Information About India

Tourist places in India

2007-11-01T04:00:00.000-07:00

Agra

The Agra city is world wide famous for its Taj Mahal, which is the mausoleum of Mumtaz Mahal, wife of Emperor Shah Jahan. Agra also have many other places to see one of them is Agra Fort, build by Emperor Akbar between 1565 - 1573. The Tomb of Akbar is 12 km from Agra City.

Area : 120.57 sq km

Access : flights from Delhi,Khajuraho,Varanasi.Train from Delhi,Jaipur,Varansi

Distance :Delhi 200 km, Jaipur - 250 km,Bhartpur-56,Varanasi-607,Ranthambore-294 km,Sariska-189 km,Nanital - 376

Hotels : 5 Star-Mughal Sherton,Taj View,Clarks Shiraz,Howard park plaza

Special day trip to Agra - by luxury train

Bikaner

Founded in 1488. A timeless desert city.ringed by 7Km. long walland famed for its sandstone architechture which stands in stark contrast to the surrounding desert wilderness.
Sights:
Junagarh Fort, 1588, with saveral places and temples, Lallgarh Palace cavered from red sandstone, Ganga Golden Jublee Museum and a Camel Breeding Farm.

Area : 38.10 sq km

Access : well connected to air,Rail and Road network.

Distances : Bundi-396 km, Jaisalmer 333 km, Jodhpur 243 km, Mandawa 200 km.

Hotels

Delhi

The Capital Of India, Delhi is divided into two main divisions, Old Delhi and New Delhi. Delhi have all the world class facilities which one can avail.
Sights:
Red Fort - Build by Shah Jahan in 1648.
Purana Quila - Light and Sound Shows at evening.
Humayun's Tomb - The old fort of Humanyun.
India Gate - Which was build in the honour of Indian Soldiers.
Rashtrapati Bhawan - Former residence of Viceroy, now the residence of President of India.
Parliament House ,Qutab Minar - Build in 1199, Connaught Place, Chandni Chowk and much more.

Area : 1483 sq.km

Access

Distances : Agra 203 km, Bikaner 471 km,Bhartpur 205 km, chandigarh 238 km,Corbett Park 296 km,Jaipur 258 km, Jodhpur 610 km,Nanital 302,Neemrana 120 km,Rishikesh 224 km,Udaipur 670 km,Varanasi 670 km

Hotels 5 Star : Ashoka,le Merdien,Maurya Sherton,Taj Palace,Taj MansinghThe Oberoi,Grand Intercontinental,

Book hotel in Delhi/Book tour to Delhi

Jodhpur

Founded 1459.A startling fortress-city and shopper's paradise for rare artifacts not found elsewhere. Apart from the grandeur of the imposing palace and fort, the city itself is a piece of remarkable history.
Sights:
Mehrangarh Fort - One of the most imposing sights of India with it's intricately carved sandstone edifice sitting ,seemingly impregnable, atop a 400 ft high rock. Inc Museum of colourful, historical artefacts. Also: Mandore (8kms) - former capital. Landscaped gardens, ancient temples, cenotaphs; Hall of Heroes - 16 larger than life sculptures, carved from one rock, of Hindu & folk deities.

Area : 75.50 sq km

Access ; By Air- Flight from mumbai,Delhi,Jaipur,Udaipur,By Train-direct train from Mumbai,Ahemdabad,Delhi,Jaipur etc.

Distances : Mandore 10 km,Mt Abu 264 km,Pokaran 196 km,Udaipur 280 km.

Hotels

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Udaipur

Founded 1599, the glory, the chivalry and valour of the rajputs is displayed at it's finest by the grandeur of this lovely, lake side city. The city is a constant procession of places,temples, lakes and cenotaphs, each out doing the other in it's beauty. The bazaars offer fine crafts especially vividly coloured paintings..

Area

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Hotels

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khajuraho

The remoteness & isolation of Khajuraho.has ensured the survival of one the India's greatest treasures. Built 950-1050AD. 85 temples of which 22 survive, covered in friezes & sculptures claimed to be the most perfect depiction of human form in stone. More famed for thier erotic sculptures, they in fact, depict, inexquisite detail, the everyday life of people,both rich &poor of the 11th century.

Area

Access By Air-Links with Delhi,Varanasi,Kathmandu.By Train -Delhi,Mumbai Kolkatta and Varanasi.Bus Service : Chhatarpur Satna,Jhansi,Gwalior,Agra Jabalpur,,Indore, Bhopal,Varanasi.

