Major Cities
AGRA
Agra is globally renowned as the city of the Taj Mahal. But this royal Mughal city has, in addition to the legendary Taj, many monuments that epitomize the high point of Mughal architecture.
In the Mughal period, in the 16th and 17th centuries, Agra was the capital of India. It was here that the founder of the dynasty, Babur, laid out the first formal Persian garden on the banks of the river Yamuna. Here, Akbar, his grandson raised the towering ramparts of the great Red Fort.
Within its walls, Jahangir built rose-red palaces, courts and gardens, and Shah Jahan embellished it with marble mosques, palaces and pavilions of gem-inlaid white marble. The crowning glory of the city is obviously the Taj Mahal, a monument of love and imagination that represents India to the world.
AHMEDABAD (Ahmadabad)
Ahmedabad, the largest city and former capital of Gujarat, nurtures a striking blend of the glorious past and a vibrant present. Named after a Sultan who founded it in 1411, the city is associated with Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation, whose simple ashram on the banks of river Sabarmati is now a site of national pilgrimage.
Ahmedabad is a great textile and commercial centre and known as the "Manchester of India". The city is today the second largest prosperous city in Western India and a place where tradition and modernity coexist in perfect harmony.
BANGALORE
Located 1000m above sea level, the capital of the state of Karnataka, Bangalore, is a vibrant cosmopolitan city, a major industrial and commercial centre of the country.
The city was founded by Kempe Gowda in the early 16th century. Two centuries later, it became an important fortress city under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. The ruins of those periods can still be seen on the Bellary Road, at Lal Bagh, Ulsoor and Gavi Gangadhareswar Temple.
Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of the country, the nerve - centre of India's software industry. Its other major industries include aircraft, electronics and machine tools.
Despite being one of Asia's fastest growing cities, Bangalore remains one of the most elegant metropolises in India. A well - planned city, with tree - lined avenues, a large number of parks, gardens and lakes, Bangalore is aptly called India's garden city.
The city attracts people in large numbers, from all over the country, and abroad, who come to look for better job opportunities, and higher education. Surprisingly, all this frantic industrial expansion and increase in the population, has not robbed Bangalore of its essential old-world appeal.
CALCUTTA (KOLKOTA)
Largest metropolis in India, Kolkota is a vibrant city on the move, volatile and unpredictable. The Gateway to India, till 1912, and the capital of the Raj in India, it still bears the Victorian imprint on its streets and structures.
A city just about ready to burst at the seams, Kolkota is home to more than 10 million people. It is the commercial nerve-centre of the East, with major industrial plants, textile mills and corporate units. Regal edifices, grubby alleys, bustling bazaars, elegant hotels, people from all walks of life - Kolkota has it all.
The city is a hub of fervent activity in the realms of music, theatre, arts, and sports. Kolkota has always prided itself on the many luminaries it has sent forth, be it Tagore, Satyajit Ray, or Mrinal Sen.
The intense dedication to the arts manifests itself in a plethora of festivals, dance, music performances and other cultural events. The Kolkotans are also famous for their all-consuming passion for sports, especially, football and cricket.
Kolkota is a city of baffling paradoxes, a city that leaves its stamp on one's mind ... forever.
CHANDIGARH
Chandigarh, designed by the French architect Le Corbusier, is the capital of the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. Though Simla was chosen as temporary headquarters, the need for a permanent capital resulted in the birth of a new city at the foothills of the Shivalik hills. Chandigarh then became the new capital of Punjab and Haryana. But the administration of the capital itself was neglected, which was solved, by making it a Union Territory under the Central Government on 1 November 1966.
Covering an area of 56 square kilometers, Chandigarh is the first “planned” city of India. The city has neatly laid out roads and parks, buildings ranging against mountain peaks, boulevards and streets lined by endless rows of trees and shrubs.
The city is named after the Goddess Chandi Devi, whose white - domed temple stands on the slope of a hill in the north east of Chandigarh, on the edge of the Shivalik hills.
Spread over an area of 114 sq. km, it is a modern city, built in 47 sectors (excluding the unlucky number 13). Each sector consists of market places and shopping centers.
