindu temple of Lord Venkateshwara, built entirely of white marble located in Hyderabad The Ramappa Temple and Thousand Pillar Temple in Warangal are famous tourist spots and depict the finest taste of Kakatiya dynasty for arts & culture and temple carvings. Warangal is also home to Medaram – the Asia's largest tribal fair/festival called "Sammakka Saralamma Jatara". Gunadala Matha Shrine - One of the second largest Christian pilgrim Destination in India located in Vijayawada City. Thousands of people visit Gunadala Matha throughout the year as they firmly believe in the merciful heart of the Blessed Mother Lady of Lourdes and are convinced of her Motherly blessings. Devotees, not only from all corners of Andhra Pradesh, but from the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka visit the shrine during the festival in February, every year. Gnana Saraswati Temple, Basar is one of the famous Saraswati Temples in India Famous Buddhist centres: Amaravathi – Guntur District Nagarjuna Konda – Guntur District Bhattiprolu - Guntur District Ghantasala – Krishna District Sankaram - Visakhapatnam District Bavikonda- Visakhapatnam District Thotlakonda- Visakhapatnam District Ramatheertham- Vizianagaram District Salihundam- Srikakulam District Nelakondapalli – Khammam District Dhulikatta – Karimnagar District Phanigiri - Nalgonda District Lingapalem – West Godavari District Others are Pavurallakonda, Chandavaram, Guntupalli, Adurru, Kummarilova, Kotturu Dhanadibbalu, Karukonda, kapavaram, Nandalur Pilgrim centres and temples: Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple – The abode of Lord Venkateswara, is the richest and most visited religious centre (of any faith) in the world situated in Tirupathi City Kanaka Durga Temple – One of the Shakti Peetam's situated in Vijayawada City Sri Rajarajeshwara Temple - One of the famous and most visited Lord Shiva temple located in Vemulawada Sri Mallikaruna Temple – One of the Jyothirlingam's situated in Srisilam Town Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narashima Temple – Situated at Simhachalam near to Vizag City Sri Kalashastiswara Temple – Situated at Srikalahasti Town Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple – known as china Tirupathi located at Dwaraka Tirumala Town Sri Amaralingeswara Swami Temple – One of the Pancharama's located at Amaravathi Town Sri Someswara Swami Temple – One of the Pancharama's located at Bhimavaram Town Sri Kshira Rama Lingeswara Swami Temple – One of the Pancharama's located at Palakol town Bhadrakali Temple - In the city of Warangal Sri Bhimeswara Swami Temple – One of the Pancharama's located at Rama Chandra Puram Town Sri Satyanarayana Swami Temple – Located at Annavaram near Rajahmundry city Ramappa Temple – Near to Warangal City Arasavali Temple - Sun God's temple located 3 km away from Srikakulam almost on the shore of Bay of Bengal Srikurmam - Temple of Lord Vishnu in Kurma Avataram also near Srikakulam on the Shore of Bay of Bengal Rama Lingeswara Swamy Temple- One of the Lord Shiva's temple suituated in Yanamalakuduru village near Vijayawada, Shiva Rathri is well celebrated in this Temple Thousand's of oldest temples are situated in Andhra pradesh. Attractions: Charminar – Centre of the Hyderabad Old City Golkonda Fort – Largest and 400 years oldest fort Makka Masjid – Masjid in Hyderabad City Ramoji Film City – Largest Film City in the world situated in Hyderabad City Kilash giri – Mountain View along with beach side situated in Vizag City Warangal Fort - Oldest fort built by Kakatiya before 13th century reflects the culture of Telugu people Thousand Pillar Temple - Built by King Rudra Deva in 1163 AD. The Thousand Pillar Temple is a specimen of the Kakatiyan style of architecture of the 12th century. Bhimili Beach – Beautiful Beach near to Vizag City Araku Valley – known as Andhra Ooty near to Vizag City Borra Caves – caves formed 1 million years ago situated near to Vizag City; belongs to Odisha Surendrapuri – A unique Mythological Awareness Centre near Yadagirigutta, 60 km from Hyderabad Bhavani Islands - A unique tourism spot to stay and visit near Vijayawada Thimmamma Marrimanu - The World's Largest Banyan Tree, and "Marrimanu" was recorded as the biggest tree in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1989. Its branches spreads over nearly 5 acres. (2.1 ha.). Located about 35 km from Kadiri, and 100 km from Anantapur. Lepakshi - this is the largest monolithic Nandi (Bull) in the world, (length 27 feet, height 15 feet), It is 15 km (9.3 mi) east of Hindupur, and 105 km from Anantapur, and about 120 km (75 mi) north of Bangalore. Prakasam Barrage - A famous bridge which was constructed by the British Government in the remembrance of Tanguturi Prakasam, is the best tourist spot to visit in Vijayawada Kolleru Lake - A famous lake situated between Krishna and West Godavari District The golden beaches at Visakhapatnam, the one-million-year-old limestone caves at Borra, picturesque Araku Valley, hill resorts of Horsley Hills, river Godavari racing through a narrow gorge at Papi Kondalu, waterfalls at Ettipotala, Kuntala and rich bio-diversity at Talakona, are some of the natural attractions of the state. Visakhapatnam is home to many tourist attractions such as the INS Karasura Submarine museum, Yarada Beach, Araku Valley, VUDA Park, Indira Gandhi Zoological Gardens. The weather in Andhra Pradesh is mostly tropical and the best time to visit is in November through to January. The monsoon season commences in June and ends in September, so travel would not be advisable during this period. Rajahmundry is the hub for great Engineering and Architectural monuments such as Godavari Bridge (Asia's second largest Road cum Railway Bridge), Papi Hills, Iskon Temple, Tantikonda, Sir Arthur Cotton Museum, Pushkar Ghat, Gowthami Ghat. A unique festival called Pushkaram will be celebrated along the Godavari river for every 12 years and Rajahmundry attracts 4-5 crore people during the tenure of the festival. Golkonda (Telugu: గోల్కొండ, Urdu: گولکوندا), a ruined city of south-central India and capital of the medieval kingdom of Golkonda (c. 1364 – 1512), is situated 11 km west of Hyderabad. The most important builder of Golkonda was a Kakatiya King. Ibrahim was following in the spirit of his ancestors, the Qutub Shahi kings, a great family of builders who had ruled the kingdom of Golkonda from 1512. Their first capital, the fortress citadel of Golkonda, was rebuilt for defence from invading Mughals from the north. They laid out Golkonda's splendid monuments, now in ruins, and designed a perfect acoustical system by which a hand clap sounded at the fort's main