Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu & Kashmir is a state in northernmost of India it is situated in the Himalayan Mountains. The state shares border with Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and an international boundary with Pakistan to the north and east.

J&K comprises three regions: Jammu, the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh. The state has two capitals: Srinagar in the summer and Jammu in the winter. Jammu & Kashmir comprises 22 districts.

The Mughal emperor, Akbar, invaded Kashmir in 1586. He appointed one of his generals, Ramchandra I, as a governor of the Himalayan Kingdom. He founded the city of Jammu. Ranjit Singh of Lahore captured Jammu and Kashmir in 1780 after the death of Ranjit Deo, a descendent of Ramchandra.

The Indus, Tawi, Ravi and Chenab are the major rivers following through the state. But the Jhelum River is the only Himalayan river flows through the Kashmir Valley.

There are several Himalayan glaciers in Jammu and Kashmir. Siachin Glacier is one of them. It is the longest Himalayan glacier.

Jammu & Kashmir is home to several famous lakes: Dal Lake, Nagin Lake, Wular Lake and Manasbal Lake in Jammu, Pangong Lake and Tsomo-riri Lake in Ladakh, Surinsar Lake and Mansar Lake in Jammu.

There are many gardens in the state. These are Mughal Garden, Shalimar, Nishat Garden, Pari Mahal, Harwan, Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Botanical Garden, Cheshmashahi, Srinagar, Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, Jharokha Mughal Garden, Manasbal, Mughal Garden, Darashikoh Bagh, Bijbehara, Botanical Garden Kokernag, Mughal Garden, Bagh-e-Bahu, etc.

Urdu is the official language of the state. Other principal spoken languages are Kashmiri, Dogri, Pahari, Balti, Ladakhi, Gojri, Shina and Pashto.

The state celebrates many festivals: Tulip festival, Baisakhi Festival, Khir Bhawani Festival, Gurez Festival, AmarnathJi Yatra, Saffron Festival, Snow Festival, Urs or annual festivals, the monastic Festival, Chhams, etc.

Jammu & Kashmir is well connected by rail, road and air. Direct flights operate to Srinagar and Leh. The major service providers in the state are Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines and Air Deccan.

Punjab

Punjab is a state in northwest India, bordering Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh to the west, Haryana to the south and southeast, Rajasthan to the southwest, Jammu and Kashmir to the north and Punjab Province of Pakistan to the west. Chandigarh, an India’s union territory, is the capital of Punjab.

The partition of 1947 divided India into two Independent states: India and Pakistan. Later in 1966 India craved two new states out of Punjab: Haryana and Himachal Pradesh .

Punjab keeps a rich historical significance. There is Indus Valley Civilization. It spanned around Harappa and Ropar. Its remnant can still be traced. It was a part of great ancient empires including Gandhara Mahajanpadas, Nanda, Mauryas, Sungas, Kushans, Guptas, Palas, Gurjara-Pratiharas and Hindu Shahis. The Mughals controlled the region from 1524 to 1739.

Sikhism is the predominant faith in the state.

Punjab comprises 20 districts. There are five divisions in Punjab. Each division contains several districts.

The capital of Punjab is Chandigarh.

Punjabi is the official language of Punjab.

Major cities of Punjab are Amritsar, Bhatinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali and Patiala.

There are many tourist attractions in Punjab. The Golden Temple, a prominent Sikh gurduwara, is, also known as Harmindar Sahib or Darbar Sahib, there in Amritsar, Punjab. It was built in 1574. A great influx of tourists and devotees visit this Sikh temple round the year.

The state celebrates Lohari, Basant, Baisakhi and Teej.

Agriculture is the largest industry in Punjab. It is the largest producer of wheat in India.

Punjab experiences the extreme hot and harsh cold condition.

Punjab is well connected by rail, road and air. There are six airports at Ludhiana, Mohali, Pathankot and Patiala in Punjab. Shri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar operates international flights to Punjab. Air India, Air India Express, Armavia, Jet Airways, Jetlite, Kingfisher Airlines, Mahan Air, Qatar Airways, Turkmenistan Airlines, Uzbekistan Airways are the major service providers.

Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand is a state in northern India. It has been craved out on November 9th, 2000 of Uttar Pradesh to become the 27th state in India. This Himalayan state is known as the “Land of Gods” as numerous revered pilgrim sites are there in the state.

