Tourism in India

South India:
Kerala, a state situated on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern
India, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.
Named as one of the ten paradises of the world by National Geographic
Traveler,[1] Kerala is famous especially for its ecotourism initiatives
and beautiful backwaters.[2] Its unique culture and traditions, coupled
with its varied demography, have made Kerala one of the most popular
tourist destinations in the world. Growing at a rate of 13.31%, the
tourism industry is a major contributor to the state's economy.
Major attractions:
Beaches : Flanked on the western coast by the Arabian Sea, Kerala
has a long coastline of 580 km (360 mi); all of which is virtually dotted
with sandy beaches.
Kovalam beach near Thiruvananthapuram was among the first beaches
in Kerala to attract tourists. Rediscovered by back-packers and tanseekers in the 1960s and followed by hordes of hippies in the 1970s,
Kovalam is today the most visited beach in the state.
Other popularly visited beaches in the state include those at Kappad,
Alappuzha, Marari Beach(Mararikulam, Alappuzha), Nattika (Thrissur),
Vadanappilly beach (Thrissur), Cherai Beach, Beypore beach, Marari
beach, Fort Kochi, and Varkala. The Muzhappilangad Beach beach at
Kannur is the only drive-in beach in India. Marari beach was rated as
one of the worlds top five HAMMOCK BEACH by National Geographic
survey.
Backwaters: The backwaters in Kerala are a chain of brackish lagoons
and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar
Coast). Houseboat or Kettuvallam rides in the backwaters are a major
tourist attraction. Backwater tourism is centered mostly around
Ashtamudi Lake, Kollam. Boat races held during festival seasons are
also a major tourist attraction in the backwater regions.
The backwater network includes large lakes such as the Ashtamudi
Lake, the largest among them, linked by 1500 km of canals, both manmade and natural and fed by several rivers, and extending virtually the
entire length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the
action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across
the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats
range.

Hill stations: Eastern Kerala consists of land encroached upon by the

Western Ghats; the region thus includes high mountains, gorges, and
deep-cut valleys. The wildest lands are covered with dense forests,
while other regions lie under tea and coffee plantations (established
mainly in the 19th and 20th centuries) or other forms of cultivation.
The Western Ghats rise on average to 1500 m elevation above sea
level. Some of the popular hill stations in the region are Munnar,
Vagamon, Paithalmala, Wayanad, Nelliyampathi, Elapeedika,
Peermade, Thekkady and Ponmudi.

North India:
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. In the
seventeenth century the Mughal emperor Jahangir set his eyes on the
valley of Kashmir. He said that if paradise is anywhere on the earth, it
is here, while living in a houseboat on Dal Lake[citation needed]. "Gar
firdaus, ruhe zamin ast, hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin ast." If there is
ever a heaven on earth, its here, its here, its here. In Jammu and
Kashmir the most important tourist places are Kashmir, Srinagar, the
Mughal Gardens, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Jammu, and Ladakh. Some areas
require a special permit for non-Indians to visit.
Regions: Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of state and it is
famous for its temples, particularly The Vaishno Devi Temple in Katra
which is visited by over 1 crore (10 million) pilgrims every year,[1]
making Jammu the most visited part of Jammu and Kashmir State.
Kashmir Valley some say it is Heaven on Earth, friendly people,
beautiful gardens, vast lakes and pristine streams and stunning
landscapes, it is all that "Enjoy the Incredible Kashmir"
Ladakh truly amazing landscapes high up in the Himalayas, popular
for trekking and with those on a search for the most serene place in
the world
Tourist places
Gulmarg Gulmarg is well known for its amazing natural beauty and it
is counted as one of unique tourist destinations in the world. Gulmarg
is surrounded by dense forest. This place is famous for its golf hikes
and beautiful highland golf course. The natural beauty accompanied
with clean fresh air and a beautiful environment highlights Gulmarg as
a major tourist destination.
Vaishno Devi The town of Katra, which is close to Jammu, contains
the Vaishno Devi shrine. Nestling on top of the Trikuta Hills at a height

of 1700 m is the sacred cave shrine of Vaishno Devi, the mother

goddess. At a distance of 48 km from Jammu, the cave is 30 metres
long and just 1.5 metres high. At the end of the cave are shrines
dedicated to the three forms of the mother goddess Mahakali,
Mahalakshmi and Mahasarasvati, which is manifested as Vaishno Devi.
Pilgrims start trekking to the cave temple, which is 13 km from Katra,
enter in small groups through a narrow opening and walk through icecold waters to reach the shrines.
Sonmarg The way to reach Sonmarg or the Meadow of the gold is
from the Sindh Valley. This valley also shows more amazing facet in
Kashmir. Sonmarg is located at an altitude of around 2730 meters from
the sea level; it has snow-covered mountains as its backdrop against
the sky.
Raghunath Temple Raghunath Temple is dedicated to the Hindu Lord
Shri Rama. All the inner walls of this temple are covered with gold, on
three sides. Galleries of this temples are covered with Saligrams. The
other surrounding temples are related to other gods from the
Ramayana. This temple is located in the centre or we can say in the
heart of Jammu.
Bahu Fort Bahu fort was modified and improved by Dogra Rulers of
Jammu but first it was built by the Raja Bahulochan. This fort is located
at a distance of around 5 km from the main city and perhaps is the
oldest edifice in the Jammu. This fort is facing the Tawi River. There is a
temple of goddess kali in the fort.
Mubarak Mandi Palace Mubarak Palace was built with the touch of
three different styles, Rajasthani, Mughal and Gothic. Most famous part
of this Palace is the Sheesh Mahal segment. There is a Dogra Art
Museum, which is a treasure house of miniature paintings from various
hill schools.
Chadar Trek Zanskar is located at a very high altitude in Jammu and
Kashmir. It is one of the best trekking destinations around the world. In
Winter, Zanskar river freezes up, and gets converted into an amazing
adventures trek called Chadar-The Frozen River Trek.
Khilanmarg is another beautiful scenic beauty and a favourite tourist
destination . the famous Liddar Valley is prominent feature .
The traditional name for the Zanskar Trek is Chadar Trek as the river
becomes a snow sheet during winters due to heavy snowfall. It boasts
of some of the lowest temperatures making it a challenging trek for the
adventurers. The most isolated and inaccessible for nearly eight
months in a year due to heavy snowfall resulting in closure of all the