gates, the grand portico, was heard at the top of the citadel, situated on a 300-foot (91 m)-high granite hill. This is one of the fascinating features of the fort. Arunachal Pradesh[edit] Snowfall in TawangArunachal finds mention in the literature of Kalika Purana and Mahabharata. This place is supposed to be the Prabhu Mountains of the Puranas. It was here that sage Parashuram washed away his sin, sage Vyasa meditated, King Bhishmaka founded his kingdom and Lord Krishna married his consort Rukmini. The widely scattered archaeological remains at different places in Arunachal bears testimony to its rich cultural heritage. Arunachal Pradesh, a serene land tucked into the North Eastern tip of India, invites you to relax in its picturesque hills and valleys, enjoy its salubrious climate and meet its simple and hospitable people, with their glorious heritage of arts and crafts and colourful festivals that reflect their ancient faith in the inexorable power of nature. The visitor has a wide variety of options to pick from. There are places of worship and pilgrimage such as Parasuramkund and 400 years old Tawang Monastery, or the sites of archaeological excavations like Malinithan and Itanagar, the serene beauty of lakes such as Ganga lake or Sela lake or the numerous variations of scenic beauty of the snowclad silver mountain peaks and lush green meadows where thousands of species of flora and fauna prosper. In addition, the state provides abundant scope for angling, boating, rafting, trekking and hiking. Besides, there are a number of wild life sanctuaries and national parks where rare animals, birds and plants will fascinate the visitor. Nature has provided the people with a deep sense of beauty which finds delightful expression in their songs, dances and crafts. The climate varies from hot and humid to heavy rainfall in the Shivalik range. It becomes progressively cold as one moves northwards to higher altitudes. Trees of great size, plentiful climbers and abundance of cane and bamboo make Arunachal evergreen. Arunachal Pradesh is considered to be the "nature's treasure trove"and home to orchids, known for their exquisitely beautiful blooms, from one of the dominant taxa with more than six hundred species, occurring in varying elevations and climatic conditions throughout the state. Assam[edit]Main article: Tourism in Assam An Indian Rhinoceros grazing at the Kaziranga National Park.Assam is the central state in the North-East Region of India and serves as the gateway to the rest of the Seven Sister States. Assam boasts of famous wildlife preserves – the Kaziranga National Park, which is home to the Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros, the Manas National Park, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Nameri National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (These first two parks are UNESCO World Heritage Site); the largest river island Majuli, known for its Vaishnavite Sattras; historic Sivasagar, famous for the ancient monuments of Ahom Kingdom; the city of eternal romance, Tezpur and the scenic tea-estates dating back to time of British Raj. The weather is mostly sub-tropical. Assam experiences the Indian monsoon and has one of the highest forest densities in India. The winter months (October end half to first half of April) are the best time to visit. The heritage of Madan Kamdev is same as Khajuraho which is located just 30 km away from Guwahati. Along with the Madan Kamdev tourist can visit very ancient temple Gopeswar Mandir situated in a village Deuduar near to Guwahati. Assam has a rich cultural heritage going back to the Ahom Kingdom, which governed the region for many centuries before the British occupation. Other notable features include the Brahmaputra River, the mystery of the bird suicides in Jatinga, numerous temples including Kamakhya Temple of Tantric sect. 'Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur also known as Damdama Sahib at Dhubri '- This famous Gurudwara is situated in the heart of the Dhubri Town on the bank of the mighty Brahmaputra river in far north-east India. Guru Teg Bahadur the holy Sikh Guru visited this place in 1505 and met Srimanta Sankardeva (the founder of the Mahapuruxiya Dharma) as the Guru travelled from Dhaka to Assam, ruins of palaces, etc. Guwahati, the capital city of Assam, boasts many bazaars, temples, and wildlife sanctuaries. The government took many initiatives to promote tourism in Assam Bihar[edit]Main article: Tourism in Bihar Mahabodhi Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Bihar is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world with history of 3000 years. The rich culture and heritage of Bihar is evident from the innumerable ancient monuments that are dotted all over this state in eastern India. This is the place of Aryabhata, Great Ashoka, Chanakya, Mahavira, Guru Gobind Singh, Chandragupta Maurya, Vātsyāyana, Sher Shah Suri and many other great historical figures. Attractions: Patna – The capital of Bihar, famous for its rich history and royal architecture Gaya – Known for Bodh Gaya the place at which Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment Muzaffarpur – Famous for its education Kesariya – Location of the world's largest Buddhist Stupa Nalanda – Location of one of the world's oldest university Sasaram – Tomb of Sher Shah Suri, the great Emperor of medieval India Sonepur Cattle Fair – The Sonepur cattle fair or Sonepur Mela, it is the biggest cattle fair of Asia and stretches on from fifteen days to one month Takht Sri Patna Sahib – One of the famous Sikh pilgrimage known for the birthplace of Sikh's Tenth Guru Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Darbhanga – It is among the oldest cities of Bihar. Famous for the Maharaja forts and Kali Mandir. Munger – Home to the only Yoga University in the world, Bihar School of Yoga. Religious places such as Shakti Peethas. Deoghar- One of the famous Hindu pilgrimage known for the Satsang Ashram of Sri Sri Thakur Anukul Chandra situated at Satsang Nagar Vaishali- Lord Mahavir was born on the outskirts of this ancient city, and lived in Vaishali till he was 22 Bihar is one of the most sacred places of various religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism & Islam. Famous Attraction includes Mahabodhi Temple, a Buddhist shrine and UNESCO World Heritage Site is also situated in Bihar, Barabar Caves the oldest rockcut caves in India, Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library the oldest library of India. Chhattisgarh[edit]Main article: Tourism in Chhattisgarh Chitrakot Waterfalls is the broadest waterfall in India and also referred as 'Niagara Falls of India'Chhattisgarh is a new state but with an ancient civilisation, which can be felt by visiting the historical remains in the state. The state is blessed by nature with magnificent water falls, mountains, forests and wildlife. The Green State of Chhattisgarh has 41.33% of its area under forests and is one of the richest bio-diversity areas in the country. There are many tourist attractions worth seeing. Main attractions of Chhattisgarh are Chitrakot Waterfalls, Kutumsar Caves, Ramgarh and Sita Bengra, Bhoramdeo temple, Sirpur, Rajim, Ratanpur and Malhar. Kakotal is also famous for its beautiful waterfall. Delhi[edit] Lotus TempleMain article: Tourism in Delhi Delhi is the capital state of India. A fine blend of old and new, ancient and modern, Delhi is a melting pot of cultures and religions.