Distances : Bandhavgarh 189 km,Chattarpur 48 km, Jabalpur 233 km, Jhansi 181 km,Orcha 178 km, Varanasi 399 km

Hotels

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Leh

The city is a constant procession of places,temples, lakes and cenotaphs, each out doing the other in it's beauty. The bazaars offer fine crafts especially vividly coloured paintings.A remote outpost of mankind untouched by the modern age. In the Indus Valley beneath the shadow of the Himalyan & Karakoram Mountains.
Sights:
Leh palace, a mini Tibetan Potala; Shey, Thikse, Hemis, Alchi, & many other monasteries of great antiquity and charm.

Area

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Hotels

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Chennai

The relaxed Tamil nature and pleasant location on the Bay of Bengal makes this, possibly, the nicest of India's large cities (4th Largest). Many buildings are coated in chunam, a mix of limestone & seashell making the walls shimmer.
Sights:
Kapaleshwar Temple, the pyramidal gateway tower soars to 37m .& has intricate carvings; San Thome Cathedral 16th C.Fort St. George, built by East India Co.in 1460; St Mary's church, 1679, the oldest Anglican church in Asia, & oldest, intact English building in India; Museum and Gallery.

Area : 174 sq km,Coastal line 22 sq km

Access

Distances : Chidambaram 232 km Kanchipuram 76 km, Madurai 444 km,Ponidcherry 162 km, Rameshwaram 596,Trupati 152 km

Hotels

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Jaisalmer

Area : 5.1 Sq km

Access : well connected to Raod network.

Distances

Hotels

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places to visit india

Mysore

"Sandalwood City", the centre for incense stick making. A great place to shop for arts and crafts, esp inlaid wood.
Sights : Maharaja's Palace; Chamundi Hill with spectacular views from Shiva Temple and the 5m high Nandi Bull( Lord Shiva's mount) sculptures of India's great epics. Also, Somnathpur, Srirangapatnam-nearby towns witha wealth of historical significance.

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Neemrana

Midway between Delhi and Jaipur, the seldom visited Neemrana Palace was built in 1464 and is the oldest palace to have been converted for hotel use. Little has changed within the palace and the rooms are full of antiques & offer superb vistas of the surrounding countryside. An oppurtunity to escape to another era.

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Orchha

Orchha Once the capital of a powerful 17th C. state.The old fort ,palace,temples & riverside cenotaphs remain on an island in the River Bekwa.This is oNEof the most attractive seetings one could ask for, and the town itself,little more than a village now, has changed from it's medieval hay day.
Sights :
Jahangir Mahal; Raja mahal.

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places to visit india

Rankapur

Ranakpur Famed for it's 15th century Jain Temples - Rishabji Temple - has 1,444 pillars, all different ! Sun temple has interesting carvings.

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Smode

Samode 45kms from Jaipur (one hour). The Palace is decorated in Shekhwati style with wealth of frescoes. Highlight is the grand Durbar hall.

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Hotels

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Mandawa

A charming town of lavishly decorated painted house(called havelis) which belonged to merchants made wealthy by trade with China and a large fort, Castle Mandawa, both a musuem & a hotel.

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Shivpuri

Shivpuri The former Summer Capital of the Maharaja's of Gwalior is famed for it's beautiful marble cenotaphs. Adjacent is Madhav Natl Park, centred on two graceful lakes with crocodile.This is home of many deer, antelope, wild dog & sloth bears. There is also hundreds of peacocks and the endangered Great Indian Bustard survives in the neighbouring bird sanctuary.

Area

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Varanasi

Records of Varanasi date back over 3000 years, making it India's oldest town and one of the most ancient in the world, as one wanders the twisting back alleys it is easy to forget you are in the 20th century! It is the "religious capital" of Hinduism and attracts thousand of pilgrim.
Sights:
River cruise on the River Ganges(especially in the morning, Ghats(stepped landings used for ceremonial worshipping & funeral pyres)-the daily devotions of the righteous are an exhilarating sight. Kashi-Vishwanath Temple-18th century, also known as the Golden Temple the most sacred shrine of Lord Shiva, patron god of Varanasi, Durga Kund, Sankat-Mochan - shrine of Hanuman(monkey God), Annapurna Temple, Kal Bhairava Temple, Gyanvapi "Aurangazeb" Mosque, Ramnagar Fort - residence of the Maharaja of Varanasi, inc museum.