The state is 93% mountainous and sixty per cent forest.

Uttarakhand comprises 13 districts. A group of districts creates division. There are two divisions: Kumaon (includes six districts) and Garhwal (includes seven districts).

Uttarakhand shares international boundaries with Tibet to the north and Nepal to the east.

Dehradun is the capital and largest city of Uttarakhand, located in the Doon Valley and on the north-western side of the fertile IndoGangtic Plains. It is surrounded by the Himalayas in the North, Sivalik Hills in the south, the Ganges River in the east and the Yammua River in the west.

Baba Ram Rai, the elder son of seventh Sikh Guru Har Rai, founded Dehradun in the early eighteenth century.

Hindi and Sanskrit are the official languages of Uttarakhand.

There are many reputed government and PSU organisations in Dehradun, including ONGC (Oil & Natural Gas Corporation), Geological Survey of India, Forest Research Institute, Forest Survey of India, Wildlife Institute of India and Survey of India.

Gairsen in Uttarakhan is a mooted site for Uttarakhand’s future capital by the supporters demanding a separate Indian state of Uttarakhand for long. It is a village in Chamoli district, bordering the Garhwal and Kumaon regions.

Nainital is located in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayas. P. Barron, a sugar trader from Shahjahanpur, founded in 1841.

Almora is another beautiful district of the state. It is a cantonment town located next to the rivers Kosi and Suyal. Katyui king Baichaldev founded Almora.

Several wild animals, including bharal, snow leopards, leopards and tigers are there in Uttarakhand. The state is home to India’s first national park, Jim Corbett National Park . Various other parks like Valley of Flowers National Park, Nanda Devi National Park and Gangotri National Park are also there in Dehradun.

Uttarakhand plays a prominent role in leisure, adventure and religious tourism. The state tourism department promotes immense tourist prospects with allowing travellers to revel in various activities like Mountaineering, rock climbing, river rafting and hiking. Utarakhand encourages eco-tourism, agro-tourism and rural tourism in India.

The state conserves four Hindu dhams (the holiest pilgrim spots): Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yammunotri and Gangotri.

Uttarakhand is well connected by rail, road and air. There are six airports: Jolly Grant Airport at Deharadum, Pantnagar Airport at Pantnagar, Naini-Saini Pitoragrah at Pitoragarh, Uttar Kashi, Gochar Airport at Chamoli and Agastyamuni Airport at Rudrapryag.

Kerala

Kerala is a state located south most on the west coast of India. It is bordered by
Karnataka to the north, the Lakshadweep Sea to the west and Tamil Nadu to the south and east. There are fringed beaches, pristine backwaters and greenery in profusion in Kerala.

The Portuguese explorer, Vasco de Gama who discovered India in 1498, first reached Calicut in Kerala.

The stare was created on November 1st, 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act.

Kerala comprises 14 districts. Idduki is the largest district in the state. The capital of Kerala is Thiruvananthapuram.

The official language of Kerala is Malayalam.

Kerala experiences the humid equatorial tropical climate. The best time to visit Kerala is between October and March.

Kerala’s coasts had direct contacts across the Arabian Sea with all the major Red Sea ports and the Mediterranean ports.

Kerala is one of the best tourist destinations in the world where a large number of tourists come round the year. The state is famous for the backwaters, ayurvedic treatments and tropical greenery.

Year by year Kerala is increasing in tourist number, as it goes up by 16.11%. That is about 5, 98,929 foreign tourists and 75, 91,250 domestic tourists during 2008.

Major tourist destinations of Kerala are Alappuzha, Bekal, Bharananganam, Guruvayur, Idukki, Kannur, Kochi, Kottayam, Kovalam, Kozhikode, Kumarakom, Malayattoor, Munnar, Parumala, Peermade, Sabarimala, Thekkady, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Varkala Wayanad and Sasthamkotta.

Kerala also preserves some notable biodiversity sites, where one can find over 10, 000 plant species, about 4,000 flowering plant species and almost 900 medicinal plants.

The state is the home to myriad forms of dance and cultures. Some of the famous art forms of Kerala are kathakali, mohiniyattam, kalaripayattu, chaakyar koothu, maargamkali, oppana, ottamthullal, theyyam, kummattikali and krishnanttam.

