Besides the scenic landscape and the beautiful beaches, Goa are also knows for shopping hubs. It is a shopper’s paradise with a vast wealth of indigenous artefacts. If you wish to take real joy of shopping in Goa then you have to go in the local markets and the flea markets in the Goan beaches. These bustling local markets are a kaleidoscope of rural Goa with villagers of the neighbouring areas bringing their agricultural produce here. The Friday market of Mapusa is particularly famous among the local markets. The Goa beaches too are shopping havens with noisy vendors feverishly trying to outbid each other. The Wednesday flea market of Anjuna beach is world famous with an astounding variety of shopping attractions.
Goa give you the chance to choose artefacts and momentous of your taste from the wide range of items. Artefacts made of shell work, bamboo work, brassware, curios and old coins, trinkets made of stones and corals, artefacts made of carved furniture, and beachwear are some of the popular entries in shopping carts.
You can do food shopping also in Goa. The food shops are open 7 days a week. Goa supply you surprisingly low cost and high quality food. If you wish, the bread man can deliver fresh pasteurised milk, butter and free range eggs are sold in the shops in morning and afternoon. You will get excellent quality beef, the chickens are free range. The Goat meat and chicken sold here are fresh and taste delicious. You will get plenty of fish like prawns, tiger prawns, lobster, crabs and mussels in the fish market.
A state, whose name is synonymous with exuberance, prosperity and an intense passion for life, Punjab or ‘Panj Aab’ literally meaning five rivers, is, as it were, the very heart of the country.
Blessed with extremely fertile soil, Punjab is watered by the rivers Beas, Sutlej, Ravi and Ghaggar. Punjab witnessed heavy destruction and damage during Partition, yet, it is one of the most affluent states in the country, today. The per – capita income of the state is nearly twice the all – India average. The mainstay of Punjab’s economy, and the source of its affluence is agriculture. Nearly 84 percent of the total geographical area of the state is under cultivation.
Places to see in Punjab:
• Amritsar
Amritsar, the holy city of Sikhs, has grown from a sacred village pond into a spiritual temporal centre of Sikh culture. The city gets its name from the pool-Amritsar (Pool of Nectar), which was constructed by the fourth religious preceptor of the Sikh faith. It also lies on the Asian Highway. It is also the city where Jaliyan-wala-bagh, the garden where scores of innocent Indian men, women, children were massacred by the British. Events of such magnitude catalysed the struggle for Indian independence.
• Patiala
Patiala is famous for its healthy food, loving people, wonderful parandaas, exciting Patiala peg and jootis. Easily accessible and well maintained, Patiala is a place that would give one the much-needed tranquility far from urban chaos. The Sports School and the Moti Bagh Palace are some of the places that one must visit to get a clear picture of the past of the state.
• Chandigarh
Serenity and a city are two diametrically opposite concepts, which however, get belied in the ‘City Beautiful’. Chandigarh is a rare epitome of modernization co-existing with nature’s preservation. It is here that the trees and plants are as much a part of the construction plans as the buildings and the roads. Thanks to the creative genius of Le Corbusier, the city retains its inherent character even today, as conceived by him in his Master Plan. Corbusier’s architectural ingenuity endowed with uniform and standardized structure designs. Wide roads, sector wise divisions, tree-lined avenues, land scaping and a wide piazza, lends the city a special character and a unique orderliness.
• Ludhiana
Ludhiana is famous for its hosiery and woolen goods and products from Ludhiana are exported all over the world. For its production of hosiery, Ludhiana is also known as the Manchester of India. It also boasts of the world famous Punjab Agricultural University, which organizes the Kisan Mela every Year. Nearby is Killa Raipur, which is famous for its Rural Olympics.
Dances of Punjab:
Bhangra
Bhangra celebrates the harvest and is associated with the festival of Baisakhi (April 13) when the sight of tall heaps of golden wheat fill the farmer’s heart with joy. To the accompaniment of large drums called dhols, he and his fellow villagers circle round and round in a leaping, laughing caper. It’s a dance that cuts across all divisions of class and education. At marriages, parties, or celebrations of any sort, it is quite common for men to break out in Bhangra. There are few sights more cheering than that of a dignified elder in three-piece suit getting up to join the young fellows for a moment of bhangra revelry.
Gidda
Women have a different but no less exuberant dance called gidda. The dancers enact verses called bolis, which represent folk poetry at its best. The subject matter of these bolis is wide ranging indeed – everything from arguments with the sister-in-law to political affairs figure in these lively songs. Aside from the drums, the rhythm of this dance is set by the distinctive hand-claps of the dancers.
Jhumar
This dance has originally come from Sandalbar (now in Pakistan), but is now very much a part of Punjab folk heritage. It is a dance of graceful gait, based on specific Jhumar rhythm. Dancers circle around the drummer, and keep up a soft, sibilant chorus as they dance.
