10 Top Reasons to Visit India

Have you ever been to India? If so, what was your first reaction? India is a land of jaw dropping awe. The mystique land of the far east, also known as the jewel of the east. Stay tuned. In this post, I will cover 10 top reasons for visiting India.

India Travel Background

As per the IBEF report, India attracted 10.7 million foreign visitors in 2019. According to the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, India ranks 34 among 140 counties. They base the method for ranking on the below areas of competitiveness.

The below graph shows India’s travel and tourism competitiveness against overall competitiveness. India’s TTCI competitiveness is one of the highest among the lower-middle-income countries. Essentially, it shows India is one of the highest value for money travel and tourist destinations in the world.

India Economic Background

The World Bank classifies India as a lower-middle-income country. India’s nominal GDP estimated in 2020 is $2.6 trillion and per capita GDP of $1,877. It had services 61.5%, industry 23%, agriculture 15.4% per 2017 estimates (source Wikipedia).

According to the World poverty clock, as of November 5, 2020, India has 53.5 million people living in extreme poverty. They live on less than $1.9 per day. This is about 4% of India’s population of 1.38 billion people. India is a land that teaches tolerance and self-restraint. Respect for all faiths and beliefs. Harmonious co-existence. Family values. Living with meager means and giving back. And hope for a better future.

Top Reasons to Visit India

People

Indians are warm. In Indian ideology, they treat guests at god- Atithi Devo Bhava. You can feel this vibe as you enter India. The symbolic “Namaste– the divine in me bows to the divine in you” will welcome you.

Cultural Diversity

India has a rich culture. And one has the entire length and breadth of the country to travel. From northern Kashmir to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on the southern end. And Rajasthan on the western part to Arunachal Pradesh on the furthest northeast. No wonder they call Incredible India. Pretty much everything changes as one travels the length and breadth of the country within India. Food. Traditional clothing. Festivals. Language both spoken and written. India is a diverse land with people following multiple religions and cultures. Speaking around 780 languages. And celebrating about 36 festivals.

One of the top reasons to travel to India is to taste the food of India. One would feel like coming back and back to India just for its variety of spicy and diverse food.

Spiritualism

India has been a spiritual land for centuries. It’s the land of Buddha (also known as Siddhartha Gotama or Siddhārtha Gautama). India has a very rich history dating back to 2,500 BC with Indus Valley civilization, more precisely known as the Harappan civilization in the northwestern part of India. It is also the land of Yoga, a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated in ancient India.

In a nutshell, if one is looking for spiritualism and searching for a purpose in life, India could just be the destination on your travel list.

Chaos

If you are from any more developed country, the sheer chaos might be the first culture shock you could get when you arrive in India. India is not so orderly as developed countries, especially when you travel to public places using mostly public transportation like roads, railways, or inland waterways. The sheer chaos might be a shock to you, but again, India is different. Come to India with an open mind. Experience, learn and see new things that you might not see in any other country.

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the southern bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built it in 1632, who reigned from 1628 to 1658, to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. The Taj Mahal attracts 7–8 million visitors a year and in 2007, they declared it a winner of the New 7 Wonders of the World (2000–2007) initiative (source Wikipedia).

The Taj Mahal is the epitome of love. The magnificence of the white humongous structure is also a grand example of Mughal architecture in India.

Beaches

India has a coastline of over 7,500 km and has one of the most spectacular beaches. Top beaches in India are Gokarna in Karnataka, Tarkarli in Maharashtra, Kaup in Karnataka, Tharangambadi in Tamil Nadu, Radhanagar in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bekal in Kerala, Puri in Odisha, Palolem in Goa, Mandarmani in West Bengal, Minicoy in Lakshadweep and Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh.

One of the beach cities which is worth visiting in Goa, in the southwestern part of India on the Arabian sea. Goa is not only famous for its serene beaches but also well known for its Goan culture of exotic food, churches, temples, falls, and forests. “Panaji is the state’s capital, while Vasco da Gama, named after the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, is its largest city. Goa was a former state of the Portuguese Empire. The Portuguese overseas territory of Portuguese India existed for about 450 years” (source Wikipedia).

Forts

India is a country of forts- spectacular and jaw-dropping. The state of Rajasthan hosts the most beautiful and well-maintained forts in India. The fort in India has both Hindu and Muslim architectures. Mughals and Hindu kings, who ruled India, built forts which have pretty different architectures.

Places of Worship

Religion in India has a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. According to 2011 census, 79.8% follow Hinduism, 14.2% follow Islam, 2.3% follow Christianity, 1.7% follow Sikhism, 0.7% Buddhism and 0.4% Jainism (source Wikipedia).

India has one of the most spectacular temples, mosques, churches and synagogues throughout the entire world.

The Himalayas

India is in the foothills of the Himalayas, the highest mountain ranges in the world. To see the Himalayas, there are several places one can visit, starting from Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.

National Park

According to a blog by International Expeditions, the national parks of India are treasure troves for nature lovers. They contain a wide range of geographical and climatic diversity. You can find the soaring Himalayan mountain range. The lush rainforests of the Western Ghats. The arid Thar Desert and 4,600 miles of coastline. Though the forest cover in India is only at about 22%, the subcontinent is home to about 10% of the world’s species. India has many splendid national parks.

• Kanha National Park
• Bandhavgarh National Park
• Kaziranga National Park
• Nagarhole National Park
• Ranthambhore National Park
• Periyar National Park
• Gir National Park
• Sunderbans National Park
• Nanda Devi Biosphere & Valley of Flowers National Park
• Jim Corbett National Park

Conclusion

In a nutshell, India is an amazing country. For sure, worth visiting once in a lifetime. And most visitors who come to India once yearn to visit again. There is something magical about the mystique land. The land of snake charmers has something that draws millions from far-away lands. It is a land of where one can see and learn about all the colors of life.