CULTURAL TOURISM IN INDIA

       India is known for its rich cultural heritage and an element of mysticism , which is the cause behind that why tourists come to India experience it themselves . One can see the influence of various cultures in the form of dance , music , festivals , architectural , traditional customs , food and languages . The richness in culture goes a long way in projecting India as the ultimate cultural tourism destination . Cultural tourism India is the predominant factor behind India's dramatic rise in the tourism segment in recent years , because from time immemorial , India has been considered the land of ancient history , heritage and culture. The most popular states in India for its cultural tourism are - Rajasthan , Tamil Nadu , Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal . The various components of cultural tourism are -

•  Historical Places 
•  Archaeological Sites 
•  Heritage Sites
•  Museums
•  Music & Dance Celebrations
•  Fairs & Festivals 

HISTORICAL PLACES

       There are many historical places present in India . Historical places helps the tourists to understand the culture and traditions which prevailed in the earlier year of Indian history . The following historical places are Taj Mahal located in the district of Agra in Uttar Pradesh , Taj Mahal is an architectural wonder . An epitome of love and romance Taj Mahal was built by the fifth Mughal emperor , Shah Jahan , in loving memory of his wife , Mumtaz . This is also one of the Seven Wonders of the World . Nalanda in Bihar bears the glory of Buddhist culture in the form of the ruins of the Nalanda University . Having been visited by educationists like Fa Hien and Hieuen Tsang as students , this place is a very popular tourist destination . There are numbers of such places in India .

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

       Archaeology in India is a vast subject and this period can be broadly classified as Stone Age , Indus Valley , Neolithic-Chalcolithic , Megalithic-Early Historic and Late History periods . Palaeolithic sites abound in Peninsular India and are found more prominently at Pallavaram in Tamil Nadu , Hunsgi in Karnataka , Kuliana in Orissa , Didwana in Rajasthan and Bhimbetak in Madhya Pradesh . The most outstanding feature of the Indus Valley Civilisation was its unique town planning with well regulated streets , oriented almost invariably along the cardinal directions . The houses were made of either mud bricks or kiln-fired bricks of regulated sizes . The excavations were aimed at identifying areas mentioned in the great Hindu epics , the Mahabharata and the Ramayana . Excavations at Kosambi , Saranath and Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh , Vaishali , Rajagriha and Bodhgaya in Bihar and others have revealed fortified cities dating back to this period .

HERITAGE SITES

       India is culturally rich country and one of the most important tourist destination in the world . It attracts a large number of tourists and traveller from all over the world the world for cultural and heritage tours of India . Rich cultural and heritage tours in India reminds tourist the past splendour and royal lifestyle of the country . There are a number of heritage monuments in India which set the mind of tourists for India heritage tours and travels such as Taj Mahal (Agra) , Red Fort (Delhi) , Fatehpur Sikri Fatehpur Sikri (Agra) , Ajanta & Ellora Caves (Aurangabad) , Hampi Group of Monuments, Golconda Fort (Hyderabad) , Rajasthan Forts and Palaces , etc. There are a number of UNESCO World Heritage Monuments in India that can be visited on heritage tours of India such as Humayun's Tomb , Red Fort (Lal Quila) located in Delhi , Hampi Group of Monuments - Karnataka , Khajuraho Group of Monuments - Madhya Pradesh and many others .

MUSEUMS

       A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific , artistic , cultural or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary . The continuing acceleration in the digitization of information , combined with the increasing capacity of digital information storage is causing the traditional model of museums to expand to include virtual exhibits and high resolution images of their collections . The major types of museums are Archaeology museums , Art museums , Encyclopaedic museums, History museums , Science museums and so on .

MUSIC & DANCE FESTIVAL

       Music and Dance based tourism is the act of visiting a city or town , in order to see a music festival or other music performances . Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence . The creation , performance , significance and even the definition of music vary according to culture and social context . Dance festival such as Bihu , Kulle Dussehra and Barsana Holi are examples of Dance based tourism .

FAIRS & FESTIVALS

° Pongal (Tamil Nadu) : A celebration of the harvest - Pongal is observed for three days in January, in Tamil Nadu . Bhogi Pon gal - the first day, is an occasion for festivities at home .

° Surajkund Crafts Mela (Surajkund, Faridabad) : A delightful handloom and handicrafts fair is held annually at Surajkund . Skilled artisans from all over the country display the rich crafts tradition of India in the typical setting of a rural Indian marketplace .

° Desert Festival (Jaisalmer, Rajasthan) : A three day long extravaganza of colour , music and festivity at the golden city of Jaisalmer . Gair and Fair dancers swaying to traditional tunes , a turban-tying competition .

° Kite Festival : Gujarat is vibrant with the Kite festival ( Makar Sankranti) which is celebrated with colours of joy , colours of life . The Kite Festival signify Gujarat's "Cultural Strength" and like the kites , Gujarat soars high to touch the skies to be the 'best in the world' .

° Boat Festival : The backwaters of Kerala apart from being a major tourist attraction are also venues for yet another splendid , unparalleled attraction of God's Own Country - Boat Races . The boat festivals of Kerala are one of the chief and popular festivals of Kerala that tourist must experience during their Kerala travel and tour .

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