access passes; Zanskar has the distinction of being the least interfered
with microcosms of Ladakh, and thus one of the last few surviving
cultural satellites of Tibet. This geographical isolation together with the
esoteric nature of Buddhism practiced here has enabled its ten
thousand inhabitants to preserve and perpetuate their cultural identity.
Other lesser known Tourist Destinations are Achabal, Kokernag, Verinag
and Gurez.

East India:
Tourism in West Bengal refers to West Bengal's tourism. West Bengal is
a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most
populous.[1] The state capital is Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). The state
encompasses two broad natural regions: the Gangetic Plain in the
south and the sub-Himalayan and Himalayan area in the north. The
tourism in West Bengal is maintained by WBTDCL, a state government
owned enterprise.
Sea beaches West Bengal stretches to the Bay of Bengal in the south.
The coastal strip of West Bengal, extending from the Gangetic Delta to
the border of Orissa, has some beautiful coastal settlements, such as
Digha, Shankarpur, Mandarmani, Bakkhali, Gangasagara, and Tajpur.
Some of these have beaches which are hard enough for cars to drive
on. Decades ago, even aeroplanes were able to land in the beach of
Digha.
Hill stations There are many hill stations in North West Bengal, of
which Darjeeling is world famous. Others are Kurseong, Kalimpong,
Rimbick, Lava and Loleygaon, Mirik and Sandakfu.
Wildlife sanctuaries and national parks West Bengal has 3.26% of
its geographical area under protected areas comprising 15 wildlife
sanctuaries and 5 national parks[20] Sundarbans National Park,
Buxa Tiger Reserve, Gorumara National Park, Neora Valley National
Park, Singalila National Park, and Jaldapara National Park. West Bengal
also has wildlife sanctuaries and bird sanctuaries like Chintamani Kar
Bird Sanctuary and Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary.

West India:
Maharashtra attracts many tourists from different states and foreigners
too[1] and was the fourth most visited state by domestic tourists in the
country in 2014.[2] Aurangabad is the tourism capital of Maharashtra.

[3]
Major urban centers include : Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad,
Nanded and Nagpur.
City tourism
Mumbai The eastern equivalent of New York City and Los Angeles, the
financial capital and entertainment (Bollywood) capital of the country.
[4] Places of interest include: Haji Ali Dargah situated about 500 yards
from the shoreline in the middle of the Arabian Sea. Along with being a
religious place, it is a great attraction for tourists, more than ten
thousand people of all religions visit the place every day. Gateway of
India, The Bandra-Worli Sea Link, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu
Sangrahalaya, Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, a humongous architectural
stone structure built by the British more than 200 years ago,
Downtown Mumbai - reminiscent of the 19th century British
architecture. Girgaon chowpati beach, Madh island beach and other
beaches towards the south of Mumbai. Elephanta Caves, carved out of
a giant stone on an island are a short ferry away into the Arabian sea.
Due to its cosmopolitan nature, Mumbai has proven a popular tourism
destination most often visited by Indians.
Pune The cultural capital of the state of Maharashtra, is said to be the
educational center of India. Pune has forts dating back to the
seventeenth century such as Sinhagad, Purandar, Shaniwar Wada (a
weekend residence of the Peshwas) and Lal Mahal (the red palace),
residence of Chatrapati Shivaji maharaj. Pune also has educational
institutes of repute such as Fergusson College, a 200-year-old college
built by the British.
Nagpur The winter capital of the state is a wonderful city. With a
tradition of producing the best Oranges, this city is known as the City
of Oranges. Nagpur is also known as second most greenest city in India
due to number of trees in the city. The tourism in Nagpur is due to
large number of National Parks/Wildlife Sanctuaries surrounding
Nagpur. All of these sanctuaries have Tiger as their major attractions.
Two notable National Parks around Nagpur are Pench National Park
around 60km north of Nagpur, and Tadoba National Park around 180
km south of Nagpur. In a recent years, Tadoba National Park gained
much importance among wildlife enthusiasts nationally and
internationally due to the high probability of sighting Tigers. The other
wildlife sanctuaries include Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary around 110 km
east of Nagpur, Melghat Tiger Reserve around 260 km west of Nagpur,
Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary 60 km southeast of Nagpur, Bor

Wildlife Sanctuary 60 km southwest of Nagpur, Kanha National Park

260 km northeast of Nagpur, Satpura National Park 270 km northwest
of Nagpur.
Nature tourism Maharashtra has tremendous potential for Nature
Tourism. Many private and public organizations have begun unique and
innovative forms of nature tourism.
Hill stations
Lonavla, Maharashtra
Amboli
Chikhaldara
Igatpuri
Jawhar
Karjat
Khandala
Lavasa
Lonavala
Mahabaleshwar
Matheran
Panchgani
Panhala
Toranmal