Maps of India

In reality, tourists have a very wide selection of cities to choose from when traveling the lands of India. Hey, just get along with the tongue-twisting names of cities. Although India has always been associated with Hinduism, and there are temples all over the country, still, there is more to India than meets the eye. As a traveler, I have always been eager to learn the culture and the overall impression of the country or city I visit. Know what? India has never failed me.

Maharashtra - another wonderful town in India. Its boundaries are Gujarat, Madhya, Andhra, and Karnataka. No wonder traveling the aforementioned cities will definitely lead one to this hidden paradise. By the way, Maharashtra is third among the large states and is also boasting with a very high demography. It has been established in 1960 after the separation of Gujarat and Marathi.

It is very easy to spot Maharashtra. Aside from its location, the city is a proud heir to a very rich culture. The language, dress, and literature are the very distinctive feature of Maharashtra. But, in case you are not interested on these aspects, then there are other attractions to behold. One is Konkan where rice, cashews, vegetables, and mangoes are grown. Since this place is considered a coast, it receives a rather high rainfall every year which, in turn, nourishes the crops. Also, there are the Desh and Khandesh sub-regions, a showcase of clear rivers, valleys, tobacco plantations, and a home to the renowned Indian poets. Amidst the natural beauty of Maharashtra, what really captures my attention are the stone-cut temples. I can hardly imagine how the ancient peoples painstakingly carved the Ellora and Ajanta temples.

Do you see the small islands in the map? You might not be able to distinguish these little pieces of paradise in the Indian subcontinent, but they are real treasure islands. The place is called Lakshadweep. One will definitely weep over the beauty of this island. It is composed of ten islets, almost all of which have mosques built by Arab invaders hundreds of years ago. On the other hand, the 50,000 population of Lakshadweep maintain these mosques as a notable tourist spot in the island.

Lakshadweep is considered an archipelago. I learned of this place from a fellow angler who invited me to have a peaceful fly fishing in very peculiar place. On the day we set foot on Lakshadweep, I was surprised to have been met by the tour coordinator who mistook us for scuba divers. Indeed, the place is a perfect diving destination. According to the resort administrator, tourists from all over Europe go to Lakshadweep to experience a one-of-a-kind diving experience.

Meanwhile, on our way to Kavaratti, our target destination, the villagers actually encouraged us to visit the museum that features the different species found in the clear waters that surround Lakshadweep. It was there that I saw divers stingrays, butterflies (the fish specie), sturgeons, eels, snappers, and a whole lot stranger fishes. This only made me more eager to do fly fishing. At last, we have set our tackles. By the end of the day, we caught big eels and trouts.

India, as we all know, has become the center of Hinduism. The preeminence of the religion have captured the interest of tourists all over the world. The sacred decrees and humane doctrines of Hinduism have touched the fascination and piquancy of other religious sects. Thus, religious travel packages in India tried to include most of these religious places. In actuality, there are more than 900 sacred sites. I once planned to avail of this tour, but I was not able to make up for the schedule. Instead, all I have in hand is a map showing the sacred places in India.

As I have said a while ago, there are at least 900 sacred sites. My map shows only the frequently visited places like Amarnath, Vaishno, Allahabad, Tirupati, Mathura, Shirdi, Somnath, and Omkareshwar. Along side with the other sites, they are marked with a diamond-shaped bullet in the map. According to statistics, the real number of sites reach almost 950. The travel agencies tried to divide the sites to themselves. So, if ever I would like to visit them all, it will take me almost fifty travel packages. That is a very expensive religious tour.

Anyhow, the temples in each site were built simultaneously during the ancient times. The map reveals that their locations in the selected lands of India are just several meters away from each other. Some of the temples could be reached by walking or just by crossing the street. However, not all sacred places have been opened for public viewing. The temples whose structure is nearly dilapidated were maintained by the villagers, but are strictly guarded for safety purposes.

World record has it that India has the most number of people next to China. Although this title is fitting and proper with the distinctive size of the country, still, the booming of the population threatens the health condition and economy of India. Needless to say, child labor is ongoing in some parts of India. Mumbai, for instance, is experiencing insufficient supply of food, while not all families can afford to send their children to school. This situation is quite alarming.