How to get there:
By Air
Chandigarh and Amritsar both have airports are connected to other cities in India by regular flights. Indian airlines do have regular flights from Chandigarh to Delhi, Lucknow, Leh, and Amritsar. Jet air also has regular flights to Chandigarh.
By Rail
Punjab is extensively linked to the other parts of the country by rail. Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Pathankot, and Jalandhar are the major railway hubs in the state from where one can take trains for most parts of the country.
By Road
The entire state is connected through an extensive network of medalled roads. State Highways connect major cities to the state capital. NH 1 or the Grand Trunk Road connects the state with most of the north as well as east India.
The name “Assam” is derived from the term “Asom” which, in Sanskrit, refers to unequal or unrivaled. The uneven topography of the land, full of hills, plains and rivers might, therefore, have contributed to her name. A land of about 25 million people the principal language of Assam is Assamese although a large number of other languages are spoken.
Assam, the land of hills and valleys, the land of the mighty river Brahmaputra, the land of Mother Goddess Kamakhya, lies in the northeastern corner of India. It is a land where you find flowers that are exquisitely beautiful, animals that are rare, and a beleagured people that are proud and hospitable.
Places to see in Assam:
• Kamakhya Temple
The major attraction of Guwahati is the Kamakhya Temple, on the Nilachal hill, where Goddess Kamakhya is worshiped. The temple offers a fabulous view of the city and the mighty Brahmaputra. The ponds here are the home of some giant turtles.
• Assam State Museum
The museum came into existence in 1940 as a non-government body but was taken over by the state government in 1953. It is the biggest museum of the north east region and one of the biggest multipurpose museums in the country.
• Kaziranga National Park
Home to fabled one horned Rhinoceros. This is also a world heritage site. Besides the above, Umananda Temple, Navagraha Temple, Basistha Ashram, Hajo, Cherrapunjee (where it rains most in the world!), Nmaeri National Park are other major tourist attractions in Assam.
• Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden
The botanical garden was established in 1982, has an area of 82 hectares. It has an orchid house packed with 44 varieties of rare orchids of the North East region. The garden has various types of palm, shrubs, herbs, conifers and broad leaved plants.
• Umananda Temple
It is a temple of Lord Shiva, in the midst of river Brahmaputra, on the island of Umananda. The temple can be reached by crossing the river via country boats plying from Kachari Ghat. The place resembles a beehive during Shiva Ratri when pilgrims from all over flock to the island packed in boats.
• Hajo
Hajo is a sacred place for Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists. This place is to the (25km) west of Guwahati and is the site of the Pua-Mecca mosque, established by an Iraqi prince-turned-preacher, who traveled all the way to Assam in the 12th century to spread the Prophet’s teachings.
Festivals in Assam:
Bihu
The most important festivals of Assam are the Bihus, celebrated with joy and abundance by all Assamese people irrespective of caste, creed, religion, faith and belief. This also initiates the agricultural season. The merriments include dances accompanied on the wild and lusty beats of Dhol and Pepa (buffalo hornpipe). Songs sung in this Bihu are woven around themes of love and often carry erotic overtones. People adorn traditional attires like Dhoti, Gamocha and Chadar, Mekhala.
Majuli Festival
There will be a lot of scopes to fit yourself as a part of this festival. Special events are being organized during the festivals days round the clock. Cultural programmes will continue with the participation of various traditional and classical cultural troupes of Assam and troupes from rest of the country, in addition to rich cultural heritage of Majuli.
Tea Festival
The Tea festival organised by Assam Tourism in the month of November is a unique experience. One cannot miss this festival which offers holidays combining visits to Tea Gardens, Golf and River Cruises. A visit to the “Guwahati Tea Auction Center” (GTAC) in Guwahati, the largest in India is a must.
Rongali Utsav
Come April, and for the numerous communities, tribes and sub-tribes inhabiting the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra it’s time to welcome the onset of the agricultural season, a celebration of the vibrant springtime fertility cult.
How to get there:
By Air
Indian airlines/Alliance Air, Jet Airways and Air Sahara connect Guwahati with Kolkata, Delhi, Agartala and Imphal. Taxi services including prepaid services are available at the airport for transfer to the city. For travelling to Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya Helicopter Service and Arunachal Pradesh Helicopter Service at Guwahati Airport is available.
By Rail
Express trains link all parts of the country with Guwahati. Rajdhani Express from Delhi (28 hrs), Saraighat Express from Kolkata (18 hrs), Dadar Express from Mumbai (54 hrs) and Bangalore Express (60 hrs) are some of the important trains to Guwahati. Taxis and auto-rickshaws with negotiable rates are available at the station for transfer to different parts of the city.
By Road
Many private travel companies and the Assam State Transport Corporation operate a large network of buses from anywhere around. There are routes connecting Guwahati with Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tinsukhia, Silchar, Dimapur, Kohima, Imphal, Aizawl and Itanagar.