All the sectors are interconnected by State Transport buses, auto-rickshaws and taxis. This city has its population drawn from every community and region in India, and ranks second in literacy among the country's states and union territories.
Chandigarh has about 15 medium and large scale industrial units. These include soft drinks, electric meters, antibiotics, electronic components and equipment, bio-medical equipment, tractor parts, cement pipes and tiles, and washing machines.
CHENNAI (MADRAS)
Chennai city, also known as Madras, the capital of Tamil Nadu, is the country's fourth largest city. Compared to the other major metros of India, it is far less congested and polluted. Chennai was the site of the first settlement of the East India Company. It was founded in 1639, on a piece of land given by the Raja of Chandragiri, the last representative of the Vijayanagar rulers of Hampi.
On an organisational level, the city boasts of reasonably efficient public services, public buses, and commuter trains run smoothly. A great deal of industrial expansion has taken place in Chennai recently, with the mushrooming of engineering plants, car-assembly plants, educational institutions, and textile manufacturing units.
Though there are no major attractions as such, it does have the second biggest beach in the world, the Marina Beach. The beach is not really a favourite with swimmers, as the sea is known to house a sizeable population of sharks.
Chennai is a vibrant city that has managed to strike a beautiful balance between the modern and the traditional, a metropolis with a distinct old - world charm.
DELHI
Delhi, the capital of India, is an amalgam of the old and the new. The ancient and the modern times are in juxtaposition here, not only in the remains of a succession of empires, but equally in present social structure and lifestyles.
The name Delhi, Dehali, or Dilli is derived from Dhillika, the name of the first medieval township of Delhi, located on the southwestern border of the present Delhi, in Mehrauli. This was the first in the series of seven medieval cities. It is also known as Yoginipura, that is, the fortress of the yoginis (female divinities).
There was, however, an ancient urban settlement in Delhi known as Indraprastha on the banks of the Yamuna which is traditionally believed to have been founded by the Pandava brothers, the mythical heroes of Mahabharata, the national epic of India. Excavations at the site of the township inside Purana Kila or the Old Fort show that the date of the oldest habitation in Delhi is around the 3rd or 4th century B.C.
Delhi is divided into two parts. The old Delhi or Delhi was one of the capitals of Muslim India between the 12th and 19th centuries. Old forts, mosques and monuments related to India's Muslim history are located here.
New Delhi is the imperial city which was created as the capital by the British. It is spread over a wide area and is lined with imposing boulevards.
Delhi is a major travel gateway into India. It is one of India's busiest entry points for overseas airlines and is on the overland route access across Asia.
MUMBAI (BOMBAY)
Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, is the fastest moving, most affluent and industrialized city in India. Mumbai is part of India's beautiful west coast that runs down from Gujarat, through Mumbai to Goa, Karnataka and Kerala.
The city has a natural harbour, which was developed by the British. It is one of the busiest ports of India, handling approximately 40 percent of India's maritime trade.
Mumbai (till recently known as 'Bombay'), derives its name from the local deity Mumba Devi, whose temple is still there. The Portuguese predecessors of the British preferred to think of the name as Bom Baim, the Good Bay.
Mumbai is a group of seven islands which are today known as Colaba, Mahim, Mazgaon, Parel, Worli, Girgaun and Dongri. Large expanses of open sea have been filled in, and tidal swamps have been reclaimed for furthering the land area. These reclaimed areas include Churchgate and Nariman Point.
Mumbai is home to people of all Indian creeds and cultures. It is a fascinating city, throbbing with life, and, for many people, the gateway to India.
HYDERABAD
A charming blend of the ancient and the modern, Hyderabad, also known as the Istanbul of India, is a vital centre of Islamic culture, and central India's answer to the Mughal grandeur of the northern cities of Delhi, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri.
Consisting of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, it is the capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh.
It boasts of some fine examples of Qutab Shahi architecture - the Jami Masjid, the Mecca Masjid, Toli Masjid, and of course, the impressive symbol of Hyderabad, the Charminar.
Hyderabad is the creation of the Qutab Shahi rulers. In 1589, Mohammed Quli Qutab Shah decided to shift his capital from Golconda to the banks of river Musi. Consequently, a city adorned with magnificent palaces and mosques, embodying a style of architecture that was unique to the place - the domes and minarets dressed with splendid stucco ornamentation - was born.
