Capital: Leh

Area: 98 000 square km

Altitude: altitude ranges from 2750m at Kargil to 7672m at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram

Languages: Ladakhi, Zanskari, Tibetan, English and Hindi
The predominant language is Ladakhi, it is closely related to Tibetan though is not mutually intelligible with it. A Ladakhi phrasebook "Getting Started in Ladakhi" by Melong publication is available in bookstores.

Population: 250 000 out of which 23 000 live in Leh

Religion: Buddhist (77.3%), Muslim (13.8%), Hindu (8.6%)

Climate: Ladakh is a rain shadow region of the Himalayas, the annual average rainfall in Leh is 100 mm. In summer, temperature reaches 25°C and it drops down to -15°C in winter.
The high passes are closed during winter due to heavy snowfall.

It is very famous for its handicrafts and variety of food.

 It has the longest sea shore compared to any other Indian state. 

Gujarat has 17 airports, which makes it the state with the highest number of working airports.

Gandhinagar is the greenest capital city in whole Asia.

It is the safest city in India. It’s crime rate is 8.2, which is the least in India.

 

        People in Himachal Pradesh wear Ghangris, salwar kamiz and cholis. Cholis are the shirts which are worn on the upper part with a long skirt and a lot of bangles. Brahmin women also wear similar clothing like salwar kameez and ghagra choli.

KULLU DUSSERA is one of the most significant festivals in Himachal Pradesh celebrated. In Himachal Pradesh, a grand fair is organised every year in the month of October in the Dhalpur Maidan in the Kullu valley. Accorded as an international fair, this mega festival has been attracting thousands of tourists every year.

This is celebrated in January as a harvest festival. It is celebrated in various part of the country under different name. You can find a lot of fairs and other celebrations during this festival.

This is the Telugu New Year. It is celebrated in April. During this festival, you ought to taste the dish called Ugadi Pacchadi which is made with all six tastes together.

This dish is never made during other times as some main ingredients like flower of neem leaves cannot be found during other time of the year.

This festival is celebrated in August or September. In this festival, people make small statues of Ganesh (Elephant God of Indian Mythology) and worship it for a few days and then dissolve it in any water body.

There would be a lot of celebrations during this festival that would be colourful and entertaining.

People make or buy small statues of the elephant God of Hindu Mythology (Ganesh).

They pray and perform many rituals with this statue and conduct many performances each day and after 10 days, they carry the statue and dissolve it in any big water body (especially sea).

This festival falls on the 13th or 14th of March. This festival is dedicated to lord Shiva and people fast and celebrate it without sleeping. To help people stay awake, a lot of shows and performances would be conducted in temples.

It is a colourful festival. You can find a lot of fireworks and crackers making the night of Diwali, an amazing time. Diwali sweets of this state are very special and you ought to taste all of them.

There would be a lot of fairs and exhibitions conducted in various places in the state during this festival. This festival falls in the month of November.

Dusherra of Andhra might not be as fabulous as the one that is celebrated in West Bengal. But, you ought to visit the Bommala Kolluvu, a pyramid display of small dolls that would be placed in many places.

This is a cultural festival that is celebrated in many important places like Hyderabad. There would be a lot of local fair and exhibitions conducted during this festival.

Many food festivals would also be celebrated in various places to appreciate the cuisine of this state. If you are visiting this state during this festival you ought to visit the pearl exhibition and buy a few Hyderabadi pearls.

This festival is celebrated in December. This is very commonly celebrated in Lumbini. This is the place where Buddha was born and this festival is a grand one for those who follow this religion.

Many international tourists visit this state during this festival.

This is a local festival that occurs in October. As the name of the festival indicates this festival is celebrated in Rayalaseema region. This festival focuses on appreciating the food and culture of this region.

A lot of performances, food feast and others would be available during this festival.

This is celebrated in middle of January. This is very similar to Rayalaseema Food and Dance Festival. The festival focuses on the culture and cuisine of Visakhapatnam. A major fair would be conducted during this festival.

People from other parts of the state visit this fair to enjoy cultural programs, sports and other celebrations

TRADITIONAL WEAR
Men:-

The men in Andhra Pradesh generally wear dhoti and kurta.
Women:-

Before the 14th century, women in Andhra Pradesh wore dhotis, just like the men did. But over the years, the length of their dhoti kept on increasing and much later, they started using an additional piece of cloth to wrap over their shoulders. The additional piece of cloth later got stitch together to form a saree.

