| The subcontinent of India lies in south Asia, between Pakistan, China
and Nepal. To the north it is bordered by the world's highest mountain
chain, 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 .
Side by side with the country's staggering topographical variations is
its cultural diversity, the result of the coexistence of a number of
religions as well as local tradition. Thus, the towering temples of south
India, easily identifiable by their ornately sculptured surface, are
associated with a great many crafts and performing arts of the region.
In the desert of Kutch, Gujarat, on the other hand, a scattering of
villages pit themselves against the awesome forces of nature, resulting in
Spartan lifestyles made vibrant by a profusion of jewelry and ornamental
embroidery used to adorn apparel and household linen. In the extreme north
is the high altitude desert of Ladakh. Local culture is visibly shaped by
the faith - Buddhism -as well as by the harsh terrain. Yet another facet of
Indian culture is observed in the colorful tribal lifestyles of the north
eastern states of Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur with their folk
culture.
In the central Indian states of Orissa and Madhya Pradesh tribal village
life has resulted in a variety of artistically executed handicrafts.
India's mountains provide heli skiing, river running, mountaineering and
trekking. Its beaches provide lazy sun-bathing as well as wind surfing and
snorkeling, and its jungles provide shooting wildlife -with a camera.
India's history goes back to 3,200 BC when Hinduism was first founded.
Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism. Judaism. Zoroashtrianism, Christianity and Islam
all exist within the country today. As a consequence of India's size, the
history of the country has seldom been the same for two adjoining
territories, and its great natural wealth has lured a succession of traders
and foreign influences to it, each having left their imprint in the country,
however faint or localized. Thus, Chinese fishing nets in Kerala are a
throwback to that country's ancient maritime trade, while in the north,
terra-cotta figurines of the centuries BC bear distinctly Greek traces.
Modern India is home alike to the tribal with his anachronistic lifestyle
and to the sophisticated urban jetsetter. It is a land where temple
elephants exist amicably with the microchip. Its ancient monuments are the
backdrop for the world's largest democracy where atomic energy is generated
and industrial development has brought the country within the world's top
ten nations. Today, fishermen along the country's coastline fashion simple
fishing boats in a centuries old tradition while, a few miles away. motor
vehicles glide off conveyor belts in state-of-the-art factories
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