[Main] Sir Derp Derpington declared Delhi as contributing in fields of Architecture, landmarks, wide roads etc.[Main] Delhi has been the capital of numerous empires that ruled India, making it rich in history. The rulers left behind their trademark architectural styles. Delhi currently has many renowned historic monuments and landmarks such as the Tughlaqabad fort, Qutub Minar, Purana Quila, Lodhi Gardens, Jama Masjid, Humayun's tomb, Red Fort, and Safdarjung's Tomb. Modern monuments include Jantar Mantar, India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Laxminarayan Temple, Lotus temple and Akshardham Temple. New Delhi is famous for its British colonial architecture, wide roads, and tree-lined boulevards. Delhi is home to numerous political landmarks, national museums, Islamic shrines, Hindu temples, green parks, and trendy malls. Goa[edit] PalolemMain article: Tourism in Goa Goa is one of the most famous tourist destinations in India. A former colony of Portugal, Goa is famous for its excellent beaches, Portuguese churches, Hindu temples, and wildlife sanctuaries. The Basilica of Bom Jesus, Mangueshi Temple, Dudhsagar Falls, and Shantadurga are famous attractions in Goa. Recently a Wax Museum (Wax World) has also opened in Old Goa housing a number of wax personalities of Indian history, culture and heritage. The Goa Carnival is a world famous event, with colourful masks and floats, drums and reverberating music, and dance performances. Gujarat[edit]Main article: Tourism in Gujarat The Palitana temple complex consists of more than 863 temples located on the Shatrunjaya hills, exquisitely carved in marble.Gujarat, the seventh largest state in India, located in the western part of India with a coastline of 1600 km (longest in India). It is the tenth most popular state in the country for tourists with annual footfall of 18.9 million tourists.[9] Gujarat offers scenic beauty from Great Rann of Kutch to the hills of Satpura. Gujarat is the sole home of the pure Asiatic Lions and is considered to be one of the most important protected areas in Asia. During the Sultanate reign, Hindu craftsmanship mix with Islamic architecture, giving rise to the Indo-Saracenic style. Many structures in the state are built in this fashion. It is also the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi & Sardar Vallabhai Patel, the great iconic figures during India's Independence movement. Gujarat offers many types of tourism like Business Tourism, Archeological & Heritage Tourism, Cultural Tourism, Religious Tourism, Wildlife Tourism, Medical Tourism and much more. Amitabh Bachchan is currently the brand ambassador of Gujarat Tourism. Ahmedabad is considered an ideal hub to cover all the destinations across Gujarat. Haryana[edit]Haryana Pilgrim Destinations offers the devotees with a wide range of sacred places which are of considerable religious and historical significance. The pilgrim places of Haryana are thronged by devotees all over the year, who visit the important religious places to seek divine blessings and eternal happiness. The state of Haryana has a long historical and cultural tradition which is manifested in the numerous religious places which fills the tourist with an intense sense of satisfaction. Some of the notable "Pilgrim Destinations" of Haryana are: Lord Krishna and ArjunaKurukshetra- The historical place of "Kurukshetra" is the cradle of Hindu civilisation. The fierce battle field of the holy land of "Kurukhshetra" is a witness to the discourse between the mighty and valiant ruler "Arjuna" and his divine charioteer "Lord Krishna". Jyotisar- The ancient place of "Jyotisar" is the nurturing ground of the values and principles that guide the oldest religion of the world, the "Hindu" religion. The significance of the place lies in the fact that the holy religious text of the "Hindus", the "Bhagwad Gita" was complied in this sacred place Thanesar- The sacred place of "Thanesar" has two important religious temples of the "Sthanesvar Mahadev Temple" and the "Ma Bhadra Kali Temple" that draws several devotees throughout the year Pehowa- The holy land of "Pehowa" is an important religious place among the Hindus, who pray to the deceased member of their family and offer "Pind Daan" to release them from the cycle of birth and rebirth Panchkula- The beautiful place of Panchkula offers the tourist with numerous places of religious and historical importance, including "Morni hills" and "Tikkar Taal". Dhosi Hill - A hill near Narnaul, having Vedic period Rishi, Chaywan's Ashram. Famous for preparation of Chyawanprash, and other herbal preparations. Himachal Pradesh[edit] The Himalayan landscape of Himachal Pradesh is ideal for outdoor activities such as skiing.Himachal Pradesh is famous for its Himalayan landscapes and popular hill-stations. Many outdoor activities such as rock climbing, mountain biking, paragliding, ice-skating, and heli-skiing are popular tourist attractions in Himachal Pradesh.