On the other hand, the map of India clearly shows the major cities that have more than one million demography. Experts say that forty years from now, India will exceed its density and even take the rank of China. Up to this date, India has a staggering 16 million population. Excluded in this record are the children who were not registered in the local governments. This simply shows that the Growth of population in India rates 2 percent.

Majority of the population are males. There are 35 cities in India that has more than one million people. Most of this cities are considered slum areas. As we all know, people residing in such areas do not have stable jobs, and family planning is of minor concern. I think the government is lacking the initiative to resolve the social problems in the highly populated cities. Included in the list are Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, Bangalore, Amritsar, Patna, and Bhopal.

After the Malaria outbreak in Assam had subsided, I decided to buy my first airplane ticket to Assam. Hey, I went there not to have some fun, I just wanted to know if the place is a real beauty. Unfortunately, I was compelled to take a travel package. Unlike with other Indian cities, the local government of Assam requires travelers to have their names included in the tour bookings.

Finally, I made my way to Assam. Right then and there, I clearly saw the origin of malaria in the city. The foothills in Assam are filled with varieties of wild plants that seemed almost like a jungle. Since, this place is often explored, the risk of mosquitoes to inhabit there is very high. Such was only my observation. Aside from that, the tour guide reminded us of the usual earthquakes in Assam. In fact, the tremors caused the blockage of the courses of some rivers.

Assam occupies 78,500 square kilometers. Only a small part of this area is covered with forest. The rest of the land are converted into parks where endangered species are kept. The whole city experiences a rather hot weather all throughout the year. But, during my stay there, I became a witness to the thick fogs that almost enveloped the city, which caused a delay on our tour. In the end, I was satisfied with what I have been through. It only saddened me that I have not been able to visit a Shiva temple there.

Unknown to many, India is one of the largest producers of coal. I would not be surprised with this fact, since India is already making its way to compete with the worldwide car industry. However, India has not been paying much attention to this treasure they possess. I mean, they do not make too much noise out of it. If you observe, they provide their needs with their natural coal resources. Coal, being the most dominant, has been constantly mined and used for the purpose of supporting the major factories and supply electricity to the millions of households in India. This might seem wise enough for India, since it does import energy supplies. I wonder if the people there pay low electricity bill.

Anyway, the map of coal mines in India is very easy to read. Would you want to guess why? It is because the mines are all over the continent. But, to give you the smaller picture, the mines are located in the cities of Mugma, Rajmahal, Jharia, Bokaro, Ramgarh, Karanpura, Singrauli, Pathakhera, Umrer, and Godavari just to name a few. This places might seem unfamiliar to you. Well, the places are almost unnoticeable unless one is well aware of the mines in there.

Please forgive me for being busy over the Indian cities, cultures, and others, while I should have featured the map of India right from the start. I hope I could make this one good enough. Really, I am not interested with geography, but the mere fact that I have already discovered the beauty of India, I think it would injustice to not tell you, my dear readers, the diverse features of India.

To start, when I looked at the Asian map, I can not help but admire the highly recognizable India. if you observe, occupies a large area that even if one is not well versed in reading a map, India would not be that hard to find. It is between Indonesia and Africa. It is worth mentioning that the Indian Ocean is known for divers fish species, while the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea are known for their beauty and serve as lee way for trades ships. All in all, India is made up of 26 cities. Mountain ranges are rising almost in every corner of India. Alternately, rivers and lakes could be seen flowing from almost all the cities of India.

I admire India, mainly, for its well preserved culture. Amidst the colonizers, it was able to stand the tests of time and remained faithful to its customs. I have a friend, a native of India, who tried to make me clearly see what is beneath his homeland. I was able to learn of its strong faith, its genius is medicine, its incredible strength in sports, its wit in entertainment, and its devotion to unity. On the other hand, Indian people also endure the various weather disasters, and the diseases outbreaks in its regions. It merely survived despite the booming population.