India is still steeped in its ancient culture and traditions
India is a land of contrasts – contrasts of nature, with the tallest mountains on one side and the deepest oceans on the other; contrasts of landscapes, where both lush green rain forests and stark barren deserts can be found; and contrasts of cultures, since India is home to two major world religions and two minor ones. Indians speak more than 20 different languages and one can find people from all the major human ethnicities living in the country.
Natural beauty
With the mighty Himalayas in the north and north east, India offers countless and varied opportunities for lovers of both nature and adventure.
How about a skiing holiday in Gulmarg, Auli or Manali? These have some of the most virgin ski slopes, away from the crowds in the Alps and Colorado mountains.
You could also go trekking in the icy deserts of Ladakh or the temperate paradise of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. For the strong at heart, there is white water rafting down the Ganges.
Or if you are not that adventurous, how about spending your time gazing at the beautiful Himalayan landscape from your hotel room sipping a cup of Darjeeling tea and watching life go by?
The Indian forests have some of the most diverse flora and fauna anywhere in the world, from the elephant to the majestic royal Bengal tiger and the only lions found in Asia.
In the days of the British Raj, these proud animals used to be hunted in large numbers in the forests of India. You can still shoot them — but only with a camera and only if they choose to reveal themselves.
India has some of the most successful wildlife conservation programmes in the world and this manifests in over 100 national parks, wildlife life sanctuaries and tiger reserves.
Village life
Despite rapid urbanisation, India is still mostly a rural economy. As Mahatma Gandhi once said: "India lives in its villages". The rural settings give an insight into the lives of most common Indians.
The new Rural Tourism Experience that has been developed by the ministry of tourism and the United Nations Development Programme is a perfect example of community based tourism.
Thirty-one villages with core competencies in some art form or another have been identified across India and developed as rural tourism projects.
You can stay overnight in these villages or visit them for a day. There are various activities planned for the visitor, ranging from experiencing typical village cuisine to learning an art from the master craftspeople.
Ancient cultures
India has had a 5 000 year romance with civilisation and influences from around the world, and also has a strong and dominant indigenous culture. This confluence has resulted in impressive architectural achievements across the country.
From the towering spires of the temples in Tamil Nadu and Orissa to the grand Mughal monuments of Delhi and Agra, and the colonial architecture of the big cities, one can travel through time in the course of a few hundred kilometres.
With 27 world heritage sites, India has one of the largest number of natural and manmade sites that have been declared so by the United Nations.
From that unforgettable monument to love, the Taj Mahal, to the quaint mountain railways of Darjeeling and Nilgiris, sites across the country encompass a wide variety of architectural and natural monuments.
The new India
The new India is a rapidly developing democracy with one of the fastest growing economies of the world.
The huge middle class is fuelling economic growth that is unparalleled anywhere in the history of humankind, all within the framework of a free and democratic political system.
Even with this kind of growth, India is still steeped in its ancient culture and traditions. Therefore, it is not strange to see a computer engineer performing a pooja to his favourite gods before leaving home for work, where he will design high end computer chips.
The new India is also building infrastructure such as world class airports and a highway network that is rapidly crisscrossing the country. The growing interest among tourists from the world over to experience its rich culture and heritage, India is becoming a preferred venue for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (known as Mice tourism) and boasts of some world class convention centres.
Mice tourism is a growing segment and a major initiative was taken to boost this sector by hosting the PATA Travel Mart 2008 in Hyderabad, India.
India has a rich heritage in the areas of traditional and natural medicine, yoga and spiritual practice. It has also made tremendous advancements in providing modern medicine and healthcare facilities at very competitive rates.
The introduction of the medical visa for one year, extendable up to three years, is also a step in the right direction towards encouraging medical tourism.
Other niche products being promoted include the country's heritage hotels, luxury tourist trains, cruise tourism, golf holidays and India as a shopper's paradise.
Tourism is being positioned as a major engine of economic growth and efforts are being made for optimally harnessing its direct and multiplier effects for employment generation and economic development in the country.
Various initiatives are under way in the tourism sector, to provide visitors with a worldclass experience that differentiates itself as a spiritually enhancing, culturally enriching, physically invigorating and mentally rejuvenating experience.
Infrastructural facilities in the country are being augmented in a well planned manner, in partnership with the state governments and the private sector.
The thrust is to develop cultural-cum-tourist Hubs, based on India's unique civilisation, heritage and culture in an integrated and comprehensive manner.
Promotion of Buddhist Circuits has also been given priority and important Buddhist sites throughout the country have been identified for this purpose.
More information is available at www.exporeruralindia.org
Although this article has been made possible by the Mail & Guardian's advertisers, content and photographs were sourced independently by the M&G supplements editorial team. It forms part of a larger supplement.