[10] Shimla, the state capital, is very popular among tourists. The Kalka-Shimla Railway is a Mountain railway which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Shimla is also a famous skiing attraction in India. Other popular hill stations include Manali and Kasauli. Dharamshala, home of the Dalai Lama, is known for its Tibetan monasteries and Buddhist temples. Many trekking expeditions also begin here. Jammu and Kashmir[edit]Main article: Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir Jammu & Kashmir is known for its scenic landscape. Tso Moriri Lake, LadakhJammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. Jammu is noted for its scenic landscape, ancient temples and mosques, Hindu and Muslim shrines, castles, gardens and forts. The Hindu holy shrines of Amarnath in Kashmir Valley attracts about .4 million Hindu devotees every year. Vaishno Devi also attract millions of Hindu devotees every year. Jammu's historic monuments feature a unique blend of Islamic and Hindu architecture styles. Tourism forms an integral part of the Kashmiri economy. Often dubbed "Paradise on Earth", Kashmir's mountainous landscape has attracted tourists for centuries. Notable places are Dal Lake, Srinagar Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Yeusmarg and Mughal Gardens etc. Kashmir's natural landscape has made it one of the popular destinations for adventure tourism in South Asia. In recent years, Ladakh has emerged as a major hub for adventure tourism. This part of Greater Himalaya called "moon on earth" consists of naked peaks and deep gorges. Leh, the capital, is also a growing tourist spot. Karnataka[edit]Main articles: Tourism in Karnataka and Times of India's list of seven Wonders of India Karnataka has been ranked as fourth most popular destination for tourism among states of India.[11] It has the highest number of national protected monuments in India, at 507. Kannada dynasties like Kadambas, Western Gangas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas, Vijayanagaras and the Kingdom of Mysore ruled from what is today Karnataka.[12][13] They built great monuments to Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism. These monuments are preserved at Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal, Mahakuta, Hampi, Lakshmeshwar, Sudi, Hooli, Mahadeva Temple (Itagi), Dambal, Lakkundi, Gadag, Hangal, Halasi, Galaganatha, Chaudayyadanapura, Banavasi, Belur, Halebidu, Sringeri, Shravanabelagola, Sannati, Nanjangud, Mysore, Nandi Hills, Kolar, Mudabidri, Gokarna, Bagali, Kuruvatti and many more. Notable Islamic monuments are present at Bijapur, Bidar, Gulbarga, Raichur and other part of the state. Gol Gumbaz at Bijapur, has the second largest pre-modern dome in the world after the Byzantine Hagia Sophia. Karnataka has two World heritage sites, at Hampi and Pattadakal.Bellary one of the historical place, we can see the forts which were built by the great Tipu Sultan for protection. Karnataka state has several palaces such as Bangalore Palace, Mysore Palace (also known as Ambavilas Palace), Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace, Nalknad Palace, Rajendra Vilas, Jaganmohan Palace, Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion, Lalitha Mahal, Rajendra Vilas, Cheluvamba Mansion, Shivappa Nayaka Palace and Daria Daulat Bagh. Karnataka is famous for Jog falls of Shimoga District is second highest waterfalls in Asia. Karnataka has many beaches at Karwar, Gokarna, Murdeshwara, Surathkal. Karnataka is a rock climbers paradise. Yana in Uttara Kannada, Fort in Chitradurga, Ramnagara near Bengaluru district, Shivagange in Tumkur district and tekal in Kolar district are a rock climbers heaven.[14] Utsav Rock Garden in Shiggaon, Uttar Kannada. Shola Grasslands in Kudremukh, Karnataka.Hill stations in Karnataka are generally unexplored and more pristine than better known ones in South India. Major Hill stations in the state are Agumbe and Kodachadri in Shimoga District ; Baba Budangiri, Kemmangundi, Kudremukh in Chikkamagaluru District ; Biligiriranga Hills in Chamarajanagar District and Kodagu district (also known as Coorg).[15] Other hilly town and regions are Mullayanagiri, Pushpagiri(or Kumara Parvatha), Nandi Hills, Chikkaballapur district, Kundadri,Tadiandamol, Talakaveri, Male Mahadeshwara Hills, Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta, Ambaragudda, Antara Gange, Savandurga, Kurinja, Yedakumeri, Siddara Betta, Bananthimari Betta, Skandagiri, Devarayanadurga and Madhugiri. Wildlife Sanctuaries & National Parks Karnataka has several wildlife santuaries and nationa parks such as, Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, Dandeli ; Ghataprabha Bird Sanctuary ; Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary ; Peacock sanctuary in Bankapura ; Ranebennur blackbuck sanctuary, Haveri district ; Deva Raya Wildlife Sanctuary, near Hampi ; Attiveri Bird Sanctuary, near Hubli-Dharwad, Uttara Kannada ; Anshi National Park, Uttara Kannada ; Magadi Bird Sanctuary, Shirahatti ; Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary [16] ; Adichunchanagiri Wildlife Sanctuary [17] ; Arabithittu Wildlife Sanctuary ; [18] ; Biligiriranga Swamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary ; Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary; Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary ; Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary ; Melukote Temple Wildlife Sanctuary ; [19] in Mandya district ; Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary ; Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary ; Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary ; Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary ; Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary ; Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary ; Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary ; Gudavi Bird Sanctuary ; Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary ; Kaggaladu Heronry ; Kokkare Bellur ; Bankapura Peacock Sanctuary and Bonal Bird Sanctuary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kerala[edit] Kerala, nicknamed as "God's own country," is famous for its houseboats.Main article: Tourism in Kerala Kerala is a state on the tropical Malabar Coast of south-western India. Nicknamed as one of the "10 paradises of the world" by National Geographic,[20] Kerala is famous especially for its Eco-tourism initiatives. Its unique culture and traditions, coupled with its varied demography, has made it one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Growing at a rate of 13.31%, the tourism industry significantly contributes to the state's economy. Kerala is known for its tropical backwaters and pristine beaches such as Kovalam. Munnar HillscapePopular attractions in the state include the beaches at Kovalam, Kappad, Muzhuppilangad, Cherai and Varkala; the hill stations of Munnar, Thekkady, Nelliampathi, Ponmudi and Wayanad; forts like the Bekal Fort in Kanhangad and St. Angelo's Fort in Kannur and the National Parks/ Wildlife sanctuaries at Periyar and Eravikulam. The "backwaters" region—an extensive network of interlocking rivers, lakes, and canals that centre on Alleppey, Kumarakom, and Punnamada also see heavy tourist traffic. Heritage sites, such as the Hill Palace, Mattancherry Palace are also famous. Cities such as Kollam, Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Trivandrum are popular centres for shopping and traditional theatrical performance. The Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF) claimed to be Asia's largest shopping festival was started in the year 2007.[21] Since then it has become an annual shopping event being conducted in the December–January period. During this period stores and shops registered under the GKSF offer wide range of discounts, vat refunds etc. Along with the guaranteed shopping experience, shoppers are provided with gift coupons for a fixed worth of purchase entering them into weekly and mega lucky draws. As compared to shopping festivals being held in other countries, this Festival converts the entire state of Kerala into a giant shopping mall, incorporating not just the big players, but also the small and medium scale industries. The state's tourism agenda promotes ecologically sustained tourism, which focuses on the local culture, wilderness adventures, volunteering and personal growth of the local population. Efforts are taken to minimise the adverse effects of traditional tourism on the natural environment, and enhance the cultural integrity of local people. Madhya Pradesh[edit] The massive Bhedaghat FallsMain article: Tourism in Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh is called the "Heart of India" because of its location in the centre of the country. It has been home to the cultural heritage of Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. Innumerable monuments, exquisitely carved temples, stupas, forts and palaces are dotted all over the state. The temples of Khajuraho are world-famous for their erotic sculptures, and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gwalior is famous for its fort, Jai Vilas Palace, the Tomb of Rani Lakshmibai, Md. Ghaus & Tansen. Madhya Pradesh is also known as Tiger State because of the tiger population. Famous national parks like Kanha National Park, Bandhavgadh, Madhav National Park, Shivpuri, Pench are located in Madhya Pradesh. Kuno Palpur national park is getting African cheetas and is expected to become only reserve having four species of big cats (lion, tiger, leopord and cheetah). Spectacular mountain ranges, meandering rivers and miles and miles of dense forests offering a unique and exciting panorama of wildlife in sylvan surroundings. Madhya pradesh is very much known for Narmada river, is the oldest known holiest and worshiped as a river goddess in Hindu religion. Narmada originates from Amarkantak, a wild reserve is known for its natural beauty, and it is a pilgrimage centre for Hindus. Another great tourist destination is Bhedaghat Falls in Jabalpur. The river Narmada takes the form of massive falls here. The place is surrounded by marble of various colours. The sight is a visual treat in itself. The prime attraction includes boating in the river with amusing commentary by the rower. Places of attraction are, ♦Khajuraho Temple ♦Kanha Kisli ♦Van Vihar Maharashtra[edit] Mumbai is the most popular cosmopolitan city in India, famous for its architecture, shopping, gastronomy, and Bollywood. Maharashtra accounts for largest foreign tourists arrivals in India.[11]Main article: Tourism in Maharashtra See also: Tourist Attractions in Mumbai Maharashtra is the most visited state in India by foreign tourists,[11] with more than 5.1 million foreign tourists arrivals annually. Maharashtra boasts of a large number of popular and revered religious venues that are heavily frequented by locals as well as out-of-state visitors. The sixth-century paintings at the Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad, MaharashtraAjanta Caves, Ellora Caves and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus are the three UNESCO World Heritage sites in Maharashtra and are highly responsible for the development of Tourism in the state. Mumbai is the most popular cosmopolitan city in India, and a great place to experience modern India. Mumbai is famous for Bollywood, the world's largest film industry. In addition, Mumbai is famous for its clubs, shopping, and upscale gastronomy. The city is known for its architecture, from the ancient Elephanta Caves, to the Islamic Haji Ali Mosque, to the colonial architecture of Bombay High Court and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Maharashtra also has numerous adventure tourism destinations, including paragliding, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, snorkelling, and scuba diving. Maharashtra also has several pristine national parks and reserves, some of the best ones are Tadoba with excellent accommodation and safari experiences besides little known by amazing wildlife destinations like Koyna, Nagzira (very small with incredible sightings), Melghat (disturbed with massive mining truck movement), Dajipur, Radhanagari and of course the only national park within metropolis city limits in the world – Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The Bibi Ka Maqbara at Aurangabad the Mahalakshmi temple at Kolhapur, the cities of Nashik, Trimbak famous for religious importance and the city of Pune the seat of the Maratha Empire and the fantastic Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations together contribute for the Tourism sector of Maharashtra. Manipur[edit] Loktak lakeManipur as the name suggest is a land of jewels. Its rich culture excels in every aspects as in martial arts, dance, theatre and sculpture. The charm of the place is the greenery with the moderate climate making it a tourists' heaven. The beautiful and seasonal Shirui Lily at Ukhrul (district), Sangai (brow antlered deer) and the floating islands at Loktak Lake are few of the rare things found in Manipur. Polo, which can be called a royal game, also originated from Manipur. Some of the main tourist attractions are: Imphal (Capital) Churachandpur Keibul Lamjao National Park War cemeteries Loktak Lake Moreh Meghalaya[edit] Nohkalikai FallsMeghalaya has some of the thickest surviving forests in the country. Therefore constitutes one of the most important ecotourism circuits in the country today. The Meghalayan subtropical forests support a vast variety of flora and fauna. Meghalaya has 2 national parks and 3 wildlife sanctuaries. Meghalaya, also offers many adventure tourism opportunities in the form of mountaineering, rock climbing, trekking and hiking, water sports etc. The state offers several trekking routes some of which also afford an opportunity to encounter some rare animals such as the slow loris, assorted deer and bear. The Umiam Lake has a water sports complex with facilities such as rowboats, paddleboats, sailing boats, cruise-boats, water-scooters and speedboats. Cherrapunjee is one of the most popular tourist spots in North East of India. It lies to the south of the capital Shillong. The town is very well known and needs little publicity. A rather scenic, 50 kilometre long road, connects Cherrapunjee with Shillong. The popular waterfalls in the state are the Elephant Falls, Shadthum Falls, Weinia falls, Bishop Falls, Nohkalikai Falls, Langshiang Falls and Sweet Falls. The hot springs at Jakrem near Mawsynram are believed to have curative and medicinal properties. It is a very good place to visit. Mizoram[edit]Main article: Tourism in Mizoram Mizoram is considered by many as a beautiful place due to its dramatic landscape and pleasant climate. The state is rich in bird diversity, which has the potential to make it a major Birdwatching destination.,[22] Mizoram is a stronghold for Mrs. Hume's Pheasant Syrmaticus humiae.