Kerala cuisine is traditionally served on green banana leaves. A few delectable items are Idlli, Payasam, Pulisherry, Puttukadala, Puzhukku, Rasam, Sambar, etc.

There is Kerala Tourism Development Corporation in the state to manage tourism.

Kerala is well connected by rail, road, waterway and air. There are three major airports at Thiruvananathapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. Another airport at Kannur has also been proposed in order to manage huge traffic duly. Many airlines connect Kerala with their scheduled flight services. For that, booking can be made online as well as offline.

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh is situated in the central India, bordering Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan . It is the “heart of India”. The capital of Madhya Pradesh is Bhopal.

Madhya Pradesh comprises 50 districts. Indore is the largest city of Madhya Pradesh, and called commercial capital of the state. Gwalior is the tourist capital of Madhya Pradesh.

Hindi is the official language of Madhya Pradesh. Other dialects are Malvi, Nimadi, Bundeli, Korku, Kalto and Bagheli.

Madhya Pradesh experiences subtropical climate with hot dry summer and cool and relatively dry winter.

There is a vast expanse of thriving ecotourism in Madhya Pradesh. The state protects 9 national parks and a number of natural reserves in the state.

Madhya Pradesh is well connected by rail, road and air. There are 5 domestic airports located at Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Khajuraho and Gwalior.

The state has also launched caravan tourism. This is equipped with studio-style bedroom, washroom, LCD TV, DVD, Microwave oven, fridge stocked with snacks and cold drinks.

There are several caravan packages, including Bhopal-Panchmari-Bhopal, Bhopal-Bhojpur-Bhimbetka-Delawadi-Bhopal, Bhopal-Sanchi-Udaigiri-Bhopal and Bhopal-Bhojpur-Bhimbetka.

Khajuraho
Khajuraho is located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the popular destinations in India. There are the largest Medieval and Jain temples, famous for the erotic figurines. 10% of these cravings contain sexual themes. These statues suggest tantric sexual practices. And the rest depict the everyday life of the common Indian. It is considered to be one of the “Seven Wonders” of India. UNESCO has enlisted Khajuraho in the World Heritage Site.

Chandelas, a Rajput dynasty in north India, got the temples at Khajuraho built. These shrines are made of sandstone, in which builder had not used mortar at all. The stones were held in place by gravity.

Khajuraho is 328 miles from New Delhi, the capital of India.

Bandhavgarh National Park
Bandhavgarh National Park is located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh. It was declared a national park in 1968. The park has a large biodiversity, covering an area of 105 km2. It preserves the highest number of tigers in India. There is a large breeding population of leopards, and several species of deer.

Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh is situated in the extreme northeast of India. It abounds with natural resources and biodiversity, and boasts a unique heritage of tribal culture. It is one of the most picturesque states in India. The capital of Arunachal Pradesh is Itanagar, which is situated at the foothills of Himalayas.

Arunachal shares international boundaries with China in the north, Myanmar in the east and Bhutan in the west. It falls in the eastern Himalayan range. Most of its terrain is mountainous with several streams making deep gorges.

Arunachal is the land of rising Sun. It is the largest north-eastern state, spreading over 83,743 km2. 82 per cent of the total area covers the forest with thousands of species of flora and fauna. The state has several national parks, sanctuaries and biosphere reserves. It is identified as one of the 12 mega biodiversity hotspots in the world with 20% of India’s fauna, 4,500 species of flowering plants, 52 rhododendron species and more than 600 species of orchids. More than 450 plants have been identified as having medicinal value.

Arunachal attained statehood in February 1987. The state comprises 16 districts.

There are about 26 major tribal groups and a number of sub-tribes in the state, and each having its own dialect and distinct cultural identity. The Government of India is doing all-out effort in preserving and documenting their cultural heritage.

Arunachal Pradesh has made remarkable progress in almost all the major sectors of the economy.

Tourists from around the world come to Arunachal Pradesh. Tawang is the most famous tourist destination in Arunachal Pradesh, sharing boundaries with Tibet in the north and Bhutan in the southwest. There are numerous adventure activities, including River rafting, biking, trekking, mountaineering, hang-gliding and skiing, to do in the state.

