India

The Rani Sati Temple and Arrival in Mandawa

by Marie McCarthy

The main attraction at Jhunjhunu is the beautiful Rani Sati Temple. The center of the main building is five stories with three-storied wings on each sides, all colonnaded. The building is painted pale green. The temple is behind another gateway within the complex and looks like a mansion. Typical of so many places in India, there was a garbage dump next to the parking area, just across the road from the temple, where bony holy cows and skinny dogs nosed through the refuse, looking for something edible.

Rani Sati Temple in Jhunjhunu

Prem had told me that sometimes drivers are not allowed in monuments with their guests. Depending on the location, there are rules against it. At any rate, I knew that sometimes he’d be able to come with me, and sometimes he wouldn’t. At the Rani Sati Temple, he stayed with the car.

Near the entrance there were the usual touts trying to sell postcards and trinkets to tourists. One man, who looked like he was mentally challenged and was rather large, started following me yelling hallo, hallo, ever more loudly and insistently. Just as I began to get alarmed, a security guard at the temple entrance came down the steps and shouted at the man in Hindi, who then retreated.

Jhunjhunu Rani Sati Temple Entrance

I left my sandals at the shoe room. At Rani Sati, photography is allowed inside the complex everywhere except inside the temple, so I didn’t have to leave my camera behind. As I walked through the first gate, I saw a pretty, plump Indian woman in a sari accompanied by three daughters. Two of them were dressed in contemporary clothes, but one was dressed in a gorgeous, deep fuchsia, sparkling salwar kameez with a long scarf. I smiled at her.
“Beautiful!” I said, indicating her clothes.

Ladies at the Jhunjhunu Rani Sati Temple

They were all instantly pleased and clustered around me, speaking mostly in Hindi. One of the girls spoke a little English, enough to ask me where I was from. They were all smiles when I said Washington, DC. The beautiful lady indicated I was to come with them.

They walked me through the entire complex, pointing at various things and waiting for me to take pictures. We walked down an aisle in one building where there were several bells overhead. I knew to ring them, just as they did, in order to let the gods know that I was there. They smiled when they saw me do that. Then the lady beckoned me inside the temple, where music and dancing were going on. I put my camera away immediately. Had I been alone, I wouldn’t have gone into the temple, out of respect for the people worshipping within.

The sweet scent of burning incense filled the air. Flowers, mostly orange marigolds, adorned the shrine area where the donation box was. A priest in saffron robes handed all those making donations a small, sweet cookie. The lady put her donation in the box, turned to me and said, “ten rupees.” I put a ten rupee note in the box and received my cookie.

Behind the shrine was a passage which went around in a circle, leading back to the main room. I followed the lady and her daughters, who touched various symbols on the walls, then touched their hearts and their foreheads. Back around to the front of the shrine, there was a spot where a plate with vegetable colors was set. One of the daughters dipped a finger into the vegetable paint and applied a vertical line of red on her forehead just above the eyes. Then she did the same to me. Next she pressed a few grains of rice into the center of the red mark. I wondered if it had something to do with fertility.

We walked outside a bit more and saw a peacock. The girls were excited and wanted me to take a picture of it. Just before the shoe area, I asked to take their picture, which made them very happy. The youngest had wandered off, so I took the lady with her two eldest daughters. When I returned to the car, Prem smiled, noticing the red mark on my forehead.
“Where did you get that?”
“I met a lady and her daughters inside who showed me around. One of them put it on me.”
“That means good luck. It is called a tikka.”

We had to take the same streets out of town to get back on the main road. Prem asked if I were interested in making one more stop at a very small but beautiful temple a short distance from Rani Sati. The temple was white marble, and there were no other visitors there. The temple was very small and compared to Rani Sati was much less photogenic. Still it was a pretty and peaceful place, and I was glad we stopped.

Beautiful temple a short distance from Rani Sati

Before we reached the village of Mandawa, where we would spend the night,we had a couple more hours of driving on a badly potholed road which narrowed down to a single lane in many places. The itinerary had us staying in Jhunjhunu, but Prem thought we should continue all the way to Mandawa. This was the first of many times when his suggestions to change the itinerary greatly enhanced the trip. I believe he knew that I’d be thrilled with the accommodations there.

We finally pulled to a stop around 7:30 p.m. When I opened the car door, my first thought was, “It smells like the desert.” The sandy soil my sandaled foot sank into confirmed what my nose had already told me.

