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Planet In1: Destination Asia - India
India is located in Southern Asia, with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Bay of Bengal to the east and bordered by Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma and Bangladesh. To the north lies the world's highest mountain chain, the Himalayas, where foothill valleys cover the northernmost of the country's 26 states. Further south, plateaus, tropical rain forests and sandy deserts are bordered by palm-fringed beaches.

India's history goes back to 3,200 BC when Hinduism was first founded. Following a succession of invasions by traders and colonists alike, India has a rich multicultural legacy. Its physical, religious and racial variety is as immense as its linguistic diversity. Modern India is a mix of the old and the new, where temple elephants and ancient monuments exist side by side with the microchip and atomic power stations. With a population of over 800 million and with 17 major languages, India is definitely a land of contrasts.

Delhi is the capital of India and a good base for touring north of the country. With a population of almost 14 million people it's a busy bustling city. ‘Old Delhi' has many mosques, monuments and forts with narrow streets and busy colourful bazaars. New Delhi has spacious, tree-lined avenues and large government buildings. With spectacular architecture and an interesting history, not to mention wonderful food and great shopping, Delhi should not be missed.

Mumbai (Bombay) is an island connected to the mainland by bridges and located about halfway along the Western coast, on the Arabian Sea. This is the country's industrial centre and architecturally retains much of the British influence. The best time to visit is September to April when the temperatures are cool and dry, but if you want to see a spectacular festival, try Ganesh Chaturthi, a Hindu festival in August/September that lasts for 11 days or the Elephanta Festival of classical music and dance which usually takes place in February.

Goa conjures up another world. Ancient temples and majestic churches, a rich tradition of classical music, exuberant folk entertainment, delectable cuisine and a beautiful 100 km coastline with nearly year round sunshine, along with its manageable size and liberalism combine to make Goa an ideal holiday destination.

The Indian calendar is one long procession of festivals. These are characterised by colour, gaiety, enthusiasm, feasts and a variety of prayers and rituals. With monuments like the Taj Mahal, elephants, tigers, rich food in varying degrees of spiciness, bright beautifully decorated saris and exotic blooms, the visitor should be prepared for an assault on the senses.

India's mountains provide heli skiing, river running, mountaineering and trekking. Its beaches provide sunbathing as well as wind surfing and snorkeling, and its jungles provide opportunities to photograph wildlife, in its own habitat. With all this and more, the visitor could easily spend a year in this diverse country and not see half of it.