Arunachal Pradesh holds a number of annual events, including The Buddha Mahotsava, the Siang River Festival, the Parashuram Kund Mela, the Namdapha Eco-cultural Festival and the Pangsua Pass Winter Festival.

The state cultivates pineapple, orange, apple, mushroom, ginger and cardamom. The state agricultural department has constructed cold storages at Namsai, Ruskin and Dirang.

There are about seventy species of bamboo found in Arunachal Pradesh. The bamboo is used in several purposes, including construction, crafting, decoration, furniture and fabricating weapons.

Arunachal is also emerging as a major tea-producing state. A camp office of the Tea Board of India was established in 2009 to give an impetus to tea production in the state.

Karnataka

Karnataka is a state in the south west India. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast and Kerala to the southwest.

The state of Karnataka was created on November 1st, 1956 by the State Reorganisation Act. Karnataka was originally the State of Mysore, but later in 1973, it was rechristened Karnataka. It comprises 30 districts. Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka.

The official language of Karnataka is Kannada.

The Krishna and the Cauvery run across the state.

Karnataka is home to India’s largest biocluster, with 158 biotechnology firms. It also accounts for 75% of India’s floriculture, as it greatly supplies a variety of ornamental plants worldwide.

There are over 3500 core silk industries in Karnataka, the largest in India. Most manufacturers are located across Muddenahalli, Kanivenarayanapura and Doddaballapura.

Karnataka is the fourth favourite tourist destination in India. There is an ancient array of sculpted temples, modern cities, hilarious hills, dense forest and endless beaches. There is a 320 km long coastline dotted with pristine golden beaches.

There are many beautiful temples at Belur, Halebeedu, Somnathpur, Badami and Aihiole. Over 25,000 monuments are yet to receive protection of the state directorate of archaeological and museum.

Karnataka’s waterfalls are the must-see places. Jog Falls is the India’s tallest single-tiered waterfall. Other famous waterfalls of Karnataka are Gokak Falls, Unchalli Falls, Magod Falls, Abbey Falls and Shivasamudra Falls.

Saree, a strip of unstitched cloth ranges from four to nine metres in length, is the traditional dress of women in Karnataka.

Rice and Ragi are the staple food of Karnataka.

There are airports in Bangalore, Hubli, Mangalore, Belgaum, Hampi, Bellary and Mysore. The state has 11 major and ten minor seaports. The New Mangalore port, kicked off operations in 1973, handles over 32.04 million tonnes of traffic in the year 2006-07.

Ranthambhore National Park

Ranthambhore is a tiger reserve located in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan . It is one of the largest national parks in northern India, about a few hours drive from Jaipur.

The Government of India established the national park at Ranthambhore in 1955, and declared later the Project Tiger reserves in 1973. In 1980, Ranthambhore became a national park. The wildlife sanctuary is known for its tiger.

The national park covers an area of 392 sq km and is bounded by the Banas River to the north and the Chambal River to the south. There are several lakes in the park. The park records 26 tigers in 2005 18 less than what it was in 1982. However, a non-governmental organisation keeps an account of 34 tigers and more than 14 cubs in 2008.

Other major wildlife animals are leopards, nilgai, dhole, wild boar, sambar, hyena, sloth bear and chetal. The park is also home to a wide variety of plants, trees, birds and reptiles. Ranthambhore has one of the largest banayan trees in India.

Millions of tourists visit Ranthambhore each year, as it comprises diverse flora, breathtaking wildlife, majestic Ranthambhore Fort, Padam Talao and to scout them around Safari ride.

The wildlife sanctuary remains closed during monsoon season. The best time to visit Ranthambhore from November to March.

Ranthambhore is well connected by rail, road and air. The main airport Jaipur is about 112 miles away. Sawai Madhopur Railway station is about six miles from the national Park.

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh is situated on the southern coast of India. It lies between 12041’ and 220N latitude and 770 and 88040’E longitude. AP shares boundaries with Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Orissa from the north, the Bay of Bengal from the East, Tamil Nadu from the south and Karnataka from the west. It is the fourth largest by area and fifth largest by population. The state has the second-largest coastline among all the states in India. Hyderabad is the capital of Andhra Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh was formed on November 1st, 1956 by the State Reorganisation Act.

Telugu and Urdu are the official languages of Andhra Pradesh. However, English, Hindi, Kannada and Tamil languages are also used widely.