Tourism in India

2007-11-01T03:54:00.000-07:00

North India

- Delhi

- Haryana

- Himachal Pradesh

- Jammu & Kashmir

- Punjab

- Rajasthan

- Uttar Pradesh

West India

- Daman & Diu

- Gujarat

- Goa

- Madhya Pradesh

- Maharashtra

South India

- Andhra Pradesh

- Lakshadweep

- Karnataka

- Kerala

- Tamil Nadu

East India

- Andaman & Nicobar

- Arunachal Pradesh

- Assam

- Bihar

- Manipur

- Meghalaya

- Mizoram

- Nagaland

- Orissa

- Sikkim

- Tripura

- West Bengal

Culture

- India-Fair & Festivals

- India-Cuisine

- India-Music & Dance

- India-Art

Nature

- Wildlife Tourism

- Hill Stations Tourism

Spiritual


	North India		South India


	East India		West India

Ideal Tour Itineraries to Explore India

		India Golden Triangle

		Delhi – Agra – Jaipur – Mathura–Goa – Mumbai More..


		Exotic Rajasthan

		Delhi – Agra – Jaipur – Mumbai – Udaipur – Jodhpur –Bikaner Jaisalmer–Jodhpur–Mount Abu-Udaipur More..


		Rajasthan - North India

		Delhi -Varanasi-Khajuraho-Bhandhavgarh-Jabalpur-Orcha-Gwalior-Agra-Jaipur-Jodhpur-Bikaner More..


		Rajasthan - Kerala

		Delhi - Jaipur - Agra - Delhi - Goa - Cochin - Munnar - Periyar - Alleppey - Kumarakom - Kovalam - Trivandrum - Mumbai More..


		North India - Kerala

		Delhi-Varanasi-Khajuraho-Satna-Agra-Jaipur- Mandawa-Bikaner-Jaisalmer-Jodhpur-Udaipur-Mumbai -Cochin-Periyar- Alleppey- Kumarakom- Cochin- More..


		North & West India

		Mumbai – Goa – Mumbai – Aurangabad – Delhi – Udaipur – Jodhpur – Jaipur – Agra – Delhi – Varanasi – Khajuraho – Delhi More..


		Mumbai -Ajanta Ellora

		Mumbai – Lonavala – Matheran – Nasik – Shirdi – Aurangabad – Ajanta – Ellora – Pune –Mumbai More..


		Gujarat India Tour

		Mumbai – Goa – Mumbai – Ahmedabad – Rajkot – Porbander – Sasan Gir – Diu – Bhavnagar – Ahmedabad More..


		North India -Nepal

		Delhi - Jaipur - Agra -Khajuraho-Varanasi - Delhi - Kathmandu- Pokhra-Kathmandu More..


		Himachal Nature Tour

		Delhi-Agra- Ranthambhor - Jaipur-Delhi- Shimla - Kullu - Manali -Parwanoo More..


		Kerala Backwaters

		Mumbai – Cochin – Munnar – Periyar – Alleppey – Kumarakom – Kovalam – Trivandrum More..


		Kerala & Karnataka

		Bangalore - Mysore - Ooty - Cochin - Kollam -Kanyakumari - Rameshwaram - Madurai More..


		South India

		Chennai – Tirupati – Mahabalipuram - Kanchipuram- Pondicherry- Tanjore-Madurai More..


		Sikkim India

		Delhi - Bagdogra - Darjeeling- Pemayangtse - Gangtok - Kalimpong More..


		South & North India

		Delhi- Agra- Jaipur -Delhi-Bangalore-Mysore-Ooty-Cochin-Alleppey-Kumarakom-Cochin More..


		Exotic Sun Temple

		Chennai - Tirupati - Mahabalipuram - Kanchipuram-Pondicherry- Tanjore-Madurai More..


		India Wildlife

		Delhi-Corbett- Delhi - Jaipur-Ranthambhor-Agra-Bandhavgarh -Khajuraho More..


		Glorious Himalaya

		Delhi – Shimla - Mashobra – Manali – Jispa –Sarchu – Leh More..


		Yoga and Ayurveda

		Delhi- Coimbatore - Palakkad-Cochin-Bangalore More..


		Incredible India

		Chennai- Tirupati- Mahabalipuram - Kanchipuram- Pondicherry - Chidambaram - Trichy -Madurai - Periyar - Alleppey - Kumarakom - Cochin - Bangalore - Puttaparthi - Mysore -Halebid - Belur - Hassan - Goa - Mumbai More..

