Craftshop of the World

The Indian craftsman has been perfecting his art handed down in the family, from father to son—for hundreds of generations. The result is a culmination of the best in modern aesthetics and ancient art—a legacy that even the Indians cannot ignore.

First look to your wardrobe. Do you want yards of silk for a dress or a shirt? Then look to jammu & Kashmir, to Benaras or to the south. Or pick up a handful of crisp cottons in any of the bazars all over India. For the best finds, look to the state emporia in all major cities.

Buy ready-mades at only a fraction of their cost in European and Western countries. Get a little something for your home in brass, bronze, ivory, marble or wood. From statues and busts to table - lamps and shelves to table-tops and frames. Ivory is carved in delicate filigree, marble is inlaid with precious, coloured stones, wood embedded with brass, bronze polished and shaped into Shivas, Buddhas and Saraswatis. From Moradabad comes a great culture of coloured enamel work in brass setting.

Go a step further. Pick up a rare and exclusive collection of precious stones and jewellery. If you’ve seen the Kundan work of Rajasthan, or the fashionably shaped silver from Orissa, you may not go back empty handed. And remember, the world’s purest diamonds were once mined at Golconda and nearby Hyderabad is a thriving industry for pearls.

Come and see our very wide range of carpets and rugs. India has the world’s largest carpet industry and the result is a colourful collage of paisleys, Persian motifs and fire breathing dragons. Tapestry comes in an equally wide range and Indian fabrics in natural fibre are one of a kind.

Every woman secretly harbours the desire to own a saree. Come and pick one from an unteachable range of silks, brocades, chiffons and chignons. Patterned in wild dreams, touched with a dash of silver and gold threads, splashed with tie-and-dye designs.

There is a bargain waiting in the Indian market. Don’t forget, India is the last resort for bargain hunters and adventurers. 

For more details about: Tour Operator India and Customized Tours India

Lure of the Wild

India has a long tradition of preserving wildlife. Even before her independence, maharajas who took to hunting with great pleasure had set aside wildlife preserves for the conservation of species.

Today, most states in the country have national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. To see the tiger, the visitor must travel to the Corbett and Dudhwa national parks in Uttar Pradesh, or to Kanha or Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh. India’s national bird, the colourful peacock can be seen almost everywhere, but in great abundance in Rajasthan.

India’s other famous sanctuaries include Dachigam in Jammu & Kashmir; Sariska and Bharatpur, a water-bird paradise, in Rajasthan; Panna and Madhav in Madhya Pradesh; Sunderbans, Jaldapara and Bakkhali in West Bengal; Betla and Hazaribag national parks in Bihar; Simlipal National Park in Orissa; Bandipur and Ranganathittoo in Karnataka; Periyar in Kerala; and Mudumalai and Vedanthangal in Tamil Nadu.

Come to Kaziranga and Manas for a rare treat—the Indian one-horned rhinoceros. The swamp deer is found only in India, as is the spotted deer chinkara or the four-horned antelope and the nilgai. Andthe great Asiatic lions at the Gir forest in Gujarat.

Migratory birds from Siberia come to winter in this country. Monkeys, flying foxes, panthers, alligators, pythons and king cobras, unusual pheasants-and water-birds abound.

The floral wealth of India comprises riverine forests, mixed and dry deciduous forests, swamps and meadows. Orchids are found in the north-east while alpine flowers grow in the Himalayan valleys and meadows. 

For more details about: Budget Tour India and Customized Tour India