Mandawa Haveli Hotel

Glancing up, it seemed like we were going to be staying in a chapter of 1001 Arabian Nights, Indian style. The Mandawa Haveli Hotel twinkled and sparkled in the night. Two magical places in one day! I was thrilled, charmed, mesmerized! Walking through the huge, twelve foot high gateway doors, I saw that the cement steps up to the reception were lined with potted plants and tiny running lights. The scalloped entrance just before the reception doorway was brilliantly painted with ancient frescoes. A stone archway to the left delineated a garden dining area. To the right a covered veranda protected seating for taking the air and enjoying the delightful surroundings.

Mandawa Haveli Hotel twinkled and sparkled in the night

A haveli is a style of private, multistoried mansion built in India and Pakistan in the 1800s by rich merchants. They commonly contained courtyards with fountains and were large enough to house extended families. A distinguishing feature of the havelis is the painting of elaborate frescoes both inside and out. Some havelis, such as this one, have been converted into hotels. I was thrilled silly to be spending the night in a historic, restored Indian mansion.

My room had a medieval looking studded set of heavy double doors, locked with a giant padlock. The room was tiny, just barely large enough to hold the double bed and a chair, but it was very pretty. More important was that the bathroom had sparkling and modern fixtures. We would only be in Mandawa for one night, so even though I was tired, I wanted to take pictures of as much as I could of the hotel in its nighttime, fairytale ambience.

One of the hotel staffers noticed my interest and invited me upstairs to see the library. After climbing the steep, narrow stairwell, I was glad my room was on the ground floor. At the top of the stairs, I saw how very narrow the upstairs passage around the interior courtyard was. But what was really nerve wracking was that the wall at the edge of the passage overlooking the courtyard was only knee-height, not enough for safety if you got dizzy, which I was beginning to feel.

The library had an old writing desk but few books. There was a large reclining area in front of the latticed window where the women could look out and not be seen. After photographing as much as I could of the interior and exterior of the hotel in the dim light, I climbed another precarious stairway to the restaurant. The walls were covered with frescoes of individuals, perhaps depicting family members of the haveli’s former owners.

India Mandawa Haveli Hotel restaurant

Even though it was late, I was unfortunately not hungry enough for a full dinner. I would have loved to have sampled something more substantial from their enticing menu, but I was happy with only the daal and spinach soup, which was delicious, and a roti. Back in my room, I enjoyed a warm shower before sinking into bed. This hotel was perfect. My new driver was great company. I was amazed at my great luck in having found Namaste India Tours and ending up here.

Visiting Places In Hyderabad

Hyderabad is fondly referred to as the city of Nawabs and sometimes also as the city of Pearls as till the 20th century it probably was the only global center for large diamonds. Hyderabad is also famous as the birthplace of Tollywood besides hosting a thriving IT industry. But probably the most distinctive aspect of this historical city is that it is the only city in South India with a distinctly North Indian culture. This makes Hyderabad a veritable treasure house of amazing buildings and great food – and me like a kid in a candy store.

Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad India

While the casual traveller to Hyderabad will be proffered a host of options, my must visit list starts from the old city of Hyderabad. Hop on a rickshaw to Charminar and visit the Mecca Masjid next door to listen to the morning azaan. If you love Hyderabad as much as I do, you will not miss sitting on the stone slab near the Mecca Masjid: it is believed that anyone who sits there once does end up visiting Hyderabad again.

The best known landmark of Hyderabad: Charminar opens up at 9 AM sharp and that is when you should be climbing up the stairs of this wondrous monument originally built in the year 1591 to commemorate the end of plague in Hyderabad. From the Charminar we can view a large part of the old city of Hyderabad and spot the monuments of Mecca Masjid, Osmania Hospital and the Chowmohalla palace which also happens to be our next destination. Next up, take a short walk through the gems and pearl laden Laad Bazar, asking directions for Chowmohalla Palace. You can buy jewels: particularly pearls from here. I would also recommend buying ittar or perfume bottles from here.

Charminar: landmark monument in Hyderabad

The Chowmohalla Palace provides the most comprehensive information about the history of the twin cities of Secunderabad and Hyderabad, chronicling the lives of its rulers. A relatively new palace turned museum, Chowmohalla provides a peek into the lives of the Nizams of Hyderabad and apart from the Falaknuma is probably your best bet to check out a royal Nizam’s palace in Hyderabad.