Vishakhapatnam is the main seaport of Andhra Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh comprises 23 districts. Vijayawada is the major trading centre in AP. Andhra’s other important cities are Warangal, Vizianagaram, Eluru, Bhimavaram, Guntur, Tirupati, Srikakulum, Kakinada, Anantapur, Kurnool, Tenali, Machilipatnam, Ongole, Nellore, Nazimabad, Ramagudum, Karimnagar, Kadapa, Khammam and Gudivada.

The Godavari and the Krishna rivers run across the state.

Andhra Pradesh is called the “Rice Bowl of India”, as it accounts for 77% of rice.

Agriculture is the main source of Andhra income. Andhra is major producer of rice, sugarcane, cotton, chilli pepper, mango and tobacco in India.

Rice is the staple food of Andhra Pradesh. There is Hyderabadi Biryani, the world famous dish. Most non-vegetarian dishes of Andhra include lamb, chicken and fish.

Kuchipudi is the classical dance of Andhra Pradesh. There various other dance forms also exist, namely Bonalu, Dappu, Chenchu Bhagotham, Bhamakalapam, Burrakatha, Veeranatyam, Butta Bommalu, Tappeta Gallu, Lambadi, Dhimsa, Kolattam and Chindu.

Similar to India’s Bollywood, there is Tollywood in Andhra Pradesh. It produces the largest number of movies in India per year. There are many composers of Caranatic Music. The renowned artistic figures are Annamacharya, Tyagaraja, Kashetryya, Syama Shastri and Bhadrachalla Ramadasu.

About 3.2 million tourists visit Andhra Pradesh each year. There are over 600 tourist attractions across the state. Andhra has 1000 kms of pristine golden beaches. There is the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad, conserving a varied collection of sculptures, paintings and religious artefacts.

Andhra Pradesh is well connected by rail, road, air and water. There are Visakhapatnam Airport, Vijayawada Airport, Rajamundry Airport and Tirupati Airport in Andhra Pradesh. But Andhra’s main aerodrome is Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. Andhra Pradesh has two major ports: Visakhapatnam and Kakinada and three minor ports: Krishnapatnam, Machilipatnam and Nizampatnam.

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh is located in the north India. It is the most populous state in India with a population of over 190 million people. Uttar Pradesh shares boundaries with eight states, including Uttarakhand , Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh , Jharkhand, Rajasthan , Haryana ,
Himachal Pradesh and Bihar, and an international boundary with Nepal.

Lucknow is the capital of Uttar Pradesh, which includes several beautiful historical monuments, comprising Imam Bara, Chota Imam Bara and British Resident of the Oudh period.

Destinations to visit
There are many places to visit in Uttar Pradesh. The major attractions of the state are Agra, Allahabad, Ayodhya, Bithoor, Braj-Bhoomi, Chitrakoot, Deogarh, Dudhwa National Park, Fatehpur Sikri, Gorakhpur, Jaunpur, Jhansi, Kalinjar, Kanpur, Kapilvastu, Kushinagar, Lucknow, Mahoba, Sarnath, Sravasti, Varanasi and Vrindavan. Uttar Pradesh is the cultural capital of India.

Fair and Festivals
People celebrate Holi, Janmashtami, Ramlila, Ramnavmi Mela, Kumbh Mela, Kampil Fair, Deva Mela, Bateshwar Fair, Kartik Poornima, Magh Mels, Rambarat, Kailash Fair.

Economy
Uttar Pradesh contributes 8.17% to India’s total GDP. The major activity of the state is agriculture. About 46% of the state income comes from agriculture. The state retains preeminent position in the country as a food-surplus state. There are large small scale industrial units in the country. Kanpur is the largest economic hub, followed by Lucknow, Noida, Meerut, Moradabad, Mirzapur, Bhadohi and Mathura.

Uttar Pradesh attracts both national and international tourists each year. There are three world heritage sites: Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.

Climate
Uttar Pradesh experiences subtropical climate with varying temperature and rainfall.

There are several national parks in Uttar Pradesh. Dudhwa National Park, Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, Sandi Bird Sanctuary and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary are the major attractions.

Communities
Uttar Pradesh is home to a number of tribal groups, including Agaria, Baiga, Bhar, Bhoksa, Bind, Chero, Gond, Kol and Korwa.

