India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world. Until the middle of the III millennium BC. The Dravidian civilization developed in India. In the period from 2500 to 1500 BC. India was conquered by the Indo-Aryan tribes. From the 8th century, Islam began to penetrate into India.
Muslim rule continued until 1398, when the armies of Tamerlane came to the country. In 1526, a descendant of Tamerlane, Babur, conquered almost all of India and founded the Mughal Empire, which lasted until 1857. Full political leadership passed to Great Britain in 1828-1835, and in 1857. India became a virtual protectorate of Great Britain. August 15, 1947 India gained independence.
Geographical position – in the north it borders with Afghanistan, China, Nepal and Bhutan, in the east – with Bangladesh and Burma (Myanmar), in the west – with Pakistan. In the east it is washed by the Bay of Bengal, in the south – by the Polk Strait, which separates it from Sri Lanka, and by the Indian Ocean, in the west by the Arabian Sea. Area – 3,287,000 sq. km.
According to Theinternetfaqs, India has a monsoonal climate. 3 seasons: dry cold – from October to March (considered the best time to visit), dry hot – from April to June and humid hot – from July to September. The best time to travel in India depends on where you are going. When the beach season (November) just opens in Goa (on the coast of the Indian Ocean), snow is already in the Himalayas. On the other hand, July – August, when it is very hot and humid in southern India, is the best time to travel around Ladakh (a region lying on the Tibetan Plateau behind the large Himalayan Range).
In South and Central India, it is recommended to go during the season from July to September (rainy, humid, warm + 25-30*C) and from October to March (dry, cool + 20-25*C), bad season from March to June (very hot, dry + 35-45*C).
India is a huge country that lives according to its own laws, inaccessible to the European mind. There is something interesting and unusual behind every turn.
Madras: government museum; national art gallery.
Varanasi: Sarnat Museum; 1500 temples, the main one is the Golden Temple; mass bathing in the Ganges.
Calcutta: Museum of India; Birla Technology Museum; Victoria memorial in Maidan park; Raj Bhavan (government house); Cathedral of St. Paul; Botanical Garden.
Bombay: Western India Museum; Victoria Gardens park with a zoo; Kanheri caves with bas-reliefs of the II-IX centuries; several temples of the 7th century.
Agra: Taj Mahal mausoleum; Pearl Mosque (XVII century); Jahangri Mahal marble mausoleum, red fort.
Khajurahu: temples of love Kamasutra.
Patna: Sikh temples.
Delhi: National Museum, Red Fort (1649); Great Mosque; Hall of public receptions of the Great Mongols; Rang Mahal Palace; Pearl Mosque; 12th century tower Qutub Minar; zoo.
Jaipur: astrological observatory.
Amritsar: Golden Temple of the Sikhs, surrounded by the sacred pool of immortality.
The national currency is the Indian rupee. Their export outside the country is prohibited. There are no restrictions on the import of foreign currency, but when importing more than $2,500 (or its equivalent in another currency), you must declare it.
There are currency exchange offices right at the airport, with many foreign and commercial banks or in shops (usually at a higher rate).
When exchanging at banks, you must have a passport with you. You can exchange back Indian rupees for hard currency when leaving the country – up to 25% of the amount officially exchanged by you (upon presentation of certificates from banks issued during the exchange). It is best to take dollars with you, the currencies of other countries are not changed in all banks and at a less favorable rate.
Travel to India
On the southwestern coast of India there is a small town called Gokarna. A place like no other, located on a long peninsula jutting out into the ocean. Volcanoes once erupted here. The soil under your feet is hardened volcanic lava, and inside there are many caves. In one of these caves, according to legend, as in a cow’s ear, Shiva himself came.
Meditative cave Cow’s Ear, where a beam of light penetrates at noon and illuminates the altar. According to legend, this is how Shiva himself came. And in fact, the feeling is indescribable.
And there are ancient temples, a sacred lake, the temple of Aruna Temple and nearby a spring gushing from a rock.
Here – the ocean, sand and sun, cozy houses are located in the garden, among exotic trees and palm trees. The water in the open ocean is completely different, not the same as off the coast. More saturated, lively, like a real living being, the color of the sea wave – this is it. And salt spray in the face.
Not far from Gokarna is Om Beach, it looks like the Om mantra from a bird’s eye view. And the beach is like a beach. There is one good restaurant, the food here is delicious.
Honey Beach is also an amazing place. Long, long bank, then crossing the river to the beach, then wild rocks.
Shopping in Gokarna
In India, shopping is everything. There are so many bright, rich and festive things around. Cotton and silk are wonderful in India, so everything is practical and solid.
Temples of Gokarna
Mahabaleshwar, holds the Shiva lingam, a shrine from the shrines of Shaivism. It is two meters deep and is shown once every sixty years, they say, of extraterrestrial origin. Europeans are not allowed to approach her. But you can enter the temple itself. At the entrance, the sacred bull Nandi lives there.