Rajasthan

- India Golden Triangle

- Exotic Rajasthan

- Rajasthan-North India

North India

Adventures & Wildlife

South India-Kerala

- South & North India

West India

- Gujarat India

- Mumbai-Ajanta Ellora

Other Special Tour

India Trains

General Info

- India-Travellers Guide

- India-Weather

India

2007-11-01T03:52:00.000-07:00

Map of India

Republic of India

National name: Bharat

President: Pratibha Patil (2007)

Prime Minister: Manmohan Singh (2004)

Current government officials

Land area: 1,147,949 sq mi (2,973,190 sq km); total area: 1,269,338 sq mi (3,287,590 sq km)

Population (2007 est.): 1,129,866,154 (growth rate: 1.6%); birth rate: 22.7/1000; infant mortality rate: 34.6/1000; life expectancy: 68.6; density per sq mi: 984

Capital (2003 est.): New Delhi, 15,334,000 (metro. area), 9,817,439 (city proper)

Largest cities: Bombay (Mumbai), 18,336,000 (metro. area), 11,914,398 (city proper); Calcutta (Kolkata), 14,299,000 (metro. area), 4,760,800 (city proper); Bangalore, 4,461,100; Madras (Chennai), 4,382,100; Ahmedabad, 3,653,700; Hyderabad, 3,585,600; Kanpur, 2,631,800

Monetary unit: Rupee

Principal languages: Hindi 30%, English, Bengali, Gujarati, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Kannada, Assamese, Sanskrit, Sindhi (all official); Hindi/Urdu; 1,600+ dialects

Ethnicity/race: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)

Religions: Hindu 81%, Islam 13%, Christian 2%, Sikh 2% (2001)

Literacy rate: 60% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $3.699 trillion; per capita $3,400. Real growth rate: 7.6%. Inflation: 4.6%. Unemployment: 9.9%. Arable land: 54%. Agriculture: rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish. Labor force: 496.4 million; agriculture 60%, services 23%, industry 17% (1999). Industries: textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software. Natural resources: coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land. Exports: $76.23 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals, leather manufactures. Imports: $113.1 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals. Major trading partners: U.S., UAE, China, Hong Kong, UK, Singapore, Switzerland, Belgium (2004).

Member of Commonwealth of Nations

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 48.917 million (2003); mobile cellular: 26,154,400 (2003). Radio broadcast stations: AM 153, FM 91, shortwave 68 (1998). Television broadcast stations: 562 (of which 82 stations have 1 kW or greater power and 480 stations have less than 1 kW of power) (1997). Internet hosts: 86,871 (2003). Internet users: 18.481 million (2003).

Transportation: Railways: total: 63,230 km (16,693 km electrified) (2004). Highways: total: 2,525,989 km; paved: 1,448,655 km; unpaved: ,077,334 km (1999). Waterways: 14,500 km; note: 5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for mechanized vessels (2004). Ports and harbors: Chennai, Haldia, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), New Mangalore, Vishakhapatnam. Airports: 333 (2004 est.).

International disputes: China and India launched a security and foreign policy dialogue in 2005, consolidating discussions related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to Pakistan, and other matters; recent talks and confidence-building measures have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); in 2004, India and Pakistan instituted a cease fire in the Kashmir and in 2005, restored bus service across the highly militarized Line of Control; Pakistan has taken its dispute on the impact and benefits of India's building the Baglihar dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir to the World Bank for arbitration; UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; disputes persist with Pakistan over Indus River water sharing; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, in 2004, India and Pakistan resurveyed a portion of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch; Pakistani maps continue to show Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat State; discussions with Bangladesh remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, to exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in both countries, to allocate divided villages, and to stop illegal cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to fence off high-traffic sections; dispute with Bangladesh over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; India seeks cooperation from Bhutan and Burma to keep Indian Nagaland and Assam separatists from hiding in remote areas along the borders; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues to demarcate minor disputed boundary sections; India has instituted a stricter border regime to keep out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities from Nepal.

Major sources and definitions

Native States

Geography

One-third the area of the United States, the Republic of India occupies most of the subcontinent of India in southern Asia. It borders on China in the northeast. Other neighbors are Pakistan on the west, Nepal and Bhutan on the north, and Burma and Bangladesh on the east.

