A
CLOSE-UP VIEW OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST DEMOCRACY IN ACTION: POLICY, DEVELOPMENT
AND TRADE
Jan
2 - 14, 2007
Bangalore
Bombay Dehli
Delhi is India's third
largest city, after Mumbai and Calcutta, and ranks as a major transportation,
commercial, and industrial center. Delhi is no fairytale city but a city where
dreams come to reality. Its strategic location was one of the prime reasons why
successive dynasties chose it as their seat of power. Delhi is truly a symbol
of the old and the new; a blend of ancient well preserved monuments and temples
along with jam-packed burger joints and upmarket shopping malls.
The
city is lushed with a plethora of temples, forts, mosques as well as parks, gardens
and beautiful colonial mansions. Delhi may seem daunting to a first time visitor
but as a national capital and the gateway to the North, it is a must visit city
on any travelers itinerary. Impressive museums and interesting nightlife, Delhi
has a lot to offer for everyone.
A
Conglomerate Of Seven Cities: One of the most fascinating aspects of Delhi is
the visibility of its historic past. Some of the large portions of the city could
be well earmarked as archeological parks because the rulers of successive dynasties
between the 13th and the 17th centuries established seven cities in different
parts of Delhi. A chronological review of these cities fortunately also serves
as suitable itinerary for tourists and highlights the important monuments amongst
the 1300's.
Bangalore,
situated at an altitude of 920 metres above sea level, is the principal
administrative, cultural, commercial and industrial centre of the state of Karnataka.
The city, which is spread over an area of 152 square kilometres, enjoys a pleasant
and equable climate throughout the year. Its tree-lined streets and abundant greenery
have led to it being called the 'Garden City' of India. However, since local entrepreneurs
and the technology giant Texas Instruments discovered its potential as a high-tech
city in the early 1980s, Bangalore has seen a major technology boom. It is now
home to more than 250 high-tech companies. Including homegrown giants like Wipro
and Infosys. Consequently, now Bangalore is called the 'Silicon Valley' of India.
Ancient
yet modern, fabulously rich yet achingly poor, Mumbai is India in microcosm. Once
a sultry tropical archipelago of seven islands, and the Raj's brightest jewel,
Mumbai was the dowry of Portuguese Princess Infanta Catherine de Braganza who
married Charles II of England in 1661. Today it's a teeming metropolis, commercial
hub of an old civilization seeking to find its place in the New World Order.
Forty
percent of India's taxes come from this city alone, and half of India's international
trade passes through its splendid natural harbour. In fact Mumbai is the very
soul of human enterprise. At the city's Stock Exchange, millionaires and paupers
are made overnight, and the sidewalks are crowded with vendors hawking everything
from ballpoint pens to second hand mixies. Everyday, half of Mumbai's population
commutes from far-flung suburbs to downtown offices, banks, factories and mills
for a living.
Nearly
thirteen million people live here - wealthy industrialists, flashy film stars,
internationally acclaimed artists, workers, teachers and clerks - all existing
cheek by jowl in soaring skyscrapers and sprawling slums. They come from diverse
ethnic backgrounds and speak over a dozen tongues adding colour, flavour and texture
to the Great Mumbai Melting Pot.
