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Today, I am going to give fifteen reasons for traveling to India. Here is the first one: India is the seventh biggest country in the world in terms of land area. It is also the second most populous country and the most populated democratic country. There are also many other surprising facts about India. It is a country of 1.1 billion people that speak around 800 languages and 2000 dialects. Aside from the major religious communities, such as Hindu, Muslim, Shikh, Zoroastrians, Jains, and Buddhists there are many small communities. In a word, India is a country of great diversity; diversity in terms of land, climate, people, language, culture, religion, and many more. There is no country in the world that offers so much diversity. So, if you like traveling and have not visited India then I would suggest you start making plans to travel India A S A P!

3) Water sports: If you like water sports then India is a good choice. India has coastline of more than 7000 kilometers which is ideal for skiing, fishing, yachting, kayaking etc. The streams and lakes of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are great spots for fishing and angling. India has many rivers and majority of them originate from the Himalayas. These rivers are also used for all kinds of water sports. The best time for water sports are from October to March.

4) Snorkeling and scuba diving: Another source of fun and joy for the tourists. Andaman, Nicobar, and Lakshadweep are great spots for scuba divers. The blue lagoons of Lakshadweep, the underwater plants and fishes of Andaman and Nicobar, the volcanic islands will spell cast any diver. Then, there is the famous sea beach of Goa that offers great excitement both above and under water.  

5) Eco tourism: India has a diverse landscape. On the North, there is the Himalayan mountain range, the western portion is desert area, the rich fertile lands of Indo-Gangetic area is situated on the east and on the south, the Deccan plateau has two hill ranges. The weather also varies widely from one region to another. Due to this varied climate, and diverse land, different kinds of trees and plants grow all over India. The total forest area of India can be divided into ten regions: tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands, montane grasslands and shrublands, flooded grasslands and savannas, deserts and xeric shrublands, mangrove. So if you are looking for eco tourism then India can be a great destination.  

6) Caving, a rising tourist attraction: As I was browsing the Indian tourism website, I came across this new tourist attraction called caving. The main idea is to get into a cave and look at it for recreational purpose. This is not popular yet but has a great potential for attracting tourists. In central, northern and north eastern part of India there are many caves that can be used for caving. Meghalaya, situated in North East India has 780 caves. 

7) Mountain trekking: The Himalayan mountain range is situated on the Northern region of India. This range, starting from Northern India goes up to the Arunachal state. There are more than 100 peaks above 600 meters. This is a great opportunity for people who love to climb mountains.

8) Religious tours: If you want to go to any religious site then India has a lot to offer. For Muslims, one of the major religious sites is the tomb of Khaja Mainuddin Chishti, founder of the Chistia Sufi order, one of most important Sufi orders in this subcontinent. This place is open to people of all religion. Every year, lots of people from all over India come here. Among other famous religious sites are: Asthapad for the Jainists, and Tirthapuri for the Buddhists. Mount Kailash is a major religious site for the Hindus. Kailash is another symbol of the great god Shiva. Besides these sites, there are many other small and big temples situated all over India and all of these temples are considered to be very sacred.

9) Historical sites: In India,the most significant tourist spots are the historical ones. India has numerous historical sites. Writing about the historical sites, the first thing that came to my mind was the world famous Taj Mahal. It is a tomb built by Shah Jahan for his favorite wife Taj Mahal. Built within 1631 to 1648, it is considered one of the “Seven Wonders of the World” and a major landmark of Indian culture and heritage. Among other major heritage sites there are: Agra Fort, Ajanta Caves, Sanchi Buddhist monuments, Elephanta caves, Fatehpur Sikri, Humayun’s tomb, the temples at Khajuraho, Qutb Minar etc. You can get information about all these locations in Incredible India.  

10) Palaces and forts: Aside from these great historical sites, there are many palaces and forts situated in various states of India. The fort of Chittaurgarh in Rajasthan is a symbol of genius and heroism of the Rajputas. This fort was built in 7^th century A.D. Situated on a hill which 180 meters high. Among other major palaces and forts there are: Abhaneri, Ajit Bhawan, Akbar's Palace, Amber Palace, Bal Samand Palace, Bala Quila, Bhairon Vilas, Bhanwar Niwas, Brijraj Bhawan Palace, Bundi Palace etc.  

11) Ellora: The temples and monasteries of three religions situated at Ellora is another major heritage site of India. Ellora is basically an ancient village situated at Aurangabad in Maharashtra. The main feature of this whole area is that there are monasteries and temples of three religions: Hindu, Buddhists and Jainists. The temples and monasteries are situated in side caves.

12) MICE: Another emerging tourism business in India is MICE                 (Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Exhibition). India is now emerging as an economic giant. Indian IT sector is the most rapidly growing sector in the world. Due to the availability of skilled manpower at a low price, many service oriented companies are shifting their business in India. This has created a great opportunity for Indian tourism as well. Officials off various foreign companies visit India for business purpose. They stay in hotels and use the conference spots for meetings and seminars. In addition, these people also go out for a little bit of sight seeing amidst their schedules. So, the whole thing has opened up another opportunity for the Indian tourism sector.

13) Beaches: Beaches are another great attraction in India. I have already mentioned that India has coastline over seven thousand kilometers. The popular beach areas are: Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, Lakshadweep Islands, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, and Pondicherry. You can know about these beaches by visiting this link.

14) Luxury train ride: Another major tourist attraction is the luxury train ride to Shimla, Ooty, and Darjeeling hill resort. The train is a toy train. It moves slowly but you will be able to enjoy the beautiful breathtaking sites and sceneries of both sides. The train will go through numerous tunnels and bridges. If you are tired of the city’s crowd and noise then this is best way to relax. The interior of these trains are very well decorated with local crafts and artworks.

15) Herbal treatment: People also come to India for health and medical purpose. Every year, people from the surrounding countries visit India for medical treatment. These people also contribute a lot to the tourism sector of India. Aside from its modern medical treatment, India is also famous for herbal treatment. Herbal treatment has a long tradition in India. Various herbal treatments like Ayurveda, Unani and alternative healing attract lots of people from abroad.

The best thing about Indian tourism sector is that it is very flexible for the foreign travelers. You can not see everything only in one travel. There are so many things to see and enjoy. You have come again and again.

Incredible India