And so it happened that our next post is exactly on Christmas time.
After a long, unavoidable, break we are ready to bring you the new exciting posts.
We hope that your stay in India will be unforgettable experience.
We want to wish 'Merry Christmas' to all our subscribers.
Happy New Year to everybody.

Arrival of Christmas marks the birth of Jesus. It signifies spreading love and peace among fellow human beings. In India, people celebrate Christmas with great fun and festivity. People start preparations for Christmas by decorating their homes with dazzling Christmas lights, balloons, candles, flowers and Christmas tree. Churches are decorated with burning oil lamps and red flowers.

Attractive Christmas gifts are the integral components of Christmas in India. People express their love and affection to their loved ones with beautiful Christmas gifts. Christmas vacations in India would be a memorable experience for you. Banana or Mango trees are usually decorated in India during Christmas period.

Another interesting Christmas tradition in India is decorating Church with poinsettia flower for Christmas Midnight Mass. Christians of South India, places small clay lamps on walls and rooftops of their homes. People also prepare mouthwatering recipes, such as cakes, cookies, pudding etc.

If you are looking for more information on Christmas in India, then you may go for Travour. Travour offers detail online information about Christmas tradition in India. Moreover, you would also be able to know the way of celebration of Christmas in India. so, make your Christmas vacations enjoyable by planning a tour to India. Travour also offer interesting Christmas tour package to India. This tour packages are quite interesting and would make your Christmas vacations more enjoyable. So, what are you waiting for? Plan your Christmas vacations tour packages to India and enjoy this lifetime experience.

There can be no better introduction to the magic of India, its splendour and diversity, than the words of India’s great poet Allama Iqbal: “The great civilizations of Greece, Rome and Egypt have vanished from this earth, but the unique identity of Indian civilization survives”.

Taj Mahal, Agra

It is the land about which the great philosopher Rabindranath Tagore wrote:
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward…”

Republic Day Parade, New Delhi

This is India – the land of magic and mystery, of dazzling beauty and exotic charms. Where the centuries co-exist and the modern blends seamlessly into the ancient. Where hospitality is a tradition, and development a passion. A beauty beyond description, beyond compare. An ancient civilization, as old as history. India is a glittering mosaic of people of different faiths and cultures, of varying climatic zones, of greenery and desert, river and mountain, wealth and happiness, modernity and tradition. This is India, a place like none else on this planet. India means welcome! India is the complete destination, for the mind, body and soul.
Known to its people as “Bharat”, this ancient land fascinates the visitor with its size, culture and diversity, its colors, scents, styles, customs, languages, architecture and geography. India is a fairytale, a continent, several countries rolled into one. India satisfies every taste and desire - from sun and sand to mountains and snow, from ancient monuments to adventure holidays, from gentle traditions and customs to rugged landscapes and daunting rivers and valleys. India is paradise – at any time of the year! The land blessed by the gods!

India Gate, Delhi

Fall in love with India, with its legendary palaces, temples and forts. Savour its spectacular music, dance and folklore. Excite your mind and body with rafting, gliding, trekking and desert safaris. And then calm yourself with yoga. Or go tracking wildlife in one of India’s numerous forest reserves. Treat yourself to an amazing array of arts, crafts and materials, at bargain prices.
Great religions took birth and root in India, among them Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism. Ancient Indian texts like the Vedas go back several thousand years and are treasure houses of philosophy, spiritual insight, knowledge and treatises on subjects like science and medicine. Sanskrit, the root language of India, was an advanced and well formulated system. It is the basis of modern computer languages. India invented the decimal system and bequeathed zero to the world. Astronomy and medicine are Indian inventions.

Sun Temple, Konark, Orissa

More than any other building, the Taj Mahal is the symbol of India to the world. This 17th century monument is a dream in marble, an eternal symbol of love and fidelity. The focus of countless romantic stories and colourful fantasies, it has fascinated artists and photographers, poets and dreamers, travelers and writers. This supreme example of architectural genius is a tribute to the wonder that was, is and shall forever be India.
To visit this land of eternal, enchanting beauty all you need is a valid passport and visa. A special license is required to photograph protected monuments using a flash and tripod. There are some conditions for bringing in certain personal goods such as film, video cameras, liquor, tobacco and weapons, while all high value articles and professional materials must be declared on arrival and re-exported on departure. All of India is on the same time, GMT + 5 hours 30 minutes, throughout the year. Voltage is 220 AC 50 cycles and international telephone and postal connections are available everywhere.
Click here for more information on tourist destinations in India.
1. www.tourismofindia.com
2. www.lonelyplanet.com
3. www.journeymart.com

INDIA’S CULTURE

Kathakali, the magnificent dance of Southern India

With 1,500 dialects and 22 official languages, all the world’s major religions including Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism and Judaism, various styles of art, architecture, literature, music and dance, cuisine and several lifestyles from the urban and rural to the tribal, Indian culture is a rich confluence of various diversities.
India’s music spans various traditions, from regional folk songs and music to tribal music, from classical and semi-classical traditions to popular and film music.
Indian dance has an unbroken tradition of over 5,000 years, with themes drawn from mythology, legend and classical literature. The diversity of Indian dance forms spans folk and tribal dances with their regional variations, and classical dances, based on ancient texts with rigid rules. Some of the major classical dance traditions are Bharata Natyam, Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri, Kuchipudi, Mohiniattam and Kathakali.
Indian literature dates to the oral tradition of the Vedas several thousand years ago, and the great epics, which are still an integral part of daily life. The oral tradition continues through folk songs and dramas. The tradition of dance-drama in India has ancient historical roots, and is kept alive by a vibrant tradition of folk theatre. Indian art continues its vibrant classical and folk traditions from painting to sculpture to handicrafts.
And then there is Indian cinema – the largest film industry in the world. Cinema came to India in 1896, the first Indian film was made in 1912, and the first talkie in 1931. Today, India makes more than one thousand films annually, in centers like Mumbai (Bollywood), Calcutta (Tollywood) and Chennai (Mollywood)!

Bhangra, the dynamic energy of the Punjab

www.artindia.net
http://education.vsnl.com/iccr
www.indiaculture.org

INDIA POLITY

India, the world’s largest democracy, is a Sovereign, Secular and Democratic Republic. It became independent on 15th August, 1947 and a Republic on 26th January, 1950 when its Constitution came into effect. The Constitution guarantees fundamental rights including freedom of religion, of occupation and of speech, and the right to vote. General elections based on universal adult suffrage are normally held every 5 years.
Today, the Union of India consists of 28 states and 7 union territories with the Central Government at New Delhi, the capital. The political structure laid down by the Constitution is federal in nature but unitary in spirit, with legislative powers and revenues divided between the States and the Centre, and residual powers vested in the Centre. Certain subjects are jointly controlled and enforced by both the Centre and the States, with the Centre superseding the States if necessary.

CENTRE

At the Centre and in the States, powers are divided between the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. At the Centre, the Executive comprises the President, Vice-President and the Council of Ministers, headed by the Prime Minister. The Union Legislature (Parliament) has two houses - the Lok Sabha (the lower house, elected by the people of India from individual, simple majority constituencies) and the Rajya Sabha (the upper house, elected by the State Legislatures which in turn are directly elected by the people on the same lines as the Lok Sabha). At the apex of the judiciary is the Supreme Court of India.

STATE

This structure is paralleled in India's States, with the Executive comprising the Governor (appointed by the President of India), the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister who is responsible to the directly elected Legislative Assembly and the High Court. Each State is further divided into districts, themselves divided into municipalities, further subdivided into blocks down to the individual village. At each level, legislative, executive and judicial powers are divided equitably, so as to prevent concentration or misuse.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

India is a founder member of the Nonaligned Movement (NAM), the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC), Bangladesh-India-Myanmar-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Co-operation (BIMST-EC), the Commonwealth and several other organizations. It is an active member of the United Nations and its various organisations such as UNESCO and the UNHCR. India is also a member of the WTO and the Group of 77, and participates actively in the Group of 15. India looks forward to its rightful place as a permanent member of a reformed United Nations Security Council

