Description
India (भारत गणराज्य), officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world.
Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Burma and Bangladesh to the east.
In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; in addition, India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.
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Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history.
Four world religions Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism originated here, whereas Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium CE and also helped shape the region’s diverse culture.
Gradually annexed by and brought under the administration of the British East India Company from the early 18th century and administered directly by the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by non-violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi.
The Indian economy is the world’s eleventh-largest by nominal GDP and third-largest by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). Following market-based economic reforms in 1991, India became one of the fastest-growing major economies; it is considered a newly industrialised country.
However, it continues to face the challenges of poverty, corruption, malnutrition, inadequate public healthcare, and terrorism. India is a federal constitutional republic governed under a parliamentary system consisting of 28 states and 7 union territories.
India is a pluralistic, multilingual, and a multi-ethnic society. It is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats.

List of sights
3,829 Photos
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Agra (IN)
162 Photos
Agra, a city on the banks of the Yamuna River in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, achieved fame as the capital of the Mughal Emperors from 1526 to 1658. …

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Ajanta (IN)
140 Photos
The Ajanta Caves, in Maharashtra, are 31 rock-cut cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BC. The caves include paintings and sculptures considered …

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Alchi (IN)
40 Photos
Alchi, a village and monastery situated on the bank of Indus River 70 km from the capital in Leh, is situated, unlike the other gompas in Ladakh, on lowland, …

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Alwar (IN)
51 Photos
Alwar is a city and administrative headquarters of Alwar District in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is located around 160 km south of Delhi, and about …

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Aurangabad (IN)
21 Photos
Aurangabad is a city of Maharashtra, named after the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. The city is surrounded with many historical monuments, including the Ajanta Caves …

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Bundi (IN)
68 Photos
Bundi, is a city in the Hadoti region of Rajasthan state in north-west India. It is of particular architectural note for its ornate forts, palaces, and …

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Chemrey (IN)
30 Photos
Chemrey, gompa of the Drukpa (Red Hat) sect in eastern Ladakh, was founded in 1664 as a memorial to a local king.

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Chittaurgarh (IN)
69 Photos
Chittaurgarh (Chittorgarh), is a city and a municipality in Rajasthan state of western India. It lies on the Berach River, a tributary of the Banas, and …

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Datia (IN)
95 Photos
Datia, a small rural town in the state of Madhya Pradesh, was formerly the seat of the eponymous princely state in the British Raj. Datia is situated near …

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Deeg (IN)
48 Photos
Deeg Palace, built in 1772, is situated near Bharatpur in Rajasthan. Deeg was the first capital of the newly carved out Jat State of Bharatpur, when Badan Singh …

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Delhi (IN)
308 Photos
Delhi, the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India after Mumbai, is the capital of India. Located on the banks …

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Ellora (IN)
118 Photos
Ellora is an archaeological site, 30 km from the city of Aurangabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra built by the Rashtrakuta rulers. Well-known for its …

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Fatehpur Sikri (IN)
106 Photos
Fatehpur Sikri, a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, was constructed by Mughal Emperor Akbar beginning in 1570 and served as the empire’s capital from …

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Gwalior (IN)
46 Photos
Gwalior Fort, built in the 8th century in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, stands on an isolated rock, overlooking the Gwalior town. It is one …

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Hemis (IN)
64 Photos
Hemis Gompa, a monastery 40 km south-east of Leh in Ladakh, was established in 1672 by King Senge Nampar Gyalva.