The country can be divided into three distinct geographic regions: the Himalayan region in the north, which contains some of the highest mountains in the world, the Gangetic Plain, and the plateau region in the south and central part. Its three great river systems—the Ganges, the Indus, and the Brahmaputra—have extensive deltas and all rise in the Himalayas.

Government

Federal republic.

History

One of the earliest civilizations, the Indus Valley civilization flourished on the Indian subcontinent from c. 2600 B.C. to c. 2000 B.C. It is generally accepted that the Aryans entered India c. 1500 B.C. from the northwest, finding a land that was already home to an advanced civilization. They introduced Sanskrit and the Vedic religion, a forerunner of Hinduism. Buddhism was founded in the 6th century B.C. and was spread throughout northern India, most notably by one of the great ancient kings of the Mauryan dynasty, Asoka (c. 269–232 B.C.), who also unified most of the Indian subcontinent for the first time.

In 1526, Muslim invaders founded the great Mogul Empire, centered on Delhi, which lasted, at least in name, until 1857. Akbar the Great (1542–1605) strengthened and consolidated this empire. The long reign of his great-grandson, Aurangzeb (1618–1707), represents both the greatest extent of the Mogul Empire and the beginning of its decay.

Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese explorer, landed in India in 1498, and for the next 100 years the Portuguese had a virtual monopoly on trade with the subcontinent. Meanwhile, the English founded the East India Company, which set up its first factory at Surat in 1612 and began expanding its influence, fighting the Indian rulers and the French, Dutch, and Portuguese traders simultaneously.

Bombay, taken from the Portuguese, became the seat of English rule in 1687. The defeat of French and Mogul armies by Lord Clive in 1757 laid the foundation of the British Empire in India. The East India Company continued to suppress native uprisings and extend British rule until 1858, when the administration of India was formally transferred to the British Crown following the Sepoy Mutiny of native troops in 1857–1858.

After World War I, in which the Indian states sent more than 6 million troops to fight beside the Allies, Indian nationalist unrest rose to new heights under the leadership of a Hindu lawyer, Mohandas K. Gandhi, called Mahatma Gandhi. His philosophy of civil disobedience called for nonviolent noncooperation against British authority. He soon became the leading spirit of the Indian National Congress Party, which was the spearhead of revolt. In 1919, the British gave added responsibility to Indian officials, and in 1935, India was given a federal form of government and a measure of self-rule.

In 1942, with the Japanese pressing hard on the eastern borders of India, the British War Cabinet tried and failed to reach a political settlement with nationalist leaders. The Congress Party took the position that the British must quit India. Fearing mass civil disobedience, the government of India carried out widespread arrests of Congress Party leaders, including Gandhi.

Gandhi was released in 1944 and negotiations for a settlement were resumed. Finally, in Aug. 1947, India gained full independence. The victory was soured, however, by the partitioning of the predominantly Muslim regions of the north into the separate nation of Pakistan. The Muslim League, led by Mohammed Ali Jinnah, demanded a separate nation for the Muslim minority to prevent Hindu political and social domination. Indian Hindus, however, had hoped for a unified rather than balkanized Indian subcontinent. Lord Mountbatten as viceroy partitioned India along religious lines and split the provinces of Bengal and the Punjab, which both nations claimed. The partition of Pakistan and India led to the largest migration in human history, with 17 million people fleeing across the borders in both directions to escape the bloody riots occurring among sectarian groups. Armed conflict also broke out over rival claims to the princely states of Jammu and Kashmir.

Jawaharlal Nehru, nationalist leader and head of the Congress Party, was made prime minister. In 1949, a constitution was approved, making India a sovereign republic. Under a federal structure the states were organized on linguistic lines. The dominance of the Congress Party contributed to stability. In 1956, the republic absorbed former French settlements. Five years later, the republic forcibly annexed the Portuguese enclaves of Goa, Damao, and Diu.

Nehru died in 1964. His successor, Lal Bahadur Shastri, died on Jan. 10, 1966. Nehru's daughter, Indira Gandhi, became prime minister, and she continued his policy of nonalignment.

In 1971, the Pakistani army moved in to quash the independence movement in East Pakistan that was supported by India, and some 10 million Bengali refugees poured across the border into India, creating social, economic, and health problems. After numerous border incidents, India invaded East Pakistan and in two weeks forced the surrender of the Pakistani army. East Pakistan was established as an independent state and renamed Bangladesh.