Dresses For Special Ceremonies

For marriage ceremony, the bride wears silk sarees from Dharmavaram as these sarees beautify the dresses for festivals, parties, and wedding. The sarees are brocaded and decorated with gold plating. The bridegroom wears kurta, and full-length dhoti with an overlapping pattern or a zigzag of excess cloth tucked in the front along with an additional piece of cloth draped over one of his shoulders. The bride wears the colour red whereas the groom wears white or cream coloured clothes. Both the bride and groom wear jewellery. The bride wears bangles, neckpiece, earrings,

payal (anklets) and a maang tikka (head jewellery) that goes around their forehead. The groom wears head jewellery that is in the form of a gold chain wrapped around his forehead.
In South India coming of age, the ceremony is celebrated when a girl reaches puberty. For the ceremony, the girl wears a Langa Voni given by her maternal grandparents during the first part of the ceremony. For the second part of the ceremony, she wears a saree given by her paternal grandparents. This marks her transition into womanhood.

LANGUAGE
The official language of Andhra Pradesh is Telugu.  Telugu is spoken by more than 85% of the population.  Tamil is also spoken here in the southern region and there is also kannada speakers on the border of karnataka.
There are a large number of Urdu speakers in Hyderabad and their population is 7% of the state's population . Most educated people will also be able to speak Hindi and English.

CULTURE
A combination of many cultures has formed the present-day culture of Andhra Pradesh because some great dynasties have ruled the region like Ikshvakus, Pallavas, Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Vijayanagar, and Mughals.

Andhra Pradesh culture became rich and creative with the touch of so many rulers and dynasties. The monuments like Charminar, Golconda Fort, Salar Jung museum says all about the skilled abilities of the past rulers.

Agriculture is a major source of Andhra Pradesh’s economy. About 70 percent of the state’s population is connected to agriculture and it is a major area of ​​rice production in India. The people of the state are divided as one who lives on the banks of river Krishna and Godavari while others who live in the hilly and forest area of the state.
 The culture of Andhra Pradesh is very rich in terms of clothing, food, festivals, dance, music, and art and crafts. People live with peace and harmony and the state is the land full of fun and laughter.

Culture: The predominant religions are Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism. The predominant communities are the Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalese. The people of Sikkim are very warm, simple and friendly with a nature gaiety. The customs and rituals of Sikkim are as diverse as the ethnicities that inhabit the land. Some of the most popular festivals, notable in Sikkim are Losoong, Drupka Teshi, Bumchu, Saga Dawa, Dassin and Phang Lhabsol.

Languages: Some of the main languages of Sikkim are Nepali, Sikkimese, Bhotia and Lepcha.

Tourist destination:
Gangtok: Gangtok is the capital city of Sikkim and the beauty of this city justify it being one of the prominent cities in the state. Incredibly beautiful, exuberant, and garlanded with clouds all over. Sikkim is blessed with the kind of cultural and historical significance Gangtok adds to the pride of this state.
Tsomgo Lake: Tsomgo Lake is nestled around 40 km away from the main city of Gangtok. This immensely beautiful glacier lake is one of the top tourist destinations of Sikkim. Tsogmo literally means ‘Source of Water’. This mesmerizing lake is one of India’s highest altitude lakes which make Sikkim even more beautiful. Tsomgo Lake reflects the gigantic views of snow-clad mountains around it, making your journey to Sikkim even more memorable.
Nathula Pass: Nathula Pass is around 53 km away from the main city of Gangtok. This place apart from being one of the best tourist places in Sikkim and is a politically very important point of Sikkim. Nathula Pass connects India to Tibet (China) which creates an amalgamation of Indian and Tibetan culture around this place.
Baba Harbhajan Singh Temple: Memorial & temple honouring Indian army soldier, folk hero & saint Baba Harbhajan Singh.
Kanchenjunga Base Camp: Its height is around 14,000 ft. above sea level. Kanchenjunga is the world’s third-highest peak. The trek to Kanchenjunga starts from Dzongri which is the last road lay around this peak. This thrilling base camp is nestled so close to India-China Borders.
Lachen, Lachung and Yumthang Valley: This village is the home of Tibetan nomadic tribes during winters. It is a gateway to two really beautiful lakes named Gurudongmar and Tso Lhamu Lakes. Lachen, Lachung, and Yumthang Valley are three peaceful and perfect destinations in Sikkim. Lachung is perfect to relish snow and Yumthang is the place you must go to catch on the beauty of the flower valley of Sikkim.
 Pelling: Pelling is the second most favourite spot in Sikkim after Gangtok. It coaxes thousands of travellers who seek peace in the lap of nature and to be surrounded by gigantic views. This town is the paradise of trekkers and peace lovers.
Siddheshwar Dham: It has a 108-foot-tall statue of Lord Shiva, 18 feet statue of Shiva in hinter avatar and has a replica of all 12 jyotirlingas spread around it and models of Chardham temples.