India is one of the most diverse countries in the world when it comes to culture and religions. As a result, the celebration of holidays and festivals, whether traditional or religious, has always been an important part of Indian culture. Indians enjoy celebrating their differences and sharing their traditions with others and due to the variety of different groups in India, there is a festival celebrated most days out of the year in some part of the country. As diverse as India is, there are three national holidays that are celebrated everywhere and by everyone and several religious holidays that are celebrated by so many people they are considered to be public holidays. Employers are entitled to give their employees the day off on these days and children have the day off from school. Because India does celebrate so many festivals, all other holidays are considered on an individual and day to day basis. Employers generally let you have the days off for the holidays that are celebrated for your specific religion and culture.

There are three national holidays that are celebrated by everyone in India, in all states and union territories. These include Independence Day and Republic Day, as well as Gandhi Jayanti. Gandhi Jayanti is a day to honor Mahatma Gandhi, considered the “Father of the Nation,” and is celebrated on his birthday, October 2nd. The day is one of prayer service and tributes all over India, especially in Raj Ghat, Gandhi’s memorial in New Delhi. Popular celebration includes prayer meetings, honorary ceremonies as well as educating the young on Gandhi and his life.

The Hindu celebrations of Diwali, Holi, Pongal and Dussehra are the most popular religious holidays in India and therefore are considered by the government to be public holidays. This means that all children have the day off from school and most employees have the day off from work. Diwali is a major Hindu festival more commonly known as the “Festival of Lights.” It is a day to celebrate the victory of good over evil with celebrations focusing on lights and more recently, fireworks. The annual Hindu spring festival is called Holi, or the “Festival of Colors.” Holi takes place in late March or early April and lasts for five days. The holiday is meant to honor the death of Holika in order to save Prahlad. Pongal is an Indian festival celebrated in order to give thanks for the harvest. It is traditionally celebrated at the time of harvesting of the crops, and as a result is a celebration of the success related to the event. Duseehra is among the most important festivals celebrated in Southern India. As a day 10 day celebration, there are activities ranging from worshipping goddesses to exhibiting colorful toys. It is also known as the day of worshipping weapons; More recently, “weapons” have been replaced with “tools of the trade,” therefore people worship items such as computers, cars, machines, and cooking utensils.

Throughout India, there are dozens of other festivals and celebrations that take place celebrating different religious and cultural occasions. Although these are not considered to be “national” or “public” holidays by the Indian government, they are nevertheless observed and employees are allowed to take an unpaid day off for the ones in which they honor. Children are encouraged to go to school on these days and celebrate when they get home, however if a parent chooses to keep their child home, it is allowed. Aside, from religious and cultural holidays exclusive to India, there are a number of days, in which India shares celebrations with many other countries throughout the world. These include New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, April Fool’s Day, Children’s Day, and Victory Day.

Traditional Christmas Greeting: "Merry Christmas", "Christmas ke Shubhashai" (Hindi)
Location: Asian Sub Continent
Tree Type: Cultural

Decorations:

• Two of the garlands are made of colored palm fronds. There is also a garland made of jute rope.
• The dolls represent various regions of India.
• The bows are dyed orange.
• The Christmas trees are covered in green silk, colored stones and gold paint.

Traditions: Though India is not a Christian country, there are Christian communities throughout India. The main concentration is in the southern tip of the country. It is believed that St. Thomas the Apostle brought Christianity to India.

During the weeks before Christmas, children go caroling house to house. On Christmas Eve there is usually a dance for the teenagers held at the local high school or community center. Banana and Mango trees are decorated. In some areas, small clay lamps are placed are placed on the edges of flat roofs and on the top of walls.

On Christmas Eve, Christians go for Christmas shopping and buy new clothes and shoes. It’s a tradition to attend midnight mass with new appearance to bring Christmas spirit in families and communities. Once they reach home, they celebrate Christmas by lighting fire crackers.