Transportation
There is a multimodal transport system in the state. Uttar Pradesh is well connected by rail, road, air and water. There are four major airport and 23 airstrips in the state. These airports are located in Lucknow, AgraGorakhpur, KanpurAllahbad and Varanasi. Lucknow and Varanasi operate international flights. The Ganges makes a long stretch from Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh to Haldia in West Bengal for the waterway. Indian Railways links almost all major and small cities. The state has the largest road network in India. Uttar Pradesh Road Transport Corporation operates both interstate and intrastate bus transport

Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is a beautiful Himalayan region bordered by Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to the south, Uttarakhand to the south-east, and Punjab to the west and to the south-west. Himachal Pradesh is the region of snowy mountains, as it is located in the western Himalaya. Its capital is Shimla, which was formerly British India’s summer capital.

Places to visit
Major attractions of Himachal Pradesh are Shimla, Dalhousie, Chamba, Kullu and Manali, Kangra-Dharamshala-Palampur and Paonta-Nahan.

Climate
Himachal Pradesh experiences three seasons: hot, cold and rainy seasons.

Languages
Himachal Pradesh comprises 12 districts. There are Hindi, Pahari, Dogri, Mandialli, Kangri, Gojri and Kinnauri.

Communities
There are Brahmins, Rajputs, Gujjars, Gaddis, Gojri, Bilaspuri, Kannets, Rathis, Kolis and Punjabi in Himachal Pradesh.

Himachal Pradesh has one of the highest literacy rates in India.

Culture
The Himalayan state offers handicrafts, comprising carpet, shawl, leather work, metalware, woodwork and paintings. Pashmina shawl is high in demand all over the country. Kullu is famous for shawls with vibrant colours. However Kangra and Dharamshala are famous for miniature paintings.

Himachal Pradesh is home to a variety of birds and animals. There are around 1200 bird and 359 animal species in the state.

Cuisine
Himachal Pradesh’s cuisine is charming. It includes Pateer, Chouck, Bhagjery, Jhoul, Patradoe, Sidku, Bedaun, Chutney, Madra, Khatti Dal, Ambua, Pahari Aloo and Pahari Murga.

Air Transport
There are three domestic airports in Himachal: Shimla Airport, Bhunta Airport and Gaggal Airport. However, most international flights land at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi.

Bihar

Bihar is a landlocked state in Eastern India, bordered by West Bengal to the east,
Uttar Pradesh to the West, Jharkhand to the south as well as an international boundary with Nepal, a Himalayan state.

The word “Bihar” coined from a Pali word ‘Vihara’, which means Buddhist Monasteries. It is one of the oldest inhabited places in the world with history of 3000 years. Bihar remained an important place of power, culture and education. The state is evident to innumerable ancient monuments.

Bihar comprises 38 districts. Various districts together make a division in the state. There are nine divisions, including Patna, Tirhut, Saran, Darbhanga, Kosi, Purnia, Bhagalpur, Munger and Magadha.

This eastern Indian state experiences Indian subcontinent type of climate with mildly cold winter and hot summer. June, July, August and September pick good rainfall. The best time to visit Bihar is anytime from October, November, February and March as there is pleasant climate.

Bihar remained epicentre of power, pelf, culture and education for thousands of years. It held an important position through different annals of history from Gupta Empire to evocations of Gandhi ji. Bihar produces several political stalwarts who drew revolution in India’s politics.

Bihar is the 3rd largest state by population. Over 80% of its population lives in villages.

Patna is the capital of Bihar.

Hindi and Urdu are the official languages of Bihar. However, majority of people speak Angika, Bhojpuri, Magadhi, Maithili and Baijjika.

Bihar is epicentre of Hinduism, Islamism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism. Mahabodihi Temple, a World Heritage Site, is situated in Bihar.

Bihar’s Maithili region practises Madhubani painting, a style of Indian painting.

The state also contributes to the Indian classical music. Shehnai maestro, Ustad Bismillah khan, was born and brought up in Bihar. He received India’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 2000.

Bihar’s leading dailies are Hindustan Times, Hindustan, The Times of India, The Economic Times, Prabhat Khabar, Dainik Jagaran and Aj.