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Jaipur (IN)
190 Photos
Jaipur, also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. During the British rule in India, Jaipur …

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Jaisalmer (IN)
212 Photos
Jaisalmer, nicknamed “The Golden City”, is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located 575 km west from the state capital Jaipur. The town stands …

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Jodhpur (IN)
248 Photos
Jodhpur is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located 335 km west from the state capital, Jaipur. The city is known as the …

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Kumbhalgarh (IN)
8 Photos
Kumbhalgarh (literally “Kumbhal fort”) is a Mewar fortress on the westerly range of Aravalli Hills, in the Rajsamand district near Udaipur of Rajasthan …

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Kusum Sarovar (IN)
75 Photos
Kusum Sarovar, close to Govardhan, is crowned by the cenotaphs of the members of the royal family of Bharatpur, a significant architectural group erected …

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Lamayuru (IN)
30 Photos
Lamayuru Gompa, one of the largest and oldest gompas in Ladakh, housed up to 400 monks. The Indian scholar Mahasiddhacarya Naropa (956 - 1041) caused a …

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Leh (IN)
78 Photos
Leh, the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, is dominated by the ruined Leh Palace former home of the royal family of Ladakh, built in the same …

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Matho (IN)
212 Photos
Matho Gompa, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Ladakh east of Leh, is the only example of the Sakyapa sect. It is known for its annual Oracle Festival, Matho Nagran …

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Mathura (IN)
37 Photos
Mathura, said to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna, was as per the epics Mahabharata, the capital of the Surasena Kingdom, ruled by Kansa the maternal uncle …

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Nagda (IN)
53 Photos
Nagda is a small town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. In the 6th century, Nagda was found by Nagaditya, the fourth Mewar King. Initially it was known …

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Orchha (IN)
115 Photos
Orchha, a town 15 km from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, lies on the Betwa River and was the seat of an eponymous former princely state of central India, in the …

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Phyang (IN)
16 Photos
Phyang Gompa, a Buddhist monastery located 16 km west of Leh, was established in 1515. The monastery is one of only two in Ladakh belonging to the Drigungpa School …

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Pushkar (IN)
255 Photos
Pushkar, is a town in the state of Rajasthan, situated at 14 km north-west from Ajmer, and is one of the five sacred Dhams (pilgrimage sites for devout …

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Ranakpur (IN)
140 Photos
Ranakpur is widely known for its marble Jain temple, and for a much older Sun Temple which lies opposite the former. Light coloured marble has been used …

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Rizong (IN)
17 Photos
Rizong Gompa, a Gelugpa or Yellow Hat Buddhist monastery, is situated at the top of a rocky side valley on the west of Alchi on the way to Lamayuru. It …

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Saspol (IN)
25 Photos
Saspol has some caves with wall-paintings as old as those at Alchi.

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Spituk (IN)
25 Photos
Spituk Gompa, a Buddhist monastery located 8 km from Leh, was founded by Od-de, the elder brother of Lha Lama Changchub Od in the 11th century.

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Stakna (IN)
8 Photos
Stakna Gompa, a Buddhist monastery of the Drugpa Sect, is located 25 km south-west from Leh on the right bank of the Indus River. It was founded in the …

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Stok (IN)
242 Photos
Stok Gompa, a Buddhist monastery 15 km south of Leh, was founded by Lama Lhawang Lotus in the 14th century. A ritual dance-mask festival is held annually. …

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Takthok (IN)
26 Photos
Takthok Gompa, a monastery in the Sakti village 46 km east of Leh in Ladakh, was founded in the mid 16th century during the reign of Tshewang Namgyal on …

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Thiksey (IN)
58 Photos
Thiksey Gompa (Thiksay Gompa, Thikse Gompa, Tikse Gompa), a Yellow Hat (Gelugpa) Buddhist monastery, is located east of Leh at an altitude of 3,600 m. The …

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Udaipur (IN)
49 Photos
Udaipur, also known as the City of Lakes, is a city in the state of Rajasthan in western India. It is located 400 km south-west of the state capital, Jaipur …

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Varanasi (IN)
160 Photos
Varanasi, also commonly known as Benares, is a city situated on the banks of the Ganges River in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is regarded as a …

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Zanskar (IN)
184 Photos
Zanskar covers an area of about 7,000 km², at an altitude between 3,500 and 7,000 m. It consists of the country lying along the two main branches of the …
