5 Reasons why instead of travelling abroad, you should explore India first

Travelling is not just a hobby; it’s an essential human need. We have to travel every once in a while to feel rejuvenated, to charge up those dying brain cells, to get a break from our daily life and day to day routine and the list goes on and on. Travelling is fun but it can also be expensive. Exploring mountains, sunbath at a beach can feel amazing but can also be a little expensive. Travelling within one’s own country would mean lower costs and is the sensible thing to do when you haven’t explored your own country and that’s why I’m going to give you 5 reasons if you are an Indian, why you should explore India before you leave for the adventure to explore foreign lands:

1. Topography and Wildlife

For all Nature lovers, India has a huge diversity of landscapes. From Mountains to Hills to Desserts to Beaches, in India, you can get them all. India has a rich Biodiversity and it never fails to surprise you when it comes to Flora & Fauna. Indian wild forests and national parks are home to many species of wild animals, birds and reptiles. More than 25% land of Indian states are covered with dense forest and provide shelter to the wildlife. You can find some of the rarest animals in India like The royal Bengal tiger, Asiatic Elephant, Great Indian Rhino, The Asiatic Lion, Indian Leopard, Indian Gharial, Blackbuck, etc. India is an attraction for all the passionate bird watchers and wildlife photographers you’ll find birds like The Himalayan Monal, The Fire-tailed myzornis, The oriental dwarf Kingfisher, The Indian Peacock, The Indian Pitta, etc here only in India.

2. Food

Food is a good enough reason why you should travel and explore India. The taste, colour, spices of the food changes every 1000kms in India. Every state has its specialities and mouth-watering food delicacies. Nothing can compete with Indian food whether it be street food or Royal Mughlai cuisines whose recipes were passed down from generation to generation in the royal families. There is a reason that India is a leading manufacturer of spices and exports them all around the world. You can go anywhere in the world, the most developed and beautiful countries in the world but you won’t find the amazing taste that India has to offer. Even the comedian Vir Das agrees on the quality of food and said: “Once you go brown the other colours let you down”.

3. Accessibility

One of the biggest benefits of travelling in India is cheap and affordable transport. I would recommend the Indian railways if you want comfort and you are on a tight budget. Be it the Rail connectivity or the Buses, they all run very frequently and are pretty comfortable. You can cover the longest distance possible in India with a sleeper coach and I bet it won’t cost you more than 1500 Rs and with the second largest road network in the world, India is perfect for all those road trips that you’ve been drowning about.

4. Culture and Festivals

India truly is an example of Unity in Diversity. In India, you’ll find people of every religion. There are more than 120 languages being spoken throughout the different parts of the country. Music and dance is an essential part of our Indian society from folk to Bollywood music, you’ll find everything fascinating. Similarly, Indian dances are an important part of the culture and are a few of the most complex and expressive dance forms in the world. Dance forms like Kathakali, Bharatnatyam, Kathak are famous all around the world for their expressive nature. Festivals is a year-round thing in India. It adds colours and joy to everyone’s life. No matter which season you land up in India, Indians are always celebrating some festival or other. The celebrations and festivals are so grand that the memories it creates in one’s mind live for eternity.

5. Architecture

India is home to one of the oldest and most beautiful Architectural geniuses in the world. Architecture in India has evolved through countless centuries due to the influence of the various dynasties and civilizations that have flourished in India. The forts, Palaces and Temples in India are often characterized by some of the most striking architectural designs and display the artistic prowess of the Indian kingdoms and Dynasties and to top it all India has amazing structures like The Statue of Unity and The Taj Mahal. The Statue of Unity is a 182m tall majestic Statue of Indian legend Sardar Patel, it is the world’s highest statue and is located in the state of Gujarat, India. The Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world. Built in 1648 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, The Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.

India is full of adventures and cultural shocks if one really wants to explore and that’s why you should first travel in India before starting to explore foreign countries. India has something to offer for everyone and that’s why India is the perfect travel destination for everyone.

-Sourabh Upreti