[23] There is also a rare record of the Wild water buffalo from the state.[24] There have been several past records of sightings of the Sumatran rhinoceros from Mizoram, and Lushai hills.[25] A small population of wild elephants can be seen in Ngengpui and Dampa Sanctuaries.[26] Other interesting sites are Mizo Poets' Square also known as Mizo Hlakungpui Mual in Mizo and the Great Megaliths locally known as 'Kawtchhuah Ropui'. Pu Ziona, who lives in Baktawng near Aizawl, also has lot of visitors due to his fame as having the largest Family in the World.[27] A panorama of Aizawl taken from Zemabawk.Odisha[edit] Konark Sun Temple built by the Eastern Ganga dynasty is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Chilka LakeMain article: Tourism in Odisha Odisha has been a preferred destination from ancient days for people who have an interest in spirituality, religion, culture, art and natural beauty. Ancient and medieval architecture, pristine sea beaches, the classical dance Odissi and ethnic dance forms like Chhau, Ghumura and Sambalpuri and a variety of festivals. Odisha has kept the religion of Buddhism alive. Research suggests about evidences of Gautama Buddha's birth in Odisha. Rock-edicts that have challenged time stand huge and over-powering by the banks of the Daya River. The torch of Buddhism is still ablaze in the sublime triangle at Udayagiri, Lalitgiri as well as Ratnagiri, on the banks of river Birupa. Precious fragments of a glorious past come alive in the shape of stupas, rock-cut caves, rock-edicts, excavated monasteries, viharas, chaityas and sacred relics in caskets and the Rock-edicts of Ashoka. Odisha is famous for the world famous Jagannath Temple (Puri), UNESCO World Heritage Site Konark Sun Temple and The Leaning Temple of Huma. Out of total 4 Chausathi Yogini temples all over India, 2 are in Odisha, in Hirapur and Ranipur Jharial. Famous Oriya Sanskrit Poet Jayadeva, who wrote famous Gita Govinda, a poem of divine love between Lord Krishna and Radha with other Gopis, dedicated to Lord Jagannatha, was born here in Kenduli Sasan village near Khurda. Rajarani Temple(name derived from the sandstone in which it is made), is an architectural marvel like Khajuraho located in Bhubaneswar (The Temple City of India), containing more than 500 ancient temples. Lord Lingaraja Temple (a 12th-century AD temple), Kedaragauri Temple, Ananta Vasudeva Temple, Brahmeswara Temple are some of the many magnificent Temples in the capital. Bhubaneswar has State Museum, Regional Museum of Natural History (having one of the two eggs of an extict species in the world), Botanical Garden, Jain centres like Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves, Pathani Samanta Planetarium, Dhauli White Pagoda where Chandashoka became Dharmashoka. Odisha is the home for various tribal communities who have contributed uniquely to the multicultural and multilingual character of the state. Their handicrafts, different dance forms, jungle products and their unique life style blended with their healing practices have got world wide attention. The well-known Ratha-Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri and Sitalsasthi Carnival of Lord Shiva in Sambalpur are must see for anyone who want to see a glimpse of the art and culture of Odisha at one place. The Indian Revolutionary saying "Give me Blood, I will give you Freedom", Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was born in Cuttack, whose House (Janakinath Bhavan) is now a museum, well equipped to provide details of his life-history. The medieval capital, Cuttack has a treasure to share with you, the Barabati fort (witnessing Gangas, Marathas and British), the silver filigree works, Katak Chandi Temple, Barabati Stadium, Qadam-I-Rasul and Dhabaleswar temple (having longest rope-bridge in India succeeded by Lakshman Jhula in Rishikesh). Eastern Ghats' highest peak, Mahendragiri, where Lord Parshuram is still in meditation, according to Ramayana and Mahabharata is in Gajapati district. Cuttack Barabati Fort Majestic Entrance Rajarani Temple at Bhubaneswar Shrikhetra Puri Jagannath Temple, abode of Lord of UniverseSites/Cities/Places of Interest : 1. Bhubaneswar - Lingaraj Temple, Rajarani Temple, Dhauligiri, Khandagiri and Udaygiri, Nandankanan Zoological Park. 2. Cuttack - Barabati Fort, Katak Chandi Temple, Lalitgiri-Ratnagiri-Udaygiri, Dhabaleswar Temple. 3. Puri - Jagannath Temple, Chilika Lake, Konark Temple and Beach. 4. Sambalpur - Samaleswari Temple, Hirakud Dam. 5. Berhampur - Gopalpur-on-Sea, Taptapani, Taratarini. 6. Bhitarkanika Sanctuary 7. Similipal Biosphere Reserve 8. Dhenkanal - Kapilas, Saptasajya 9. Balasore - Chandipur-on-sea, Chandbali, Chandaneswar, Panchlingeswar, Aradi (Lord Akhandalamani). Pondicherry[edit]Main article: Tourism in Pondicherry The Matrimandir, a golden metallic sphere in Auroville, PondicherryThe Union Territory of Puducherry comprises four coastal regions viz. Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam. Pondicherry is the Capital of this Union Territory and one of the most popular tourist destinations in South India. Pondicherry has been described by National Geographic as "a glowing highlight of subcontinental sojourn". The city has many beautiful colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues, which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well-planned French-style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambiance. Punjab[edit]The Harmandir Sahib (also known as the Golden Temple) is the gurdwara of worship of Sikhs.Main article: Tourism in Punjab The state of Punjab is renowned for its cuisine, culture and history. Punjab has a vast public transportation and communication network. Some of the main cities in Punjab are Amritsar, Chandigarh, jalandhar, Patiala, Nabha and Ludhiana. Nabha is known for the combines made here while Patiala is known for the historical forts. Punjab also has a rich Sikh religious