Rice is the staple food of Bihar. Bihar’s Hindu upper and middle classes are vegetarian. Non-vegetarian food is also popular, but most Hindus don’t eat meat on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Mustard Oil is the traditional cooking medium. Litti (dough stuffed with sattu which is powder of roasted brown chickenpeas) and Chokha (mashed potatoes, fried onions, salt, carom seeds and cilantro) is the favourite dish of Bihar.

Chhat is the major festival of the state. It is the worship of the Sun God. The festival is celebrated twice a year: once in summers (Chaiti Chhath) and once a week after Deepawali (Kartik Chhat).

Over 6 million tourists visit Bihar each year. Bihar props education based tourism, as it preserves world’s ancient universities: Nalanda University and Vikramshila University. The major tourist destinations of Bihar are Vaisali, Rajgir, Patna, Pawapuri, Bodhgaya, Nalanda and Kesaria.

Mahatma Gandhi Setu is the world’s second longest river bridge in Patna, Bihar.

Foreign tourists need to obtain a visa from Indian High Commission. Those who are coming from Yellow Fever countries will have to produce a valid vaccination certificate.

Bihar is well connected by rail, road and air. There are two airports in Bihar: Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Airport, Patna and Gaya Airport, Gaya. The Patna airport operates direct flights to major India’s cities, including Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Ranchi, Lucknow and Mumbai. And the Gaya airport operates direct international flights to Colombo, Singapore, Bangkok and Paro.

Dubai

Dubai is a beautiful city along the southern coast of the Persian gulf of the Arabian Peninsula. The metropolis is the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which is one of the seven emirates containing the highest density of population in the country. Now Dubai has become an ideal location for wanderers, holidaymakers, picnickers, and honeymooners. This is the place where desert meets the sea.

Dubai is the oil rich desert oasis. There is myriad of shopping malls, flamboyant hotels and a dizzy array of dining options in Dubai. Clubs and bars are also available in the city.

Dubai is a desert landscape with extensive sand dunes, oases, and wadis. It is a spectacular offshore island, comprising several coral reefs and sabhka, or salt marshes.

The most interesting feature of Dubai is the Dubai Creek. That is a natural inlet in Persian Gulf which divides this beautiful city into two parts: the Deira to its north and the Bur Dubai to the South.

A cache of jewels is there in Dubai, including the Burj Al Arab (the world’s second tallest hotel), the Dubai Marina (the world’s second largest man-made marina), etc. Dubai is the centre of Legal, political, military and economy. It is the second largest emirates by the area after Abu Dhabi.

Dubai possesses veto power over critical issues of national importance.

The current Dubai’s ruler is Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He holds both the positions of the Prime Minister and the Vice President of the UAE.

History
Dubai is a federation of seven states. It was formed in 1971 by the then Trucial States after independence from Britain. Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm Al-Quwain are its other emirates governed by a Supreme Council of Rulers made up of the seven emirs who appoint the prime minister and the cabinet.

The desert city later turned upon an ideal tourist destination where a great influx of travelers now swoons each year. Dubai was established a dependent state of Abu Dhabi by the Al Abu Falasa Clan in Dubai. The Sheikh of Dubai and others in the region signed the “General Maritime Peace Treaty” with the British government on January 8th, 1820.

In 1833, Al Maktoum Dynasty, the descendants of the House of the Al Falasi, of the Bani Yas tribe thwarted the settlement of the Abu Dhabi and assumed power from the Abu Fasala clan amid much resistance. In the end, Dubai came under the protection of the United Kingdom by the “Exclusive Agreement” of 1892.

The geographical location of Dubai kept drawing attraction of traders and merchants on for a long time. Dubai was known for its pearls exports until the 1930s. The emir of Dubai attracted foreign traders by lowering the trade tax bracket. This exerted a pull on traders away from Sharjah and Bandar Lengeh (these were the main trade regions at that time).

In the event of the World War followed by the Great Depression in the late 1920s, Dubai’s peal industry was smashed up irreparably. The Jebel Ali Free Zone, comprising the Jebel Ali port, reputedly the world’s largest man-made port, was established in 1979. They provided foreign companies imported labour and export capital unrestricted. Strategically, Dubai provided refuelling base to allied forces at the Jebel Ali Free Zone during the Persian Gulf War, and again at the time of Iraq invasion in 2003, the success of the Jeblel Ali Zone allowed the city to develop some clusters of new free zones, like Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and Dubai Maritime City. Later, Burj Al Arab, the world’s tallest freestanding hotel, was erected to market Dubai for the purpose of tourism.

