India

2. India • India is the seventh Largest country in the world by area and the ranks second in population with 1.2 billion people. Its bounded by Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal & Arabic Sea in the south and its bounded by Himalayas in the north. • It was annexed by the British East India Company in the early 18th century and It become independent India in 1947, after a struggle of Independence by non- violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi. • India has 28 states with 7 Union territories. Delhi is the capital of India and it’s a Union Territory by itself. • India is multi lingual and multi ethnic society. It has 22 different languages spoken with various dialects and each language is derived from a script. Official Language is Hindi. • Each state by itself is a country, it has its own culture, tradition, language, food habits, arts and music , dressing, etc. • India has been the birth place for religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism….. • Regarded by many historians as the "oldest living civilization of Earth", the Indian tradition dates back to 8000 BC,and has a continuous recorded history since the time of the Vedas, believed variously to be 3,000 to over 5,500 years ago. • The Ganges is the most sacred river to Hindus and is also a lifeline to millions of Indians who live along its course and depend on it for their daily needs.It is worshiped as the goddess Ganga in Hinduism.[It has also been important historically: many former provincial capitals located on its banks.

3. INDIA • National flower – Lotus • National Animal – Tiger • National Bird – Peacock • National Game -Hockey

4. TAJ MAHAL TajMahal crown of palaces is a “ White Marble Mausoleum” built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his third wife Mumtaz. The plinth and tomb took roughly 12 years to complete. The remaining parts of the complex took an additional 10 years and were completed in order of minarets, mosque and jawab, and gateway. Since the complex was built in stages, discrepancies exist in completion dates due to differing opinions on "completion". For example, the mausoleum itself was essentially complete by 1643, but work continued on the rest of the complex. Estimates of the cost of construction vary due to difficulties in estimating costs across time. The total cost has been estimated to be about 32 million Rupees at that time.

5. RED FORT Red Fort is a 17th century fort complex constructed by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the walled city of Old Delhi (in present day Delhi, India) that served as the residence of the Mughal Emperors. The fort lies along the Yamuna River, which fed the moats that surround most of the wall. It covers a total area of about 254.67 acres. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, started construction of the red fort in 1638 and work was completed in 1648 (10 years). The Red Fort was originally referred to as "Qila-i-Mubarak" (the blessed fort), because it was the residence of the royal family .

6. MAHARASHTRA Maharashtra is the richest state in India. Marathi is the official language of. Ashadi Ekadasi, Ganesh Chaturthi, MahaSivarthri, Krishna Janmashtami,Dasara, Diwali,EID ( ramzan) are the most celebrated festivals by the people of Maharashtra. Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra and the financial capital of India, houses the headquarters of all major banks, financial institutions, insurance companies in India. India's largest stock exchange Bombay Stock Exchange, the oldest in Asia, is also located in the city. Mumbai is one of the most populated cities . Mumbai is home for the world's largest film industry- Bollywood, Hindi filmmaking industry

7. Assam Assam is known for its tea. It contributes to major production of tea in India. The language they speak is Assamese.. Guwahati is the capital for the Assam State. Two dozen other big and small tribal groups with many of them having their own language, writing system, dance forms and traditions. The lady is performing the Sattriya Dance. The next picture is the Bihu Dancers performing. The landscape includes tea gardens, the river Brahmaputra, and many historical monuments and temples.

8. Gujarat Gujarat people speak Guajarati and Marathi. Ahmedabad is the capital of Gujarat. Gandhiji- the father of India is from Guajrat. Gujarat cuisine is mainly vegetarian. Their major festival is Bhavai, Ras gharba and Makara sankaranthi. Bhavai is partly ritual and entertainment devoted for Goddess Amba. The rass-garba is a folk dance done as a celebration of Navratri by Gujarati people. The folk costume of this dance is chaniya choli for women and kedia for men. Makar Sankranti is a festival where people of Gujarat fly kites. In Gujarat, from December through to Makar Sankranti, people start enjoying kite flying.

9. West Bengal Kolkata is the Capital of Bengal. In Bengal they speak Bengali. Subhash Chandra bose , freedom fighter is from Bengal. Rice and fish are traditional favorite foods The greatest religious festivals are the two Eids (Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha) for the Muslims, and the autumnal Durga Puja for Hindus.Christmas (called Bôŗodin (Great day) in Bangla), Buddha Purnima are other major religious festivals.

10. Punjab The Language of Punjab is Punjabi, which is the 10th most commonly spoken language in world. Chandigarh is the Capital for Punjab. Punjabi has always been an integral part of Indian Bollywood cinema due to large numbers of Punjabis working in Bollywood. Bhangra is a form of Dance and music that originated in punjab region. People come out to celebrate Baisakhi with zeal and religious fervour. Gurupurab, Lohri, Holi, Diwali, Bahidooj, Mehendi festival are some of the popular ones celebrated in Punjab. They have a Golden temple in Amritsar. They eat Naan a type of bread with gravy made of paneer a type of cheese.

11. Kashmir Kashmir is the most beautiful state of India. It is the land of snow clad mountains that shares a common boundary with Afghanistan, China and Pakistan Srinagar is the capital of Kashmir. Fruit trees are common in the valley, and the cultivated orchards yield pears, apples, peaches, and cherries. The festivals the celebrate are Makara sankaranthi, Baisaki, Bahu Mela, Navarathri. Their food is mainly rice and lamb.

12. Karnataka Kannada is the language of Kannadigas. Bangalore is the Capital of Karnataka. Kannadiga contribute more to the Indian Hockey Team. The celebrate Ugadhi, Sivarathri, Dasara,Diwali in a grand way. Dollu Kunitha is one of the prominent folk dances of Karnataka. Despite being an entertaining art form, Dollu Kunitha dance is steeped in religious connotations. Mysore Palace the Famous Tourist and Historical Spot. Karnataka also has a special place in the world of Indian classical music with both Carnatic and Hindustani styles.

13. Andhra Pradesh Telugu is the language spoken in Andhra. Hyderabad is the Capital of Andhra. Charminar is one of the historical monument and the Borra caves which has the stalagmites and stalacities. Kuchupidi is the traditional form of Dance originated in Andhra. They have rich coconut fields on the banks of River Godavari. The World Famous ThirumalaThirupati Temple is located in Tirupati, which brings major revenue for the state. Dasara, Diwali, Makara Sankarathi are the festivals commonly observed by Andhra people.

14. Kerala Keralites speak Malayalam. Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala. Onam and Vishu are the most celebrated festivals in Kerala. Agriculture is the main occupation and they are the highest contributor of coconuts. Kathakali is the traditional dance of Kerala. Puttu , Appam, Alan, Olan are the Famous kerala dishes. Kalaripayattuis an Indian martial art from the state of Kerala .Guruvayoor temple is the ancient and popular temple.

15. Tamil Nadu Tamilians speak the tamil Language. Chennai is the Capital of Tamilnadu. They have the second longest beach Marina in Chennai. Bharathanatyam and Carnatic music is the ancient form of dance and music developedin Tamil Nadu. Pongal, Tamil New year ( Varusha pirppau), Navrathri, Ganesh Chaturthi and Diwali are the major festivals celebrated by tamilians. The coastal tip Kanyakumari, is beautiful place to see the merging of 2 seas( Bay of Bengal & Arabic sea) with the Indian Ocean. The sunrise and sunset view is the tourist attraction. They have contributed great freedom fighters like Bharathiyar, Kapalotiya Tamilan.