Facts: And the spirit lives on: Baba Harbhajan Singh; This Temple is built in honour of baba Harbhajan Singh. It is believed that his spirit still guards the Indian border in the region.
Organic State: Sikkim is India's first organic state with around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land dedicated to organic farming.
Cardamom: Sikkim is the world's second-largest producer of cardamom after Guatemala.
Nirmal State: Sikkim is India's first and only defecation free state.
Demographics: The majority of the Sikkim Population is Nepali by ethnicity.
From an independent country to an Indian state
The Prime Minister of Sikkim in 1975 appealed to the Indian Parliament to accede Sikkim to the Indian Union. Indian Army then took over the city of Gangtok, abolished the monarchy and held a referendum where 97.5% of the votes were in favour of joining the Indian Union. Thus, Sikkim became the 22nd State of India.
The first mixed world heritage site: Khangchendzonga National park has been termed India's first mixed world heritage site by UNESCO. It is home to 18 glaciers, lakes, mountains peaks, waterfalls, 18 sub-forest types, 124 species of animals and 300 species of birds.
Saving World: Styrofoam products and plastic are banned in Sikkim.
Rhubarb Sikkim: It is a flowering plant in Sikkim and in the Himalayas which can grow up to 2 meters in height.
Mt. Kanchenjunga: Sikkim is the home to the worlds third-largest mountain peak Mountain Kanchenjunga The main mount which lies on the border of North Sikkim is 8,586 meters in height.

While other dance forms too are popular like Mohiniyaattam, Chavittunatakom, Oppana, Krishnanattam. Kerala has a rich tradition in Carnatic music, vocal, and percussion music. Contemporary music is influenced by western music too.

The state has a long list of eminent personalities who have contributed to the Carnatic and Hindustani music genres. The state has its light music, pop music, and devotional songs which are popular.

HIDDEN GEMS:
1. GOD'S OWN LAND:
There is a mythological story behind the phrase God’s Own Country. It is said, as per Hindu beliefs, that this state was the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the creation of Lord Parasurama. Kerala is blessed with beauty and was the place of the incarnation of Lord Vishnu and so, it is called God’s Own Country.

2.KERALA'S BACKWATERS:
The unique geography of Kerala’s backwaters is that the lakes and lagoons run parallel almost along the entire coastline of the state. The majority of the backwaters consist of 5 lakes interconnected by narrow canals.

The climate of Meghalaya is generally mild. In August, the mean temperature at Shillong (in the Khasi Hills) is in the low 70s F (about 21–23 °C); it falls to the upper 40s F (about 8–10 °C) in January.

One of the world’s wettest regions is Meghalaya—Cherrapunji, which has an average annual precipitation of about 450 inches (11,430 mm) during the monsoon season (from May to September). (That may exceed rainfall at Cherrapunji at Mawsynram, a village directly west of Cherrapunji, where rainfall totals of some 700 inches [17,800 mm] per year have been recorded.) Annual rainfall in Shillong, only about 50 miles (80 km) from Cherrapunji, is about 90 inches (2,290 mm). During the winter months (December to February), the climate is relatively dry.

Meghalaya is blanketed in lush forests, and pines, sals, and bamboo are plentiful. Other species include oak, birch, beech, and magnolia. Elephants, tigers, leopards, deer, wild pigs, gaurs (wild bison), mithan (or gayals, the domesticated form of the gaur), wolves, anteaters, monkeys, apes, squirrels, snakes, hares, and sambar deer are all found in the state. Birds in Meghalaya include peacocks, partridges, pigeons, hornbills, jungle fowls, mynas, and parrots.

Most of the inhabitants of Meghalaya are Tibeto-Burman (Garos) or Mon-Khmer (Khasis) in origin, and their languages and dialects belong to these groups. The Khasis are the only people in India who speak a Mon-Khmer language. Khasi and Garo, along with Jaintia and English, are the state’s official languages; other languages spoken in the state include Pnar-Synteng, Nepali, Haijong, and the plains languages of Bengali, Assamese, and Hindi.

Christianity, Hinduism, and animistic forms of Hinduism are the major religions in the area. There are also a small minority of Muslims and even smaller groups of Buddhists and Sikhs.

The population is predominantly rural, and few towns exist in the state. Shillong is the largest town; other urban centres, listed in descending order of population, include Tura, Mawlai, Nongthymmai, and Jowai.

Meghalaya is rich in tribal culture and folklore. Drinking and dancing to the accompaniment of music from singas (buffalo horns), bamboo flutes, and drums are integral parts of religious ceremonies and social functions. Marriages are exogamous. However, the advent of Christianity in the mid-19th century and its strict morality disrupted many tribal and communal institutions.

A curious custom among the Garos is that after marriage, the youngest son-in-law goes to live in his wife’s parents’ house and becomes his father-in-law’s nokrom or clan representative in the mother-in-law’s family. If the father-in-law dies, the nokrom marries (and the marriage has to be consummated) the widowed mother-in-law, thus becoming the husband of both mother and daughter. The custom has been falling into disuse. The Khasis formerly practised human sacrifice.