Lately, Dubai has seen a great increase in private real estate investment in recreating Dubai’s skyline with projecting some promising projects like The Palm Islands, The World Islands and Burj Dubai.

Earlier oil was discovered in the 1950s, after which the town granted concessions to international oil companies. The discovery of oil showed the way to a great influx of foreign workers, mainly Indians and Pakistanis. With the result, the population of the Dubai city from 1968 to 1975 grew by over 300%, by some ballpark figures.

Dubai adopted a uniform currency circulation – the UAE Dirham - in 1973.

Several beautiful parks, golf courses, and racecourses are there amid lush and verdant contrast to the desert sand.

Geography
Dubai covers an area of over 77,000 sq. Km bordering the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Its 90% of area is desert with mountains to the east. There is a vast sea of sand dunes leading into the desert known as The Empty Quarter. There is no natural river body or oases. The sandy dessert surrounds the city with wild grasses and occasional date palm trees, including desert hyacinths, acacia and ghaf trees, grow in the flat plains with the proximity to the Western Al Hajar Mountains.

Dubai consists of nine sectors. Each sector further subdivides into community. There are about 132 communities, bordering by a major road each. An inlet from the Gulf bisects the centre of the city. To the north of the Creek, there is the Deira area that houses the spice, fish, and gold souks. To the south of the Creek is Bur Dubai that’s an area of having strong Indian influence.

Climate
Dubai experiences hot and humid climate. There is a maximum rainfall of 150 millimetres per year. Precipitation normally centres in the months of January, February and March. There is heavy rain during winters.

The official language of Dubai is Arabic. However, Malayalam, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Tamil, Persian, Tagalog, Chinese are widely spoken in Dubai. English is the city language.

The UAE is an Islamic country. However, the country gives equal respect to other communities like Christianity, Jewish, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. The country strictly prohibits proselytizing or distributing of religious literature under the penalty of Criminal Prosecution, imprisonment and deportation for engrossing in behaviour offensive to Islam.

Cuisine
Dubai’s cuisine is charming. Arab food is very popular yet might exclusively be much expensive. It offers plump oysters, juicy prawns, sweet langoustines and slipper lobsters. Freshly baked nan breads with spicy sambal or coriander and pine kernel dips are also served. Consumption of pork in Dubai is illegal, but it is regulated and sold to non-Muslims. Similar restriction has been placed on alcoholic beverages, but several bars and restaurants offer alcoholic drinks. The popular boutiques in Dubai are Shisha and Qahwa.

Trade
The main source of Dubai’s revenue is tourism, trade, real estate and financial services. The petroleum and natural contribute less than 6% to the Dubai’s economy and the real estate and construction accounts for about 23%.

Dubai got the world’s tallest office building erected. The world’s longest ambulance, 18 meters long holding up to 44 patients at a time, is in Dubai. The Guinness Book of World Records enlists it in the world's longest Ambulance.

The world’s first Maradona Sports Café has also been opened in Dubai. It will be dedicated to soccer legends – Deigo Maradona. A number of items, including shirts, balls, gloves and other items, have been donated by people like Pele, Zico and Dunga. UAE property tycoon Sulaiman Al Fahim has developed it.

The Waterfall, the newest shopping centre, has recently been opened. It is spectacular waterfall. It has specifically been designed to give visitors a significant site and provide a meeting point for families and friends. There is Burj Dubai, which is built on the 30-acre Burj Dubai Lake and The Address, Downtown Burj Dubai. This is one of the most popular leisure attractions of Dubai.

Air Transport
Many international airlines operate in Dubai. The leading service providers are Jet Airways, Air India Express, Gulf Air Bahrain, Air India Limited, Kuwait Airways, Irtysh Airlines, Emirates Airlines, Mahan Air, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways.

Dubai’s national carrier is Emirates Airlines, a subsidiary of The Emirates Group. The leading airline is the largest carrier in the Middle East. It was founded in 1985. It main hub is Dubai International Airport. it is also one of the busiest cargo airports in the world to handle over 1.824 million tonnes. The national air carrier operates North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Australia.

Dubai has established a new airport, Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International. This airport has been operational since June 2010.