Land & People of India

The Land Many describe India as a continent. And not surprisingly, for the country spans 3.29 million sq km. In the north are China, Nepal and Bhutan, to the northwest, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and in the east, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar separate the country's slender southern tip from the island-state of Sri Lanka. Stretching 2,400 km across its entire northern boundary, from the Pamir knot in the northwest to the Brahmaputra valley in the east, is the world's youngest (60 million years old) mountain range -the Himalayas, which has the world's highest peak - Mt Everest. Far older is the stable mass of pre-Cambrian rock the Deccan plateau, which occupies a southern position in the peninsula. The Aravalli range, in its north, as also the Western and Eastern Chats are remnants of this formation. The eastern edge, drained by the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri rivers, break the Eastern Chats into low hills. The Western Chats are steeper and swiff-flowing rivers form backwaters and lagoons along the Kerala coast. Kanyakumari is the southernmost tip of India.  Between the Himalayas and the Deccan plateau is the fertile ndo-Gangetic plain. In the east, the Brahmaputra River joins the Ganga in a combined delta, the largest in the world and known for its rich, mangrove forests. Nestled in the Bay of Bengal in the east, are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while in the Arabian Sea in the west, Qoral atolls form the Lakshadweep islands.  Winters are cold in the north, pleasant in the south, which is closer to the equator. Summers are hot, with temperatures touching 470 ~ in some parts. The monsoon season is roughly between June and August. The People Four major racial groups have met and merged in this fertile land to give its populace this great diversity. Racial dovetailing has influenced lifestyle pafferns as much as it did looks. Lifestyles, customs, traditions and religious beliefs vary. There is, in fact, no composite Indian character, but there is a rare catholicity and the people are united in their acceptance of individual styles and beliets. The majority of Indians are Hindu, but Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Jews enjoy religious freedom and festivals of different faiths, like Holi (festival of colours), Diwali (festival of lights) Dussehra, Id, Christmas, Good Friday are celebrated with much fervour by all. Sartorial styles are equally diverse, though women through the length and breadth of the country wear the sari. Equally diverse is the cuisine repertoire, which ranges from hot and spicy to subtle, bordering on the bland. Styles differ from one region to another as also from one state to the next. What many find mindboggling is the number of vegetarian dishes available necessitated no doubt by the large number of Indians who are vegetarians. Hindi is the national language. English has also been retained as a language for official communication. There are 15 major languages and 844 dialects that are spoken throughout the country.