Magnificent Chowmahalla Palace, palace to the Nizams of Hyderabad

The quick history tour would have rumpled your tummy by now and what better than the famous Hyderabadi Biryani to satisfy that hunger. North Indian spices mixed up with South Indian rice, cooked in a fusion of styles to create a combination that will leave you asking for more. While there are many other contenders to the crown, I would suggest the Shadaab Biryani as the best place for the biryani is it is closest to the Chowmohalla Palace.

Hyderabadi Biryani, meat and rice dish. Source: Wikimedia Commons

By now, it’s probably afternoon and the best way to escape the Hyderabad heat is to go inside the cool environs of the Salarjung museum. The Salarjung museum houses one of the largest collections of art collected by one person. And a visit to the place for about two hours will give you just an overview of its vast collection. And we probably can’t spend more time here as the ubiquitous (in most Indian cities) Birla temple is awaiting.

Located atop a hill overlooking the Hussain Sagar lake, the beautiful Birla temple is as well constructed as it is located with various engravings of the Mahabharata on its white marbled walls and pillars. The enticing Hussainsagar lake that you can view while doing the darshan is perfect for a long evening walk and may be with a little help from a rickshaw you can end up at Eat Street. And have dinner at some of the beautiful lakeside joints at Eat Street, watching the colossal Buddha statue in Hussain Sagar.

7 Wonders of India: Hussain Sagar Lake, Lumbini Park

Hyderabad has a lot to offer for the casual traveller and a one day trip can be well spent in probably any of these beautiful places.

Janit Vora is a Business Analyst by profession and a weekend blogger by passion. He blogs about Hyderabad, one of his favorite cities, as also his life in and travels to the different cities of the world at Urban Indian.

Poor people in India

India is already Asia’s third largest economy by Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It’s the second fastest growing country in the world after China. It’s one of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries, which optimists think, are rated to become world’s leading economies in the coming decades. Consumer surveys repeatedly talk of upbeat Indians, who are hopeful of the future. The country is young, and that adds more potential to its growth curve. Its dynamic software industry and huge internal market add to its attractiveness as a place to do business. Combined, all this presents a very rosy picture of India. However, this is only a part of the story.

India houses some of the poorest people in the world

Prevalence of poor people in India

Preliminary figures from the latest (2011) census estimate a population of a little over 1,210 million (1.21 billion). This means, between 17-18% of world’s population lives in this relatively tiny piece of land (an interesting point here is that India is less densely populated that the UK and South Korea). At the same time, however, a publication from journalist and TIME Editor Bobby Ghosh points out that one in three poor people on the planet lives in India. This makes India home to the largest poor population in the world. Though there has been a reduction in the relative number of poor people in the past few decades, the percentage of those living below poverty line still remains shamefully large. Data from the Planning Commission of India shows that while there were a little less than 40% Indian living in poverty during the mid 1980s, it had fallen to 26% some twenty years later in 2005. That is a giant leap forward. However, in recent years, questions have been raised on the government’s methodology to measure poverty.

Definition of poverty

A couple of years ago, a report by Arjun Sengupta based on data collected by government agencies caused a great uproar in India when it announced that an outrageously large proportion of Indians were earning less than INR 20 (~US $0.4) a day. The report estimated approximately three in four Indians were poor. It has been heavily criticised and defended since then. There are other reports, including one by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. It uses a slightly different methodology and concludes that one in two Indians are either “severely” poor or “vulnerable to poverty.” Despite being so ubiquitous, poverty is not spread out uniformly in the country. Some religious communities, regions and castes do better than others.

Distribution of poor people in India

Remember India is a continent in its own right. You’ll find deserts in one corner and beautiful beaches on the other side and snow capped mountains in yet another. India is kept together by strong cultural and societal fabric. There is huge disparity amongst the people of India. On one side India has one of the largest middle class of people in the world which is also a measure of a nation’s strength; Indians are always in the top richest people in the world while it also houses the poorest people in the world.

Of the major religious communities in India, the Sikhs do particularly well while Muslims are a disadvantaged lot. Outdated caste system plays a major role too. The people from lower castes and the adivasis (aborigines) are more likely to be poor than those belonging to the upper castes. There are also regional dimensions. While some states and Union Territories boast of a respectable per capita income (Punjab, Himachal Pradesh) and others of a Human Development Index (Kerala, Chandigarh) comparable to those in European countries, conditions in some states (Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh) are worse than in even some Sub-Saharan countries. This party explains why grand policies fail to eradicate poverty; quite often they do not take religious, regional and caste based peculiarities into account.