In May 1975, the 300-year-old kingdom of Sikkim became a full-fledged Indian state. Situated in the Himalayas, Sikkim was a virtual dependency of Tibet until the early 19th century. Under an 1890 treaty between China and Great Britain, it became a British protectorate and was made an Indian protectorate after Britain quit the subcontinent.

In the summer of 1975, the world's largest democracy veered suddenly toward authoritarianism when a judge in Allahabad, Indira Gandhi's home constituency, found Gandhi's landslide victory in the 1971 elections invalid because civil servants had illegally aided her campaign. Amid demands for her resignation, Gandhi decreed a state of emergency on June 26 and ordered mass arrests of her critics, including all opposition party leaders except the Communists.

Despite strong opposition to her repressive measures, particularly resentment against compulsory birth control programs, in 1977 Gandhi announced parliamentary elections for March. At the same time, she freed most political prisoners. The landslide victory of Morarji R. Desai unseated Gandhi, but she staged a spectacular comeback in the elections of Jan. 1980.

In 1984, Gandhi ordered the Indian army to root out a band of Sikh holy men and gunmen who were using the most sacred shrine of the Sikh religion, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, as a base for terrorist raids in a violent campaign for greater political autonomy in the strategic Punjab border state. The perceived sacrilege to the Golden Temple kindled outrage among many of India's 14 million Sikhs and brought a spasm of mutinies and desertions by Sikh officers and soldiers in the army.

On Oct. 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two men identified by police as Sikh members of her bodyguard. The ruling Congress Party chose her older son, Rajiv Gandhi, to succeed her as prime minister for four years. While running for reelection, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 22, 1991, by Tamil militants who objected to India's mediation of the civil war in Sri Lanka.

The ruling Congress Party lost the parliamentary elections of May 1996, and its waning resulted in a period of political instability. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) then became the dominant force in politics, with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as prime minister.

In May 1998, India set off five nuclear tests, surprising the international community, which widely condemned India's pronuclear stance. Despite international urging for restraint, Pakistan responded by conducting several nuclear tests of its own two weeks later. India has resisted signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty for nuclear weapons and has been slapped with sanctions by the U.S. and other countries. Less than a year later, in April 1999, both India and Pakistan tested nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.

India and Pakistan have held various talks about the disputed territory of Kashmir, which is the issue at the base of their chronic antagonism and their displays of nuclear strength. India controls two-thirds of this Himalayan region, which is the only Indian state that is predominantly Muslim.

The Indian Air Force launched air strikes on May 26, 1999, and later sent in ground troops against Islamic guerrilla forces in Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for orchestrating violence in Kashmir by sending soldiers and mercenaries across the so-called Line of Control that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Pakistan countered that the guerrillas were independent Kashmiri freedom fighters struggling for India's ouster from the region. Most international sources agreed with India's assumption that Pakistan was arming the soldiers. In Aug. 1999, Pakistan was forced to withdraw, but fighting continued sporadically during the coming year.

In Oct. 2001, violence again broke out in the region when a suicide bombing by a Pakistan-based militant organization killed 38 in India-controlled Kashmir. India retaliated with heavy shelling across the Line of Control. India, angered by Washington's sudden coziness with Pakistan following the Sept. 11 attacks, took the opportunity to point out that, while Pakistan might be helping the U.S. fight terrorism on the Afghan front, it was simultaneously supporting terrorism on its own borders with India. On Dec. 13, 2001, suicide bombers attacked the Indian parliament, killing 14 people. Indian officials blamed the deadly attack on Islamic militants supported by Pakistan.

Violent clashes between Muslims and Hindus rocked the state of Gujarat in late February and early March 2002 after a Muslim mob fire-bombed a train, killing 58 Hindu activists. Hindus retaliated, and more than 500 people died in the bloodshed.

Hope for a peaceful solution to the conflict in Kashmir was raised in Nov. 2002, when a newly elected coalition government in India-controlled Jammu and Kashmir vowed to reach out to separatists and to improve conditions in the state. But hopes were dashed in March 2003, following the slaughter of 24 Hindus in Kashmir. Officials blamed the massacre on Islamic militants. Days after the violence, both India and Pakistan test-fired short-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Two bombs exploded in Mumbai (Bombay) in August, killing more than 50 people and injuring about 150. Indian officials blamed Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based militant Islamic group. But in Nov. 2003, India and Pakistan declared their first formal cease-fire in 14 years. The cease-fire applied to the entire Line of Control dividing Kashmir. Relations between the two countries have continued to thaw, though no real progress has been made.