On Christmas Day, the family eats breakfast and afterwards the gifts are given out. The rest of Christmas Day is spent visiting family and friends. A homemade ginger wine is served on this day in some families. Special pastries (Kulkul, Laadu, Chaklyo, Nevryo, etc.) are served; these pastries are made by all the family members and are dyed red and pink. The main dish served Christmas Day is a pork dish (Vindaloo). It is served with a rice dish that contains slivered almonds and raisins. This rice is colored with saffron, which turns the rice, a subtle yellow color. A Christmas cake similar to fruitcake is served for dessert. Some families exchange Christmas cake on Christmas day along with Christmas Sweets called “Kuswaar.”

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Planning a holiday to India! Interested in Magical Rajasthan or the Spectacular Taj Mahal, Classical India or Buddhist Pilgrimage Tours, Travel to Ladakh and Zanskar or Trekking through the Indian Himalayas, Jeep Safari in the rugged terrains or Camel and Horse safaris in the deserts of Rajasthan, Green Kerala holidays or Ayurvedic Massages, Goa beach, Package Holiday India, wildlife tours or bird watching. As per my concern for a complete holiday in India you should surely take a historic tour to India. We have recommended sites that offer holiday search engines & holiday search websites. If you don’t want to spend more money and want a memorable holiday than we also give information’s cheap hotels, budget hotels & normal package hotels. What do Holidays in India symbolize? This is a question that every traveler to this vast subcontinent of human beings, dust, chaos, and religion asks himself at least once. For many of the tourists India is the exotic orient where you can find only the snake charmers or sadhus. For few who have gone through contemporary literature on the country. Enjoy the attractions of Goa having Cheap Holiday Package. Relax on the never-ending sandy beaches, explore the churches and colonial buildings, celebrate the fun-filled carnival, relish the local cuisine and feel refreshed by the pleasant weather. Air tours Holiday Search provides information on holiday deals and cheap flights for couples, family holidays, groups and single people. It also offers you to get information on great value holidays in self-catering, half board, full board and all-inclusive accommodation. We are also offering information of cheap holidays and package deals, cheap flights, hotel bookings and car hire among others to make your holiday according to your budget. The experienced travel consultants can advise and give information to you on the best destination and accommodation to suit your needs and create your perfect holiday. The celebration of Christmas in India is different in different parts of this country of diversity. If in the North East it is celebrated in one way, in the South West it is done in a different way. Christians in the plains decorate mango or banana trees at Christmas time. They also decorate their houses with mango leaves. In some parts of India, small clay oil-burning lamps are used for Christmas decorations. Last Minute Holidays are perfect for the spur-of-the-moment get a way and there is no reason why last minute holidays shouldn’t be as enjoyable as the most carefully planned summer break. Last minute holidays are an ideal way of taking advantage of unexpected free time or celebrating good news. All these and many more information’s related to INDIA HOLIDAY are listed in INDIAHOLIDAYSEARCH.com

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Places to see in and around Bombay There are a number of tourist spots worth visiting around Bombay too. The Elephanta caves are the famous rock-cut temples made from two hills. The ferry ride from Gateway of India to the Elephanta caves makes an interesting option. Then there are the Karla caves that were built by the Buddhist monks and are famous for its Chaitya and a huge stone stupa. There are a mumber of hill stations around Bombay that make excellent retreats. Matheran, Khandala and Lonavala are amongst the resorts that attract several tourists. Boriveli National Park or the Sanjay Gandhi National Park is another must visit place around Bombay. Within the park are the Kanheri caves that boast of being the biggest Buddhist monastic structure on Konkan coast. The protected area is home to interesting flora and fauna. Another excursion option is the Bassein Fort. Bassein Fort is a remains of the Portuguese fortified city of Bassein.

Food in Bombay is another must checkout. Amongst the wide variety of cuisine available in Bombay are the Parsi dhansaak, Gujarati thalis, Muslim kebabs, Goan vindaloos et al. If you are holidaying in Bombay during the summer season then the mangoes should not be missed especially those of the Alphonso variety. The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with much zest in Bombay. Navratri is also ideal time to visit Bombay. Amongst the other important festivals of Bombay are Gokul Ashtami and Holi.