The future of the poor in India

The Indian government has several well-intentioned giant poverty reduction schemes. Unfortunately most of them don’t work, including the revolutionary Right to Employment, Right to Education, and now the much discussed but yet to be implemented, Right to Food schemes. However, there are some state level schemes, Midday meal in Tamil Nadu, that do an exceptionally good job of alleviating poverty. Thanks to these local approaches, India is well on its way to meet its target of reducing poverty to less than 22% by 2015. And it’s there a new generation of leaders inside and outside the country is focusing on, a decentralised approach to reducing poverty.

For those travelling to India must realise that poverty is a reality in India. You will actually feel the poverty as you travel across the country. The film “Slumdog Millionaire” was somewhat true depiction of poverty in India and some of the issues poor people of India have to face. However, movies like these that show an image of India that is still frozen in poverty and slums sell like hot cakes in the West which is not entirely true. There are efforts and attempts to change the whole thing. Therefore you must come to India with an open mind and leaving your preconceptions behind.

India: Rich and Poor

What do Indians wear?

India is a diverse country with different cultures and religions. The customs followed by Indian people vary across length and breadth of the country. Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, and Christianity, are some of the major religions people believe and follow. Not only the religion affects the way people think, live and dress but also the region or the state they belong to has great influence.

What do Indian women wear?

Traditionally the dress for Indian women devoid of caste, creed and culture is sari. Sari (saree) is a four to nine yard unstitched garment draped in different styles and worn on an upper stitched garment called choli/blouse. Here’s how to wear the sari.

Indian women wearing the sari

Though sari is popularly believed to be the traditional dress for Indian women, there are other dresses that are either region specific or culture specific which are also considered to be part of Indian traditional dresses. In Punjab the traditional dress is Salwar Kameez and in Rajasthan it is Gagra Choli or also known as Lehenga. In Kerala an older version of sari called Mundum Neriyathum is the traditional dress, where Mundu forms the lower garment and Neriyathu is the upper garment.

Indian bride wearing a saree

In other parts of the country the most popular traditional dress is sari which is draped in a variety of styles. For example, in Maharashtra the kachha style and in Gujarat front pallu style.

This is me wearing the Salwar Kameez

However, with time the sense of dressing is evolved. Due to factors like globalisation and westernisation, today’s women take a modern approach when it comes to dress. Except for the older generation who are conservative and orthodox, the sari has been popularly replaced by Churidhar-Kurta and the Salwar Kameez. Women of almost all the ages starting from 18 years old to 90 years old prefer dressing in Salwaar Kameez for their day to day life. The traditional garment Kurthi is worn as a top on jeans which gives a casual western look while still has the conservative elegance of Indian wear kurtha.

There is yet another class of Indian women who have taken a leap towards modernisation. These are again a section of females aged between 18 and 90 who are more influenced by the lifestyle and habitats rather than religion or culture of the regions. They believe in contemporary fashion and are more westernised. Pants, skirts, minis, you name it and they wear it!

Hijab – Muslim women wear it as part of their tradition. It is a long and loose dress usually black in colour, gown like outer garment which is either worn on sari or Salwaar Kameez. It is paired with a black head dress which has a black transparent face cover attached to it.

Can an American girl wear a sari?

What do Indian men wear?

Men, you can hardly find Indian men wearing traditional dress in the country today. Only during special occasions like weddings or festivals you will be able to find male section of the Indian society in traditional Indian dresses. But yes, in rural parts of India and countable number of senior citizens can be seen in traditional dress as part of their daily life.

The traditional dress for Indian men essentially is Dhoti paired with Kurta and Gandhi Ttopi or Oagri. Dhoti is a six feet unstitched garment worn in a particular style which gives the pant effect rather than a skirt effect! It is paired with a stitched upper garment called Kurta which is normally longer than a shirt with two slits on each side. A traditional Indian man’s dress is incomplete without a head dress. A Nehru topi/cap or a petah/pagri/turban accompanies depending on the culture and/or religion.

Traditional dhoti worn by Indian men. Source: Flickr nicocrisafulli’s photostream

Sherwani is another type of dress with a long below the knee jacket styled coat or Kurta. It is usually worn with tight fitting pyjama like pants called churidars and sometimes a scarf is added to the attire.