history. Tourism in Punjab is principally suited for the tourists interested in culture, ancient civilisation, spirituality and epic history. Some of the villages in Punjab are also a must see for the person who wants to see the true Punjab, with their beautiful traditional Indian homes, farms and temples, this is a must see for any visitor that goes to India. Lonely Planet Bluelist 2008 has voted the Harmandir Sahib as one of the world’s best spiritual sites with over 100,000 pilgrims and tourists visiting on a daily basis. Since Amritsar is a big tourist spot, a lot of five star hotels are getting attracted to open up properties here. Hotel Ista has become very popular with nonresident Indian (NRI) community. New properties by Radisson and Taj are coming up in this city. Rajasthan[edit] Umaid Bhawan Palace, Rajasthan Chandramahal in City Palace, Jaipur, Rajasthan, built by Kachwaha Rajputs.Main article: Tourism in Rajasthan Rajasthan, literally meaning "Land of the Kings", is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Northern India. The vast sand dunes of the Thar Desert attract millions of tourists from around the globe every year. Attractions: Jaipur – The capital of Rajasthan, famous for its rich history and royal architecture Jodhpur – Fortress-city at the edge of the Thar Desert, famous for its blue homes and architecture Udaipur – Known as the "Venice" of India Jaisalmer – Famous for its golden fortress Barmer – Barmer and surrounding areas offer perfect picture of typical Rajasthani villages Bikaner – Famous for its medieval history as a trade route outpost Mount Abu – Is a popular hill station, the highest peak in the Aravalli Range of Rajasthan, Guru Shikhar is located here Pushkar – It has the first and one of the very Brahma temples in the world Keoladeo National Park – A UNESCO World Heritage Site Nathdwara – This town near Udaipur hosts the famous temple of Shrinathji Sawai Madhopur – Famous for Ranthambore National Park and historic Ranthambore Fort Shekhawati - For traditional Havelis Dhosi Hill - Vedic period Hill, Chyvan Rishi Ashram Sikkim[edit] Kangchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world.Originally known as Suk-Heem, which in the local language means "peaceful home". Sikkim was an independent kingdom till the year 1974, when it became a part of the Republic of India. The capital of Sikkim is Gangtok, located approximately 105 kilometres from New Jalpaiguri, the nearest railway station to Sikkim. Although, Pakyong Airport is under construction in East Sikkim, the nearest airport to Sikkim is Bagdogra Airport. The popular sightseeing places include Baba Mandir, Nathula Pass, Rumtek Monastery, Handicraft Shops and Tsangpo Lake. Sikkim is considered as the land of orchids, mystic cultures and colourful traditions. Sikkim is well known among trekkers and adventure lovers. Tamil Nadu[edit]Main article: Tourism in Tamil Nadu The Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site provides a scenic view of hills throughout its 41 km journey between Mettupalayam and Ooty (7500 FT above ground level). Ooty hill stationArchaeological sites with civilisation dating back to 3800 years[28] are found in Tamil Nadu. The state also holds the credit of having maximum number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (5) in India which includes Great Living Chola Temples and Mahabalipuram. The Big temple at thanjavur was a classical example chola art and architecture. With more than 34000 temples,[29] Tamil Nadu has some great temples like Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, Brihadeeswarar Temple, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple and Srilakshmi Golden Temple.[30] The state also has various bird sanctuaries including 13 established bird sanctuary among others maintained by the state government. The state also has squirrel sanctuary, protected areas for tiger, elephant, deer etc. Arignar Anna Zoological park is the first public zoo in India which attracts millions of tourists worldwide. This state is also known for Medical tourism and houses some of Asia's largest hospitals. Super speciality hosptials gives treatments to millions of people worldwide. [31][32] Kanyakumari is the southernmost tip of India provides scenic view of sunset and sunshine over the Indian ocean. Mathur Totti Palam one of the biggest aqueducts, both in height and length, in Asia. Thiruvalluvar statue of the St Tamil poet, tallest statue of Asia[citation needed] and ancient wooden palace of Marthandavarma (known as Padmanabapuram palace), Hill stations like Yercaud, Kodaikanal, Ooty, Valparai, Yelagiri are widely visited. Water Falls like Hogenakkal Falls and Wildlife sanctuaries are located across the state. Pichavaram the world's second largest mangrove forest is located in the state.[33] The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a railway in Tamil Nadu, India, built by the British in 1908,[34] and was initially operated by the Madras Railway. The railway still relies on its fleet of steam locomotives.[35] NMR comes under the jurisdiction of the newly formed Salem Division. In July 2005, UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the site then became known as "Mountain Railways of India."[36] After it satisfied the necessary criteria, thus forcing abandonment of the modernisation plans. For the past several years diesel locomotives have taken over from steam on the section between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam. Local people and tourists have led a demand for steam locos to once again haul this section.[35] Tripura[edit]The small and beautiful state of Tripura is tucked away on the Northeast India's boundary. To its north, south and southeast, Tripura has an international boundary with Bangladesh while coming to its east it shares a common boundary with its neighbouring states of Assam & Mizoram. This Panoramic tiny State is inhabited by 19 ethenic tribes, Bengali, Tripuri Manipuri etc. community. Though the 3rd smallest state of India but its unique. Its blessed with scenic beauty, ancient places, temples, breathing taking verdants hills and bio-diversity treasure trove of wildlife santuries. The state has a historical past and one can find it across time from the Rajmala chronicles of kings of Tripura. The state had 185 royal rulers. There is a reference to he rulers of Bengali helping the Tripura kings in 14th century as the kings of this state had to face frequent Mughal invasion with varying success.