Hyderabad retains the old-world atmosphere, unlike other cities in South India. A unique feature of the city is that it is the only city in the south, where the major language spoken is Urdu.
Hyderabad offers a glimpse into the amazing spectrum of performing arts unique to Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi, the classical dance form of the state presents vignettes from the great Hindu epics and mythological tales through fascinating dance-dramas.
Shadow puppetry is another famous folk art. Perforated leather puppets depicting mythological characters from the epics, are handled with bamboo sticks against a brilliant lamp-lit background. This is performed to the accompaniment of percussion instruments and lyrical narration. Around 19 tribes people the Araku Valley, 115 km from Visakhapatnam. Their cultural repertoire is a profusion of dances, folk songs and religious celebrations.
Hyderabad is a centre for handicrafts peculiar to the city and from around the state. There are fabulous bargains to be had at Charkaman, Mitti-ka-Sher and Laad Bazaar. They include: bidriware, hookahs, boxes, jewellery made of black gun-metal inlaid with fine silver wire in exquisite floral and geometric patterns; appliqued patchwork skirts, bags and belts with mirrors and beads, embroidered by the Banjara and Lambadi gypsy tribes; Nirmal lacquerware, brass from Pembarthi, Kondapalli carved toys, leather toys and Warangal carpets. The traders (around the Charminar and Laad Bazaar) stock fine jewellery - antique kundan and enamel ornaments, temple sarees, old bidriware and exquisite pearls.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
The capital of the state of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram or the City of the Sacred Snake, is built over seven hills. Named after Anantha, the thousand - headed serpent of Hindu mythology, the city once formed a part of the Travancore kingdom, its capital at Padmanabhapuram, now a part of Tamil Nadu.
Thiruvananthapuram is, decidedly, one of the cleaner and well-planned cities of the country. The city's scenic appeal, its enchanting beaches, and overwhelming greenery only add to its uniqueness. It embodies the magical feel of Kerala, as a whole, and lends terrific insight into the culture of the state.
The red-tiled roofs, the never-ending stretches of palm trees, the maze of narrow, winding streets and above all, the sea, make for a fascinating mixture. There is an element of understated and effortless elegance about the city, which leaves a lasting impression on the visitor.
JAIPUR
Jaipur, popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of the state of Rajasthan. It has, long been established, on tourist itineraries as the third corner of India's Golden Triangle, just 300 km southwest of Delhi, and 200 km west of Agra.
The old city of Jaipur is partially encircled with seven gates - the major gates are Chandpol, Sanganeri, and Ajmeri.
The 'pink city' label, applies specifically, to the old walled quarter of the Rajasthani capital, while in the northeast of the town, glorious palaces and temples, in an assortment of styles, spanning centuries, are scattered throughout the, predominantly, urban area.
The city owes its name, its foundations and its careful planning, to the great warrior - astronomer Maharaja Jai Singh II. His predecessors, had enjoyed good relations with the Mughals, and Jai Singh was careful to cultivate this alliance.
In 1727, with Mughal power on the wane, Jai Singh decided to move down from his capital hillside fortress at Amber, to a new site on the plains. A Bengali architect Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya designed the city, using the principles of town planning, as laid down in the Shilpa Shastra, an ancient Hindu treatise on architecture. He built the City Palace, and the largest stone observatory in the world, employing the same principles.
PUNE
Pune, located 170 km south of Mumbai has been the cultural capital of Maharashtra, since ages. The city was one of the pivotal bases of the 17th century great Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji, who was born at the Shivneri Fort here.
Pune became the seat of the enterprising Peshwas, under whom Maratha power rose into a major political force. The Peshwas were renowned patrons of the arts and in their time, enriched the city with temples, gardens and educational institutions.
It was here that Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak introduced the principle of Swadeshi during the Freedom Movement.
Today Pune is one of the leading metros in India, with the Film and Television Institute of India and National Defence Academy based here. It is fast becoming one of the major hubs of industry and commerce in the country.
* The information regarding this page is from The India Travel and Tour India sites.