Again there are variations in this traditional dress depending on region and religion. Kurta-Pijama, Lungi-shirt which is popular in south India especially Tamil Nadu and Gujarati dress which has a typical style of pants and a frock style Kurta.

But from the time after the British rule men in India have adopted to the pant-shirt culture. Today you can see them in jeans, funky half pants, shirts and t-shirts, suits and such western outfits.

Additionally the colour, texture and material are diverse as well. Depending on ethnicity and cultural preferences dresses and colour choices vary from occasion to occasion. For example, red is considered as auspicious by Hindus for many sacred occasions and festivals for women, including for a bride to be married. White is worn by Hindus for mourning whereas Christians wear white to weddings.

People in India were once found wearing cotton clothes. Only the upper or the class of people who belonged to royal family wore silk or muslin clothing. With times the materials used for clothing have acquired high fashion standards. India is changing and you surely need not worry much about what to wear in India next time you plan to visit here.

Buying Indian Clothes with Darrol Bryant

 

What to buy in India?

India is a shopper’s paradise. India has one of the most dynamic retail industries in the entire world. For the shopaholic, it might be difficult in controlling the demon inside them.

When you visit India, there are a number of things you could buy to take home. However there are limitations of what you can actually take back home on your baggage allowance. Here is a compilation of the things that you could buy when you are in India at really cheap prices.

Remember that the currency in India is the Indian rupee coded INR which stands for “Indian National Rupee”. It is also called the “Rupaya or Rupya” in Hindi. The rupee is divided into 100 paisas.

Indian handicrafts

Here’s a list of 51 things of what to buy in India when on holiday:

Clothes and cosmetics

1. Bangles: Almost every woman in India wears them. They come in basic day to day wear to very fashionable ones.

2. Sarees: You’ll find the best sarees in the world. The ones to go for Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) silk sarees, they are of exception quality. A lady visiting India must buy a Kancheepuram silk saree for the wardrobe even if it’s worn occasionally. Read this on how to wear the saree.

Saree shops in India

3. Shawls: The best ones are embroidered Pashmina shawls made of quality cashmere wool derived from the pashmina goats of the Himalayas.

4. Vests: Indian men like to wear vests more than any country in the world. The popular vests are available from the “Rupa” brand.

5. Flip flops: Cheap and cheerful at throw away prices available on street stalls.

6. Jewellery: Precious stones, gems, sapphire, diamond, rubies: India is a nation of gold lovers (and diggers). We love our gold to death. You’ll find in India the best 24 carat gold jewellery in the world.

7. Henna Dye: Plant based henna dye are very popular in India for making decorations on palms. You might wish to buy some packets of powdered Henna Dye. They are extremely cheap.

Henna dye

8. Sandals: They are mainly worn during the summer. You will find durable sandals in “BATA shops”. Sandals from Kolhapur and Pune are very popular in India.

9. Salwar Kameez: Indian dresses worn by Indian girls and women. You’ll find good quality both in silk and cotton to suit your taste. You might want to buy a few for those parties back home.

10. Gamcha: A very thin towel used in the Indian villages. Very handy as it dries quickly and occupies little space in the luggage.

11. Kurta Pajama: You’ll find many Indian men wearing the tradition Kurta Pajama. They are very comfortable to wear and can be used as sleeping dresses.

Food

12. Loose Indian tea: India is big on tea. Unfortunately the teas found in many countries are of poor quality. Why not visit a departmental store and ask for the best Darjeeling loose tea leaves. Assam and Nilgiri teas are also excellent ones to buy.

13. Mango pickles: Some airlines do not permit pickles on board because of the oil content. You will need to check with your airlines if you can carry pickles in your luggage.

14. Indian sweets: If you have a sweet tooth, then the best thing is to try them while you are in India. If you like something then perhaps you can buy some to take home. Try to avoid ones with syrup. The dry types are best such as soan-papdi. Read the 10 food to try in India.

Indian sweet “Soan Papdi”

15. Saffron: Although you can get most Indian spices in any part of the world but you might wish to buy “saffron”. You should be able to buy high quality in saffron in any departmental store in India.

16. Bombay-mix and savouries: In India you will find the best Bombay-mix, you might want to consider getting a few packets of these to take home with you.