[37] The belief through once upon a time was that Tripura's boundary was once extended up to Bay of Bengal that was when rulers spread powers from the Garo Hillsto Arakhan. With that its said that Tripura's name has been coined from two Tripuri words: Tui meaning water and Pra means near. But different people has there way of thinking, some also believed that the name Tripura derived from presiding deity Tripurasundari. The deity is famous as one of the 51 Peethas important to Hindu Pilgrimage. HERITAGE AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL TOURISM Ujjayanta Palace - The gleaming white Ujjayanta Palace located in the capital city of Agartala evokes the age of Tripura Maharajas. It is a unique experience to witness living history and royal splendour within the boundaries of the Palace. Constructed by the king of Tripura Maharja Radha Kishor Manikya during the late 19th century and finished off in 1901. The Indo-Saracenic building is set up in large Mughal-style garden with two-man made lakes on its both sides. The palace is of two storied mansion and has three domes, each 86 feet high, stunning tiles floor, curved wooden ceiling and wonderful crafted door. Floodlights and light and sound fountain is been setup in Palace. Unakoti - means one less than a crore. Located about 186 km from Agartala, Unokoti is an important site of archaeological wonder. It is a Shaiva pilgrimage attraction and dates back to 7th-9th century A.D. The site consists of several huge vertical rocks-cut carvings on a hillside. The site shows strong evidence of Buddhist occupation but also has a central Shiva head and imposing Ganesha figures having a height of 30 feet. The rocky walls also have a carved images of Hindu pantheon like Durga and Vishnu. The unakoti rock-cut carving have the distinction of being the largest bas-relief sculpture in India. Bhubaneshwari Temple - Another temple of eminence of Tripura is this temple. located 55 km from Agartala on the eastern fringe of Udaipur town by the bank of bank of river Gomati[disambiguation needed]. The temple is now under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India. It was built by Maharaja Govinda Manikya (1660–1676). The temple is immortalised in Rabindranath Tagore's famous play known as Bisarjan and Rajarshi. Maharaja Govinda also features an important character in Tagore's play. While approaching Bhubaneshwari Temple one can find the ruins of the palace of the Maharaja. Down below the temple the river Gomati flows. Gunabati Group of Temples - From its name it reveals that it was built in the name of her Highness Maharani Gunabati (wife of Maharaja Govinda Manikya), in 1668 A.D. The two other tempel also bears contemporary look but there actual history is still unveiled. Architecture of these temples resembles other contemporary temples of Tripura except the top most parts are without Stupa. Core-Chambers are marked by a presence of pitcher circular core chamber and its vestibule which was large with Stupa like crown is beautifully crafted like lotus[38] Chabimura - A famous panel of rock carving on the steep mountain walls on the banks of Gomati[disambiguation needed]. There are huge images carved of Shiva, Vishnu, Kartika, Mahisasurmardini Durga and other Gods and goddesses. These images date back to 15th - 16th century A.D. Chabimura is 30 km away from Udaipur. It is situated in Amarpur subdivision. Devatamura means God's peak and it a full range between Udaipur and Amarpur Subdivision. Its famous for a lot of idols of gods and goddess. These beautiful images are carved with a lot of dexterity on the rocky faces of Devtamura which is steep at 90-degree. The hill ranges are covered with thick jungles and one cab reach this adobe of gods only after trekking through these jungles. Boxanagar - Recently after denudation of a nature forest area, ruins of a brick built building emerged in the northwestern part of Sonamura Sub-Division on the edge of the border with Bangalasesh. The local people initially attribute the remains to the ancient temple of Manasa- the goddess of Snake. Attention was drawn to the Archaeological Survey of India and they took over the site. There an idol of Lord Buddha was discovered and it was confirmed that once upon a time it was a Buddhist Temple i.e. a Monastery. More than excavation of the site will unearth the hidden story.[39] Pilak - a famous place of attraction for its archaeological remains of 8th-9th centuries. Pilak is situated at a distance of 144 km from Agartala. The place is a treasure house of Buddhist and Sculpture in the Hindu Sculptures. There runs a hilly rivulet near the place which is known as Pilak stream. Its an attractive with scenic beauty. Few temples with plaques of terracotta and stone images can be found here. Huge sculptures made of stones of Avalokiteśvara in the 9th century[40] A.D. and Narasimha image of 12th century A.D. were found here. Both of there are now preserved in the Museum of Agartala. Even now one can find many sculptures of Goddess in Pilak as Lord Durga, Lord Ganesha, Lord Suriya, etc.[41] There is image of a God holding a lotus which is of 10 feet high. There are terracotta images of Kinnars. Two bronze statue of Buddhas were discovered in Rishyamukh near Pilak. All these lead to establish that the place was once under the rule of Buddhist kings followed by Hindu rulein subsequent years. Pilak, the treasure-trove of archaeological riches has close association with Mynamoti and Paharpur[disambiguation needed] in Bangladesh. It is believed that the area has more hidden treasures and as such recently further excavation drive has been taken up by Archaeological Survey of India. Tourist may find it delighted to explore the history of this lovely destination. Uttarakhand[edit] The Valley of Flowers and Nanda Devi National Parks are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.Uttarakhand, the 27th state of the Republic of India, is called "the abode of the Gods" or referred as the "Heaven on Earth". It contains glaciers, snow-clad mountains, valley of flowers, skiing slopes and dense forests, and many shrines and places of pilgrimage. Char-dhams, the four most sacred and revered Hindu temples: Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are nestled in the Himalayas. Haridwar which means Gateway to God is the only place on the plains. It holds the watershed for Gangetic River System spanning 300 km from Satluj in the west to Kali river in the east. Nanda Devi (25640 Ft) is the second highest peak in India after Kanchenjunga (28160 Ft). Dunagiri, Neelkanth, Chaukhamba, Panchachuli, Trisul are other peaks above 23000 Ft. It is considered the abode of Devtas, Yakashyas, Kinners, Fairies and Sages.[42] It has some old hill-stations developed during British era like Mussoorie, Almora, Dwarahat, Ranikhet and Nainital.