In one of the most dramatic political upsets in modern Indian history, the Indian National Congress Party, led by Sonia Gandhi, prevailed in parliamentary elections in May 2004, prompting Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to resign. Although the country prospered economically under Vajpayee's rule, a substantial number of India's poor felt they had not benefitted from India's economic growth. Sonia Gandhi, the Italian-born widow of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, dealt a further shock to the country when she refused to become prime minister. The BJP had vociferously protested Gandhi's expected elevation to prime minister because of her foreign birth. The Congress Party instead chose former finance minister Manmohan Singh, who became India's first Sikh prime minister.

On Dec. 26, 2004, a tremendously powerful tsunami ravaged 12 Asian countries. Nearly 11,000 people perished in India.

President Bush announced in March 2005 that he would allow American companies to provide India with several types of modern combat weapons, including F-16 and F-18 fighter jets. The announcement was seen as an attempt to balance Bush's offer to sell Pakistan about two dozen F-16s.

Monsoon rains in late July and early August 2005 caused devastating landslides and floods that killed about 900 people in and around Mumbai. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 struck Pakistani-controlled Kashmir on October 8, 2005. More than 81,000 people were killed and 2.5 million left homeless. India suffered about 1,300 casualties.

In March 2006, President Bush and Prime Minister Singh agreed to a controversial civil nuclear power deal that permitted the sale of U.S. nuclear technology to India despite the fact that India has never signed the international Nuclear Nonproliferation agreement. Since 1998, the U.S. has imposed sanctions on India for undertaking nuclear tests. Critics of the deal, which must be approved by Congress, contend that allowing India to circumvent the international treaty will make it more difficult to negotiate with Iran and North Korea and their nuclear ambitions.

On July 11, more than 200 people died and hundreds more were wounded when a series of bombs exploded on commuter trains in Mumbai during the evening rush hour. Islamic terrorists were suspected.

Pratibha Patil, of the governing Congress party, was elected president in July 2007, becoming the country's first woman to hold the post. She defeated Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.

See also Encyclopedia: India.
U.S. State Dept. Country Notes: India
Registrar General (Census Information) www.censusindia.net/ ;
Department of Statistics (General Statistics) http://mospi.nic.in/ .