17. Indian cookbook: A proper Indian cookbook written by a genuine Indian chef such as the famous Sanjeev Kapoor.

18. Sattu: You will never find this in anywhere in the world. Grounded “sattu” is made of roasted gram flour consumed mainly in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh region of India. Sattu makes exceedingly good stuffed parathas.

Health

19. Ayurvedic products: India is the home of Ayurvedic medicine. Great thing about these medications are that they have little or no side effects so ask around for a good Ayurvedic doctor from your guide, hotel or whoever you are staying with and get hold of some alternative medication for yourself or your loved ones. There is no harm in trying something different to standard medication.

20. Yoga DVD’s: Trust me, yoga works. Baba Ramdev, a popular Yoga Guru has popularised yoga to a great extent in India. He’s seems to have the cure for every single condition. Just look around. Two Yoga techniques in particular are very popular; Kapalbhati and Anulom Vilom. Get their DVD’s.

21. Antibiotics: I don’t recommend you buying antibiotics or any medication without proper consultation. But if you know what you are buying then this is for you. India is one of these few countries where you can walk up to the counter and buy antibiotics without a prescription. That’s not to say you don’t need one, it’s just that the pharmacist will give you at their discretion.

22. Chyawanprash: Jam like tonic for the kids (and adults alike) full of vitality made with Ayurvedic traditions.

Chyawanprash

23. Haircut: The cheapest country in the world for a haircut. Men can get one at around 30 Rupees.

24. Amrutanjan: A very effective Ayurvedic balm for headaches, cold and cough.

25. Mosquito repellent: India is a country where malaria is prevalent, so mosquito repellents are cheap.

26. Lice treatment shampoo: Quite cheap in India. The chemist can tell you the good ones.

27. Prescription glasses: Good quality of international standard.

28. Condoms: Enough said.

29. Tongue cleaner or scraper: I have not seen this in any other country except India; it’s something that is very unique to India and other countries in the Indian sub-continent. You can buy tongue cleaners in a just a few rupees. A must buy and try.

30. Penegra: Indian version of Viagra manufactured by Zydus Alidac (India). It comes in 2 doses; 50mg and 100mg tablets.

For the home

31. Handicrafts and folk art: India has amazing handicrafts for offer. The whole nation seems to be buzzing with talented craftsmen. You will do a favour to these poor craftsmen and support the cottage industry. Some popular ones are; terracotta statuettes of West Bengal, amazing sandalwood carvings of Mysore, and carved metal craft wares of Madhya Pradesh, blue gazed pottery of Jaipur. You will find a range of sculpture and carvings to take home. Some places to buy handicrafts are Dilli Haat in Delhi, Kala Madhyam in Bangalore, Anokhi in Jaipur and Khazana at the Taj Hotels.

Dilli Haat, New Delhi

 

32. Madhubani paintings of Bihar: Madhubani is world famous for its colour paintings mainly of gods and goddesses.

33. Rugs: If your baggage allowance permits you, then you must buy the beautifully designed handmade oriental rugs made of pure wool or/and pure silk. A small one perhaps for the side of the bed to treat your feet.

34. Silk paintings: You can buy exquisite folk art and ethnic paintings made by artists from the villages of India.

35. Marble: You’ll be amazed at the throw away prices of marble in India. Buy yourself a marble mantle piece to go on the fireplace or a marble jewellery box.

36. Wood carvings: You’ll find excellent wood carvings for decorative purposes.

37. Washing power sachets: Cheaper than most countries.

38. Bed sheets: Hand crafted embroidered and brightly coloured designs on bed sheets are popular from Punjab.

39. Leather goods: For example; genuine hand stitched leather steering wheel cover at cheap prices. Genuine leather wallets for men can be bought at cheap prices.

Handicraft shops in India

Spiritual

40. Incense: Hand crafted incense sticks to suit your smell.

41. Sandalwood: You can buy pieces of sandalwood or decorative carvings of gods. Not only they smell nice but will look nice.

Entertainment

42. Books: Books are cheaper in India compared to Europe and the USA. While you are in India, make sure to visit a book store. If you can’t find the book of your choice ask the shopkeeper as they usually keep their books at the back of the store. So don’t feel ashamed to ask.

43. Bollywood DVD’s: Beware most of them are very long of about 2.5 to 3 hours long. But you’ll be surprised that some of the earlier movies were of exceptional quality. I suggest you buy some of following movies; Mother India (1957), Bobby (1973), Coolie (1983), Deewar (1975), Hare Rama,Hare Krishna (1971), Sholay (1975).

