Set apart from the rest of Asia by the Himalayas, India touches 3 large water bodies: the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Arabian sea to the west, and the India Ocean to the south. From north to south India extends a good 2000 miles (3200 km), where the island nation of Sri Lanka seems to be squeezed out of India like a great tear, the synapse forming the Gulf of Mannar.

Nearly five thousand years ago, at the same time as the Egyptian civilisation, flourished India’s first major civilisation along the Indus River valley. The twin cities of Mohenjodaro and Harappa now in Pakistan were ruled by priests and held the rudiments of Hinduism. Surviving for nearly a thousand years the Indus valley civilisation fell to tectonic upheavals in about 1700 BC, which caused a series of floods. The coming of the Aryans around 1500 BC, gave the final blow to the collapsing Indus Valley civilisation. At the dawn of Vedic ages the Aryans came in from the North and spread through large parts of India bringing with them their culture and religious beliefs. The Four Vedas or the important books of Hinduism were compiled in this period.

Describing today’s India variety is an impossible mission. India cannot be understood with words, only an experience in the country will reveal part of its richness: various cuisines, arts, dances, heritages, religions, cultures, architectures, music, handicrafts, traditions.... A country of diversity.

A visit of www.incredibleindia.org will help to prepare your trip