TOLL FREE NOs. IN INDIA

2007-11-01T03:49:00.000-07:00

Indian Airlines - 1600 180 1407

Jet Airways - 1600 22 5522

SpiceJet - 1600 180 3333

Automobiles

Mahindra Scorpio - 1600 22 6006

Maruti - 1600 111 515

Tata Motors - 1600 22 5552

Windshield Experts - 1600 11 3636

Banks

ABN AMRO - 1600 11 2224

Canara Bank - 1600 44 6000

Citibank - 1600 44 2265

Corporatin Bank - 1600 443 555

Development Credit Bank - 1600 22 5769

HDFC Bank - 1600 227 227

ICICI Bank - 1600 333 499

ICICI Bank NRI - 1600 22 4848

IDBI Bank - 1600 11 6999

Indian Bank - 1600 425 1400

ING Vysya - 1600 44 9900

Kotak Mahindra Bank - 1600 22 6022

Lord Krishna Bank - 1600 11 2300

Punjab National Bank - 1600 122 222

State Bank of India - 1600 44 1955

Syndicate Bank - 1600 44 6655

Cell Phones

BenQ - 1600 22 08 08

Bird CellPhones - 1600 11 7700

Motorola MotoAssist - 1600 11 1211

Nokia - 3030 3838

Sony Ericsson - 3901 1111

Computers/IT

Adrenalin - 1600 444 445

AMD - 1600 425 6664

Apple Computers - 1600 444 683

Canon - 1600 333 366

Cisco Systems - 1600 221 777

Compaq - HP - 1600 444 999

Data One Broadband - 1600 424 1600

Dell - 1600 444 026

Epson - 1600 44 0011

eSys - 3970 0011

Genesis Tally Academy - 1600 444 888

HCL - 1600 180 8080

IBM - 1600 443 333

Lexmark - 1600 22 4477

Marshal's Point - 1600 33 4488

Microsoft - 1600 111 100

Microsoft Virus Update - 1901 333 334

Seagate - 1600 180 1104

Symantec - 1600 44 5533

TVS Electronics - 1600 444 566

WeP Peripherals - 1600 44 6446

Wipro - 1600 333 312

xerox - 1600 180 1225

Zenith - 1600 222 004

Couriers/Packers & Movers

ABT Courier - 1600 44 8585

AFL Wizz - 1600 22 9696

Agarwal Packers & Movers - 1600 11 4321

Associated Packers P Ltd - 1600 21 4560

DHL - 1600 111 345

FedEx - 1600 22 6161
Goel Packers & Movers - 1600 11
3456

UPS - 1600 22 7171

Education

Edu Plus - 1600 444 000

Hindustan College - 1600 33 4438

NCERT - 1600 11 1265

Vellore Institute of Technology - 1600 441 555

Healthcare

Best on Health - 1600 11 8899

Dr Batras - 1600 11 6767

GlaxoSmithKline - 1600 22 8797

Johnson & Johnson - 1600 22 8111

Kaya Skin Clinic - 1600 22 5292

LifeCell - 1600 44 5323

Manmar Technologies - 1600 33 4420

Pfizer - 1600 442 442

Roche Accu-Chek - 1600 11 45 46

Rudraksha - 1600 21 4708

Varilux Lenses - 1600 44 8383

VLCC - 1600 33 1262

Home Appliances

Aiwa/Sony - 1600 11 1188

Anchor Switches - 1600 22 7979

Blue Star - 1600 22 2200

Bose Audio - 1600 11 2673

Bru Coffee Vending Machines - 1600 44 7171

Daikin Air Conditioners - 1600 444 222

DishTV - 1600 12 3474

Faber Chimneys - 1600 21 4595

Godrej - 1600 22 5511

Grundfos Pumps - 1600 33 4555

LG - 1901 180 9999

Philips - 1600 22 4422

Samsung - 1600 113 444

Sanyo - 1600 11 0101

Voltas - 1600 33 4546

WorldSpace Satellite Radio - 1600
44 5432

Hotel Reservations

GRT Grand - 1600 44 5500

InterContinental Hotels Group - 1600 111 000

Marriott - 1600 22 0044

Sarovar Park Plaza - 1600 111 222

Taj Holidays - 1600 111 825

Insurance

AMP Sanmar - 1600 44 2200

Aviva - 1600 33 2244

Bajaj Allianz - 1600 22 5858

Chola MS General Insurance - 1600
44 5544

HDFC Standard Life - 1600 227 227

LIC - 1600 33 4433

Max New York Life - 1600 33 5577

Royal Sundaram - 1600 33 8899

SBI Life Insurance - 1600 22 9090

Mattresses

Kurl-on - 1600 44 0404

Sleepwell - 1600 11 2266

Investments/Finance

CAMS - 1600 44 2267

Chola Mutual Fund - 1600 22 2300

Easy IPO's - 3030 5757

Fidelity Investments - 1600 180 8000

Franklin Templeton Fund - 1600 425 4255

J M Morgan Stanley - 1600 22 0004

Kotak Mutual Fund - 1600 222 626

LIC Housing Finance - 1600 44 0005

SBI Mutual Fund - 1600 22 3040

Sharekhan - 1600 22 7500

Tata Mutual Fund - 1600 22 0101

Paints

Asian Paints Home Solutions - 1600 22 5678

Berger Paints Home Decor - 1600 33 8800

Teleshoppin

Asian Sky Shop - 1600 22 1600

Jaipan Teleshoppe - 1600 11 5225

Tele Brands - 1600 11 8000

VMI Teleshopping - 1600 447 777

WWS Teleshopping - 1600 220 777

Travel

Club Mahindra Holidays - 1600 33 4539

Cox & Kings - 1600 22 1235

God TV Tours - 1600 442 777

Kerala Tourism - 1600 444 747

Kumarakom Lake Resort - 1600 44 5030

Raj Travels & Tours - 1600 22 9900

Sita Tours - 1600 111 911

SOTC Tours - 1600 22 3344

UPS
APC - 1600 44 4272

Numeric - 1600 44 3266

Others

Consumer Helpline - 1600 11 4000

L'Oreal, GARNIeR - 1600 223 000

KONE Elevator - 1600 444 666

Indane - 1600 44 51 15

Aavin - 1600 44 3300

Pedigree - 1600 11 2121

Kodak India - 1600 22 8877

Domino's Pizza - 1600 111 123

World Vision India - 1600 444 550

Telecom Monitoring Cell - 1600 110 420