44. Indian chessboard: Chess was invented in India and here you will find quality chess boards.

45. Indian playing cards: You’ll find various varieties.

Music

46. Bansuri: An Indian musical instrument made of hollow shaft of bamboo with 7 holes. It’s something that will look good on the wall or on the fireplace.

Stephanie Bosch playing the Bansuri: stephaniebosch.com

47. Tabla: Tradition pair of drums that is an essential part of any Indian musical feat.

48. Indian music DVD’s: I suggest you buy some Indian classical music for relaxation.

49. Ankle bells, anklets known as “payals or ghungroo”: These are ornaments worn on the feet by Indian women. If you want to learn dancing these would be very useful.

Collectables

50. Rare Indian coins: You can buy rare coins of ancient India that will go up in value over time.

51. Antiques: Indians do not value antiques as much people do in the West. You can find great Indian antiques at good prices for example vintage pocket watches, ancient pottery, statues of gods, militaria and maritime collectables etc.

Pair of anklets

 

Tourist places in East India

Bodh Gaya Temple in Bihar

Typically the states Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal are referred to as Eastern India; whereas Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh are referred to as North East India. But in a broader sense all these eleven states together form the Eastern part of India. This article will highlight the most popular destinations in East Indian states of Bihar, Orrisa, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

Eastern India demonstrates the cultural riches, historical structures, Buddhist sites of importance, Hindu and Jain temples and the beauties of Indian wild life.

Places to visit in Eastern India:

Bihar

It is well known as the land of Lord Buddha. Ganges, the mother of all rivers in India flows along the state. India’s most powerful empires originated from Bihar such as the Mauryas, the Guptas and the Palas all ruled and built their dynasties in Bihar.

Patna is the capital city of Bihar. This was also the capital of ancient India – Pataliputra. If you are visiting Patna then you must not miss on these attractions – Hanuman Mandir, Khuda Baksh Oriental Library, Patna Museum, Kumhrar, Qila house, Gandhi Setu, Golghar, etc. Read, introduction to Bihar for further information.

Ashoka Pillar in Nalanda, Bihar

Other important destinations in Bihar are: Bodhgaya (where Buddha got preached and got enlightment), Ancient Nalanda University, Vaisali, Rajgir (Where Mahavira lived and preached), Pawapuri and Sonepur (hosts Asia’s biggest animal fair).

Jal Mandir Pawapuri, Bihar

Orissa

Orissa is a place of indigenous culture. If you like to drench yourself in water you have pristine beaches, lakes and waterfalls. If you are an animal lover then mingle with the wildlife in sanctuaries. If you have the interest for ancient monuments and temples then Orissa can offer you even more variety.

Bhubaneswar is the capital of Orissa. This is an important Hindu pilgrimage centre. Rajarani temple, Mukteswar temple, Lingaraj temple, etc are few of the temples you may want to visit. Apart from these temples the other prime tourists spots include: Udaygiri and Khandagiri caves, Dhauli, Nandankanan and Atri.

Konark Sun Temple front view, Orrisa

Konark Sun Temple, Chandipur beach, Chilika Lake, Jagannath Temple in Puri, Puri beach, Bhitarkanika National Park are the other tourist places one will enjoy seeing around.

7 Wonders of India – Udaygiri and Khandagiri Caves

 

West Bengal

Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal has now turned out to be the most populous metro city of India. When in Kolkata you ought to see Belur math, Dakshineshwar temple, Malda district and famous terracotta temples of Bishnupur.

Tea plantations of Darjeeling. Source: nac888’s photostream

Darjeeling, Siliguri, Sundarbans, Cooch Behar, Bardhaman, Murshidabad, Jalpaiguri, Hoogly, Mednipur, North and South Dinajpur and Howrah are the important places in West Bengal for tourists.

Jharkhand

Previously part of Bihar, it is now an independent state since the year 2000 with its capital at Ranchi. The state is typically covered with dense forests, wildlife sanctuaries and coal mines. Some of the best tourist places in Jharkhand include; TATA Steel Zoological Park and Jawaharlal Nehru Biological Park, Parasnath, a pilgrimage destination for Jains. Capital city of Ranchi has several waterfalls, forests and lakes such as the Ranchi Hill, Tagore Hill and Ranchi Lake. Deogarh also known as Baidyanath Dham is very popular pilgrim site for Hindus.