A GUIDE TO INDIAN CITIES

MUMBAI (BOMBAY): Bombay, renamed Mumbai, could well be any other metropolitan city in the World, with its skyscraper-filled skyline. However, that is where the comparison ends, for the integral part of Mumbai lives at sea level and street level – in its old crumbling homes flanking lanes and even narrower bylanes. Like all big cities, Mumbai too shows its seamy sides in the slums. It has the honor of having Dharavi, the largest slum in Asia, in its folds. ‘Jhuggis’ (hutments) exist cheek-by-jowl with ivory towers. For its teeming population, home in Mumbai could be along railway tracks, under bridges, in massive unused pipes, nestling against the walls of textile mills – or in the plush high-rises along the western front of the island.

PUNE: The city of students, Queen of the Deccan, Oxford of the East are just some of the names that Pune is known by. Peaceful and modern with its own traditions, this neighbour to Mumbai offers a lifestyle that includes peace, space and a lot of fun. Whether it is cuisine or culture, institutions or history, Pune truly has it all. Pleasant weather means that Nature ensures the continuance of a life given to enjoying the best of it all. Today, Pune is a much sought after destination for students not only from different parts of the country but also from all over the world. Pune is also home to the Film and Television Institute and the well stocked National Film Archives. It is also the place where Rajneesh chose to open the now world famous Osho Ashram.

AHMEDABAD: Ahmedabad, the largest city and 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 center 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.

JAIPUR: Jaipur was founded by Maharaja Jai Singh II (1693-1743) and is the capital of Rajasthan. Jaipur is surrounded by hills and dotted with forts. Houses with pink latticed windows line the streets, and look almost magical at sunset. An extremely well planned city, Jaipur was designed by an engineer and scholar Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, in accordance with ancient Hindu treatise on architecture, the Shilpa Shasta (Vastu). The Old City, also known as the Pink City, is a wonderful place to wander around. The whole city was painted pink by Maharaja Man Singh II when Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, visited Jaipur in 1876. Today, every home within the city is obliged by law to maintain this facade.

TRIVANDRUM: God's own country with its psychedelic sunsets complete with palm trees swaying to whatever music the wind chooses to play, the wafting aromas of the land of coffee, spices and coconuts, the bastion of communism, a literate people whose friendliness is only surpassed by their curiosity for more. A place that fiercely retains and respects the ancient traditions while viewing the modern with tolerance and invitation - Thiruvananthapuram or Trivandrum is Kerala incarnate. There is beauty and intelligence, the exotic and the mundane, there are Ayurvedic massages that elicit equal amounts of pain and pleasure, beaches and lagoons with the best part being the preservation of it all the way Nature meant it to be.


COCHIN: Cochin is the commercial capital of Kerala, and is sometimes referred to as the ‘Queen of the Arabian Sea’. Cochin proudly boasts a rich cultural heritage, but is one of the most fast-paced and modern cities in India. It is also one of the finest natural harbours of the world and a major Indian port. Cochin is basically a collection of islands and narrow peninsulas and can be divided into Ernakulam, Willingdon Island, Mattancherry and Fort Kochi. An international airport and seaport, connect Cochin to the rest of the world. The city also has an outstanding network of road, rail, backwater, and a modern communication system. Always a tourist favourite, this city offers visitors plenty.

CHENNAI (MADRAS): Chennai, also known as Madras, the capital of Tamil Nadu, is the country's fourth largest city. 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. 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.

COIMBATORE: Coimbatore City is headquarters to the District and the third largest city in Tamil Nadu. A completely progressive modern city, Coimbatore has much going for it, whether in the areas of industry or education. Rightly called the "Manchester of South India, Coimbatore is known for its textile mills and as a result, it's own unique saris. From engineering goods that constantly keep step with the latest technology available to its beautiful temples, visit Coimbatore to see the side of India that is modern.

BANGALORE: Garden city, science and technology center of India and home to many multinational companies. Tourist offices and places, libraries, cultural centers, bookshops are centrally located. Good multi cuisine Indian/Continental is available. Flashy bars and well lit discotheques are in numbers. A major industrial and commercial center, with scientific and research activity, Bangalore is multifaceted: modern marvels, historical monuments, bustling shopping plazas, golf courses and a race course. Called the Silicon Valley of India for its growing software industry, it is also known as the city of draught beer.

HYDERABAD: There is so much here to awe the senses. From the magnificent food to the majestic monuments, from its terrific landscapes to a populace steeped in respect and tradition. Consisting of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, Hyderabad is also the capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh. Once the largest princely state in India, Hyderabad had its own flag, currency, railway, and postal system, before being incorporated into the Indian nation. With a rich history, Hyderabad 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.


DELHI: Living testament to the glory of the Mughal days, patron of palaces and tombs and the capital of India, New Delhi is all of this and more. Situated about 160 kms south of the Himalayas and on the west bank of the Yamuna River, a tributary of the Ganges, Delhi has the distinction of being the historic hub of politics. Delhi is as modern or ancient as you want it to be. Today's Delhi is cosmopolitan, modern and fun-loving. With feasts for art and theatre lovers, concerts for the musically inclined and food that can make a gourmet cry with delight, Delhi is a place with something for everyone.



NAGPUR: Today, Nagpur is a quiet town that is warm, hospitable and friendly at heart. The old meets the new on almost every street with old family houses and historical meetings sitting peaceably with the newer dwellings. Famed for its oranges, Nagpur is also a flourishing dry port and is known for its cool cotton saris. All in all, Nagpur is a city that has easily settled to its potential and seems very comfortable to take second place to the more gregarious city of Mumbai.


AGRA (TAJ MAHAL): Described by the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore as "a tear-drop on the face of eternity", the Taj Mahal is an enduring monument to love and is, quite simply, one of the world's most marvelous buildings. Wholly concealing it is the massive red sandstone gateway, remarkable in itself, in preventing any glimpse of the tomb until you get the first breathtaking view of the Taj as you pass through the arch. The fifth of the great Mughal emperors, Shah Jahan, was devoted to his wife Mumtaz Mahal who died at the age of 39. It is said that on her deathbed she asked him to show the world how much they loved each other. The result was the most magnificent memorial on earth. Built in the early 16th century along the river Yamuna, many architects have rated it as the most perfect of all buildings standing on earth. Three artists designed it: a Persian, an Italian and a Frenchman. Even the skilled artisans who built it were brought from Baghdad, Constantinople, and other centers of the Muslim faith. For 22 years, more than 20,000 workmen labored to build the Taj. The Maharaja of Jaipur sent the marble as a gift to Shah Jahan, by a fleet of 1,000 elephants. Precious stones for the inlay came from Baghdad, China, Afghanistan and Ceylon. Sightseeing: Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri.